Zheng Xunqian’s fingers moved slightly, then he turned his head back to look.

From that angle, it was impossible to make eye contact, and Jing Tian wasn’t sure if he had seen him or not.

But that didn’t matter. After looking ahead again, Zheng Xunqian reached back and clasped his fingers, then slid his hand down to grasp his entire hand.

Jing Tian still lagged behind him by half a step, being pulled along by him, closely following behind him.

Neither of them spoke again, but they instinctively slowed down their pace together.

They were approaching the dormitory building, where people were coming and going.

Jing Tian’s pink hair and shining earrings were quite conspicuous. He reassured himself in his mind that, compared to these, perhaps holding hands with another guy didn’t seem so out of place.

He still didn’t like being scrutinized by strangers. But he was even less willing to part ways with Zheng Xunqian at this moment. Zheng Xunqian’s hand was warm, his skin dry, his palm not particularly soft, yet it fascinated him.

The dormitory building was right in front of them. Jing Tian exerted a bit of force, pulling Zheng Xunqian’s hand that was still holding his.

“Do you have something you want to ask me?” he inquired.

Zheng Xunqian countered, “Do you have something you want to tell me?”

“…I’m the one asking you,” Jing Tian said.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Xunqian shook his head. “No.”

If he didn’t ask, then he’d have to speak up himself. Jing Tian felt conflicted. It took him a while before he asked, “How do you plan to strive for it?”

Zheng Xunqian replied quickly, “I don’t know.”

“What…” Jing Tian trailed off.

Such insincerity. Jing Tian lamented inwardly. Was now really the right time to say “I agree”? Would it be inappropriate, or would it seem a bit presumptuous?

Should he have continued pressing for answers earlier? Was it too late now?

Why do you want to strive for it?

If you answer well, even if I get mad for a while, once I calm down, it still counts as your success.

After that, they could naturally find a corner just for the two of them and do things Jing Tian was eager for.

Jing Tian bit his lip, thinking of various things, but the brave question he asked earlier had already consumed most of his courage. At this moment, he couldn’t summon up any more, so he remained silent.

They reached the bottom of the dormitory building, standing face to face at the staircase, neither moving nor speaking.

People passed by, casting skeptical glances at them.

Jing Tian felt embarrassed, yet reluctant to part ways.

It seemed like there was a subtle change in the relationship between him and Zheng Xunqian again, a tacit understanding that made it hard to say goodbye.

It was great that he had bravely asked just now.

“Why are you smiling?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

Jing Tian quickly raised his hand, rubbing his lips with the back of it haphazardly, denying, “Smiling? No, not at all.”

Zheng Xunqian wasn’t persistent. “Oh, my mistake.”

Jing Tian looked at him and caught a hint of slyness in his seemingly calm eyes.

Annoying yet captivating.

“Do you want to come up and sit for a while?” Jing Tian suggested.

“I’m afraid your third roommate will look down on me if he sees me coming up,” Zheng Xunqian said. “If that happens, he might never agree to let me move in.”

Jing Tian quickly realized what he meant and felt his face heat up slightly.

At this time, only Yang Yue, who had come back early, would be in the dormitory. Zheng Xunqian was deliberate; he never believed Jing Tian’s lies.

Then, how about going to the study room?

But the study room had surveillance cameras; it wasn’t a suitable place for intimacy.

Jing Tian tried to find something to say, “Your fish porridge looked really good today. It’s a shame.”

“Then let’s go eat together tomorrow at noon,” Zheng Xunqian suggested.

Jing Tian immediately nodded, “Okay!”

At that moment, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message from Yang Yue.

—I’m going to the cafeteria to play games. I won’t be back to the dorm for a while!

Jing Tian blinked twice.

“You should go rest for a while,” Zheng Xunqian said. “Later, I’ll send you the practice paper I prepared for you to review.”

Jing Tian suddenly looked up, “Why don’t you come up and sit for a while?”

Zheng Xunqian raised an eyebrow slightly.

“We… we can study together!” Jing Tian said loudly, then added softly, “Just the two of us.”

During the brief journey upstairs, Jing Tian made plans in his mind.

The quiz was coming up, but he hadn’t studied seriously for days. It was time to review and do some practice questions. With Zheng Xunqian there, he could get help whenever he needed it, which would make things much easier.

If he did well, he believed Zheng Xunqian would be willing to give him some small rewards.

He had already held Zheng Xunqian’s hand just now. At that time, he had felt satisfied and content, but now he felt it wasn’t enough. He wanted to wrap his arm tightly around Zheng Xunqian’s body, press him close, and be intimately close to him.

They had to kiss, a lot. It was very important.

When Jing Tian pushed open the door to the dorm room, he quickly found that Zheng Xunqian had a very similar idea to his own. The only difference was that Zheng Xunqian, who had just reminded him to study well, didn’t leave him any time to study.

When Zheng Xunqian hugged him from behind, Jing Tian didn’t even have time to close the door.

Zheng Xunqian’s hands encircled his waist, pressing against his back, his chin resting on Jing Tian’s shoulder, kissing his cheek.

As Jing Tian turned his head, their noses accidentally bumped together. They looked at each other in that position for two seconds, then laughed together, and closed their eyes.

Zheng Xunqian released his arms from around Jing Tian’s waist for a moment, then after that, Jing Tian heard the sound of the door being closed tightly.

He didn’t know why, but he felt like laughing, yet he couldn’t find any extra energy.

