The speeches during the opening ceremony were excessively long, and many people below the stage had become so bored that they started playing on their phones or nodding off.
Luo Li turned her head and could see Tao Jinxi, who was sitting in the same row as her not far away.
They weren't in the same department, but somehow, Tao Jinxi ended up being assigned to her dorm.
Someone like her would never have chosen to live in a dormitory. Even though A University's dorms were quite luxurious, the Tao family would hardly let her stay there.
Whatever. She can do whatever she wants.
"The next segment will be a speech from a faculty representative. However, due to an unexpected incident involving Professor Zhao last night, he's unable to be here today. Senior Lu will deliver his message on his behalf..." The host's words were followed by a murmur in the crowd.
Luo Li's eyes widened as she instinctively began searching for that figure.
Lu Cixue glanced down briefly at the script in front of her.
Unexpected incident? More like he got drunk last night, got scolded by his wife, and ended up sleeping through the day, leaving this task for her. She even wrote the script for him. He sure had a knack for slacking off.
A sly smile flashed across the cat's face before it quickly disappeared. She calmly picked up the script and walked onto the stage.
"Distinguished leaders, teachers, dear students..."
It was the usual, formally correct speech, but more people began looking up.
"Why are you zoning out again? Little Luo, your eyes are practically glued to her," Luo Li's roommate noticed how she sat with her chin in her hands, staring without moving, and suddenly felt exasperated.
"Although the senior is indeed great in every way, we have to get to know her first, right? Snap out of it!" She gave Luo Li a pat on the shoulder.
Luo Li turned around in annoyance. "Everyone else is looking too, aren't they? Why can't I look a little more if there's something nice to see?"
"Is that what you call 'a little more'? Then tell me, what was the first thing I said?"
Luo Li was at a loss for words. She really hadn't heard.
After a round of scolding from both roommates, Luo Li finally managed to put on an indifferent expression. But when she looked up again, she immediately froze.
The person on stage glanced in their direction. Even though there were many people in this area, her gaze didn't move once it landed on someone.
Luo Li didn't want to be narcissistic and assume Lu Cixue was looking at her, but it really seemed like it...
The person on stage suddenly smiled faintly in their direction as they spoke the closing words, "I wish you all a bright future and that all your wishes come true."
Receiving that smile, Luo Li's heart skipped a beat.
She quickly lowered her head, her cheeks flushing.
Finally, when it was over, Luo Li hesitated before getting up, not spotting Lu Cixue at the front.
Suddenly, she felt a pang of regret for hiding like a snail. Now she had no idea where she had gone.
"Luo Luo, want to grab dinner together? I made a reservation," Tao Jinxi appeared behind the solitary Luo Li at some point.
The young girl in front of her still carried a hint of insecurity and panic. She hadn't yet learned the skills to hide her emotions.
"I have something I want to tell you."
Luo Li turned to look at the familiar face, remaining silent for a long time.
This was someone she had liked for so long, yet she was unexpectedly calm facing Tao Jinxi now.
It seemed she was even more proud and ruthless than this person, preferring to digest her pain and sadness alone rather than accept this kind of condescending attempt at reconciliation.
"Do you two have something you need to do?"
A sudden voice startled Luo Li. The familiar figure emerged from the control room, a faint smile on her fair, delicate face. Yet there was a subtle hint of aloofness.
—She seemed a bit upset. Wasn't she fine just now?
Only a few students were left tidying up in the lecture hall. They were the only freshmen still around.
"Nothing, senior. We're leaving now." Worried they were causing trouble, Luo Li hurriedly ended the conversation. "Send me the address. We'll talk later."
Standing on the stage, her arms crossed and smiling faintly, Lu Cixue watched them leave together. Her eyes darkened.
Luo Li quickly left Tao Jinxi far behind, then halted her steps.
She had only met this senior a few times and had accepted her chocolates, but she still hadn't thanked her properly or exchanged contact information.
Hesitating for a moment, she turned back and happened to meet Lu Cixue, who was walking in the same direction. She stopped and looked at Luo Li, almost as if she expected Luo Li to come back for her.
"Senior, you're done already?" Luo Li walked over naturally, surprised by how efficient the student department was. But wasn't there a lot of students earlier? Why was Lu Cixue walking back alone? Was no one with her?
"Hmm? That was Tang Jia and the others' job. I just went in to put something away." Lu Cixue's lips curved slightly as she reached out to smooth the wrinkles on Luo Li's collar. "I was going to invite you to dinner, but it seems you already have plans. I'll head back first."
"Have a pleasant evening."
Luo Li was left in a daze as the woman casually closed the distance between them, her cheeks heating up.
She had indeed been acting strange lately, but that didn't mean she was oblivious. This senior was straightforward with her feelings, making her intentions obvious, and she didn't dislike it.
Unlike when facing Tao Jinxi, there was no anxiety, no feelings of unworthiness, only a strange sense of peace.
But falling for someone else so quickly made her feel like a jerk...
That's why she had so many questions for Lu Cixue. Where had they met? Why did she seem so familiar?
"Did you like the chocolates?" A soft whisper brushed against her neck, and Luo Li didn't dare look down, focusing on Lu Cixue's eyes instead.
