Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 23: Peace of Mind with Him

Xue Yang stood rooted to the spot, speechless. The bicycle he’d borrowed from Cui Hao was gone, which was a bit of a problem.

But it was so old that reporting it to the police seemed pointless.

"Xue Yang, let it go. It was just an old bicycle anyway. We’ll just buy your classmate a new one. There’s no need to go to the police."

Xue Yang looked down at Lin Xi, who guiltily turned her face away. In truth, she just didn’t want to go to the police station.

"Let’s go. We’ll take the bus."

"Take the bus! Yay!"

Lin Xi instantly perked up. She had never taken a bus in her entire life.

The bus stop was crowded with about twenty to thirty people. There were couples who had been camping on the summit of Phoenix Mountain and others who had rented rooms at its base. It looked like almost all of them were young people heading back to University Town.

The only bus from Phoenix Mountain to University Town was the Number 11, and it only came once every half hour. If they missed one, they would have to wait another thirty minutes.

Lin Xi had no idea what an ordeal taking the bus could be, her wide eyes darting around curiously.

"Let’s eat first. There’s no need to squeeze on with them; we’re not in a hurry."

At the mention of food, Lin Xi realized she was hungry too, so she nodded in agreement.

However, when they returned after their meal, the bus stop was still bustling with people. The good news was that there were significantly fewer than before.

"When we get on, stick close to me."

After a moment’s thought, Xue Yang still felt uneasy. "On second thought, I’d better hold your hand. I don’t want you to get lost in the crowd. Without a phone, I’d have no idea where to find you."

Xue Yang had timed their return perfectly. After a short wait, the Number 11 bus arrived as scheduled, stopping right in front of them. Before Lin Xi could even react, she was pushed onto the bus by the surge of people.

If Xue Yang hadn’t been right behind her to brace her, she probably would have been shoved to the ground.

The bus driver stood up from his seat. "You people at the front, move to the back! There’s plenty of room back there."

In reality, the back was already crammed full.

Xue Yang and Lin Xi, having been among the first to board, could only find space near the doors.

The doors barely managed to close, leaving many people still outside. The bus was mostly filled with students, so despite the crowding, the atmosphere was harmonious and there were no unpleasant smells.

"Xue Yang, there are so many people."

Is getting around always this hard for everyone?

"Don’t worry, I’m here."

Lin Xi’s anxious heart suddenly calmed.

Xue Yang was more than a head taller than her. Standing in front of him, her head came up to his chest—a perfect height difference. Xue Yang held onto a handrail with one hand while using his other arm to firmly shield Lin Xi, skillfully creating a small, safe space for her in the packed bus.

Although Lin Xi wasn’t short, the handrails near the door were too high for her in the crush of people. She gave up trying to hold on and instead wrapped her arms around Xue Yang’s strong, sturdy waist as the bus slowly lurched into motion.

It seemed that no matter where they were or how difficult the situation, as long as Xue Yang was there, nothing was a problem. He always found a way to make the impossible possible.

「The three days of the Mid-Autumn Festival passed quickly.」

On Monday morning, Xue Yang got up on time for class. Lin Xi was still sleeping soundly, so he didn’t wake her, quietly opening the door and leaving.

As soon as he arrived at school, Cui Hao came over.

"Xue Yang, you bastard! You disappeared for three days. What were you up to?"

"Celebrating the festival."

"So, how was it? My bike’s not bad, right? I got it for 30 yuan at the second-hand market."

"It’s good, but it’s missing a back seat."

"What do you know? I specifically picked one without a back seat but with a crossbar up front. In the future, if I get a girlfriend, she can sit on the front bar, and I can wrap my arms around her. Imagine us riding across campus like that. How romantic is that?"

Cui Hao could almost picture it, riding around campus with his girlfriend, making countless people green with envy.

"Won’t that hurt her butt?"

Cui Hao was speechless.

"The bike is gone," Xue Yang said. "Go pick out another one. I’ll pay for it."

Cui Hao was rendered speechless again.

At noon, Xue Yang returned home as expected, only to discover the apartment was piled high with all sorts of things, as if someone were moving.

In the midst of the clutter, Xue Yang found Lin Xi frantically digging through her purchases.

"Have you finally come to your senses and decided to go back?"

"No! These are new clothes and other daily necessities I bought for myself. Oh, and I also bought a new water heater. It was only 1,000 yuan!"

A bad feeling surfaced from the depths of Xue Yang’s heart.

"Don’t tell me you spent all 5,000 yuan in one day!"

"It’s all gone! And I only bought less than half of what I wanted. It would be amazing if we won ten million. Xue Yang, are you really sure you don’t want to buy another ticket?"

"...Lin Xi, have you considered that I’m just renting this place? Spending 1,000 yuan to replace the water heater is completely unnecessary."

"If we’re going to live here, we should be comfortable, of course! The weather is getting colder, and if the water heater breaks again, it would be easy to catch a cold. Besides, don’t you still have that other 5,000 yuan?"

Xue Yang was at a loss for words.

He understood now. Lin Xi simply couldn’t be trusted with money. She would squander any amount she was given.

"I originally wanted to buy a washing machine, but it cost over 3,000 yuan. If I’d bought that, I wouldn’t have been able to get clothes and other things. That’s why I bought these cheaper things instead. Oh, and I also bought you clothes. Look!"

From a heap of clothes, Lin Xi pulled out an outfit: a pair of black pants and a long-sleeved, shirt-style top that was currently in fashion.

"Go try them on."

Xue Yang fell silent.

Five minutes later, he came out of the bathroom.

Lin Xi’s eyes lit up. "I have great taste! This outfit really suits you. It’s a shame I didn’t have more money; otherwise, there were so many other clothes I wanted to buy for you."

Xue Yang was tall, with the kind of physique that looked lean in clothes but was well-muscled underneath. The shirt Lin Xi had picked for him made him look like a model when he put it on. In fact, he looked even better than a model.

He looked sunny and handsome, brimming with youthful energy.

It was no exaggeration to say that a face like his would be sensational even in the entertainment industry.

Xue Yang was silent.

Lin Xi’s gaze became too intense, and he quickly returned to the bathroom to change back into his own clothes.

Acting like a wife, Lin Xi took the clothes Xue Yang had just taken off.

"I’ll wash these so they’re clean for you to wear tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"Xue Yang, I’m so hungry! I was shopping all morning and didn’t eat a thing. You cook, and I’ll be your assistant."

Xue Yang was speechless.

He had already prepared the ingredients. Lately, he hadn’t been eating at the school canteen, rushing straight back to the rental apartment after his classes ended.

"You wash the vegetables."

"Yes, sir!"

Mimicking how Xue Yang usually did it, Lin Xi clumsily washed the vegetables, and in no time, she had splashed water all over the kitchen.

"Don’t turn the faucet on so high. A little lower."

"We don’t need the celery leaves, just keep the stalks."

"..."