What if you're too popular

"Yuchen, your cousin is really pretty!" Zhang Ben teased, grinning widely.

Everyone was taken aback—Chen Yuchen had such a beautiful "cousin"?

Chen Siqi, upon hearing this, immediately puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction and gave Chen Yuchen a light slap on the arm. "Who's your cousin? I even bought you milk tea, and now it's cold!" she pouted.

Her playful, sulky demeanor resembled that of a girl in a small spat with her boyfriend, and it didn't take long for everyone to realize that their relationship was far more than just cousins.

Zhang Yi, always the jokester, smiled slyly and asked, "Yuchen, so… is she really your cousin?"

Chen Yuchen chuckled but avoided answering directly. Instead, he said, "We have plans for dinner tonight, so I can't join you guys. I'll treat you all another time."

"Of course, of course. Gotta give you some space," Zhang Yi replied with a playful smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.

Turning to Chen Siqi, Chen Yuchen said softly, "Shall we?"

Chen Siqi, still pouting, rolled her eyes at him, clearly not entirely over her earlier annoyance.

Seeing this, Chen Yuchen sighed and gently took her hand. "Alright, let's go," he said with a smile.

Not far away, Muping and her dorm mates stood watching the scene. When they saw Chen Yuchen and Chen Siqi walking off hand-in-hand, they exchanged knowing looks.

"The class president's girlfriend is really beautiful," Zhang Na remarked with admiration.

"Yeah, she's so pretty I could stare at her all day," one of her dorm mates agreed with a laugh.

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

After briefly greeting Muping, Zhang Yi and his group hurried off.

It was a quiet summer night on campus. Moonlight filtered through the tall cypress trees lining the paths, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees. The sounds of chirping insects echoed softly in the distance.

Walking slowly along the campus path, Chen Yuchen held Chen Siqi's hand as they strolled side by side. Chen Siqi leaned her head gently against his shoulder, her face glowing with a contented smile.

"Your campus is so pretty, with all these big trees lining the roads. My school feels so empty—it's just lawns everywhere," Chen Siqi remarked with a chuckle.

"There are a lot of trees, but the 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 smiled and said, "Well, if I'd known, I would've applied here so I could be closer to you."

"And why would you want to be closer to me?" Chen Yuchen teased.

"I…" Chen Siqi's face turned pink, and she looked down shyly, unsure of how to respond.

Suddenly, Chen Yuchen let go of her hand, pretending to be serious. "Hey, why are we so close? Haven't you heard? Boys and girls shouldn't be so familiar with each other!"

Chen Siqi, caught between embarrassment and frustration, puffed up her cheeks and let out an indignant huff. "You're so annoying!" she exclaimed, half laughing, half pouting.

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

"You're terrible!" Chen Siqi pouted again, her frustration melting into a playful smile.

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

"I want the biggest slice!" Chen Siqi demanded without hesitation.

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

Outraged, Chen Siqi raised her hand to playfully swat at him, but Chen Yuchen dodged, laughing as he said, "Why are you so fierce?"

The two of them continued to joke and laugh as they strolled under the moonlight, their laughter echoing through the peaceful campus.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi, Zhang Ben, and Wang Yishu finally arrived at the cafeteria. Zhang Ziqi, dressed in a short summer dress with a light jacket over her shoulders, stood waiting by the entrance. As soon as she saw them, she frowned and said, "Why are you so late? Do you know how long we've been waiting?"

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

"Yuchen?" Upon hearing the name, Lin Siyen, who had been standing beside Zhang Ziqi, couldn't hide her displeasure. "Why isn't he here?"

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

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

Lin Siyen, dressed simply but tastefully, stood there with a slight frown, clearly disappointed upon hearing that Chen Yuchen hadn't shown up.

Zhang Ziqi chuckled and explained, "Siyen was really looking forward to meeting Yuchen. We were supposed to have dinner together, but it seems like he's dodging us. He even promised to treat us!"

Zhang Yi hurriedly reassured her. "No, no. Yuchen really does have a girlfriend now. He just left with her."

Zhang Ben, grinning mischievously, chimed in, "Ziqi, we have more than one single guy in our dorm. How about introducing us to some of your friends?"

Zhang Ziqi gave him an exasperated look, realizing that this dinner was going to be far more complicated than she'd anticipated.

Outside the cafeteria, Yu Xinying and Lin Siyen stood in the cool evening air. Yu Xinying gently patted Lin Siyen on the shoulder. "You know, if you really like him, you should go talk to him. Who knows? Maybe he'd stay."

Lin Siyen sighed softly, her voice tinged with resignation. "Forget it. I'm not even sure he remembers me."

Yu Xinying shook her head with a sigh. "You're such a worry, you know that?"

Nearby, Chen Leyi, another of Zhang Ziqi's dorm mates, decided to stay behind to keep her company. Smiling warmly, she said, "Alright, let's not dwell on it. Let's head inside and eat. Don't let it ruin your mood."

Zhang Ziqi managed a faint smile. "I guess we don't have a choice. Come on, let's go."

Finally, everyone made their way into the cafeteria, and as the evening progressed, the atmosphere began to relax. Still, Lin Siyen remained distant, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.