Chapter 52: It’s Not Like It’s the First Day of Dating…

In the first semester of university, Lin Zhi’s major didn’t offer many courses, and his final exams were finished a day and a half earlier than Lu Liu’s.

As soon as Yuan, Song, and Tang Yuan finished their exams, they eagerly packed up and went home, leaving the two people who had partners to stay in the dormitory and wait for their significant others.

On the first day, Lin Zhi and Zhao Shaochuan didn’t get up until the afternoon, spending the entire afternoon playing games. By evening, Zhao Shaochuan was thinking of ways to kill time, while Lin Zhi had already started packing his things to take home for the winter break. While opening his suitcase, he said, “You can think about it yourself; I won’t stay to keep you company.”

“Aren’t you taking the train the day after tomorrow afternoon?” Zhao Shaochuan lay back in his seat. “There’s still plenty of time, why are you in such a hurry?”

“It’s the ticket for the day after tomorrow, but I’m leaving tomorrow,” Lin Zhi replied truthfully. “I’m going to see my partner.”

“Ah,” Zhao Shaochuan, having been through this before, understood Lin Zhi’s urgency. He laughed wickedly and looked at Lin Zhi’s busy figure, teasingly asking, “So where are you sleeping tomorrow night?”

Lin Zhi didn’t want to answer. Wasn’t that a question with an obvious answer?

Zhao Shaochuan wasn’t really asking, and a moment later, he said, “This is your first time staying out overnight, right? Finally can’t resist?”

Lin Zhi didn’t want to respond. Admitting it would be embarrassing, and denying it would seem insincere.

The next day at noon, Lu Liu finished his last exam and submitted his paper half an hour early. After leaving the exam room, he texted Lin Zhi. No more than five seconds later, Lin Zhi called him via voice message.

Lu Liu hadn’t yet left the hallway outside the exam room, and as he answered the call, he quickened his pace toward the stairs. “Hello,” he had just started saying when Lin Zhi’s voice came through.

“Finished the exam? Come down quickly, I’m waiting for you at the east gate of Zhiyuan Building.”

“Where are you?” Lu Liu wondered if he had misheard.

“Zhiyuan Building, didn’t you tell me your last exam was there?” Lin Zhi hurriedly urged again, “Come quickly.”

Lu Liu dashed down the stairs, running to the east gate, and indeed saw Lin Zhi standing outside the glass door, wearing a down jacket and sweatpants. He had one hand holding the phone to his ear and the other grasping the suitcase handle resting by his side.

“What are you doing here?” Lu Liu kept walking toward him. “Didn’t we agree that I would pick you up tomorrow? Why are you here so early?”

If he hadn’t finished his exam early, wouldn’t Lin Zhi have had to wait outside in the cold wind for another half hour?

“You’re stupid,” Lin Zhi looked at Lu Liu with disdain for the first time. “I can get into the teaching building, why would I wait outside in the wind? I’m here because I just arrived.”

“True,” Lu Liu finally understood, his concern had messed things up. He gently touched Lin Zhi’s cold hand and naturally took over Lin Zhi’s suitcase. “You even brought your luggage.”

Lin Zhi nodded. Bringing his luggage meant that tonight’s accommodation wouldn’t be back in his own dorm. He felt a little embarrassed, but more than that, he wanted to ask, “Have you packed the things you need to take home?”

“Not yet.” Lu Liu hadn’t expected Lin Zhi to come early and had planned to pack after the exam. “But I don’t need to bring much, it won’t take long.”

“Then let’s hurry back and pack,” Lin Zhi urged. “I’ll help you.”

“No rush,” Lu Liu grabbed Lin Zhi’s arm. “Let’s eat first.”

“I’m not eating,” Lin Zhi pulled Lu Liu toward the dormitory area. “We’ll eat after we finish packing.”

“Why are you so anxious?” Lu Liu was amused by Lin Zhi’s reaction. Although confused, he still followed Lin Zhi’s wish and went back to the dorm.

Lin Zhi had been to Lu Liu’s dorm many times. As soon as he entered, he headed straight for Lu Liu’s bed and waited for Lu Liu to ask him to help get something.

