Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 18 How Long Do You Want to Make Trouble

Chapter 18: Chapter 18 How Long Do You Want to Make Trouble

"What a beautiful scene. I have to record this moment and post it on the campus network."

Seeing this, one of the photography majors took out his expensive camera, aimed it at them, and with a click, captured the shot.

In late autumn, the ginkgo leaves lining the roads of University Town had turned a brilliant gold. They fluttered down like a flowing scroll painting, constantly dancing in the wind. A black bicycle sped past, sending the leaves on the ground swirling and tumbling. In the frame were a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman. The woman, her hair in a ponytail, happened to look up at the sky full of falling leaves, her eyes reflecting specks of starlight as if she were gazing at the person she loved.

The girl wore a pink mask, which served as a mysterious and dreamy finishing touch.

Beautiful, vibrant—the most wonderful moments in the world were just like this.

Xue Yang and Lin Xi were completely unaware that they had become the school’s center of attention. They cycled from University Town toward the main road of Yancheng, where the traffic gradually increased. They continued onward, becoming a picturesque part of the scenery on the city’s main cycling thoroughfare. Occasionally, someone would take out a phone or a camera to capture the beautiful moment.

After about an hour of cycling, they drew closer to Phoenix Mountain. The traffic grew heavier, and the number of bicycles in the bike lanes also increased. Almost all of them were couples heading to Phoenix Mountain to see the supermoon, each a young man giving a young woman a ride on his bicycle. Xue Yang had to slow down.

"Xue Yang..."

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

After about another ten minutes, Lin Xi couldn’t help but call out again, "Xue Yang, this bike’s crossbar is making my butt so sore."

SCREECH—

Xue Yang instinctively slammed on the brakes, nearly sending them both toppling over. Fortunately, he managed to wrap his arms firmly around Lin Xi and steady them with his long legs, preventing a fall.

Lin Xi looked at him pitifully, the rims of her eyes slightly red. It seemed she had been holding back for a long time and only spoke up when she couldn’t bear it any longer.

"We’re not far from Phoenix Mountain now. Let’s just walk the rest of the way."

Xue Yang lifted Lin Xi off the bicycle. Having been sitting for so long, her rear had gone almost completely numb. She could only manage to stand steady with Xue Yang’s support.

This meant Xue Yang had to push the bicycle with one hand while supporting Lin Xi with the other as they walked. Their bodies would inevitably bump into each other, creating an odd sensation.

Lin Xi didn’t find it unpleasant. On the contrary, she wanted to get even closer. Being near him gave her an overwhelming sense of security.

"Darling, look at them! Walking like that is so romantic. Should we stop and push our bike, too? There’s a traffic jam anyway."

Before long, the bike lane was filled with couples pushing their bicycles forward. They were mostly students from University Town, full of a youthful vigor and passionate love that was always enviable. Many people in luxury cars couldn’t help but stick their heads out to appreciate the youthful scene.

"Xue Yang, do you think they’re copying us?"

Xue Yang glanced back at the long, seemingly endless line of people.

"Probably."

"I wonder if their butts are also sore from the bike, like mine?"

"..."

"Are they also too poor to afford a second bike, like us? It’s really inconvenient for two people, especially on a bike with only one seat."

"..."

That day, a new story was trending in Yancheng.

"As Supermoon Approaches, a Rare Parade of Cycling Couples Emerges at Phoenix Mountain."

The accompanying photo captured the bicycle lane beside the main road leading to Phoenix Mountain. It showed hundreds of bikes in a uniform display, each young man pushing his bicycle with one hand while holding his loved one’s hand with the other.

At the very front of the line was the picture of Xue Yang pushing his bicycle with one hand while supporting Lin Xi with the other as she walked.

Anyone who saw it would exclaim, "I want to experience a sweet romance like that, too!"

By the time they finally reached the foot of Phoenix Mountain, the sky had almost darkened. Xue Yang and Lin Xi went to a nearby farmhouse and ordered a few local specialty dishes. They found a place to park the bike, then Xue Yang shouldered a huge backpack and they began climbing the mountain via the stone steps.

There were several paths up Phoenix Mountain, including trails for bikes, roads for cars, and footpaths for walking. The footpaths were further divided into several routes. Xue Yang chose a relatively hidden and less-crowded path, leading Lin Xi by the hand as they climbed.

"You brought such a big backpack just to climb a mountain? Aren’t you tired?"

"Didn’t you know? Besides the supermoon, there’s also a meteor shower tonight."

"Really?"

"The news about the meteor shower was more niche and got overshadowed by the supermoon. But they say there’s an eighty percent chance it will appear, so it’s always good to be prepared."

"You’re amazing."

On another path, Chen Ying and Wu Xiaoya got off the number 11 bus.

"Xiao Ya, I told you it would be crowded tonight, and you didn’t believe me! I was getting squeezed to death in there."

"The journey here might have been tough, but when you see the supermoon, you’ll feel it was all worth it. Come on, I’ll take you up another trail. The news said the supermoon will be at 8 PM. It will take us exactly two hours to walk up."

"Are you sure we can reach the summit in two hours?"

"It’s okay if we don’t see the supermoon. I heard there’s also a meteor shower tonight. The chances are slim, so it hasn’t gotten much attention. But I heard that if you see the supermoon and a meteor shower at the same time with the person you love, you’ll be together forever."

As Wu Xiaoya said this, her eyes filled with a longing for beautiful things.

"That’s just stuff to fool kids. We’re in university; who still believes in that?"

Despite her words, Chen Ying was constantly checking her phone for any activity.

Suddenly, her phone seemed to vibrate. She quickly pulled it out, only to see it was just a notification for a trending news story. She opened Xue Yang’s WeChat. His profile picture was an anime character, and the chat box was empty.

She had added Xue Yang on WeChat after he started university. Before that, they had always communicated through text messages. He was always the one to initiate contact; she had never reached out to him first.

And she wasn’t about to start now.

Xue Yang, I’d like to see just how long you’re going to keep this up. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Putting her phone back in her pocket, Chen Ying followed Wu Xiaoya up the mountain.

The path was mostly filled with couples. There were some groups of friends, like Chen Ying and Wu Xiaoya, or a few guys together, but they were in the minority. Halfway up, they were already flagging and had to stop at a pavilion to catch their breath.

"Xue Yang, how much farther is it?"

Lin Xi had never climbed such a high mountain in her life. Only halfway up, she felt like she couldn’t take another step.

Xue Yang glanced at the time. It was 7:06 PM, and they had climbed less than half the distance.

"A little more than halfway to go. If you can’t climb anymore, I can carry you."

"You’re already carrying such a big backpack, how could you possibly carry me too? I’ll try to hold on a little longer."