Xu Yi did not refute, and asked again, "Have you put your luggage back to school?"
"No, I left it at the hotel. I can only go back to school tomorrow."
"You really, is the hotel free? Coming so early."
"You say you have no conscience, you're still panting!" Qiao Rui wanted to rub her hair again, but this time Xu Yi dodged away.
He smiled helplessly, put his arm around her shoulders, and retorted righteously, "I missed you, so I came early to see you, is that okay?"
"......" Xu Yi's small face turned red, unable to say anything, nor broke away.
In her opinion, this was a very "brotherly" shoulder grab between the two, but in the eyes of outsiders, a tall, handsome boy putting his arm around the shoulders of a beautiful, well-behaved girl was enough to explain everything.
Take the three girls in bedroom 305 for example-
Gu Ran peeled off the window, looking down with interest, "Definitely boyfriend!"
Fang Chuning stood behind her. "Not necessarily. Didn't Xu Yi say she doesn't have a boyfriend? She doesn't look like someone who would lie."
Su Ling stood next to Fang Chuning. "Then he must be chasing her!"
Gu Ran nodded in agreement. "But Xu Yi definitely has feelings for him too."
Fang Chuning smiled bitterly. "You two are like prophets, what if they are just purely good friends?"
Su Ling put her arm around Fang Chuning's shoulder. "Sister, try to imagine, if a boy you don't like puts his arm around your shoulder, would you be willing?"
"Unwilling."
"There you go."
"But-" Fang Chuning peeled off the window again and looked down. "But if it were a hottie like the one next to Xu Yi, I might be willing."
Although Qiao Rui was a bit silly, there was nothing to complain about his looks. Just being tall, fair and well-built was already a win.
"......"
Downstairs.
Xu Yi said, "Then I'll go back up first?"
Qiao Rui didn't even think about it. "No way, I came here for you. You have to be with me all day today."
"......I can't. I'm going to have dinner with my roommates later. After all, we'll be living together in the future. I can't not get along with them."
Afraid that Qiao Rui would get angry, Xu Yi grabbed his arm and shook it twice, "I'll text you later, okay?"
This action.
The coquettish and coaxing tone.
Qiao Rui felt his heart fluttering wildly, letting her grab his arm, while tactfully backing down at the same time, taking advantage of her inattention to grab her hand again.
At this moment in bedroom 305-
Gu Ran: "Damn, they're holding hands!"
Su Ling: "Well...then he should be her boyfriend."
Fang Chuning: "No wonder he asked for her WeChat just now. If I had such a handsome boyfriend, I wouldn't bother looking at anyone else either."
Downstairs again.
Qiao Rui finally took a step back and said aggrievedly, "Fine, go hang out with your girlfriends."
But he suddenly picked up her suitcase again. "Your suitcase is too heavy. Your small body can't carry it. Let me take you upstairs. I'll leave right after and won't bother you anymore, okay?"
"......It's the girls' dorm, are you sure?"
"What, don't you girls have anything inappropriate in the dorm?"
"No we don't."
"Then it's fine. I saw quite a few guys in your dorm building today anyway."
It was not the official start of school yet at G University, so family and friends were allowed to help new students move in today.
It was Qiao Rui's idea to send Xu Yi in, but once inside the girls' dorm building, he was the uncomfortable one.
Qiao Rui carried the suitcase easily up the stairs, but kept his head down the whole time, eyes fixed on the floor and his own shoes.
When they arrived outside bedroom 305, Xu Yi took over the suitcase and smiled teasingly, "Thanks, go back down quickly. Otherwise people might think you have cervical spine problems."
As soon as she finished speaking, the dormitory door suddenly opened-
What came into view were three girls eagerly waiting for the show.
Qiao Rui was startled.
"Xu Yi, who is this?" Fang Chuning looked unfriendly, with an expression that said "You said you didn't have a boyfriend, you lied to us!"
Xu Yi didn't know how to explain either, stuttering, "He's my high school classmate..."
Qiao Rui was very frank. "Hello everyone, I’m Qiao Rui."
"Hello, hello, come on in and sit down!"
