Lin Qinghe and Wen Qianyun chatted very congenially. The noon break passed, and the two girls, seeing that it was time for class, left You Rong’s classroom together.
During this time, Lin Qinghe kept smiling and chatting with Wen Qianyun, and didn’t say much to You Rong.
You Rong sat in his seat with a cold expression, staring out of the classroom door absentmindedly.
Xiao Ziyi couldn’t help but laugh and deliberately said with schadenfreude, "Yo! Weren't you guys together just now? Why does it feel like you've already cooled down? The honeymoon phase… is it over so quickly?"
You Rong’s eyes narrowed, and he kicked out again. However, this time Xiao Ziyi had learned his lesson and immediately stood up, dodging the kick.
Xiao Ziyi, having gotten the upper hand, squinted with a laugh, but he knew when to quit. "Uh… I have something to do this afternoon, so I'm taking leave and not attending class. I'm leaving, see you tomorrow!"
With that, he slipped away like grease on his soles.
The force of You Rong’s kicks was no joke. His poor calves had been kicked black and blue recently and hadn’t healed properly!
In the evening, after class, Lin Qinghe hurried over. You Rong was the only one left in his classroom.
Lin Qinghe said apologetically, "I’m sorry, the teacher called me over for something temporarily and had me chat with her in the office, so I’m late. Have you been waiting long?"
You Rong slung his backpack over his right shoulder and said indifferently, "...It's fine, not long. Let’s go."
Lin Qinghe’s eyes were clear and bright, and she smiled, "Mhm, let’s find a place to have dinner first, and then we’ll go watch a movie together. I’ve already booked the tickets. It’s a new release, and I heard it's really good. But… it's a romance, I don't know if you'll like it?"
You Rong said, "If you like it, I'll like it."
Lin Qinghe hugged You Rong’s arm and said in a soft voice, "You Rong, you’re too good to me. I must have accumulated a lot of good karma in my past life to have such a good boyfriend!"
You Rong’s ears turned slightly red. He pursed his thin lips and said unnaturally, "...Don't say such things."
"I’m not saying such things! I’m just stating the truth!"
You Rong’s ears reddened further. He cupped his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat twice to hide his embarrassment.
Seeing this, Lin Qinghe’s smile deepened.
Teasing him was quite fun.
As they walked side-by-side across the campus, You Rong hesitated, repeatedly sneaking glances at Lin Qinghe. Finally, he casually asked, "You left with Wen Qianyun at noon today. What else did you talk about?"
"You’re talking about Qianyun…"
Lin Qinghe recalled Wen Qianyun’s soft and cute appearance, how she reluctantly parted ways with her, holding her hand, and then ran back to whisper words of blessing to her and You Rong in her ear. She couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Seeing Lin Qinghe’s beaming smile, You Rong frowned slightly. "What are you laughing about?"
Lin Qinghe shook her head. "Nothing, I just think Qianyun is… quite a cute girl!"
She had been prepared to confront a love rival, but who knew the other party had no malice and was such a cute and kind girl? She couldn't dislike her at all.
You Rong’s frown deepened, and he suddenly stopped.
Lin Qinghe was startled and looked up at him with a confused expression. "You Rong, what's wrong? Why aren't you walking? Did you forget something in the classroom? Do you want to go back and get it?"
You Rong’s eyes were complicated. After a few seconds of silence, he uttered a sentence that left Lin Qinghe bewildered.
He said, "Avoid contact with Wen Qianyun in the future."
Lin Qinghe blinked her clear, dark eyes in confusion. "Why?"
You Rong’s thin lips moved, and he finally said, "It’s nothing." He then pulled Lin Qinghe along and continued walking.
How could he explain that he had overheard Xiao Ziyi’s unintentional remark today and had taken it to heart, leading him to be jealous of another girl?
As Lin Qinghe was feeling confused, she heard the system prompt: "Progress bar increased by two percent, total progress bar is seventy-eight."
Lin Qinghe’s eyes widened. She looked at You Rong’s tall back and suddenly understood.
She couldn't help but chuckle, hugged You Rong’s arm, and asked, "You Rong, are you jealous?"
You Rong’s ears not only turned red but his face did too. "...No!"
Lin Qinghe raised her eyebrows and teased, "Oh? Really not? Don't you know the saying… the more you deny it, the more it shows? You’re so quick to deny it, it’s like you’re admitting it!"
You Rong pursed his lips tightly, remained silent, and quickened his pace, pulling Lin Qinghe forward.
Lin Qinghe secretly found it amusing. She stopped You Rong, made him pause, and looked into his eyes, saying earnestly, "You vinegar jar, why are you being so unreasonably jealous? The one Lin Qinghe likes now… is only you! Only you, understand!"
You Rong’s gaze softened, and he said softly, "...Mhm, I understand."
Lin Qinghe had dinner with You Rong and watched a movie. You Rong walked her back, and they bid each other a reluctant farewell under the girls’ dormitory building.
"I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow. I know a place by the school gate that makes delicious xiaolongbao! It’s a bit of a queue, but I’ll definitely wake up early tomorrow to buy it for you!"
You Rong said, "I’ll buy it. You sleep in a little longer in the morning."
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble? After all, your home is quite far from school, so you’d have to wake up even earlier…"
You Rong affectionately ruffled Lin Qinghe’s hair. "It’s okay, I’m used to it. I can wake up."
Lin Qinghe smiled. "Okay, see you tomorrow morning then."
"See you tomorrow morning."
You Rong watched Lin Qinghe walk towards the dormitory building. She took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at him.
Just as You Rong was about to ask what was wrong, Lin Qinghe suddenly ran over, threw herself into his arms, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the lips. Before he could react, she quickly pulled away and ran off.
You Rong stood in place, raised his hand to touch his lips. The lingering soft touch made his heart race.
Lin Qinghe ran back to her dorm and sat by her bed. Whether it was from running or something else, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she was panting, her heart beating much faster than usual.
As expected, Lin Qinghe heard the system prompt: "Progress bar increased by one percent, total progress bar is seventy-nine."
Lin Qinghe took a moment to calm down. She lay on her bed, thinking about the progress bar, her expression thoughtful.
There was still twenty-one percent left. Based on her current development with You Rong, it shouldn't be this much, right?
Recalling the previous worlds, the progress bar only filled up after she and You Rong were truly together. Could it be the same in this world?
Thinking this, Lin Qinghe couldn’t help but curse the system under her breath, but she already had an idea in mind.
She wanted to complete the mission as soon as possible and move on to the next world.