Be Passionately In Love

Apart from that brief encounter on the stairs, it had actually been three months since they'd properly seen each other.

That span of time wasn’t enough to change a person, but there was still a trace of unfamiliarity and wariness in the way they looked at one another now. If you said Chen Luzhou had changed drastically, that wouldn’t be true—but to say he hadn’t changed at all wasn’t right either.

His gaze was still sharp, his eyelids and the corners of his mouth—kissed more than a few times—still thin. Back then, Xu Zhi had found it strange: Chen Luzhou’s lips were so thin, so why did they feel so soft when they kissed? His handsome features remained as striking as ever, but there was a colder distance to him now, an air of steadiness and resolve that hadn’t been there before. It was as if a lone boat, drifting rudderless across the sea for days, had finally, silently, reached shore.

But when he wasn’t smiling, that unyielding, hard-to-fool aloofness resurfaced instantly.

The cafeteria was crowded, people coming and going. Yet because the space was so vast, the scattered sounds of activity seemed faint in the echoing hall. The clatter of trays being tossed around filled the air. Xu Zhi stared at him for a long time, and Chen Luzhou quietly met her gaze—his eyes still piercing, but with a possessiveness they hadn’t held before.

He had thought of many ways to start the conversation, each phrase rolling awkwardly on his tongue. He was chewing on a piece of candy, idly holding it in his mouth as he sat there in the noisy cafeteria, surrounded by curious glances, looking at the person across from him. In the end, he swallowed back the suffocating ache in his chest. There was no need for her to know how he’d gotten here, or what he’d gone through along the way.

With a tilt of his chin toward the braised pork rice in front of her, he asked with a smile, “Is the pork rice good?”

Just like that night when he’d helped her fill out her college applications—Chen Luzhou, petty as ever, had refused to let her see, draping a blanket over his lap. Xu Zhi had deliberately provoked him then, asking, Is the pork rice good? Meaning: My eyes are sharp—if I really wanted to look, I would’ve done it that afternoon.

Using this line now, during their reunion, was clearly meant to tug at her memories.

But Xu Zhi didn’t speak. She just sat there, staring at him with an intensity that made Li Ke shudder. Only Chen Luzhou could remain so composed under such a merciless interrogation. The sheer, unflinching sharpness in Xu Zhi’s gaze had him mentally reviewing every misdeed he’d ever committed—

Breaking someone’s window at six, stealing melons at ten and getting chased by the old man, breaking a girl’s heart at sixteen…

Luckily, Chen Luzhou had nothing to hide. At six, he’d never broken any windows. At ten, he’d never stolen melons. And at sixteen, he’d never broken a girl’s heart—well, not really. There’d only ever been one girl he’d properly tangled with, and now she was sitting right in front of him, looking like she might cry.

“Don’t recognize me?” he asked quietly.

Xu Zhi replied evenly, “What’s your relationship with Chen Luzhou?”

Chen Luzhou thought for a moment, then said, “His younger brother, maybe? Chen Sanzhou?”

The cafeteria was vast and empty, but Xu Zhi suddenly found it hard to breathe. She barely touched her food before pushing her chopsticks aside and standing to leave. Coolly, she said to Chen Luzhou, “Fine. Then let’s keep our distance from now on. After all, your brother should be in Liverpool right now.”That same night, Xu Zhi had said she might not go to Beijing either. If A University didn’t accept her, she might end up in Shanghai. In any case, she wouldn’t tell him where she went, and he shouldn’t tell her where he was going abroad either.

After that, both of them deliberately avoided the topic. So when Liverpool slipped from her lips, it felt oddly significant. Chen Luzhou had thought she really wouldn’t ask about his study abroad plans, but in the end, she had—through Zhu Yangqi.

“Xu Zhi, I—”

Before he could finish, a clear male voice cut in, familiar and urging, “Xu Zhi, done eating? The meeting’s about to start.”

Xu Zhi didn’t look at Chen Luzhou again. She picked up her tray and stood, heading toward the tall boy waiting by the dish return. His face was obscured, but his height was unmistakable.

Li Ke glanced at Chen Luzhou, finishing his coffee before speaking. “You wouldn’t believe how lively campus was at the start of the semester. There was this senior who, rain or shine, brought her breakfast at eight every morning outside her dorm. Guess what Xu Zhi told him?”

“What?” Chen Luzhou watched their retreating figures as he slowly crushed the candy between his teeth.

“She said, ‘Senior, by the time you bring it, I’ve already eaten.’ The senior, curious, asked, ‘What time do you eat breakfast?’ She said, ‘Four a.m.’ He came back and told his roommate, ‘That girl’s ruthless. If she’d just said six, it wouldn’t have felt like such a brutal rejection. Who wakes up at four in college?’”

No wonder he gave up so easily.

Chen Luzhou smirked and turned to Li Ke. “She really does wake up at four.”

Back when they got their ears pierced, chatting idly under the awning, they’d talked about their high school routines. Xu Zhi had mentioned she slept at eleven and woke at four—for over a year. She’d said it casually, but only those who’d survived the gaokao knew how grueling that was.

Li Ke blinked. “Seriously? How do you know?”

