Be Passionately In Love

The hallway was too dark, and Chen Luzhou worried she couldn’t see his expression clearly. He reached for his phone, only to remember he hadn’t brought it with him. So he took Xu Zhi’s phone, turned on the flashlight, and mimicked her by shining it on his own face. Leaning sideways toward her, he tried to make sure she could see his expression, almost tempted to bonk her on the forehead with it. "Friend, I don’t recommend choosing a school based on train tickets."

Xu Zhi chuckled, keeping the phone aimed at Chen Luzhou’s face without pulling it back. In the pitch-black hallway, this close-up magnified his features countless times, making them appear even more refined—his sharp, smooth jawline and the light falling into his eyes, brighter than stars, utterly breathtaking. She gazed at him and said with utmost sincerity, "Your eyelashes are so long."

One of them leaned against the wall with a shoulder, the other against the doorframe, facing each other. Though he had already withdrawn his hand, arms crossed over his chest, Xu Zhi’s flashlight remained trained on his face. He didn’t seem to mind, merely looking down at her with a sidelong glance. "What’s with the eyelash talk now?"

Xu Zhi sighed. "Can you understand the heart of an academic underachiever?"

"You? An underachiever?" Chen Luzhou raised an eyebrow. "Too much humility is just hypocrisy, friend."

"We met too late," Xu Zhi said. "If you don’t believe me, ask Cai Yingying. In my first year of high school, I was still ranked in the twenties in my class. Back then, forget Qing University—my goal was just to secure a spot in a second-tier school and aim for first-tier. I never even dreamed of 985 or 211 schools. My dad would’ve considered it a miracle if I got into an average university. So when my scores came out this time, he still doesn’t believe it. He went out drinking with Uncle Cai, which is why I sneaked out to find you."

Xu Guangji had even asked if it might be a case of mistaken identity. Xu Zhi had to show him her exam and ID numbers again before he staggered out in a daze to find Cai Binhong.

Xu Zhi continued, "Besides, I’ve checked. A University might be fine, but their architecture program—I’m worried there’s a risk. I don’t want to settle for major adjustments. A senior just explained the admission process to me. She said, for example, if A University’s cutoff is 720, my file would be taken by them first. Then it goes into major-specific admission. But if the architecture program’s cutoff is 740 and I don’t agree to adjustments, I’d slip through the cracks. She said even though there are five choices, the college entrance exam follows a one-time admission principle. If the first round doesn’t work, it means the first batch of applications is over. I’d have to wait for the second batch, but by then, T University’s architecture program might already be full. So the senior suggested T University as the safer bet, but A University is worth a shot."

It was as good as saying nothing.

This year’s scores were unusually high. Normally, Xu Zhi’s score would’ve placed her in the top ten in Zongshan. So after congratulating her and checking the provincial rankings, he felt uneasy and specifically looked it up for her on A University’s website. After some thought, he said, "There’s a big difference between the architecture department and architecture-related majors. For example, at A University, besides the architecture department, the School of Architecture has many other architecture-related programs. I just checked—they admit over thirty students from our province every year across all architecture-related majors combined. Do you specifically want the architecture department, or just an architecture-related major?"

"Actually, what I want to study is—"Before the words could fade, a soft sound of a door closing came from upstairs. It was followed by unhurried footsteps descending from above, accompanied by voices, "Tomorrow I'll go to his school and see. What was that girl's name again? Xu Zhi, right? I'm going to ask the teachers how many points she scored!"

The two downstairs exchanged a sudden glance. Xu Zhi recognized them—it must be Tan Xu's parents.

The footsteps drew nearer, heartbeats pounding like drums in their ears, while the rustling leaves outside the window continued their fearless chorus.

As someone descended, the motion-sensor light on the second floor flickered on. Xu Zhi saw the shadows of two middle-aged figures slowly making their way down the stairs. Just as the shadows grew larger, about to emerge from the corner, her vision was abruptly blocked.

Chen Luzhou braced his hand against the wall behind her, lowering his head to shield her completely. Xu Zhi felt that familiar yet unfamiliar scent of sagebrush drift into her nose again, as if tiny figures danced upon her heart, each step pressing down on her chest. She looked up into his eyes, meeting his gaze. The dim glow of the second-floor light cast a hazy silhouette behind them, blurring their outlines, but their breaths remained distinct—measured, warm, and uneven.

Chen Luzhou maintained perfect control. Though his head was lowered and his eyes fixed on hers, the distance between them wasn’t close. Yet from behind, it looked like a pair of young lovers entwined in an embrace, on the verge of a kiss.

