This was Luo Ye's first time at a police station.
And he'd been brought in under arrest.
The whole thing was a complete blur. He'd been gaming at home when two officers walked in, kindly slapped handcuffs on him, and invited him for a squad car ride to the station.
Sitting in the interrogation room, Luo Ye widened his eyes, giving the cop across the table an innocent look.
"Name."
"Luo Ye."
"Gender."
"Male."
"Occupation."
"Student."
"Where do you study?"
"Jiangcheng University. I report tomorrow."
The officer gave him a second glance. "Not bad looking, kid. You don't seem the type to cause trouble." He then asked, "Any idea what you're in for?"
Luo Ye shook his head vigorously.
"No clue?" The officer eyed him suspiciously. "Then explain why you were trespassing."
The young cop suspected Luo Ye was motivated by lust. Honestly, after meeting the resident of that apartment, he couldn't think of any other reason.
That girl was just too beautiful.
"Trespassing? What are you talking about?" Luo Ye's face was a mask of confusion.
Seeing the genuine innocence in Luo Ye's eyes, the cop began to doubt himself. "Then why were you in Teacher's Apartment Building 5, Unit 4, Apartment 604?"
"604? But that's my place!"
The cop glanced at his documents and snapped, "Listen, kid, this is a police station. Honesty will get you further than resistance. Now, tell me the truth. Why were you in 604?"
"...It really is my home." Luo Ye was getting desperate. Why didn't anyone believe him? Was his promising university life doomed to start behind bars?
"The owner of 604 is a professor from Jiangcheng University. He rented the place to a student—a female student. Not you."
"Rented? Professor?" Luo Ye's expression cleared. "Is that professor named Gu Mingxuan?"
"Oho, did your homework, I see."
Luo Ye: "..."
"Gu Mingxuan is my brother."
The cop paused, looked at the documents again. "I'll say it again. This is a police station. Your surname is Luo. His is Gu. You're spinning tales here of all places?"
Luo Ye thought it over. Gu Mingxuan was probably still in the air, phone off, unreachable. That's why the police couldn't contact him.
Why had Luo Ye chosen Jiangcheng University? First, because the crush he'd had for three years in high school promised they'd be together if he got in. Second, because his brother, Gu Mingxuan, was a professor there, making everything more convenient.
But he never expected his brother to dump him at Jiang University and immediately fly out to pursue his fourth Ph.D. abroad.
With one day before the semester started, Luo Ye had gone to the teacher's apartment assigned to his brother—Building 5, Unit 4, Apartment 604.
So, his brother had already rented the place out? To a girl? That girl must have come back, heard movement inside, quietly slipped out, and called the police.
Putting the pieces together, Luo Ye had an epiphany.
Unbelievable.
Gu Mingxuan's flight was six hours. He had at least three more hours before landing. That meant three hours in this police station.
Soon, an older, experienced-looking officer entered. The young cop yielded his seat, addressing him as "Chief."
Luo Ye was stunned. The Chief? The big boss himself was here to interrogate him? Even though he knew he was innocent, a sliver of worry crept in.
The Chief handed a file to the younger cop, who read it, his expression shifting instantly.
It was Luo Ye's profile.
Son of martyrs. Both parents were police officers, sacrificed in the line of duty. Raised by his aunt. Cousin of Gu Mingxuan.
Though technically cousins, they were as close as real brothers.
No wonder the Chief had come personally.
"Son, it seems we've made a mistake here."
"It's... it's okay." Luo Ye spoke timidly.
The Chief looked at him approvingly. "Jiang University is a prestigious school. Study hard, serve the country well."
Luo Ye nodded.
He declined the Chief's kind offer to stay the night, settling for a meal before being let out.
The Jiangcheng night was cool and crisp for September.
But Luo Ye's mood was gloomy.
Orientation was tomorrow, and he found all the hotels near campus were fully booked. The teacher's apartment was definitely out of the question.
Just great.
He'd traveled over 1,700 kilometers from the capital to Jiangcheng for university, and before it even started, he'd enjoyed a half-day police station tour and had nowhere to sleep.
Nice. A perfect start.
Soon, a cold wind blew, and a fine drizzle began to fall on his head.
Luo Ye ducked under a tree. He pulled out his phone, opened the chat with his goddess, and started sharing today's events.
No reply.
He scrolled through their chat history and sighed.
She hadn't replied since he told her he'd been admitted to Jiangcheng University.
Maybe... he'd been fooling himself all along.
He'd started to suspect she was just finding a polite way to reject him. If he still didn't get the hint, that was on him.
The summer after high school graduation lasted three whole months. Maybe he'd already gotten over his crush. It was just a lingering sense of unwillingness.
