Chapter 3
There is an old saying: “The plan for the day lies in the morning.”
Unfortunately, all of Zhong Yin’s good mood for the day was ruined in that very morning.
— By the noise you made.
Noise.
Sound.
Just a few words, yet they cut like a knife and pierced the heart.
Zhong Yin struggled to accept and process it.
Until the person opposite was about to leave with a lazy stride, a shiver ran through her scalp and she reacted: “Stop right there!”
She strode forward, blocking his way.
She was very angry, just as furious as when she had been rejected twice on WeChat yesterday. Why did she keep running into such ill-mannered people recently?!
Zhong Yin lifted her face and realized this person was even taller than she had imagined.
She was 1.7 meters tall, and rarely did any guy make her feel so delicate and small beside him.
He must be at least 1.85 meters, right?
Her gaze traveled upward once more.
In that instant, the morning mist parted, and Zhong Yin finally saw his face clearly, her heart trembling.
In her field, she had encountered hundreds if not thousands of handsome men, but the man before her possessed a unique kind of striking handsomeness.
His brows and eyes were sharp and cold, yet the lower half of his face was endowed with rosy lips and white teeth—a fierce yet tender contrast difficult to believe belonged to the same face. Rather than seeming contradictory, the combination gave off a dignified and compelling charm.
No, if you’re so rude, why bother being so handsome?
Zhong Yin tried to reason calmly with him, “Classmate, I didn’t know you were nearby. I didn’t mean to disturb you, but your attitude just now was a bit too aggressive, don’t you think?”
She waited a few seconds but received no reply. She looked up with displeasure, only to be caught by his deep and inscrutable eyes.
Those eyes... Zhong Yin was stunned, but before she could think further, her thoughts were interrupted.
“You didn’t know I was here?” he said in a low, hoarse voice.
“No, I didn’t,” she replied.
“Is that so?” He curled the corner of his mouth. “I often take naps here.”
Zhong Yin was puzzled. “Take naps here?”
She had just started school for barely a month, had discovered this place not long ago, and had only come a few times. How could she have known someone would be sleeping here so early in the morning?
Besides, this was a place she had finally found for herself; did he really have to nap here?
Suddenly, the young man let out a chuckle.
Yi Chen drooped his tired eyes and scrutinized her. Her skin was smooth and fair, and her small, palm-sized face bore an innocent expression, as if she truly knew nothing.
Especially those eyes, with thick, curled lashes, looking straight at him—
Here it goes again.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he muttered under his breath.
He didn’t want to play dumb with her anymore: “With such perseverance and patience, couldn’t you do something better?”
Zhong Yin was slow to respond, “…Huh?”
Yi Chen took long strides and turned to leave, coldly throwing out, “I won’t come here again.”
Though confused, Zhong Yin felt a secret joy. But politeness still mattered: “You misunderstood, that’s not what I meant…”
“Don’t follow me.”
Zhong Yin: “...”
She immediately stopped, rolled her eyes lightly, and turned back to continue practicing.
An hour later, the mist dispersed, and the first rays of morning sunlight poured through the clouds. The quiet campus of S University gradually awakened.
Zhong Yin walked along the path toward the teaching building. She lowered her gaze to the screen lighting up on her phone.
Just now, Yan Hao had sent her a message in his usual exaggerated tone: [After all this time, not even a word from the beautiful Miss Zhong? I went to the hospital for you, braving it all. Pity me / pity me /]
Zhong Yin frowned slightly, didn’t hesitate, and blocked his account, quickening her steps through the crowd toward the teaching building.
Elsewhere, in the computer lab of the School of Computer Science:
Half an hour before class, few people sat in the room, only the hum of machines filled the air.
Suddenly, the back door was kicked open, and Yan Hao strode in, casually tossing his backpack onto a desk with a loud thud.
Someone nearby leaned in to watch: “Brother Hao? Showing up to class today? Let me see that hand—oh, it’s in a cast?”
Yan Hao picked a seat in the back row, leaned back, crossing his legs as he cursed: “That donkey Jiang Kun—don’t know what he was raised on, all muscle and brute strength.”
Their conversation drew others’ attention. Some gossipy students slid their chairs closer.
“Only our Brother Hao would get furious over a girl, chasing his goddess with the whole school watching.”
“So, did you win her over yet?”
Yan Hao smiled without replying, lazily looking down to fiddle with his phone.
“Looks like he’s got it in the bag.”
“Is Jiang Kun taking revenge for the last basketball tournament? Now he’s really screwed, losing both on the court and in love.”
“Don’t say that, Zhong Yin is top-tier—playing with her is really thrilling.”
