Chapter 42: Introductions

What does first love taste like?

Perhaps it’s most like the fruit that ripens in early spring, around March or April. Its faint green hue tells you it’s not fully ripe yet, but its beautiful color already makes your mouth water. When you bite into it, you can taste the sweetness it has stored up all winter, but at the same time, the astringency of pre-summer bites back, leaving your teeth tingling.

She had tasted it—her heart stirred by the unfamiliar mix of sweet and sour—but she didn’t know what he was thinking. Would he find it too unripe to be worth eating? Or would he think the process of picking it was too much trouble?

She didn’t want to add to the trouble, so when he asked her why she was crying, she chose to stay silent and evade the question. She didn’t ask about his relationship with Tang Fei, nor did she ask why they weren’t as intimate as other couples. Instead, she quietly wiped away her tears and smiled when she looked up at him, saying it was just because she hadn’t seen him for so long and was feeling emotional, telling him not to worry about it.

Her feelings of inferiority and doubt were buried deep inside. As she dragged her suitcase into the dormitory building, the distance between them seemed to grow thicker. Only after returning to her room did she allow herself to cry, releasing all the pent-up negative emotions from the summer. She cried until she felt dizzy, and in the end, without unpacking her luggage, she climbed into bed and covered her face with the blanket, falling asleep.

She slept straight through until eight o’clock the next morning.

When she woke up, her head was still spinning, and her eyes were still swollen. She opened her phone to check the time and discovered that he had messaged her at seven-thirty, asking if she wanted to have breakfast together.

… Half an hour had already passed.

She: Sorry, I just woke up…

As she was searching for an appropriate emoji to send, his reply came quickly.

He: It’s okay, I haven’t eaten yet either.

He: Want to go together?

Ah.

… He hasn’t eaten yet?

Was he waiting for her?

Her heart skipped a beat, and instinctively, she hurried out of bed. But when she looked in the mirror, she noticed how obviously swollen her eyes were. Even if Min Rui were here, there’d be no way to use makeup to hide it. This realization made her feel awkward, worried about how he might react upon seeing her.

But his message arrived right after—

He: I’ll wait for you downstairs.

This…

Yin Mengxi felt her head spin even more.

Ten minutes to wash up and change clothes, another ten minutes to apply a cold towel to her eyes in an emergency attempt to reduce the swelling. Twenty minutes later, she finally grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. Sure enough, he was already waiting outside the building. The campus was nearly deserted during the summer break, so he wasn’t surrounded by onlookers as usual.

“Going out with your boyfriend?” Still, Aunt Zhang, the dorm supervisor, walked by with a laundry basket, glancing at her and then at Xiao Zhi standing outside the glass door. Smiling warmly, she teased, “Your boyfriend is quite handsome…”

The teasing made her blush furiously. Not knowing how to respond, Yin Mengxi gave an awkward smile and pushed the door open. Stepping outside, she realized the weather was perfect—gentle breezes, bright sunshine, and the rustling of leaves in the trees.

“… Senior,” she said as she approached him, standing in the same spot where he had embraced her last night.

He wore a white shirt, which under the bright sunlight made him stand out even more than usual—handsomer than any celebrity or idol. He greeted her, his gaze lingering briefly on her obviously red and swollen eyes, but he tactfully refrained from asking about it. Instead, he gently took her hand and said naturally, “Let’s go eat.”

She had assumed they were going to the cafeteria, but unexpectedly, he led her to a breakfast shop at the corner of University Road. The spring rolls and potstickers here were famous, and while it was usually crowded during the semester, it was quieter during the break. When they entered at eight-thirty, there were only two tables occupied.

They each ordered their food, and while waiting, he suddenly asked, “Do you have any plans today? What do you intend to do?”

What plans could she possibly have? Coming back to school had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Aside from seeing him, she had no other purpose.

… Should she bring up the excuse of investigating the dental hospital again?

“I…” She pursed her lips. “Today…”

He already understood and didn’t press her further. Glancing once more at her slightly swollen eyes, his tone carried a hint of hesitation as he asked, “If you’re not busy, would you like to meet a few of my friends?”

She was taken aback, not immediately processing his words. “Huh?”

“They’re friends I work with. We’re preparing a project recently,” he explained. “They’re all nice people.”

“A project?” She blinked. “… What kind of project?”

“It’s a bit complicated. We’re still discussing the details,” he said thoughtfully, as if considering how to explain it to her. “If you’re free, you can come listen.”

After a pause, he added, “I actually planned to tell you about this after school started, and I was also going to ask if you’d like to work on it with me.”

Ah.

With him?

He wanted to bring her along?

She didn’t even know what the project was about, but hearing the word “together” made her want to agree immediately. Perhaps because this long-term-sounding plan reduced the possibility of a “breakup” and eased some of her insecurities.

“Oh,” she replied modestly, expressing her willingness. “… Then I’ll go listen.”

The meeting place was a café on University Road, not far from the breakfast shop.

She followed him upstairs to the second floor. The café was nearly empty in the morning, with only three men and one woman seated by the window. They all appeared to be students from their university.

