Team leader: [Waiting for you.]

He Ye put away her phone and walked downstairs quickly.

After sharing her day at the campus with her dad in the supermarket for half an hour, He Ye returned to Building 7 in Lu Jin’s car. They took separate elevators, and He Ye got off on the 15th floor. Instead of going home, she went to the stairwell.

Lu Jin’s kiss was especially passionate that night, knowing he would report to Beijing in two days.

He suggested, “Do you want to come to Beijing for a few days?”

He Ye felt hesitant. If she went, they would need to stay in a hotel, which felt risky.

But she avoided mentioning the hotel directly, saying, “You guys start military training on the 1st, right? Even if I go, you won’t have time to shop with me.”

Lu Jin replied, “You can come watch my military training.”

He Ye responded, “…What’s interesting about that?”

A large group of Tsinghua freshmen would be undergoing military training, and she felt like a target standing nearby.

“Just go and register without worry. I’ve been busy tutoring before, and I’ll spend some time with my dad before school starts, and then I’ll stay with my grandparents for a couple of days,” He Ye explained, having her own plan.

Lu Jin didn’t know how to handle a girlfriend like her.

On the afternoon of the 27th, Lu Jin video-called He Ye. Since he had given her a heads-up, she rushed home from the supermarket to answer.

When the call connected, He Ye looked closely behind her boyfriend and asked curiously, “Is this your dormitory?”

Lu Jin turned the camera to show the two-bedroom apartment he rented.

He Ye exclaimed, “You really have too much money.”

Lu Jin sat on his bed, picked up a photo frame with He Ye’s picture, and explained, “I don’t want my roommates to see it.”

He Ye questioned, “Just? Because of that?”

Lu Jin replied, “Of course not. I have my own living habits and study plans.”

He didn’t want to follow the regular four-year undergraduate path or be disturbed by his roommates because of his unique choices.

He Ye enjoyed listening to him talk about studying, but his intense gaze made her uncomfortable. She suggested, “Let’s chat on the phone?”

Lu Jin insisted, “I want to see you.”

He switched the camera back to the front, and his overly handsome face disappeared from the screen.

He Ye felt relieved.

Lu Jin joked, “Good thing I’m not ugly, otherwise I’d think you don’t like me at all.”

He Ye smiled back, “Maybe I just think you’re ugly.”

Just as she said that, the screen changed, and Lu Jin reappeared.

Despite being very handsome, He Ye felt shy about looking him in the eye and quickly ended the video call.

Team leader: [I see you blush.]

He Ye ignored him.

On September 1st, Lu Jin sent her a photo of himself in his military training uniform. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with cold eyes and eyebrows that looked great in the camouflage uniform, as if he were going to a military academy instead of Tsinghua University.

He Ye stared at the photo for a while and texted: [I didn’t know boys could be so vain.]

The photo of Lu Jin clearly looked staged.

As soon as she sent the message, Lu Jin video-called her.

He Ye prepared for a moment before answering.

Lu Jin was in the cafeteria, with other students in camouflage uniforms behind him, and another boy appeared next to him.

Before He Ye could see the other person clearly, Lu Jin stood up with his phone in one hand and a tray in the other, searching for a quiet spot.

The camera wobbled, so He Ye couldn’t see him well, but she heard cheers from the boys in his class.

He Ye felt a little embarrassed.

Finally, Lu Jin sat back down.

He wore a hat in the photo, but now he had taken it off. His short hair was messy, and while his face was pale, it showed he had been in the sun.

Holding his phone with one hand and chopsticks with the other, he chatted with He Ye while eating.

He Ye liked seeing him like this. If he just stared at her without eating, she wouldn’t dare to look up.

Lu Jin explained the photo: “I took it especially for you.”

He Ye whispered, “I didn’t ask you to take a picture.”

Lu Jin replied, “I wanted to show it to you so you can compare me to the boys in your class.” 

He Ye: “We had military training before our sophomore year.”  

Lu Jin: “It’s a good chance for me to visit.”  

He Ye: “You can’t come.”  

She felt embarrassed about his visit.  

They talked about the military training in the morning.  

According to Lu Jin, the training was intense but manageable. It was sunny, but not too exhausting.  

He Ye, who had military training in high school, suspected her boyfriend was in excellent shape.  

_

Sunday, September 7th.  

He Ye woke up early to pack her things for school, including a backpack and a suitcase.  

He Yong: “Do you really not need me to go with you?”  

He Ye smiled: “It’s only an hour by high-speed train. I’ve already learned about the school, so you can just focus on the supermarket and making money!”  

With many items to carry, He Ye took a taxi to the high-speed railway station.  

He Yong stood by the road, feeling very sad.  

He knew his daughter didn’t dislike his injured leg; she just didn’t want him to struggle. However, as a father, He Yong regretted having had the accident. If his leg were fine, he would have helped his daughter carry her things instead of being a burden.  

Around eight o’clock, the taxi reached the high-speed rail station.  

