Chapter 344: Their Date

Chen Mo, Wang Lan, and Li Zhe understood Shen Xinghe’s situation. After all, his job was rather unique.

After dinner, Shen Xinghe returned to the dorm alone, while Chen Mo, Wang Lan, and Li Zhe went to the gym.

After a game of ball, the three of them were soaked in sweat, but they had also quickly grown closer.

Wang Lan was strong, crashing through everything. Li Zhe could only pass. Chen Mo was in the best physical shape, skilled in both offense and defense, and played the most effortlessly.

After the invigorating workout, the three of them went to the public bathhouse for a shower, feeling refreshed all over.

The second day of college slowly passed in this fresh and slightly leisurely rhythm.

Night fell. Chen Mo and Su Yuqing had planned to go for a stroll that evening. After all, they had been with other people all day and missed the feeling of being in a world of their own.

The campus’s clamor settled as dusk deepened. The daytime uproar was replaced by the chirping of insects of late summer and early autumn, and the rustling sound of the breeze through the leaves.

Streetlights flickered on one by one, casting warm halos on the campus paths and outlining the silhouettes of cuddling lovers.

Below Building A of Xingyuan Apartments, figures bustled back and forth.

People came and went, some dragging their tired bodies, others filled with excitement. The intermittent sound of luggage wheels rolling across the pavement came from students who had just arrived to register today, mixed with the laughter and chatter of various accents.

Chen Mo, dressed in a simple white cotton T-shirt and dark trousers, looked clean and sharp. He leaned against a recently planted camphor tree, quietly waiting for Su Yuqing to arrive.

His gaze swept over the hurrying crowd, calm and unfazed. To him, the surrounding noise was nothing more than white noise.

"Have you been waiting long?" A voice like a clear spring cut through the flow of people and reached Chen Mo’s ears.

Su Yuqing trotted a few steps to stand before Chen Mo. The hem of her light blue floral dress fluttered gently. Her long, soft hair draped over her shoulders. In the hazy light, her eyes reflected pinpricks of starlight, giving her a gentler beauty than she had in the daytime.

A few stray strands of hair clung to her temples, stuck to her smooth neck by droplets of water from her recent shower. Her cheeks were flushed a healthy, faint red from her quick pace.

Her eyes were full of apology. Under the streetlight, she looked like a freshly bloomed lily of the valley, pure and ethereal.

As soon as she got close, Chen Mo smelled a very familiar scent.

It was the scent of a floral water called "Six God."

"I was going to come down right after my shower, but Yuanyuan and the others said the mosquitoes are bad here at night and told me to put on some extra floral water before coming down, so it took a little longer." She gave Chen Mo an apologetic look and spoke softly.

"Silly girl, it hasn’t been long at all. Waiting for you is never long. Besides, the night view here isn’t bad." Chen Mo’s lips curved into a slight smile. He straightened up and naturally reached for her small, warm hand, lacing their fingers together tightly.

Unlike the casualness of holding hands amidst the daytime crowds, now, with dusk settling all around, the world seemed to be covered by a soft-focus filter. No one could see them clearly, and the feeling of holding hands was different.

The touch of their palms pressed together, the delicate texture of their skin, all became exceptionally clear and sensitive, carrying a secret thrill that belonged only to the two of them.

They wordlessly chose not to take the brightly lit main road, instead turning onto a secluded path that led to the campus’s artificial lake.

They had walked this path during the day, but at night, it presented a completely different scene.

The building outlines, so clear in the daytime, were now hidden in the darkness. Only the lights from the western shore of the lake in the distance were scattered like stars, reflecting on the open water and rippling gently with the waves.

Tall camphor trees lined the path, forming a continuous canopy of shadows that separated them from the outside world, creating a small world just for the two of them.

The night breeze, carrying the mixed scents of damp air and fresh plants, blew over, gently brushing their cheeks, dispelling the lingering summer heat and bringing waves of cool comfort.

They walked very slowly, their steps in sync, with only the sound of their footfalls and their own breathing, so close to each other.

"So... how was your day?" Su Yuqing’s voice was so soft it was as if she were afraid to disturb the tranquility of the night.

"Not bad. Have you already decided which club you want to join?" Chen Mo’s voice held a hint of a smile as he turned his head to look at her.

"The National Style Club, I think." Su Yuqing said with a smile. "The atmosphere of that club seems pretty tranquil. I like that."

"It does suit you."

"What about you?" Su Yuqing turned her head to look at Chen Mo.

"I haven’t decided yet. The detective club seemed kind of interesting. I might consider joining that," Chen Mo replied with a smile.

As they spoke, they had already stepped onto the wooden boardwalk by the campus’s artificial lake.

Away from the academic buildings, there were even fewer people here.

The open surface of the lake brought a cool breeze, and the campus lights spread out on the opposite shore, dazzling and bright.

They sat down on a wooden bench, facing the sparkling water.

Chen Mo didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he held it a little tighter, his fingertips gently caressing the back of her hand. He said nothing, but their hearts drew a little closer.

Su Yuqing gently rested her head on his shoulder. The fresh scent of his body wash mixed with a clean, sun-like aroma made her feel incredibly at ease.

It was so quiet around them that they could almost hear each other’s heartbeats—thump, thump—gradually synchronizing in the silent night.

There were a few other couples nearby, and even some same-sex ones.

But everyone kept to themselves. Even when passing by, no one stared. They were all immersed in their own happy little worlds, enjoying their rare, pleasant time together.

"Want to go on one of those?" Chen Mo raised his hand and pointed toward the center of the lake, where a small, lit-up pleasure boat was slowly passing by.

"Okay." Su Yuqing’s gaze followed the little light. She imagined herself and Chen Mo drifting on the lake in a boat, a private environment for just the two of them, far from any crowds. The thought made her heart flutter even more, and she replied with a soft, dream-like laugh.

She suddenly felt that all this was so wonderful it was almost unreal. She had come from a small coastal city to the unfamiliar Xiang Province, yet the most familiar and warmest person was still right by her side.

She quietly scooted a little closer to Chen Mo.

The night grew deeper, and the moonlight spilled onto the lake’s surface like liquid mercury.

Chen Mo took out his phone, switched it to silent mode, and then gently turned to the side.

"Don’t move," he said very softly, a hint of a smile in his voice.

Before Su Yuqing could turn her head, she heard the faint CLICK of a camera shutter.

The light from the screen illuminated Chen Mo’s handsome profile and the undisguised tenderness and admiration in his eyes.

"Huh? You didn’t even say you were taking a picture! I wasn’t ready. Quick, let me see." Caught off guard by Chen Mo’s candid shot, Su Yuqing’s face flushed. She feigned annoyance, wanting to see if he had taken an unflattering photo of her.

"You can’t prepare for the beauty of unposed concentration. Look..." Chen Mo smiled slightly and earnestly handed her the phone.