Dazzling

When they emerged from the cafeteria, several people nearby weren't far from them. At first, no one noticed what was happening. By the time they realized, they only saw Xing Wu using his clothes to shield Qing Ye's fluttering skirt hem, and then Qing Ye immediately smashed his glasses off and asked him why he'd become nearsighted?

That single sentence single-handedly dragged her perceived intelligence into negative territory in everyone's minds. They were utterly stunned—who asks someone why they're nearsighted upon seeing them wear glasses?

The situation was too abrupt. The first to react was Qu Bing, who quickly pulled Qing Ye aside and said to Xing Wu, "Sorry, Qing Ye didn't mean it. How much were your glasses? We'll pay for them, or we can take you to get new ones."

Qu Xing also awkwardly patted Xing Wu's shoulder: "You okay?"

Xing Wu touched his nose and replied without any anger: "It's fine."

Qu Bing shot Qu Xing a look, and he said while keeping his arm around Xing Wu's shoulder: "We should get going now. We have class soon."

After saying this, he quickly ushered Xing Wu away. Qing Ye still held the broken glasses in her hand. Qu Bing looked at her with indescribable expression and said: "He was just trying to shield your skirt hem. Was it necessary to react so strongly?"

"...What did I do?"

Xie Qianqian reminded from the side: "You smashed his glasses."

"...Oh."

Sun Wanjing said: "I don't think he'll accept money if you offer it. Maybe you should get him new glasses or treat him to a meal instead. Otherwise, you're making Qu Xing feel awkward too."

"...Hmm."

On the way to the classroom, Qing Ye clutched the broken glasses while the other three remained quiet. Suddenly, Qu Bing blurted out: "Do you think... Xing Wu might be planning to pursue Qing Ye?"

This made the other two (excluding Qing Ye) somewhat agree. After all, since lunchtime, his attitude toward Qing Ye had seemed different—they weren't blind. But currently, it appeared to be unrequited affection, and not just unrequited, but somewhat disastrous.

However, Qing Ye spent the entire afternoon staring blankly at the broken glasses on her desk.

She didn't understand why Xing Wu had become nearsighted. She remembered back in Anzi County when he took her to the arcade for shooting competitions—his eyesight had been so sharp then. How had he become nearsighted?

Qing Ye's fingers traced the glasses frame, recalling how Xing Wu had been seriously injured after the county sports meet, suffering a concussion. He'd left the hospital without proper rest to rush to Shanghai, then underwent a month of intense training and competitions. Later, when she returned to Beijing, Xing Wu's grandmother passed away, and his life turned bitter. She could even imagine him staying up late constantly, exhausted, until he collapsed and ended up in the hospital.

What tremendous price had he paid along this journey, stumbling through uncharted territory to forcibly carve out a path drenched in sweat and blood? Thinking of this, Qing Ye tightly gripped the glasses, her eyes dry and uncomfortable. Her mind filled with memories of his kindness, and all the resentment buried in her heart instantly dissipated. She felt only grateful that he had finally come—just a few buildings away from her. She could even feel him breathing the same air under the same sky. This sensation made her feel completely alive again.

Thus, that was the first time Qing Ye lost focus during a specialized course, barely listening to anything all afternoon.That afternoon, just as Xing Wu and his classmates finished their lessons and stepped out, they noticed a girl with flowing long hair standing outside the classroom. Her slender silhouette and the soft, pale green ruffled hem of her dress swayed gently. When she turned her head, her clear, elegant eyes were strikingly captivating, like a refreshing breeze sweeping into one's heart. In this place with a severely skewed gender ratio, she quickly drew the attention of many male students. Even Xing Wu was surprised that Qing Ye had suddenly shown up.

Qu Xing was the first to call out to her, "Senior, are you here for me?"

Zhuang Sixian followed and waved at her, "Hey, senior."

Qing Ye smiled at them and then pointed at Xing Wu behind them, "I'm here for him."

Qu Xing immediately said, "Oh, about the glasses, right? Don't worry about it. I'll go with him later to get a new pair."

Just as Xing Wu reached them, Qing Ye stared at him and said, "We're going to get the glasses now."

Her tone wasn't questioning but left no room for argument.

Qu Xing glanced at Xing Wu, who turned and handed his books to Zhuang Sixian, saying, "Take these back to the dorm for me."

Zhuang Sixian took the books, "Alright, you two go ahead."

They left without giving it much thought. Qing Ye had already located a nearby glasses store—it wasn't far from the campus gate. Walking side by side across the campus, the soft slanting rays of the sun cast a warm golden glow over the earth. Having been here for a year, Qing Ye had never felt until this moment that Q University under the sunset was so beautiful.

She broke the silence first, asking him, "Are you hungry? Should we eat first?"

He habitually slipped his hands into his casual pants pockets, lowering his gaze to the path ahead, "Sure."

"Forget it. I'm afraid you'll eat with your nose. Let's get the glasses first."

"???"

"What do you want to eat later?"

"Anything."

