Be Passionately In Love

That noon, Xu Guangji was eating in the cafeteria where there weren’t many fresh dishes—some were even leftovers—when he happened to run into Cai Yingying’s father. Old Cai, formerly the director of neurosurgery, was now freshly promoted to deputy dean. Though also dining alone, he was in high spirits, beaming as he carried his Hello Kitty lunchbox and sat down beside Xu Guangji. "Old Xu, you didn’t go home either?"

Xu Guangji kept his head down, focused on his meal. Sensing a shadow fall over him, he instinctively glanced at the chicken leg he had marinated the day before and silently pulled his tray closer.

"Now that’s just looking down on people. Who doesn’t have one?" Dean Cai declared grandly as he opened his lunchbox.

Xu Guangji gave it a silent once-over. Indeed, there wasn’t one.

Dean Cai quietly picked up his chopsticks and changed the subject. "Yingying mentioned Xu Zhi did well on her exams, scoring over 700."

Cai Yingying had a habit of exaggerating even more than the cafeteria cooks. Xu Guangji shoveled rice into his mouth. "Not that high."

He knew Xu Guangji had kept an unusually low profile these past few years, almost as if he wanted people to forget he existed. The painful lessons from earlier years had forced him to take his mother’s superstitious words to heart: You’ve had it too smooth, and you’re too flashy. Even Heaven gets jealous—that’s why Qiudie ended up tangled with those unclean things.

"Your mother’s superstitions are one thing, but you’re an educated man," Old Cai said, scraping the edge of his lunchbox with his chopsticks. "You should still celebrate."

"Who said I wouldn’t celebrate for her?" Xu Guangji looked up, adjusting his glasses. "Let’s wait for the official scores first. How about your Cai Cai?"

"Don’t even ask," Dean Cai sighed, lowering his head to eat. "Her performance was as stable as my blood pressure—not a single point more than necessary. If she refuses to retake the exams, she’ll probably end up at some vocational college."

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Xu Guangji picked up his chicken leg and placed it in Old Cai’s box. "Here, have it."

Old Cai immediately returned it. Just as Xu Guangji was about to say, Don’t stand on ceremony, your Cai Cai really is a handful , he watched as Dean Cai dipped the chicken into the sauce on Xu Guangji’s plate and took a hearty bite without hesitation. "Thanks," he said contentedly. "This sauce is delicious. Next time, I’ll have Cai Cai go to your place to scoop some more."

Xu Guangji: "..."

"But there’s something else," Old Cai said between enthusiastic bites, suddenly remembering. "I should probably give you a heads-up—is Xu Zhi dating someone?"

Xu Guangji slammed his chopsticks down. "Who told you that?"

"Don’t get worked up yet," Old Cai hurriedly explained, wiping his mouth. "After the third mock exam, there was a parents’ meeting you didn’t attend. In the teachers’ office, I saw a boy wearing a necklace—the one Qiudie left for Xu Zhi. But back then, her grades were still steady, and I didn’t want to upset you and affect her exams, so I kept quiet."

Xu Guangji fixed him with a piercing stare, silent.

"Don’t look at me like that. The exams are over now, so there’s no need to get worked up. Find a good time to talk to her properly—it is a bit early for dating. On that front, at least, our Yingying is reassuring. She’s not as pretty as your Xu Zhi, and her grades are terrible. If anyone actually wanted to date her," Old Cai said confidently, snapping his lunchbox shut, "I’d be the first to drag him to our hospital for an eye exam."The heavy rain had thoroughly washed over the entire city. The post-rain sky was even brighter, with lush leaves glistening an oily green under the downpour, while cicadas chirped carefree through one summer after another.

Xu Zhi went to Tan Xu’s rented apartment, but he wasn’t there. The door was shut tighter than the furnace of the Supreme Lord Laozi. A fellow student next door, also preparing for exams, mentioned he had gone back to his hometown in the afternoon and wouldn’t return until evening.

Xu Zhi dawdled her way downstairs, finally taking a proper look at the rundown apartment building. Most of its residents were high school seniors, given its proximity to City No. 1 High School.

The competition at City No. 1 High was notoriously fierce. Top scorers from county exams across the province—even from other provinces—jostled to get in, so there were many out-of-town students. Senior-year students from elsewhere usually preferred renting their own places since the dormitories enforced lights-out at ten sharp.

Rumor had it that in the months leading up to exams, the lights in this building would still be blazing at four or five in the morning. No wonder Tan Xu’s temper was so unpredictable under such cutthroat pressure.

Qingyi City was perpetually damp, with peeling walls in the stairwell exuding a musty, mildewy odor.

