Chapter 3

Chapter 3 First Meeting, Fleeing in Disarray Chu Li slept very soundly that night. What she did not know was that, while she was asleep, someone had already stripped her “underwear”^[1] clean off—in other words, exposed everything about her. Let us turn back two hours. S University’s Package Station^[2]. Zhou Ye had accumulated several packages and planned to pick them all up at once that day. By the time he had gathered them all, the packages in his arms were stacked into a towering pile that had already risen above his head. Just as he was about to open a few of them before carrying the rest back, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted loudly, “Chu Li!” Zhou Ye’s steps came to an abrupt halt. Because he had stopped so suddenly, the packages in his hands came tumbling to the ground with a clatter. At the sound of that familiar name, Zhou Ye instantly focused his attention. His eyes gleamed with excitement. What were the odds? He looked ahead, waiting for the girl named Chu Li in the crowd to answer. He was determined to see whether this Chu Li was really the two-hundred-jin^[3], unhygienic fat girl he had heard about. However, before he could hear Chu Li confirm her identity, he had already spotted a stout, obese person not far away, opening a package. Zhou Ye swallowed hard, disbelief rising in his heart. N-No way. Could that really be her?! “What?” The other student named Chu Li^[4] turned around impatiently from the package she was opening and looked at her roommate in the distance. And so Zhou Ye saw the other Chu Li’s face after she turned around. Her round face was covered in freckles, her skin was rough, and her hair was tangled into a chaotic mess. Her clothes were stained with grease. When she turned to speak to her roommate, Zhou Ye could even see a strip of chili skin stuck between her yellow teeth. For the first time in his life, Zhou Ye hated having such good eyesight. With a “Baka,”^[5] listen to the sound of young man Zhou Ye’s heart shattering. He was done for. He had actually introduced someone like this to Brother Sui. His life was over. Zhou Ye advanced with the grim resolve of a man marching to his death, clinging to one last sliver of hope. His gaze was hollow. “Are you Chu Li?” If one listened closely, one could hear the slight tremor in his voice. The other Chu Li was short, so when she heard a voice coming from above her head, she abruptly lifted her face. And because Zhou Ye was exceptionally tall, he not only saw the dandruff covering her scalp, but when she tilted her head back, the smell of her oily hair mixed with the strange odor on her body and wafted straight into his nose. Zhou Ye’s face darkened instantly. He kept his expression rigid, forcibly suppressing the nausea churning in his chest. “That’s me,” the other Chu Li replied in a rough voice. Zhou Ye’s heart sank, but he still refused to give up. “You’re from the Chinese Department?” The other Chu Li nodded emphatically. “That’s right. Who are you?” Zhou Ye’s face went ashen. It all matched. Every single detail matched. When Chu Li looked up and saw that he was a handsome, well-groomed man, her impatient tone weakened at once. Seeing the handsome man’s stiff, nervous expression, Chu Li lowered her head and gave a shy smile. “Are you here to ask for my WeChat^[6]?” As she spoke, she hurriedly fumbled for her phone. “After all, anyone who gets my WeChat is a blessed man.” At those words, Zhou Ye’s face cracked. Goosebumps sprang up all over him, and he quickly crouched down to pick up the package that had rolled to Chu Li’s feet. When he stood, he grabbed the shoulder of a male student beside him and shoved him forward, his voice carrying a distinctly tragic note. “Brother, d-do you want this blessing?”