The third floor of the second cafeteria grew noisier, the clatter of trays unending. A tightness coiled in Chen Luzhou’s chest—he thought it was just frustration, but later realized it was heartache. He peeled the protective film off his newly issued campus card, revealing the fresh surface beneath. The photo was from his first year of high school, taken before he’d fully grown into his features—pale and boyish, like a peeled scallion root.

Chen Luzhou sighed, his tone lazy. “You think becoming a dark horse is easy? It’s exhausting. Rui Jun’s just an ordinary high school—how many top-tier universities has it produced over the years? Barely any 211s, right? She’s the only one who made it this far in years. Without sheer willpower, she wouldn’t be here. Li Ke, you probably don’t get it—how much I admire her. Our grades came from the grind of City No. 1 High, from an environment where everything aligned. Everyone expected us to succeed. But her? Her rise gave so many people hope. Don’t you think that’s cooler than us? Way cooler.”

Li Ke paused, struck by the truth of it. Singing under the stars was just embellishment; those who clawed their way out of the mud were the real stars. Xu Zhi was rare. He found himself reflecting, “You’re right. I’ve been slacking lately—went to bed at two last night, didn’t get up till eight for class.”Chen Luzhou sighed again, "Then I'm even worse off. I skipped a whole month of classes." After saying that, he put his phone and student ID back in his pocket and then, as if casually, asked, "Are there a lot of people pursuing her?"

"Quite a few, actually. Right after enrollment, the novelty factor probably played a big role. I’ve seen her get stopped multiple times on the way to class by people asking for her WeChat. Things have calmed down now, though. Maybe everyone’s realized she’s hard to chase—even Jiang Yu didn’t succeed. Basically, no one’s bothering to try anymore."

Chen Luzhou raised an eyebrow. The candy in his mouth had melted, leaving an overly sweet taste. "That guy just now?" he asked.

Li Ke nodded.

The two stood up, preparing to head back to the dorm. Without even getting a clear look at the guy’s face, Chen Luzhou remarked offhandedly, "Not bad. Pretty handsome."

Li Ke scoffed, "Oh, come on. You’re just jealous."

Chen Luzhou chuckled as they started downstairs, chatting idly. He lazily stuffed his hands into his pockets, taking each step at a leisurely pace. His height alone made him stand out in a crowd, and combined with his effortless, carefree demeanor, he never lacked for attention.

He was used to ignoring it—those curious or shy glances—handling them with practiced ease. Unconcerned about others knowing he had a girl he liked, he openly discussed Xu Zhi with Li Ke.

Chen Luzhou said, "Seriously, though. If she meets someone decent and wants to weigh her options, I wouldn’t mind. It’s not about anything else. You might not believe me, but the first time I ever felt inferior was the day I helped her check her exam scores. When I said I admired her, I meant it. Even if you threw me into Rui Jun, I might not have scored as well as she did."

Admiration mixed with a pang of protectiveness.

Li Ke also smiled. "Same here. If it weren’t for you pushing me so hard, I wouldn’t have gotten my scores either. But that Jiang Yu—he’s got good credentials all around. I think he’s a local. Beyond that, I don’t know much. I asked around for you as soon as you got here. Xu Zhi’s in his department now. Rumor has it there’s a senior in their department who happens to be Xu Zhi’s roommate. She’s the one who convinced Xu Zhi to join the publicity department. Either way, he’s got the home-court advantage over you."

**

The interdepartmental basketball tournament was next week, the publicity department’s current priority. Xu Zhi sat in their temporarily borrowed meeting room, hugging her laptop and staring helplessly at the structural assignment due tomorrow. She’d been so preoccupied thinking about Chen Luzhou lately that if Xu Gongzhu hadn’t just asked to borrow her PowerPoint, she would’ve completely forgotten about the assignment.

A while later, Jiang Yu came in and handed her the sponsorship forms for the tournament. He dragged a chair over and sat across from her, resting his chin on the backrest. "I’ve contacted two companies—both are interested. I’m planning to meet them tomorrow at noon to discuss specifics. Can you bring your laptop to take notes on their requirements?"

Xu Zhi closed her laptop and took the forms from him, glancing at them to confirm the time. "Tomorrow at noon?" she asked.Jiang Yu gave a noncommittal hum. For some reason, Xu Zhi was the type who seemed bland and indifferent at first glance—almost ascetic—but the longer you looked at her, the more captivating she became. Especially when she was putting someone in their place.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival event, when they were coordinating with a company, most corporate representatives were polite due to the school’s reputation. But that time, they ran into an absurd company that not only demanded last-minute changes to the plan but also remained unsatisfied no matter how they revised it. The truth was, the company itself lacked substance—they had no clear promotional focus but still acted pretentious, dismissing everything as beneath them. They even kept saying things like, "Your prestigious students are so high-maintenance. We’ve worked with students from other schools just fine—why do you get special treatment?"

Xu Zhi had casually tossed out a reply, "It’s not that we want special treatment. It’s that your company has no distinguishing features—otherwise, this wouldn’t be so difficult." The other party turned green with anger, but she had hit the nail right on the head.

