"It's still early, so you can sleep a bit longer or watch some TV," Xue Yang said.
"There's instant noodles in the cupboard. If you're hungry, just make do and boil yourself some water to eat."
"I have to go to class now and probably won't be back until tonight. You can leave before I get back, just remember to lock the door when you go."
Although he didn't have many valuables, he didn't want the place turned upside down; it would be a hassle to clean up. With that, Xue Yang left for class.
University courses are quite demanding, especially at a school like Yanbei; the freshman curriculum is almost as intense as high school. Consequently, Xue Yang was going to be very busy all day.
Once Xue Yang had gone, Lin Xi began to feel bored. She found the remote and turned on the TV. She was surprised that such a small apartment actually had a television, a kitchen, and a separate bathroom. It was a classic case of "a sparrow may be small, but it has all the vital organs."
Just as she was reflecting on this, Lin Xi’s expression suddenly turned serious, and her eyes grew cold. The television was broadcasting a large missing person notice.
"Lin Xi, female, 18 years old, 170cm tall. Last seen wearing a pink Lolita-style dress, hair in twin tails, and black leather shoes. Known for her elegant and lovely demeanor. Left home on October 11, 2014, and has not yet returned. If you are reading this, please contact your family immediately. Anyone with information, please contact the Chairman of the Lin Group. A generous reward will be provided!"
"Reward for effective leads: 100,000 yuan. Reward for safe escort home: 100,000,000 yuan."
"Contact number: 138********"
"Contact person: Lin Zhenhai"
"Date: October 12, 2014"
"The following is a personal photograph of the daughter of the Lin Group Chairman."
Immediately following the text, the host began using all sorts of tactics to stir up the public and plead with her to return to the Lin Family.
"..."
Lin Xi’s hand tightened around the remote. She had only been away for one night, and she was already in the news by the next day—they really moved fast. She knew that if she stepped out of this apartment without any disguise, someone would surely recognize her and force her back for the ransom. The temptation of 100,000 yuan, or even 100 million, was not something everyone could resist.
It seemed she wouldn't be leaving today. She sat on the sofa and hugged her knees helplessly.
She refused to go back. If she returned, they would definitely force her to accept some "family destiny." She wouldn't have it; she wanted to decide her own fate. Her gaze drifted to the hundred-yuan bill Xue Yang had given her. It was a drop in the bucket compared to what she was used to, but he hadn't even asked her name before giving her travel money—he hadn't asked anything at all.
"He's actually a pretty good guy," she whispered.
Lin Xi wandered around the cramped apartment. The bedroom door was open, and she found herself walking inside. Xue Yang’s room was very clean. Even though he had just woken up, a faint, pleasant scent remained—a smell that wasn't off-putting at all, but rather brought her a sense of peace. Perhaps because he had just finished military training, his quilt was folded into a perfectly square block, like a piece of tofu.
"He's quite tidy, too."
She had noticed that the moment she arrived the night before. Although there were few items, everything was placed exactly where it belonged, which kept the small space from feeling crowded. He was young, yet he already had his own space. He had just started university, and his future held infinite possibilities—unlike her. She had everything, yet possessed no freedom, not even the right to choose her own future.
Lin Xi lowered her head, feeling dejected. Just then, she noticed a notebook on Xue Yang’s desk. She knew snooping wasn't right, but since she was staying here, she felt she should learn a bit more about him to ensure her own safety.
"No, I can't look!"
A moment later, she thought, *Just a quick peek. I won't tell anyone.*
Lin Xi comforted herself this way, then picked up the notebook. When she opened it, she discovered it was an outline for a novel.
"I never would have guessed he writes novels."
After reading a bit, she found herself getting hooked. Without realizing it, she sat on Xue Yang’s bed and began reading in earnest. Sunlight fell upon her, highlighting the delicate texture of her skin and the grace of her features. She possessed a refined, ethereal beauty, like the legendary beauties of old.
...
The dormitory where Xue Yang rented was only a few kilometers from the school, and he biked there every day. Just as he arrived at school and parked his bike, he saw his good friend Cui Hao riding up. They were both in the Finance program. Even though they weren't from the same hometown, they had become close friends the very day they arrived.
"Xue Yang, why are you riding so fast? I couldn't catch up to you!" Cui Hao parked his bicycle next to Xue Yang’s.
"If you have something to say, say it," Xue Yang replied.
"We’re in the same class, can you not be so cold?"
"I’m in a bad mood today."
"I told you, you’d be..." Cui Hao sensed a change in Xue Yang’s mood and left the rest of the sentence unspoken. If he finished it, Xue Yang would only feel worse. He glanced at Xue Yang’s bike—no milk tea, and nothing in his hands.
Almost everyone at Yanbei knew Xue Yang was in love with Chen Ying. When Cui Hao first found out, he was stunned by Xue Yang’s courage. After all, from the moment Chen Ying arrived at Yanbei, she had toppled the previous campus beauty and become the most popular girl on campus by a landslide.
In the short month since the semester began, Xue Yang had already confessed his feelings fifty or sixty times. Every time Chen Ying rejected him, he would just smile, send her a message or a letter, and bring her milk tea to ask for her forgiveness, only to start coming up with new ways to confess again. Because of this, people at Yanbei jokingly called him the "Pure Love Warrior."
"Ah, I got rejected again. You already guessed that, didn't you?"
"..."
Xue Yang spoke, his expression calm. "So, I’ve decided: no more confessions. Never again. I’m giving up."
Cui Hao looked at him in disbelief. "Didn't you say you've been in love with her for six years? Since middle school? That she was your youth, and that even if she rejected you a hundred times, you’d keep at it until she accepted you? You’ve only done it fifty or sixty times—are you backing out now?"
Xue Yang shook his head with a bitter smile.
"I said those things before because I thought she was testing me. I believed if I just persisted, I’d eventually succeed. But now I know that the 'test' was just something I imagined. She’ll never like me, and she’ll never accept my confessions. Even if I confessed ten thousand times, it would only be a burden to her. When liking someone becomes a burden, it doesn't matter if she eventually accepts me—it would be pointless anyway."