This position wasn’t ideal; being tightly embraced by Zheng Xunqian but unable to embrace back. Jing Tian carefully adjusted the angle, turned around, and stretched out his arm to wrap around Zheng Xunqian’s neck.

During this process, their lips briefly parted, but quickly came back together.

As time passed, mingling with their saliva, it became ambiguous and viscous, and Jing Tian couldn’t tell how long had passed. He only felt his brain gradually becoming dizzy, reminiscent of the feeling of being drunk.

He was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, and he loved the feeling of losing control when slightly tipsy.

“What are you smiling about?” Zheng Xunqian asked, his lips close to Jing Tian’s.

It was a familiar question, but this time Jing Tian didn’t deny it like he did before.

He slightly opened his eyes, looking at Zheng Xunqian’s face, which appeared blurry due to their proximity. In the slight dizziness, he confirmed that the corners of his lips were indeed upturned.

He thought that he might have let out a sound from his throat just now, which Zheng Xunqian accurately captured. It should have been embarrassing, but perhaps because his rationality was clouded by the sweet breath in the air, he unconsciously became candid, wanting to openly admit the joy overflowing in his heart.

“I’m happy,” he said.

His voice stuck together, half of it blending into Zheng Xunqian’s mouth, becoming somewhat muffled.

Zheng Xunqian seemed to not hear clearly and asked, “What?”

“Happy,” Jing Tian said, “I’m happy.”

Every time he spoke, Zheng Xunqian would kiss him, as if deliberately disrupting him, not allowing him to answer properly.

“What?” Zheng Xunqian asked again.

This person seemed intentional. Jing Tian found it out but still cooperated obediently, answering, “Because I’m happy.”

Finally, Zheng Xunqian asked a slightly different question, “Why?”

Because I’m kissing you.

Jing Tian tilted his head back with narrowed eyes, lightly biting Zheng Xunqian’s lips.

Zheng Xunqian seemed to smile too, and Jing Tian clearly felt his warm breath as he exhaled, tickling him.

The slight unpleasantness from yesterday seemed to have never happened.

Thinking of yesterday, a thought suddenly popped into Jing Tian’s mind. He leaned back slightly, dodging when Zheng Xunqian approached again.

Zheng Xunqian’s lips landed on the skin of his cheek, somewhat dissatisfied, and he gently rubbed his nose against it.

Jing Tian giggled with closed eyes, hugged Zheng Xunqian tighter, and imitated Zheng Xunqian’s action, rubbing against his neck, then said, “I and Chu Chen Tao definitely don’t have this kind of relationship.”

Zheng Xunqian paused, “Why mention him?”

Jing Tian thought, How dare you say that.

“Because you mentioned him yesterday,” he said, “…I don’t remember what happened between him and me afterwards, but I know, I definitely wasn’t like this with him.”

Zheng Xunqian didn’t speak.

“Don’t compare yourself with him,” Jing Tian said, “You’re different.”

Zheng Xunqian slightly relaxed his arms and leaned back, his forehead against Jing Tian’s, asking, “How am I different?”

Jing Tian lowered his gaze, not looking at him, and answered with a voice so small that only Zheng Xunqian could hear it, “I don’t like him at all.”

After a moment, Zheng Xunqian nodded, “Oh.”

The two remained silent for a few seconds before laughing together again.

“I mean, I get it now,” Zheng Xunqian said.

Doing something too out of line in the dorm room was inappropriate.

Jing Tian’s body was warm, and he felt a bit impulsive.

But just as Zheng Xunqian, who had been so eager to be intimate with him, regained his rationality for some reason and cruelly pushed the sticky Jing Tian off him and pressed him against the desk.

“Where are your books?” he asked Jing Tian.

Jing Tian felt complicated, a bit frustrated, but couldn’t complain with justification, and pitifully pointed with his finger, “That cabinet.”

With a smile, Zheng Xunqian squatted down and started searching inside.

After a while, he asked, “What’s this, secretly hiding snacks?”

As he spoke, he lightly tapped his fingers on the bottom of the pile of books, making a “clank” sound.

Jing Tian leaned over in confusion and quickly jerked back, “Nothing, it’s just some miscellaneous stuff in there! Not snacks!”

Zheng Xunqian glanced back at him.

“The books you need are on top, don’t bother with the ones at the bottom, they’re useless!” Jing Tian said loudly.

His attitude was too abnormal, and Zheng Xunqian raised an eyebrow slightly, once again focusing his gaze on that iron box.

Jing Tian nervously felt his heart pounding.

The things in that box were too embarrassing. If Zheng Xunqian insisted on opening it, he would rather snatch the notebook and jump out of the window to destroy it.

Fortunately, Zheng Xunqian wasn’t insistent. He nodded soon, took the books, and closed the cabinet again.

“Alright, let’s start studying,” he said to Jing Tian.

Jing Tian felt a sense of regret in his heart, responded sadly, “Oh…”

Zheng Xunqian walked up to him with a smile, kissed him on the forehead, and said, “You’re really contradictory.”

Jing Tian lowered his head and blushed.

There was still a lingering warmth on his forehead, which alleviated much of his regret. Later, when he studied seriously, he would definitely receive more rewards.

He thought, sneakily glancing at the cabinet that had been closed again.

He almost forgot about that notebook.

The embarrassment of the past was too difficult to face, so he deliberately avoided it, but now it was different.

Those memories had become precious, arousing his curiosity, wanting to know more. He wanted to open and take a look.