It was noon, and the weather outside was stiflingly hot. The sun was scorching, fiercely baking the earth. Walking outside felt like being placed on a grill; a few more steps and one would be cooked.
In recent years, the summers in Qingling had gotten hotter year by year, almost catching up to those furnace-like cities.
The moment she stepped out of the Administration Building, a wave of dry, sweltering heat assaulted her, unavoidable and utterly unbearable. The vast campus was practically empty, with hardly a student in sight, desolate and quiet.
Thinking about it, it made sense. On such a hot day, who would run around outside for no reason? Huddling in the dorm room with the air conditioning on was much more pleasant!
If not for her mission to intercept He Qingshi, Huo Chuxue wouldn’t have willingly subjected herself to this torture either.
She took out her sun-protection jacket, sun hat, and sun umbrella from her backpack, arming herself completely, just like last time when she went to Cenling.
Huo Chuxue was a creature of the shadows, deathly afraid of sun exposure. Once summer arrived, she was unwilling to go out. If she absolutely had to venture out, she had to equip herself with all sorts of gear, going fully armed.
She opened her umbrella—a small pink floral umbrella with a delicate lace trim embroidered around the edge, utterly adorable.
He Qingshi turned his head and glanced at it, thinking to himself that it was indeed a girl’s preference.
Huo Chuxue naturally tilted the umbrella towards his side. The shade fell, successfully blocking the sun. During the dog days of summer, a patch of shade was precious, even if it was only the size of a small floral umbrella.
As she held the umbrella for him, she also moved several steps closer. His shirt was almost brushing against her T-shirt. The closer they were, the clearer the fresh minty scent on the girl became, rushing straight to his nostrils.
The same scene replaying, He Qingshi couldn’t help but recall the experience on Cenling not long ago. That unique softness belonging to a girl, her slender figure, seemingly so delicate it could be held in one hand, making his fingertips burn and his nerves sizzle.
That was the first time he had felt something unusual towards Huo Chuxue. It was too profound and shocking, so much so that he had remembered it ever since.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly took two steps back, putting distance between them.
He shrugged his shoulders a couple of times to ease his discomfort. His gaze wandered even more restlessly.
Huo Chuxue furrowed her brows slightly. Without a word, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him under the umbrella, her voice cool and clear, “Aren’t you hot under such a big sun!”
He Qingshi: “…”
Her hand was very cool. Her slender fingers pressed tightly against the skin of his wrist, sending a shiver through him. His heart trembled along with it.
Inside, a storm was raging, his thoughts boiling over. On the surface, however, he remained impassive, as calm as ever, showing no sign of anything unusual.
He stubbornly retreated again, saying lightly, “The umbrella is so small. You should just hold it for yourself.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
She was practically going to be infuriated to death by this clueless old man!
Fine, if he didn’t want the shade, he didn’t have to. She couldn’t be bothered with him. Holding the umbrella herself, she walked ahead.
Behind the Main Teaching Building, there was a quiet, secluded small path. Tall, towering trees with lush, dense foliage blocked half the sky, casting deep shadows. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, sprinkling spots of light. The gravel path was dappled with shifting patterns of light and shadow.
A long while after leaving the office, He Qingshi finally asked dryly, “What would you like to eat?”
Huo Chuxue was focused on stepping on the light spots on the ground, persistent, like a child with a new toy. Every time he saw her stepping on these light spots, He Qingshi would have the fleeting thought that this female doctor had the mental age of a three-year-old.
Hearing He Qingshi’s words, she looked up slightly and, without a second thought, blurted out, “Let’s just eat at the cafeteria.”
Then she specifically emphasized, “Let’s eat at the Medical School’s First Cafeteria.”
He Qingshi: “…”
He Qingshi said, “The cafeteria food isn’t great. I’m afraid you won’t be able to eat it.”
“That’s fine!” Huo Chuxue didn’t care at all. “It’s about returning to the school cafeteria to reminisce about youth!”
He Qingshi: “…”
And so, the two of them braved the blazing sun, walking from the College of Liberal Arts to the Medical School’s First Cafeteria.
He Qingshi couldn’t even take a shortcut because his car was under a traffic restriction today and he hadn’t driven it out.
So sometimes, things just happened to be this coincidental, leaving one speechless.
He Qingshi was stewing in his own sweat. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and the back of his shirt was soaked through. He wiped his forehead with his hand, and his palm came away wet.
Huo Chuxue was also very hot, but she was slightly better off than He Qingshi. She had the umbrella and wasn’t sweating buckets.
Seeing him so hot, she felt a secret sense of glee, finding it quite satisfying. Served him right for deliberately avoiding her! This was his punishment!
Her gaze shifted to his collar. The buttons were fastened tightly, truly sealing himself in. On such a hot day, not only was he wearing heat-absorbing black, but he also buttoned up so tightly. Was he trying to heat himself to death?
As she closed her umbrella, she said to He Qingshi, “It’s thirty-eight degrees today.”