Qiao Rui was a little embarrassed. He felt it was inappropriate to stay too long in the girls' dorm. He said, "I won't come in. Listen, let me treat you all to hot pot for dinner tonight, okay?"
Xu Yi: ?
......
After Qiao Rui left the dorm, he sent Xu Yi a WeChat message: 【I'll wait for you downstairs at your dorm】
Xu Yi replied: 【Are you really treating us to hot pot? It's so expensive.】
Qiao Rui: 【You like to eat it, don't you?】
Qiao Rui: 【I'll be nice to them, then they'll be nice to you too. People are mutual, you know?】
Qiao Rui also sent her a "silly" emoji.
Xu Yi: "......"
She bit her lower lip, mixed emotions in her heart.
After Gu Ran finished packing, she sat next to Xu Yi and asked, "Tell me! Is that hottie your boyfriend or not?"
Xu Yi shook her head vigorously. "No, no! He really is my high school classmate."
"I don't believe you! If he really saw you as just a classmate, how could he possibly treat us roommates to dinner? Hmm?"
Xu Yi: "......Because he's a really good person, the best I've ever met."
No matter what, her roommates didn't believe her. Xu Yi got up and went to the mirror to tidy up her hair. "Alright, he's impatient. Let's go down quickly."
Su Ling was going to have dinner with her boyfriend tonight, so she didn't join them.
They went to a hot pot restaurant near the school.
Gu Ran and Fang Chuning sat together, while Xu Yi and Qiao Rui sat across from them.
Although they had just met today, no one was particularly reserved. Sitting together, the atmosphere at the table was lively throughout.
Qiao Rui's grades were average, but his EQ was high and he was articulate, much better than his silly cousin.
After dinner, they went to the supermarket together. Qiao Rui bought two large bags of snacks, one for Xu Yi's three roommates.
The other bag was all for Xu Yi.
Just for what Qiao Rui did and spent tonight, their relationship was self-evident.
Not officially dating yet, but definitely more than friends.
Especially from the guy's side, it was so, so obvious.
The two roommates read the situation well, hurriedly made up an excuse and left early, giving them some alone time.
Qiao Rui carried Xu Yi’s huge bag of snacks with one hand and had the other tucked into his pocket. "Seeing that your roommates are pretty nice, I feel relieved now."
"......I'm not a child. Even my mom doesn't worry about me as much as you do."
That’s what she said, but her heart felt sweet.
Speaking of which, since arriving in G City, her mother hadn't even sent a WeChat message.
She had cried all night last night, and today her mother seemed to have forgotten she even had a daughter here.
Qiao Rui said, "Can't help it. Who told you to treat me so well in the past? Now I just can't control my urge to care about you. I'm afraid you won't get along well with your roommates, afraid you won't have enough to eat, afraid you'll feel down, afraid you can't carry your luggage..."
Xu Yi's heart was beating fast. "Qiao Rui."
"It's because I couldn't stop worrying in Changwan, so I came early."
No matter how slowly they walked, they eventually arrived downstairs at the dorm building.
Qiao Rui handed her the snacks. "Go on up."
Xu Yi took the bag from him, wanting to say something but eventually just nodded silently. "Okay."
She had just taken two steps when Qiao Rui’s voice sounded behind her again, "Xu Yi."
"Hmm?" She turned back.
"Tomorrow...will your school still be open?"
"Don't know." Xu Yi asked, "Why do you ask?"
Qiao Rui answered very directly. "Because I still want to come find you tomorrow!"
At that moment, the tight strings in her heart suddenly loosened. Her voice also sounded brighter. "Don't come find me."
Qiao Rui: ?
Didn't expect that kind of answer. Qiao Rui couldn't hide his loss. He was just about to retort gruffly that he didn't care when Xu Yi's sweet voice drilled into his ears again-
"Because I'm free tomorrow morning. I'll come find you after I get up."
The corners of her lips curved up slightly, her little dimple vaguely visible.
Happiness came so suddenly that Qiao Rui felt his mood was like a rollercoaster. She had him completely in her grasp.
"Then tomorrow..." He suddenly paused, deliberately swallowing the word "time". Then he continued, "you'll be mine the whole day."
Xu Yi looked at him affectionately. "Okay. I'll be yours all day tomorrow."