It was something the two had done countless times, but this kiss, because of the darkness within the bright light, added a sense of excitement and taboo.
There is also a unique warmth and tenderness found only on campus.
Shi Ling put the book back with a stern face.
After putting down the last book, I heard Chi Cheng chuckle in my ear, "This one is upside down."
Shi Ling snapped out of her daze, glanced at the book a few times but couldn't find it, and asked him in confusion, "Which one?"
But seeing Chi Cheng smiling smugly, she knew she had fallen for his trick again.
**
These past few days, Chi Cheng has been free from the pressure of studying and has been focusing on spending time with Shi Ling.
To be honest, he wasn't really there to accompany me.
Because aside from finding a tutor and going back to the dormitory to write, Shi Ling could only spend the afternoons together in the library.
However, Chi Cheng couldn't sit still and took the opportunity to go out for a smoke. When he came back, he was covered in the smell of smoke, which even made Shi Ling frown.
So he simply went to the playground and found someone to play ball with.
Sometimes he would go to an internet cafe to play games. Shi Ling knew he had finished his exams, so she didn't urge him to study and let him play.
Later on, only the evenings remained, which the two of them spent together without fail.
On the second-to-last day before Shi Ling was to submit her thesis, her supervisor demanded that the final draft be completed by the last day. She still hadn't returned to the hotel by 10 p.m.
Chi Cheng was worried that she wouldn't be able to get out after curfew, so he called her to ask. Shi Ling sounded a little annoyed.
Previously, everyone was busy with the content, and no one would finish their graduation thesis until the last day, without even bothering to format it. When we actually followed the graduation thesis guidelines, we found it was far more extensive than we had imagined.
Not to mention that matching the reference format and superscript numbers one by one takes an hour or two, there are also various miscellaneous details and typos, chapter headings, fonts and sizes.
Shi Ling was rushing to revise it and hadn't drunk any water all night, so her voice was a little hoarse. "Maybe I shouldn't go back tonight. I have to submit my paper tomorrow."
Chi Cheng frowned and asked her, "Planning to stay up all night?"
The sound of keyboards clicking on Shi Ling's end continued, and she sounded exhausted, "I don't know if I'll be able to finish writing even if I stay up all night. I haven't even written the preface and conclusion for each chapter yet, and my advisor insists on finalizing the draft a day in advance."
Chi Cheng asked her, "Where's your roommate?"
Shi Ling sighed, "It's all about the same. One of my roommates comes back late from her internship. Although it's not with this advisor, she doesn't plan to sleep for the next couple of days."
She knew Chi Cheng wanted her to go back to the hotel to continue writing, so she added, "We four checked each other's formatting together, and there are some formats I'm not even sure about. Don't worry about me, go to sleep early."
Chi Cheng had already planned to get up and pick her up, but after listening to her, he thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you ask your roommate if they want to come out and stay up all night? I'll go with you."
Whether Shi Ling was too lazy to refute him or not, she turned around and asked a question.
To my surprise, everyone agreed.
Yi Yi was still saying, "That's great! I was worried I wouldn't be able to stay awake and would collapse at any moment. It's perfect that we can all go out together. I can also meet your mysterious boyfriend."
Shi Ling spent the whole day revising her thesis, and her mind was a bit stiff.
She mechanically told Chi Cheng that it was okay, then lowered her head to pack her things.
Hearing how tired she was, Chi Cheng spoke gently and patiently, "Then I'll come out now and wait for you downstairs. You can take your time."
The author has something to say: I see comments every day saying how curious they are about how they broke up.
Haha, I'm really not trying to keep you in suspense; the outcome will be revealed within five chapters.
The real-world scenario is just around the corner!
I also miss Chi Ge and Shi Xiannv from the real storyline.
Chapter 27
When Chi Cheng called, it was already close to the dormitory curfew.
Shi Ling and the others packed their things, slung their bags over their shoulders, and hurriedly went downstairs.
After coming out, they were all stunned. They had spent the whole day in the dormitory, staring at the computer from morning till night.
When I stepped outside, it was already quite late at night, and I felt a bit like I was writing a thesis for ages.
Outside the dormitory building, besides girls rushing back, there were only couples whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Chi Cheng stood out conspicuously at the bottom of the steps, his posture unusually upright.
When he saw Shi Ling come down, he took her bag for her.
He turned around and greeted Shi Ling and her roommates.
Shi Ling took a few breaths of fresh outdoor air, and the feeling of oxygen deprivation and suffocation from being cooped up in the dormitory all day working on her thesis improved considerably.
She had already naturally placed her hand in Chi Cheng's hand and put it into Chi Cheng's shirt pocket.
She introduced them to Chi Cheng, "This is Yi Yi, Liu Liu, and A Qi."