"There's no restaurant called 'Anything.'"

"What do you want to eat?"

"I'm asking you because I don't know."

"How about hot pot?"

"No, it'll make us smell."

"Barbecue?"

"Don't feel like it, it's too hot."

"...Stir-fry?"

"Didn't we just have that for lunch?"

"...What do you actually want to eat?"

"Just somewhere cool, with few people, and no queues."

"Got it."

"Got it?"

"Mm."

"Where?"

She tilted her head to look at him, and he turned with a faint, teasing smile, "I'll take you after we get the glasses."

They continued chatting about trivial matters, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far. An inexplicable emotion lingered between them—familiar yet strange.

Given Qing Ye's popularity on campus and Xing Wu's strikingly handsome appearance without his glasses, they attracted quite a few glances along the way.

At the glasses store, while Xing Wu was getting his eyes tested, Qing Ye sat by the counter helping him pick out frames. She finally settled on a pair of rimless glasses with black accents, which looked high-end and sophisticated.

Just as Xing Wu came out, the store clerk said to Qing Ye, "You have good taste. These are the latest model—rimless cut, lightweight and durable, with dual-tone vacuum plating."

"Let's go with these."

Only after deciding did she turn to ask Xing Wu for his opinion, "Um... what do you think?"

Xing Wu half-smiled, "I'll listen to you."

While waiting, Qing Ye went to pay, but Xing Wu grabbed her arm, "No need."Qing Ye insisted, "It's necessary. If the girls in my dorm find out I went with you to get glasses and ended up letting you pay for them yourself, I'd never hear the end of it."

Xing Wu chuckled and released her. One had to admit Qing Ye had excellent taste—these glasses weren't cheap, costing over four figures. But thinking of the style she had picked for Xing Wu, she couldn't wait to see how he would look wearing them.

As soon as the glasses were ready, she eagerly took them, carefully inspected them, then turned to Xing Wu and said, "Bend your waist a little."

Xing Wu obliged, leaning forward and lowering his head. Qing Ye carefully placed the newly fitted glasses on him, while Xing Wu watched her with a smile playing on his lips. The sudden closeness made Qing Ye's cheeks flush slightly, and her gaze inadvertently fell on his lips. Her small tongue unconsciously darted out to moisten them.

Xing Wu's eyes suddenly darkened as he called her name, "Qing Ye."

She blinked, "Hmm?"

His gaze grew increasingly intense, and she felt he had something to say, but what came out was, "Do they look good?"

Qing Ye then straightened up and took a step back to appraise him, declaring, "My taste is absolutely impeccable!"

"..." Well, the main point was to praise herself.

The glasses indeed suited Xing Wu's face shape perfectly, making him look much more refined once he put them on. Though it felt unfamiliar to see him like this, Qing Ye couldn't help but want to laugh the whole way.

This only made Xing Wu more self-conscious. He kept adjusting the glasses on his face and occasionally glanced at his reflection in passing shop windows, wondering if he looked really strange.

When they passed by a supermarket, Xing Wu suddenly stopped and said, "Let's buy some water. There's no water to drink over there."

"...What kind of place serves a meal without even providing water?"

Xing Wu smiled and walked into the supermarket. Qing Ye had no choice but to follow him in, puzzled. He went straight to the two rows of shelves selling water and asked Qing Ye, "What do you want to drink?"

Qing Ye bent over to browse the selection, her ruffled mini skirt riding up slightly. Xing Wu frowned and stood behind her to block the view. Qing Ye picked up a bottle of drink and turned to look at him, "Why are you standing behind me?"

A playful glint suddenly flashed across Xing Wu's face, "Don't you think this skirt of yours is a bit short?"

"I don't think so."

"Heh."

"What's with the 'heh'?"

"What's an electric little motor?"

"..." Qing Ye was immediately speechless, and a strange blush spread across her face.

Xing Wu casually picked up a bottle of mineral water and said leisurely, "I never would've guessed you were that kind of good student."

Qing Ye looked around and wanted to slap him. Xing Wu, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, sidestepped and said, "Practitioner, please exercise self-restraint."

With that, he turned and took the water from her hand, telling her, "Wait for me outside."

"Why should I wait for you outside?"

"It's cooler out there."

Qing Ye narrowed her eyes, sensing something fishy about his intentions.

"There's no air conditioning outside. Are you tricking me?"

Xing Wu glanced at her but didn't respond. Qing Ye, still confused, went outside to wait for him. Through the supermarket's glass door, she could see him waiting in line to check out, occasionally looking up to glance at her. When he came out, Qing Ye immediately asked, "Have you grown taller again?"

He lowered his head with a smile, "Seems like I've grown about two centimeters."

"185 cm now?"

"Just about."Qing Ye moved closer to him and compared their heights. Xing Wu directly draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her flush against his chest. Her body suddenly collided with him, making her heart skip a beat. She looked up and glared at him, but he released her as if nothing had happened, glancing sideways and saying, "Someone's there."

