The prolonged chime of the bell echoed across the campus, and an hour had slipped away unnoticed.
The sky remained a brilliant blue, and the sun hadn't set yet, so even though it was already half past five, neither of them felt any urgency about the time.
Xu Qingfan emerged from the men's restroom after washing his face, Wu Lingyu was already waiting by the door.
Yu's cheeks carried that summer-exclusive blush, and her twin ponytails had been redone into a high ponytail.
The cool tap water had cleansed her neck, leaving some damp strands of hair clinging to her skin.
"Brother Fan," Wu Lingyu blushed shyly as her gaze met Xu Qingfan's.
"Your butt is all dusty, let me help you brush it off," said the sleazeball as he began to pat her down, smoothing out the somewhat wrinkled school trousers in the process.
Wu Lingyu shyly clutched the hem of her clothes, silently staring at her toes.
With each pat, her body would uncontrollably shiver.
"That's enough, let's go eat," after patting a dozen times, Xu Qingfan gave his own behind a symbolic pat as well.
From beginning to end, Wu Lingyu acted like a puppet on strings, letting Xu Qingfan lead her along.
As they descended the stairs, they began to encounter other students in pairs or small groups. However, most of them were absorbed in their books, reviewing for tomorrow's exam.
Even the few who glanced their way didn't recognize Xu Qingfan; they were simply surprised by the couple's good looks before returning their attention to their books.
"See, the senior students are all busy with their revision, so there's no fear of being recognized," Xu Qingfan boasted when they were alone again.
Wu Lingyu pouted slightly, thinking to herself, "Who knows if you'll bring someone else here next time!"
The dog of a man was indeed getting carried away, with his words being tantamount to boasting about his playboy exploits. Only because Yu was gentle and considerate - if it had been Xia Xiaoxiao, the outcome might have been different.
After leaving the academic building, their interlocked fingers sneakily parted.
Xu Qingfan, holding Wu Lingyu's wrist, began his little scheme, "It's only five-thirty now. Shall we go home to shower and then eat, or should we have dinner first and then go back to shower?"
"I'm not hungry yet."
Xu Qingfan's eyes lit up momentarily, after all, they had just been in the school building, where they hadn't dared to do much. Aside from indulging his touch, the tasty peach had gone untasted.
But quickly, the gleam of excitement in his eyes disappeared.
"Brother Fan, let's take a walk around the school!" Wu Lingyu's eyes were full of longing.
"Sure, Yu and I haven't had the chance to wander around the campus by ourselves!" Xu Qingfan mussed her hair, his eyes expressing that it truly was a great idea!
"Yeah!" Wu Lingyu's smile was so broad; she could barely contain it, cheerfully tugging at his wrist to lead him forward.
When Yu wasn't looking, Xu Qingfan silently slapped himself twice, [Day after day, all you think about is sleaziness, Xu Qingfan, are you even human?]
Ever since they'd started, he found that the past month he'd been living a bit too indulgently.
Xu Qingfan shook his head, silently vowing to himself: Day one of abstinence!
"What was that noise just now, Brother Fan?" Wu Lingyu turned back with a puzzled look.
"Ah?... There was a mosquito on my face just now, killing a mosquito!"
"Brother Fan has blood type O, which attracts mosquitoes," Yu said in high spirits, teasing him for a change.
Xu Qingfan quickened his pace to walk shoulder to shoulder with her, tapping her forehead lightly, "You've been fooled by those online posts again, haven't you? Mosquitoes don't have a preference for flavors like it's bubble tea."
"Mosquitoes usually sense their prey through carbon dioxide levels, heat, and smell. Because I'm fragrant, mosquitoes bite me, but Yu on the other hand..."
He pretended to sniff, pinching his nose as he said, "You're stinky, so of course, mosquitoes won't bite you!"
Wu Lingyu, who had been earnestly listening to the explanation, immediately puffed her cheeks in grievances once she realized Brother Fan was teasing her.
[I'm stinky, yet Brother Fan just now...]
As if suddenly recalling something, Wu Lingyu's breathing stopped abruptly, and she fumbled to take out her phone.
She opened the camera and took several photos of her neck, front and back, then hurriedly started to check them.
Xu Qingfan was initially puzzled about what Yu was doing, but when he saw her taking pictures of her neck, he instantly understood.
[I'm not stupid, would I really leave myself vulnerable?] he thought.
After confirming that there were no hickeys on the front, back, or sides, Wu Lingyu finally felt relieved.
Looking up, she saw Brother Fan looking at her with an "if you know, you know" expression again.
"Brother Fan only knows how to pick on people."
Wu Lingyu indignantly punched him with her small fists.
"Ah~ The heroine shows mercy, I shall not dare anymore," Xu Qingfan cooperated fully, acting as if he were gravely injured and retreating four or five meters away.
Wu Lingyu paused, head tilted, then immediately joined in the role-playing: "Shameless thief, I shall not spare you today!"
"You have no respect for martial arts, no longer upholding the chivalry of 'sparing those who surrender'?"
The two of them ran after each other, passing through the dappled shade of the trees on the path, introducing a buzz of noise into the quiet campus.
The white clouds are kites flown by the blue sky, and our youth is us running through the campus.
After running out of breath, Xu Qingfan came back to take the girl's hand again.
Just like Xiao Ruawen deliberately dragging him to Love Avenue yesterday, how could Xu Qingfan not see through Wu Lingyu's little schemes?
"Brother Fan, why are we walking towards the girls' dormitory?"
Though this direction could also lead to Love Avenue, it was significantly faster to go via the boys' dormitory.
"Oh... The guys in the boys' dormitory don't wear clothes when showering on the small balconies. You shouldn't walk that way at this time of the afternoon," Xu Qingfan repeated to Wu Lingyu what he had explained to Xia Xiaoxiao before.
"Ohh!" Wu Lingyu obediently complied.
After all, this direction could still lead to Love Avenue, it just required a longer detour.
But soon, she noticed something off about Brother Fan.
"Brother Fan, what are you looking at?" She noticed that Xu Qingfan kept looking up, his gaze frequently sweeping over the small balconies of the girls' dormitory.
"Ah?... I just saw a Red-bellied Tragopan, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye," Xu Qingfan quickly averted his gaze, feigning confusion as he looked at Yu.
Wu Lingyu's gaze lingered on his face for two seconds, convinced by the dog man's sincere eyes, she reluctantly withdrew her gaze.
"It must have flown away."
"Probably, our school has such a great environment, we often see protected animals," Xu Qingfan said, looking ahead and not glancing at the girls' dormitory again.
"This afternoon during class, I saw a little squirrel outside the window, but it was gone after class ended. Otherwise, I would have taken a photo to show you, Brother Fan."
Wu Lingyu suddenly remembered a funny incident from the afternoon.
"You might see it again tomorrow," Xu Qingfan pinched her small face, reassuring her.
The two of them had unknowingly arrived at Love Avenue, and Wu Lingyu squinted her eyes in happiness.
[It seems I really misunderstood Brother Fan just now!]
[Who on earth spread the rumor about girls showering on the small balconies?]