That evening, Ithaca was even quieter than usual. The sprawling campus felt desolate, with only a few isolated lights illuminating the pathways between buildings.
Shen Xi Fan walked ahead of him, bouncing lightly as she hummed a tune.
Watching her, his heart swelled with sweetness. Her long hair danced in the breeze, carrying a subtle fragrance that seemed to linger in the air. She was so beautiful, so precious—a treasure he wanted to protect.
He softly called her name. She slowed her pace and turned back, meeting his gaze. Under the dim light, he stood tall and steady, the same warm and gentle smile on his face. But to her, he felt almost unreal, like a dream cloaked in a cascade of shimmering light.
This meeting—it was too perfect, so perfect that it brought tears to her eyes.
She gave him a radiant smile, one that pierced straight into his heart. Their eyes locked, and the atmosphere subtly shifted.
Suddenly, something shiny fell in front of her—it was her scarf clip. As she bent down to pick it up, a gust of wind swept her scarf off her neck. Reaching out to grab it, she watched helplessly as it flew straight into He Su Ye’s face.
Bursting into laughter, she ran over to retrieve it. But he held the scarf tightly, refusing to let go.
As she got closer, she caught the familiar clean scent of his cologne, the light and elegant fragrance lingering near her forehead. It was followed by the softest of touches, featherlight against the corner of her eye.
The next second, his warm fingers brushed across her lips, his gaze blazing with affection. The kiss that followed came like a sudden storm, catching her completely off guard. Their tongues danced, mingling sweetness and warmth, leaving her mind utterly blank. She instinctively closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Her thoughts ceased, her only desire being to hold him closer, tighter.
Yet one stray thought managed to surface: He Su Ye really is such a reserved man.
But that’s why she loved him.
She had once read a post online that said if a man brought his girlfriend to meet his circle of friends, it meant he was openly acknowledging their relationship and, in turn, deeply validating her.
When she finally met his friends, she was taken aback.
A group of people sat around a table playing mahjong with gusto. Even more surprising, there were Americans among them, calling out phrases in Mandarin like, “连庄 (Consecutive wins)! 清一色 (Pure color set)! 全胡 (Full win)!”
One man, slamming down tiles with exaggerated vigor, reminded her of a character from a Lu Xun novel. Spotting He Su Ye, he grew excited.
“Su Ye, get over here! My luck’s been terrible tonight—you’ve got to help me turn this around!”
The others burst into laughter.
“No way! You play your own tiles. No outside help allowed!”
He Su Ye leaned over and whispered to her, “That’s my roommate—a really great guy.”
Someone sharp-eyed quickly noticed Shen Xi Fan and whistled.
“Wow, a beauty! Is she your wife, Su Ye?”
The question made her laugh. It felt endearing to see so many Chinese people in a foreign land, especially ones as unrestrained and lively as this group. They reminded her of Qiu Tian and Li Jie back home. Smiling, she responded, “Not yet—I haven’t been promoted to that position!”
He Su Ye looked at her affectionately.
“You don’t seem like someone studying hotel management. You’re better suited for public speaking or social etiquette!”
Shen Xi Fan grinned slyly. “You’ve got your moments of humor too.”
The teasing continued.
“Su Ye, if I had a girlfriend like her, I’d have married her ages ago and kept her hidden away. How dare you leave her here while you go off to Penn? Not cool!”
Caught off guard, he stammered, “I’d love to, but I’m not sure if she’d agree.”
The group erupted into an uproar.
“Shen Xi Fan, this is basically a proposal. Will you say yes?”
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