Chapter 158: The Springtime Scenery of the New School Year

The fourteenth day of the first lunar month, early morning.

On the messy bed in the hotel, Ding Heng was the first to open his eyes, and what he saw was a complete mess.

There was a half-cold glass of water on the bedside table, next to several strips of opened pills and an orange-flavored lip balm.

Ding Heng moved slightly, trying to pull his arm out of Zhao Yanxi's grasp, but Wen Jing woke up first.

"Ding Heng..."

She let out a soft moan, nuzzling her face against his shoulder, then slowly opened her eyes, focusing her gaze for a few seconds before realizing where she was pressed against.

"morning……"

The little white rabbit's voice was soft and hoarse.

Ding Heng looked down at her and said, "Good morning."

Wenjing blinked, not fully awake yet.

"Hmm... I'll sleep a little longer."

A muffled murmur came from the side.

Zhao Yanxi unconsciously turned over, her arm slipping off Ding Heng's chest, and she shrank further into the blanket, only revealing a messy head of light blue hair.

A few seconds later she rolled back over, barely opening her eyes a crack.

"What time is it...?"

"It's almost eight o'clock."

"Well……"

She gave a mumbled reply, sprang up from the bed, and the blanket slipped off her body, revealing large areas of skin.

Ding Heng suggested, "Should we put on some clothes?"

"Need not……"

Zhao Yanxi stretched lazily and confidently, her waist relaxed, her arms raised above her head, every inch of her body clearly defined and unrestrained: "Why are you covering up? It's not like we haven't seen it before."

Wenjing lifted her head from Ding Heng's shoulder and saw Zhao Yanxi's shameless behavior, which made her blush even more.

She tried to sit up by supporting herself on the edge of the bed, but her arms went limp and she fell back down.

Zhao Yanxi teased, "What's wrong? Are your legs weak?"

She was quiet and didn't say a word, but her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

Ding Heng threw off the covers, got out of bed, and put on his bathrobe.

He glanced back at the two girls on the bed and said in a flat tone, "Go wash up and get ready to register for school."

He turned and walked out of the room to another bathroom.

Wenjing was still not fully awake, hugging her knees and burying her face in them.

Zhao Yanxi had already jumped off the bed, stepped barefoot onto the carpet, picked up the three people's messy clothes, shook them out, crumpled them into a ball, and threw them into the laundry basket, waiting for the cleaning lady to take care of them.

He picked up the stockings from the ground, looked at the terrible tears on them, clicked his tongue twice, and then threw them into the trash can.

"I have to buy a new one again."

She mumbled and grumbled, but her tone showed no sign of heartache.

While the girls were dawdling, Ding Heng had already finished showering and returned, changing back into his windbreaker and black casual pants, looking refreshed and neat.

"Aren't you going to wash up yet?"

Zhao Yanxi stuck out her tongue and grabbed Wenjing's wrist: "Come on, let's go take a shower."

Wenjing was pulled off the bed, her weak legs causing her to stagger.

The bathroom door was closed.

A few seconds later, the sound of water was heard, and it could be vaguely heard through the door.

Then came the sound of splashing water, mixed with Zhao Yanxi's laughter and Wen Jing's embarrassed and annoyed protest.

Hearing the noise, Ding Heng took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, suppressing the heat in his lower abdomen, and pushed open the door to leave the room.

More than an hour later, the sound of water stopped, and the two girls changed their clothes and came to the living room.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Zhao Yanxi skipped and hopped forward, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

Wenjing followed behind, walking slower than usual. Her waist was still a little stiff, but her face had returned to normal.

The three of them went downstairs and walked out of the hotel, where the early spring breeze blew in their faces.

Ding Heng handed the Chang'an car keys to Wen Jing: "Why don't you give it a try?"

Wenjing was stunned: "Me?"

"Didn't you just get your driver's license the day before yesterday?"

"But……"

"But what 'but'? We still have to get going."

"All right."

Wenjing took the keys, her palms slightly sweaty.

She got into the driver's seat, adjusted the seat and rearview mirror, and fastened her seatbelt with meticulous movements.

Zhao Yanxi climbed into the back seat and slumped back: "Xiao Jingjing, drive slowly. I don't want to end up in the hospital on the first day of school."

Ding Heng got into the passenger seat: "The New Year isn't over yet, can't we say something auspicious?"

Wenjing gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, took a deep breath, and started the engine.

The dilapidated Chang'an engine emitted a low rumble, the car suddenly lurched forward, and then came to a stop.

Wenjing's face paled, and she stepped on the brake.

"Take your time, don't rush."

