"Oh my god, it's actually him."
"What the hell! What's your beef with him?"
"It can't be because of that thing, can it?"
"What thing?"
"At first, everyone said CHY liked GX, but then GX got together with LQL. After that, CHY became CY's girlfriend. Could GX be trying to win CHY back?"
"Nonsense!"
"What's going on here? Who are CHY and CY? Can't we just speak English since we're all Chinese?"
"I heard Chu Yang, Gu Xiao, and Li Qinglu used to be from the same school, you know."
"【Perks up ears】 Gossiping time."
"So everyone's got a partner already, why spread rumors?"
"Maybe Li Qinglu spread the rumors, and Gu Xiao took the blame?"
"Hey hey hey, you're no different from Gu Xiao if you spread rumors about girls, are you?"
"A guy spreading rumors about a girl, how disgusting."
"And he's the student council president too. He should resign after something like this."
"Exactly."
"Damn, how embarrassing. Everyone knows A University and B University are rivals, and now we're a laughingstock to them."
"Poor Chu Yang, honestly. She was just going to watch a movie with her family and got dragged into this mess. Ridiculous."
"Li Qinglu should just break up with that classless guy."
......
The forum erupted in chaos, while Gu Xiao smashed his phone. Li Qinglu hugged him, "Xiao, I won't leave you."
......
The incident was discussed for several days before dying down. As for the consequences for Gu Xiao and Li Qinglu, Chu Yang didn't follow up or care to - she felt they deserved it.
That evening, Chi Yan and Chu Yang were jogging on A University's track. "Yang Yang, did you sign up for the driving test yet?"
Chu Yang: "Yes, I'm preparing for the written exam now."
"When will you start driving lessons? Want me to come along?"
Chu Yang declined, "No need, there's an instructor. You'd just be in the way. I'll practice driving after passing the written exam."
"Okay."
Chu Yang remembered their upcoming spring outing. "Oh right, the spring outing is set for this Saturday the 15th. I'll send you the notes later. Will you be driving us there?"
"Yeah."
"Great, pack some food and supplies then. We'll be camping overnight."
Chi Yan gazed at her intently. "Are you going with the group or riding with me? I don't want you carpooling with others."
"I'll go with you, of course. If there's not enough space, we might have to take two more people along."
Chi Yan smiled. "No problem."
After three laps around the track, they sat down to rest. Chu Yang lay on Chi Yan's lap, opening her phone to check for client messages. If any work came up, she'd handle it once back in the dorm. Otherwise, she'd just respond to her fans.
Chi Yan played with her hair, braiding it then undoing it, over and over, never tiring of the simple pleasure. He felt content just being with her like this in quiet tranquility.
"By the way, have you thought about it?"
"Huh?" Chu Yang glanced at him. "Thought about what?"
Chi Yan pouted. "At the start of the semester, you said you'd consider living together. Well, have you?"
He took her phone, leaning in close. "What did you decide?"
Their faces were almost touching, appearing as if they were kissing from an onlooker's perspective. A girl nearby quickly signaled to her friend, "Look over there."
"Whoa."
"Even so, isn't that a bit inappropriate in public?"
"True, it's not very nice to rub it in everyone's faces like that."
"Haha yeah."
Chu Yang finally remembered and felt a little embarrassed. After considering, she replied, "Let's wait until next semester." They'd be juniors then.
"Okay." Chi Yan was delighted. It might not be this semester, but there was no real difference.
Chu Yang continued responding to fans, then sent Chi Yan the spring outing notes. "Take a look first, let me know if you have any questions. Oh, and I'll add you to the group chat too."
"Sure."
......
Before the spring outing, Chu Yang was busy studying for her driver's license exams. Once she felt ready, her instructor helped her register.
The written test was pretty straightforward for Chu Yang, and she passed it quickly.
Next up was preparing for the road test, but first - it was time for the spring outing.
They gathered at the school gate at 8am sharp, then piled into cars to head out. Students with cars could drive themselves, and quite a few did.
The Literature Society had many members, though not everyone signed up for the outing. In total, there were nearly 30 people going.
Chi Yan soon arrived at A University's gate and texted Chu Yang. She came shortly after, hopping into his car.
Two other girls asked to carpool with them, not wanting to endure the stuffy buses. Chu Yang didn't think much of it and let them join.
Chu Yang took the front passenger seat while the two girls sat in back. The trunk was loaded with supplies for their camping trip.
For some reason, Chu Yang felt uneasy that early morning. After considering it, she asked Chi Yan to bring her divining rod, just in case. She did a quick divination before leaving and didn't foresee any issues on the road.
The drive went smoothly, and everyone arrived at their destination, Lingqiu Mountain, by 9:30am. There was an entrance fee - 10 yuan per person, or 5 yuan for students, a reasonable price.
The guys carried the heavier loads while the girls took lighter items. Chi Yan had a large backpack plus an extra bag that Chu Yang originally carried. He insisted on holding it so they could walk hand-in-hand.
Chu Yang: ...
Hand-in-hand, they strolled leisurely up the path, no need to rush. It was the weekend, and many had come to visit. The trail was lined with peach trees, some blooming while others still budding, their soft pink hues drawing admiration from the girls.
"Want to take pictures?" Chi Yan asked Chu Yang, his camera slung around his neck.
Chu Yang shook her head. "Let's go set up first, then we can take pictures later. We have plenty of time."
"Okay."
They walked at a relaxed pace, and by the time they reached the midpoint, Chi Yan's forehead was covered in sweat. Chu Yang quickly had him sit and rest. "Let's take a break here and get some water."
They sat on a nearby bench as Chu Yang handed him a water bottle, using tissues to dab the sweat from his brow. Some tired students also stopped to rest on the rocks, enjoying the cool breeze.
It was still a bit chilly during the day. Chu Yang had on a shirt with a knit sweater over it, while Chi Yan wore a hoodie over a t-shirt.
Chu Yang tugged at his clothes, realizing he had layers on underneath. "Why don't you take the hoodie off for now? I can put it in my bag."
Chi Yan nodded and started to remove it, but Chu Yang quickly held his undershirt down to prevent it from riding up and exposing his body.
She neatly folded his hoodie and placed it in her bag. Now just in his t-shirt, Chi Yan felt much better. He raised his camera and snapped a photo of Chu Yang.