He Ye got out with her backpack.  

The driver opened the trunk.  

He Ye was about to grab her suitcase when a tall figure came up behind her, helped her with the suitcase, and closed the car hood.  

The driver left immediately.  

He Ye was shocked to see her boyfriend, Lu Jin, who carried her suitcase and held her hand as they walked to the pedestrian area.  

Having undergone a week of military training, Lu Jin had lost weight, and his face was tanned, but his narrow black eyes still looked familiar to He Ye.  

“You, when did you come back?”  

“I flew back last night. I only took one day off. My flight was at 2:30 in the afternoon, and I also had a class in the evening.”  

He Ye was still confused.  

She followed Lu Jin inside, thinking about how long he could stay in Shanghai. With a flight at 2:30, he needed to leave Jiaotong University at the latest.  

“Is it hard to get leave from military training?”  

“There were some technical issues at Blue Ocean, so I had to come back. Since I performed well the previous week, getting leave was easy.”  

Lu Jin sounded relaxed, and He Ye sensed he was a bit proud of himself.  

However, she felt relieved that he didn’t use silly excuses like sick relatives to get leave and didn’t upset the instructor.  

They checked tickets and boarded the bus.  

He Ye watched Lu Jin easily place her suitcase on the luggage rack above.  

It was still summer, and he wore short sleeves. His arms were tanned from training, and they were slim but strong, giving her a sense of security.  

After adjusting her suitcase, Lu Jin took her hand and they sat down together.  

As more passengers boarded, Lu Jin held her hand tightly.  

He Ye’s heart raced, especially when their eyes met, and she noticed his gaze lingering on her lips.  

“What time did you arrive in Ancheng last night?”  

“Almost eleven.”  

“You came back suddenly, didn’t uncle and aunt wonder?”  

“They didn’t ask. They probably figured it out.”  

He Ye felt guilty and a bit anxious: “Do you think they’ll disapprove?”  

Lu Jin: “My mom praised me, saying I chase girlfriends better than my dad did.”  

He Ye laughed at him.  

Lu Jin turned to her, and she blushed, turning to look out the window.  

Lu Jin smiled and showed her some recent photos on his phone.  

The one-hour bus ride went quickly.  

After getting off, they took a taxi to Jiaotong University.  

Many male students were in the School of Mechanical Engineering. The older students welcoming new students were mostly male. He Ye attracted attention, but she was always with her boyfriend.  

The registration process took almost an hour.  

At eleven in the morning, He Ye finally arrived at the dormitory building.  

Family members were allowed on the first day. Lu Jin registered with the dormitory manager, marking “sibling” as their relationship.  

Whether the manager believed it or not, she let them in.  

He Ye was the last to arrive; the other three roommates had come from far away the day before.  

Some were dropped off by their fathers, while others had both parents with them. The dormitory was lively.  

He Ye, arriving with a handsome guy, felt out of place.  

With so many parents around, He Ye introduced Lu Jin as her brother.  

“Wow, you two look good together! The brother is handsome and the sister is pretty!”  

The parents were convinced, but the three roommates looked skeptical.  

Lu Jin helped make the bed and set up the quilt skillfully.  

He Ye: “…My brother is a junior in college.”  

Having lived in a dorm for two years, she knew how to make beds too.  

Even her roommates were impressed.  

After socializing, it was time for lunch.  

The roommates went to the cafeteria, but He Ye and Lu Jin chose a restaurant outside, taking their time.  

When they were alone in the dormitory, Lu Jin closed the curtains and pushed He Ye against the door.  

In the dim light, Lu Jin kissed her ear: “When are you going to tell your roommates I’m your boyfriend?”  

He Ye: “…If they ask, I’ll tell them. If they don’t ask, it’s fine.”  

Lu Jin was happy with this. He set an alarm for half an hour and started kissing her.  

He Ye closed her eyes and hugged Lu Jin’s waist slowly. 

Behind the door, other girls chatted with friends, and parents had intimate conversations with their daughters. 

Only she brought her boyfriend on the first day of school and did this in the dormitory. 

But Lu Jin would soon go to the airport, and in today’s crowded campus, where else could they go? 

Since there was no better choice, He Ye accepted this spot without hesitation. 

Not long after, Lu Jin felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. 

He turned it off and continued to kiss her. 

He Ye didn’t push him away either, but she was worried about her roommates coming back soon. 

Finally, Lu Jin broke the kiss, rested his forehead against hers, and calmed his breathing. 

He Ye looked at Lu Jin’s neck and noticed a clear color difference between the inside and outside of his collar. 

“I should go now,” Lu Jin said, gently touching her face. 

He Ye nodded. 

Lu Jin added, “I don’t want to leave.” 

He Ye felt a bit reluctant too. 

They hugged for a while, but eventually, they had to part. 

He Ye wanted to go with him to the airport. 

Lu Jin didn’t let her leave the dormitory building. 

If she went out with him, he would be even more reluctant to go.