After finishing all the cleaning, Jiang Yuan went to the restroom. The words the old lady had said to her before she left kept echoing in her mind.
"Self - deception is not a good habit. Since you two clearly care about each other, why can't you open your hearts to each other?"
"I'm an old woman on the verge of death, and I can see things much more clearly than you two. Just now, when you were making the bed, that good - looking young man kept stealing glances at you."
"And you, maybe you didn't even notice that whenever you had a moment of free time, you'd look for that young man."
Had she fallen in love?
Jiang Yuan wondered absent - mindedly. Had she unconsciously given away her heart?
When she decided to seduce Chi Xu, Lin Suye had joked with her not to get too involved. But now...
Jiang Yuan pushed open the restroom door and was about to go to the sink outside.
"I have to say Jiang Yuan is really shameless. I don't know what tricks she used to make Chi Xu, who was originally in the activity group, transfer to the logistics group."
"Don't talk like that. Jiang Yuan and Chi Xu have known each other since childhood. It's only natural for him to take care of her."
"Oh, Xiang Meng, you're just too soft - hearted. You can't chase someone like this. You'll regret it when Chi Xu is snatched away by someone else."
"But, but Chi Xu..."
"Look at Jiang Yuan's good tactics. She either acts pitiful or flirts. She's such a flirtatious woman."
"..."
Jiang Yuan hid behind the wall at the entrance of the women's restroom near the sink and quietly listened to Zhou Xiangmeng and her friend complaining.
It was just some complaints. There was no need to get into a conflict.
The voices outside gradually faded. It seemed they were walking out.
Jiang Yuan carefully poked her head out to see if they had left.
In her line of sight, Chi Xu was walking towards the sink with a basin of water in his hands. Zhou Xiangmeng and her friend were so engrossed in slandering her that they didn't notice him.
Chi Xu didn't avoid them. His cold, icy gaze casually landed on Zhou Xiangmeng.
Just as he was about to get closer, Zhou Xiangmeng finally noticed Chi Xu. She quickly shut her mouth and forced a smile, trying to say hello.
Chi Xu seemed not to see them. He accidentally bumped into the two of them with the basin full of water.
The basin fell to the ground, and all the water spilled out.
A small amount of water splashed on Zhou Xiangmeng. Her friend was lucky not to get splashed and just stood there, stunned.
"Zhou Xiangmeng, did my warning last time not work?" Chi Xu lowered his eyes. There was no trace of emotion in his deep, dark eyes.
Zhou Xiangmeng was instantly flustered. She didn't expect Chi Xu to catch her on the spot. Biting her lips, she accused her friend: "It's her. She brought up this topic. I was just echoing her. It has nothing to do with me."
"Hey, Zhou Xiangmeng, what do you mean? I was helping you and giving you advice. Now you're turning against me..."
Chi Xu interrupted their mutual blame. His tone was flat: "I'll give you a piece of advice. He who often walks by the river will surely get his shoes wet."
He smiled faintly: "Look, isn't it happening now?"
Zhou Xiangmeng's face turned deathly pale. Her lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something to explain her behavior. But as soon as she met Chi Xu's cold eyes, she seemed to be frozen and immediately fell silent.
Chi Xu glanced at them, picked up the basin, and without saying another word, went straight to the sink.
Zhou Xiangmeng dragged her friend away in a hurry.
"Don't hide anymore. If you keep hiding, you'll smell like the restroom." Chi Xu turned on the faucet. The water gushed into the basin. He slightly turned his head and said to Jiang Yuan, who was hiding at the entrance of the women's restroom.
Jiang Yuan walked out and looked at the basin in his hand: "Did you know I was here?"
"I'm not blind. How could I not see such a big person?" Chi Xu found it funny. He filled the basin with water again, turned off the faucet, and held it firmly with both hands.
From a distance, Jiang Yuan only saw Chi Xu deliberately bump into Zhou Xiangmeng and the water from the basin splash on her clothes. She didn't hear what they said at all.
Yes, it was on purpose.
"Did you deliberately bump into Zhou Xiangmeng just now because of me?" It was as if a light feather had fallen on the lake in her heart, causing tiny ripples.
The girl tilted her head slightly. Her hair fell on the side of her fair neck. Her side - profile was outlined softly by the light, and there was a glint in her almond eyes.
Chi Xu stared at her. Just thinking about what had happened made his heart ache. He angrily patted her on the head: "Tell me, you're so energetic when arguing with me on normal days, but why do you always let me down at critical moments?"
"Zhou Xiangmeng was speaking ill of you behind your back. Don't you know how to talk back and fight back?"
"After all, she and I are classmates in the same class. It's not good to have a conflict." Jiang Yuan murmured in a low voice. Then she raised her head defiantly, widened her eyes, and said, "I still have to apply for a scholarship. What if she makes trouble for me if things get out?"
"What a trivial matter. We can just make sure she's not qualified to apply." Chi Xu said indifferently.
Jiang Yuan widened her eyes again, pointed at him, and unconsciously raised her voice: "You're going to abuse your power!"
Chi Xu waved his hand and raised his eyebrows: "I'm not such a person. As long as she doesn't break the rules on her own, I can't do anything to her."
"Everything should be fair and just."
...
The vice - president of the association simply built a small stage using the venue. Neat rows of stools were placed in front of the stage. The idle old people came over to watch.
The logistics department had finished cleaning and came over to sit at the back of the stools in front of the stage, waiting for any emergencies so they could be called to help.
"Look, look. This is a photo I found on the confession wall of the neighboring Beijing Normal University. Isn't he super handsome!"
"You're amazing. You even got access to the confession wall of Beijing Normal University. Share it with me. I also want to go in and gossip."
Jiang Yuan was sitting at the back, playing with her phone with her head down. She looked up at the girls in the row in front. They were the same girls who had sat in front of her on the bus.
"Isn't he super handsome? I remember this was also reported in the news. Lu Zhen in the news was also super handsome. He's a bit of a bad - boy but still a hero for saving people."
"I just love this type of guy. He seems unrestrained on the surface but actually has a kind heart. This kind of contrast is so cute!"
"Why haven't I heard of this guy before? Is my news really that outdated?"
"He's a freshman. He just entered school this year, the same as us."
Lu Zhen?
Jiang Yuan stopped playing with her phone. Her fingertips went numb.
She seemed to have heard them talking about Lu Zhen on the bus before. He was a student from a neighboring school and also a freshman.
She vaguely remembered that in the last mock exam before the college entrance examination, Lu Zhen ranked eleventh in the grade.
She hadn't been in touch with him since the college entrance examination ended.
Could he be the Lu Zhen she remembered?