Looking down would almost reveal a glimpse of snowy white.
"Delicious..." Luo Li nodded, almost seeing the light rippling in the dark pupils of the woman in front of her.
"If you liked them… remember that taste, Luo."
Lu Cixue's smile faded as she quickly pulled away from the tantalizingly close distance, reverting to her cold, abstinent demeanor.
Luo Li almost didn't react, feeling a little disappointed. When she glanced up again, the woman was already leaving, so she quickly followed.
"Senior, wait! We agreed to exchange contact info this time, and I have something I want to give you." Luo Li said earnestly, holding out her phone screen to her.
Lu Cixue glanced down at the phone in front of her, chuckling, "Oh?"
"Is this a return gift?"
The words felt oddly familiar, and Luo Li could tell that the woman before her had visibly cooled. Although she took out her phone and accepted Luo Li's friend request, her expression made Luo Li feel like she was upset.
"It's not a return gift. It's something I wanted to give you." Luo Li blushed as she lowered her head, looking at Lu Cixue's hand at her side. "I bought it a while ago and thought it would suit you, but, but..."
Luo Li was confident in her taste. The necklace would look stunning on Lu Cixue.
That was what she thought when she bought it. She didn't even know why she had such a strong impression of someone she had only met once.
But how could she give something like that to someone she had only met once? Luo Li hoped Lu Cixue hadn't noticed her staring at her neck for so long that day, like a creep.
She was just admiring it!
Her thoughts wandered, and her gaze fell on the woman in front of her again.
Wait? During the speech earlier, she was dressed very formally...
Three buttons on her shirt were undone, casually revealing her slender, white neck and delicate collarbone. Luo Li froze.
After listening to her, Lu Cixue paused, her fingertips on the phone screen. The faint gloom from seeing Luo Li sad because of Tao Jinxi vanished instantly.
"Why are you blushing?" She looked curiously at Luo Li's reddening ears and restless fingers.
Luo Li felt like she had been caught red-handed, her eyes darting around. "N-No, I'm not."
Very suspicious.
Seeing that the woman didn't believe her, Luo Li couldn't stay any longer. "I-I have something to do, so I'll go first. Senior, rest early."
The innocent and shy Luo still excelled at running away.
Lu Cixue raised an eyebrow as she watched the figure flee, chuckling softly and calmly buttoning up her shirt.
Weren't you staring so intently on the first day? What's there to run from?
Luo Li stared seriously at the knife and fork in front of her, completely unaware of Tao Jinxi's curious and confused gaze from across the table.
Earlier, Lu Cixue had told her to remember the taste of the chocolates. She didn't quite understand what that meant. Then she was completely led by the woman, and now, thinking back, it seemed like there was more to what Lu Cixue had said.
She was reminding her to remember the note.
More perplexed, couldn't she just stop being so cryptic?
"Luo Luo, not to your taste?"
Luo Li looked up blankly at Tao Jinxi's face, remembering what she was there for.
"What did you want to say? Just say it." She wasn't here to have a good meal with this person.
Even though the table was full of her favorite dishes.
Tao Jinxi put down her utensils, sat up straight, and stared into Luo Li's eyes. She opened her mouth, unsure where to start.
"I know you're mad at me. I know I said too much, but we're at least still friends, aren't we? I'll change. Can we go back to how we were?"
Luo Li found it amusing. Listen to her—since when was Tao Jinxi so humble?
"I'm not mad at you."
Tao Jinxi's budding joy was quickly extinguished by the next sentence.
"Tao Jinxi, I'm not a fool. I know you only saw me as a joke to amuse yourself. We aren't even friends."
"But pursuing someone you like isn't shameful. I tried, so I have no regrets. The sadness and pain were deserved."
Luo Li stood up and gave her a faint smile. "You look down on my feelings. We have nothing more to say."
Lu Cixue never stayed in the dorm. Knowing she liked quiet, the two people at home bought her a two-bedroom apartment near the school.
One day, when she woke up and saw the time, she was in a daze. They had disappeared together, so why had she returned to a different point in time, with Luo Li not by her side?
And this time, everything was different, almost like fate was compensating her, allowing her to experience what a real family was.
And meet her lover at the most beautiful time.
Having seen many strange things, Lu Cixue guessed that this Luo Li might be a past version of her with no memories of her.
But that was fine. She was curious to see what this Luo Li would be like.
It was dark when Lu Cixue finally left the campus, only to turn a corner and find a figure squatting on the ground.
"Luo Li?" There was no mistaking it. Lu Cixue was just puzzled about why she was squatting here.
"Shh—" The person turned and raised a finger to her lips, swaying unsteadily.
Lu Cixue then saw the small kittens in front of Luo Li, huddled together, eating small fish.
"You've been drinking." She knew exactly what Luo Li was like when she drank.
"I just had a little..." Luo Li pouted, waving her index finger in front of her. "Not drunk at all."
Lu Cixue was amused, wondering how to handle this little drunk squatting on the roadside.
She quietly squatted beside Luo Li. "Do you like cats?"
"Yeah, kittens are so cute. You don't like them?"
The little white cat began to lure her in, slowly saying, "I have one at home. It's very well-behaved and listens to me. I think it would really like you. Want to come and see?"