Chapter 322: Enthusiastic Senior

By the time they got back to the Xingyuan Apartment District, the streetlights were already on.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing walked side-by-side on the path back to Xingyuan Apartments, heading in the same direction as other students in scattered groups of two and three.

The busyness of the day, the pleasantries with new roommates, and the laughter from the social dinner all settled now, transforming into a shared anticipation for their new life, mixed with a subtle weariness.

“I never thought the first day of university would start like this.” Su Yuqing spoke softly, her voice sounding especially gentle in the quiet night. “I feel like… I’ve met so many people, much faster than I expected.”

“We have the new Yuanyuan to thank for that,” Chen Mo said with a smile, thinking of that fiery, generous, and straightforward girl whose name and personality were so similar to Zhao Yuanyuan’s. “With her around, your dorm room should never be dull.”

“Yeah, Xiaoxiao is really lively, and Xiaoya is quiet but very nice.” Su Yuqing listed her new roommates, her tone tinged with relief. Then she looked at Chen Mo, a playful tease in her eyes. “The guys in your dorm aren’t bad either. And then there’s Shen Xinghe, who’s so… easy on the eyes~”

Hearing her deliberately drawn-out teasing, Chen Mo let out a low chuckle. He let go of her hand, only to wrap his arm around her waist in a natural and intimate gesture, pulling her close. “Are you getting jealous over a guy? No matter how good-looking someone is, they can’t compare to even a ten-thousandth of you in my eyes.”

His words were so direct and sincere that Su Yuqing felt as if her heart was steeped in honey. A satisfied, slightly shy smile appeared on her face. She gave his chest a light bump before quickly stepping back. “There are people around.”

Laughing and talking, the two soon arrived at the fork in the road between Building A and Building B.

Chen Mo stopped naturally and turned to Su Yuqing. “The opening ceremony isn’t for another three days, so we have some free time. We can have some fun. We’ll figure out a plan for tomorrow then.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Su Yuqing nodded, already planning in her head. “I heard the library is huge, and there are several cafeterias. We could go check them all out.”

“Whatever you want,” Chen Mo said, his gaze gentle. “If you go out with your roommates at night, remember to message me first. I’m on call to be your escort anytime.”

“I know, I know.” A warmth spread through Su Yuqing’s heart. ‘He’s probably worrying a little too much. After all, what could possibly happen on campus?’ But she cherished this feeling of being cared for so deeply.

She looked up at Chen Mo, the streetlight casting soft shadows on his well-defined profile. “You should head back and get some rest. I won’t be going out tonight.”

“Okay.” Chen Mo raised a hand and, with a practiced gentleness, tucked away a stray strand of hair from her forehead that the evening breeze had messed up. “Go on up. I’ll leave after I see you get inside.”

Even though what happened was long in the past, Chen Mo had never for a moment let his guard down when it came to Su Yuqing’s safety.

Even now that they were in university, he remained ever vigilant.

This small, intimate gesture made the tips of Su Yuqing’s ears burn slightly. She nodded obediently and turned toward the glass doors of Building A.

After swiping her card to get in, she looked back through the glass and saw that Chen Mo was indeed still standing there, his gentle gaze following her. She gave him a wave before heading toward the elevators.

Chen Mo watched her figure disappear through the entrance. He waited patiently for another moment before a faint smile touched his lips, and he turned to walk toward Building B.

On the first morning of university, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the brand-new curtains, waking Xingyuan Apartments.

Her roommates had made plans to get breakfast together and explore the campus, and Su Yuqing felt she shouldn’t separate from the group, so she decided to go with the three of them.

After all, spending one less day with Chen Mo wouldn’t weaken their relationship, but it was important to spend more time with new roommates to build a deeper connection and avoid seeming standoffish.

Thanks to his excellent habits, Chen Mo was already up early for his morning run while his roommates were still sleeping in.

As he was jogging around campus, he received a message from Su Yuqing.

“Are you up?”

“I’ve been up for a while. I’m exercising downstairs. Want to come down and join me?”

“Yuanyuan and the others said they wanted to explore the campus together today. Since they’re new friends, I want to get to know them better, so I’ll have to abandon you for today~”

Chen Mo smiled when he saw Su Yuqing’s message, which was followed by a tongue-sticking-out emoji. He wasn’t bothered and replied.

If she were going out at night, Chen Mo wouldn’t be at ease, even if Su Yuqing had company.

But during the day, he wasn’t so paranoid, so he let her go have fun with her friends.

‘It’s not good to always be following her around. Proper protection could turn into obsessive surveillance.’

“Okay, it’s good to build a stronger bond with new friends. I also hope you can make more good friends. You go have fun with them today. Just make it up to me some other time!”

The words “make it up to me” immediately sent Su Yuqing’s mind wandering.

Having gotten Chen Mo’s approval, Su Yuqing felt reassured and went out to have fun with her roommates.

When she saw in his message that he was exercising downstairs, she quickly tidied up and was the first to head down. She waited for her roommates at the entrance of Building A, also wanting to see what Chen Mo’s morning workout looked like.

The morning air was exceptionally fresh. She took a deep breath, happily taking in her surroundings.

However, she didn’t see Chen Mo. He was currently running laps.

Just as Su Yuqing was looking for Chen Mo, a gentle voice sounded beside her. “Hi, excuse me.”

Su Yuqing turned to see a young man standing not far away.

He was dressed in a simple, clean white shirt and casual trousers. He had a tall, straight posture and a warm, sunny disposition. A pleasant smile was on his face, and he held what looked like a few brochures in his hand.

“Can I help you?” Su Yuqing asked politely.

“I’m a second-year student from the medical school, Chu Yunfan.” The young man took a few steps forward, maintaining a respectful distance. He smiled brightly. “I’m also a member of the Student Council’s Activities Department. I saw you standing here and wondered if you were unfamiliar with the campus. The Student Council is helping guide new students, so if there’s anything you don’t know about the campus, or if you want to learn about clubs and the council, feel free to ask me.”

His introduction was natural and not at all abrupt—just the normal, friendly concern of an upperclassman.

“Thank you, senior. I’m just waiting for my roommates here. We’re planning to go to the cafeteria,” Su Yuqing replied with a grateful smile.

“The soy milk and scallion pancakes at Cafeteria Number One are great, you should try them. But whatever you do, don’t get the soy milk from Cafeteria Number Two—it has a burnt taste.” Chu Yunfan picked up the conversation naturally. His gaze, full of pure appreciation and friendliness, landed on Su Yuqing’s face, which was even more delicate and beautiful than that of a top celebrity. “What’s your major?”

“Clinical Medicine, the eight-year program,” Su Yuqing replied.