Chapter 40: A Blatant Secret Crush 

At five in the morning, Lin Yuran’s alarm rang, and it inevitably woke Xu Jianwei up too.

“Ugh, didn’t you say class doesn’t start until ten-thirty? Why are you up so early?” Xu Jianwei grumbled mid-yawn.

“You go back to sleep. I’m getting up to work on my drafts. Once school starts, I barely have time to draw. I’m always behind on the submissions for RanYe Studio,” Lin Yuran explained while feeling around for her slippers.

As soon as she stepped out of bed, a chill hit her. Lin Yuran looked down. “Huh? Why am I not wearing pajamas? I’m used to sleeping naked when I’m alone, but I always wear clothes when I share a bed,” Lin Yuran muttered in confusion. “Weiwei, did you undress me?”

Xu Jianwei buried her face under the covers and replied with a muffled voice, “Why would I undress you? Am I insane?”

“But I remember going to bed in pajamas,” Lin Yuran mumbled to herself.

Xu Jianwei snorted with laughter under the blanket. After a while, she sat up groggily and squinted through sleepy eyes. “Girl, Chi Ye would die of injustice if they knew. What’s your problem? You just sat up in the middle of the night and started taking off your clothes without saying a word. Who even does that? You’ve got such a nice body, stripping like that in front of someone, how’s anyone supposed to hold it together? I nearly couldn’t stop myself last night.”

Lin Yuran rolled her eyes. “Can you not say weird things?”

Xu Jianwei giggled. “Seriously though, I don’t know how Chi Ye manages to hold back.”

Lin Yuran froze at that, quietly slipped on her loungewear, and once she was dressed, glanced back at the half-asleep Xu Jianwei. “What do you want for breakfast? I’ll make something.”

Xu Jianwei shook her head wildly under the covers. “No, no, just focus on your drafts. We’ll order takeout when I get up.”

“Alright.”

Xu Jianwei didn’t get up until nine-thirty. After they ordered and ate, she sat at the vanity table to start putting on makeup. Lin Yuran, impatient, did a quick tidy-up and called out, “Make sure you lock the door after you’re all dolled up,” before rushing out to school.

Since she’d gone straight from school to RanYe yesterday and that was pretty far, riding a bike hadn’t been an option. She’d taken the subway and left her bike on campus. Now, she had no choice but to take the subway again.

Just as she walked out of her residential complex, she was surprised to see a familiar tall figure waiting outside. She jogged over in quick steps. “Chi Ye? What are you doing here?”

“Had some stuff to take care of at school today. Thought I’d give you a ride while I was at it.” His voice was still a little hoarse, but his energy was back, none of that gloomy air from yesterday.

“You’re feeling better?”

“Who said I was sick?”

Still being stubborn. Lin Yuran didn’t call him out on it and simply went along. “Okay, okay, you weren’t sick.”

Chi Ye didn’t know her class schedule, so she had no idea how long he’d been waiting there. His black coat carried a visible layer of cold air.

He had just gotten over a cold!

“Let’s go then. I’m going to be late for class.” Lin Yuran urged him toward the car.

Chi Ye opened the passenger door for her. It was yet another car she’d never seen before.

A sleek, black-and-gold hypercar that looked like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie, obscenely expensive, no doubt. Lin Yuran didn’t even bother trying to identify the model. She understood his message clearly enough.

On the ride, Lin Yuran sat quietly, gazing at the luxurious interior. Chi Ye was being way too obvious. Maybe Xu Jianwei was right after all. Lin Yuran decided she’d try to be brave for once.

“Ahem,” she cleared her throat and called, “Chi Ye.”

He turned to glance at her, hands still on the wheel. “Hmm?”

Lin Yuran didn’t look at him. Head down, face growing warm. “Uh…” She hadn’t even gotten to the point, and her heart was already pounding like crazy. The words got stuck in her throat.

Nope, she just couldn’t say it.

Defeated, she exhaled. “Never mind!”

Chi Ye glanced at her. “If there’s something you want to say, just say it.”

Covering her flushed face with one hand, she mumbled, “It’s nothing. Just… wanted to call your name.”

Chi Ye chuckled softly, voice low and pleasant. “Alright, if you like calling me, then call me all you want. I’ll answer every time.”

Hearing that, Lin Yuran wanted to curse herself. Just four more words, and he’d be hers. Why was she such a coward? She felt like punching herself.

Forget it, she sighed inwardly. Being upfront just wasn’t her thing. Maybe she’d take it step by step. If the moment ever got flirty enough, the words might just slip out naturally.

But not today. Her heart was already a mess of erratic beats. Any more and she’d be at risk of a heart attack.

As the traffic light turned green, Chi Ye stepped on the gas. They passed a dry cleaner’s, and Lin Yuran asked him to stop. He pulled over. She dashed inside and returned shortly with a small bag.

Back in the car, Lin Yuran checked the time and said, “Chi Ye, could you go just a bit faster? I told our club president I’d return this dress today. Time’s a little tight.”

“Sure,” Chi Ye agreed easily. “What time’s your class?”

“Ten-thirty.”

Chi Ye glanced at his watch but didn’t say anything. Strangely, she felt like the car was going slower than before.

The roads were jammed today. Even when other cars tried to merge, Chi Ye let them in without complaint. Time slipped from ‘a bit early’ to ‘barely enough.’

“Chi Ye, a little faster, please,” Lin Yuran urged again.

“Okay,” Chi Ye replied softly.

Still, she didn’t feel any speed increase. They made it just in time, not late, but barely. He drove her all the way to her classroom building.