Tan Xu’s parents walked past, scoffing disdainfully, "What kind of people live in this building? Xu Xu must have been corrupted by them. I said back then he shouldn’t have transferred schools. Young people these days have no shame!"

"I never agreed to let Xu Xu come here in the first place. It was you who insisted the education here was better."

"Oh, so now it’s my fault, is it? After all the effort I put into raising my son—do you know how hard it’s been?!"

Their voices gradually faded, their footsteps growing distant. The second-floor light flickered off again, plunging the hallway into silent darkness, save for the occasional chirp of cicadas.

"They said you have no shame," Xu Zhi murmured, leaning against the wall.

Chen Luzhou, whose good intentions had been mistaken for something else, seemed to forget he was still pinning her against the wall. He didn’t move away, merely looking down at her with an exasperated smile. "Me? No shame? Hmm? Who’s the one with the romantic debts here? And you have the nerve to say I’m shameless?"

"Tan Xu?" Xu Zhi hesitated, struggling to explain. "It’s hard to describe, but it’s not what you think."

"And what do I think?" His gaze was loaded with implication.

"When he first transferred here, he wasn’t doing well. At the time, my dad’s depression was severe, and I was constantly worried he might take his own life. My grades, which had been around 20th in class, plummeted to the 40s. Tan Xu was my desk mate, so we talked a lot. One day, while I was stressing over an exam, he asked if I wanted to get into a good university. I said of course—only an idiot wouldn’t. So he offered to help me. Later, Old Qu—our homeroom teacher—noticed my improvement and paired us into a study group. In a way, he was once my mentor and confidant. He really did help me a lot. But later, when he realized he couldn’t outscore me, he… changed. Became different."

Chen Luzhou watched her intently, his expression deepening. He was about to ask how he had changed when—"Creak—" The door to their home swung open, and Zhu Yangqi’s head popped out. "Holy shit, did you just run off with the delivery guy or something—"

As the door opened, light spilled through the crack, instantly illuminating the faces of the young man and woman in the darkness.

Chen Luzhou had one hand braced against the wall while the other, holding the takeout bag, instinctively lifted to shield Xu Zhi’s face. Just as he was about to retort with "You won’t die from eating," Zhu Yangqi took one look at the scene and swiftly shut the door. A faint apology drifted through the gap: "Sorry, you two. My bad."

Zhu Yangqi, now safely behind the closed door, patted his chest in shock, though his mind was busy replaying what he’d just witnessed.

Honestly, Chen Luzhou was just on another level—a master at setting the mood. If the air around them could be bottled up, Zhu Yangqi was sure it’d taste sweet.

Out in the hallway, Xu Zhi turned on her phone flashlight, the air between them cooling slightly. Chen Luzhou had leaned back against the door, one hand lazily pressed against it to prevent another abrupt intrusion, the other still holding the takeout. He hesitated, debating whether to invite her in, wary of Zhu Yangqi’s big mouth. "Wanna come in?"

Xu Zhi asked, "Who’s inside?"

Chen Luzhou thought for a moment. "People you know—Feng Jin, Zhu Yangqi, and a couple. Just ignore them."

"That doesn’t seem right," Xu Zhi said. "Maybe I should just head back."

He didn’t push, offering a casual smile. "Up to you. I was just thinking I could use my laptop to look up some stuff about your major."

"Then I’ll come in."

Chen Luzhou straightened up and unlocked the door with his fingerprint, his gaze fixed on her the entire time, not even glancing at the lock. Slowly, he asked, "That day in Linshi—were you waiting for me?"

Xu Zhi hadn’t expected the question, but she didn’t dodge it. "Yeah. You tricked me into praying to the fertility goddess. Of course I was gonna settle the score."

"Then why didn’t you wait?"

"The front desk said you’d been taken to the police station, so I went there to find you. But then I saw you with some woman in ancient costume. Figured you had another shoot, so I left."

The door beeped and clicked open. Without a word, Chen Luzhou shut it again, pressing his palm against the surface. He exhaled sharply, lips pressed together in exasperation before he suddenly laughed. "Unbelievable."

Whatever.

A second later, he reopened the door, his tone entirely different now—terse, almost annoyed. He jerked his chin toward the inside. "Get in."

Xu Zhi muttered an "Okay."

