CS - 62

Since when?

When Lin Zhexia returned to her military training formation and stood under the scorching sun, she realized she had forgotten to ask.

Perhaps it was before.

She thought it might have been during their time apart, when Chi Yao, fearing he would miss her messages, pinned her at the top of his contact list.

Upon learning that Lin Zhexia was going on a date, the others in the dorm were more excited than she was.

Lan Xiaoxue even started planning ahead: “Should you buy some new clothes and put on makeup? Do you know how to apply makeup?”

Lin Zhexia: “… I don’t.”

Although she had entered university, she still went without makeup every day—it had become a habit. Moreover, with military training exposing her to the sun daily, she didn’t have time to learn how to apply makeup.

“No makeup won’t do,” Lan Xiaoxue said as she applied eyeliner for herself. From Lin Zhexia’s perspective, the scene looked terrifying—she lifted her eyelid and poked around her eye. “Is this your first date, and you’re planning to go bare-faced? When are you going? I’ll do your makeup.”

On the agreed-upon day, Lin Zhexia sat in Lan Xiaoxue’s spot, feeling as if she were waiting for an execution.

A pile of makeup tools was spread out on Lan Xiaoxue’s desk. Before applying foundation, Lan Xiaoxue leaned in to examine Lin Zhexia’s face: “Your skin is so fine; I’m envious. My flawed skin looks terrible without makeup.”

The other dormmates sat across from her.

Lin Zhexia, wearing a dress Lan Xiaoxue had picked out for her, nervously said: “Do you really need to sit in a row and watch me like this…?”

Qin Lei: “We’ve searched for many dating tips. While you’re getting your makeup done, we’ll read them to you.”

Lin Zhexia: “… “

“Did you bring gum?” Qin Lei asked halfway through the makeup process.

“Huh?”

“The guide says you can chew gum before kissing.”

“…”

Lin Zhexia stammered: “We’re, uh, not at that stage yet…”

Qin Lei: “What’s there to be fast or slow about? You’re already together; it’s normal.”

But she wasn’t ready.

And she felt that Chi Yao had noticed too, which was why these days he only held her hand, at most hugging her like on the day they confirmed their relationship.

After finishing the makeup, Lan Xiaoxue packed up the makeup kit and called out to her: “Beautiful lady, you can look in the mirror now.”

Lin Zhexia picked up the mirror.

Only then did she realize that the person in the mirror was vastly different from her usual image.

Her previously somewhat childish face had long shed its innocence. Her eyes, lightly defined, highlighted her unique youthful brightness. Her features, which were subdued without makeup, now looked much more striking.

It was indeed beautiful.

But she didn’t know if Chi Yao would think so too.

Before leaving, she sent Chi Yao a message.

-Have you finished class?

Boyfriend: Yes.

Boyfriend: I have a bit more to do. Come over first.

This nickname had been changed for almost a week, but every time those three words popped up, her heart still raced.

Lin Zhexia replied with an “Oh.”

Chi Yao’s major was special and prestigious, so they had their own dedicated teaching building.

This building, centrally located, was unusually quiet, with hardly any classes making noise.

She walked up the steps to Chi Yao’s classroom, nervously adjusted her skirt, and carefully pushed the door open.

In fact, their class had already ended, but the teacher had assigned homework that needed to be completed before leaving, and Chi Yao was responsible for collecting it. So when she opened the door, she saw a group of people surrounding someone—the person in the middle had his eyes lowered, hands in his pockets, looking tired and impatient. He wore a silver earring, sitting in a chair with his legs stretched out long, surrounded by others.

Someone begged him: “Brother Yao, I can’t finish it. Can I give it to you tomorrow?”

Chi Yao didn’t even lift his eyelids: “Unless you’re dying and need to rush to the hospital right now, otherwise go back and finish it.”

“…”

“Is there really no room for negotiation?”

