Right now, Cheng Hao stood frozen in place, his face flushed with awkwardness as he stared dumbly at Ye Xinran’s breathtakingly beautiful face.

What exactly did she want from him?

He hadn’t gone out of his way to provoke her, had he?

So why was she clinging to him so relentlessly?

A million questions swirled in Cheng Hao’s mind. No matter how hard he racked his brain, no answers came.

Could it be… Ye Xinran had feelings for him?

A faint frown creased Cheng Hao’s brow as the thought surfaced.

But he quickly dismissed it as pure fantasy.

First off, it was utterly impossible—they’d only known each other for two days. How could she possibly fall for him so easily?

Besides, a girl as exceptional and aloof as her wouldn’t give her affection so cheaply.

With this thought, Cheng Hao took a deep breath to steady himself. He met Ye Xinran’s gaze and asked softly,

"Senior, I have to ask… why are you paying so much attention to me?"

He expected her to look flustered after this question. Instead, she simply pursed her lips into a smile, hands resting on her knees as she leaned down to peer into his eyes:

"Because… as your senior, I’m supposed to look after new juniors. Is that reason good enough?"

Cheng Hao’s lips twitched slightly. Clearly, Ye Xinran had no intention of revealing her true motive.

Only an idiot would believe such a flimsy excuse…

Still, he needed to cut ties with her. If rumors started spreading, things would get messy.

Resolving this, Cheng Hao fixed his gaze on her, ready to lay everything bare:

"Senior, I think as a girl, you should—"

Ye Xinran cut him off before he could finish, letting out a soft *hmph*:

"Should what? I ran all the way here in this heat just to bring you water. You’re not going to refuse it, are you?"

"It’s not that… I meant…" Cheng Hao stammered, flustered. Before he could continue, Ye Xinran thrust the water bottle into his hands:

"Not listening, not listening—turtle chanting sutras! You drink it since I brought it. Refusing would be spitting in my face, got it?"

Cheng Hao sighed wearily. He finally understood—Ye Xinran had set her sights on him, leaving no room for refusal.

Wasn’t this a little too overbearing?

And… was this some cliché rom-com script where the CEO chases the heroine?

"Thanks, Senior." Cheng Hao took the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

"Hmph. That’s more like it."

A trace of a smile played on Ye Xinran’s lips as she clasped her hands behind her back, watching Cheng Hao intently.

Everyone nearby could tell—the campus goddess’s gaze wasn’t normal.

It was the look you gave… someone you adored.

After Cheng Hao finished drinking, he handed the bottle back. Ye Xinran gave a satisfied nod.

"If that’s all, I’ll head off now. See you tomorrow!"

She waved cheerfully and skipped away from the field, her steps light.

Watching her retreating figure, Cheng Hao finally let out a long breath of relief.

But the entire field had fallen deathly silent.

The campus goddess bringing water to a freshman was already absurd beyond belief.

Yet something else left everyone dumbfounded—faint, heartbroken cracks seemed to echo through the air.

Because everyone had noticed: the water bottle Cheng Hao just used… belonged to Ye Xinran.

That meant he’d just shared an indirect kiss with the campus goddess.

"Darn it! Sharing a water bottle with the goddess—I’m so jealous it hurts!"

"Hey… if he and the goddess had an indirect kiss just now, does that mean if I kiss *him*, I’d get an indirect kiss with her too?"

"You’re weird!"

The field stayed utterly quiet. No one doubted this was Ye Xinran’s prank anymore.

Her behavior was far too abnormal.

Bringing him ice cream on day one? Maybe just a joke.

Bumping into him at night? Could’ve been coincidence.

But showing up the next day with water—and sharing her bottle?

If there was nothing between them, they’d eat their own hats.

Ye Xinran acted exactly like a girl basking in the sweetness of new love.

They weren’t blind—they saw it clearly.

What puzzled them was why Cheng Hao seemed so awkward and stiff if they were really dating.

It felt utterly backwards… almost like the campus goddess was chasing *him*.

Hah. Even more impossible.

Suspecting Ye Xinran had a boyfriend was already their wildest guess.

The idea of her chasing a freshman? Not in a million years.

The campus goddess wasn’t just a pretty face—she was God’s flawless masterpiece, without a single flaw.

Just catching her glance felt like a lifetime blessing.

As for her chasing someone? Absolutely, utterly, completely impossible!

…

After military training ended, Cheng Hao bolted from the scene.

The way everyone stared at him felt eerie—as if he’d murdered their fathers.

He was terrified. If he didn’t escape this trouble spot fast, he might not survive till tomorrow.

Now, sitting in a taxi heading toward the mall, Cheng Hao planned to buy sunscreen. He’d thought Shanghai’s weather wouldn’t be too harsh, but this place felt like the Sahara Desert.

Without sunscreen, he’d turn into roasted chicken within three days.

Meanwhile, he chatted with his childhood friend.

"Zihan… I think that campus goddess is getting weirder."

"Hm? How so?"

"She brought me water again today. And the way she looked at me felt… off."

Cheng Hao reported the day’s events to Ye Zihan truthfully.

Zihan: "Seriously? She brought you water *again*? Could she… like you?"

Cheng Hao: "Impossible. We’ve only met twice. No way she’d fall for me that easily. It’s unrealistic."

"But think about it—if she didn’t like you, why keep bringing you water two days in a row?"

Cheng Hao frowned slightly. He’d considered this too, but with so few meetings, he couldn’t believe the campus goddess would fall for him so readily.

"Uh… probably just messing with me. Or joking around."

"Girls don’t joke about things like this. I’m sure she has feelings for you."

Cheng Hao: "But doesn’t it feel weird? We met yesterday, and suddenly she likes me? That can’t happen."

Zihan: "What if… you’re not meeting for the first time? Maybe you knew each other long ago?"

Ye Xinran stared tensely at her phone, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribs.

She’d dropped such obvious hints—he *had* to recognize her by now.

But Cheng Hao’s next reply made her grind her teeth.

"Impossible. I have the best memory. If I’d met her before, I’d remember. But I have zero recollection of this campus goddess. So no chance."

Zihan: "…I’m tired. Gonna sleep."

Ye Xinran put away her phone. She couldn’t keep chatting—she feared she’d lose control and rush straight to Cheng Hao to reveal herself.

She’d considered it before, but as a girl, she had to keep some dignity.

Otherwise, that jerk would definitely tease her about it later.

"Dummy! I’ve hinted so clearly, and you still don’t recognize me?"

Ye Xinran bit her lower lip gently. She swore that on the day her identity was revealed, she’d bite Cheng Hao hard.

For him, she’d waited a whole year—just to reunite with her childhood friend and finally return his feelings.

She’d done so much, hinted so obviously, yet this guy still didn’t recognize her. And he dared brag about his good memory? Pah!

"That idiot… *he* confessed first, yet *I’m* the one chasing him now." Ye Xinran grumbled.

Though her words sounded annoyed, her heart felt sweet.

Because even without recognizing her, Cheng Hao kept his distance from her other identity. That made everything worthwhile.

Now, hugging her pillow tightly, Ye Xinran pondered: what method could possibly make this oblivious straight guy recognize her?