"Where’s Xia Hongye?"
Lin Fan, drenched in sweat, walked off the court but didn’t see Xia Hongye anywhere.
"She said there was an urgent matter at school and she had to go back first. Here, wipe your sweat."
Su Yufei quickly handed him a drink and a wet towel, which she had just bought at the convenience store.
"Okay, I really didn’t expect her to change so much after a few years. I hardly dared to recognize her just now."
After taking a sip of his drink, Lin Fan took the towel and wiped his forehead, saying, "Sorry, Xia Hongye is quite straightforward. If she said something wrong, please don’t take it to heart."
"It’s no big deal. I can tell her feelings for you are different."
With her hands behind her back, Su Yufei’s sweet demeanor attracted envious glances from the people around. Isn’t this the biggest taboo on the basketball court, showing off affection? It made the boys who had just won the game look dejected. With a girlfriend like that, who would still play basketball?
"Alright, quit being jealous. We’re good buddies, we’ve been hanging out for years. She even helped me send love letters to Feng Xiaoxiao back in the day."
Lin Fan downed his drink in one gulp. He hadn’t exercised in a long time and really felt like he was about to die.
"That just means you don’t understand a woman’s heart. And what she said wasn’t wrong; it’s true that I’m chasing after a talented guy like you."
Su Yufei still smiled sweetly, her innocent attire as if she had just stepped into the college campus. That look of budding romance was genuinely heartwarming. If Lin Fan didn’t know about her fierce side in a leather jacket, he would really be charmed by her sweet appearance.
"Enough, stop teasing me. I clearly know my own worth."
Lin Fan smiled and looked away from Su Yufei’s face. Since he still had to ask Boss Qi for a favor that evening, he couldn’t just come out and end it with her now. Sometimes this kind of flirtation was also a form of rejection.
"How can you lack confidence in yourself? You’re the youngest Deputy County Magistrate in Jiangning City, the ’parent’ of a county, controlling the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Attracting someone like me shouldn’t be hard for you."
Su Yufei laughed and grabbed Lin Fan’s arm, not giving him another chance to refuse. "Since we’re back at school, why don’t you give me a tour? Where did you and Feng Xiaoxiao usually go?"
"Where could a poor student like me go? When I had time, I’d just walk around the sports field, just like those old men walking off their meals. Otherwise, I’d stroll down the back road. The tree shade there is pretty nice too."
Being back at his alma mater, Lin Fan indeed found many memories, especially after unlocking those sealed away regarding Feng Xiaoxiao, which added a special sweetness to the campus.
"I want to see it too. Let’s go."
Su Yufei took Lin Fan’s arm and headed toward the back of the school. Since this was the old campus, both sides of the road were lined with decades-old banyan trees, a single tree forming a forest, lush and spreading like large fans. Even a little rain wouldn’t dampen the path beneath these trees.
"It’s so comfortable. So this is what it feels like to date in college."
Su Yufei held Lin Fan’s hand tightly, walking under the shade of trees.
"What, you didn’t date in college?"
Lin Fan looked curiously at Su Yufei, whose beauty was flawless; such a beautiful woman would be the center of attention anywhere.
"I have never dated, and I didn’t have time for it. Aside from attending classes, I had to study the special courses my mother assigned to me. Let’s put it this way: during my four years of college, I studied business administration, international trade and finance, and also passed TOEFL, Intermediate Human Resources Manager, Intermediate Accountant, and Intermediate Engineer examinations. Do you think I had time for anything else?"
Su Yufei’s words made Lin Fan’s eyes widen in amazement. "Your mom was really tough on you. It’s not just about having no time; you probably got little sleep too."
"I had no choice. I’ve been an orphan since I was little, adopted by my foster mother. Since I can remember, I’ve undergone various training and always pushed to excel because I knew that as someone living at the mercy of another’s household, I had to be good enough or else I’d be left behind."
Su Yufei spoke lightly, yet Lin Fan could hear the hardship behind her words.
"I didn’t realize you had such a tough life!"
"There’s nothing to pity. I feel lucky. I’ve surpassed most of my peers... You’ve been looking at that grove. Could it be..."
Su Yufei, quick to notice, saw that Lin Fan’s eyes kept glancing toward the small grove.
"This is where I incurred my romantic debts."
Lin Fan didn’t deny it. It was in that grove that he received Feng Xiaoxiao’s first kiss and also her first night. Thinking back, Feng Xiaoxiao truly loved him, willing to give him her most precious things there.
"So that’s it. Then let’s go take a look."
Listening to his words, Su Yufei immediately caught Lin Fan’s hidden meaning and pulled him straight into the grove.
"What’s there to see here!"
Lin Fan showed a wry smile. Returning to the old place but with the same old friends, if Feng Xiaoxiao were by his side, they would naturally relive old dreams. But before he could settle in, Su Yufei turned around, embraced his neck, and pressed her lips against his.