Chi Yao seemed to sense something, lifted his eyes, and looked toward the door. His gaze landed on the girl standing there, and he lowered his voice: “… Do you think I enjoy staying here?”

“Stop wasting time, finish it and hand it in,” he added. “Don’t make my girlfriend wait too long.”

After he said that, the group surrounding him realized what was going on.

Then they all turned their gazes toward the door.

“Damn,” someone exclaimed, “Hello, Sister-in-law.”

Lin Zhexia, who was already awkward, became even more so: “… “

Chi Yao got up and offered her his seat: “Ignore them.”

She really didn’t want to pay attention.

At this moment, she wanted to be mute.

But amidst the awkwardness, there was no denying that being introduced by him in public… felt pretty good.

This way, everyone knew he had a girlfriend.

Hopefully, no one would send him random chocolates anymore.

While waiting, Lin Zhexia opened her phone app and quietly memorized vocabulary.

After a while, she couldn’t help but ask: “Don’t you think I look different today?”

Chi Yao’s gaze fell on her mascara-coated lashes, and he deliberately said: “Different how?”

“… Are you blind?” she said.

“My eyesight isn’t great today.”

Lin Zhexia didn’t want to talk to him anymore and continued memorizing vocabulary. She hadn’t memorized two words when she heard him say: “I see it. You’re wearing makeup today.”

Chi Yao rarely gave positive feedback, but today he spoke sincerely: “You look very beautiful.”

Lin Zhexia pursed her lips to suppress her joy: “It’s okay, after all, I am naturally stunning.”

With half an hour left before the movie started, Chi Yao finally finished collecting the assignments.

Although he excelled academically in middle and high school, he rarely took on class leadership roles.

Lin Zhexia had once asked him why, and he simply said, “It’s troublesome.”

She thought about it and agreed.

This person was difficult to get along with, unable and unwilling to manage others.

But Chi Yao in university was somewhat different. That year-plus seemed to have made him a more “reliable” person.

Although—

His attitude toward collecting assignments was still harsh.

“We should leave now; the timing will be just right,” Lin Zhexia said as they walked toward the cinema in the university town. “By the way, are you the class monitor?”

Chi Yao: “Sort of.”

Lin Zhexia: “You’re actually willing to be the class monitor.”

Chi Yao: “My scores were too high; I couldn’t refuse.”

“…”

Lin Zhexia was in the middle of her class rankings and couldn’t understand the world of top students.

The path they were walking on was narrow, so Lin Zhexia walked ahead. Halfway through, Chi Yao reminded her: “Did you forget something?”

“What?”

“Your hand.”

“Oh.”

Lin Zhexia slowed down and reached for his hand.

The moment she touched his hand, Chi Yao clasped it tightly.

Lin Zhexia couldn’t help but call him: “Chi Yao.”

“?”

“I didn’t expect,” she said slowly, “that you’d be so clingy when dating.”

Chi Yao sneered: “Do boyfriends and girlfriends walk without holding hands? Do you think it’s like finding a stranger and taking a walk separately?”

Lin Zhexia: “Watch your words.”

Though she found Chi Yao’s way of speaking made her feel more comfortable.

It didn’t mean she wouldn’t get annoyed by him.

“You were very gentle when you were pursuing me.”

She thought about that “abnormal” period of Chi Yao and deliberately sighed: “Maybe that’s just how men are.”

Chi Yao moved his fingers and squeezed her delicate finger joints.

“That wasn’t gentleness,” he said.

Lin Zhexia didn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind his words.

As they spoke, they arrived at the cinema.

Chi Yao let go of her hand to queue for tickets and told her to find a seat and wait.

While queuing, he lowered his head, searching for the ticket code while inwardly admitting defeat—he had been overly serious back then.

Because he cared too much.

And because the person in front of him was too precious.

So his language seemed to regress, unable to come up with elegant phrases or pleasant words, unable to act as arrogantly as usual. In front of her, his speech regressed to the simplest initial mode.

Regressed into the four plain words: “I like you.”

