Chapter 318
The autumn air was crisp, and the leaves by the roadside turned golden.
Xiao Qi got up, washed her face, and then practiced calligraphy.
When her roommates saw Xiao Qi sitting there practicing calligraphy, they immediately felt at ease. It had only been a few days since they last saw her engaged in that activity, and it felt strange without her presence. It seemed like something was missing, and they couldn't muster up the same enthusiasm.
After Xiao Qi finished her calligraphy practice, she planned to go for a run. Her three roommates also put on their sportswear and accompanied her for the run.
Mier even brought a basketball along, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep up with the running and could play with the ball instead.
Wei Cheng, on the other hand, admired everything Xiao Qi did and wanted to learn, but it was too difficult for her. She could only manage to learn a little.
Chu Yu used to be a homebody, avoiding any unnecessary movement. However, she had been influenced by her roommates' active lifestyle and was now willing to be more active herself. At least when it came to activities with her roommates, she was quite enthusiastic.
The roommates set off together, all dressed in matching outfits provided by Mier's family factory. It was quite stylish, and when they stepped out of the dormitory, other people in the dormitory greeted them.
Xiao Qi caught the interest of some people, as many had just watched "Official Dancer."
Surprisingly, Su Li from the opposite dormitory was also there. In fact, she knew that Xiao Qi had returned and purposely rushed back from the café. She sat arrogantly at the doorstep, as if enjoying the cool breeze.
Her roommate, Chu Yu, looked aggrieved, feeling like she had been bullied.
Su Li didn't like seeing her gloomy face all the time. She greeted them and Xiao Qi responded. In her mind, Xiao Qi thought that people often said Su Li had a bad temper and was difficult to get along with, but in reality, she was very polite and had excellent manners. It turned out that rumors shouldn't be blindly believed.
The group arrived at the playground, where Xiao Qi warmed up. Her roommates joined her in the warm-up. Xiao Qi went for a run, and her roommates either played basketball or took a leisurely stroll or took photos.
When Xiao Qi finished her run, they all returned together.
Mier took a bunch of photos and videos, which she shared in the dormitory group. Then she carefully selected a few good-looking photos, added them to the horse racing photos that Xiao Qi had previously shared, and posted them on her social media.
Caption: "Back from the desk mate, woohoo!"
Wei Cheng also posted on her social media, but she was more reserved, simply writing, "Running with roommates."
Chu Yu also posted on her social media, without saying a word, just sharing a photo.
After the group finished freshening up in the dormitory, they went out to have a meal together.
After dinner, they went to the evening self-study session in their class.
Since Xiao Qi didn't come to class yesterday, Mier paid extra attention and took notes of the lecture content to show Xiao Qi later. She unexpectedly discovered that paying attention in class and taking notes was actually useful.
Mier is usually more carefree and can't sit still. She doesn't pay much attention during lectures. Today, she surprisingly remembered everything in great detail.
Xiao Qi was quite surprised when she saw the notes and praised Mi Er, saying, "You did an amazing job with these notes. The handwriting is clear, and you recorded everything very thoroughly. I can see that you have a talent for shorthand."
Mi Er immediately raised her head proudly and said, "Of course, it doesn't matter who I am." She felt even more proud, like a rare peacock, and for once, she didn't feel like chatting with others but instead focused on doing her homework diligently.
At the beginning, their class was not much different from the others during self-study sessions. There weren't many people attending, and those who did come were either bored, chatting, or just playing with their phones in a different location.
However, there was a magical class monitor in their class who made sure everyone submitted their assignments on time. Even students like Li Weijin and Su Li, who were usually late to self-study, started coming on time, and other students were silently influenced to avoid embarrassment.
Generally, the students in the Information Management Class 1 would come to self-study unless they had something important to do or a club activity. They would quietly do their homework with better discipline compared to other classes.
The CET-4 and CET-6 exams were coming up soon, and En Hua would be eligible to take the CET-4 in her freshman year. The school mandated that passing the CET-4 was a requirement to obtain a graduation certificate. Even those who didn't enjoy studying were now holding English test papers, hoping to pass the exam in their freshman year and have an easy time later on.
Xiao Qi made up for the classes she missed today and previewed the upcoming lessons. The first period of self-study ended just in time for a break, allowing everyone to get up, go to the restroom, or take a stroll.
Mi Er obediently attended one class and couldn't sit still after the class ended. She dragged Xiao Qi along and called Wei Cheng and Yun Shu to go to the fourth cafeteria together to buy some food.
The fourth cafeteria was near their teaching building, and they could easily buy grilled sausages, bread, or noodles, making it convenient for a late-night snack.
Yun Shu used to have a regular eating schedule and didn't usually eat random snacks after dinner, but now she had been influenced by her roommate and had no reservations.
The sausages were rotating on skewers, sizzling and bursting with a delicious aroma. Each of the four bought one, and Wei Cheng paid for them, costing 1.5 yuan each.
There was an unspoken agreement among roommates to take turns treating each other, and today happened to be Wei Cheng's turn. Mi Er noticed that although she appeared absent-minded, she was actually very thoughtful in choosing the sausages, not too expensive to burden Wei Cheng.
Although the sausages were cheap and didn't have much meaty flavor, they had a doughy texture. But as students with big appetites and good digestion, they enjoyed every bite.
The four of them bought the sausages and sat at a table by the window in the cafeteria to eat.
