The school at night was blanketed in darkness, with even the streetlights dim, suggesting that the school was nearing the inability to pay the electricity bill.
In stark contrast, the lights outside the girls' dormitory shone so brightly that nothing could hide from their glaring beams.
This probably indicated that Xilin University of Technology was still relatively conservative in spirit.
Although after the turn of the millennium, nearly every university had changed its ways, embracing open-mindedness and no longer forbidding sweet romances among students on campus.
But still, one school differs from another.
Some institutions even offered policies allowing married student couples to apply for joint dormitories, while others maintained a stance of neither opposing nor supporting such arrangements.
Judging from this pattern of lighting, Xilin University of Technology evidently belonged to the latter group.
Fortunately, there were several large trees outside the girls' dormitory.
For couples in the throes of passionate love, who weren't ready to part at the dormitory entrance, they would hide in the shadows behind the trees, whispering sweet nothings to avoid public displays of affection.
But today, there were two people who clearly didn't care for this unspoken little rule.
As Qiao Ze escorted Su Mucheng to the entrance of her dormitory building, it was clear that the class president was reluctant to end such a joyous day.
"Qiao Ze, could you tell me why you're able to write essays so quickly?"
Standing at the entrance of the dormitory building, Su Mucheng stood in front of Qiao Ze, looking up at him with the posture of someone trying to hold him back for a few more minutes with childish questions.
Despite nearing the closing time, the area outside the girls' dormitory remained lively.
But Su Mucheng didn't care about the gazes cast by passing students, or rather, she had eyes only for Qiao Ze who stood in front of her, not making room for anyone else in her sight at that moment.
As for Qiao Ze, he was even less concerned, having experienced all sorts of strange looks before.
Not to mention ones that were simply curious and inquisitive.
"Maybe because I'd already thought about it before, and the topic was quite easy," Qiao Ze offered another explanation.
From the WeChat responses of Li Jiangao, he felt that finishing a paper in just over eight hours might be a difficult task for others, so he provided a different reason.
"No, that's not it! It can't just be because it was easy. If it were, Uncle Li wouldn't have been so serious today! It's clearly because you're a genius," Su Mucheng said proudly, looking up at Qiao Ze.
She spoke as if she were the one who had completed the essay, not Qiao Ze.
"A genius? But many people think I'm sick, and the doctors say the same. Moreover, I might really be sick," Qiao Ze stressed again.
"That's not true, Qiao Ze. Trust me, they're just unable to reach your height, so subconsciously, they want to exclude you, to use their shallow and ridiculous intelligence to negate and taint you. But in fact, you're the truly unique genius in this world," Su Mucheng said solemnly, her usual smile gone, her tone almost sacred as she spoke earnestly.
Qiao Ze slightly raised his eyebrows. This sounded somewhat like something Li had just mentioned a short while ago.
Though the wording was different, the meaning was roughly the same.
He couldn't help but unconsciously flash a somewhat stiff but exceedingly sincere smile, "Thank you."
"I believe there's a universe hidden inside your head. So, if you really want to thank me, please have a Milky Way Galaxy in that universe, a Solar System within that galaxy, and an Earth in that system where I live on, unless the universe is destroyed, okay?" Su Mucheng looked up at Qiao Ze with hopeful eyes and bravely spoke out.
This was probably a confession, right?
Indeed, if Su Mucheng had simply said to Qiao Ze, "I like you, you like me too, okay?"
Qiao Ze might have hesitated about how to respond.
"What are you doing? I could hear Dandan yelling from outside."
"What else could we be doing? Of course, we're talking about you. Coming back this late is one thing, but to think you'd go and steal a kiss from a high schooler... Chengzi, how could you?!"
"Ah, how did you find out? I didn't see anyone I knew."
"Where is your focus? When that high schooler was beside you, you had eyes for no one else, all right! You even skipped class for him! Wake up, Miss Chengzi!"
"Hmph, just be envious of me! I won't talk to you anymore, I've got things to do tonight!"
"Stop kidding around! Chengzi, you can't get away with it until you explain things clearly to us today."
"Exactly, but we'll allow you to wash up first. Then, you can't think about skipping our discussion tonight."
...
Late at night, when the bright lights outside the dorm turned dim and the whole building quieted down.
The only light in dorm 302 was the faint moonlight sneaking through the gaps in the loosely pulled curtains. But the girls were not planning to let Su Mucheng off the hook.
"Chengzi, seriously, are you out of your mind? You and Qiao Ze... This is too fast, too sudden."
"Ah, what can I do? You might not believe me, but I've never been in love. Not because I think the boys around me aren't good enough, but I always felt there was something lacking. Until I met Qiao Ze. You guys have no idea, that night, I saw him typing away at the computer, he had such an indescribable aura. Watching his long fingers dance across the keyboard was like listening to a grand symphony.
Also, you guys definitely haven't noticed his gaze. How should I put it? His eyes are not hostile, yet they seem to be out of place in this world. More importantly, his silhouette when he's thinking is fatally attractive... Sigh... In short, you'd definitely not believe in love at first sight.
But when I saw him, I really felt it, as if a voice in my head kept telling me, it's him! And I also feel like if I miss out on him, I probably won't ever have love in my life."
With Su Mucheng's exaggerated description, the room fell into silence...
What is all this?
Is the intuition of love this fearsome?
"No, Chengzi, I still don't get it. Do you actually like him or something else about him? Like, for example, what if you meet someone even better than him later on?"
"Stop kidding. There won't be anyone better than Qiao Ze in this world!"
"Isn't that being idealistic?"
"Idealistic, huh? Fine, even if there are, what's it to me? Having Qiao Ze is enough! Ever since I was little, my dad always told me he hoped that, like a boy, I'd boldly do anything. The only exception, in terms of feelings, he hoped that I'd be responsible to myself and to others. So I've been waiting, waiting for someone bold enough to appear, and now that he has, I'm already satisfied!
How could I be so greedy?"
"But what if Qiao Ze falls out of love with you later, what will you do then, Chengzi?"
"That's why I say you guys just don't understand him. There aren't any girls in Qiao Ze's eyes, including me! Really, if I weren't so forward, I doubt he would seriously take a glance at me. Let me tell you, such a man, whoever grabs him first wins. As for falling out of love, huh, it's not that I'm overconfident about myself, but I truly don't have much faith in other women. Ah...
forget it, you face-judging girls wouldn't understand."
"Pfft..."
"Tch..."
"Enough, let's sleep. There's nothing more to ask. Chengzi is clearly poisoned, and I suspect it's love potion."
"Yeah, I know you're all jealous of me!"
"Pah! We're done with you! Chengzi, don't even think about getting me up early for makeup anymore!"
"Hehe."