As night fell and the campus was illuminated by streetlights, it remained lively but quieter than during the day. Occasionally, people passed by in the corridors, chasing and playing around. Shen Chun shut down his computer, rubbed his neck, and stood up. He looked at Xie Baiyuan, who sat upright at the nearby desk, and said, “President, would you like to go eat together?”
“No need,” Xie Baiyuan replied, lifting his head with a tone colder than during the welcoming activities earlier that day.
“In that case, I’ll leave first.” Shen Chun picked up his keys, showing no sign of embarrassment from the rejection, and left without turning back.
The sound of the door was very light, unlike the casual slamming that other boys made when closing doors. Xie Baiyuan lifted his head to glance at the door.
Just as he was pondering something, suddenly there was a knock on the door. Before Xie Baiyuan could respond, the door was already slightly ajar, and Du Xin’s head peeked in from the outside with a smile. “Baiyuan, let’s go eat together. There’s a new grilled meat rice place that just opened near the West Cafeteria.”
“Sure.” Xie Baiyuan stood up, casually closing his computer and placing it back in its original position.
He actually didn’t like this kind of behavior where someone entered without waiting for a response, but if he corrected and criticized everything, others might not take it well.
Du Xin didn’t notice his mood and scanned the room with his gaze. He whistled lightly and said, “Nice, the freshman tidied up quite neatly. Where is he? Let’s go eat together.”
“He’s gone out. Are you close with him?” Xie Baiyuan asked while putting on his shoes.
“Not really, but since we live together, we’ve become familiar,” Du Xin replied with a smile. “Having a handsome guy walking beside me can also attract more attention from the schoolgirls.”
Xie Baiyuan: “…”
“You wouldn’t believe how many people were asking about our new junior this afternoon; being handsome has its perks,” Du Xin’s hand subconsciously reached out to pat Xie Baiyuan’s shoulder. When he caught Xie Baiyuan’s gaze, he chuckled awkwardly and casually slipped his hand into his pocket.
“Be honest,” Xie Baiyuan said as he closed the door.
“Shen Chun has good grades; most likely he’ll join the Student Council in the future. It would be great if he joined our Arts Department instead; we can’t let those bastards in the External Relations Department snatch him away,” Du Xin said. “Building a good relationship in advance, he won’t be able to refuse joining us, right?”
“Mm, you handle it yourself,” Xie Baiyuan said, striding away with long steps.
Du Xin hurriedly caught up, “President, aren’t you going to help me?”
“What did you call me?” Xie Baiyuan asked.
Du Xin instinctively responded, “President.”
“Mm, the External Relations Department is also under my jurisdiction,” Xie Baiyuan said coolly.
“Alright,” Du Xin paused for a moment, “I’ll handle it myself.”
The two walked, one in front of the other. Even as night fell, there were still many newcomers to the school, and occasionally they had to make way for others. Xie Baiyuan was tall, and when he tried to avoid someone carrying a huge snakeskin bag on their back, he accidentally bumped into someone trying to pass by from the side.
“Sorry,” Xie Baiyuan instinctively said.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the other person stumbled and accidentally sat on the ground. Despite this, they continued to softly apologize.
The corridor was bustling with people coming and going, and it was unclear where the water stains had come from, making the shoe prints all the more visible in the black muddy mess. Xie Baiyuan dodged the person carrying the snakeskin bag and reached out to the person sitting on the ground. “Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?”
“I’m fine,” Xu Ze looked at the hand extended in front of him. When he placed his hand on it and looked up at Xie Baiyuan, just one glance was enough to dilate his pupils, leaving him stunned in place.
Xie Baiyuan pulled him up with force, feeling the lingering strength in his grip as he released him. He frowned slightly when he noticed a hint of panic in the other’s movements as he let go, suppressing the discomfort he felt earlier. “Did you hurt yourself? Let me take you to the school infirmary for a check-up.”
“I’m fine, really.” Xu Ze tightened his fingers and glanced discreetly at Xie Baiyuan, his originally fair ears turning slightly red. “I didn’t fall.”
“That’s good then. I’ll be going.” Xie Baiyuan no longer paid attention and left together with Du Xin, who was waiting nearby.
Meanwhile, Xu Ze, still standing in place, shifted his feet slightly and let out a soft sigh as he watched Xie Baiyuan’s departing figure. His hand instinctively moved to his chest.
His heart always beat incessantly, but today, when he encountered this person, it seemed to beat particularly strongly, its sound clear as day in his ears.
Xu Ze liked men, a different sexual orientation that had once subjected him to a lot of exclusion from others. However, sexual orientation is innate; forcing himself to like girls wouldn’t change that. The only thing he could do was to study hard, get into college, and leave his old environment behind. He thought that in a new place, surrounded by strangers, he would be able to hide this aspect of himself well. Yet, on his first day at school, he unexpectedly fell in love at first sight with a boy whose name he didn’t even know.
[Host, Xie Baiyuan and Xu Ze have met, and there are signs of Xu Ze’s heart rate rapidly increasing,] diligently reported 521.
[Mm, indeed love at first sight,] Shen Chun chuckled, holding the freshly printed documents.
[Aren’t you worried? What if they end up together? That could be troublesome,] 521 expressed concern.
Shen Chun glanced at his speech notes and smiled. [There’s no need to worry for now. Relax.]
The wonderful thing about love is that it cannot be one-sided. In the original timeline, Xu Ze’s secret admiration lasted for a whole year, and what moved Xie Baiyuan was his perseverance.
