"Keep the car key with you until I figure out how to drive," Su Bai Zhou said softly.
She turned around and was about to leave the parking lot when she suddenly stopped, looked at Lo Ye, and asked, "What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to change clothes?"
If he didn't change, Lo Ye would have to go back to school in his Hanfu.
"Should I change at your place?" Lo Ye asked.
Su Bai Zhou didn't answer.
Lo Ye realized his question was unnecessary, so he stuffed the car key into his bag and followed her back to the Teacher's Apartment, building 5, unit 4, room 614.
Once inside the room, Lo Ye finally had time to look around the space that Gu Mingxuan had left for him.
Though he had briefly been there the day before school started, he hadn't had the chance to really familiarize himself with the place.
After changing into casual clothes, Lo Ye surveyed the room. There was a bed that took up half of the space, a wardrobe, a desk, a windowsill, and a chair. The room was simple, but it had all the essentials.
When he looked up and saw the air conditioner, Lo Ye's face lit up with satisfaction.
An air conditioner, nice! It was a luxury in the dorms, where there was only a buzzing fan.
Lo Ye opened the door and found Su Bai Zhou already changed into a long dress, tying an apron, and busy in the kitchen.
Wait... she's cooking?
That made sense. The snacks and tea at the tea party were barely enough, so she must be hungry.
Lo Ye peeked his head into the kitchen, surprised. "Senior, it smells amazing."
To his surprise, not only was Su Bai Zhou beautiful and talented, but she was also so virtuous at home—she could entertain guests and cook.
In the kitchen, Su Bai Zhou continued cooking without replying, but Lo Ye could see how focused she was.
Lo Ye stepped into the kitchen, standing next to her. He looked at the dish in the pan and realized there was more than enough food for just one person.
Clearly, she made two servings.
Thinking of this, Lo Ye eagerly offered, "Senior, let me help you."
Su Bai Zhou paused her movements. Remembering how Lo Ye had struggled to cook meat during their BBQ session, she immediately raised her spatula to block him.
"No need."
She continued cooking.
After a moment, she said, "This is a thank-you for the takeout you ordered for me this morning."
Lo Ye could only watch helplessly from the side.
Soon, Su Bai Zhou finished making two dishes and a soup, along with rice.
Though the meal wasn't extravagant, just the thought that it was made by Su Bai Zhou made Lo Ye feel like it was the best meal he'd ever had.
And it really was! Compared to Lo Ye, who had no cooking skills at all, Su Bai Zhou's culinary abilities were impressive—like all the cooking skill points in the world had been awarded to her.
With Su Bai Zhou's indifferent expression, but a hint of expectation in her eyes, Lo Ye took a bite of the food.
Instantly, his face brightened. "It's delicious!"
Hearing the praise, Su Bai Zhou relaxed a little, feeling a sense of satisfaction, and then began eating as well.
The meal was quickly devoured, especially by Lo Ye, who ate like a starved man.
Once he finished, he stood up happily and said, "I'll wash the dishes!"
Without waiting for Su Bai Zhou to respond, he began clearing the table and headed to the kitchen.
This time, it was Su Bai Zhou's turn to watch Lo Ye busying himself in the kitchen.
But it didn't take long. A few minutes later, Lo Ye returned to his room, grabbed his bag, and prepared to leave for the dorm.
"Goodbye, Senior," he waved.
Su Bai Zhou only nodded silently in response.
After Lo Ye left, Su Bai Zhou sat at the table, staring at the empty living room. A faint feeling of confusion appeared in her eyes.
What was this feeling?
Why did she feel so empty when he left? It was as though something was missing in the apartment, even though he'd only been there for a little over an hour.
And lately, they had been meeting more often.
Su Bai Zhou shook her head.
Although… she might have started developing feelings for this junior, she still needed to maintain some composure… Yes, composure.
...
Once Lo Ye left building 5, unit 4, he called Gu Mingxuan.
"Hey, bro, I need to ask, did you rent your apartment to Su Bai Zhou?"
On the other end, Gu Mingxuan's laughter came through. "What's up? Su Bai Zhou is my student. I'm not here, so what's the problem with renting it to her?"
"No problem… but there's no air conditioning in the dorm. If I'm not staying there, where am I supposed to go? And the holiday's coming up, seven days! Where am I supposed to stay?"
"Oh, you didn't know this? Little bro, go after Su Bai Zhou! Whether you can stay in the apartment depends on whether you can get her to be your girlfriend."
Lo Ye panicked. "What do you mean, 'go after her'? Senior Su is not some game character."
"It's just a way of putting it. Don't tell me you don't like her. I know exactly what your personality is like."
Lo Ye fell silent.
"Little bro, good luck! I won't be back for at least half a year. Hopefully, by then, I'll have a nephew."
Lo Ye was stunned.
"A nephew in half a year?" he thought, but the call ended before he could respond. All he could do was sigh helplessly.
His parents were police officers, and they were so busy with work that they had him at 32. By then, Gu Mingxuan was already 10 years old, so he grew up with him. Gu Mingxuan knew him so well that he could guess his thoughts in an instant.
When Lo Ye returned to the dorm, it was already 4 PM.
Wang Dachui, who had been gaming all day, was lying on his bed, fast asleep.
Meanwhile, Shen Qiao sat on his bed, staring blankly.
"What's wrong, movie star?" Lo Ye asked curiously.
Shen Qiao looked at him and gave a bitter smile. "It's something at home."
"Every family has its own troubles," Lo Ye remarked.
If something was bothering Shen Qiao so much that he couldn't concentrate at school, it must have been serious, and most likely related to him.
Speaking of which, Shen Qiao often mentioned he had a girlfriend. At first, they thought it was just to avoid giving his contact details to girls who asked for it, but when his roommates asked him, he still said he had a girlfriend.
Lo Ye, feeling curious, asked, "Movie star, honestly, I'm really curious. Do you actually have a girlfriend?"
"I do," Shen Qiao replied.
When his girlfriend was mentioned, Shen Qiao's face softened a little. He always had a smile, but a deeper sadness lingered in his eyes.
He pulled out his phone and showed Lo Ye his wallpaper. "My girlfriend, Xiao Lei. Pretty, right?"
"Pretty!" Lo Ye exclaimed in admiration.
No wonder she was the movie star's girlfriend.
"I met Xiao Lei in our first year of high school, and we've been together for three years now," Shen Qiao added.
Lo Ye was shocked.
No wonder Shen Qiao always seemed so mature—he had so much relationship experience.
In today's fast-paced world, finding someone to be with for life was rare. Lo Ye realized how lucky that was.
"Where is she? Does she go to a school in Jiangcheng too?" Lo Ye asked.
"Mm," Shen Qiao responded, his eyes showing a strange expression. He forced a smile. "She's at Jiangcheng Medical University…"