"It's still early. You can sleep a little longer or watch some TV.
"There are instant noodles in the cabinet. If you get hungry, just boil some water and make them for yourself.
"I'm heading to class now and probably won't be back until tonight. You can leave before I get back, but please remember to lock the door when you go."
Although he didn't have any valuables, he didn't want anyone rummaging through his things; cleaning up would be a hassle.
With that, Xue Yang left for class. His university schedule was quite packed, especially at a university like Yanbei, where the freshman course load could rival that of high school. It was going to be a very busy day for him.
After Xue Yang left, Lin Xi grew bored. She found the remote control and turned on the TV.
It's surprising that a place this small has a TV, a kitchen, and a private bathroom. This must be what people mean by 'a sparrow may be small, but it has all its vital organs'!
As she mused, her expression suddenly turned grave, and her eyes grew cold.
A large missing person notice was displayed on the screen.
"Lin Xi, female, 18 years old, 170 cm tall, wearing a pink lolita dress, hair in twin ponytails, black leather shoes, with a charming and elegant demeanor. Left home on October 11, 2014, and has not yet returned. If the individual sees this notice, please contact your family as soon as possible. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the chairman of the Lin Corporation. A generous reward is guaranteed!"
"A reward of 100,000 yuan for providing useful information. A reward of 100,000,000 yuan for escorting her home."
"Contact Number: 138********"
"Contact Person: Lin Zhenhai"
"Date: October 12, 2014"
"The following are personal photos of the Lin Corporation chairman's daughter."
The host followed up with a persuasive speech, urging both her and the wider audience to ensure she returned to the Lin Family as soon as possible.
Lin Xi's grip on the remote tightened. She had only been gone for one night, and she was already on the news the next day. They certainly worked fast.
If I step out of this house without any disguise, someone will definitely recognize me, she believed. They'll forcibly send me back to collect the reward—the temptation of 100,000 yuan for a tip, or 100,000,000 for my return, is something few could resist. Looks like I can't leave today.
She sat on the sofa, helplessly hugging her knees.
I'm not going back. If I do, they'll just force me to accept some 'family destiny.' I refuse! My fate is my own to decide.
Her gaze fell on the 100-yuan bill Xue Yang had given her. While 100 yuan was a drop in the bucket for her, she didn't even know the name of the person who had given her bus fare without asking a single question.
He's a surprisingly good person!
Lin Xi wandered around the small apartment. The bedroom door was open, and she found herself drifting inside.
Xue Yang's room was very clean. It even retained his pleasant scent from having just gotten out of bed. It wasn't unpleasant; in fact, she found it strangely comforting.
Perhaps because he had just finished military training, his quilt was folded into a perfect square, like a block of tofu.
He's quite a tidy person.
She had noticed this the moment she walked into the apartment last night. Though he owned very little, every item was in its designated place. That was why the apartment felt small but not cramped.
Even though he was young, he had his own space. It was small, but he was just starting university and had a future of infinite possibilities. Not like her... she had everything but freedom, with no control over her own destiny.
Lin Xi lowered her head, her spirits sinking.
Just then, she noticed what looked like a diary on Xue Yang's desk. Although she knew reading someone's diary was wrong, she was staying in his home. For my own safety, I should probably learn more about him, she reasoned.
No, I can't look!
A moment later...
I'll just take a peek. As long as I don't tell anyone, it'll be fine.
Comforting herself with this thought, she picked up the notebook. When she opened it, she discovered it wasn't a diary but a novel outline.
I can't believe this guy writes novels.
After a glance, Lin Xi found herself drawn in. Before she knew it, she was sitting on Xue Yang's bed, engrossed in reading.
Sunlight streamed in, illuminating her delicate hands and smooth skin. Her enchanting smile and hopeful eyes gave her the pure and elegant air of a peerless beauty from the north, standing alone against the world.
***
Xue Yang's rented apartment was only a few kilometers from campus, a distance he biked every day.
Just as he arrived and parked his bike, he saw his good friend, Cui Hao, riding up.
Cui Hao was in the finance program with him. Although they came from different places, they had hit it off on the first day of school and become good friends.
"Xue Yang, why were you riding so fast? I couldn't even keep up," Cui Hao said, parking his bike next to Xue Yang's.
"If you have something to say, just say it," Xue Yang replied.
"Come on, we're in the same class. Can't you be a little less cold?"
"I'm not in a good mood today."
"I told you you'd be..." Cui Hao trailed off, sensing the shift in Xue Yang's mood. Saying the rest would only make him feel worse.
He glanced at Xue Yang's bicycle; there was no milk tea hanging from the handlebars, nor was Xue Yang carrying any.
Nearly everyone at Yanbei University knew Xue Yang had a crush on Chen Ying. When Cui Hao first found out, he had been amazed by his friend's audacity. After all, ever since arriving at Yanbei, Chen Ying had swiftly dethroned the former campus belle to become the most popular girl on campus, her vote count leaving the runner-up in the dust.
In just over a month since starting university, Xue Yang had already confessed to her fifty or sixty times. Every time Chen Ying rejected him, he would just laugh it off and send her a message or write her a letter. He'd even bring her milk tea to ask for her forgiveness. Then he would just go back to trying new ways to confess.
For this, everyone at Yanbei jokingly called Xue Yang the "Warrior of Pure Love."
"Yeah, I was rejected again. You probably already guessed, didn't you?" Xue Yang's expression was calm as he spoke. "So I've decided. I'm not going to confess anymore. Never again. I give up."
Cui Hao stared at him in disbelief. "Didn't you say you've liked her for six years? That you've liked her since middle school, that she *is* your youth? You said you'd keep confessing even if she rejected you a hundred times, right up until she finally accepted you. It's only been fifty or sixty times, and you're already giving up?"
Xue Yang shook his head with a bitter smile.
"The only reason I said that before was because I thought she was testing me by rejecting my confessions. I believed that if I just persisted, I would eventually have a chance. But now I realize that so-called 'test' was just something I made up in my head. She's never going to like me, let alone accept my confession. Even if I confess a thousand or ten thousand times, she'll never say yes; it'll just become a burden to her. And when liking someone becomes a burden to them, it's pointless. Even if she did accept me one day, it would be meaningless."