He Qingshi naturally responded, “It’s been this hot lately. We need to be careful to avoid heatstroke.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
She shot him a look and said irritably, “If you know it’s a heatwave, can’t you just unbutton your shirt?”
He Qingshi: “…”
He quickly unbuttoned the top two buttons. Huo Chuxue thought he looked much cooler.
Huo Chuxue had graduated several years ago and rarely had the chance to return to University A. Now, coming back to the First Cafeteria again, she felt endless emotion.
Everyone had a complicated relationship with their alma mater: all sorts of complaints while studying there, and all sorts of nostalgic feelings after graduation.
The Medical School had expanded, its appearance changed a lot. However, this First Cafeteria hadn’t changed much; it was still the same old place.
The Medical School had three cafeterias. The First Cafeteria was the oldest, existing since University A’s founding. It now had over a hundred years of history. The building had been renovated several times, but the cafeteria itself had been preserved.
The First Cafeteria was very close to the Girls’ Dormitory, less than a five-minute walk. During her undergraduate years, Huo Chuxue was a regular at the First Cafeteria. She had eaten at every stall countless times, to the point of getting utterly sick of them.
The first floor served standard cafeteria fare. The second floor had various snacks and stir-fry dishes. The two of them went to the second floor.
It was peak mealtime. Both the first and second floors were packed with students.
He Qingshi held the meal card in his hand and said, “See what you’d like to eat.”
Huo Chuxue didn’t have any particular cravings. What she ate wasn’t important; after all, her goal wasn’t really the meal. She casually scanned the area, found a stir-fry stall with relatively fewer students, and decided, “Let’s get a rice bowl with toppings.”
He Qingshi: “Okay.”
She ordered a ham and chicken rice bowl. After she ordered, He Qingshi very naturally gave his order, “Kimchi rice bowl.”
Huo Chuxue stared at him, a faint, knowing smile on her lips. “Didn’t you say you’d already eaten? Teacher He, are you still not full?”
He Qingshi: “…”
He Qingshi realized Huo Chuxue had come today specifically to call him out.
He coughed twice and said awkwardly, “I didn’t eat much at noon. I’m hungry now.”
Keep making it up! Keep going!
This person lied without even a hint of embarrassment.
The meal was paid for with He Qingshi’s card. Huo Chuxue happened to catch a glimpse of the balance—a full two thousand yuan.
Back when she was a student, she never dared to put much money on her meal card. She topped it up with a hundred or two at most each time, afraid of losing the card.
“Aren’t you afraid of losing the card with so much money on it?”
“It’s a subsidy the school gives teachers for meals. I didn’t top it up myself.”
“Can’t you withdraw it as cash?”
“You can,” He Qingshi said. “But you have to apply. I didn’t want the trouble, so I didn’t bother. Besides, I eat at school often anyway.”
“Don’t you get sick of it after eating it so much?”
“Once you get used to it, it’s all the same.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
He really was easy to please, not picky at all!
After not eating it for years, this stall’s rice bowls still tasted the same. Not particularly delicious, but edible.
Huo Chuxue’s palate had been spoiled by her father since childhood. Ordinary food couldn’t even catch her eye. Often, eating out was purely to fill her stomach. She could only finish half of that rice bowl before she couldn’t eat anymore.
He Qingshi had no intention of accompanying Huo Chuxue for a leisurely meal. He wolfed down a couple of mouthfuls, not even tasting the flavor. He just wanted to finish quickly so he could leave.
However, Huo Chuxue wasn’t about to let him have his way. She could guess his thoughts—to leave as soon as possible. She deliberately refused to comply.
He Qingshi: “Since you’re full, I’ll head back to the office first.”
“What’s the hurry!” Huo Chuxue exhaled a puff of hot air. “You don’t have classes this afternoon.”
He Qingshi: “…”
“How do you know I don’t have classes this afternoon?” He lifted his heavy eyelids, asking in surprise.
Leaning back in her chair in a lazy posture, she said, “I checked your class schedule.”
He Qingshi: “…”
This girl actually said it so brazenly!
She looked at him quietly, her eyes clear, bright, and sparkling. “He Qingshi, I never fight a battle unprepared. I came specifically to find you today, so I checked your schedule early on.”
“I knew you had a full schedule this morning, with your last class ending at 11:40. So I timed my visit to your office perfectly. I also know you have no classes this afternoon.”
She pursed her lips into a smile. “Although I know it’s not good to say this out loud, I have to say, you’re really bad at lying. It’s very clumsy; others can see through it at a glance.”
He Qingshi: “…”
He Qingshi was stunned for a long moment before saying dryly, “Doctor Huo, you went to a lot of trouble. Actually, there was no need for that.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
No matter how good-tempered Huo Chuxue was, dealing with a blockhead like He Qingshi was more than she could handle.
She stood up from her chair, unwilling to beat around the bush any longer. She decided to lay her cards on the table directly, “Why are you avoiding me?”