Chapter 30

After returning from the hot springs, Xu Xieyi buried herself in her studies, temporarily setting aside the sorrow of being away from her parents.

Lin Sheng had been returning to the Lin family home frequently, taking time every evening to tutor her. With his guidance and new study methods, Xu Xieyi’s grades seemed to be improving even faster than the previous month. She felt that learning had become much easier.

The monthly exams were approaching in a flash, now just over a week away. During evening self-study, the entire Class 5 was quiet. Aside from a few particularly mischievous boys in the back row, almost no one was sleeping or whispering.

Xu Xieyi sat with her seatmate, Yang Bingbing, in the third row of the second column. With one look up, she could see the corridor outside through the front door of the classroom.

Yang Bingbing surreptitiously checked that no teacher was by the back door, then craned her neck to peek out the front. At the end of the corridor stood a tall man with his back turned to them. He wore a white shirt and black trousers, his hands tucked into his pockets.

He looked handsome and imposing.

She withdrew her gaze and tugged on Xu Xieyi’s arm, lowering her voice. "Hey, hey, hey, is your brother here to pick you up again?"

Xu Xieyi didn't even look up. "Mm."

"Why is he so good to you? He’s been picking you up and dropping you off every day for half a month now, right?" Yang Bingbing paused. "He has so much free time—does he not have a girlfriend?"

With a physics problem half-solved in her head, Xu Xieyi’s pen tip paused a beat late. She glanced sideways at the corridor. From her angle, she could only see one of the young man’s shoulders.

"Maybe he does," Xu Xieyi said hesitantly. "I don’t know."

In any case, there were plenty of beautiful women around Lin Sheng.

Yang Bingbing rested her chin on her hands, gazing at Lin Sheng’s retreating figure with a sense of longing. "When I get to university, I want to date a man with that kind of charm."

These words gave Xu Xieyi a jolt, scattering all the physics formulas in her head. "Why do you always have thoughts like that?"

"What thoughts?"

Xu Xieyi looked up at the tall back of Lin Sheng in his white shirt, then turned back. "I mean... about Brother Lin."

She truly couldn't understand Yang Bingbing’s messy fantasies. "Do you know that Brother Lin is ten years older than us? And... with his appearance and demeanor being so mature, don't you think there's too much of a gap?"

Whenever Xu Xieyi remembered Lin Sheng’s sturdy physique from the hot springs, she felt too shy to even think about it. In any case, he wasn't from her world.

Yang Bingbing gave a slightly wicked smile, saying enigmatically, "You’re still too innocent; you don’t understand..."

Xu Xieyi knew Yang Bingbing had dated two or three boyfriends; her romantic experience was quite extensive among the girls in the class. She didn't press further; she had always been too embarrassed to discuss such topics.

Seeing Xu Xieyi’s serious expression, Yang Bingbing felt she needed to bridge the generation gap. "Let me tell you, kid."

She lowered her voice even further: "The type your brother is? That’s a woman’s ideal lover!"

-

When the bell rang, Xu Xieyi packed her bag and stood up. Because of Yang Bingbing’s wild fantasies, she refused to walk home with her that night.

Yang Bingbing looked at her with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Xuxu, have you never liked a boy?"

Xu Xieyi’s hand, busy tidying her desk, trembled. She shot a quick glance at her. "Stop talking. We’re almost in our third year of high school; let’s focus on studying."

Yang Bingbing burst out laughing. "Fine, fine. You don't believe me now, but sooner or later you’ll know I’m right!"

Xu Xieyi truly couldn't handle Yang Bingbing’s theories about "men" and "women." She felt that... they should still be considered "girls." The male students in their class were all "boys" or "young men." Not men, not women. Those words were all too "mature."

-

When the bell rang, Lin Sheng waited outside for a minute before he heard the girl’s voice calling to him amidst the noisy chatter of students.

"Brother Lin, let’s go."

