Chapter 5 – “You’re Filthy”

For the past few days, Zhou Liao had skipped nearly all his morning classes, usually sleeping in until the afternoon before heading to school.

During an evening class, bored and restless, he idly scrolled through his messages when he noticed an unread message buried at the bottom. It was from three days ago, with no name attached. The message thanked him for his help that day, said the clothes were washed, and asked when it would be convenient to return them.

Zhou Liao had to rack his brain to remember what this was about. He’d forgotten the girl’s name, something like Bai…?

“I get out of class at 8 PM. Are you at school?” he typed.

A prompt reply came: “Yes.”

“I’ll come find you,” Zhou Liao typed back.

“But I’m in my dorm right now…”

“Which dorm?”

Zhou Liao knew his way around almost every girls’ dormitory on campus like the back of his hand, having escorted countless girls back to their rooms.

“Dorm 3. Would that be too inconvenient?”

“Not at all. My car’s parked right behind your dorm,” Zhou Liao replied, genuinely passing by that way anyway.

“Let’s meet at Yuying Forest instead. I’ll bring them.”

The girl was likely worried about gossip if they were seen together. Zhou Liao didn’t care and simply replied with an “Mm.”

After class, Chen Xian asked Zhou Liao if he wanted to go out for a drink that night, but Zhou Liao had been indulging in sensual pleasures lately, with the twins attending to him every time. If he kept this up, he’d end up with kidney deficiency. For once, he declined Chen Xian’s invitation.

On his way to the third dormitory, two messages popped up on Zhou Liao’s phone, both from the twins. One included several short videos of the sisters wearing white lace lingerie, their tongues intertwined as they caressed each other, their eyes hazy and seductive. Having just turned down Chen Xian, Zhou Liao suddenly felt a renewed surge of desire.

“Excuse me, are you Zhou Liao?”

Just as he was about to reply to the messages, someone called out to him. Zhou Liao paused and looked up.

“I’m Bai Ling. Thank you again for your help the other day.”

Under the dim yellow glow of the streetlamp, Zhou Liao finally got a clear look at her face. But the moment he did, his interest vanished. While the girl was undeniably pretty, he was surrounded by far more striking beauties. Bai Ling’s features were almost ordinary, lacking any distinctive features—the kind he wouldn’t even glance at twice on the street.

“No problem,” Zhou Liao replied blandly, accepting the clothes she handed him.

Zhou Liao stood tall at around 186 centimeters, his strikingly handsome face radiating untamed charisma. Bai Ling glanced up as he took the clothes, noting his casual posture—one hand draped lazily over the fabric, the other tucked in his pocket. Her heartbeat suddenly quickened. “Um, I forgot to ask how much it was last time. I’ll transfer you the money now.”

“No need,” he replied dismissively. The amount was insignificant to him; whether he spent it or not made no difference. Besides, he couldn’t be bothered to check the exact cost.

“But…”

Zhou Liao lowered his gaze to meet hers, patiently explaining, “Just consider it a gift from me.”

Bai Ling paused, feeling an inexplicable warmth spread through her chest. Whether it was his help last time or this gesture now, Zhou Liao seemed nothing like the person others described.

He didn’t look at her. A burning craving for a cigarette gnawed at him, but he restrained himself, knowing it wouldn’t be appropriate to subject her to secondhand smoke on their second meeting. Otherwise, he would have already pulled one out and lit up.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Mm-hmm,” Zhou Liao hummed, his fingers absently stroking the cigarette pack in his pocket. “I’ll walk you home. It’s on my way anyway.”

He wasn’t particularly interested in escorting her; he just needed to pass by the third dormitory to reach the parking lot. He didn’t feel any strong urge to chat with girls he found plain-looking and completely missed Bai Ling’s slightly flushed face and hesitant expression as she walked beside him, debating whether to speak up.

“Qin Zhan?”

Zhou Liao was focused on the road ahead, mentally planning his evening commute, when the girl beside him suddenly called out.

Startled, he followed her gaze and saw a tall, solitary figure silhouetted against the twilight. Hearing the call, the man turned, and when he recognized Zhou Liao, his features—which had softened slightly—reverted to their usual cold, contemptuous glare, as if he hadn’t expected to see him here.

Fuck him. Zhou Liao hated nothing more in this life than the way Qin Zhan looked at him—with disdainful arrogance, gloomy disgust, and an airy indifference.

“Qin Zhan, haven’t you gone home yet?”

Zhou Liao watched as the man’s gaze shifted quickly to the girl.

“Leaving now.”

“Oh, okay. Be careful on your way home tonight.” Bai Ling seemed familiar with Qin Zhan’s reserved nature; she didn’t linger, offering a brief wave and a casual “See you later.” “Remember to come over for dinner on Saturday night!”

Qin Zhan merely nodded in acknowledgment. As he turned to leave, Zhou Liao distinctly felt his gaze linger on him for a moment—a glance completely unlike any he’d received before. In the past, no matter the circumstances, Qin Zhan had never spared him more than a fleeting glance.

As soon as Qin Zhan left, Zhou Liao’s boredom with Bai Ling vanished, replaced by a sudden surge of interest.

“Do you know him?”

Bai Ling seemed surprised that Zhou Liao would initiate conversation with her. She nodded. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“How do you know him?”

Bai Ling looked puzzled by his line of questioning.

“Because he seems…” Zhou Liao trailed off, unwilling to use harsh words in front of someone who knew Qin Zhan well. But Bai Ling quickly understood his implication. After all, Qin Zhan rarely socialized, so people often wondered how she knew him.

“He’s my younger brother’s tutor,” Bai Ling explained. “He’s a bit reserved, but he’s actually a very good person.”