^[7] With that, he fled in disarray, his retreating figure utterly wretched. — “Waaah—” After returning to the dormitory, Zhou Ye hugged his phone and cried like a faucet that could not be shut off. “Brother Sui, I’m guilty. I’ll never ask you to date anyone again.” After coming back, Zhou Ye had suffered severe emotional trauma. He had originally hesitated over whether to tell Brother Sui the truth, but then he thought that Brother Sui would find out sooner or later. It was better to die early and be reincarnated early. At least by turning himself in, he might receive a reduced sentence. On the other side, Pei Suiheng listened to Zhou Ye’s tearful account without a ripple in his eyes. “I understand.” Zhou Ye sniffled. “Brother Sui, you’re not angry?” Pei Suiheng frowned and asked in return, “Should I be angry?” As far as he was concerned, whether the girl was beautiful or ugly, fat or thin, had nothing to do with him. He did not like her, so there was naturally no question of whether he would “accept” her. Besides, if he truly loved someone, he would not care what she looked like. Zhou Ye sniffed again. “Waaah, Brother Sui, you’re so noble.” — In the women’s dormitory. After enjoying a wonderful afternoon nap that lasted all the way until evening, Chu Li felt refreshed. If she had not been hungry, she absolutely would not have gotten out of bed. She fiddled around for a while, changed her clothes, and went out in search of food. When her roommates finally saw her climb down from her bed, they all breathed a sigh of relief. If she had not gotten up soon, they really would have called the police. Who could lie in bed motionless from morning until evening? Anyone who did not know better might have thought she had died. “Chu Li, you’re up? Are you going to eat?” her roommate Lin Wan asked with a faint smile. The sudden question startled Chu Li. The hand hanging by her side clenched unconsciously, and her lashes fluttered as she answered in a nearly inaudible breath, “Mm…” Fortunately, Lin Wan had only asked casually and did not continue questioning her. Chu Li secretly let out a sigh of relief. This was one of the few times she had ever felt someone’s kindness. That was why she always felt so anxious and ill at ease, unsure how to respond. After changing her clothes, she put on a mask and went out. If she had not been hungry, she would not have wanted to leave at all. Going outside meant facing too many uncontrollable variables and encountering all kinds of people. But there was nothing she could do. She was a glutton, after all. For the sake of food, what did a little difficulty matter? She had heard that the braised pork ribs at a certain stall in Canteen One were especially delicious, and she wanted to try them. Fortunately, heaven favored her. By the time she reached the front of the line, there were still enough ribs for one person. As a result, her steps were much lighter when she left the canteen. On her way back to the dormitory, Chu Li suddenly heard a faint rustling from the bushes. She took a closer look, and her round eyes lit up. It was a kitty! Chu Li immediately crouched down and called “kitty, kitty” toward the bushes several times. Unfortunately, the kitty was aloof and ignored her. A smile spread across Chu Li’s lips beneath her mask. She was about to bring out her secret weapon. She went to the supermarket nearby and bought a can of cat food. Sure enough, she only had to set it gently on the ground. Without doing anything else, the cat obediently came over. “Now that’s a good kitty. Oh, right, I’ll call you Paigu^[8] from now on. Since you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as your agreement, okay?” Pei Suiheng had just come out of the library when he heard that sweet, soft voice. His pupils contracted, and his steps abruptly halted. That voice… Pei Suiheng lifted his eyes, and his gaze fell on the girl crouching beside the bushes in the distance, gently and carefully stroking the kitten’s head. She was slender, her back slight and delicate. Her mask concealed most of her face, but the brows and eyes it revealed curved like a bright crescent moon, giving her a lively, mischievous air. System: 【I was only gone for a little while—what happened?! Sob, sob, host Baby, the Male Protagonist is on your right!】 With a boom, the alarm bells in Chu Li’s mind began ringing. System: 【Host, leave immediately! You absolutely cannot let the Male Protagonist discover your identity!】 At those words, Chu Li sprang to her feet. Yet she instinctively looked back, and her gaze unconsciously landed on the tall, handsome man not far away. Pei Suiheng’s gaze was deep and profound. His eyes met the girl’s startled, deerlike ones. Her round eyes held an inexplicable fear, making her look much like the wary little cat she had just fed. He was just about to take a step forward when the defensive “cat” in front of him suddenly puffed up all over. With a whoosh, she turned and scurried away at top speed. Pei Suiheng’s footsteps halted. Then he let out a soft, amused laugh. He had scared the “cat” away.