He turned around.

His face, previously buried in the darkness, was suddenly illuminated by the corridor lights, his features deep and clear. "Are you all packed?"

Xu Xieyi walked over and immediately caught a whiff of a faint, clean perfume on him. The medical aesthetics industry demanded a high standard of temperament and image from its doctors, and given Lin Sheng’s high-status background, his social circle ensured he was meticulous about his attire and speech.

"Everything’s packed, I even brought my water bottle to wash at home," Xu Xieyi said, shrugging her bag. "Have you been waiting long?"

Lin Sheng smiled without answering, asking instead, "Let’s go, let’s head home."

Xu Xieyi nodded with a smile.

They walked together along the crowded main path of the campus. Many teachers and students passed them by. Lin Sheng was tall and strikingly handsome, standing out wherever he went, and students often looked at him, whispering to each other that he looked like a celebrity.

Xu Xieyi felt quite uncomfortable walking beside him. Conversely, Lin Sheng seemed accustomed to it, fearless and indifferent.

Xu Xieyi recalled Yang Bingbing’s fantasies about Lin Sheng—the "ideal lover"—and she broke into a cold sweat.

On this late autumn night, the wind was damp and cold, biting at her neck. Xu Xieyi couldn't help but shiver, hugging her arms, until a warmth enveloped her.

It was Lin Sheng’s jacket.

"Put it on."

Lin Sheng draped the coat over her. His hand, lingering on the girl’s shoulder, hesitated for a moment before pulling back.

"Brother Lin, you wear it, I'm fine," she said, reaching to take it off.

Lin Sheng pressed her hand down. "Keep it on, be good! I'm not cold."

"..."

*Yeah, you're only this dashing because you're not sick right now,* Xu Xieyi thought to herself, glancing at Lin Sheng. *When you get a cold, you’re so fragile and delicate...*

At this thought, she couldn't help but chuckle. Looking back, Lin Sheng’s appearance when he was sick or exhausted was actually quite endearing. Brother Lin was cold and reserved, and truly steady, but... he also had his cute moments.

And he smelled like milk; he really did smell good.

"Brother Lin, does picking me up every day delay you too much? I could actually take the bus; it’s no trouble."

Lin Sheng’s voice was calm, but no longer as cold as before. He spoke with a hint of a smile: "It’s no delay. It’s on the way."

People who didn't drive often had a poor sense of direction, so Xu Xieyi didn't know whether it was on the way or not.

-

On the road up the mountain, the car moved slowly. They chatted about the weather and their studies as usual, and then the atmosphere in the car turned quiet.

She remembered that when she first started riding in Lin Sheng’s car, she would feel awkward because of the silence, but now she was used to it. When there was nothing to say, they would just sit in silence, and she would inhale the faint, pleasant scent radiating from him.

Gradually, she began to feel sleepy.

When they reached the parking garage downstairs, Lin Sheng turned off the engine and took a work call. Although the clinic was still in preparation, many local media companies had already approached him for advertising. This call was from an airport advertising agency.

Lin Sheng was very polite and cultured in his social interactions; unless he was extremely busy, he would always listen to what the other person had to say.

By the time he finished the call, seven or eight minutes had passed. Only then did he realize the girl beside him had fallen asleep.

He leaned over to unbuckle her seatbelt, and a sweet, cloying fragrance immediately emanated from the girl, invading his breathing.

In her hand, she was still clutching a cup of pearl milk tea wrapped in a scarf—she had brought it specifically for him, fearing he might be hungry.

Lin Sheng smiled. It was a childish yet pure concern from a young girl.

Xu Xieyi had her head tilted, her ponytail resting on her chest, her closed eyes revealing two rows of curly lashes. Her cheeks were full and looked soft and delicate. She was like a flower bud just about to bloom, right before his eyes, waiting to open in the future.

Lin Sheng’s gaze deepened. With one hand braced against the car door and the