Chapter 28: “Do you secretly like me?”

The half-month long military training was already halfway through. A sudden downpour startled and cheered the students. Some even went crazy in the rain.

“This rain came just in time! Hopefully it’ll last for two or three days so we don’t have to get up early for training. Don’t you think so, Yingying?” Yu Zhizhi held her head as she ran towards the dormitory with the rest of the group.

She didn’t hear Qin Yingxia speak for a while. When Yu Zhizhi turned around, she realized the person following her was gone.

“Yingying!?”

She was still looking for her when she bumped into Xie Chi, who was passing by, going against the flow of people. “Sorry, classmate…”

Xie Chi smiled, “You still have the audacity to say sorry?”

Yu Zhizhi saw it was him and immediately changed her expression to that of an old man on the subway looking at his phone. “Why are you always following me? Little brother?”

“That’s hilarious,” Xie Chi had never heard anything so funny. He looked around, “There are so many people, what good would it do me to follow you? Big brother?”

Yu Zhizhi: “Stop messing around, have you seen Qin Yingxia?”

“Am I a psychic? Everyone’s running around like this, how am I supposed to see…”

“I really can’t rely on you for anything, you’re the chairman!”

Xie Chi: “Just say it if you don’t like me, okay? Don’t be like this.”

A glint of cunning flashed in her eyes, and she said sarcastically, “How could that be, Chairman? I think you’re great!”

Xie Chi: …

You don’t have to flatter me like that.

•  

Qin Yingxia was indeed separated from the crowd. She was looking down as she ran and didn’t pay attention. She thought the person following her was Yu Zhizhi.

When the person turned around, she realized she had followed the wrong person.

The rain intensified, and the raindrops fell on the rubber track, splashing water droplets that hit her pant legs.

Qin Yingxia slightly lifted her hat brim and decided to take shelter from the rain at the entrance of the gymnasium.

There weren’t many people here. It was almost dinner time, and everyone was heading towards the dormitory and the cafeteria.

Qin Yingxia took off her hat and raised her arm to wipe the rain off her face. This rain was really heavy.

She took out her phone and wanted to ask Yu Zhizhi where she was.

Before she could send the message, the glass door behind her opened.

“Qin Yingxia, come in and get out of the rain.”

The person who opened the door was Jin Zhuo.

She didn’t expect him to be at the gymnasium too.

Qin Yingxia felt like she was a little lucky. She always seemed to encounter him by chance.

“Wipe off the rain, it’s clean.” Jin Zhuo handed her a clean disposable towel.

“Thank you, senior.” Qin Yingxia noticed that Jin Zhuo didn’t have any water droplets on him. “Didn’t you go for military training today?”

Jin Zhuo brought over two bottles of mineral water. “I did, but I felt like it was going to rain halfway through, so I found an excuse to slip away.”

He didn’t like the feeling of rain sticking to his body.

Qin Yingxia’s eyes lit up. “How did you know it was going to rain? It was sunny all morning…”

Jin Zhuo rubbed his nose. “I could smell the rain coming.”

He noticed the curiosity in Qin Yingxia’s eyes and couldn’t help but laugh. “The air was filled with a strong earthy smell, the humidity was heavy, a damp and fishy smell.”

Like the smell of rust.

The girl’s eyes curved into crescent moons. “Jin Zhuo, you’re more useful than the weather forecast.”

She had to check the weather before going out tomorrow. The weather forecast said it wouldn’t rain in the morning.

Jin Zhuo took off his military training jacket and gave it to her. “Your clothes are soaked, wear mine first. The air conditioning in the gymnasium is a bit cold, don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay…”

Qin Yingxia was half-wet and half-dry. As soon as she entered the gymnasium, she shivered from the cold.

She was also wearing a white undershirt. When she put on Jin Zhuo’s oversized jacket, she was instantly enveloped by his scent.

The heat rose from the bottom up, spreading to her ears.

“Thank you…”

Jin Zhuo stared at her flushed ears and chuckled to himself, “I’ve noticed you get red ears very easily.”

Qin Yingxia’s fingertips, hidden in her sleeves, tightened suddenly. She replied obediently, “…I’ve always been like this, I can’t change it.”

“Who told you to change?” Jin Zhuo leaned forward slightly, pulling up the sleeve that was too long for her.

His hands were warm, and his body heat traveled up her wrist, ultimately burning Qin Yingxia’s face.

“It’s a good habit…”

“Huh? What?” Qin Yingxia couldn’t quite hear him. Her tea-colored eyes were clear as water, making it impossible to look away.

Jin Zhuo’s throat tightened, and he suddenly felt dry-mouthed. He licked his lips and asked her softly, “I said,”

His tone was gentle, laced with caution, “You blush every time you see me, are you secretly in love with me?”

Countless girls had admired him since he was young…

But this time, he couldn’t help but feel a little self-absorbed.

…

The rain stopped, and the scorching sun peeked out from behind the clouds, casting a few beams of light that happened to pass through the blinds of the gymnasium and fall on Jin Zhuo, giving him a golden halo.

It was warm and beautiful, like a dream.

Qin Yingxia’s heart beat wildly, and her nose was even sweating from nervousness. “I…”

Be bold, Qin Yingxia!

“I like…”

Her voice stopped abruptly. Jin Zhuo’s phone rang.

It was his mother calling.

“My mom’s calling, wait for me a moment.”

Qin Yingxia instantly wilted, losing her previous impulsiveness.

How could she forget Jin Zhuo’s golden rule, “My mom won’t allow it”?

While she was distracted, Jin Zhuo hung up the phone. He turned back to her and asked, “What was the rest of what you were saying? You like… what?”

“…I like someone who looks a lot like you.”

Qin Yingxia was about to drive herself crazy. She closed her eyes and opened them again, blurting out this sentence.

She waited for a few seconds, but didn’t receive a response from the person in front of her.

The girl quietly raised her eyes and saw Jin Zhuo standing with his arms crossed, looking at her with a smirk.

As if he couldn’t hold it in any longer, Jin Zhuo chuckled, “What’s going on, little Qin Yingxia? Is university too boring for you? Are you playing a game of ‘like for like’ with me?”

Qin Yingxia took a small sip of water, not daring to look at him, and argued, “…I’m not, you guys really look alike.”

Like his grandpa.

Jin Zhuo was secretly annoyed.

But he maintained a calm demeanor on the surface. He lifted his chin slightly, with the air of a superior being, “Tell me, how are you alike?”

Qin Yingxia turned her head away, looking for an excuse to escape, “Oh, the sun is out! We can go eat, I’m so hungry!”

But before she could take two steps, she was pulled back by a hand with distinct knuckles, grabbing her collar.

Jin Zhuo’s tone was casual, “Qin Yingxia, don’t forget there’s someone else behind you, okay?”

“…I didn’t forget…” her voice was weak, “You guys really do look alike, I’m not lying, you both have two eyes and one nose.”

Jin Zhuo was almost driven crazy by her.

But at the same time, his heart was bubbling with joy.

“You’re something else, Qin Yingxia,” Jin Zhuo released her, then grabbed her wrist and led her towards the cafeteria, “Playing the ‘stand-in’ game with me, better not let me actually see that guy who looks like me…”

Qin Yingxia thought to herself: Then don’t look in the mirror.

She saw that Jin Zhuo was heading to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria would be packed at this time, so if she and Jin Zhuo appeared together, they would definitely attract attention.