For the next half month, Lu Yaoyao did not reappear.
Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan's plan to puncture sports car tires was thus postponed indefinitely.
As for the various rumors about Qin Tian and the wealthy beauty from outside the school, they quickly died down.
This was because Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan remained inseparable, showing no signs of the relationship breakdown described in the rumors.
Many boys and girls in the school who were paying attention to them had mixed feelings.
A considerable number of girls who were fans of their relationship breathed a sigh of relief and were genuinely happy.
If even their love were to face problems, they would truly struggle to believe in love anymore.
Of course, many single boys and girls also felt regret, thinking that if the two of them had truly broken up, they might have had a chance.
Both Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan were undeniably attractive to the opposite sex.
Amidst the peaceful and fulfilling campus life, November soon drew to a close.
The first semester of the current batch of freshmen in their university lives seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye.
While everyone had fully adapted to university life, many were also anxious about one thing.
That was successfully finding a romantic partner!
Due to the current state of domestic education, dating was forbidden in almost all schools before university.
The curiosity and hormones of adolescent boys and girls were suppressed from middle school through high school, reaching their peak just before entering university.
This led to many freshmen being eager to find a partner upon entering university.
Beyond that, there was also an element of hidden competition and comparison.
For instance, if someone in a male dormitory found a girlfriend first, they would always become a source of envy and jealousy for others.
However, as the first semester approached its end, only a minority had found partners.
Many freshmen had also heard a saying from their seniors: the first semester of university was actually the period with the highest chance of finding a partner, and it became increasingly difficult thereafter.
The number of people who had found partners among this year's freshmen was noticeably lower than in previous years, partly due to Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan appearing on the campus forum several times.
Consequently, Qin Tian's dormitory, 208, was seen as an anomaly by other male students in the two economics classes. They often discussed it with envy, jealousy, and a touch of hatred.
Qin Tian was already a "winner in life," as they put it.
Cao Mingliang, a rich second-generation miner, was also experienced in dating and skillfully juggled various girls, making them incredibly envious.
As for Chen Zhuang, the hulking simpleton, he and Shen Siqi were practically already a couple.
What was most unacceptable to the boys was that Zhuang Zhe, a fellow with very low presence, was also getting along well with a beauty from another class. People often saw them going to the library together.
On this particular morning during the Calculus class, when Zhuang Zhe and Tian Jing walked into the classroom together with their books, Zhuang Zhe's presence was suddenly amplified.
In the classroom, the boys from both classes erupted.
"Damn, I suddenly wish I could go back to high school. At least I had a female deskmate back then. Now, I haven't spoken to a girl in half a month."
"Don't talk about it, it's all tears!"
"Who is that girl?"
"She's from the second class of the English department. We went for an outdoor barbecue together last time."
"No way, Qin Tian gave you such a great opportunity, and he's the one who seized it? Can you guys even manage?"
"Don't act like you're so great. Do you know how high girls' standards are now?"
"Give me a break. If only Qin Tian were in our class, it's been almost three months, and I haven't even interacted with a girl from another class."
...
"Brother, why is Tian Jing here?"
Xia Nuannuan also recognized Tian Jing and asked Qin Tian with some surprise.
After she had gone to the barbecue last time, she had chatted with Tian Jing and Su Yan and had become friends.
Qin Tian, who was reading a book, looked up and replied with a smile, "Zhuang Zhe said she finds Calculus a bit difficult, so she's auditing the class with him today."
"I see!"
Xia Nuannuan nodded in realization and waved her right hand.
Tian Jing smiled shyly at her and walked over with Zhuang Zhe, sitting down in the row behind them.
"Ah Zhe, you're quite prominent today!"
Cao Mingliang teased with a chuckle.
The surrounding people heard this and showed knowing smiles.
Zhuang Zhe merely rolled his eyes at Cao Mingliang, said nothing, opened his Calculus textbook, and looked at the blushing Tian Jing beside him.
"Just ignore him. We're up to this part in Calculus. How's your class's progress?"
"Um, about the same."
Tian Jing nodded.
"That's good. How about we swap textbooks? My notes are quite detailed, so you can take a look."
"Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome."
Saying that, they exchanged their Calculus textbooks.
"You take a look first. Ask me if you don't understand anything. I feel like I grasp Calculus pretty well."
"Okay, are you very good at math?"
"Not really. I only scored a little over 130 in the Gaokao, much lower than Tian Ge and the others. It's all from practicing problems, but for some reason, after entering university, my brain feels a bit sharper."
"Really?"
Tian Jing looked surprised and then began to flip through the textbook.
Zhuang Zhe didn't disturb her and looked at Cao Mingliang and Chen Zhuang in front of him, who were smiling mischievously. He asked irritably, "What is it?"
"Hehe... Nothing, nothing."
Chen Zhuang shook his head with a smile.
"What are you smiling about!"
Cao Mingliang glanced at him with a look of disdain. "If you and Shen Siqi take any longer, Zhuang Zhe will be ahead of you."
Shen Siqi, sitting a row behind Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan with Lu Lei, lowered her head and pretended not to hear.
"Is there a need to distinguish who's first or second in this matter? I'm not in a hurry. Are you going to break up quickly like you?"
Chen Zhuang said dismissively.
"Damn, you sit here alone. I'm going to find a girl."
Cao Mingliang picked up his textbook and walked directly towards a girl in the second class.
"Tsk, you scumbag!"
Chen Zhuang spat.
Tian Jing looked at the two of them somewhat blankly.
"Don't be surprised, they're two fools," Zhuang Zhe whispered.
"Pfft!"
Tian Jing covered her mouth and chuckled softly, saying, "I didn't realize you were quite brave!"
Zhuang Zhe shrugged with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan saw this scene, and her beautiful face was filled with a sweet, aunt-like smile.
"Smiling so happily?"
Qin Tian suddenly reached out and gently pinched her small face, which revealed two shallow dimples.
"Hey, don't pinch my face."
Xia Nuannuan raised her hand and slapped his away, glaring at him indignantly.
"Your face feels too good, I couldn't help myself," Qin Tian grinned.
Xia Nuannuan rolled her eyes, raised her hand to cover her mouth, and said with sparkling eyes, "Brother, they two seem quite compatible!"
"What? Are you trying to be a matchmaker again?" Qin Tian asked humorously.
"What are you talking about? I'm not. Besides, this doesn't even need it!"
"Alright, you should stop caring so much about other people's affairs. With that time, you might as well study more."
"Okay!"