"..." Qing Ye turned around and indeed saw an elderly woman.

She turned back and asked him, "Where are we going?"

Xing Wu said meaningfully, "Taking you to a place that's less crowded, cool, and doesn't require waiting in line to eat."

Qing Ye let out a dry laugh, "You've only been here a few days, and you already know all the spots?"

But soon, Qing Ye realized Xing Wu was leading her into an apartment building. It wasn't too far from the school—they had walked about ten minutes from the eyeglass store.

It was a fairly new apartment building. After swiping their card to enter, the lobby was clean and tidy, with security guards in neat uniforms. Qing Ye tugged at the corner of his shirt, "Where exactly are you taking me?"

Xing Wu pressed the elevator button and glanced back at her, "Selling you off."

"..." Qing Ye immediately reached out to pinch him, but he suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the elevator, pressed her against the wall, and stole her breath in an instant.

At that moment, Qing Ye's heart seemed to stop. The world fell silent, like rivers flowing into the sea. All her emotions ignited like a sudden blaze. Her mind went blank, and all she could see were his gentle eyes.

Xing Wu held her waist with one hand while pressing the elevator button with the other. Qing Ye was completely dazed by his kiss. Even after the elevator stopped, her face flushed as she glanced back to check if there were any surveillance cameras inside. Meanwhile, Xing Wu had already opened the apartment door.

Qing Ye stared blankly at the spacious living room before her, standing awkwardly at the doorway, "Where is this?"

Xing Wu leaned against the door and pulled her inside, "Just rented it. I'm planning to move Sunny Valley's online team to Beijing. Two people will arrive next week."

He pressed her against the door, the proximity overwhelming her. Her eyes trembled as she stared into his, "When did you become nearsighted?"

Xing Wu removed his glasses and set them aside, a familiar lazy, unruly smile curling at the corners of his lips, "Worried about me? I'm not blind."

Qing Ye didn't respond, still gazing deeply at him. He dropped the smile, lifted her by the waist, and turned to place her on the counter behind them. His large hand cupped the back of her head, pressing her into his embrace, "Before the college entrance exam, I started having trouble seeing clearly. After the results came out, I got glasses. It's not too bad—just over a hundred degrees."

"Aren't you always saying I don't look like a good person? So I figured... why not lean into it?"

He deliberately spoke lightly, but Qing Ye only grew more upset. She pushed him away and looked up, "Why didn't you tell me when the results came out?"

Xing Wu's hand slid slowly from her hair down to her waist. Qing Ye shuddered at his touch as he said, "We built an internet team for Sunny Valley ourselves. There aren't many tech talents in our hometown, so I had to figure things out on my own. Once we got started, I realized there were a lot of areas where we were lacking. That's when I decided I wanted to study this. As soon as my scores were confirmed, I applied for the Y program. At the time, I wasn't sure about the second-round admissions—I didn't know if I'd get in."

Qing Ye stared at him, her eyes red, "And after you were admitted? Why didn't you contact me then?"

Xing Wu said thoughtfully, "I wanted to come find you."Qing Ye whispered softly, "My dad? What did he tell you?"

Xing Wu simply lowered his gaze and said, "It doesn't matter anymore."

"What does matter then?"

He bit her ear and murmured, "You..." The scorching breath sprayed against Qing Ye's neck, making her fine hairs stand on end.

Using all her strength, she shoved him hard against the wall, stood on her toes, and bit his lip as she cursed, "Bastard!"

Xing Wu unceremoniously lifted her by the waist and tossed her onto the refrigerator, hiking up her skirt as he said, "I don't like this skirt of yours."

With a sharp tug, Qing Ye gasped in surprise and immediately retaliated by yanking off his innocent little T-shirt: "You think I like your clothes? What the hell are you even wearing?"

His taut muscles abruptly filled Qing Ye's vision. Xing Wu glanced down with a wicked smile, then effortlessly lifted her with one hand and threw her onto the sofa. Leaning over her, he asked, "Then what do you like me to wear? Or nothing at all?"

Before Qing Ye could respond, his hand slid over the fabric to rest above her heart. With a crooked smile, he teased, "Your heart's beating so fast?"

The sensitive touch made Qing Ye gasp sharply. Staring at his mocking, bewitching smile, she trembled as she cried out, "Xing Wu!"

But in the next moment, her body was suddenly suspended in the air. Darkness swept over her vision as he laid her on the brand new, soft bed. Suddenly, his voice emerged gently from his throat: "Did you miss me?"

Those three words shattered Qing Ye completely. She raised her fists and pounded his chest: "No."

Xing Wu let her vent, then kissed her fiercely: "I missed you. So much."

He trailed kisses down her shoulder blades. Qing Ye's body trembled violently as if electrified, every sense completely under his control. Letting him manipulate her at will, fierce as a sudden storm, she ultimately crumbled under his wild plundering, her consciousness continuously sinking.

In the chaos, she hazily opened her eyes. Tears blurred her vision as she intermittently said to him, "I missed you.".. so much."