Now he was a university student. It was time to start a new chapter.
Speaking of which, Jiangcheng sure had a lot of rain. Might as well find an internet cafe to crash at for the night.
Luo Ye used his ID to get a computer.
The cafe was right across from the university, super convenient. He could wake up and head straight to registration tomorrow.
He opened the computer, clicked on Tomato Novels, and started typing.
He was a somewhat known online author, pen name [Falling Leaf Returns to Root]. In those three summer months, his first romance novel had blown up.
For someone his age, about to start university, his royalties were already substantial, lifting a lot of pressure.
The next day.
It was still drizzling. Jiangcheng University's orientation day. Luo Ye went to the teacher's apartment first.
Standing before the door of 604, he knocked gently. No answer. He knocked again. Still nothing.
Hesitating for a moment, he took out his key and opened the door.
His suitcase, left there last night, was still in the living room. A note was on top.
Sorry, I just recently rented this place. The landlord is already abroad, and when I heard noise, I thought it was a thief.
The handwriting was neat, elegant.
He'd been so focused on his game yesterday, he hadn't even noticed someone coming in. Served him right getting arrested.
Luo Ye stuffed the note into his bag and left, heading for the university's main gate.
It was the first day of school, yet it was raining, and the rain was getting heavier. An senior female student approached with an umbrella.
"New student? Let me see your admission letter."
Luo Ye took it out. The senior glanced at it.
"Luo Ye, Computer Science." She looked at his handsome face, her enthusiasm warming a few degrees. "Come on, junior, follow me."
Under her eager guidance, Luo Ye completed registration and found his dorm.
Building 8, Room 515. He declined the senior's dinner invitation, said goodbye, and entered the room.
His future roommates hadn't arrived yet. He'd heard non-local freshmen registered on September 1st, while local ones came on the 2nd, so they'd arrive tomorrow.
After tidying his bed, Luo Ye figured he'd wait for his roommates before arranging the room layout.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing it was Gu Mingxuan, he answered.
"Xiao Luo, something I need to tell you. Don't go to the teacher's apartment. I rented it out for the two years I'm abroad."
"...I went yesterday."
Silence on the other end. Then, "She didn't... do anything to you, did she?"
"No. Just got me a trip to the police station."
"Pfft. That sounds like her."
"Xiao Luo, she's my student. At Jiang University, you'll meet her eventually. She's a good kid, just... not the easiest to get along with."
Hanging up, Luo Ye walked onto the balcony. A ray of sunlight streamed in.
The rain had stopped.
Time to go for a walk.
Luo Ye wandered around Jiang University.
The most impressive building was naturally the library, facing the main gate, the university's pride and joy.
At the library entrance, Luo Ye stared thoughtfully at the facial recognition turnstile.
Just then, a tall girl with straight black hair and loose-fitting jeans strode past him, effortlessly bypassing the scanner.
Don't ask how he could tell she had long legs under those baggy jeans—some things just can't be hidden by clothes.
Luo Ye didn't see her face, but her背影 alone was enough to spark the imagination.
Her hair was damp, clothes slightly wet, the white laptop bag in her hand speckled with water drops. She'd clearly just come in from the rain.
"Senior!" Luo Ye called out to her.
The girl turned her head slightly, looking at Luo Ye with a calm expression.
"Are you talking to me?" Her voice was soft.
Seeing her face, Luo Ye couldn't help an inward gasp.
He'd heard Jiangcheng was known for its beauties, but he never expected to meet someone so stunning on his first day.
She wore no makeup, yet she was gracefully slender, breathtakingly beautiful enough to outshine the moon and put flowers to shame.
Luo Ye was clumsy with words, not much of a talker. He'd never been in a relationship and embarrassed easily.
"Senior... could... could you swipe me in?"
The girl was slightly taken aback. She stood before the scanner.
The electronic turnstile unlocked.
"You go first."
"Thank you, senior." Luo Ye walked in, shy as a young boy.
The girl gave him a surprised look. She hadn't expected him to stop her just for that.
To be honest, Luo Ye was the fifth new student she'd met today.
The previous four had all just wanted her contact information.
"Zhou Zhou, why are you walking so fast?" Another girl jogged up. Compared to the first, she wasn't as stunning, but she was still a remarkable beauty.
She was Qin Yuwen, a third-year in the School of Economics and Management, and the belle of her school.
The girl beside her was her best friend, Su Baichou, president of the Jiangcheng University Student Union.
Simultaneously, the one and only top school belle of Jiang University, known as the "Ice Queen," a workaholic, and a peerless beauty in the Computer Science department—the likes of which only appeared once in a decade.