After parking, Chi Ye said, “Sorry, traffic was bad today. Where were you meeting your president? I’ll drop this off for you.”

That was probably the only option. She’d made an appointment, and he was probably waiting already. Rescheduling would be a hassle.

“Outside the East Main Building. His name’s Ruan Lin, the guy I danced with at the New Year’s party. You should recognize him, right?” Lin Yuran explained, then added quickly, “Just look around the entrance, tallest and most handsome guy there, that’s him.”

Chi Ye let out a cold snort. “Tallest and most handsome? Lin Yuran, when did your taste get this bad?”

“…” Lin Yuran was speechless. After a beat, she scrambled to explain, “I mean… compared to the people around there, he’s relatively tall and good-looking.”

Then she paused, bit her lip, and added, “But… but he’s nothing compared to you.”

With that, she turned and ran off, calling over her shoulder, “I’m gonna be late! I owe you for this one, Chi Ye!”

Chi Ye stood there for a second, then smiled softly at her retreating figure.

The art department wasn’t far from the East Main Building. It only took a few minutes.

The East Main Building housed the computer science, software, and microelectronics departments, mostly guys, many of whom recognized luxury cars. The moment Chi Ye rolled up in his Apollo IE, heads turned.

After parking, he casually stepped out, eyes sharp as a blade. He quickly spotted a tall figure in the crowd and walked over with the bag. “You’re Ruan Lin?”

Ruan Lin had just been admiring the futuristic design of the Apollo IE when he heard someone talking to him. Startled, he looked up. “Yeah?”

“I’m here to return a dress for Yuran,” Chi Ye said, handing over the bag.

Ruan Lin’s brows furrowed. “Yuran?”

“Oh… Lin Yuran,” Chi Ye added with a smile. “Sorry, I’m just used to calling her that. My apologies on her behalf. We left a bit late this morning, got caught in traffic. Almost made her late for class.” His tone was calm, not revealing a hint of emotion. “So I had to return it for her.”

Ruan Lin said nothing. His tongue pressed lightly against his cheek as he took the bag.

Chi Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle chill settling in them. He didn’t linger. Turned and got back in the car. The Apollo’s guttural engine roared like a beast ready to strike and peeled away with a gust of wind.

With winter break approaching, classes had lightened. Lin Yuran only had the one lecture this morning.

A minute before class ended, her phone buzzed twice. She pulled it out. It was a WeChat from Chi Ye: 【Just finished what I needed to do. I’m still on campus. Do you have any more classes?】

Lin Yuran replied: 【Nope.】

Two seconds later: 【Got any plans?】

Lin Yuran thought for a moment. 【Heading back to the studio. If you’re going to the company, can I hitch a ride? I need to work on my draft.】

No reply for half a minute. She guessed he might’ve gotten busy, so she turned the ringtone back on and stayed in the chat, slowly packing up her things.

Her screen started to dim. Just as she tapped it to keep it lit, a husky voice sounded above her. “I’ll take you.”

Lin Yuran looked up. Chi Ye was leaning slightly forward, eyes lowered, staring at her phone. His tall figure loomed over her. His breath brushed against her cheek, warm and close. Too close. If she just tilted her head a little, his lips would touch her forehead.

Her eyes dropped to his lips, thin, soft pink, slightly curved. Alluring in a way she couldn’t describe.

She swallowed. Didn’t move. Then his lashes lifted slowly, but he kept his position. Their eyes met, her reflection clearly visible in the softness flickering in his deep, black gaze.

“Lin Nuotao,” Chi Ye murmured, lips curving a bit higher, “were you waiting for my reply?”

Her lashes fluttered. She nodded earnestly.

Chi Ye raised a brow. “So you just kept your screen on, waiting for me to message?”

Like he’d seen right through her. Lin Yuran felt a flush of embarrassment. She pressed her lips together and forced herself to be brave. “Yeah… wanted to see your message the moment it came in.”

That was the best she could do. She bit her lip hard, unable to keep from ducking her head. Above her, Chi Ye let out a low, teasing chuckle.

He reached down and grabbed her half-zipped backpack, pulling the zipper shut. “Let’s go.”

The hallway wasn’t very wide, so she trailed one step behind him, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

Outside the classroom, Chi Ye slowed and walked beside her. “It’s lunchtime. Want to eat on campus or back at the company?”

“Campus,” Lin Yuran replied without hesitation.

This was how things should’ve been six years ago: going to school together, Chi Ye dropping her off at class, then waiting for her to finish, and eating in the cafeteria afterward.

Now, it felt like they were walking through a parallel universe. But the fact that their hands weren’t linked reminded her this wasn’t some alternate timeline. It only looked that way.

So she’d do her best to make it look right.

As they stepped into the building lobby, Lin Yuran saw Ruan Lin standing outside, holding a huge bouquet of red roses.

He was clearly waiting for someone. Not far away was Chi Ye’s hypercar.

Its bold, aggressive design radiated a futuristic feel, like a warship from another galaxy. Beyond cool, almost untouchably so. And standing next to it with his usual cool, detached air, Chi Ye only made the whole scene more unreal, like a sci-fi world sneering at the mundane present.

She realized: Chi Ye usually waited for her by the car. Only when it rained would he come inside.

Why wasn’t he out there being cool today?

She couldn’t help but glance at him. His side profile was sharp and cold, and though he’d smiled in the classroom, she could still sense something was off. That uneasy feeling was even stronger now.

The aura around him had definitely dropped several degrees.