He was really in a hurry. He was eager to “take” Lu Liu away before his roommate came back, because with the way he had brought luggage to meet Lu Liu, it was obvious that something would happen that night. He himself was guilty, not wanting to face the awkward gaze of Lu Liu’s roommate, fearing they would say something embarrassing like Zhao Shaochuan’s “So you finally couldn’t resist.”

Lu Liu packed a few sets of clothes and shoes, and stuffed in a few professional books. When he saw Lin Zhi constantly checking the time, he asked, “Where are we going later?”

Lin Zhi nearly doubted that Lu Liu’s intelligence had been drained by the exam today, so he dramatically pulled out his ID card from his pocket and said in a tone of frustration, “To rent a room!”

The next second, the dorm door opened with a sound, and Cui Yanghui walked in, looking awkward.

Damn it. Lin Zhi hurriedly tucked the ID card back, feeling embarrassed, wishing he could crawl into Lu Liu’s wardrobe. He stiffly avoided greeting Cui Yanghui and waited for Lu Liu to finish packing. Before the suitcase was even closed, Lin Zhi had already darted out of the dormitory, hiding in the corridor to wait for Lu Liu to come out.

As the other party involved, Lu Liu appeared much calmer than Lin Zhi. Even though it was his first time facing such an awkward public situation, Lu Liu handled it well. Before leaving, he casually bid farewell to Cui Yanghui, as though he had experienced such situations many times before.

Lin Zhi behaved very obediently on the way, and once they were far away from the dormitory building, he angrily shot Lu Liu a look.

“What’s with the look?” Lu Liu laughed. “Want to say something, but holding back?”

“Shut up,” Lin Zhi gritted his teeth. “It’s all your fault, asking stupid questions!”

Lu Liu didn’t want to accept the blame and said, “I swear, I was just asking where we’re going to hang out this afternoon, not where we’re sleeping.”

“Well, you didn’t express it clearly,” Lin Zhi snapped. “You made me misunderstand.”

“Alright, alright, it’s my fault,” Lu Liu conceded, not wanting to argue further, knowing that if they kept going, they’d miss out on the good stuff tonight. “Let’s just go rent the room now.”

“You…” Lin Zhi nervously glanced around. “Keep your voice down, talking about this so loudly.”

As it turned out, Lin Zhi had overreacted. The highest hotel occupancy rates around the campus are during the start of the semester and finals, so the front desk was already used to such things. Lu Liu had booked the room online, and they only needed to register their ID details to check in, which avoided the awkwardness of choosing between a double room or a king-size bed in person.

Lin Zhi had stayed in hotels before, but this was his first time stepping into a room and feeling so distracted.

The suitcase was placed against the wall, and Lin Zhi took off his down jacket, casually throwing it on the bed. He sat at one corner of the large bed, which had excellent elasticity. After sitting, it created a depression, and after a while, his side sank in as well. Lu Liu sat closely beside him, took his hand from his knee, played with it, rubbed his palm, pinched his fingers, and traced the gaps between his fingers…

Lin Zhi felt ticklish and turned his head to look at Lu Liu, truly wanting to say something but holding back.

“What are you nervous about?” Lu Liu laughed at him. “You’re the one who wanted this.”

“Let’s be reasonable,” Lin Zhi swallowed. “Just because I wanted this doesn’t mean I’m not nervous.”

“You can be nervous,” Lu Liu lowered his head and kissed Lin Zhi’s finger joints, gently biting them, feeling Lin Zhi curl his fingers, and laughed, “But you’re too nervous. Now I’m too embarrassed to continue.”

Lin Zhi felt his face turning red but didn’t want to back down. Trying to act tough, he said, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s not like it’s the first time we’re dating.”

He managed to recall some of the tips he had read online but his mind was a mess. The only thing he remembered was that the first step seemed to be taking a shower.

“Since that’s the case,” Lu Liu chuckled, “I won’t hold back then.”

At this moment, Lin Zhi felt like Lu Liu was about to start enjoying some delicious food. The next second, Lu Liu’s lips pressed against his.