"No, you don't need to apologize to me!" Lin Qingxue laughed bitterly, a self-mocking smile spreading across her face. "We aren't anything to each other anyway. You can leave whenever you want, and stay whenever you want. Whatever you choose to do has nothing to do with me."
"I'm leaving." Chu Yang gave Lin Qingxue an apologetic look. "Something urgent came up at home, so I need to go back for a bit. But I'll be back as soon as possible, at the latest right after military training ends."
"What happened?" Lin Qingxue's expression tightened.
But a moment later, her face went cold again. "You can leave if you want. I'm not anyone special to you, so you don't need to explain yourself to me."
Chu Yang smiled. "Even though I've already notified the school, you're still the assistant counselor for our class. Isn't it only right for a freshman missing military training to let the assistant counselor know?"
As he spoke, Chu Yang slowly took a few steps closer to Lin Qingxue. "Besides, in my eyes, you are far more than just my assistant counselor."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Lin Qingxue gave a soft huff, then forced a calm demeanor. "Do you have anything else to say? If not, I'm leaving."
"Nothing else." Chu Yang chuckled softly.
He raised his hand slightly.
It looked as though he wanted to smooth down a few stray strands of hair on Lin Qingxue's head.
Yet just as his palm was about to touch her, he restrained himself and stopped his hand in mid-air.
He quickly straightened up, looked at Lin Qingxue, and said slowly, "This time, I suppose this doesn't count as slipping away quietly without a word. I certainly don't want to be a little puppy again."
"I can't be bothered with you!" Instantly remembering the things she had said last night after getting drunk, Lin Qingxue glared at Chu Yang with a flushed face. "If you have matters at home to attend to, then hurry up and leave already! You're so annoying!"
With that, Lin Qingxue turned sharply and walked away.
Chu Yang stood quietly in place, watching the receding figure of Lin Qingxue as she slowly walked away, a faint smile gradually curving his lips.
Perhaps I'm truly hopeless when it comes to romance.
I always manage to make you angry.
Yet, all I want is to be with you.
Wait for me.
The romance and tenderness I've saved up for so long—I want to give it all to you at once!
...
After leaving the male dormitory area, Lin Qingxue walked slowly down the main campus pathway. The chaotic thoughts in her heart began to gradually settle, and then she suddenly muttered an angry reproach to herself: "Lin Qingxue, can you please not be so pathetic? Why do you always want to turn soft the moment you see him? He left without a word for three years—did he ever consider how you felt? How can you still care about what happened at his home?"
She took a few deep breaths.
After steadying her emotions once more, Lin Qingxue quickly made up her mind.
Even though Chu Yang was now studying at Peking University as well, she absolutely could not let the events of the past three years go just like that!
From now on, he could walk his wide road, and she would cross her single-plank bridge.
Yes, that's right.
Lin Qingxue, you need to pull yourself together!
After giving herself a fierce mental pep talk, Lin Qingxue prepared to head back to her dorm.
At that moment, a male student suddenly walked toward her from the opposite direction.
Upon seeing Lin Qingxue, the expression on the young man's face instantly lit up with excitement. He hurried over to her and said, "Morning, Qingxue! Have you had breakfast yet? Want to go grab some together?"
Lin Qingxue's voice instantly turned cold. "Sorry, I'm very busy and have no time for breakfast. Also, classmate Wang Xiujie, although we are in the same class, you and I aren't that close. You can either address me as monitor or just call me by my full name."
The young man's expression turned somewhat unsightly. "Qingxue, I've been pursuing you for a whole year now. Can't you at least give me a chance?"
"That's just your own wishful thinking," Lin Qingxue said with the utmost indifference. "I made it clear back in our freshman year that I have no interest in you, so don't waste your effort on me. It is absolutely impossible for me to ever be with you."
She then added a heavy emphasis: "I wouldn't before, and I certainly won't now!"
...
Near noon, Chu Yang dragged his suitcase into Beijing Capital International Airport and spoke into the phone to Lu Yong on the other end: "Professor Lu, I'm already at Beijing Capital International Airport. I expect to arrive at the Mobei research base around four o'clock this afternoon. Could you please arrange for someone to pick me up at the airport?"
"No problem, no problem," Lu Yong replied repeatedly from the other end of the line, sounding quite grateful. "Chief Engineer Chu, I'm terribly sorry to disturb you during your break."
That's right—a break.
In the minds of Lu Yong and the other researchers who knew Chu Yang, everyone simply viewed Chu Yang's current schooling as nothing more than an extended vacation.
The moment Chu Yang had rested enough, given his extraordinary research talent, he was bound to return to the front lines of scientific research.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Chu Yang replied with a smile. "National matters take precedence above all else. Let's leave it at that for now; I'm getting ready to enter the boarding lounge. We can discuss everything else when I arrive."
With those words, Chu Yang hung up the phone.
He pushed his suitcase and walked slowly toward the boarding lounge.
Meanwhile, not far off to Chu Yang's side, a chorus of fanatical screams from a group of young women rose one after another.
Right in the middle of these girls stood a man with heavy makeup and a pale complexion.
An aura of effeminacy hung heavy around his entire body, and even his gait carried a hint of femininity.
He was a celebrity who had risen to fame in the country over the past two years.
Two years ago, he finished a three-year stint as a trainee abroad, returned home to sign with an agency, and soon landed a role in a National Day blockbuster directed by a well-known domestic director.
Though his acting skills left much to be desired, simply because of a pretty face, he instantly exploded in popularity nationwide and became the idol of thousands of young women.
He had repeatedly climbed to the number one spot on Weibo's trending search list, enjoying a level of prestige second to none!
"Everyone, step back! Step back, don't get close!"
"People in front, hurry up and move aside! Don't block the way, did you hear me?!"
In front of this male celebrity, a group of fierce security guards and assistants shouted with ferocious expressions at all the pedestrians blocking their path, their attitude utterly arrogant.
The male celebrity walked forward with his head held high, his eyes brimming with haughtiness.
The thrill of being fanatically adored and the rush of superiority as someone above the common masses were sensations he had never experienced during his days as a trainee abroad!
Before long, the celebrity and his entourage marched right up to the elevator doors.
Chu Yang happened to step inside the elevator leading to the boarding lounge and stood still.
At that moment, one of the celebrity's assistants rushed straight into the elevator and shouted loudly at everyone standing inside, "Everyone out! Get out of here right now!"