Lu Xinyan watched the two of them walk by and sighed, "I wish my boyfriend were here."
Yi Yi comforted her, "Go find him after the exam. No, make him come find you."
Shi Ling explained to Chi Cheng in a low voice, "She's in a long-distance relationship."
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that Chi Cheng was looking at her with a half-smile.
She knew what he meant; if he didn't come, they would be separated by distance.
Shi Ling did not go to see him.
Then Chi Cheng asked her, "After you finish your thesis, shall we go on a trip?"
Shi Ling thought for a moment, then said, "Okay."
Chi Cheng whispered a few words to her, then casually chatted with her roommates about topics they could all relate to, so as not to make them feel awkward like a third wheel.
Chi Cheng was very careful with his questions, unlike his usual jokes with his friends. After the atmosphere cooled down, he added a few more words to prevent the group from getting into an awkward situation.
Having spent four years in school, they were extremely familiar with every nook and cranny.
Upon reaching the last classroom on the first floor of the college building, one window was jammed shut with wire, making it impossible to close from either side. This was an unwritten rule, reserved specifically for those who stayed up all night. This classroom was located on the outer edge of the school, outside the gatekeeper's patrol area, making it the safest option.
They opened the window, and Chi Cheng climbed in first and turned on the light.
Then he reached out his hand to Shi Ling and pulled her inside.
Shi Ling pulled them all in.
They worked like clockwork all day, pushing themselves to the limit. This journey had been a rest, and they were in much better shape than when they were in the dorm.
Yi Yi was still joking with Lu Xinyan when Wu Yunqi had already turned on her computer and started typing again. She had returned from her internship and owed more money than the others.
After saying a few words, they all started again.
Feeling bored, Chi Cheng flipped through the graduation thesis format guidelines that Shi Ling had placed next to her for reference. It was a thick book. He flipped through two pages, but then he saw Shi Ling looking down to look at it, so he turned it back for her.
Chi Cheng simply put on his headphones and started playing games.
After a while, his phone on the table vibrated. He took off his earphones and said, "I'm going out to answer the call."
Shi Ling stared intently at the computer screen and gave a casual reply.
It was only after he climbed out the window that I realized how strange it was.
They had already opened the classroom door; he could have easily gone to the hallway to make the call.
Chi Cheng returned quickly, carrying several bags.
Shi Ling then realized what he had been doing.
There were no milk tea shops open at that time, so he divided the KFC bags among himself and one person.
It offers snacks, milk, and coffee.
Yi Yi was so moved she almost cried. "Oh my god, Lingzai, you're a perfect boyfriend!"
Chi Cheng smiled and said, "Ninety-nine. My girlfriend scored one point higher than me."
Even Wu Yunqi sent Shi Ling a WeChat message privately.
77: Where did you find someone? She's much better than Song Licheng. Song Licheng can barely say ten words in front of us before we get so embarrassed.
Shi Ling: You weren't back then. We met in the IELTS class. I told Yi Yi and Liu Liu about it.
77: Great, and handsome too. Seeing you like this puts my mind at ease. You were so heartbroken back then, but you're so stubborn. You just gave up on Song Licheng without even trying. We all know how much you were hurting, but he just couldn't see it.
77: But it's good to say goodbye to that jerk, otherwise I wouldn't have met this one now.
Bringing up Chi Cheng's past scandals would probably cause the others' attitudes towards him to change drastically.
Shi Ling thought for a moment, but decided not to say anything; it was better not to dwell on the past. The night they were together, Shi Ling had made it clear that she didn't want him to just be playing around, and Chi Cheng had promised to. Shi Ling had initially had some doubts, but he had indeed approached the relationship with the attitude of a serious couple. Chi Cheng was the type who played around when he felt like it, but once he was truly in a relationship, he completely withdrew.
Yunqi was still asking her questions.
77: So you're going abroad, and he's studying for IELTS, so is he?
Shi Ling: Yes, we received offers from the same school.
77: What a perfect couple! Our Ling is so beautiful and ethereal, and her boyfriend is so handsome and wonderful. They can even travel abroad together. I hope you two will stay together forever.
She didn't say anything, and Shi Ling didn't even notice. Now that their studies abroad are all settled, everything seems harmonious and beautiful.
Shi Ling glanced at Chi Cheng, who was playing games next to her.
Shi Ling: Hopefully, he is indeed not bad.
Even after she finished speaking, she was still thinking about what her impression of Chi Cheng was when she first met him.
At that moment, her words truly came from the heart.
The early morning hours when everyone is working through the night are both the easiest and the hardest to endure.
Because if a few people are talking, the conversation will pass quickly.
If one person gets tired and lies down to rest, the others will fall down like dominoes.
Seeing that the girls weren't sleepy, Chi Cheng started playing games on his Switch.
When I got sleepy, I went out for a smoke.