A few guys chatted loudly at the back window seat. Yi Chen lay on the desk, his wrist pressing against the back of his neck. The noisy voices reached his ears, and his knuckles clenched, pressing his earphones tighter.
Suddenly, the smile on Yan Hao’s face vanished as he stared incredulously at a red exclamation mark on his screen.
The next moment, he kicked the chair he had been resting on hard, knocking over several computer chairs in the back row with a loud crash.
People nearby stepped back a few paces, asking, “What’s going on here?”
“Flirting with me and then rejecting me? This girl’s really playing me!” Yan Hao was furious. “Don’t even know what kind of player she is…”
Before he could finish, someone grabbed him by the collar from behind. Yan Hao’s words stuck in his throat; his face flushed darkly.
He turned in surprise to meet cold, indifferent eyes.
“Yi…” he couldn’t say more.
Yi Chen released his grip, looking down on him with a vexed and gloomy expression.
Yan Hao’s face twisted through many emotions before he cautiously asked, “What do you want?”
“Quiet. Shut your mouth.”
Facing the reckless Yi Chen, Yan Hao suddenly found himself unwilling to provoke him further. After a moment, with a forced smile, he said, “Yi, can’t we talk this out?”
Yi Chen stretched his neck, glanced at him coldly: “Can a fool listen if you speak nicely?”
Yan Hao’s expression darkened. Dragging his chair, he stood up. “So you’re looking for trouble? What, Zhong Yin’s your goddess too, and you can’t stand me insulting her?”
Yi Chen still looked drowsy, lazily raising his eyelids.
The tension between them was palpable.
Someone stepped forward to separate them. Lin Yinian’s face was stern: “What are you two trying to do?”
Seeing Lin Yinian, Yan Hao’s expression softened. “Brother Nian, I don’t want to fight or cause trouble. It’s just that Yi Chen…”
“Ah Chen,” Lin Yinian turned his head.
Yi Chen ignored him. Lin Yinian spoke quietly: “Don’t cause trouble.”
He lowered his voice, so only the two of them could hear: “Just do me this favor.”
Yi Chen curled his lips coldly, then after a moment, turned and left, ending the matter on his own accord.
Yan Hao patted Lin Yinian’s shoulder, trying to get close, but Lin Yinian said indifferently, “Put the chairs back. Class is about to start.”
Watching Yi Chen sit down, Cheng An, who had been watching the commotion, moved closer, curious. Having not joined the competition team, he didn’t know the backstory and was full of questions.
“Chen, what did Yan Hao do to upset you?”
“He just mentioned Zhong Yin. Chen, do you actually know Zhong Yin?”
“When did you meet her?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Yi Chen was annoyed. “I don’t know her.”
“Then why are you picking on Yan Hao?”
“Because I don’t like him.”
Cheng An: “...Alright.”
After being interrupted several times, Yi Chen found himself wide awake. He turned and casually pulled a bag of bread from Song Xu’s bag, tore it open, and took a couple of bites.
Song Xu silently adjusted his glasses, clearly used to this.
Because of chronic blood deficiency since childhood, Song Xu’s face was unusually pale and he carried a “chipmunk” trait, always carrying a big bag of snacks wherever he went. Unfortunately, he never gained weight, but he did manage to keep Master Yi looking well-groomed and fit.
The class bell rang, and the old professor entered with his bag. Lin Yinian sat beside Yi Chen and quietly thanked him.
“Thanks for what?”
“If this had escalated, as class monitor, I wouldn’t have gotten away either. Thanks for saving me the trouble.”
“Oh really,” Yi Chen raised his eyelids, tone indifferent, “Don’t start thinking I’m doing you favors.”
Lin Yinian smiled softly, lowering his eyes. “Why would you think that?”
He glanced at Yi Chen again, who was already focused on the computer, typing absentmindedly.
—
In the blink of an eye, two days passed. It was Friday evening when Zhong Yin walked out of the school building.
A gentle breeze brushed across her face. She looked up, gazing at the magnificent sunset in the distance, finally exhaling in relaxation.
She had already handed in her self-criticism report. The dean hadn’t said anything more. Those messy matters had finally settled.
As the weekend approached, the university campus felt livelier than usual. The campus radio played cheerful melodies; groups of students laughed and walked toward the gates.
Cheers rose from the basketball courts; music echoed from the auditorium.
In the dorm group chat, Guo Tao was already discussing where to have dinner. Zhong Yin replied while walking, when suddenly her phone vibrated—it was her mother calling.
As soon as the call connected, a soft Shanghainese voice came through: “Nannan, Mama is almost at your school gate.”