As Xu Zhi reached the first floor, she faintly overheard a low conversation from inside one of the units—

“Your results aren’t out yet, but your father and I have discussed it. We’d prefer to send you abroad rather than have you repeat another year.”

“Oh, whatever.”

The voice was cool, crisp, and magnetic.

Instinctively, Xu Zhi glanced up. The security door was ajar, and a long, sharp shadow stretched through the gap into the corridor. The building was old, cramped, and dilapidated, its walls streaked with grime, yet it somehow accentuated the clean, slender silhouette, making it oddly captivating.

Piled in the corner were several sticky fly traps, dense with insects, along with various brands of electric mosquito repellents—some even unused. Clearly, the occupant was picky and hard to please.

The woman spoke again: “As for that girl, you’ll have to make things clear with her eventually. It’s better to—”

“Yeah, I told you—do whatever. Even if she were my girlfriend, which she isn’t, it wouldn’t matter. Break us up if you want.” His tone suggested zero regard for self-preservation.

Through the narrow gap in the door, Xu Zhi caught a glimpse of a middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa, her demeanor elegant as an orchid, though her face wasn’t visible. The woman’s voice reminded Xu Zhi of her own mother, Lin Qiudie—almost identical in tone, gentle yet sharp, never hurried even when angry. The pale yellow floral dress she wore was one Xu Zhi seemed to recall her mother owning as well.

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” The woman’s temper flared, slamming a teacup onto the table. “If she’s not your girlfriend, why did you bring her home? What were you planning if I hadn’t shown up? And look at what you’re wearing! I’m not forbidding you from dating, but don’t push things to the point of no return! That girl’s father isn’t someone you can just brush off.”

He let out what sounded like a cold laugh.

“Perfect, then. Saves you the trouble of finding excuses to ship me abroad.”

“What kind of attitude is that! You think we’re meddling too much? If you have grievances, say them outright—none of this passive-aggressive nonsense.”The owner of the shadow stood with his back turned at the entrance. Tall and lean, he took full advantage of his superior physique, dressed casually—almost as if he'd been "caught in the act," hastily grabbing whatever clothes were at hand and throwing them on.

He wore an oversized basketball jersey on top, his frame perfectly proportioned—slender but not frail, with clean, sharp lines, the epitome of a human clothes hanger—the kind of guy who belonged in that league.

Xu Zhi recalled Cai Yingying mentioning that No. 1 High School wasn’t just fiercely competitive academically; even the handsome guys were in an arms race.

Her gaze landed on his school pants with their printed logo. Compared to Rui Jun’s flamboyant and ever-changing uniforms, No. 1 High’s had always been disciplined and proper.

But this guy clearly wasn’t the "proper" type. Leaning against the shoe cabinet by the door, one hand in his pocket, his school jacket slung loosely over his shoulders, he lazily rested one foot on a basketball covered in signatures. Amid his mother’s relentless verbal assault, he somehow remained calm enough to order takeout for himself.

"What are you ordering now?!" The woman clearly knew him inside out. "Is eating all you ever think about?"

"Can’t I even eat?" He poured fuel on the fire. "Maybe I should call the hospital and ask if they forgot to tell me I was made of iron when I was born."

"Do you always have to be so sharp-tongued?"

He sighed. "Well, didn’t you figure out I was a thorn the first day you met me?"

What, was he born with a knife in his mouth?

The woman seemed to realize she’d brought this on herself. After a brief silence, she abruptly changed the subject. "Did you spend the whole night at the police station with your grandpa yesterday?"

"What else was I supposed to do? The other party refused to settle privately."

"Of course they wouldn’t. It was a professional scam. Only your grandpa would be foolish enough to fall for it." She paused, noting his unwillingness to comment on his elder, and circled back. "That girl just now—was this the first time you brought her home, or have you two already—"

"God, I told you she’s not. Fine, if you want her to be, then she is. I’m done explaining." His patience had clearly run out.

The hallway was quiet, the cicadas outside the window screeching loudly, as if trying to drown out all discord. The woman’s voice finally softened slightly.

"I don’t care what you do. You’re leaving the country soon anyway—just sort out all this mess before then. And about last night—when you called me from the station, I was in a meeting at the studio. It didn’t end until 3 a.m. I only found out what happened when the police called this morning. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose."

"Yeah, I get it." Surprisingly agreeable for once, he didn’t press further or ask what she’d been doing after 3 a.m. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair and slowly pushed himself off the shoe cabinet like a sloth. "I’m gonna lie down."