“Teacher Xiao—”

One of the chubby young men spotted them first. His round face was particularly cheerful as he enthusiastically waved at them. The others turned around soon after, all standing up politely. The man sitting on the outside wore black-framed glasses and a plaid shirt, while the shorter man inside was accompanied by a clean-cut girl with a ponytail and subtle makeup.

Yin Mengxi didn’t recognize them, except for the man with glasses, who seemed vaguely familiar but whose name she couldn’t recall. She obediently stood behind Xiao Zhi, waiting for him to introduce them.

“These are a few of my friends,” he introduced them in turn: the chubby young man, the bespectacled man, the shorter man, and the subtly made-up girl. “Zhao Peng, Gao Hanyu, Sun Zhuo, and Chen Xin Ning.”

At this introduction, Yin Mengxi remembered—Gao Hanyu, the genius from the Computer Science Department at their school, who had won national scholarships and published papers in SCI journals. Last year, the Youth League Committee had even collaborated with the campus media to interview him.

This was a big deal…

Still marveling inwardly, Xiao Zhi turned to introduce her to them. “This is my girlfriend, Yin Mengxi.”

Ah.

“Girlfriend…”

Although Yin Mengxi had always known that Xiao Zhi hadn’t hidden the fact that they were dating, hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend for the first time in front of others stirred something deep within her. The objective introduction was simple, yet it sent ripples through her heart.

Her face flushed red, unsure of how to greet his friends. Before she could figure it out, the group began teasing her. Zhao Peng whistled and joked, “So that’s why Teacher Xiao suddenly skipped the group meeting last night—he went to pick up his girlfriend!”

“And he even brought her along!” Sun Zhuo chimed in. “But remember, coffee expenses for family members aren’t reimbursed!”

Their banter was lively, though Gao Hanyu and Chen Xin Ning remained quieter. The former gave her a somewhat awkward nod, while the latter offered her a gentle smile.

“She’s just a sophomore,” Xiao Zhi said with a helpless smile, guiding her to sit down. “Don’t bully her.”

Only later did Yin Mengxi realize that everyone seated at the table were seniors—Zhao Peng and Gao Hanyu were third-year graduate students in the Computer Science Department, Sun Zhuo was a Ph.D. student in Cultural Heritage Studies, and Chen Xin Ning, who looked the youngest, was a graduate student in the Management School, the same year as Xiao Zhi.

Despite their age, they were as immature as undergraduates. Hearing Xiao Zhi protectively mention his girlfriend only made them tease him more. Zhao Peng clicked his tongue and shook his head, sighing dramatically. “Didn’t I say it? Teacher Xiao is the kind of person who quietly strikes gold. Last year he said he didn’t want a girlfriend, and now look—he’s got a little sister!”

“What else do you expect? Are you all going to stay bachelors like him?” Sun Zhuo retorted. “You want to find a little sister? Who’s going to pay attention to you?”

“I give up. Brother Zhuo, aren’t you also single? Why are you speaking for Teacher Xiao?” Zhao Peng complained. “Whose side are you on…”

The chatter continued.

Yin Mengxi listened with her heart pounding. She had never been openly linked to Xiao Zhi and teased like this before. Beyond the embarrassment, she felt a strange thrill—a subtle joy she wouldn’t share with anyone. The most serious among them was Gao Hanyu, who sat with a laptop on his knees. While others joked, he was the only one focused on business, turning to Yin Mengxi and asking, “Which department are you in? What’s your major?”

Startled, she reflexively glanced at Xiao Zhi. He smiled at her, his expression subtly reassuring and encouraging. Clearly, he wanted her to answer for herself.

“Hello, seniors,” she said politely. “I’m a sophomore in the Journalism School, specializing in Broadcasting and Television.”

“That’s great,” Zhao Peng said enthusiastically, initiating conversation. “You can focus on publications, right? Or maybe work on the business proposal with Xin Ning. You humanities students are all skilled at presentations.”

Business proposal?

Presentation?

Yin Mengxi blinked, completely lost.

“She doesn’t know the details yet. She’s just here to listen,” Xiao Zhi interjected, coming to her rescue. “Let’s talk about the project first—I remember we left off yesterday at the category division stage, right?”

Speaking of which, Xiao Zhi was truly remarkable.

He had completed his undergraduate studies in just three years and was now midway through his master’s program. Despite being the youngest in the group, everyone naturally followed his lead. Zhao Peng and the others were several years older, yet they all called him “Teacher Xiao” without hesitation. And he lived up to the title, controlling the discussion like a teacher, occasionally posing questions to guide the direction and ensuring the conversation flowed smoothly.

Yin Mengxi sat listening silently. At first, she was completely confused, but gradually, she began to understand what they were talking about. It seemed they were preparing for the new year’s “Challenge Cup” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, collaborating across multiple disciplines. Their ultimate goal was to build a highly integrated and interactive online digital museum platform, centered around cultural relics and connecting related ancient texts, historical culture, and traditional folklore. The platform aimed to promote education and serve academic research alike.