Chapter 61: Pursuer.

Last night, Yu Baiwei had collapsed on him, passing out from exhaustion, and it wasn’t until her morning scream woke him that Lu Zhao stirred. He hadn’t had a moment to clean up—not even his face.

The smell on him now wasn’t bad, but definitely odd.

“Uh… yeah, I got up late, didn’t have time to shower. Probably just sweat. Haha… your nose is sharp, Qingxin. So, what’s for lunch?”

He tried to shift her focus to food, hoping to move past this.

But his usually foolproof tactic failed this time!

Qingxin leaned closer, sniffing him like he was the meal.

Lu Zhao’s muscles tensed, dreading she’d recognize the scent.

Ling Cang, nearby, found it odd. Why was Lu Zhao so nervous? Weird.

Though their dorm mates had helped Qingxin chase Lu Zhao, Ling Cang couldn’t deny a twinge of envy. Beyond that, she admired him.

She’d interacted with him the most after Qingxin, so she knew him relatively well.

The more she saw, the more she sensed his uniqueness.

In short, he was more “feminine” than her—steady, mature, organized, unfazed by strangers.

Everything her mother wanted her to be, Lu Zhao embodied, and better.

But today, he seemed… flustered. Kind of cute.

Speaking of, her mother kept mentioning having Qingxin and Lu Zhao over.

Ling Cang rubbed her chin, lost in thought.

Crack, crack!

Two sharp whip-like snaps from the podium pulled their attention.

Mei Zi’s proud, icy face was as frosty as ever, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Since Lu Zhao entered, Qingxin’s focus hadn’t been on the lesson. Was she too obsessed with him?

Mei Zi knew Lu Zhao far longer than he knew her.

As Yan Ruyue’s longtime friend and her company’s medical advisor, Mei Zi saw Qingxin and her sister as her own kids.

Her daughter dating was a big deal.

Since noticing Qingxin’s closeness with a campus guy, Mei Zi had been quietly observing Lu Zhao.

Was he worthy of Qingxin? Was he a player toying with her feelings?

Surprisingly, he passed both tests.

He was capable, upright, and didn’t mess around despite his appeal.

That was rare. Some of her male students, less impressive than him, swapped girlfriends constantly, some even juggling multiple.

She’d been looking for someone for Yun Shuiyao but found no one suitable.

Mei Zi and Yan Ruyue bonded partly because they both dismissed most men.

They met in college, competing as equals, and their rivalry turned into a deep friendship.

Even now, they shared that disdain for men—or so she thought.

Mei Zi tapped the board. “Pay attention. This will be on the exam. Take notes.”

Her gaze lingered on Qingxin, who pouted but stopped sniffing Lu Zhao.

After class, Qingxin checked her phone. “Baby, you and Ling Cang go to the cafeteria. I’ll catch up.”

“Where you going?” Ling Cang asked.

“Just some stuff.” She hurried off.

Lu Zhao exhaled in relief. He’d been terrified she’d figure out the smell.

“Uh… Ling Cang, you go ahead. I need the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

Watching them leave, Ling Cang frowned. “What’s with them? Acting so weird.”

In the medical building, Mei Zi was scolding Qingxin.

“What’s wrong with you, Qingxin? Not paying attention in my class? If this was another professor’s class, you’d be in trouble!”

Despite the critical words, her expression was soft.

Qingxin looked down. “Sorry, Aunt Mei. It’s just… my baby—er, Lu Zhao—was late, and I couldn’t reach him, so I got chatty.”

Mei Zi frowned. As expected.

“Qingxin, I don’t mind you dating Lu Zhao, but you can’t let it affect your studies, got it?”

Qingxin nodded quickly. “Yes, Aunt Mei, I know.”

“Oh, Aunt Mei, join us for lunch?”

Mei Zi knew this foodie well and smiled wryly. “No, I won’t intrude on you youngsters. Go on, don’t starve.”

“Alright, bye, Aunt Mei.”

“Sigh… this kid.”

Back in her office, Mei Zi pulled out her phone and opened Yan Ruyue’s chat.

Ruyue, free anytime soon? Wanna meet up?

*

Lu Zhao hit the bathroom, grabbing a scented soap from the sink and ducking into a stall.

He had to get rid of this smell fast.

Within a minute, two girls entered, chatting.

“Did you hear? Yuan Haoyang confessed to Senior Yun.”

“Which Senior Yun?”

“Ugh, how many Yuns are there at our school?”

“Uh… Yun Shuiyao?”

“Yeah, but she didn’t accept.”

“Why not? I’ve seen him—super hot. He should chase me.”

“Stop daydreaming. How would I know why? She wasn’t into him.”

“Why not?”

“If I knew, he’d be chasing me. Stop yapping.”

“Tch, you brought it up!”

“Ugh, whatever…”

They left after touching up their makeup, and Lu Zhao emerged.

Walking to the cafeteria, he recalled their conversation.

“Yuan Haoyang… sounds familiar. Oh, right! That guy who got third place. Tsk, tsk.”

Musing, he spotted a golden-haired figure at the cafeteria entrance, trailed by a strikingly handsome guy.