Chapter 2: Senior Wants to Treat Me to a Meal

September 3rd. This was a tragic day because Ling Geng’s school was starting again.

During the scorching summer vacation, there was hardly anything pleasant to recall. If there was, it would be two things:

1. His favorite author, Yu Huaizhi Ju, had become his Q/Q friend.

2. The story he had been following was finally completed.

After reading the final chapter, Ling Geng dragged his luggage to the train station, officially starting his first semester of junior year.

The so-called start of the university semester lacked any ceremony. Tuition was paid online in advance, textbooks were bought cheaply from senior students, and classes… Well, he still had to attend classes.

Carrying a notebook, Ling Geng leisurely entered a café. They had a lab class this afternoon, which didn’t require textbooks, so he was traveling light.

According to the school schedule, the afternoon class started at 2:30 PM. He had 40 minutes, just enough to stretch, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee.

The barista at the café greeted him with a cheerful smile and a familiar lilting tone, “Welcome to Youjian Coffee. What would you like to drink?”

Youjian Coffee, nestled in a corner of the campus, was known for its ambiance. The owner, it was said, was a long-graduated senior. Since it opened, the café had been perennially popular, especially during times before classes.

Ling Geng ordered a cappuccino and looked around. There was only one available seat. It was a two-person table, and the person opposite was engrossed in a book, half their face hidden by it. Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting delicate features—arched brows, long lashes, and bright, gentle eyes.

The person looked approachable, so Ling Geng approached with a smile. “Excuse me, can I sit here?”

Shao Huaizhi slowly looked up, meeting the gaze of a handsome, slightly youthful face. From his perspective, the newcomer was tall, about 180 cm, dressed casually—clearly a student.

In university, aside from people like him, seeking writing inspiration, most were students.

“Sure,” he replied nonchalantly. It was just sharing a table, after all.

“Thank you,” Ling Geng said politely.

As he sat down, he glanced at the book title: **Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine**. This course was a foundational subject, usually taken in the first semester of the senior year.

So, he was a senior. Ling Geng smiled and greeted him, “Senior.”

Shao Huaizhi, having graduated six years ago, felt he could accept the title and nodded, “Yes.”

This established a connection, making Ling Geng feel a sense of closeness. He curiously asked, “Senior, aren’t seniors busy looking for internships? Aren’t you worried?”

As someone with a stable income, a house, and a car, Shao Huaizhi calmly replied, “No rush.”

Ling Geng, feeling slightly awkward, adjusted his tone. “Oh, right. The senior year’s first semester isn’t that urgent. By the way, senior, um…”

Suddenly, his phone rang. The word “senior” had sounded particularly endearing, soft and youthful, and Shao Huaizhi found it strangely familiar.

The other end of the line was quiet, and the voice was faint, but Ling Geng responded anxiously, “The lab class starts half an hour early? Why wasn’t I notified? I… alright, I’ll be right there!”

Before finishing his sentence, he had already dashed out, leaving behind a half-finished coffee and a notebook.

Shao Huaizhi finally realized why the voice sounded familiar. It all began when he added [101 Days of Heart Attack] on Q/Q. Initially, he only wanted the commercial rights to the avatar, but after adding Q/Q, he discovered that [101 Days of Heart Attack]’s drawing style was exactly to his taste.

So, he commissioned more characters from his works. Each character design precisely captured the moments of inspiration he had.

It felt like someone in the dark understood him, seeing and thinking as he did.

Through repeated interactions, sometimes they exchanged voice messages when too lazy to type. That voice was unique, and Shao Huaizhi remembered it after hearing it once.

To confirm, he had checked [101 Days of Heart Attack]’s Q/Q space, which had several selfies—side profiles, full faces, full-body shots, half-body shots.

They matched the person he had just seen perfectly.

He picked up the notebook, opening to the first page where neat handwriting read: **Ling Geng, Class 9**.

Suddenly, he recalled a forum post:

**265th Floor:** Has anyone noticed how awkward and unrealistic Yu Huaizhi Ju’s high-energy scenes are? Definitely not written by a man!

Not written by a man? A smirk played on his lips.

—

By the time Ling Geng reached the 9th floor, he felt like he was going to pass out. For the first time, he cursed the fact that lab classes were held above the third floor. What if students rushed to class and got sick?

He couldn’t tell who had it worse—him or his roommate Yu Xun. Lab classes required pairs, and his tardiness meant Yu Xun couldn’t start the experiment alone and had to wait.

“Sorry, Yu Xun. I’m late,” Ling Geng panted, still catching his breath.

