At the tea party, two girls came over to Lo Ye's side and asked for his "green bubble" QR code.
Lo Ye scratched his head and remembered how Shen Qiao would always say she had a boyfriend when rejecting others. So, he decided to give it a try and said, "I have a girlfriend."
Upon hearing this, every girl who came over to ask for his QR code left disappointed.
Although Su Bai Zhou had been looking at her phone, she was also subtly keeping an eye on Lo Ye. When she saw the girls leaving without success, for some reason, she felt a sense of relief. She felt that her decision to attend the gathering was a good one.
What if she hadn't come? Would all those girls have added him and started flirting? Would he end up having multiple crushes at once?
Women's imaginations are indeed rich.
Su Bai Zhou slowly sank into her own thoughts, imagining Lo Ye, starting and ending relationships irresponsibly, not being serious with any of the girls.
Liu Jianglai, who was standing next to her, was stunned.
The Ice Queen, when had she ever shown such an expression? Was she angry, or something else? He had never seen Su Bai Zhou lost in thought before, but now she seemed both deep in thought and upset.
After the ancient music performance ended, the Hanfu Society members took over and prepared their own performances.
Next, everyone would introduce themselves. Some students had even prepared performances, such as singing or dancing, in order to leave a deeper impression and quickly get to know others.
In most clubs, you might not make many new friends even after a year, but the Hanfu Society had a unique atmosphere. Everyone came together because of their shared love for Hanfu and ancient culture, so there was always something to talk about.
Soon, it was Lo Ye's turn to introduce himself.
He stood up, and upon seeing all the eyes on him, he suddenly became a bit socially anxious.
He instinctively looked over at the only person he knew, Su Bai Zhou.
When he saw that she was also looking at him, they locked eyes, but then Lo Ye blushed, quickly looking down.
Su Bai Zhou, slightly turning her head, tried to hide her embarrassment.
Liu Jianglai, who was watching, caught this entire exchange and smiled inwardly.
This was his opportunity!
As the host of the gathering, Liu Jianglai spoke up, "Don't be nervous, junior. Introduce yourself boldly."
"Okay, senior!" Lo Ye said, trying to calm his nerves.
Because military training had just finished, Lo Ye was still wearing his Hanfu, standing stiffly with a serious expression. "My name is Lo Ye. I'm a freshman. I like playing games, singing, and writing. I'm eighteen years old, and my birthday is…"
"Alright, next." Su Bai Zhou suddenly interrupted him.
This was the first time Su Bai Zhou spoke during the gathering, directly cutting off Lo Ye's introduction.
Everyone in the room turned to look at her, and Lo Ye was also stunned.
The first thing that crossed their minds was that Su Bai Zhou didn't like Lo Ye, and that's why she interrupted him.
Lo Ye thought so too. He looked a bit disappointed and sat back down quietly.
Su Bai Zhou, though expressionless, was not as calm inside as she seemed.
What had she just done?
She simply felt that if Lo Ye continued, he would have shared too much personal information. His birthday? She didn't even know it herself, so why should anyone else know?
But what did it matter whether Lo Ye's birthday was shared or not? Why did she feel such an urgent sense of possessiveness, as if someone was revealing her precious things to others?
She continued pondering, when she noticed Lo Ye sitting quietly, looking melancholic, almost pitiful.
Liu Jianglai, who noticed this, leaned in slightly and whispered in a voice only he and Su Bai Zhou could hear, "Su Bai Zhou, when we go back, you should make it up to this junior. You made him upset."
Su Bai Zhou didn't respond, not knowing what to say.
After the gathering ended, the Hanfu Society members went their separate ways. Lo Ye, however, was left sitting in his seat, looking dazed.
Liu Jianglai, giving a confused glance at both Su Bai Zhou and Lo Ye, left the venue.
Only the two of them remained, along with a few hotel staff cleaning up the tables in the lobby.
Su Bai Zhou walked over to Lo Ye and said flatly, "Let's go."
"Uh… okay…"
Lo Ye seemed unsure of what to say, but he still forced a weak smile. He stood up from his seat and followed Su Bai Zhou to the parking lot.
The pink "Chopped Pepper Fish Head" car still looked as cute as ever.
But as Lo Ye watched Su Bai Zhou's back, he felt a sense of an unbridgeable gap between them.
After all, she was the Ice Queen, the aloof campus goddess. How could he ever expect her to like him? Perhaps in Su Bai Zhou's eyes, he wasn't even a friend—just an acquaintance, maybe even just a fellow gaming buddy.
Lo Ye got into the car, and the whole drive back to the Teacher's Apartment was silent.
In the parking lot of the Teacher's Apartment, Lo Ye handed the car key to Su Bai Zhou, forcing a smile and saying, "Here's the key back."
Su Bai Zhou didn't take the key right away. Instead, she asked, "What's your birthday?"
"Uh?" Lo Ye looked confused.
"You didn't finish your self-introduction earlier. When's your birthday?" Su Bai Zhou asked, this time sounding a little more serious.
Su Bai Zhou was asking about his birthday?
"October 6th," Lo Ye replied.
October 6th... the second-to-last day of the seven-day holiday. That's coming up soon.
Su Bai Zhou nodded and then said, "For future introductions, you don't need to share everything."
"Ah… okay."
Looking at Lo Ye's slightly dazed face, Su Bai Zhou asked, "Is there anything else you want to add to your introduction?"
Lo Ye looked at Su Bai Zhou's stunning face and asked, "But didn't you just say we don't need to share everything?"
Su Bai Zhou blinked her long lashes, and though her face remained cold, Lo Ye could somehow sense a hint of a smile behind her composed expression.
"This time, it's different."
Lo Ye paused, then said, "My parents are both police officers. They're the parents I'm most proud of."
Parents who are police officers? No wonder this junior had such a strong sense of right and wrong—he was respectful, well-mannered, and always considered others.
Lo Ye glanced at Su Bai Zhou and decided to keep the rest of his self-introduction to himself.
The person I like... is Su Bai Zhou. It's you.