The Silent World And Him - Chapter 33

During the break, Pu Chen took out the desserts she brought back from the restaurant yesterday. The desserts were all different shapes, delicate and cute. She handed the dessert box to Zhuo Xuan, letting her choose.

Zhuo Xuan didn’t like sweets, but she was charmed by the appearance of these desserts. She picked one casually and asked, « Did your boyfriend bring this back too? »

Pu Chen: [I bought an extra one when we were eating at the restaurant.]

Zhuo Xuan didn’t see Qin Yu today and asked, « Has your boyfriend returned to school? »

Pu Chen: [Not yet, it seems like we’re going to his grandfather’s house today.]

Qin didn’t tell her what the plan was for today; she was just guessing randomly.

With nothing to do during the break, she scrolled through her Moments and saw Zhao Shu’s latest post. Five minutes ago, Zhao Shu posted a nine-grid photo with the caption: [Beautiful shots from my boyfriend’s perspective~]

But unfortunately, there was no sign of her boyfriend in the photo.

She privately messaged Zhao Shu to ask if she had a boyfriend, ready to congratulate her.

Zhao Shu replied instantly: « 😬😬😬 It was just a few of us from the dorm going out and helping each other take pictures. »

Pu Chen: « I thought you had a boyfriend and was happy for you. I still don’t know what type you like. »

After a while, Zhao Shu finally replied, vaguely missing the point: 【Then you just be happy for me first. Having a boyfriend should be a matter of time. Among the four of us, I’m the only single one. Peng Jingyang also has a girlfriend now. I heard she’s the top science scorer in the college entrance exam from a certain city. Impressive, right? (silly smile)】

Pu Chen didn’t know that Peng Jingyang already had a girlfriend. She hadn’t been in contact with him much; the last time they messaged was during military training in September. Back then, they were sunburned and tired, and they exchanged a few complaints.

No wonder Peng Jingyang didn’t return to Sucheng during the National Day holiday; it turns out he stayed in Beijing to accompany his girlfriend.

She missed those high school years, the days when the four of them ate together and went out together.

She said to Zhao Shu, « When we go back for winter break, let’s find a time to get together. »

Zhao Shu didn’t want to meet again, nor did she want to see certain people. The past was gone and couldn’t be returned to, so why cling to it?

She changed the subject, « Our school has an early break. I’ll go to Beijing for a few days, and I can pick you up on the way back. »

Pu Chen said, « I’ll tell you once our department’s exam schedule is out. Come over right after your exams. »

Until she finished chatting with Zhao Shu, the dessert in her hand was still not finished.

« I’ll go get some water and bring you a cup. » Zhuo Xuan reached out to ask Pu Chen for a cup.

Pu Chen: [I’ll go with you.]

She put away the dessert box into the desk compartment, took the cup, and followed Zhuo Xuan out of the classroom one after another.

Outside in the corridor, the two walked side by side to the tea room.

By the back door of the classroom stood a tall figure; passersby all looked at him, some even glanced back repeatedly, but he calmly stared at Pu Chen as he approached.

Pu Chen and Zhuo Xuan were chatting, occasionally checking their phones, not noticing Qin Yu.

Seeing Pu Chen walk past right in front of him, he was completely ignored.

Chenbao.

Pu Chen thought she was hearing things; the moment she tilted her head to look over, she froze in place.

Her eyes widened, and in the next moment, the surprise in her eyes was replaced by joy, leaving only an indescribable happiness upon seeing him. Her lips puckered slightly, and she didn’t even realize she was acting coquettishly.

Qin took the water cup from her hand, « I’ll accompany you to class today and pour water for you. »

Pu Chen introduced Zhuo Xuan to him.

After exchanging greetings, Zhuo Xuan gave Pu Chen a meaningful glance, then smiled and walked away, not wanting to be a third wheel.

Pu Chen was still drifting in a fog, [You don’t have to accompany your family today?]

Qin Yu: « Aren’t you? »

Pu Chen tugged at his clothes and said, « Speak properly. »

Qin Yu looked at her and smiled helplessly: « I am speaking properly. If you’re not my family, then who else? »

Maybe it was because he had just eaten dessert, Pu Chen’s mouth felt sweet.

They walked along as if no one else existed, immersed in their own world, having conversations that were meaningless yet enjoyable.

After pouring the water and coming back, Qin Yu escorted Pu Chen to her seat. It wasn’t time for class yet, so he stood in front of Pu Chen’s desk, playing with her pen.

Pu Chen urged him: [You should go back to the seat in the back row.]

She and Qin Yu were like the movie screen in the projection room; with so many people behind them focusing their gaze on them, every move they made became part of the movie scene.

Qin Yu calmly said, « Class starts in three minutes. »

He wasn’t in a hurry to return to his seat for a reason. The lecture hall was too large and crowded, and not everyone noticed that he was with Pu Chen. The longer he stood by Pu Chen’s desk, the more people saw them. He needed to make sure all the boys knew that Pu Chen had a boyfriend.

Qin Yu only returned to his seat at the very last minute.

