Chapter 56 – Rewards!
1178 Words
Luo Ye walked out of the turnover hall, one hand clutching Su Baizhou’s petite hand, the other holding two cups of milk tea. He led the Fairy Senior right up to the building’s entrance.
Seeing the senior’s icy expression, Luo Ye’s nerves tightened. He released her hand, took a step back, and fidgeted.
“Senior, I was just trying to keep that guy from overstepping.”
“I know, the classic hero‑rescue.” Su Baizhou replied coolly.
Exactly! Luo Ye thought, approvingly.
Even though her face stayed detached, the small hand she’d just held was warm, smooth, and soft.
“Senior, I bought you a milk tea.”
He handed her a cup, then added, “Now the student‑council work is done. I heard you’ve secured a postgraduate spot—will you have a lot of free time?”
Su Baizhou considered the question. “Well, after graduation I’ll probably be busy.”
Luo Ye’s face turned thoughtful. He wanted to pursue the senior but didn’t want to disturb her, so he resolved to work hard before she got too busy.
Su Baizhou took a sip, glanced at the label, and asked, “Half‑sweet?”
“Yes.”
He remembered she always drank her coffee black, so he chose a half‑sweet tea, a hint of sweetness but not cloying.
“What about the tapioca pearls? Next time, no taro pearls—drinks are for drinking, food is for eating. I don’t like chewable things in my drink.”
Luo Ye looked puzzled. “No taro pearls, just tea? Wait, you said next time—there’s a next time?”
He smiled, realizing he might actually get another chance.
Then an idea struck. “Senior, the sports meet is coming up soon. I’m thinking of signing up for the 3,000‑meter run.”
Su Baizhou gave him a sideways glance, skepticism clear in her eyes.
A 3 km run? That’s seven laps around the track. Luo Ye could barely finish six laps of a light jog without gasping. Could he handle a higher‑intensity race?
Su Baizhou rarely needed words; a single look told Luo Ye exactly what she was thinking. He had already memorized what each of her expressions meant, and as they grew more familiar, she seemed to display a few new expressions.
Despite her high‑cold demeanor, Luo Ye felt a strange thrill, as if exploring an uncharted territory—an unconventional cultivation experience.
“The sports meet is in two weeks. I’ll definitely not finish last.”
He wanted to say “first,” but he lacked the confidence. Not finishing last felt within reach.
“Is that so?” Su Baizhou responded with minimal reaction.
He’d never competed in a university sports meet in his three years; if he skipped his junior year, there’d be no chance in senior year.
He wondered whether to enter multiple events.
Luo Ye asked, “Senior, if I don’t finish last, will there be any reward?”
Su Baizhou paused, then asked softly, “Where did you find that idea?”
Luo Ye froze. He’d been caught.
He’d been Googling “how to chase a girl” and found a common tip: set a goal and attach a reward. It was a cliché, but for a guy who’d never dated, it sounded perfect—though he didn’t know who invented it.
Su Baizhou saw through his cheap trick. He’d underestimated her intelligence.
She stared at his conflicted face for a moment, then murmured, “If you manage to avoid last place… maybe finishing in the top three isn’t impossible either.”
Luo Ye’s eyes lit up. “Senior! I love you!”
But top three was a steep hill. The track club usually had more than three athletes in the long‑run events. To break into the top three, he’d need to reach the level of Jiang University’s athletics team within half a month. The club’s leader was a national‑level athlete; the rest were at least serious hobbyists—people with above‑average physical condition.
Luo Ye, a dorm‑bound wordsmith, felt that reaching that level was unrealistic.
Still, if a reward came easily, why bother? The harder the struggle, the sweeter the triumph at the finish line. He wanted to prove his seriousness to the senior.
He planned to book a special training session with the coach—who was a gym enthusiast and, Luo Ye assumed, knew a thing or two about distance running.
Watching Luo Ye stare into space like a small hamster, his mind swirling with countless plans, Su Baizhou thought it was amusing. This freshman truly didn’t know how to chase a girl—yet maybe that didn’t matter. After all, relationships aren’t built on one‑sided effort.
“Shall we go?” Su Baizhou asked.
“Huh? What did you say, senior?”
Luo Ye’s thoughts snapped back to the present; he looked at the Fairy Senior and asked the soul‑searching question.
“Where are we going, senior?”
Su Baizhou paused, then replied lightly, “You heard me. Why ask what I said?”
She found humans oddly entertaining—people often hear the words but reflexively answer “what?” or “huh?”
Luo Ye scratched the back of his head, grinned, “I didn’t process it at first, but now I got it. So, where to?”
“There’s someone who wants to see you.”
Without another word, Su Baizhou turned and walked toward the campus exit. Luo Ye followed, a bit puzzled.
They arrived at a nearby café. A familiar silhouette sat at a table.
“Qin‑senior?”
Qin Yuwen looked up, surprise flashing across her face.
“It’s you!”
The scruffy kid who’d knocked her over that morning.
“It’s me, Qin‑senior.” Luo Ye admitted, but their wavelengths were clearly misaligned.
Su Baizhou sat beside Qin Yuwen and said calmly, “Yuwen, this is Professor Gu’s younger brother.”
“Oh, you’re him.”
Qin Yuwen crossed her arms, giving Luo Ye a scrutinizing look.
“Qin‑senior, I’m really sorry about this morning. I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while but never found the chance.”
“No chance?”
Qin Yuwen smirked, half‑serious, “Seems you got distracted by some… beautiful scenery.”
Luo Ye’s face flushed.
“What’s your major? Which department?” Qin Yuwen asked.
“Huh?” Luo Ye looked bewildered—didn’t she already know?
A brief cough from Su Baizhou broke the tension.
Qin Yuwen snapped back, remembering that Su Baizhou had told her to act familiar.
“My question is, are you planning to go to grad school? What field?”
“I don’t know yet; I’m only a freshman.”
“Grad school is important. My advice is…” Qin Yuwen launched into a lecture, her words clunky and mismatched, leaving Su Baizhou looking awkwardly embarrassed.
- Writer
