CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 292: PHOENIX MAN

"Go inside," Ye Qiu gently said at the entrance to the girls’ dormitory.

It was late in the evening and another Sunday. At this time, one would either return to the dorm early to play games or stay out all night without coming back. Today, the news of their relationship was officially announced to both dormitories, leaving Zhang Meng feeling somewhat surreal.

Just a few days ago, Ye Qiu was the unattainable dream in her heart, a love she cherished cautiously, persistently staying firm even against her best friend Li Xin’s advice. She never imagined that one day, the person she loved would tell her he loved her too.

Happiness came so suddenly that Zhang Meng felt dazed for several days, especially with the drastic change from Ye Qiu’s previous cold indifference to his now tender care. The strong contrast often made her doubt if this romance was an illusion, but amidst everyone’s blessings just now, she finally felt a touch of reality.

Zhang Meng hung her head slightly, a sweet smile curling at her lips: "You should also head back." Summoning courage from nowhere, she hugged Ye Qiu lightly before leaving.

"Good night," Ye Qiu said with a smile, placing a gentle kiss on Zhang Meng’s forehead.

In the end, Zhang Meng floated up the stairs, only coming back to her senses when all three roommates had finished washing up and urged her to take a shower.

Ah! Ah! This is unbearable!

Looking at her flushed face in the mirror, Zhang Meng felt like she was about to combust. How could Ye Qiu suddenly kiss her like that? Even though it was just a goodnight kiss, the soft touch on her forehead seemed to linger; she could still distinctly feel Ye Qiu’s thin and moist lips.

Nor had she ever seen him apply lip balm, how could his lips be so soft?

If they were to kiss... Zhang Meng quickly shook her head, feeling she shouldn’t think further. How could she be so impure?

After a rushed shower, and even after pulling the curtains around her bed, Zhang Meng still felt as though she was floating on a cloud. That night, she suffered from insomnia, only managing to close her eyes around 2 or 3 in the morning. Even then, in her dreams, she was still kissing Ye Qiu’s soft lips.

In class, Zhang Meng was absent-minded and dared not look at Ye Qiu, who sat beside her. Just a brief eye contact would make her face turn bright red.

Although he didn’t know why she was being shy, Ye Qiu wisely refrained from asking and considerately took notes for his new girlfriend.

Since then, every evening when Ye Qiu walked Zhang Meng back to the dorm, she seemed a bit uneasy. But apart from that one day, in the days that followed, other than daily hand-holding and occasional hugging, Ye Qiu never kissed her again.

Zhang Meng wasn’t sure how she felt. She thought Ye Qiu was being respectful, and it sweetened her heart, yet she also felt a slight sense of loss.

She felt she was being too demanding; initially, she was content knowing Ye Qiu reciprocated her feelings. Later, when Ye Qiu confessed, she wanted him to be more considerate. Now, with Ye Qiu being attentive in every possible way, she felt unsure.

When did she become so demanding?

Zhang Meng tapped her own face, then went to the cafeteria and got a serving of Ye Qiu’s favorite spicy shredded potatoes and stir-fried beef, along with a nutritious dish of fish head stewed with Gastrodia elata. She took these to the library. Although eating was not allowed in the library, Ye Qiu had recently taken on several translation projects, and with exams in the next two weeks, he had been practically living there.

Worried about his health enduring this workload and also concerned that he wouldn’t be able to finish his work and revision, Zhang Meng had been bringing meals to the library, then calling him to eat together on the small slope outside the library.

After taking on translation work, Ye Qiu’s financial situation was no longer so tight, so the couple stopped being so meticulous about their spending. However, due to the high intensity of the work, Ye Qiu noticeably lost weight at a visible rate.

Zhang Meng felt so heartbroken that she couldn’t stand it, but since she couldn’t stop him, she had to try everything to ensure his nutrition.

"What are your plans for the summer vacation?" After finishing the last mouthful of fish soup, Ye Qiu asked Zhang Meng.

Thinking that summer vacation was just a week away, Zhang Meng felt a thousand types of reluctance and her heart tightened, "I need to go back home first, what about you?"

"Professor Wang has secured an internship opportunity for me at the Provincial Hospital. Although the internship salary isn’t high and it’s mostly menial work, it’s a rare opportunity, so I want to give it a try."

Hearing this news, Zhang Meng’s eyes lit up, suppressing the sense of loss she had just felt. She sincerely expressed her happiness for her boyfriend: "Go, definitely go. Even the graduate seniors don’t have this opportunity, Ye Qiu, you must seize it well."

"Hmm, I know." Ye Qiu smiled slightly and gripped his girlfriend’s hand tightly, filled with determination.

"Who are you messaging with now?" Zhang Changfeng held a medical academic journal in his hand, but his mind wasn’t on it as he looked suspiciously at his daughter.

"A classmate." Zhang Meng replied nonchalantly.

Zhang Changfeng, seeing his daughter’s love-struck expression, narrowed his eyes and put down the magazine, "Let dad meet this classmate of yours."

"Oh, Dad, what are you doing!" Zhang Meng, feeling guilty, hid her phone, "It’s just chatting among classmates, you wouldn’t understand anyway!"

"Who says I wouldn’t understand? Your dad is a PhD graduate, be it Chinese, English, or Russian, which do I not understand? Tell me, are you in love?" Zhang Changfeng’s tone was slightly threatening, especially seeing his daughter’s face turn red, he became even more stern.

Don’t think he wouldn’t understand just because he’s older. When he tricked his child’s mother into coming home back in the day, she had the same expression.

The thought alone made Zhang Changfeng instinctively oppose the idea. His daughter was at Medical University, her boyfriend might also be a medical student, how could that be acceptable? He was a doctor himself and knew firsthand how hard it was to be a good one. If both in a couple were doctors, no matter how good their relationship was initially, it would eventually lead to conflicts due to busy careers and spending time apart.

"Oh Dad, I’m already twenty-one. What’s wrong with dating? Didn’t Mom have me when she was twenty-two?" Zhang Meng argued confidently.

She actually admitted it? Zhang Changfeng’s eyes widened in anger, "Can you compare now to our past? Tell me the truth, did you date a boyfriend from the same school as you?"

"We are classmates, Dad, you don’t have to worry about me. Ye Qiu is a really good person and very outstanding. I’ll introduce you to him when I get the chance, and you’ll definitely like him," Zhang Meng said shyly and then confidently.

Zhang Changfeng looked somewhat solemn. His daughter’s mother died early, and he was so busy with work that he didn’t know how to teach her properly. Fortunately, his daughter had always been sensible from a young age, had not gone astray, and had been very obedient. The only thing she ever defied him on was applying to Medical University.

He never imagined, after all his warnings and reminders, his daughter would defy another promise she made to him—dating a boyfriend studying medicine!