Outside the floor-to-ceiling library windows, the plane trees rustled in the breeze. Lin Xiaoman curled up in a seat near the window, her pen point drawing circles unconsciously on her notebook. Three rows ahead and to the left, Lu Chen sat with his eyes lowered, flipping through a book. Sunlight filtered through the slight curls of his hair, gilding his profile with a rim of gold. This was the 127th time she had come to this library, and also the 127th time she had "accidentally" encountered him.
At the freshman orientation ceremony in her sophomore year, Lu Chen had spoken as the student representative, crisp in a straight black suit, his voice as clear as clinking Suiyu. When he read the line, "May we all find our own light in university," Lin Xiaoman felt the heartbeat in her chest suddenly skip a beat. Later she learned that this figure, always seen at various competition award ceremonies, was the genius senior of the Computer Science Department, the soul debater of the campus debate team, and the object of secret affection for countless girls.
"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" A sweet, clear female voice interrupted her memories. Lin Xiaoman raised her head in a panic to see Shen Zhixia, the department belle, standing next to Lu Chen with a stack of books. Lin Xiaoman clenched the corner of her shirt, watching Lu Chen break into a gentle smile and slide his schoolbag aside. As Shen Zhixia took her seat, a lock of her hair brushed against the back of Lu Chen's hand,…
Chapter 73