« Between you and your boyfriend, who was the one who pursued whom in the beginning? » After Qin Yu walked away, Zhuo Xuan asked Pu Chen.

She never had the habit of gossiping about other people’s relationships, but today, seeing Qin Yu in person, she was struck by his looks and aura.

Pu Chen thought for a moment before replying: « No one is chasing anyone. I like him, and he likes me. Because I am insecure, he is always the one who takes the initiative. »

Zhuo Xuan sighed, « I wonder if there is another guy like this in the world. »

Pu Chen: « There definitely is. »

She thought Chen Yuanyang was pretty good.

« Hey, Pu Chen. » The girl sitting behind her poked her shoulder.

Pu Chen turned around; it was a girl from another class in their department, who often attended classes together, so they knew each other.

« Is your boyfriend from our school? » the girl asked curiously.

Pu Chen: [He is studying abroad.]

The girl wore a knowing expression: « It seems what the senior said wasn’t quite right. »

Pu Chen was puzzled: [What exactly wasn’t right?]

The girl explained: « Oh, the day before yesterday at noon, we saw your boyfriend in the cafeteria. A sophomore senior said she didn’t know which school the handsome guy was from, but it definitely wasn’t our school. »

Pu Chen looked confused. He saw Qin Yu in the cafeteria the day before yesterday at noon? That shouldn’t be possible.

A message popped up on her phone screen, Qin Yu reminded her: [Baby, the teacher is here.]

Pu Chen didn’t have time to ask the girl what was going on and hurriedly turned around to sit properly.

The teacher was already standing at the podium, drinking water to soothe her throat.

She put her phone in the desk hole and opened her notebook.

Pu Chen’s every move was caught in Qin Yu’s eyes; he liked watching her various expressions and small gestures during class.

Are you the brother of our department’s flower?

The boy sitting next to him interrupted his thoughts.

The boy introduced himself; he was in the same department as Pu Chen but a different class, and his name was Feng Yi.

? » Qin Yu reacted, « The department beauty is… Pu Chen?

Feng Yi was surprised: « You still don’t know? »

Qin Yu really didn’t know; he thought Pu Chen should be the campus beauty.

Feng Yi said, « Everyone in our department calls her that. »

The implication was that Pu Chen was recognized by the department as the most beautiful girl.

Qin Yu twirled the pen in his hand, « How do you all know I’m Pu Chen’s brother? »

Feng Yi: « I just heard someone say it. »

During the break, Qin Yu was not in the classroom. The girls in the class chattered, saying that the handsome guy sitting next to him was Pu Chen’s brother.

At first, he thought Qin Yu was a student from another department auditing the class. Qin Yu had been listening very attentively from start to finish in the last class and even took appropriate notes. He didn’t expect that Qin Yu was actually there to accompany Pu Chen.

« You look a bit like the beauty of our department, » Feng Yi said.

Qin Yu: « Looking alike is because we have the look of a married couple. »

Feng Yi: « !! »

Qin Yu then said, « I am her boyfriend. »

« …… » What a mix-up this is.

At this moment, Feng Yi’s phone rang. It was a message from the girl sitting in the row in front of him. She had just overheard the conversation between him and Qin Yu, but the notification still came a bit late.

[He is Pu Chen’s boyfriend!]

Feng Yi: « Didn’t you say he was Pu Chen’s brother? »

The girl in the front row sighed: « We got it wrong. When we heard he came to accompany Pu Chen to class, we just assumed he was her brother. Her uncle is stunningly handsome, so having a brother like that seemed normal, right? Who would have thought that such a handsome guy, who instantly outshines our school heartthrob, actually has a girlfriend who can’t speak. We were totally shocked, seriously. »

« Sorry, I didn’t get it right, » Feng Yi apologized to Qin Yu.

Qin Yu politely said, « It’s okay. »

What he was thinking, however, was that there were still people who didn’t know Pu Chen had a boyfriend.

The last boy in this row, please answer.

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, countless eyes turned sharply toward Qin Yu. The girls who hadn’t noticed Qin Yu before were now whispering to those around them, asking when such a handsome boy had transferred into the department.

Until this moment, Qin Yu himself still didn’t know what was happening.

Across the aisle, the girl next to him quietly reminded him that the teacher wanted him to stand up and answer the question, then she repeated the question to Qin Yu.

Qin Yu slowly stood up and quickly organized his thoughts in his mind.

He had a certain amount of knowledge reserve to handle the question the teacher asked.

Over the past six months, his understanding of domestic and international legal knowledge should surpass that of most first-year law students; in his apartment abroad, half of the books on the bookshelf are related to law.

With so many people in between, Pu Chen held his breath and stared at Qin Yu. He was really lucky; the first time he sneaked into a class, the teacher called on him. It was probably because of his looks—the teacher must have asked him a question because of his handsome face.

Even if he couldn’t answer, the teacher wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

Just when everyone had lost hope, Qin spoke confidently.

His voice was pleasant, which was the main focus for most of the girls; as for what he actually answered, no one cared.

While Qin was answering the questions, the teacher nodded frequently. After he finished, the teacher gestured for him to sit down and asked, « Which class are you in? Give me your student number. »

The teacher found the attendance sheet and planned to give Qin Yu extra points for his usual performance.

