Chapter 328 My Ship Is Sailing

[Because some readers have some truly twisted logic, I’m going to briefly explain the end of the last Chapter. The protagonist’s only intention was to hope that the person he loves could live more for herself, not cling to him like a shadow or a puppet without a soul of her own. And in some people’s eyes, that makes him a cuck? It made you feel disgusted?

If Chu Yunfan had asked the female lead out alone and the protagonist agreed, then sure, you could say his behavior was cucky. But the invitation was for a Student Council activity, which isn’t a one-on-one event. How can you even connect that to being a cuck? I don’t know if these people are just extremely insecure or if their desire for control is just plain pathological!

Readers choose books, and books choose their readers. If you can read it, then read it. If you can’t, then you don’t have to. For the few particularly aggressive individuals, if you have psychological problems, I suggest you go see a psychiatrist. There’s no need to leave your ridiculous comments here to disgust the author and other readers, thank you.]

...

Su Yuqing was still immersed in Chen Mo’s sincere and profound words. Her heart surged with emotion as she gazed at him, her eyes slightly red. Everything left unsaid was conveyed through their ten intertwined fingers.

Only with him could she feel so clearly what it was like to be cherished and deeply loved. This love wasn’t a restraint, but a support system—a wish for her to become better, more complete.

"Chen Mo..." Her voice was slightly choked, thick and nasal.

Chen Mo chuckled softly. With his free hand, he took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the teardrop about to fall from the corner of her eye. His movements were gentle. "Silly girl, what are you crying for?"

Su Yuqing’s emotions shifted, and she suddenly kissed him.

This scene was witnessed directly by the few people nearby.

Chen Mo was momentarily stunned by her sudden, bold kiss, but then endless tenderness bloomed in his eyes. He naturally returned the kiss, but since it was in broad daylight and in full view of everyone, his kiss was gentle and restrained.

On the spacious rooftop, the sunlight and gentle breeze became the witnesses to their sweet moment.

However, for the "onlookers" not far away, this picturesque scene was nothing short of a bombshell of sweetness!

"Ngh—!" Lin Xiaoxiao was the first to see it. She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes instantly widening like saucers. Almost instinctively, she clapped a hand tightly over her mouth, forcefully stifling the scream that was about to erupt. She stomped her feet in excitement, her other hand frantically slapping Zhou Yue’s arm beside her.

"Mmph! Mmph!" she mumbled incoherently, frantically signaling with her eyes toward the couple.

Zhou Yue had been looking at the scenery and was baffled by Lin Xiaoxiao’s slapping. When she turned to look, she too froze on the spot. Then, a huge, almost manic grin of excitement erupted on her face.

She reacted incredibly fast, mimicking Lin Xiaoxiao by covering her own mouth. But her eyes were even wider than Lin Xiaoxiao’s, twinkling with the ecstatic glow that screamed ’My ship is sailing!’

She grabbed Lin Xiaoxiao’s arm, and the two girls instantly, silently, squirmed together, expressing their overwhelming inner excitement with exaggerated movements, looking just like two wind-up dancing toys.

Even Zhao Ya, who was always quiet and reserved, blushed crimson the moment she saw the scene. She looked away, slightly embarrassed, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curve up into a shy smile of happiness for her friend.

She felt it would be impolite to keep staring, but the sweet atmosphere made it impossible not to sneak peeks out of the corner of her eye.

Shen Xinghe took in the three girls’ reactions. A faint smile flickered in his handsome peach-blossom eyes, as if he found the scene rather amusing.

His gaze rested on Chen Mo and Su Yuqing for a moment. Seeing Chen Mo’s careful, protective posture and Su Yuqing’s look of total, devoted attachment, the usual ambiguous curve of his lips deepened slightly. He then returned to his nonchalant demeanor, as if he had merely been appreciating a beautiful painting.

He was even "thoughtful" enough to turn slightly to the side, seemingly to get a better look at the scenery, but in reality giving the couple a more private space and blocking Zhou Yue and Lin Xiaoxiao’s overly "feverish" gazes.

The kiss didn’t last long. Su Yuqing was, after all, easily embarrassed. After her initial boldness, she quickly remembered they were in a public place. She pulled back with a red face, but kept her forehead affectionately pressed against Chen Mo’s. She was breathing lightly, her eyes shimmering with shyness and love.

Chen Mo chuckled, gently caressing her flushed cheek with his thumb, his gaze so doting it could drown a person.

Just then, they vaguely heard suppressed but still audible sounds from nearby—excited whimpers and stomping feet, as faint and frantic as scurrying mice.

Su Yuqing followed the sound with a curious glance, her eyes meeting the gazes of Zhou Yue and Lin Xiaoxiao in the distance. Their eyes were glowing with excitement, clearly screaming, "We saw it! We saw everything!"

Seeing her look over, the two jokers immediately put on expressions that said, "Carry on! We didn’t see a thing!" But their wildly upturned lips and waggling eyebrows completely gave them away.

Su Yuqing’s face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato. With a soft "Ah!", she buried her face in Chen Mo’s chest, too embarrassed to look up.

The warmth from Su Yuqing’s face, buried in his chest, radiated through the thin fabric of his shirt, carrying her unique, sweet fragrance and shyness.

Chen Mo was also amused by her roommates’ exaggerated reactions. He laughed, openly tightening his arms around his girlfriend, and shot a look in their direction. It was a gaze full of both amusement and a hint of helplessness, as if to say, "Alright, stop teasing her."

The wind on the rooftop remained gentle and the sunlight was perfect. Young love and playful friendship intertwined, painting a vivid and beautiful picture.

At some point, Shen Xinghe had turned completely around. Now with his back to them, he leaned against the railing, seemingly focused on the distant campus skyline. However, the slight tilt of his head revealed that he hadn’t completely tuned out the commotion behind him.

His fingertips tapped a slow, steady rhythm on the railing. No one knew what he was thinking.

The little interlude passed quickly. Su Yuqing lifted her head from Chen Mo’s embrace. Though her cheeks were still flushed, her eyes were clear and bright again, but she was too shy to look toward her roommates.

The two looked at each other and smiled, a sweet feeling lingering in the air.

She gently tugged on the corner of Chen Mo’s shirt. "Should we... go look over there? I heard you can see the school’s Mirror Moon Lake from the other side."

"Okay." Chen Mo readily agreed. He smiled and took her hand, their fingers intertwining naturally in a practiced, familiar gesture.

They walked in the opposite direction from Chu Yunfan, deliberately putting some distance between themselves and her roommates to enjoy their rare moment alone.

The rooftop wind seemed to favor them, gently brushing past their hair and the corners of their clothes.

They leaned against the railing, looking down at the campus scenery and talking in low voices, sharing small plans for their future. The subtle tension Chu Yunfan had brought with him seemed to have been blown away by the wind.

However, out of the corner of his eye, Chen Mo would occasionally glance in Chu Yunfan’s direction.

On the surface, the senior seemed sunny and open, his behavior proper and irreproachable. But the intuition Chen Mo had honed over many years as a criminal police officer allowed him to catch a fleeting, scrutinizing gaze, as well as an overly "natural" eagerness when Chu Yunfan had invited Su Yuqing. It was an almost instinctual wariness.

Chu Yunfan walked to the other side of the rooftop and raised his camera. He appeared to be seriously framing a shot, but his lens subtly swept past the beautiful couple snuggling together as they looked out at the view.

Through his telephoto lens, he could clearly see the happy, slightly shy smile on Su Yuqing’s face, and the overwhelming tenderness in Chen Mo’s eyes as he looked down at her—a tenderness so deep it could drown a person.