Things hadn't gone the way anybody planned, but the result was better than anyone had expected.

On the way back Sun Juan called Zhang Ruowei sweetheart in every other sentence, until Zhang Ruowei was a little embarrassed by it. The one thing she still couldn't make sense of was how Zhao Ming had suddenly come down with a fever. He was supposed to be faking.

Zhang Ruowei got back to the dorm, showered, then picked up her phone and called Xu Ye.

At this point the only person she could ask was him.

But by that hour Xu Ye and Chen Qingqing were already under one quilt and his phone was on silent. Zhang Ruowei let it ring for a long time, found nobody was picking up, and decided to ask first thing in the morning.

Nothing happened overnight. The next morning Chen Qingqing woke first. She had slept very well and came out of it feeling thoroughly rested, but she didn't get up right away. She only put her head out of the warm bedding and looked at Xu Ye, lying beside her, a few centimeters away.

The first time I met him I honestly didn't think he was all that good-looking. How is it that the more I look at him now the better he gets, and the more I like him?

Smiling, Chen Qingqing slid the hand that had been draped over Xu Ye out from under the covers. First she poked him in the forehead, then gave his cheek a gentle pinch, and when he didn't react she went further and pinched his nose shut. The moment his eyebrows drew together she snatched her hand back, shut her eyes tight and did her best impression of somebody to whom nothing at all had happened.

She waited a dozen seconds. When Xu Ye still hadn't moved and his breathing had evened out again, Chen Qingqing opened her eyes, saw he was still asleep, called him a dumb pig internally and smiled to herself, delighted.

Right then, though, Xu Ye shifted. He hooked one leg over her, and…