463: Chapter 445 (Anti-theft Chapter) (Main text will be updated in a few hours)

Dark clouds covered the evening sky like a curtain, as a pitter-patter of raindrops constantly drummed against the treetops, the ground, and the edges of umbrellas.

Lu Xu held a blue umbrella, while his other hand carried a bag of newly purchased daily necessities.

It was a sudden downpour, and the pedestrians around him instantly became like ants on a hot pan, bowing their heads and scurrying about in search of shelter.

Meanwhile, Lu Xu, walking unhurriedly under his umbrella, seemed like someone from another world amidst the crowd.

For Lu Xu, no unannounced downpour during the rainy season could fluster him. His cautious and stubborn nature ensured he carried that umbrella every single day he went out during the season, even if the sky was perfectly clear when he left.

Watching the frantic crowd around him, Lu Xu slightly raised an eyebrow; to him, his current composure was the reward for being prepared.

"Classmate!"

Lu Xu continued walking, minding his own business.

"Classmate!"

This time, Lu Xu stopped because someone had tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

Lu Xu turned around, and what met his eyes was a girl half a head shorter than him, her head slightly lowered, her long black hair already soaked by the rain. As his gaze drifted slightly downward, the wet white shirt not only clung to her, tracing the girl's curves, but also failed to fully conceal the colors of the garments beneath. Feeling as if he had seen something forbidden, Lu Xu quickly looked up, his face flushing slightly.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Lu Xu asked, his eyes directed toward the dark sky in the distance.

"Classmate, are you heading back to the dorms?" The girl looked up as if gathering her courage, her eyes meeting Lu Xu's directly.

Her eyes were bright and watery, and the few drops of rain clinging to her eyelashes added a touch of misty charm.

"Yes."

"Could you take me back with you?" The girl stood on her tiptoes, her clear eyes brimming with a sense of pleading.

"Please! I came to the gate to pick up the Malatang our dorm ordered. Malatang... it absolutely has to be eaten while it's hot to be good!"

Hearing such a peculiar reason, even Lu Xu couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

For him, this could probably be considered a smile.

"Alright," Lu Xu agreed involuntarily.

"That's great, thank you!" The girl stepped under the umbrella of her own accord. After hesitating in the air for a moment, her hand gently tugged at Lu Xu's sleeve.

Lu Xu glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye. Her straight black hair, delicate nose, and tall stature as she walked gave off a very elegant vibe.

"Junior, what's your name?"

"How do you know I'm a junior?"

"Because I saw you at the Freshman Orientation yesterday. You're very tall and quite eye-catching." The girl smiled at Lu Xu.

"Oh, I'm Lu Xu," he replied. Recalling yesterday's orientation, Lu Xu remembered only wanting to stand in a corner and get the boring process over with as quickly as possible; he hadn't expected to be remembered by a senior.

"My name is Lin Muxia, I'm a Sophomore. You can call me Senior Lin," Lin Muxia said with a smile, looking up at the smooth lines of Lu Xu's profile.

"Mm," Lu Xu replied casually, yet he felt as though Lin Muxia's voice possessed a certain magic, making him want to hear more.

"Eh? Why are you walking faster and faster?"

Lin Muxia took quick, small steps, watching as the gap between her fingers and his sleeve widened.

"Because originally, this umbrella could cover me entirely, and walking slower would reduce the chance of my movements splashing water and dirtying my pants," Lu Xu said seriously, looking at Lin Muxia. "But now that there are two of us, we can't be perfectly covered. Walking faster means getting less wet."

Lin Muxia stared blankly at Lu Xu's serious explanation and couldn't help but purse her lips. Glancing at Lu Xu's slightly damp left shoulder, she lowered her head in embarrassment. After a brief thought, the hand that had been tugging his sleeve suddenly hooked around Lu Xu's arm, and her soft body pressed against him.

"This way... Junior will get less wet," Lin Muxia murmured with her head down. Seeing that raindrops no longer fell on Lu Xu's left shoulder, she smiled with satisfaction.

Just as Lu Xu was about to speak, a faint scent of body fragrance wafted into his nose. The soft, wonderful sensation against his right arm was an experience he had never had before.

Lu Xu turned his head and observed the senior leaning against his shoulder. Her delicate nose, rosy lips, and those charming, enchanting peach blossom eyes were much closer than before.

