a very beautiful name, isn't it?

"Yuchen, your cousin is really pretty!" Zhang Ben remarked with a grin.

Everyone around was surprised—Chen Yuchen had such a gorgeous cousin?

Upon hearing this, Chen Siqi puffed up her cheeks in mock anger and gave Chen Yuchen a light slap on the arm. "Who said I'm your cousin? I even bought you milk tea, and now it's cold! Hmph!" she pouted.

With her playful, almost childlike demeanor, it was obvious to everyone that Chen Siqi wasn't just upset like a typical cousin—she was acting more like a girlfriend being teased by her boyfriend. The group immediately understood there was more to their relationship than met the eye.

Zhang Yi, always quick to pick up on things, smirked and asked, "Yuchen, so… she's not really your cousin, is she?"

Chen Yuchen smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "We planned to have dinner together tonight, so I can't join you guys. I'll treat you all another day, okay?"

"Of course, don't worry about us," Zhang Yi replied understandingly.

Chen Yuchen then turned to Chen Siqi and asked, "Shall we go?"

Chen Siqi gave him a playful glare, clearly still a bit annoyed.

Seeing this, Chen Yuchen gave in, gently taking her hand. "Let's go," he said with a laugh.

Not far away, Muping and her dorm mates watched the scene unfold. As they saw Chen Yuchen and Chen Siqi walk away, hand in hand, the girls exchanged knowing smiles.

"Wow, the class president's girlfriend is really pretty," Zhang Na remarked.

"Totally. Even as a girl, I can't stop looking at her," added one of Zhang Na's dorm mates.

Muping smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. Meanwhile, Zhang Yi urged Zhang Ben and Wang Yishu to hurry up, reminding them that Zhang Ziqi and the others were still waiting at the cafeteria.

After a quick goodbye to Muping, Zhang Yi and his group headed off.

The summer night on campus was serene, with tall dawn redwood trees lining the pathways. The air was fresh with the scent of grass and trees, and the chirping of insects filled the evening. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Walking down the quiet tree-lined path, Chen Yuchen held Chen Siqi's hand as they strolled side by side. Chen Siqi leaned against his arm, her face glowing with a sweet smile.

"Your campus is so pretty, with all these tall trees. Not like my school—bare and full of just shrubs," Chen Siqi said with a laugh.

"There are a lot of trees, but our campus is small. I heard it's less than a hundred acres," Chen Yuchen replied.

"That small?" Chen Siqi's eyes widened in surprise, then she giggled, "Still, if I'd known, I would've applied to your school. That way, I could be closer to you."

"What would you do if you were closer to me?" Chen Yuchen teased.

"I…" Chen Siqi blushed, lowering her head in embarrassment, unsure how to respond.

Suddenly, Chen Yuchen let go of her hand and feigned seriousness. "Hey! Why are we walking so close together? Haven't you heard that boys and girls should keep their distance?" he joked.

Chen Siqi, caught between embarrassment and amusement, was at a loss for words, pouting as she fumed silently.

Seeing how cute she looked when she was annoyed, Chen Yuchen couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I was just teasing you. Don't be mad."

"You're so mean!" Chen Siqi huffed, puffing her cheeks.

"How about I make it up to you with some cake?" Chen Yuchen offered.

"I want the biggest slice!" Chen Siqi demanded, still pouting.

"Fine, but don't complain if you get too fat and no one wants you."

Furious, Chen Siqi raised her hand, pretending to hit him. But before she could, Chen Yuchen dodged with a grin, teasing, "Why are you so fierce?"

Under the moonlight that bathed the campus in a soft glow, the two of them bantered playfully, their laughter echoing through the night air.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi, Zhang Ben, and Wang Yishu had finally made it to the cafeteria. Zhang Ziqi, dressed in a short summer dress with a light jacket draped over her shoulders, was waiting by the entrance. She looked up as they approached, her expression annoyed. "Why are you so late? Do you know how long we've been waiting?"

Zhang Yi quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, we were held up by Yuchen."

The moment she heard the name "Yuchen," Zhang Ziqi was about to speak, but her dorm mate, Lin Siyen, cut in, her face showing a hint of disappointment. "Why isn't he here?"

Curious, Zhang Yi glanced at Lin Siyen and asked Zhang Ziqi, "Hey, who's this?"

Zhang Ziqi smiled and introduced her, "This is my roommate, Lin Siyen."

Lin Siyen was dressed simply, standing quietly by the door. The moment she heard that Chen Yuchen wasn't coming, her face subtly betrayed her disappointment.

Zhang Ziqi chuckled and added, "Siyen was really looking forward to seeing Yuchen. But it seems like he's intentionally avoiding us—he was supposed to treat us to dinner!"

Zhang Yi quickly explained, "No, no, it's not like that. Yuchen really has a girlfriend now. He just left with her."

Zhang Ben, grinning mischievously, chimed in, "Ziqi, there's more than one single guy in our dorm, you know. How about introducing us to some of your friends?"

Zhang Ziqi gave him a helpless look, realizing that this dinner wasn't going to be as simple as she'd hoped.