Qin Yu: « Teacher, I’m not from the law school. »

The teacher’s hand paused slightly as he flipped through the attendance sheet, realizing that Qin Yu was just auditing the class.

Closing the attendance sheet, he casually asked Qin Yu, « Then which school are you from? »

Qin Yu was thinking about what kind of college to make up to get by.

At this moment, Pu Chen’s other two roommates sitting in the middle-back row proudly said, « Teacher, Qin is too embarrassed to say it himself, but his school is so good that it might sound a bit boastful. »

Teacher, Qin is a top student majoring in Computer Science and Engineering at MIT, and his hobby is law.

« Hahaha. » Laughter filled the class; no one believed Qin Yu was studying at MIT, thinking Pu Chen’s two roommates were joking to lighten the mood.

After all, MIT is too far from them; it is closer to Harvard.

The teacher also took Pu Chen’s roommate’s words as a joke and didn’t take them to heart. He guessed that Qin Yu was a student from the law school of another university. Since she had come to seriously audit the class, he felt it would be inappropriate to press her too much and wanted to save her some face.

With the classroom atmosphere enlivened, he continued with the lecture.

After this class ended, Pu Chen and the others moved to another tiered classroom, still on the first floor.

She found the girl from the neighboring class who had been sitting behind her before and asked if she had seen her boyfriend at the school cafeteria the day before yesterday at noon.

The girl was surprised: « Hey, you didn’t know? »

Pu Chen shook his head: [That day, my roommate and I went hiking and only came back in the evening.]

The girl admired: « Your boyfriend has such a good temper, waiting for you for so long. »

Thinking of Qin Yu arriving at school that morning and waiting for her for seven or eight hours, only to have it brushed off by his casual remark, Pu Chen was filled with guilt. She took her phone and went to find Qin Yu.

He was still sitting in the back row with Feng Yi, flipping through Feng Yi’s textbook.

Pu Chen stood by the desk and tugged at his sleeve.

Qin Yu, immersed in the book’s content, finally looked up and said gently, « Have you finished your water? »

Pu Chen: [Not finished, there’s still half a cup left.]

她在他手背上撓撓。

秦與知道，這是示好的意思，“怎麽啦？”

他将書扣在桌上，把玩她手腕上的手鏈，這是他送她的成人禮禮物。

蒲晨：【那天讓你等我那麽長時間。】

Qin Yu made eye contact with her; it was probably one of her classmates who recognized him and told her. He said, « It’s not really waiting for you, I just happened to be in the car adjusting to the time difference. »

Pu Chen wanted to make it up to him: [Next time you come to see me, let me know in advance, and I’ll pick you up.]

Qin Yu promised her, « When you come back for winter break, you can pick me up at the airport. » He picked up a book and raised it, « Since classes haven’t started yet, I’ll review what we’ve covered. »

This was the gap between her and the top student; when he came to study with her, he was meticulous and never half-hearted.

A morning passed quickly, and Pu Chen felt as if she had returned to her high school days. She sat in the same classroom as Qin Yu, looking at the same blackboard, but taking different notes.

When the last class bell rang, Pu Chen turned to look for Qin Yu. The seat by the back door was already empty, which suddenly reminded her of the days when he first transferred in during his freshman year; he was always the first to leave the classroom.

« I’m leaving first, » Zhuo Xuan waved to her and quickly walked out of the classroom with a single-shoulder backpack.

Pu Chen didn’t linger in the classroom either; she grabbed her water bottle and went out to find Qin Yu.

The corridor was full of people, but she didn’t see him at a glance.

Pu Chen had just taken two steps when a hand grabbed her arm. « Chen Bao. »

She turned around, and Qin Yu was walking along the wall towards her.

A large wave of students came down the stairs, the crowd surging like thousands of troops charging towards the cafeteria, and the overwhelming crowd couldn’t disperse them.

After leaving the teaching building, the noise was instantly diluted by the open surroundings, and Pu Chen could finally hear clearly what Qin Yu was saying, « Chen Bao, are you cold? »

Pu Chen: [Not really, my coat is thick.]

Qin Yu pulled up the hood of her coat and covered her head with it.

He originally wanted to put his arm around her shoulders so that others would immediately know he was her boyfriend, but since the street was full of students just out of class, she would definitely feel embarrassed. So he thought of this move: after putting her hood on properly, he pressed it down with his palm to prevent it from being blown off by the wind.

Such a gesture looks sweeter and more intimate in others’ eyes than simply putting an arm around the shoulder.

Pu Chen turned his head to look at Qin Yu: « You don’t have to keep pressing down your hat, there’s not much wind today. »

Qin Yu rubbed her head twice, then deliberately pulled down the hat, « See, even without wind, your hat still falls off. »

Pu Chen: « …… »

She smiled.

Qin Yu adjusted her hat properly, no longer pressing down on the top of her head with his hand, and asked her, « Are your hands cold? »

Before she could answer, he took her hand and slipped it directly into the pocket of his coat, saying, « Baby, can you stick to me a little more? »