Zhong Yin rubbed her forehead. It had only been half a month since the National Day holiday ended; why couldn’t Mrs. Bai stay put?
“Mom, why are you here again?”
Hearing this, Bai Fan was displeased and turned to say, “Listen to that! I knew it—once a girl grows up, she just wants to leave!”
A faint laugh came from the other end, and another woman said, “Wait until you meet my Gu Ayi, then you’ll know what it means to be ungrateful for your blessings!”
Zhong Yin was puzzled: “Mom, who are you talking to?”
“I was just about to say this. The Gu Ayi you’re meeting today is one of Mama’s childhood friends. We hadn’t seen each other in years. Just yesterday, we found out her son goes to the same school as you. What a coincidence! So you’ll have each other’s backs in the future, right?”
Zhong Yin frowned deeply and helplessly said, “Mom, I…”
“Hey, we’re almost at the west gate. Hurry up and come out. We’ll have dinner together with Gu Ayi.” Before Zhong Yin could say anything, Bai Fan hung up directly.
Listening to the busy tone, Zhong Yin silently rubbed her long hair. Her mood, just cleared moments ago, darkened instantly. She could only decline the dinner plan in the group chat.
Guo Tao asked: [Why aren’t you coming? @ListenToTheWind]
An An: [The new BBQ place is giving out fifty-yuan vouchers. Really not coming?]
Zheng Zhinu: [Yin, you’re already slim enough on camera. Don’t lose weight anymore!]
Zhong Yin sent a voice message: “It’s really not about dieting today. My mom came and wants me to have dinner with her.”
Zheng Zhinu: [Didn’t your aunt visit three times last month orz]
Guo Tao: [What, you’re still afraid you’ll be kidnapped at this age?]
An An: [*pat pat Yin Yin*]
“I’m just like this,” Zhong Yin sighed, “Maybe it’s because I don’t make her feel at ease.”
After agreeing to meet next time in the group, Zhong Yin set off for the school gate. Standing by the roadside, she looked around but still saw no sign of Mrs. Bai.
She sighed again, how could she have forgotten Bai Fan’s old habits?
“Already left home” meant “starting to put on makeup,” and “almost there” really meant “just set off.”
Zhong Yin sent her location to her mother and idly scrolled through her phone.
Suddenly, a soft voice spoke nearby.
“Excuse me, could I add you on WeChat?”
A sensitive nerve twitched in Zhong Yin. Some unpleasant memories made her instinctively turn her head to glance.
That glance almost killed her on the spot.
Not far away, within sight, stood a pair of young people.
The young man was tall and well-built, wearing a black mask. Those brows and eyes were unmistakably—
As if sensing something, he swept his gaze over, raising his brow the next moment.
At the same time, he replied, “No.”
The girl tried to persuade, “Please…”
“No, no add.”
The girl pouted, disappointed, and left.
Zhong Yin: “...”
She forced herself to remain calm, turned her head aside, brushed her hair to cover her face, crossed her arms, and stared at the traffic by the street, putting on a thousand fake expressions in a second.
Never before had she wished so desperately for Mrs. Bai to arrive.
It seemed heaven heard her prayers. A strange white Porsche stopped in front of her.
But it wasn’t their car.
Just as Zhong Yin hesitated, the window rolled down, revealing Bai Fan’s well-maintained face, dazzling with jewels, waving to her, “Nannan, get in.”
Another woman rested a hand on Bai Fan’s shoulder, leaning out from behind. She was also dressed elegantly but with a sharper, more spirited look, smiling warmly at her.
“Hello, Gu Ayi,” Zhong Yin greeted politely.
“Oh! Yin Yin, hello,” Gu Qing waved energetically, unable to help but sigh, “Seeing is believing, isn’t it?”
Zhong Yin smiled obediently.
“Hey, where’s that brat of mine? He can’t still be late, right?” Gu Qing looked around again.
A lazy voice came from behind: “Mom, I’m here.”
“Oh, already here?” Gu Qing and Bai Fan nodded toward Zhong Yin’s side. “That’s my son.”
Zhong Yin suddenly had a bad feeling. She turned slowly and stiffly.
At the same moment, his gaze drifted down lazily.
Inside the car, Gu Qing muttered, “I told you, why wear a mask if you’re fine? Who can see you like that?”
“Coming out looking all dark and gloomy, you don’t look serious at all.”
Yi Chen was long immune to these remarks. Unhurriedly, he took off his mask.
He raised his eyelids and glanced once more in a certain direction. The other party stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded.
Yi Chen exhaled sharply from his throat.
Truly, the restless heart never dies.