The scene inside was lively—they were playing cards. The couple Chen Luzhou had mentioned seemed glued together, the girl either sitting on the guy’s lap, draped over his shoulders, feeding him grapes or bananas, or locking lips every few minutes.

Jiang Cheng hadn’t even noticed an extra person in the room. The moment Chen Luzhou entered, he directed Xu Zhi to wait in the bedroom. The living room and entryway were separated by a partition, so no one spotted her as she walked past—except Zhu Yangqi, who, recognizing Xu Zhi, instinctively played along with Chen Luzhou’s "golden house" act. After all, Jiang Cheng had been getting too close to Tan Xu lately, and Zhu Yangqi had a feeling things would escalate until even Chen Luzhou might cut ties with him.

"So… how’s it going with Tan Xu these days?" Zhu Yangqi ventured cautiously.Jiang Cheng was intently picking up his cards, slotting them in. "Tan Xu? No idea. His parents came to visit recently, and he won't even come out to play basketball."

"Just watch out—" Zhu Yangqi wanted to warn him, but in the next second, a bottle cap unexpectedly smacked him on the head. He looked up to see Chen Luzhou leaning against the edge of the dining table, hands in his pockets, waiting for the water to boil. His cold gaze seemed to tell Zhu Yangqi to shut up. The cap had hit with precision and force, silently bouncing onto the sofa before disappearing into the pillows without disturbing anyone else.

Zhu Yangqi realized it was true—Tan Xu hadn’t been bothering them much lately. Speaking up so rashly might seem like stirring trouble. If it was for Xu Zhi’s sake, it would make her seem like some femme fatale, which wouldn’t be good for her reputation. He felt he was meddling again. Fine, I won’t interfere.

Jiang Cheng eyed him suspiciously. "Watch out for what?"

"Watch out for Feng Jin. He’s got four twos."

Feng Jin howled in outrage, "Damn it, Zhu Yangqi, your card-peeking skills are getting sharper!"

Zhu Yangqi smirked disdainfully. "Why would I need to peek at your cards? The way you hold them is like my grandma arranging flowers—scattered all over the place. Look at these four lined up neatly—what else could they be but a bomb?"

"..." Feng Jin was so incensed by his razor-sharp observation that he scrambled all his cards.

Zhu Yangqi rarely got to show off like this, unaware that Chen Luzhou had fed him the intel. He wasn’t that observant—after knowing Feng Jin for so long, he’d never noticed he used his left hand for both eating and playing cards. Chen Luzhou had figured it out after just one game and even mentioned Feng Jin was left-handed.

Such a smart and attentive guy. Sigh.

As soon as Chen Luzhou walked in with the water, Xu Zhi asked him, "Still in the honeymoon phase?"

She meant Jiang Cheng. Chen Luzhou handed her the water and went to turn on his computer. After a moment’s thought, he said, "About a year? He brought her along during last summer’s basketball games."

"And they’re still so lovey-dovey?"

Chen Luzhou pulled a chair over beside her and shot her a glance. "What, should they break up after a year?"

"Dunno. I’ve never been in a relationship, but according to some senior girls I know, if a relationship lasts over a year, it’s hard to feel that spark anymore."

"Really?" Chen Luzhou eyed her skeptically.

She spoke with authority. "Yeah. Some just break up cleanly, while others drag it out, waiting for the other person to end it so they feel less guilty and can move on with a clear conscience."

Chen Luzhou let out an "Oh." He’d never been in a relationship either and didn’t know if feelings could fade so quickly, so he kept his opinion to himself. He casually grabbed the mouse and clicked open a browser, only to find that the search bar automatically displayed past search terms.

"Got injured playing basketball, morning wood not as hard as before—"

Xu Zhi was sitting on the chair next to him, and her gaze instinctively drifted toward—

Chen Luzhou yanked a blanket from the bed and draped it over himself, clearly unwilling to give her even an inch. He shot her a cold glare. "What are you looking at?"

Author’s Note: Xu Zhi: "So stingy."

Don’t compare it to real-life universities—I can’t keep track anymore. My head’s spinning.

200 red envelopes.The update will be posted very early tomorrow, probably around noon. I might need to take a day or two off later as I have to travel out of town for work. My cough hasn't gotten better yet, and I'm not sure if I'll be taken away for quarantine. Don't worry, if I do get quarantined, I'll bring my laptop with me.

Just a heads-up: if I do take time off, I'll make up for it with double updates during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

——————

P.S. This story isn't that long, but it's not short either—about the same length as my previous works. Everything that needs to be covered will be. Rest assured.