Chapter 164: Initiating a Handhold, Fingers Entwined
Jin Shi Yue said, “At the school gate.”
Lian Li breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good, otherwise it would be too ostentatious.”
She remembered seeing him at school last year; he was surrounded by a group of tall and imposing bodyguards and drove a low-key luxury car. The grand scene was incredibly extravagant.
Entry to the library requires a campus card. Lian Li gave her campus card to Jin Shi Yue, while she entered through the facial recognition system.
The campus card is also known as a meal card. Within the school, people generally don’t carry student IDs because they are useless.
Jin Shi Yue’s fingertips lightly tapped the image of the young girl on the campus card, “Junior Sister, how old were you when this was taken?”
“Seventeen.” Lian Li’s campus card used her photo from when she enrolled as an undergraduate, which was taken when she was in her third year of high school.
Lian Li stood at the facial recognition point. A square solid line framed her silhouette—Lian Li, access granted.
Jin Shi Yue stood behind her, watching her with amusement, then placed his campus card on the sensor to enter the library.
In the central hall of the library’s first floor stood a miniature model of the Boya Pagoda. Surrounding the Boya Pagoda were neatly arranged ancient book shelves exuding a strong historical aura.
Lian Li’s things were on the second floor. Taking the stairs was faster than waiting for the elevator.
During meal times, waves of students left the library to eat in the canteen. She noticed some people staring at Jin Shi Yue, seemingly discussing which senior they were and why they hadn’t seen him before.
Lian Li, who was walking ahead, saw this and immediately grabbed Jin Shi Yue’s hand, her fingers sinking into his, their fingers intertwined as she led him upstairs.
Jin Shi Yue’s thin eyelids slid down, he glanced at their clasped hands, and the corners of his lips slowly curved into a smile.
The hesitant girls witnessed this scene and sighed one after another.
“He has a girlfriend.” someone lamented.
“With looks like that, if he didn’t have a girlfriend, I’d suspect he didn’t like girls.” others said thankfully.
“That girl just now looked a bit familiar, have I seen her somewhere before?”
Out of tens of thousands of students in the entire school, some graduate without even knowing their classmates, let alone students from other majors, departments, or years.
Jingbei University is not short of top scholars or prominent figures. Shen Huaining has consistently hosted school events and appeared in promotional videos, yet some people still don’t recognize her.
Lian Li’s exposure is not as high as Shen Huaining’s, so not many people in the school can match her name with her face.
Coincidentally, a student from the School of Mathematics and Sciences said, “Lian Li, the genius Junior Sister from our department.”
“Is she that amazing? A genius from the ‘madhouse’ isn’t an ordinary genius.”
“Genius on the left, madman on the right. The ‘madhouse’ has an equal number of geniuses and madmen.”
…
Lian Li ignored the discussions behind her and went with Jin Shi Yue to the second floor. The spacious platform at the staircase entrance had a long table and chairs. She asked him to wait there while she went to get her things.
Jin Shi Yue beckoned to her, “Give it to me.”
Lian Li understood and temporarily handed him a stack of materials to keep, “I’ll be back soon.”
Lian Li on campus and Lian Li off campus are different. On campus, her guard is not as high, and her calm, gentle face is filled with the youthful vitality befitting her age.
The campus is a place for seeking knowledge, not a stage for fame and fortune.
It is a place of strong academic atmosphere, not one of indulgence and revelry.
In less than three minutes, Lian Li returned carrying her laptop bag. Jin Shi Yue returned the stack of light materials to her and took her laptop bag.
He carried Lian Li’s laptop bag in one hand and held her hand in the other.
Several couples walked past them. Lian Li looked at others, then at Jin Shi Yue. Although his aura was unique, he didn’t seem out of place walking on campus, appearing like a senior a few years older than her.
The sun in the sky slowly set inch by inch, and the clear outline of the school blurred in the twilight. At this moment, Lian Li listened to the sound of the wind and leaves, and felt the gentle breeze.
She suddenly felt quite content.
Night mist gathered, moonlight was hazy, quiet and vast. The swaying shadows of the Chinese parasol trees were faintly visible, signaling the arrival of darkness and the surfacing of hidden intentions.
Lian Li handed her materials and laptop to Jin Shi Yue to place in the back seat. She opened the passenger door, and a floral fragrance wafted towards her. Her vision was suddenly occupied by a large bouquet of deep purple Ecuadorian roses.
Was tonight also a date?
The bouquet was too large and took up the entire passenger seat. Lian Li bent down and held it in her arms. She turned to look at Jin Shi Yue and smiled sweetly, “Put this in the back seat too.”
Jin Shi Yue took it and placed it in the back seat. Lian Li then said, “I want three flowers.”
Jin Shi Yue, according to her request, patiently picked out three vibrant roses for her.
He leaned against the car door with one hand, looked down at her, and his voice had a slightly roguish tone, “Miss, any other commands?”
Lian Li smiled, “No.”
After getting into the car, Lian Li used a thin ribbon to tie the three Ecuadorian roses together and placed them in front of the windshield on the center console as bright and romantic decorations.
Jin Shi Yue’s gaze swept over them, and a casual smile played in his dark eyes.
The car sped down the street. Outside the window, a giant billboard flashed by. Due to the arrival of night, the neon lights were dazzling.
Along the way, Lian Li removed her hair tie, letting go of her high ponytail and opting for a loose bun instead.
She wasn’t formal with Jin Shi Yue, after all, he had already seen her hair in an even messier state.
They arrived at the Black Pearl Restaurant.
Jin Shi Yue got out of the car first, walked around from the front of the car, and offered his hand to his gradually improving girlfriend.
Lian Li looked at his hand for a moment, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering lightly, and reached out to take it.
The restaurant was elegantly decorated with a dark color scheme, exuding a sense of understated luxury and mystery. Unlike other hot pot restaurants, the patrons dined quietly.
Jin Shi Yue couldn’t eat spicy food, so Lian Li ordered two broths. She and Xue Shufan could both eat spicy food, and they usually only ordered the heavily spiced butter broth, a pot full of red oil.
A chandelier hung above the table. The soup base simmered in the copper pot, and ingredients were gradually added.
“Going back to school later?” Jin Shi Yue asked.
Lian Li thought for a moment and said, “No.”
All school matters were handled, and she could do the remaining academic work at home.
Jin Shi Yue’s eyebrows subtly rose. He looked at her with a relaxed and lazy posture, lifting his eyelids, “Come to my place.”
“Okay.” They had previously agreed that she would stay at his place three days a week.
After Lian Li finished speaking, she asked again, “By the way, where is the God of Wealth?”
She hadn’t seen the large, robust, giant Tibetan Mastiff for a long time.
“Alive,” Jin Shi Yue said casually, “Why aren’t you concerned about me?”
Lian Li was bewildered, “Aren’t you here, perfectly fine?”
A hint of a smile flickered in Jin Shi Yue’s eyes as he helped her put beef slices into the red oil broth to cook.
Lian Li ate until a light sweat broke out on her forehead. She looked up at the man opposite her, whose demeanor was always unhurried, noble, and casual.
Although their seating was relatively secluded, their striking appearances and demeanor still drew attention, and some people recognized them at a glance.
“Isn’t that Lian Li? The man she’s eating with looks just like the Second Young Master.”