The words "But you're clearly wet too" were forced back down by Lu Xu.

Rain pitter-pattered against the umbrella, yet the rainy night didn't seem so cold anymore. On the contrary, Lu Xu felt an intense heat rising in his body where it was enveloped by that soft touch, and his ears turned a traitorous shade of crimson.

The few minutes' walk felt incredibly long this time. Lu Xu felt as if he had forgotten how to walk normally, his steps becoming stiffer with every stride.

"Eh, Junior, I'm here," Lin Muxia suddenly tapped Lu Xu's arm.

Lin Muxia was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, while Lu Xu was in an ordinary short-sleeved one. Although they were close before, there had still been some fabric between them. Now, this sudden physical contact made Lu Xu, who had barely interacted with girls in eighteen years, instantly tense up, feeling like he'd been struck by electricity.

Pulling her arm away from Lu Xu's, Lin Muxia took her Mobile Phone out of her pocket and said with a smile, "Thanks, Junior. Let's add each other on WeChat. If there's anything you don't understand about school, you can ask me."

"Oh, oh, okay." Snapping out of his daze, Lu Xu moved to take his Mobile Phone out of his pocket, only to realize his hands were occupied by the shopping bag and the umbrella handle. He looked up and said, "My phone is in my pants pocket. My hands are busy, so maybe we should forget it."

"It's fine, I'll help you," Lin Muxia laughed. Without much thought, she reached into Lu Xu's bulging pants pocket.

Lu Xu opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he saw that soft little hand deftly slip into his pants pocket. Even through two layers of fabric, the softness and warmth of her hand were clearly transmitted to his inner thigh.

Wait?

The moment Lin Muxia touched the phone, her brain finally registered the situation.

Oh my god? Isn't this move way too awkward?

A guy and a girl alone under an umbrella...

And she had reached into her junior's pants pocket!

What kind of plot is this? This is way too easy to misunderstand!

Lin Muxia looked around guiltily; luckily, no one was passing by.

Awkwardly taking out the phone, she pretended not to care and said, "Alright, hurry and open WeChat. The Malatang is getting cold."

"Mm." Lu Xu hurriedly opened WeChat and tried to stay calm as he brought up his QR code.

At the moment Lin Muxia took his phone, Lu Xu felt more nervous than he ever did during an exam!

"I'm going now. Bye, Junior!" After scanning the code, Lin Muxia lowered her head and jogged into the dormitory building.

But in the moment she turned around, were her ears... red? Lu Xu stood there in a daze, watching Senior Lin's figure gradually disappear behind the door...

No, why am I thinking about this! Lu Xu shook his head. There was still a novel waiting for him in the dorm!

Thinking of the wonders of the novel, many of the stray thoughts that had just drifted into his mind were cleared away.

However, on his way back to the dorm, Lu Xu looked at the half of his clothes that the senior had dampened. Why did his right arm feel so empty now that the weight was gone?

Chapter 2: Junior is Wet

"I'm back, I'm back." Lin Muxia jogged upstairs and placed the Malatang delivery bag on the long table. "Come eat, the bag is still warm! I'll change my clothes first."

"Oh my, how did your clothes get so wet? And they're white too." Jiang Yun handed over a dry towel with concern.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's all worth it for the Malatang!" Lin Muxia made a "tragic" face and then stuck out her tongue. "Who told me to always have bad luck and lose at rock-paper-scissors to pick up the delivery?"

"Hurry and serve the Malatang. I'm going to change."

"Okay, thanks for the hard work, Beauty Lin." Jiang Yun took out bowls and chopsticks for two from the cabinet.

Lin Muxia went into the dorm's bathroom, dried her hair with the towel, and began to change.

By the time she hurriedly changed into her pajamas and came out, Jiang Yun had already divided the Malatang into two bowls on the table.

"Let's eat!" After sitting down, Lin Muxia picked up a slice of meat and put it in her mouth. The sour and spicy flavor stimulated her taste buds the moment the tender meat melted.

The satisfaction of eating her favorite food instantly dissolved the chill left by the heavy rain. Lin Muxia stretched her limbs comfortably.

"Beauty Lin, I toast to you. Thanks to you, I can eat such delicious Malatang." Jiang Yun smiled and raised her bowl.

Lin Muxia also raised her bowl with a smile, clinking it with a sense of ceremony before continuing to dig in.