They didn't bring the food back to the classroom because it was a bit unseemly for girls to eat sausages there. Nowadays, with advanced technology, even innocent little babies have disappeared.
Unexpectedly, even though they didn't go back to the classroom, their classmates appeared, and they were coming towards them.
And it was male classmates, the most handsome male classmate in their class, Li Weijin.
Li Weijin was the first person to chat with the girls in the dormitory before going to bed.
Even if there is no admiration involved, such a person is someone that the girls in the Xiao Qi dormitory would exclaim about during their bedtime chats. "Li Weijin looks so handsome. He may appear serious, but he actually seems quite well-behaved, albeit a bit flirtatious. He dresses up a lot, and it's not just because he's naturally good-looking. He puts a lot of effort into his appearance, which can be quite overwhelming for us girls."
When discussing this topic, Xiao Qi couldn't help but join in. Li Weijin's meticulous attention to his appearance is evident from his hair to his toes.
To avoid eavesdropping by neighboring dormitories, everyone would use code names when discussing certain individuals in their class. Of course, coming up with code names is Mier's specialty. "Zaizai" is the code name Mier gave Li Weijin, and Chu Yu from the opposite dormitory is now called "Alian."
At that moment, Li Weijin approached them.
Xiao Qi and Mier were facing him, while Wei Cheng and Yunshu had their backs turned, still eating attentively. Mier was engrossed in her phone and didn't notice.
Only Xiao Qi, who didn't like using her phone while eating, tilted her head back. She was eating a thick red sausage and happened to see Li Weijin approaching them...
Perhaps he was just passing by, merely passing by.
Xiao Qi thought to herself and calmly lowered her head. She took out her phone, summoning her audacity and composure.
But Li Weijin stopped when he reached their table. He didn't continue walking.
Xiao Qi suddenly felt that the sausage lost its flavor. How awkward, \( ̄□ ̄||).
Although Xiao Qi didn't have any particular thoughts about Li Weijin, they had interacted a few times after all. And in human relationships, it usually starts with appearances. Xiao Qi found Li Weijin genuinely good-looking, so it was natural for her to have a positive initial impression. As they spent more time together, she discovered that he was quite nice, a bit stubborn and serious, but actually very kind-hearted.
He was someone with a higher level of likability compared to most guys.
To be seen by such a guy while she was wolfing down food...
Soon, this awkwardness no longer belonged to Xiao Qi alone. The other dormmates also realized it. Wei Cheng usually ate quickly, but under the influence of the graceful Yunshu sitting across from her, she started taking small bites. Now, she still had over half of the sausage left.
Mier was still diligently scrolling through her phone, eating absentmindedly. She was nibbling around the outer edge of the sausage, like she was eating corn, and it looked quite messy.
Xiao Qi was a messy eater, and she still had a small portion of the sausage left. If she hadn't spotted Li Weijin, she would have finished it by now.
Yunshu was slightly better. She ate the sausage, using an extra stick to carefully break it apart and eat it piece by piece, as if she was eating skewers. Alternatively, she used two sticks as makeshift chopsticks to pick and eat. It was quite troublesome, and it was the first time Xiao Qi saw Yunshu eating like this. She truly admired her, thinking that Yunshu had a delicate appetite.
But at this moment, the other three girls also found themselves admiring Yunshu. Eating like this made encounters with classmates less awkward.
Not pretentious at all. So smart. Having good habits in life is truly important.
Of course, Xiao Qi had to learn to eat like this. If she did it at home, her mother would probably lose her patience and give her a slap on the back...
Since she was already here, Xiao Qi quickly took the last bite of her sausage in front of Li Weijin, swallowing it with big gulps.
Her little face was puffed up.
Wasting food is shameful, but now that she finished eating, it's alright.
Li Weijin approached nervously, not paying attention to what Xiao Qi was eating. Seeing her chubby cheeks, he couldn't help but feel a wave of affection. It made his heart flutter, and his collarbone seemed to be covered in tiny ants, nibbling softly.
He had intended to come over and say hello, but when he saw Xiao Qi's dormitory group, he realized that she had left on Friday and only returned on Monday after spending the weekend away.
So, it had been three days in total.
Li Weijin suddenly felt the truth of the saying "a day apart feels like three autumns," and it felt like he hadn't seen Xiao Qi in nine or ten years.
They hadn't even spoken privately; he could only rely on checking her social media posts and seeing her in the news.
She had actually participated in a horse racing competition.
Li Weijin increasingly felt that Xiao Qi was outstanding and felt a growing sense of urgency.
He came over with a serious expression on his face, intending to say hello and then leave.
He spoke up, "Xiao Qi, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
As Li Weijin spoke, he found himself stunned.
Damn it... he said that too smoothly. He had said it a thousand or eight hundred times before. He had only meant to say hello, so why did it come out like that?
Xiao Qi and her roommates were all stunned.
This was Li Weijin, confessing his feelings? Was he suddenly confessing?
Xiao Qi nearly choked on the sausage. Even if she had the thickest skin, upon hearing those words, she still felt choked.
Li Weijin quickly handed her a bottle of water to help her recover from the shock and not choke on the sausage.
But she still coughed and made a clattering sound.
"What did you say?" Xiao Qi, with a red face from coughing, thought she had misheard and asked.
Li Weijin had originally wanted to say it was nothing.
But he opened his mouth and said, "I know that dating is not allowed according to school rules, but it's okay. If we get caught, I'll write a self-criticism. I'm really good at writing self-criticisms."
Xiao Qi: ...