“Your brother’s tutor? What a coincidence.”

Bai Ling wouldn’t divulge Qin Zhan’s personal matters to outsiders without permission. “Yeah… It is quite a coincidence.”

“I thought he was your boyfriend.”

Zhou Liao probed casually. The fact that Qin Zhan was interacting with a living person—especially a girl—surprised him. And the way Qin Zhan had looked at her, clearly not his usual deadpan expression, piqued Zhou Liao’s curiosity.

“Huh?” Bai Ling’s face flushed crimson as she shook her head vehemently. “How could that be? It’s not true.”

“Just kidding,” Zhou Liao said with a grin.

But Bai Ling’s face remained flushed. This was the first time she had walked alone in such a secluded place with a boy. The quiet surroundings amplified the wet, smacking sounds of kissing couples, making the conversation about such topics even more awkward for her.

Yuying Forest, the small grove on their school campus, was named after the school’s founding principle of nurturing excellence. At its center stood a small fountain and a statue of the first principal, surrounded by benches. Despite its lofty name, it was essentially the school’s prime dating spot. Every few steps, couples were kissing, oblivious to the principal’s stony gaze. Zhou Liao had lost count of how many girls he had kissed or held hands with in this very place.

“Speaking of Qin—” Zhou Liao began, but before he could finish, a sudden sneeze cut him off.

The recent days had seen significant temperature fluctuations between day and night. A sudden gust of wind rustled the leaves. Bai Ling, wearing only a thin dress, seemed cold; her nose was visibly red when she lowered her hand from her mouth and nose.

He suddenly changed his mind.

“Sorry, what were you about to say?” Bai Ling asked, looking up just as Zhou Liao draped his jacket over her shoulders, careful not to touch her skin.

“It’s nothing. The temperature difference between day and night has been quite drastic lately. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Bai Ling lowered her head after speaking. Zhou Liao gazed at the slight curve of her spine, realizing how long it had been since he’d interacted with such an innocent girl. She seemed almost as if she’d never been in a relationship before, trying to maintain a distance while simultaneously failing to conceal her emotions.

As they reached the dormitory building, Bai Ling tugged at the jacket. When she looked down, she could still catch the familiar scent of his cologne—a refined blend of woody notes and cedarwood with a hint of untamed wildness.

“Then…”

Bai Ling reached to remove the jacket from her shoulders, but Zhou Liao gently tugged the collar tighter around her slender frame.

“It’s already washed. Aren’t you going to take it back? Besides, we’re here now.”

Zhou Liao studied her intently for a moment before shaking his head. “Give me an excuse to see you again.”

Bai Ling’s eyes widened at his words. Having never been in a relationship, her heart began to pound like it had been struck by lightning.

“Ah…”

“Just keep it safe for me, please,” Zhou Liao blinked playfully.

“Then… when will you come get it?”

Before she could finish speaking, the dorm auntie called out from behind, “Hurry upstairs! Don’t block the entrance with your lovey-dovey nonsense.”

Bai Ling’s ears flushed even more at her words. Zhou Liao pointed at his phone, signaling her to contact him on WeChat. She nodded, clutched his jacket, and scurried upstairs before the dorm supervisor could approach.

Zhou Liao didn’t linger either, quickly leaving the dormitory building.

Lately, the wind grew fiercer the later it got. Even Zhou Liao, with his thick skin and robust constitution, felt the chill. He clamped a cigarette between his lips and fiddled with his phone, the screen’s glow illuminating his face. Bai Ling sent another message to thank him, while the twins kept messaging incessantly, asking if he was home yet and wanting to grab late-night snacks.

Zhou Liao politely replied to Bai Ling first, then playfully teased the twins, asking what midnight snacks they wanted. They quickly sent a voice message.

The path to the parking lot was dimly lit and rarely used, as the area was typically reserved for faculty. The shortest route required passing through a corridor. Zhou Liao glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before tapping play on the twins’ voice message. Their coquettish voice sounded jarringly out of place in the quiet night.

“Of course, we want our little brother’s milk~”

Just as Zhou Liao was about to reply, he collided head-on with someone, nearly dropping his phone.

“Fucking hell, watch where you’re going!” Zhou Liao rubbed his nose, but when he looked up, his face darkened instantly.

“Isn’t this…?” Zhou Liao grinned, his smile edged with teeth. “Still hanging around?”

Qin Zhan emerged from around the corner, his towering figure looming in the gloomy corridor. His eyes, dark and inscrutable in the shadows, held a chilling intensity, his voice as sharp as a blade.

“Stay away from her.”

“What?” Zhou Liao raised an eyebrow, scoffing inwardly at Bai Ling’s ordinariness—a woman he wouldn’t give a second glance to if not for her connection to Qin Zhan. The realization only fueled his perverse interest, making his earlier excuse for a future meeting feel perfectly justified. Qin Zhan’s words ignited within him an unprecedented desire for conquest. “Why should I?”

He barely finished speaking when Qin Zhan spat out a contemptuous reply, the arrogance in his tone and expression nearly making Zhou Liao’s blood boil.

“Because you’re filthy.”

“Filthy?” Zhou Liao burst into laughter, veins throbbing at his temples as his fingers nearly snapped the cigarette in half. “Then next time I take her to a hotel, I’ll invite you to watch.”

Qin Zhan narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Zhou Liao’s swaggering face like poisoned daggers.

Zhou Liao took a deep drag of his cigarette, deliberately exhaling the smoke directly into Qin Zhan’s face. “Even if you can’t make it, don’t worry—I’ll film it and send you the DVD.”