The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Declaring Ownership

The Top Ten Singers competition had a brief epilogue.

Videos of the singers’ performances were posted on the university’s official Weibo account. Featuring several handsome young men and beautiful young women, the high-quality videos quickly went viral, trending among alumni and casual viewers alike.

News of the videos spread like wildfire. With the addition of short clips taken from the perspectives of alumni and passersby, Zhao Xunyu’s popularity soared. He was scrutinized online briefly, and music companies and talent agencies began contacting him, much to his annoyance.

He didn’t dare tell Chu Zhi Lu about it, fearing it might strain his voice again.

However, Chu Zhi Lu eventually found out. Instead of getting angry, she made it a point to visit his campus for lunch three days a week.

While Zhao Xunyu’s girlfriend remained unfazed by the curious and gossipy stares, he found himself increasingly affected by the attention.

With a cool and composed demeanor, Chu Zhi Lu casually took a piece of chicken cutlet from Zhao Xunyu’s plate. Zhao Xunyu chuckled and poked his rice with a smile. “Chu Zhizhi, are you declaring your ownership?

Chu Zhi Lu glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. “Or do you think I should punish the instigator?”

“No! This is perfect. You’re branding me as yours.”

Indeed, their matching couple outfits in the photo shattered countless teenage girls’ hearts when it was posted in a comment section filled with chaotic underwear-flying and desperate cries for attention. They were both exceptionally good-looking, leaving no room for jealousy or criticism.

Everyone now knew that Zhao Xunyu was taken, and his girlfriend was an absolutely stunning beauty.

Zhao Xunyu’s dorm mates exchanged glances as they watched him stare foolishly at his phone, waiting for his girlfriend’s reply.

Yang Xiuzhu cleared his throat. “Hey, dude, chatting with your girlfriend?”

Zhao Xunyu lazily scrolled through their chat history. “Yeah.”

Yang Xiuzhu couldn’t bear to look. The entire screen was flooded with green, a painful sight. Noticing that the contact name Zhao Xunyu had for her was ‘Chu Zhizhi,’ Yang Xiuzhu asked, “What do you usually call your girlfriend?”

“Chu Zhizhi.”

Tong You chimed in, “And what does your girlfriend call you?”

Zhao Xunyu suddenly grew bashful and replied, “Heeheehee, she calls me ‘Baby.’“

This nickname originated from a playful moment in bed when Zhao Xunyu pretended to want milk and sucked Chu Zhizhi’s n*pple so hard that it hurt. To soothe him, she cupped his face and called him ‘baby.’

He loved it so much that he insisted she call him that from then on. She refused, only reluctantly using the nickname a few times in bed when he begged and pressured her.

His three dorm mates exchanged speechless glances.

They believed that he was stubbornly clinging to his pride and making his life harder than necessary. Even in public, his girlfriend rarely smiled at him, let alone called him ‘baby.’

In their eyes, Chu Zhi Lu had only come to their university to show off because Zhao Xunyu had begged her. Though they wore matching outfits, his girlfriend remained aloof in public, as if she were only half heartedly going along with it.

News of Zhao Xunyu’s relationship spread quickly among the female students, which could impact his future romantic prospects. If she dumped him, any girls who had been interested in him would likely become hesitant, making it much more difficult for him to find a new girlfriend.

Yang Xiuzhu and the others always felt that Zhao Xunyu would be dumped very soon…

Yang Xiuzhu said, “College has just started. Don’t take love too seriously. Focus on your own life first.”

‘That way, you won’t end up wallowing in despair like a pathetic mess when you get dumped.’

When Zhao Xunyu didn’t receive a reply from his girlfriend, he sent her another emoji and replied, “Hey, without Chu Zhizhi, I can’t survive. What’s the point of life?”

He felt that his current state was pretty good. He joined the basketball club and often played basketball with his classmates. He also occasionally played games with his dorm mates. He saved the rest of his time for Chu Zhizhi.

It wasn’t even the end of his first semester yet. There was no need to push himself so hard.

“…”

“Hasn’t your girlfriend ever asked you to visit her university?”

“No. I originally planned to sneak into some classes, but my insecurity got the better of me, and I never went to A University.” He was afraid of being called on by the professors and embarrassing her. Chu Zhi Lu had a busy schedule, usually eating meals with her dorm mates right after class. Zhao Xunyu was happy to see her surrounded by friends. Since he hadn’t noticed any admirers around her, he hadn’t asked her out to eat.

“I need to stake my ownership claim, too,” Zhao Xunyu mused.