Yu Xun patted him, trying not to laugh, “Take a seat. Today’s experiment is short; we should finish early.”

Ling Geng sighed in relief. “That’s good. You wouldn’t believe it—I ran all the way from the café. I’m exhausted.”

Yu Xun looked at him with exasperation. “Why do you always cut it so close to class? Everyone comes to the lab half an hour early for this session. Did you forget? Today’s class is with Professor Yu Zhan!”

Realization hit Ling Geng hard. He had indeed forgotten about Professor Yu Zhan’s class on the first day of the semester.

Professor Yu Zhan, a PhD holder and student of the esteemed Professor Li Tongze, carried an air of arrogance and had stringent requirements for his classes. One of his rules was that students had to arrive early. If it was the first class of the morning or afternoon, they had to be there half an hour ahead.

Given that Professor Li Tongze was a titan in their field, the school afforded him numerous academic and research privileges, extending the same considerations to his students. Consequently, the school supported Professor Yu Zhan’s strict standards.

However, Professor Yu Zhan’s strictness didn’t end there. If any requirement wasn’t met, he would deduct points from the student’s attendance score. According to upperclassmen, some students had their entire attendance score deducted for being late to just one class.

Attendance accounted for 30% of the total grade. Losing all those points meant a student needed to score over 86 in the final exam to avoid failing the course. Yet, in Yu Zhan’s classes, few students ever scored above 80 in the finals.

Ling Geng swallowed hard. This couldn’t be happening…

Yu Xun tried to comfort him. “Don’t stress too much. Maybe Professor Yu is in a good mood today and won’t deduct all your points for one tardiness. Besides, if you fail, there’s always a makeup exam. It’s not the end of the world.”

Ling Geng still felt uneasy. “But this is a major course with the highest credits. Failing and retaking it would devalue the credits…”

“Professor Yu,” Yu Xun interrupted as Yu Zhan approached, preventing Ling Geng from saying more.

Standing behind them, Yu Zhan’s voice was as cold as a frosty winter’s day. “Chatting during lab time? You must have plenty of free time.”

Ling Geng hurriedly tried to explain, “No, no. We’re starting now.”

He wanted to take out his notebook and pretend he and his partner had already discussed the experiment steps. But when he reached for it, he realized he had forgotten it at the café.

Oh no!

Yu Xun quickly opened his notebook to cover for him. “I have the notebook here, Professor Yu. We’ve already discussed the experiment steps and are just about to get the materials.”

Yu Xun pulled Ling Geng up, but Yu Zhan blocked his way, eyeing Ling Geng up and down. “I remember you. Ling Geng, right?”

Yu Zhan smiled lightly, his words carrying a casual yet heavy blow. “Ling Geng, your attendance score is reset to zero.”

He turned and walked away gracefully, leaving Ling Geng fuming, feeling as if he could grind his teeth to dust.

This was a heartbreaking misunderstanding all because of a forgotten notebook.

Later, when Ling Geng went to retrieve his notebook from the café, it was gone.

Actually, it wasn’t lost. The barista said a senior had taken it and left a phone number with the name Shao Huaizhi.

Ling Geng dialed the number, and a familiar voice answered with a neutral tone, “Hello.”

He remembered this voice; it was the senior who had sat across from him in the café.

Ling Geng got straight to the point. “Senior, do you have my notebook?”

The voice on the other end seemed to chuckle softly. “Yes.”

Since the senior had kindly taken the notebook, Ling Geng softened his tone. “Could you return it to me? I’m at the café.”

The senior declined his suggestion. “The café is too far. Come find me at the school’s back gate, near the long corridor.”

Alright, the back gate was indeed far from the café, about a ten-minute bike ride.

Ling Geng resigned himself to it.

Ten minutes later, Ling Geng parked the shared bike and approached Shao Huaizhi, who was leaning against the railing, sitting quietly in the corridor.

After the ten-minute ride, Ling Geng felt he had already spent too much time on this. He skipped the formalities and directly extended his hand. “Senior, can I have my notebook back?”

The person opposite him glanced up, standing to reveal he was half a head taller than Ling Geng.

Shao Huaizhi smiled politely. “Of course. But I have a condition.”

Ling Geng thought, is this guy watching too many TV dramas? Returning a notebook with conditions? He couldn’t help but ask, “What is it?”

Shao Huaizhi looked at him with a gentle expression. “I want to treat you to dinner tonight.”

“Uh…” Ling Geng was taken aback. “Huh?”

Even as they entered the restaurant and the waiter brought their dishes with a smile, Ling Geng was still reeling from the surprise.