"Wait," the woman stopped him. "Change your clothes first, then come with me to Professor Jiang’s place."

He let out a humorless laugh, his back arching in exasperation before he slumped back against the cabinet. "Why don’t you just sign me up for the Ironman Triathlon while you’re at it?"

As he spoke, Chen Luzhou suddenly glanced back down the hallway, his eyes meeting Xu Zhi’s outside the door. But he didn’t pay her any mind, quickly turning away again. Leaning there with his eyes closed, he looked utterly detached, shamelessly continuing his stubborn resistance.

"Mom, I haven’t slept all day. Even if I were your personal escort, I’d still need shifts—""Chen Luzhou! Can you be serious for once?"

So familiar. Xu Zhi had always been mischievous, speaking without filter, and Ms. Lin Qiudie’s catchphrase was also: Can you be serious for once?

He sighed. "Ah, Mom, don’t get mad yet. I haven’t even said the really unserious stuff. But haven’t I always gone along with whatever you and Dad wanted? As Zhu Yangqi and the others would say, I’m practically half a mama’s boy. Whether it was studying abroad or repeating a year, I let you decide. And I promise, I’ll even get your approval before dating anyone. Alright? Can I go to sleep now?"

"You really don’t know what’s good for you—"

The middle-aged woman’s voice cut off abruptly as an unfamiliar face suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

Xu Zhi must have missed those days of bickering with her mother too much. Listening to this verbal sparring, she found it oddly nostalgic and bittersweet. Like a rabbit perking its ears, she leisurely descended the stairs, making it obvious to anyone watching that she was "eavesdropping."

Chen Luzhou exhaled heavily, tilting his head back in exhaustion, utterly exasperated. "Mom, I’m really tired—"

Before he could finish, he noticed his mother’s gaze shifting away from their heated exchange. Frowning impatiently, he turned around.

The sky was ablaze with fiery clouds, the sunset like a painter’s brushstrokes, casting the narrow stairwell in a vivid, picturesque glow.

Their eyes met again—neither pair held any warmth, icy to the core. It was like two glasses of ice-cold beer, frothing aggressively, colliding into each other. No one could tell which was sharper.

This guy had strikingly defined features, an air of aloofness about him. His eyelids and lips were thin, and when he wasn’t smiling, he carried an unapproachable sharpness.

Xu Zhi had a round face, delicate and pretty features—she looked sweet at first glance. But her downfall was her eyes: cool and piercing, always detached, making her direct gaze seem almost "mischievous."

Unapproachable sharpness meeting mischievous detachment—well, that was awkward. Whoever spoke first would lose.

"……"

"……"

But internally, Xu Zhi was debating whether she should say, Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just heard your mom’s voice and thought of my late mother—

That probably wasn’t the right thing to say.

Then, looking into his eyes, she suddenly remembered what Old Xu had told her: People with steady gazes aren’t easily fooled. Whether this guy was steady at heart or not, his eyes were sharp—cleverness practically written in them.

Xu Zhi figured she might as well swallow her pride and apologize sincerely. But before she could open her mouth, he cut her off.

"How about this—we add each other on WeChat. Next time you want to listen to someone getting scolded, just buy a ticket from me in advance. I’ll even set up a seat for you by the door." Chen Luzhou tugged his school jacket off his shoulders and tied it around his waist—no idea what he was trying to cover—then leaned forward with a look of earnest concern. "Standing while eavesdropping must be exhausting."

"Sorry—"

Before Xu Zhi could finish, a deafening BANG echoed as he slammed the door shut with inexplicable fury. The gust of wind carried an unfamiliar, sharp scent that hit her face like a slap.The summer grove was veiled in a crimson haze, with tree shadows swaying across the ground. Xu Zhi could still hear faint echoes from inside the house, mingling with the tireless chirping of cicadas, reverberating through that scorching, radiant June.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" The woman, much like Madam Lin Qiudie, had a sharp tongue and absolutely refused to let him off the hook. "Is this how you talk to a girl? Proud of all your romantic entanglements, are you? Can't you speak properly without your mouth rotting?"

"Can't do it. That's just how I am," came his indifferent reply as he shuffled inside in slippers. "In your eyes, even talking to a dog counts as flirting."

"Keep pretending. You're an expert at bewitching people, and I can't be bothered with you. And another thing—if you're going to wear a jacket, wear it properly. What's with tying it around your waist? So sloppy."

"With all that frantic knocking earlier, did I even have time to find my underwear? Didn't you see how she was staring at me just now—"

Xu Zhi: ????????

If I saw that, I'd rather die.

Note!!