Chapter 90

*Campus IF Line — “Sweet Dreams”*
When Qin Sang and Xie Yuncheng returned, they didn’t bother to hide it at all. They came back hand in hand, fingers interlaced.
The southern Fujian girl had sharp eyes. The moment she spotted Qin Sang, she lifted her hand and called, “Sang-sang—over here!”
Everyone turned to look. Seeing the two of them walk out with their hands linked, they stared at each other—eye to eye—full of shock.
“Holy shit—what is this?”
Especially Zhou Yihong. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He looked at Xie Yuncheng, then at Qin Sang, then at their naturally clasped hands, and his brain simply crashed.
With a trembling voice, Zhou Yihong asked in disbelief, “You two… this is…”
Everyone stared at them, eager, as if waiting for an answer.
Qin Sang was suddenly nervous under all those eyes. Xie Yuncheng, however, remained calm. He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, a silent reassurance.
Facing Zhou Yihong’s questioning, he only curled his lips, his voice carrying a satisfied, lazy ease. “What do you think?”
“…”
Zhou Yihong looked horrified. His whole body shook.
Damn.
It can’t be that coincidental, can it?
What the hell.
…
Qin Sang was dragged away by her roommates for an “interrogation,” but there wasn’t much to dig out of her. Strictly speaking, she and Xie Yuncheng hadn’t been through anything earth-shattering. Getting together felt like the natural next step—something that happened as easily as water flowing downhill.
They came out late, not knowing everyone had already agreed on the next stop. After leaving the bathhouse, the group ate barbecue, then went straight to a nearby KTV.
At KTV, everyone was fired up—except Zhou Yihong. They cracked their knuckles, ready to “question” the couple properly. Jian Tong suggested, “Singing alone is boring. Let’s play Truth or Dare.”
Hands shot up in agreement. The people who lost made plenty of jokes. The first loser was the southern Fujian girl; she was conservative and chose the safer Truth. In the second round, a boy lost and chose Dare—only to be told to “feed” someone a cup of juice in an over-the-top way.
The two dorm groups weren’t close, so even their chaos had limits. The boy hesitated, his gaze drifting. When it slid over Qin Sang, the atmosphere seemed to chill by a degree.
He shivered, then brought the juice to Zhou Yihong instead, wearing a face of tragic sacrifice. “Senior Zhou… I have no choice. For the brotherhood, endure it.”
Zhou Yihong refused. “What are you doing? Don’t come over here!”
But refusal was meaningless. The boy grabbed him and forced the prank through.
Zhou Yihong collapsed on the sofa afterward, staring at the ceiling in despair. “My first kiss!”
His grief-stricken face made everyone howl with laughter.
Qin Sang laughed so hard she almost toppled over. Behind her, a hand steadied her—looking casual, but possessive in a way that quietly kept her within his reach.
After a few rounds, the room was fully warmed up.
Someone was told to do a belly dance—so terrible it burned everyone’s eyes. Someone else had to call the first person in their call log and confess.
The person on the other end cursed them out: “Are you insane? I delivered you one meal and you’re ‘in love’? I’m not into men!”
Instant comedy.
No matter how careful Qin Sang tried to be, she still got hit.
Everyone had been “played” at least once—except Qin Sang and Xie Yuncheng, who had never been drawn. Now that someone finally landed, the crowd, already half out of their minds, wasn’t going to let her off easily.
Qin Sang quietly pulled her hand back and chose the “safer” option: Truth.
But that was exactly what they wanted. Everyone exchanged sly looks and grinned at each other.
“First—”
Jian Tong had been about to ask something much more invasive, but seeing the clean clarity of the little freshman’s eyes, she swallowed it and changed course. “Is your first kiss still… there?”
Qin Sang was embarrassed, but honest. “No.”
The room erupted with whoops and shouting.
They pushed forward, determined to grill the couple. But Xie Yuncheng’s luck was absurd; round after round he slipped past. Qin Sang wasn’t so lucky—she lost several times, until she felt like her “bottom” was being completely picked clean.
