"How about... we go in for another drink?" Cao Mingliang suggested.
"You guys can go, but I'll pass. I have to drive and can't drink. I'm heading back to school. You can take a taxi back later," Qin Tian politely declined.
"Then I'll pass too. I'm really not used to places like this," Zhuang Zhe chimed in.
Chen Zhuang spread his hands, looking regretful. "I'd like to drink more, but if you two are leaving, and it's just Cao and me left, what's the point of drinking?"
"Brother Zhuang, Cao is heartbroken. You can accompany him to drown his sorrows!" Qin Tian said with a chuckle.
"No way, he wasn't really invested, so it's not really heartbreak!" Chen Zhuang pouted, casting a playful gaze at Cao Mingliang.
"I am a little sad, though. Oh well, I'm going back to sleep. Let's play again next time!" Cao Mingliang scratched his head and changed his mind.
Thus, the group headed to where their cars were parked, got in, and prepared to return to school.
Unbeknownst to them, in a luxury sports car not far behind, a girl with heavy eye makeup was holding her phone, noting down the license plate of their BMW.
Watching the BMW disappear from sight, the girl's eyes lit up with a smile, and she then made a phone call.
"Hello, I'll send you a license plate in a moment. Help me find the owner's information, as detailed as possible. Uh, thanks, I'll treat you to a drink next time."
After hanging up, the girl also started her sports car.
With a roar of the engine, the red Lamborghini sports car pulled out of its parking spot and sped away.
...
...
The next day, Cao Mingliang and Lü Yanran broke up.
Qin Tian and the others didn't know what they had discussed, only that after their classes in the afternoon, they went for a farewell meal together, and their relationship, which had lasted just over a month from meeting to breaking up, came to an end.
Lü Yanran didn't cause any more trouble; she merely became more distant from their dorm's group.
Of course, Qin Tian and the others didn't mind at all, and even felt it was better this way.
As for their classmates, there was naturally a lot of private discussion about the matter, but no one was too surprised. After all, most people didn't have high hopes for their relationship and knew it would end eventually, they just didn't expect it to be so soon.
Besides their studies and club activities, Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan began to focus more on designing their little home.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mingyuan's internet cafe expansion plan was also underway. Besides the capital recouped from the previous three internet cafes, the first batch of money Qin Tian had cashed out from the stock market had also been transferred. Zhao Mingyuan planned to open ten more branches in Jiangcheng before the Spring Festival of this year, making Tianming Internet Cafe a leader in Jiangcheng's high-end internet cafe industry. Fortunately, Zhao Mingyuan was already familiar with all the procedures and didn't require Qin Tian, the hands-off boss, to intervene. They only communicated occasionally by phone, with Zhao Mingyuan seeking his opinion on certain decisions and choices.
And so, time passed quickly in a peaceful and fulfilling routine.
In the blink of an eye, October, the golden autumn, was over.
Before the arrival of winter, the first wave of cold air had already hit, with the highest temperature dropping by more than ten degrees, making it feel like winter had arrived overnight. Students from Jiangcheng and surrounding areas were already accustomed to this, knowing that Jiangcheng only had summer and winter, and spring and autumn were reserved for the Warring States period. Many students from outside the city found it too abrupt. Many hadn't had time to adjust their clothing for warmth and caught colds. The most direct manifestation was the frequent sound of sneezing and blowing noses during classes in the classroom.
"Lu Lei has a cold?" Qin Tian glanced at Lu Lei, who was wearing a mask and looking unwell, and asked Xia Nuannuan, who had just sat down beside him.
"Mhm!" Xia Nuannuan nodded, her tone a little worried. "Their region has distinct seasons, and the temperature doesn't drop so drastically. She's been coughing since this morning. We told her to stay in the dorm to rest, but she wouldn't listen. She took some cold medicine and insisted on coming to class."
"What about you? Are you okay?" Qin Tian reached out, took her slightly cold hand, and gently massaged it, his brow furrowed. "Why are your hands so cold?"
Xia Nuannuan smiled sweetly and replied, "It was a bit windy when I walked over. I'm fine. Thanks to persistently running with you, my body is doing great now!"
"You still need to pay attention to keeping warm and not catch a cold," Qin Tian cautioned.
"Got it!" Xia Nuannuan nodded obediently.
Qin Tian grabbed her other hand, placed it on top of the first, and rubbed them together in his palm.
"So warm..." Xia Nuannuan's eyes curved into crescent moons, her fair and rosy cheeks adorned with a happy smile.
In the hallway, Shen Siqi, following Qin Tian's example, held Lu Lei's hands to warm them.
"What are you doing?" Lu Lei looked at her with a somewhat bewildered gaze.
Shen Siqi leaned back slightly, nodded towards Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan on her right, and said seriously, "Since you don't have a boyfriend, I, your good sister, have to step in!"
Lu Lei rolled her eyes speechlessly, a mixture of amusement and helplessness on her face.
"But your hands are also cold!"
"Uh... I got my period last night, so just bear with it!"
"Then let your Chen Zhuang warm your hands. Don't bother with me."
"Why should I? We're not together yet, and I'm not letting him take advantage of me."
"But you're taking advantage of me."
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm not a lesbian, um... Sister Lei, your hands feel so comfortable."
"Please, can I just lie down and rest for a bit?" Lu Lei asked helplessly.
"Okay, then rest. If you feel really unwell, tell me. It's only a few classes, your health is more important." Shen Siqi said with great concern.
"Got it, got it." Lu Lei withdrew her hands, crossed her arms, rested her head, and lay down on the desk.
"Siqi, I have hot water here. Does Sister Lei want some?" Xia Nuannuan took out a pink thermos cup from her bag and asked Shen Siqi.
"Let's talk about it later, let her rest for a while," Shen Siqi replied.
"Mhm, mhm, just tell me if you want some." Xia Nuannuan nodded.
"Got a cold? So, your southern girls have weak bodies!" Cheng Meng turned her head and said with a smile.
"Cheng Meng, you seem more energetic!" Xia Nuannuan said with a smile.
"Of course. It's almost below zero where we are in Ice City. This is nothing. I can handle it even if I'm wearing short sleeves. It's the summer that's unbearably hot." Cheng Meng said with a proud smile.
Xia Nuannuan smiled and said, "Then that means locals are the most resilient. It's so hot in the summer and so cold in the winter, and we're fine."
"What you're saying... does make sense." Cheng Meng nodded blankly.
"That's because Xia Nuannuan has good physical quality. I'm from Jiangcheng, and every time the season changes, I still catch a cold easily," a girl from across the aisle turned her head and said, then sniffled, clearly not feeling well either.
"It's all thanks to Brother. When I was fat before, my body wasn't good either," Xia Nuannuan tilted her head to look at Qin Tian, and the two exchanged a smile.
"Please, I'm already a patient. Don't torment me anymore," the girl complained with a look of helplessness.
"I didn't do anything!" Xia Nuannuan put on an innocent expression.
The girl gave her a resentful white eye and turned away, falling silent.