To solve the issues between these two, the key doesn’t lie with Xu Ze but with Xie Baiyuan. If Xie Baiyuan doesn’t agree, then Xu Ze would be no different from countless other admirers—unable to obtain what he desires, which may prevent extreme actions.
The original ending was the fear of losing what was gained, the fear of others taking it away. Obtaining something only to lose it afterward can lead to impulsiveness.
[Okay,] 521 obediently responded.
As a system, it must trust its host. This is a fine traditional virtue of systems.
The start of the school year lasted for a total of five days, providing ample time for new students to become familiar with the campus. The last day of the school start-up period was reserved for the college’s welcoming ceremony.
The spacious auditorium, with rows of burgundy seats, and the soothing piano music intrigued and excited the newly arrived students.
The welcoming ceremony was organized separately by each college and led by the Student Council. Leaders, student council presidents, and representatives from the new students were all required to give speeches.
Senior students dressed neatly in suits. Such attire seemed to symbolize maturity and readiness for society, evoking admiration in the eyes of the new students.
If the dean’s humorous remarks had lightened the atmosphere and filled the new students with anticipation for the future, then Xie Baiyuan’s appearance ignited the entire auditorium.
“So that’s Xie Baiyuan.”
“Finally seeing him in person, he looks even more handsome than the photos circulating online.”
“I feel more nervous than when I was individually interviewed by the teacher.”
“I envy those sitting in the front row; they’re so close to the senior.”
“Quiet, please,” Xie Baiyuan’s voice echoed through the microphone, carrying his unique coldness, which silenced the entire auditorium. “First of all, I warmly welcome you all to the campus of University A. Each of you who have made it here are truly exceptional individuals…”
His tone was detached, yet his words were enough to stir excitement.
Shen Chun stood backstage, adjusting the buttons on his shirt. He chuckled as he watched the figure on stage illuminated by the spotlight, appearing almost translucent.
The spotlight was bright, illuminating even the tiny specks of dust floating in the air. It seemed as if every particle was visible under the intense light, creating a radiant aura around the person standing at the center, as if they were surrounded by starlight, dazzlingly bright.
Xie Baiyuan indeed possessed the qualities worthy of Xu Ze’s admiration at first sight.
“Are the buttons alright?” a nearby senior whispered.
“Just perfect,” Shen Chun smiled. “Thanks for lending me the clothes; otherwise, today could have been embarrassing.”
“It’s nothing. You’ve just arrived, and these days you haven’t had time to think about clothes. Don’t be so polite with us,” the senior beside him smiled.
“Still, thank you,” Shen Chun said.
The speech on stage wasn’t lengthy, unlike the typical campus meetings where the speeches were so long they could put all the students to sleep. As Xie Baiyuan finished his speech, thunderous applause erupted. Among the crowd of new students, Xu Ze clapped vigorously, his eyes shining as he watched the person on stage, who seemed to emit a radiant glow, leave.
Xie Baiyuan, his name was Xie Baiyuan. Not only was he a scholarship student from years ago, but he was also the president of the student council.
Having feelings for someone outstanding was both a joy and a dilemma. The joy came from their obvious excellence, but the dilemma stemmed from wondering why someone so exceptional would be interested in someone as ordinary as himself.
Xu Ze’s thoughts were unknown to Xie Baiyuan. As he stepped down from the stage, he instinctively planned to call out to the next person preparing to speak. The speech by the representative of the new students was also an important part of this welcoming ceremony.
However, his gaze slightly paused as it swept across the area. The backstage was somewhat dark, with only the light from the stage shining through the curtains. It happened to illuminate the young man standing there.
Xie Baiyuan had been living with Shen Chun for a few days now. They hadn’t had any friction between them, but their relationship couldn’t be considered intimate. Xie Baiyuan just had a vague feeling that he was comfortable around this person. There were no obligatory social interactions, no strange quirks, and no unclean hygiene habits. Such a roommate was the most comforting.
Xie Baiyuan had always known that Shen Chun was good-looking, but it was only when the young man smiled and turned his gaze, the light falling on his face, accentuating the corner of his lips, that he truly understood what it meant for Shen Chun to be good-looking.
As the slightly concealed figure approached, the tall silhouette stood before him, exuding a slight sense of intimidation due to his slightly taller stature. Shen Chun softly called out, “President.”
At that moment, Xie Baiyuan’s heart skipped a beat.
“It’s your turn now. Don’t be nervous,” Xie Baiyuan had experienced many grand occasions, and even though there might be tumultuous waves in his heart, few could discern his thoughts from his expression.
“Okay, thank you for the reminder, President,” Shen Chun flicked through his speech notes with a finger and then pulled back the curtain to step out.
The cheers in the auditorium were even louder than when Xie Baiyuan spoke earlier, with some screams even faintly audible.
A well-tailored suit can conceal certain flaws in the body, but to make a suit look extremely attractive, one needs an excellent physique.
The young man on stage was tall and erect, his broad shoulders filling out the suit perfectly. It was evident that he had the kind of physique that suited impeccably tailored uniforms.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Shen Chun, and I’m delighted to be here as the representative of the new students to engage in this exchange with you all…” Shen Chun’s voice was deep and gentle, with a hint of youthful freshness, yet it was enough to captivate the hearts of those listening.
“The junior really has a charm,” a girl standing beside Xie Baiyuan sighed.
Xie Baiyuan turned his head, observing the audience with shining eyes, and then glanced at Shen Chun, who was smiling without any restraint. A thought flashed through his mind.
This guy seems to be a bit too flashy.
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