Finally, Xie Yuncheng lost once—by his own choice.
Qin Sang drew the “bad” card again, shoulders drooping. People laughed.
Xie Yuncheng traded cards with her without care and placed the bad card on the table.
Zhou Yihong, holding the king card, instantly lit up like he’d been injected with blood. He slammed his card down. “You’re done! You too have today! Now take your punishment—ha! Truth or Dare?”
Qin Sang felt inexplicably worried for Xie Yuncheng. Her concern was almost impossible to hide.
After so many rounds, everyone was half-crazy. Xie Yuncheng had never lost. Now that they finally had leverage, no one would let him off lightly.
Xie Yuncheng looked unconcerned. “Truth.”
Zhou Yihong’s grin froze. “Junior Xie, that’s no fun. Why Truth?”
He’d prepared a whole stack of ideas to take Xie Yuncheng down a peg. And this guy picked Truth.
But Zhou Yihong recovered quickly. With a wicked grin, he asked, “How did you lose your first kiss? Where? When? Give us a specific time and place—we want details!”
Everyone got excited. God Xie’s gossip—why would anyone refuse it? And the guy himself was right there. Gossiping in front of the main character was thrilling.
Xie Yuncheng snorted softly, his voice clear and low. “After graduation. At my place.”
“Holy—” Zhou Yihong cursed. “You’re not human. You took the girl home right after graduation. Let me ask: you weren’t just ‘kissing,’ were you?”
Xie Yuncheng raised a brow. Under the room’s swirling lights, his features took on a faintly bewitching quality. He laughed low; it resonated in his chest. “That’s the next question.”
“Damn it!”
Zhou Yihong really did start cursing.
Everyone’s appetite was fully hooked. Who didn’t want more? But Xie Yuncheng was a stone wall—completely unbaitable. And his luck was freakishly good; there was no opening at all.
After several more rounds without catching him again, the group deflated. But if they couldn’t break Xie Yuncheng, that didn’t mean they were helpless.
Wasn’t there an easy soft persimmon right here?
Qin Sang, as expected, drew another bad card.
The others smiled maliciously. Zhou Yihong slapped his card onto the table with a loud smack, grinning like a villain. “Sorry, little freshman. My king again.”
He patted his chest with mock solemnity. “Originally, your senior has a tender heart. But your delicate flower has already been picked—so don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
“Choose. Truth or Dare.”
Qin Sang felt like a fish on the chopping block.
After thinking, she hesitated. “Dare.”
Truth had already escalated into a dangerously spicy direction. The last time Jian Tong lost, people had started asking questions that made even the senior’s face go hot.
Zhou Yihong’s grin turned feral, like he’d been waiting for her to fall into the trap.
“Little freshman, don’t say I’m making it hard. This is your choice,” he said. “You pick one: run outside yelling ‘I’m an idiot’ once, or…”
He paused just long enough to make the room howl.
“…kiss the first guy on your right for three minutes.”
The first guy on her right was obvious.
Zhou Yihong had, in the end, shown mercy. He earned a chorus of contempt from his roommates—traitor. That wasn’t punishment, that was giving benefits to Xie Yuncheng.
Zhou Yihong shrugged. What could he do? Xie Yuncheng had helped him out before, and besides, he didn’t really want to push the little freshman too hard.
Everyone leaned forward, cheering. “Pick, pick! No cheating! Three minutes means three minutes—one second less doesn’t count!”
Qin Sang was mortified. She was about to stand and run out, but the person beside her spoke lazily: “Enough. Don’t bully my girlfriend. She’s thin-skinned. I’ll take it for her.”
Xie Yuncheng didn’t care. He picked up several cups of alcohol and drank them down cleanly.
After the chaos, it was close to dorm curfew. The group left KTV together. With perfect tacit agreement, they left Qin Sang and Xie Yuncheng at the end.