Why would someone invite him to dinner upon their first meeting? And a guy at that?

Ling Geng kept trying to convince himself that not all guys were gay and that this dinner was just a coincidence.

But why did that person keep looking at him so strangely? Why help him with his napkin? And why lean in so close?

Ling Geng felt like he was suffocating.

Shao Huaizhi returned to his seat and tentatively asked, “Ling Geng, right?”

Ling Geng didn’t respond immediately. Shao Huaizhi, sensing the awkwardness, smiled to lighten the mood. “I guess I haven’t introduced myself yet…”

Ling Geng finally spoke, cutting him off. “No need, I know. You left a note with your name—Shao Huaizhi.”

Shao Huaizhi smiled again. Great, he’s learned to speak up. It seems he’s not as dumbfounded as he appeared. From the moment Ling Geng heard about the dinner invitation, he had been in a daze. Shao Huaizhi had observed him several times without getting any response, fearing he had scared him silly.

Since he wasn’t actually dazed, communication would be easier. Shao Huaizhi glanced at the table, signaling with his eyes, “Steak, do you like it?”

“Mm.” Ling Geng didn’t look up, instead clumsily hacking at the steak, mutilating it without taking a single bite.

Suddenly, a pale hand reached over, taking away his steak and replacing it with one that was already cut. When Shao Huaizhi moved the steak, his long fingers inadvertently brushed against Ling Geng’s, causing a peculiar sensation. Ling Geng looked up in surprise and saw his steak now on Shao Huaizhi’s plate.

His earlobes turned red, and he felt a sudden panic. Is this guy… doing this on purpose?

Shao Huaizhi noticed Ling Geng’s reaction and asked, “Not used to it?”

Ling Geng didn’t understand, “Huh?”

Shao Huaizhi patiently clarified, “I mean, are you not used to eating Western food? Is that why you look like that?”

“Not really…” He couldn’t possibly admit that he couldn’t eat because a guy was sitting across from him, occasionally glancing his way.

Ling Geng stayed silent for a while. Shao Huaizhi took it as an agreement and asked, “What do you like to eat?”

“I’m not picky. I like common flavors, but I prefer spicy food. A walk after a meal would be nice…” Ling Geng trailed off. What was he even saying? A walk after a meal?

Shao Huaizhi listened intently, “Alright. Next time, I’ll take you out.”

Wait, what? Ling Geng quickly caught the phrase “next time.”

He felt that the atmosphere was getting a bit strange.

Eating in a fancy Western restaurant, with a good-looking guy opposite him who thoughtfully cut his steak and said they’d continue next time—this scene felt just like a date!

Ling Geng felt a chill run down his spine at the thought.

Noticing Ling Geng’s expression, Shao Huaizhi thought he needed to explain, “What’s wrong? You call me senior, so it’s only right for a senior to be nice to his junior, right?”

“Ah… yes.” Ling Geng quickly dispelled his wandering thoughts, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Well, senior, you’re a really nice person.”

Shao Huaizhi, now labeled a “nice person,” couldn’t help but laugh. Were all university students as endearing as Ling Geng?

*

Ling Geng returned to his dorm at 8 PM.

Shao Huaizhi had been very considerate, not only treating him to dinner but also walking him 

back to the dormitory building, making Ling Geng feel both flattered and astonished.

Fortunately, Shao Huaizhi didn’t do anything inappropriate, saying it was just to ensure his safety, nothing more.

In the end, Ling Geng got his notebook back and made a new friend.

However, this new friend seemed very mature for his age, didn’t use QQ but preferred WeChat, and lived off-campus. If not for his youthful appearance, which matched his status as a senior, Ling Geng might have thought he was being scammed.

At 10 PM, Ling Geng lay in bed scrolling through his phone.

Suddenly, a QQ notification popped up.

Special notification: Yu Huaizhi Ju posted a new update…

Ling Geng clicked in and habitually liked the post.

It was a status update with two pictures and no text.

The first picture seemed to be a bird’s-eye view, likely taken from a window. The second was a shot of a plaza, too wide to capture fully.

But…

Ling Geng zoomed in and realized that the plaza was part of their school!

Ling Geng: ?

Could it be that Yu Huaizhi Ju was at their school?!

Or did he work there?

Meanwhile, in a nearby residential area, Shao Huaizhi, after showering, wiped the water from his hair and picked up his phone. A notification popped up.

Someone had liked his post.

He checked his QQ space and saw the two pictures he had posted.

A small line of text at the bottom read: Visible to one person only.