Ding Heng offered words of reassurance, his tone neither hurried nor slow.

Wenjing nodded and shifted gears again, this time much more gently.

The car slowly slid out of the parking space, onto the main road, and merged into the traffic.

She drove very slowly and carefully, with the speedometer needle hovering around forty.

Every time I change lanes, I have to turn on my turn signal in advance and check my rearview mirror repeatedly, just like when I'm practicing driving at a driving school.

The car behind her honked impatiently, and she tensed up, but she still gripped the steering wheel firmly, without accelerating or cutting in front.

The car first turned into Zhongnan and arrived at the girls' dormitory building.

Zhao Yanxi got out of the car, took out her luggage, and waved to Wenjing through the driver's side window: "Little Jingjing, drive carefully!"

Wenjing nodded: "Mm."

Zhao Yanxi then turned to Ding Heng, winked playfully, and ran back to her dormitory with a grin.

The car got back on the road and arrived at the women's dormitory building of Hunan University again.

Wenjing turned off the engine, let out a long breath, and her palms were sweaty.

"You drove well."

Ding Heng praised her and patted her head.

Wenjing blushed slightly, pushed open the door, got out of the car, and retrieved her luggage.

Ding Heng got out of the car to help, and suddenly saw Qian Pu standing by the flower bed not far away. In front of him was Wenjing's roommate, who was also Qian Pu's nominal girlfriend, Wang Xinran.

However, the atmosphere between the two was clearly not quite right.

Qian Pu took a step forward, and Wang Xinran took a step back.

Qian Pu said something else, and Wang Xinran shook her head and turned to leave.

Qian Pu reached out to grab her arm, but the girl shook him off.

The two of them just stood there, neither of them saying a word.

When Wang Xinran turned around and saw Wen Jing, it was as if she had found a lifeline. She bypassed Qian Pu and walked quickly toward Wen Jing.

"Quiet!"

She said warmly, "You're back? Perfect timing, let's go upstairs together. I'll help you with your luggage!"

Wenjing was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, Wang Xinran had already taken her luggage from her.

Wang Xinran turned around and nodded to Ding Heng as a greeting, then took Wenjing's arm and walked into the building without looking back.

Wenjing glanced back at Ding Heng, her eyes filled with a sense of bewilderment.

Ding Heng waved to her, signaling her to go up.

The two girls disappeared at the building entrance, and Qian Pu's face showed a mixture of frustration and confusion.

Ding Heng patted him on the shoulder: "Let's go, we can go back to the dorm together."

Qian Pu said "Oh" and got into Ding Heng's car.

"Old Ding, why are women like this?"

"What?"

"His expression changes faster than turning the pages of a book."

Qian Pu said, sounding aggrieved, "We were chatting so well during winter break, saying good morning and good night every day, sharing our daily lives, and even playing games together. I was thinking we could take things further after school started, so I asked her out, but she said she was busy. I suggested we walk around the area near the school, but she said she was tired. I suggested we grab a bite to eat, but she said no... I didn't intend to do anything, just meet up and chat, is it really necessary?"

Ding Heng glanced at him but didn't reply.

Qian Pu then asked, "Did I do something to upset her?"

Ding Heng said in a flat tone, "She might just be in a bad mood because it's the beginning of the semester."

"Bad mood?"

Qian Pu thought for a moment, then went along with it, comforting himself, "That's true, it's just the beginning of the semester, everyone gets a little post-holiday blues."

Ding Heng didn't respond to that.

Qian Pu then asked, "Old Ding, why don't you spend a couple more days with your girlfriend? She doesn't want to either?"

Ding Heng smiled and said, "Same here, she's not in a good mood either."

Wenjing was indeed in a so-so mood.

Yesterday, Wenshu took a placement test at the start of the school year, and her score dropped to outside the top 200, which infuriated Xiaobaitu.

"Women..."

Qian Pu let out a long sigh.

The two went upstairs and pushed open the door to 412. The room was already bustling with activity.

"Finally back!"

Liu Chiwang's loud voice rang out first, and freshly sliced ​​Harbin red sausage was placed on the table.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste! It's a specialty from my hometown, authentic Harbin red sausage!"

Ding Heng picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, gave a thumbs up, and gestured for Qian Pu to try it as well.

But Qian Pu had no appetite and simply collapsed onto the bed.

Liu Chiwang picked up a piece of red sausage and fed it to Qian Pu's mouth: "What's wrong? You look so lost."

"It's nothing."

Qian Pu bit into the sausage and mumbled a response.

Just as Liu Chiwang was about to ask another question, his phone suddenly vibrated.