Qin Sang still had daily necessities to buy. Thankfully, the nearby convenience store was still open. She pushed a cart through the toiletries aisle, checking her memo list and mumbling, “Towel, toothpaste and toothbrush, tissues, body wash and shampoo…”
She’d come from Ningjiang with basically nothing, just a few clothes. Everything else had to be bought on the spot.
Passing the women’s products aisle, she reached out—then her peripheral vision caught the adult-products shelf right next to it. The packaging was loud and obvious, with all kinds of options and sizes.
Her hand trembled. She couldn’t understand why that shelf had to be placed so close.
She quickly grabbed a day-and-night pack of pads and tossed it into the cart, then looked away on purpose as if she hadn’t seen anything.
Then a low, amused laugh brushed her ear. A long, slender hand picked up a discreetly packaged box. His voice was husky, carrying a hint of alcohol. “Take it. Just in case.”
He paused, then added with a soft laugh, “Extra-large?”
“…”
Qin Sang’s face turned red hot.
At checkout, the clerk’s knowing glance flicked between them. Qin Sang tried to speak, but swallowed it back.
On the way back, Qin Sang fished the box out like it was a hot potato and shoved it at him, cheeks burning. “You bought it—you carry it. I can’t take that back to the dorm.”
Xie Yuncheng accepted it easily, slipping it into his pocket. Then he took her hand and walked her back toward Jingbei University at an unhurried pace.
It was late. Nearby, only shops were still open. The road by campus was still lively; vendors had set up stalls selling late-night snacks.
It reminded Qin Sang of Jingcheng. There had been a small lane near No. 1 High where vendors always gathered. She used to buy food there before catching the bus.
In the blink of an eye, three years had slipped past.
They had graduated. From Jingcheng to the capital—different roads, yet familiar sights. Most importantly…
Qin Sang looked at the person beside her. The boy’s brows and eyes were still as clear as the moon. That youthful, spirited air hadn’t fully faded. Everyone seemed to change after graduation—except him.
“What are you smiling at?” he asked.
Qin Sang looked away, a smile still at her lips. “Nothing.”
She only squeezed his hand back, quietly.
Xie Yuncheng raised a brow but didn’t press. Holding her hand, he led her through tree-lined paths and bright streets, as if walking through a brief blaze of flowers before returning to quiet.
Downstairs at the dorm, Qin Sang took the bag and looked up at him. Then she curled a finger at him, signaling him to lower his head.
When he bent down, she leaned in and kissed him—a light, quick brush, gone as soon as it came.
Xie Yuncheng froze for a second, as if he hadn’t expected her to do it. She was shy—young, inexperienced. Any intimacy made her feel at a loss.
That was why at KTV, even knowing Zhou Yihong was doing it on purpose, he hadn’t taken advantage. He understood her too well.
Besides, he wanted these things to happen because they wanted them—not because others pushed them.
How could he ever bear to let her become someone else’s joke?
Her kiss was very restrained; her lips only brushed his cheek.
Xie Yuncheng looked at her. In his amber eyes was a gentle, shallow glow, like soft laughter spreading. “It’s late. Go in.”
“Mm.”
Qin Sang’s cheeks were red. As she turned to go in, she looked back and still saw his figure waiting outside. She waved goodbye.
Back in the dorm, she was immediately surrounded.
The Yungui girl grinned mischievously. “I saw it! You two are really sweet—can’t bear to part.”
“Hey,” the southern Fujian girl said from the balcony while collecting clothes. She looked down, then called back, “Sang-sang—your boyfriend still hasn’t left.”
Jian Tong leaned out too. “He really hasn’t.”
They squeezed on the balcony to look down. Girls from the next dorm came out too. Students passed by downstairs in small groups, walking right past him.
From nearby dorms, gossip drifted up.
“Wow, who’s that super handsome guy downstairs? Is there a guy that hot at our school?”
“No idea. Is he a senior?”
