Chapter 14

Liu Xun stood still for two seconds. A trace of warmth lingered where she’d kissed his cheek. He touched the spot, the corner of his mouth lifting, then shook his head and strolled back to the barbecue restaurant with his hands in his pockets.

At the private room, he paused briefly before entering with an ordinary expression. Nothing had changed: Shen Man was still on her phone, Li Lei still stealing glances at her, and Wang Guowei and Wu Kai still competing silently. Xia Wei’s seat was empty. Presumably she’d gone to fix her makeup.

Two minutes later, she came in smiling. The dim lights and barbecue smoke hid the lingering redness around her eyes. She sat down, sipped her orange juice, and naturally joined Li Ying and the others in talking about their high school teachers.

Watching her profile, Liu Xun thought she was rather interesting. She carried such a large secret, yet once she’d crossed that hurdle, she could hide her panic completely. Even the normally aloof Shen Man contributed a few words to the conversation.

Li Lei was overjoyed. She must simply be slow to warm up. Her willingness to speak was a good sign; perhaps next time they’d be chatting and laughing. He hurriedly put another piece of meat in her bowl, his hand shaking as if he had Parkinson’s.

The dinner ended at nine. Li Lei suggested karaoke, reluctant to let the evening end, but several girls were tired and wanted to return to the dorm. Li Ying was still energetic, though she preferred a walk along West Street to singing. Shen Man also said she didn’t want to go back yet. Li Lei’s eyes lit up.

The walk from the restaurant to campus took twenty minutes. Wu Kai suggested getting taxis for Xia Wei and the others. But when a car arrived, he pulled out his phone, pretended to take a call, and wandered far away. Li Lei reached for his wallet, only for Liu Xun to step forward and hand over the fare first.

From the back seat, Xia Wei looked at him through the window. The car was too dark to read her expression, but her fingers tightened slightly on her skirt.

After the car drove away, the others walked and laughed along West Street, the university district’s main commercial area. Many senior students had returned by now, and the street was crowded with young faces. A girl played guitar and sang “Another Heaven” while a circle of spectators filmed on their phones. Farther along, boys in oversized T-shirts performed the newly popular K-pop dances. Their moves were awkward, but the girls watching screamed with excitement.

Before they knew it, they’d reached the middle of the street. The COCO sign glowed warm yellow, and the busy interior was visible through the glass door.

Li Ying stopped. “Hey, some seniors in the freshmen’s group said the Qing University campus beauty works here. Want to see?”

Li Lei straightened automatically and glanced at Shen Man. “Forget it. I’m not interested in some Qing University beauty!” He even took two steps forward to prove he meant it.

At that moment, Shen Man turned and met his eyes. His heart skipped; he thought he’d caught her attention. Then Wu Kai spoke from behind him. “Not interested? Didn’t you say this morning you’d bring us to see her? We came for nothing. There wasn’t any campus beauty!”

Li Lei went red, wishing he could sew Wu Kai’s mouth shut. Li Ying covered her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter.

“I… I’d heard people make such a fuss that I was curious then. I’m not interested now,” he said awkwardly.

Shen Man suddenly spoke. “Let’s go in. I’d like to see how beautiful Qing University’s campus beauty is.”

Li Lei stopped and turned around in an instant. “Come on, then! Milk tea!”

The group pushed through COCO’s glass door. Liu Xun followed, yawning. He and Li Qian had agreed that afternoon that she wouldn’t take any other part-time jobs, so he expected they wouldn’t find her. But when he stepped inside and looked up, he froze.

Under the warm ceiling lights, Li Qian stood behind the counter in her yellow uniform, collar resting near her collarbones. She held a cup of milk tea in one hand, the other poised above the sealing machine. The uniform traced her figure, and her lashes blinked under the lights. Her usual coolness was softened by concentration; several male customers beside her had even forgotten to pick up their straws.

Li Lei stopped dead, staring. Wang Guowei and Wu Kai were no better, mouths open and necks craned. Even the poised Shen Man looked twice, letting her gaze rest on Li Qian’s face before slowly turning away.

They’d seen online claims about Qing University’s beauty—her cool bearing, her unrivaled looks—and assumed they were exaggerated. How beautiful could a top university’s academic star be? Seeing her in person, they realized the descriptions had been restrained.

Li Lei recovered quickly. He considered himself a devoted man. Since he’d decided to pursue Shen Man, he shouldn’t entertain other thoughts. Glancing at her, he decided he preferred her assertive, mature style to the beauty behind the counter. Loyalty! He planted that flag in his mind and pulled his gaze away from Li Qian, as if another look would betray Shen Man.

Wang Guowei and Wu Kai stared until Li Qian glanced over. Both recoiled as if burned and looked down at their shoes.

“Qing University’s beauty really… lives up to her reputation,” Li Ying managed at last.

In those days, eight out of ten so-called campus beauties relied on makeup: foundation to cover blemishes, eyeliner to lengthen the eyes. With decent features, anyone could look like a goddess. Barefaced, their skin might be dull or their features lack vitality. But Li Ying could tell at a glance that Li Qian wore no makeup.

Liu Xun said nothing, his expression dark. Under the lights, Li Qian handed a finished drink to a short-haired boy. He looked at her twice, opened his mouth as if to speak, then thought better of it. Even as he left, he kept looking back.

Li Qian followed the cup with her eyes, then saw Liu Xun coming through the glass door. Her pupils contracted. Instinctively, she stepped aside and shrank behind the sealing machine, leaving only half a shoulder and one ear visible.