Chapter 10

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Since we’re already in a relationship, Senior can’t call me by my full name anymore. It doesn’t feel intimate enough.】

Ferry: 【What do you want me to call you?】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Senior can call me Ningning.】

Bai Zining did it on purpose. He chose this name because Zhu Shizhou had once mocked his childhood nickname.

One evening during their first semester of college, Bai Zining’s mother called him. Perhaps due to poor signal, there was no sound from the other end, only the crackling of static.

Bai Zining said “Hello” a few times but got no response, so he tapped the speakerphone button. The moment the sound was amplified, a loud “Ningning, can you hear me?” echoed through the entire dormitory.

He hastily turned off the speakerphone, but at that moment, he heard a faint snicker coming from his left. It wasn’t loud, but it was just enough for him to catch it.

Bai Zining ignored it and continued chatting with his mother for a while. After ending the call, the more he thought about the mocking laughter from the person beside him, the angrier he became.

He walked over to Zhu Shizhou’s desk, knocked on it, and asked in a hostile tone, “What are you laughing at?“

Zhu Shizhou took off one of his earphones, as if he hadn’t heard clearly, and looked at Bai Zining with a questioning gaze, asking silently what was wrong.

Bai Zining was dissatisfied with this obvious pretense of ignorance. He stared directly into Zhu Shizhou’s eyes and asked slowly, emphasizing each word, “I’m asking, what were you laughing at just now?”

Sensing the unmistakable hostility in Bai Zining’s tone, Zhu Shizhou’s expression turned cold. After thinking for two seconds, he replied, “Nothing. I just heard a joke.”

His expression was so calm it almost seemed like he was telling the truth.

If Bai Zining didn’t already know that Zhu Shizhou had an issue with him, he might have actually believed it. But it was obvious that Zhu Shizhou was mocking him, and now he was even insinuating that he was the joke.

However, since the moment had passed and there was no clear evidence, Bai Zining couldn’t confront or retaliate. He could only swallow his anger and take the silent loss.

He left a harsh remark, “You’d better hope I don’t catch you slipping,” then gave Zhu Shizhou a fierce glare before turning and walking away.

Hmph, mocking my childhood nickname? Bai Zining fumed to himself. I’ll make sure you pay for this.

Snapping out of his memories, he noticed a new message from Zhu Shizhou on his phone.

Ferry: 【Got it, Ningning mei mei^[1]Mei mei (妹妹) is a Chinese term that literally means “younger sister.” However, in some cases, it’s used flirtatiously or playfully, especially in relationships or friendships, … Continue reading.】

After about twenty days of chatting, they officially established their relationship, and Bai Zining was very satisfied with the progress.

He began sharing his daily life with Zhu Shizhou more frequently, always accompanied by various photos.

After all, the online dating guide said: online dating without pictures doesn’t work, it lacks credibility and doesn’t feel real.

However, every time before sending a photo, he would zoom in and scrutinize it for a long time to ensure that no trace of his life at University A was visible.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Senior, I had the most delicious taro ball and sago smoothie today.】

The background of the taro ball and sago smoothie was an indistinguishable patch of concrete.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Senior, did you see the clouds today? They’re so beautiful.】

Attached was a picture of pink clouds in the evening sky.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Mosquitoes are the worst! They bit me several times last night, and I couldn’t sleep well. QAQ】

Accompanying this was a photo of a pale hand with two pink mosquito bites raised on the back, the surrounding area carefully blurred out.

After attending a club activity in the evening, Bai Zining returned to his dorm room and caught a faint scent in the air.

“Do you smell something?” he asked Cai Yu.

Cai Yu sniffed twice and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Could it be Brother Zhou lighting mosquito coils? But I don’t smell anything either,” Zuo Xingwei chimed in.

Bai Zining glanced over at Zhu Shizhou’s desk. He wasn’t there, but there was an electric mosquito repellent plugged into the power strip on the desk.

It seemed that he wasn’t the only one bitten by mosquitoes the previous night.

That night, Bai Zining slept peacefully without any disturbances from mosquitoes, as soundly as usual.

A couple of days later, a special day arrived—520^[2]In Chinese internet slang, 520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds similar to “我爱你” (wǒ ài nǐ), which means “I love you” in Mandarin. Because of this, 520 has become a symbolic … Continue reading.

Normally, this day wouldn’t have much to do with Bai Zining, but his identity was different now. He was Zhu Shizhou’s girlfriend, so he paid extra attention to it.

520 fell on a Saturday, and the streets were filled with couples everywhere. Bai Zining couldn’t be bothered to join the bustling crowd, so he stayed in the dorm and messaged Zhu Shizhou.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Senior, do you know what day it is today?】

Ferry: 【The birthday of Balzac, the father of French novels.】

? Bai Zining typed out a question mark but didn’t send it. What’s wrong with Zhu Shizhou? Does he think he’s being funny?