“Doesn’t look like a senior—maybe our year? But it’s so late, what’s he doing at the girls’ dorm? Waiting for his girlfriend?”
“Ugh, of course handsome guys never lack girlfriends. Who is she? She’s so lucky. If I had a boyfriend that hot waiting downstairs at midnight, I’d faint.”
“Dream on. A guy like that isn’t someone ordinary people can keep. His girlfriend must be really pretty too.”
…
The gossip wasn’t loud, but it was close enough that they heard it. The girls, fully aware, bumped Qin Sang’s shoulder with teasing smiles.
Jian Tong laughed. “They’re right. God Xie is great, but our Sang-sang isn’t bad either. Otherwise would he be this devoted? You know he’s hard to chase. Earlier at a summer program, a senior in our department liked him. She chased him for two months and never even got close. She bothered him so much he blacklisted her number.”
“Because of that, she made a huge scene and demanded an explanation. Guess what happened?”
“What?” The southern Fujian girl’s eyes sparkled. The others leaned in too. Even Qin Sang—the official girlfriend—was curious about the pieces of his world she’d never seen.
“Stop suspense and talk!” the Yungui girl urged, shaking Jian Tong’s arm.
Jian Tong got dizzy and stopped her. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you—stop shaking me.”
Then she paused again. “Wait—where was I?”
The southern Fujian girl reminded her. “You said the senior blocked him and cried and accused him.”
“Right.” Jian Tong continued. “That senior was the type who always got pursued. From the day she entered school, she was the history department’s ‘department flower.’ Tons of girls, and she still stood out.”
“She’d never hit a wall like Junior Xie before. Getting rejected that hard made her lose it. She ran over emotional, demanding an explanation, stirring up so much noise that everyone came to watch.”
“We tried to talk her down,” Jian Tong said. “Didn’t work.”
The girl had begged, ‘Just tell me what’s wrong with me. I can change.’
Jian Tong sighed. “The most awkward part? After all that, Junior Xie looked like he didn’t care at all.”
He glanced at her, faintly puzzled. “And you are?”
Jian Tong clicked her tongue. “A fatal blow.”
“That’s brutal. So she made a scene and he didn’t even remember her?”
“More than that,” Jian Tong said, getting goosebumps remembering. “She thought he accepted her gifts because he liked her. Turns out, other people had been eating them. The funniest part was that one guy said he thought it was food provided by organizers, so he just ate it. Total misunderstanding.”
“But Junior Xie didn’t humiliate her,” Jian Tong added. “He handed her a pack of tissues and said…”
Jian Tong remembered his words clearly.
“You’re very good. But I already have someone I like.”
“To me, she’s already the best. No one compares.”
…
“I thought he was just making up an excuse to let her down gently,” Jian Tong said, looking at Qin Sang. “I didn’t expect it was the truth. The person he liked wasn’t invented at all.”
“Now that I think about it,” Jian Tong sighed, “he might be cold and hard to get along with, but his character is rare—clean and upright.”
Qin Sang’s gaze drifted to the figure downstairs. In the deep night, moonlight fell on him like silver gauze, as if he’d come bearing stars and moon.
As if sensing her, he looked up toward their dorm.
Qin Sang’s heart went empty for a beat. Then she smiled. He curled his lips, a few sparks of laughter in his eyes.
Nearby came excited whispers:
“Ahhh he smiled! Is he looking at me?”
“No, he’s looking at me—he’s smiling at me!”
“Wait—his line of sight doesn’t look like our dorm… it’s like…”
…
Qin Sang’s phone pinged. Down below, he lifted his phone slightly, like he was reminding her.
She looked down. QQ flashed, and the new message was just one simple line:
“Good night. Sweet dreams. (moon)”
…
She covered her phone, brows curved, smiling sweetly.
Tonight would probably bring sweet dreams.
Maybe in her dreams there would be a bright moon, and countless stars.
No storms, no gloom—only gentle winds.