Chu Zhi Lu emerged from her shower and saw Zhao Xunyu’s message, raising an eyebrow: Didn’t you say you were afraid of being intellectually outmatched and embarrassing me?

Zhao Xunyu: Just send me the schedule for the easiest general education classes. I’m not looking for a challenge.

Chu Zhi Lu actually sent him two classes. Zhao Xunyu glanced at them—perfect! No specialized knowledge was required, and the classes were in large lecture halls. They seemed easy enough to coast through.

With that, he decided to audit both classes.

Yang Xiuzhu had been keeping a close eye on Zhao Xunyu. Seeing him grin as he typed, he asked, “Did she agree to let you go to A University?”

Zhao Xunyu nodded. “Can’t you tell from my expression? Why would she refuse? It’s more about whether I want to go.”

Yang Xiuzhu scoffed. He could send a hundred messages to his girlfriend without a response and still grin like an idiot. What could anyone possibly glean from his expression?

“How did you even ask her?”

“I just told her I wanted to audit her classes.”

“Just like that?” Shouldn’t his girlfriend have made every excuse to avoid being seen with him in her social circle?

Zhao Xunyu looked puzzled. “What else would I say?”

“…”

On the day he audited the classes, Zhao Xunyu made a special trip to the salon for a new hairstyle and coordinated matching outfits with Chu Zhi Lu beforehand. The class was the fourth period of the morning. Chu Zhi Lu had already told Lin Ling not to save her a seat, explaining that her boyfriend would be joining her, and that they would sit in the back.

Lin Ling, unaware that Chu Zhi Lu had opened her WeChat Moments and never having heard her mention a boyfriend, was completely shocked. “You have a boyfriend? Since when? Why didn’t I know?”

Song Shu glanced their way. “What university does your boyfriend attend?”

“G University,” Chu Zhi Lu replied.

“Oh.” Song Shu had seen a photo of Chu Zhi Lu and her boyfriend on her friend’s WeChat Moments. He’s handsome, but not too bright, she thought, feeling satisfied.

“Do you have any photos? Let me see!” Lin Ling demanded.

Chu Zhi Lu pulled up a photo for her, and she zoomed in for a closer look. “Wow, he’s so handsome! You two look like a perfect match. He seems so cheerful, a perfect complement to you.”

Song Shu couldn’t resist interjecting, “Erm… cheerful people usually prefer extroverted partners, right? It’s hard for them to tolerate someone who is too boring for long.”

Lin Ling rolled her eyes. “You always know everything, don’t you?”

Chu Zhi Lu met Song Shu’s gaze. “Thanks for your concern.”

Song Shu shrugged. “Don’t take it personally.”

“You’re really something,” Lin Ling retorted. “You always have to butt in when others are talking and then accuse them of taking things personally? Have some decency! You can’t stand seeing others happy, can you?” Lin Ling’s straightforward nature left no room for petty games.

Having to deal with such passive-aggressive dorm mates in college was infuriating.

“You’re quite something, too,” Song Shu shot back. “I was just making an observation. Are you upset because I’m not fawning over you like a lapdog?”

Lin Ling’s face twisted into a sneer. “Can’t handle the truth? With a face like yours, I couldn’t bring myself to be your lackey even if you paid me. Instead of brooding in the shadows and envying others, why don’t you spend some money on plastic surgery?”

“You—”

Chu Zhi Lu cut her off. “Enough. Are we going to class or not?”

Lin Ling rolled her eyes at Song Shu, grabbed her bag, and followed Chu Zhi Lu out of the dorm room.

Chu Zhi Lu didn’t tell Zhao Xunyu about the incident. He walked beside her with a ramrod-straight posture, afraid of any negative comments. She led him into the classroom and they found seats in the back. Zhao Xunyu sat rigidly; Chu Zhi Lu could even feel him sucking in his stomach.

She glanced at his stern expression and rested a hand on his waist. “Why do you look like you’re facing a major threat?”

Zhao Xunyu could feel the burning gazes around them. He refused to relax even slightly. “I want everyone to know that I’m not someone to mess with. They’d better think twice before trying to steal you away or cause you trouble.”

Lin Ling was sitting in the front row. When she saw Zhao Xunyu, she exchanged glances with Chu Zhi Lu and gave her two thumbs up to approve of her choice.

The professor of the lecture hall was friendly and never called on students. Zhao Xunyu’s hair color stood out, so the professor looked at him twice more. Finding him quiet and obedient, the professor stopped paying attention to him.