Lin Zhexia stood by, waiting for him to collect the tickets.

She had watched many movies with Chi Yao, from childhood to now, always seeing the popular films in theaters together.

But only two times stood out as special.

One was on Valentine’s Day, and the other was now.

That accidental Valentine’s Day with Chi Yao, she even secretly rejoiced upon discovering that their seats were next to each other during ticket checking.

“Here,” Chi Yao collected the tickets and handed one to her, “Row six, seat ten, in the middle.”

Lin Zhexia took the ticket.

At that time, she never imagined that one day she could openly watch a “couple’s movie” with Chi Yao.

The movie they chose was a conventional commercial film, with good box office and reviews, a recent hit.

Actually, the movie itself didn’t matter. What mattered was that this was their first official date.

While collecting the tickets, Chi Yao also bought her a cola and popcorn.

He held the snack bag in one hand and handed the ticket to the ticket checker with the other.

Like in high school, Lin Zhexia closely followed him through the ticket check.

The ticket checker tore off the stub and pointed the way: “Hall three—go straight in and turn left, second room.”

Unlike in high school, after she checked her ticket, Chi Yao held her hand again.

Just as she had hoped.

Fingers intertwined.

Their hands tightly entwined.

Chi Yao’s palm warmth transferred to her hand.

“What are you spacing out for?” Chi Yao pulled her forward. “Watch where you’re going, don’t get lost again.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhexia paused her steps.

She thought that small mishap from high school was remembered only by her.

After all, it was really a minor incident, something that shouldn’t be remembered in the long river of time.

She hesitated and asked: “How do you still remember… that time I got lost?”

Chi Yao countered: “Is it strange that I remember?”

…

It wasn’t particularly strange.

He might just have a particularly good memory.

Sure enough, his next sentence was:

“Unlike a certain idiot girlfriend,” Chi Yao said lightly, “I have a good memory.”

“…”

She didn’t want to talk anymore.

They walked into Hall Three and sat down. Just as the lights dimmed, Chi Yao handed her the bucket of popcorn.

The film officially began.

Even though they had confirmed their relationship, Lin Zhexia’s state of watching a “couple’s movie” with him wasn’t much better than last time. It took her more than ten minutes to get into the movie, recognizing the main actors and understanding the plot setup.

As she watched, she stuffed popcorn into her mouth.

Halfway through, she remembered there was someone next to her: “Do you want some?”

Chi Yao turned his head, and after a while, extended his hand.

But his hand didn’t reach for the popcorn bucket; instead, it went toward her mouth.

Lin Zhexia had just taken a piece of popcorn from the bucket and placed it at her lips, lightly biting it. The piece touching her lips was snatched away by the hand that suddenly extended horizontally.

“…”

Her face instantly turned red: “I just…” bitten it.

Chi Yao didn’t care and even commented: “Sweeter than last time.”

“It’s the same flavor,” she clutched the popcorn bucket. The movie plot she had just memorized was disrupted again. Looking back at the big screen, she couldn’t understand what the protagonist was doing now. “Couldn’t you just take it yourself? Why snatch mine?”

Chi Yao had already withdrawn his hand, leaned back, and said indifferently: “I’m sick. Take me to the hospital.”

“…”

Unbeatable.

Lin Zhexia decided to ignore this topic.

Anyway, in their current relationship, him eating a piece of popcorn she had bitten didn’t seem to matter.

Chi Yao didn’t intend to drop the subject and calmly urged her: “Eat faster.”

Lin Zhexia was flustered: “Why? Does the cinema have a rule that popcorn must be eaten within a certain time, or else you’ll be arrested?”

“I don’t know if anyone will arrest you.”

Chi Yao said, using the faint light of the cinema, extending his hand to her. His wrist rested on the armrest between the chairs. From Lin Zhexia’s perspective, she could only see the vague outline of his arm—

“I only know that if you don’t finish eating quickly, I can’t grab you.”