However, Lin Muxia knew Jiang Yun was teasing her on purpose. If she hadn't happened to run into her junior, she would have been ten times more disheveled than she was now!

Eh, wait? Lin Muxia suddenly remembered something.

When she was pressed against the junior, her clothes... seemed to be wet!

Doesn't that mean she got him wet too!

Lin Muxia's cheeks flushed. She suddenly felt a bit sorry for him. Not only did she hitch a ride under his umbrella, but she also got his clothes wet. She looked at the Malatang in front of her. Sigh, it's all because of you! If it weren't for the temptation of food, how could I, Lin Muxia, have done something so socially aggressive!

But she really should find an opportunity to thank him properly.

How about treating him to a meal next time!

Lin Muxia took a bite of Malatang and took out her Mobile Phone to find her junior's WeChat, [river of stars into dreams].

[summer moon cicada song]: Junior, thanks for today. I just realized my shirt was wet, so I must have gotten yours wet too when I leaned on you. I'm really sorry. When you're free, let me treat you to a meal. I can also tell you more about the campus.

After sending the message, Lin Muxia closed her phone and finished the rest of the Malatang, stretching her body contentedly.

What she didn't realize was that every move she made while messaging had been observed by Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun looked at her meaningfully, a mischievous smile curling the corners of her mouth.

After a while, Lin Muxia took her clothes and went into the bathroom, preparing to take a good shower.

Just as Lin Muxia took off her clothes, the bathroom door was pushed open by Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun, who was quite a bit shorter than Lin Muxia, crept in and made a shushing gesture.

"Eh, what are you doing?" Lin Muxia laughed and crossed her arms over her upper body.

To her surprise, Jiang Yun pushed her into a corner without a word. The coldness of the tiles seeped into Lin Muxia's back.

"Confess! Who was that man who walked you back? I saw everything from the window." Jiang Yun leaned in with a mischievous grin to "threaten" her, then realizing she wasn't quite tall enough, she stood on her tiptoes.

"Ah, that..." The scene downstairs flashed in Lin Muxia's mind, and her cheeks couldn't help but flush.

"Eh, you're blushing!!" Jiang Yun pouted. "Hurry up and tell me how far you've gotten."

"You're overthinking it. It was just a junior who walked me back because it was on his way," Lin Muxia said, a bit flustered.

"Oh~~ A junior~~ Xia Xia, you're moving so fast~~" Jiang Yun drawled intentionally. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. After all, Beauty Lin is the most easily embarrassed~~"

"Oh, you, you, you!" Lin Muxia's ears turned even redder as she gave Jiang Yun a gentle push.

Jiang Yun stepped back, then suddenly reached out both hands to pinch Lin Muxia's slender waist before sticking out her tongue and running out.

When Lu Xu returned to the dorm, he was also in a sorry state. His left shoulder was covered in rain marks because he had shared half the umbrella, and the right side of his clothes was wet from the senior's proximity.

"Yo, is the rain that heavy today? Even your umbrella couldn't cover you, Lu Xu." As soon as he entered, Chen Ping leaned back in his chair and sized him up. It was hard to tell if he was being serious or joking.

"Ran into an accident," Lu Xu explained, folding his umbrella after shaking it dry and hanging it by the door.

"An accident?" Chen Ping's interest was piqued.

Chen Ping had been Lu Xu's roommate for three years in high school. After they got into the same university, Chen Ping even went straight to the Counselor to request they stay in the same dorm to continue their friendship.

Because of their years of friendship, Chen Ping knew how rare the word "accident" was for Lu Xu. Lu Xu was someone who liked to plan everything clearly and execute it meticulously, whereas Chen Ping was the complete opposite—casual and spontaneous.

"I just ran into someone on the road who needed to share my umbrella," Lu Xu replied casually. He changed his clothes and sat down at his desk.

"Haha, you were targeted because you had an umbrella! Even you have unexpected things happen."

Lu Xu ignored him and opened the novel on his desk. Chen Ping had always been talkative; he could say more in a day than Lu Xu said in a week.

That these two became friends could only be attributed to the wonders of fate.

Lu Xu looked at the dense text in the book, but he felt his attention wasn't as focused as usual.

"What's going on?"

Lu Xu frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, but the image of the senior hooking her arm around his involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

"???"

Lu Xu was startled by the images in his own head.

"When did I start having such distracting thoughts?"