"Hey, a message in the class group chat."

Ding Heng also picked up his phone.

In the class group chat, Bai Zhiya tagged all members.

[Bai Zhiya]: @All Members

[Bai Zhiya]: Tonight at 6:30, there will be a class meeting in Classroom 201 of Teaching Building 2. The new semester arrangements and important information will be explained. Please make sure to be there on time. No one may be absent except in special circumstances.

Liu Chiwang put down his phone and turned to Ding Heng: "Old Ding, are you going?"

"Go ahead."

Ding Heng put his phone back in his pocket: "It's just a little delay, don't make things difficult for the counselor."

Qian Pu casually complained, "Why not just post any announcements in the group chat? Is it really necessary to make a formality like this in class meetings?"

Chen Mo asked curiously, "Why is it Bai Zhiya? Where's the class monitor?"

"The class monitor has some family matters to attend to and will be a week late for school. Bai Zhiya will be acting as the class monitor for now."

Liu Chiwang's tone suddenly became subtle: "You guys be careful, this woman seems to be in a terrible temper, maybe she ate firecrackers during the New Year! She had a cold face the whole time at the student council meeting yesterday."

Qian Pu chimed in, "There must be a problem. She hasn't updated her social media since the 29th, whereas she used to post one post a day."

Liu Chiwang said with a playful tone, "You're spying on them, aren't you?"

"What does 'stalking' mean?"

Qian Pu coughed awkwardly: "I just happened to see it and casually followed you."

"Come on, you."

Liu Chiwang chuckled: "Let me warn you, Bai Zhiya is not someone to mess with. Don't go looking for trouble."

Qian Pu retorted, "What's so difficult about her? It's not like I haven't spoken to her before; she's always been quite friendly."

That's just the surface.

Liu Chiwang said confidently, "You haven't seen how rude she is when she rejects others. Don't even think about trying to eat a swan."

Qian Pu, feeling a bit embarrassed, retorted, "You're the toad! What if I actually manage to win her over?"

Liu Chiwang's expression changed from surprise to amusement, and finally to a scrutinizing look that seemed to ask, "Are you serious?"

"Don't even mention you..."

He exaggeratedly said, "Whoever in our dorm manages to win her over, I'll call them 'daddy'!"

The two started arguing back and forth, with Chen Mo and Ding Heng occasionally chiming in to make a laugh. Before they knew it, it was noon.

Lake University Second Canteen.

Wenjing followed Ding Heng to get her food and then found a seat nearby.

Ding Heng picked up his chopsticks and casually asked, "How was the start of school?"

"fine."

Wenjing picked up a piece of shiitake mushroom, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.

Ding Heng turned to the side and pinched the girl's cheek.

"Speak your mind, don't hold it in."

"Waaaaah..."

After struggling for a moment, Wenjing sighed and said, "My roommates seem to have gone out to play together during the winter break."

"That's all?"

"Um."

Wenjing's tone was slightly disappointed: "When I went back to the dorm this morning, I heard them chatting and saying it was posted in the group chat, but I didn't see any messages in the group..."

It's obvious that there's already a small group chat in the dorm without her.

"Take it easy."

Ding Heng snatched a piece of chicken from Wenjing's bowl: "When we're sophomores, we'll rent a place off-campus."

Wenjing blinked, as if digesting the information in those words.

Renting a place off-campus means three people living together every day.

If the three of them live together every day, wouldn't they be...?

But it's good that I can cook for Ding Heng and Yan hope myself, which saves money and is healthier.

6:30 p.m., Room 201, Building 2.

People came in one after another, and found seats in twos and threes.

Ding Heng and his three roommates walked to the back row as usual when they suddenly heard a voice coming from the front row.

"Students in the back, move forward a bit, don't slouch too much."

Bai Zhiya shouted from the podium, "We're going to take pictures later, it doesn't look good if you sit too far apart."

Liu Chiwang muttered something and reluctantly moved his buttocks to the front row.

The four moved to the third row. Ding Heng had just settled down when Bai Zhiya walked over and plopped down next to him.

She put down the list and pen in her hand, turned to face Ding Heng, and said naturally, "Happy New Year."

Ding Heng politely replied, "Happy New Year."

"How was your Chinese New Year?"

"I'm doing alright, how about you?"

"It's alright."

Bai Zhiya smiled, her back straight, her smile appropriate.

The greeting was nothing out of the ordinary, and it made no sense that he had been humiliated in public by Lin Man at the food stall that day.

Liu Chiwang stared wide-eyed and mouthed to Qian Pu, "What's going on?"

