The photograph was taken with a regular camera, depicting true pixels. The two people in it were arm-in-arm, not looking at each other, but showing subtle smiles towards the camera.

There were no special poses, nor any special background or costumes, but still, it inexplicably exuded a sweet and tender vibe, easily revealing their relationship to anyone who saw the picture.

Xie Qingci was very satisfied with the finished product. As they walked out hand in hand, just a slight tilt of her head would catch sight of the smile on his lips.

"Do you like it quite a bit?" she asked knowingly.

Xie Qingci nodded, "I really do. Let’s take it back home and put it up? Maybe in a frame on your bookshelf, right next to that blue gift box."

The blue gift box on the bookshelf was their little secret, unknown to others. But sometimes, you don’t need to know all the details; just by observing expressions and hearing tones, you can tell what that blue box represents.

The photographer zoomed in a little with the lens.

Yu Xia didn’t notice, expressing her resignation to his suggestion: "Every little thing you want to place there, the space is almost all taken."

"Maybe you could add another blue gift box there then."

They rode the little cow electric scooter back while chatting.

On the road from the town to the village, there were beautiful flowers, patchy grass fields, and stone benches by the roadside, built many years ago, now covered in vines.

Xie Qingci stopped halfway, insisting on a poetic date amidst nature.

The little scooter parked behind them, the two sat on the ground. He took out a letter from his pocket, holding a few photos in his other hand.

It seemed he intended to read love letters alongside the photos, doubling the effect.

This youthful interaction made Yu Xia shiver with goosebumps.

She silently moved a bit further away, retrieving the traditional egg cakes she bought earlier from the basket of the scooter, pairing them with a bottle of Gold and Silver Flower Dew, hosting her own personal party, trying to break away from the overwhelmingly pink atmosphere of romance nearby.

After finishing an egg cake, she glanced sideways; Xie Qingci had lowered the letter, his smiling eyes peeking over the paper looking at her.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, she reached out to grab the letter.

"Stop reading, go back and enjoy it in private."

"I’ve finished reading," he said, moving closer without warning.

Instinctively, Yu Xia leaned back to dodge, her body seemingly aware of what he might do, tensing up in preparation, moving faster than his approach.

Xie Qingci paused, then his fingers brushed her lips, showing her the yellow cake crumbs on his fingertips.

"Just wiping this off, why are you dodging?"

"...A flying insect," she fabricated a plausible excuse.

"Really? There are indeed many flying insects in the wild, especially in this season, lots of bugs are..."

As she was listening, he leisurely stopped halfway, suddenly leaning down to seal her lips with a kiss.

This was truly the mischief time.

Before Yu Xia’s reflex could recover, she hadn’t reacted, and was thoroughly kissed by him.

In front of the nameless wildflowers and vines, leaning against the little cow electric scooter, they shared a tender, wonderful kiss.

To steady himself, Xie Qingci was almost kneeling, holding the back of her neck, deeply sucking at the end of the kiss before letting her go.

"I love you too," he whispered.

Yu Xia just wanted to smash the egg cake in his face and perhaps wash his face with the Gold and Silver Flower Dew to cool him down!

The barrage burst into fervor as expected.

[Wow! You two never fail to amaze!]

[Kiss more!!! Let go of nothing, just keep kissing until the end of the day!!!]

[Someone in front, calm down, kissing until nightfall might be deadly]

[How can kissing be deadly? / A sincere question from a single person.jpg]

[Yes, Xie Qingci might get beaten to death by Yu Xia]

[Hahaha damn; I was seriously wondering if kissing could cause lip numbness leading to death? And then...]

[I love this setting, blue sky, white clouds, grass, wildflowers, they’re kissing secretly under cover, the overwhelming scent of love even comes through the screen]

[Buddy, this isn’t secretly kissing, the whole nation is watching]

[Apparently, Xie Qingci is a college guy; he insists on viewing photos and love letters together, in a chosen spot, convenient for kissing afterwards. A mature, stable, elite man might engage in a Patek Philippe kiss on a multi-million car]

[Yu Xia: Do you see, everyone? My love is indeed somewhat reserved and subtle, not so showy like his]

[What on earth was the secret they mentioned yesterday? I combed through all the latest gossip and still couldn’t guess it]

[Would be nice if there could be some new guests / Wish granted.jpg]

[...]

On the way back riding the electric scooter, Yu Xia solemnly declared that his right to receive love letters had been revoked, and there would be no more replies like that in the future.

Xie Qingci sighed.

"So you tell me now, what should I do if I get distracted and perform poorly during the challenge this afternoon?"

Yu Xia: "Even if you don’t pass, it’s not like I’m the only one staying in a dormitory. Moreover, if you plan to sneak out tonight to see me, I won’t go."

"Fine, I usually perform steadily."

After returning, Yu Xia shared the snacks she bought with others in the dorm and even had Liu Yicheng bring some to Zhou Yu and Liu Ji, then began packing her luggage, calmly awaiting the next challenge.

Ling Yan was wary of her, yet sometimes couldn’t resist engaging in small talk.

"You’re already packing your bags, are you so sure you’ll pass this challenge?"

"Can’t a person have a little hope?"

Ling Yan: "And if you don’t pass..." How awkward.

She cast a glance: "As long as I’m not embarrassed, you don’t need to be embarrassed for me."

Though she too wanted to express some "I believe we’ll succeed soon" determination by packing her bags, seeing others not moving made her hesitate, so she pretended to inquire intentionally. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Their exchanges usually stayed within a slightly harmonious range, except for the last time mentioning Xie Qingci, the other times Yu Xia wasn’t particularly angry.

Soon, the staff informed them to head to the challenge location.

Boys and girls gathered and moved together, with Xie Qingci edging closer in the crowd, touching the back of her hand, and when there was no reaction from her, he hooked her little finger with his index finger.

Compared to her soft hand, Xie Qingci’s fingers had slightly coarse pads, his hook causing her fingers to itch, compelling her to curl up and lightly trap his finger to keep it still.

However, her pinky wasn’t long enough to fully encircle his finger, only managing to press slightly against the fingertip.

Like a sternly scolding Thumbelina confronting a giant creature, saying "Don’t move, I’ve caught you."

Xie Qingci looked straight ahead at the road, yet his smile crept up unconsciously.

Behind them, Lan Hui and Zheng Jinjin were whispering about something. Yu Xia felt they were talking about her and Xie Qingci being too clinging, so she also pretended nothing was happening by looking forward blankly.

Only the two hooked fingers wouldn’t let go, solidifying the sticky reputation.