…
After school started came military training—about two weeks. After it, everyone got two shades darker. The Yungui girl joked, “Great. We even saved money on tanning. Natural tan—who can beat this?”
The southern Fujian girl wasn’t so optimistic. Suddenly so dark, she wanted to cry at her reflection. “Waaah, how long will it take to get white again? I put on sunscreen so diligently and I still got this dark. I was planning to slay once classes started, and now… I’m just slaying myself.”
As the only one who didn’t have to do training, Jian Tong laughed. “It’s fine. No matter which ‘direction,’ it’s all chaos—same difference.”
“You’re still laughing?” She looked for an ally and spotted Qin Sang entering. “Sang-sang, come help! Let’s take her down tonight.”
Jian Tong mocked mercilessly. “You dare call Sang-sang. You used sunscreen every day and still got darker than Sang-sang with no sunscreen!”
Qin Sang had tanned a shade or two too. But she inherited Wen Shuyu’s fair skin, so she didn’t look as dark as the southern Fujian girl.
Jian Tong held up her phone. “No—this needs a photo for memory. Come on, stand still. If it’s ugly, don’t blame me.”
They joked, but the moment “photo” was mentioned, everyone wanted it.
The three girls squeezed together and took a photo. Jian Tong sent it to the dorm chat. “Sent. Save it yourselves.”
Qin Sang’s old phone had to delete some files just to save the image. The more she looked, the funnier it got. After getting her roommates’ permission, she posted it to her QQ Space:
“Hahaha, military training made us so dark. I’m ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with Judge Bao.”
Her QQ friends from high school—scattered across the country and overseas—liked it. Even Jiang Mingyi in America liked it.
Big Orange: same world, same fate (crying)
Class Monitor: blacken into youth’s style, blacken into bold personality—this is the pride of our Senior Class 1-1
Jiang Mingyi: thankfully America doesn’t have this custom—no mandatory training haha
Southern Fujian girl: nonsense, the darkest is clearly xxx
Yungui girl replied: thanks, I can see. Next time talk behind my back where I can’t hear
Zhou Yihong: damn, Jingbei’s training is that intense? You look like you just came back from mining in Africa
Zhou Yihong added: saved, forwarded, shared. God Xie looks expressionless as usual, but I’d say acceptance level seems good
“…”
Qin Sang suddenly got nervous.
She had actually sent the photo to Xie Yuncheng too, but hadn’t received a response.
Her face wasn’t only tanned—she was slightly sunburned from UV allergy. She’d gotten medicine and aloe gel from the clinic. After applying it, the redness faded and it stopped hurting, but brownish marks remained. She didn’t know how long they’d take to fade.
Clutching her phone, Qin Sang tested cautiously:
【Am I really that dark and ugly?】
…
He saw the message only after returning to his dorm.
The photo Qin Sang sent was low-resolution, a bit blurry. The girl on the far left wore a green uniform with a dark brown belt. She looked slim as a young reed. Her once fair face had gained many brown marks—yet those eyes were bright to an astonishing degree.
Like a… spirited little radish head, with tender green leaves sprouting? Still swaying and wobbly.
Xie Yuncheng couldn’t help laughing silently.
…
Maybe her confidence had taken an unexpected hit. Five minutes after posting, she sent another cautious message.
Xie Yuncheng saved the photo, a gentle smile in his eyes.
“Not ugly. Very pretty.”
Qin Sang replied quickly:
【Really? (sparkly eyes)】
Even through the screen, he could imagine her bright gaze—shy, yet oddly alluring, full of lively, blooming vitality.
【Really.】
【To me, you’re the prettiest.】
Qin Sang replied with a shy emoji.
【/kiss kiss/】
Xie Yuncheng’s lips curved. Leaning against the wall, he typed with one hand.
【That’s something I’d rather do in person.】
【Sang-sang… the thing we bought last time still hasn’t been used.】
【Do you want to try it?】