Qian Pu also looked bewildered, shrugged, and couldn't understand when Bai Zhiya and Ding Heng had become so close.

"I'm sorry about what happened that day."

Bai Zhiya's voice was very soft, and a little pitiful.

Ding Heng sighed and laughed: "Why are you apologizing?"

Bai Zhiya smiled self-deprecatingly: "I was too vain that day, pretending to know what I didn't, and made a fool of myself... Thinking about it afterward, it was quite embarrassing."

Ding Heng said casually, "They're all minor matters. At eighteen or nineteen years old, who hasn't made a fool of themselves or lost face?"

Bai Zhiya paused for a second, then chuckled softly, "You're quite open-minded."

"You have to come to terms with it, life goes on."

"That's true..."

Bai Zhiya nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked down and fiddled with her pen. "By the way, the student council is organizing an event for the Lantern Festival tomorrow and needs a photographer. I'd like to ask you for help, is that alright?"

Ding Heng politely declined, saying, "It's not convenient; I have to be with my girlfriend. Maybe another time."

Bai Zhiya's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

"Alright, you go ahead and do your thing."

She then added, her tone tinged with envy, "You're so good to your girlfriend."

Ding Heng did not respond.

The classroom door was pushed open, and counselor Zhou Zheng walked in, placing his thermos on the podium. The class meeting officially began.

It was nothing more than the same old stuff—new semester arrangements, credit reminders, safety precautions, and a bunch of other miscellaneous forms to fill out.

Bai Zhiya stopped talking to Ding Heng and seemed to be taking notes.

The class meeting ended close to eight o'clock.

Ding Heng returned to his dormitory, lay down on his bed, and took out his phone.

Several more messages popped up in the class group chat. He scrolled through them and was about to exit when a private message popped up.

[Bai Zhiya]: Can you reconsider the Lantern Festival activities? You don't need to answer me now. If it's convenient, just let me know anytime.

Ding Heng: Okay, I'll consider it if it's convenient for me.

The other end quickly replied with a "OK" and then added a smiley face emoji.

Ding Heng exited the chat window, scrolled down, and clicked on Hua Qing's profile picture.

[Ding Heng]: What are you doing, senior?

The message was sent, and I waited for about half a minute.

【Flower Sea Sunny Day】: I'm preparing videos for the students to take the preliminary exam for the Beijing Dance Academy. I might accompany them to the capital for the subsequent re-examination.

[Ding Heng]: Senior, are you going alone?

【A Sea of ​​Flowers Under a Sunny Day】: Their parents will also accompany them.

[Ding Heng]: Does the senior need her parents to accompany her?

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

Hua Qing was probably torn between scolding him or pretending not to see it.

【Flower Sea Sunny Day】: You should just focus on your studies.

Ding Heng burst out laughing.

The tone was dismissive, but the parent did not deny their role as a "parent".

[Ding Heng]: Okay, senior, please contact me anytime if you need anything.

【Flower Sea Sunny Day】: Hmm.

[Ding Heng]: By the way, senior, what's your first personal vlog of the semester?

The "typing is happening" message flashed and then disappeared.

A full five minutes later, the message finally popped up.

【Flower Sea Sunny Day】: Scumbag.

Then comes the second one.

【A Sea of ​​Flowers Under a Sunny Day】: [Video]

Ding Heng clicked on it.

The image shook before stabilizing; the background was Hua Qing's dance studio.

She stood in front of the mirror, wearing the black training clothes Ding Heng was familiar with. Her long hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing her slender neck. Light streamed in from the window, outlining a soft silhouette on her.

She faced the camera with a slightly stiff expression, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.

Finally, squat down, stand on your tiptoes, and make a V-sign with your hands.

Her eyes still held the aloofness and arrogance unique to fairies, as well as... a reluctant humiliation.

……

The short five-minute video left Ding Heng's mouth dry, and a system notification popped up in his mind.

【Azure Cold Sword Immortal: Hua Qing】

[Current Status: A Fairy Who Has Lost All Her Cultivation Power]

[Progress of romantic entanglement: 85%]

[Progress of severing emotional ties: 1%]

It has increased by another 1%.

Ding Heng could no longer calm down. He got out of bed, put on his coat, pushed open the door and left the dormitory, sending a message to Zhao Yanxi along the way.

[Ding Heng]: Get ready, I'm coming to pick you up.

[Lucky Zhao]: What?

[Ding Heng]: Go to the hotel.

[Fortune Xiao Zhao]: Xiao Jingjing, want to come along?

Ding Heng: No need.

【Lucky Zhao】: Why?

[Ding Heng]: Didn't you want to try something new?