Now, Jiang Yu leaned against the back of his chair and pressed again, stubbornly. "No time?"

"Branch secretary meeting tomorrow at noon."

Jiang Yu thought for a moment. "Evening then? After the department meeting?"

"There’s a club meeting too. By the time everything wraps up, it’ll probably be past ten. The dorm lights will already be out."

"Your whole day’s booked? You’re really something," Jiang Yu said regretfully. "So there’s no time even for a meal?"

Xu Zhi gave a cool "Mm," not even lifting her eyelids as she handed the sponsorship form back to him. Her lashes, soft and delicate, cast faint shadows, and the subtle teardrop mole under her right eye only accentuated her detached, almost austere demeanor. His dormmates had even joked that Jiang Yu should try throwing money at her, but he had beaten them up for it—Xu Zhi was clearly the type who couldn’t care less about money.

Taking back the form, Jiang Yu flicked it dejectedly and sighed. "Fine, I’ll take Zhao Zhao then."

Zhao Zhao, who had been enthusiastically chatting with someone about the handsome guys in the cafeteria, turned and shot him a glare. "Don’t drag me into this. Last time, you treated me like your assistant—even made me run out to buy cigarettes."

Jiang Yu smirked. "Exactly why I’m taking you."

Zhao Zhao wailed dramatically, swearing she’d rather die than go, and begged Xu Zhi to save her. Xu Zhi patted her head sympathetically but said, "I really can’t. Tomorrow’s packed—branch secretary meeting at noon, and my department has back-to-back classes all day."

Mondays were like that for almost every department, making Monday mornings the busiest and most vibrant time on campus. Especially after the National Day break, as the weather grew colder, the overachievers seemed to multiply, all striving to be the first proud plum blossoms braving the autumn chill.

It was early autumn then, and dawn still came early. By 4:30 a.m., the horizon was already tinged with the pale light of morning. Outside the window, the world was muted in gray. Across from the girls’ dormitory stood a small grove, its cobblestone path strewn with golden-yellow fallen leaves that crunched softly underfoot whenever someone passed by.

By the time Xu Zhi finished washing up, rushed through the last of her structural design assignment, and headed downstairs for breakfast, she spotted that very first proud plum blossom standing in the cold wind—right outside the dormitory.Chen Luzhou was wearing a gray hoodie with a pair of sweatpants featuring side stripes. The logos on his clothes were still from that niche brand he loved—almost all his outfits were from this brand. Xu Zhi had later searched online for the brand's model photos, but after seeing them, she didn’t even feel like clicking for a closer look. The models were all foreigners, and the styling was… questionable, to say the least—sweaters paired with shorts, shirts with leather pants, and the prices weren’t cheap either. Xu Zhi couldn’t understand why he liked this brand, and Chen Luzhou had embarrassingly admitted that it was recommended by a model friend of his mom’s from the TV station. Because of his height and proportions, it was hard for him to find well-fitting clothes—either the pant legs were too short or too loose. This brand was supposedly popular among male models.

It was already six in the morning, the usual time the cafeteria opened. Xu Zhi typically only came downstairs around this time too.

When Chen Luzhou walked up to her, Xu Zhi felt as if the sky behind him brightened slightly. The soft morning light shimmered faintly in his hair as he stood there, hands tucked in his pockets, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. After what felt like an eternity, he finally said, "Want to grab breakfast together?"

Chen Luzhou had imagined many scenarios for this conversation, but he hadn’t expected it to circle back to this noisy cafeteria. At this hour, though, it was quieter than the night before, though the occasional clatter of trays being tossed around still echoed in the background.

After getting her food, Xu Zhi turned to grab a spoon, only for Chen Luzhou to place one directly into her bowl. Startled, she then moved to get chopsticks, but he promptly set them beside her. The next second, a small dish of vinegar appeared in front of her, and he nodded toward the soup dumplings on her tray.

Xu Zhi had no choice but to sit down.

"What time did you get here?" she asked.

Chen Luzhou had only taken a bottle of milk and an egg for himself. He tapped the egg twice before peeling it casually. "Four."

Xu Zhi: "…You couldn’t have texted first?"

Chen Luzhou glanced at her. "I did. Did you reply?"

He had sent one message last night, but today was an exception—Xu Zhi had been pulling an all-nighter to finish her structural design assignment and had only slept three or four hours. She hadn’t bothered replying to his pointless text, which had just been: You there?

"I know you’re busy today," Chen Luzhou said, head still bent as he peeled the egg. "I’ll only say a couple of things. Won’t take up much of your time."

"How do you know I’m busy today?"

His eyelids drooped lazily as he placed the peeled egg in her bowl. "Funny coincidence—your dormmate Liu Yisi’s boyfriend is my roommate. I got your department’s schedule from him. Class rep meeting, department meeting, club meeting… right? Quite the titles. Addicted to being an official?"

Author’s Note:

Chen Luzhou: This is how you chase someone.

The rest is just their back-and-forth—I promise you’ll get sick of it. Just read for fun, everyone, keep it lighthearted.

Leaving a comment on this chapter gets you a red packet. Let’s happily turn the page, alright? If you’re feeling too anxious, maybe take a break and come back later.