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Who are you planning to spend the day with?】

Ferry: 【My roommates.】

At this point, Bai Zining couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Completely clueless. Or… is he avoiding something? Could it be he’s afraid I’ll ask for a gift?

While he was secretly grumbling, the dorm door opened, and Zhu Shizhou walked in with Xie Cheng.

The moment Bai Zining saw Zhu Shizhou’s face, his annoyance surged, and he let out a dissatisfied huff, which made Xie Cheng glance in his direction.

“Xiao Bai, not going out to have fun today?”

“No, there are too many people outside.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two seemed to grab something from Zhu Shizhou’s desk and left shortly after.

Bai Zining grumbled internally, Saying you’re spending the day with your roommates, it’s just an excuse to hang out with your best buddy, huh.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Alright then, Senior, have fun with your roommates.】

Magnanimous, I have to appear magnanimous, Bai Zining told himself. No drama, no tantrums. He spent three minutes mentally preparing himself, only for it all to collapse the moment Zhu Shizhou’s next message popped up.

Ferry: 【Thanks for your kind words.】

Bai Zining felt relieved that he was only a fake partner. If he were Zhu Shizhou’s real girlfriend, he’d be breaking up with him in no time.

Thankfully, a few seconds later, a new message appeared on the screen.

【Ferry has sent you 520 yuan.】

Ferry: 【Have a happy day.】

So all along, Zhu Shizhou had been teasing him. Bai Zining was completely speechless. He stared at the orange transfer box but didn’t click to accept it.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【So Senior did know! I’m so happy.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【I have a small request. I wonder if Senior can agree to it?】

Ferry: 【Go ahead.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Don’t you think it feels a bit distant to always call you “Senior”? Besides, I’m sure plenty of girls at school already call you that.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【How about I call you gege from now on? ( ω )】

No guy can resist being called gege. None! Bai Zining was absolutely certain of this.

This time, Zhu Shizhou sent a voice message. It was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to send Bai Zining a voice message. Bai Zining hesitated for a few seconds before tapping to play it.

Zhu Shizhou’s cool, clear voice sounded in his ear: 【“Sure, Ningning mei mei.”】

At the end of the voice message, there seemed to be a faint chuckle, though it wasn’t fully captured in the recording.

Unconsciously, Bai Zining replayed the three-second voice message three times, analyzing it. He concluded that Zhu Shizhou’s tone when speaking in a romantic context was different from his usual tone. But no matter what, it was quite pleasant to listen to.

Less than half an hour later, Zhu Shizhou returned to the dormitory alone.

The dormitory was now just the two of them, and neither spoke, making the atmosphere slightly awkward.

Wasn’t Zhu Shizhou out with Xie Cheng? Why did he come back? When is he leaving? Bai Zining had a lot of questions swirling in his mind, but he couldn’t directly ask. All he could do was silently pray for Zhu Shizhou to leave soon.

Unfortunately, Zhu Shizhou stayed in the dormitory the entire day.

Bai Zining got out of bed to play games, order takeout, or chat with friends over the phone while wearing headphones. Yet, no matter what he was doing, he always felt an unusual gaze on him.

This unsettling feeling was something he had never experienced before. Whenever he turned to look, Zhu Shizhou was either quietly sitting in his chair or on his bed, minding his own business.

Bai Zining would rather believe the dormitory was haunted than accept the possibility that Zhu Shizhou was watching him. In the end, he chalked it up to his own guilty conscience.

The tense atmosphere lingered until the evening when it was finally broken. Bai Zining sent Zhu Shizhou a message.

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Did you have fun today, gege? What did you do?】

He replied quickly.

Ferry: 【I had fun.】

Ferry: 【Ate, played games, and chatted with friends.】

? Bai Zining was confused. Isn’t that what I did today? How did Zhu Shizhou turn it into his own activities?

Hawthorn Porridge: 【That’s nice. If I could spend the next 520 with you, gege, that would be even better.】

Ferry: 【You want to spend it with me?】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Of course! Actually, I felt a bit down today since you didn’t chat with me much, it’s such a special day, after all. But I quickly got over it. Every day I’m in a relationship with gege feels special and so happy. I’m already very content.】

Sometimes, you have to learn to show vulnerability and act coquettish at the right moments to evoke a man’s guilt and affection.

Bai Zining had thought Zhu Shizhou would say something sweet, especially after he’d already delivered such cheesy lines. But soon, he heard movement from below. It’s the sound of Zhu Shizhou changing clothes.

At the same time, a new message popped up:

Ferry: 【No need to wait for the next 520. It can be today. I’ll come to you.】