ACMS 67

Extra: If They Had Met in College 1

At the end of August, the sun blazed like fire, and the cicadas buzzed in chorus.

It was registration day for new students at Yunjing University.

Electronic screens on both sides of the campus gate displayed phrases like “Warmly Welcome New Students to Campus.”

The campus was especially lively today. At the gate, parents dropping off their children and senior students welcoming the newcomers came and went. The air buzzed with a mix of excitement about starting college and complaints about the sweltering heat.

“Classmate, which department are you in?”

“School of Economics and Management is this way!”

“Hi, could you tell me which way to the School of Humanities?”

Under the tall plane trees lining both sides of the main path, the flow of people marked the beginning of a new semester.

Qiao Le pushed two large suitcases as he made his way inside. A few upperclassmen came over to ask if he needed help, but he shook his head and smiled. “No need. I’m just helping out too.”

He was a local and had happened to meet two out-of-town freshmen on the bus, so he offered a hand.

Hearing this, the senior girl noticed the two girls following behind him.

The girls looked a little shy and greeted them quietly. Judy said to them, “No need to be nervous, juniors. I’m Judy, and this is Pei Wenjing. We’re both from the School of Humanities. What about you?”

Coincidentally, the two girls were also from the School of Humanities, majoring in Chinese Language and Literature, just like Judy and Pei Wenjing. So right then and there, the seniors and juniors had their little family reunion.

Qiao Le stood off to the side, his suitcases now taken over by the others.

“Then should I… retire now that my mission is complete?” he asked.

Judy said, “We’re short-handed with welcoming duties right now. If you’re not busy, why not lend a hand?”

Pei Wenjing rolled his eyes on the side and sighed inwardly.

But Qiao Le didn’t mind. “Sure, but I need to register first. Can I come find you afterward?”

“Of course.”

Judy immediately pulled out her phone and added Qiao Le on WeChat, telling him to come find her once he was done. Qiao Le agreed and left.

Judy and Pei Wenjing escorted the two freshmen to registration. On the way back, Pei Wenjing said, “My dear princess, exactly where are we short-handed? Am I not slaving away hard enough for you?”

“What do you know, you beast of burden?” Judy shot him a look of disdain. “Hot guys are better when they’re young. You’re old now.”

Pei Wenjing replied, “…I’m in senior year, I’m only twenty-two.”

Judy kindly reminded him, “He’s only eighteen.”

“…Unbelievable.” Pei Wenjing said. “You better dare say the same thing in front of Hechuan.”

Judy: “…No way, he’s my boss.”

Shen Hechuan, as the president of the student council, was often jokingly referred to as “the boss” or “President Shen.”

When the two returned to the welcome station, Judy immediately told the others, “I just ran into a super handsome guy—totally my type! Younger, sunny, clean-cut, with pale skin! I’m recruiting him into our office harem!”

“Where, where? Got any photos?”

“I trust Judy’s taste—if she says he’s hot, he’s definitely hot!”

“Quick, show us a photo! Is he hotter than Pei-ge?”

“Why compare to Pei-ge? Judy doesn’t even find him hot. He’s just… a human.”

Pei Wenjing immediately snapped, “Hey, hey, hey, watch your mouth! Personal attack out of nowhere?!”

“Don’t get mad, Pei-ge! The truth always hurts!”

Everyone burst into laughter. Someone asked Judy, “So how does he compare to President Shen? Who’s more handsome?”

“What are you comparing?”

A calm voice from behind interrupted the chatter. They turned to see Shen Hechuan standing there. No one knew how much he’d overheard.

Everyone exchanged looks, then said in unison, “Nothing!”

Pei Wenjing, fed up with being bullied, exposed her on the spot: “Miss Judy’s got a crush on a freshman. Said he’s super insanely hot, even better looking than you. In her ranking, you’re near the bottom.”

Judy quickly covered his mouth and denied everything. “I didn’t, I wasn’t, don’t talk nonsense!”

“Well, we’ll know once the guy shows up.” Pei Wenjing pried her hand off and said to Shen Hechuan, “Why don’t you stick around too—maybe you’ll fall for him too.”

“I’m not interested,” Shen Hechuan replied dispassionately. He was just on his way to the Academic Affairs Office and decided to check in on the welcome station. Before leaving, he reminded them, “Don’t stand around chatting.”

“Yes, President Shen!”

After he left, everyone dropped the teasing and got back to work.

On the other side, Qiao Le sent Judy a message after registering, asking where she was. After she shared her location, he came over to find her.

He wore a black T-shirt with light blue jeans. Tall and long-legged, his smiling eyes seemed to speak on their own—and he instantly charmed all the senior girls.

Judy immediately lowered her voice and said, “Nobody’s allowed to compete with me, or I’ll flip out.”

Everyone silently gave her an “OK” gesture.

With Qiao Le now on the team, Pei Wenjing, the hardworking mule, was reassigned to another group by Judy. On his way out, he melodramatically sang a few lines about a heartless man, nearly earning himself a smack from Judy.

Qiao Le helped with the new student welcome all afternoon.

Judy said they were having a group dinner that evening and invited him to join.

“No thanks, senior.” Qiao Le declined. “I have to go home for dinner tonight—maybe next time.”

It was the first day of school. His parents had prepared a big meal at home, and his younger brother was waiting for him too.

Judy looked a little disappointed but didn’t push it. Instead, she reminded him, “The student council is recruiting next month. If you’re interested, come check it out. I’ll send you the announcement later.”

“Okay,” Qiao Le replied. “Thanks, senior.”

—

In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed since the semester began.

By mid-September, with autumn approaching, the temperature finally began to drop.

Shen Hechuan was walking down the campus path. On the phone, Zheng Hui was telling him that the notice for the next competition had already been sent to his phone.

“Got it.”

He hung up, stood in place, and opened the material Zheng Hui had sent via WeChat.

There wasn’t much, so he skimmed through it quickly. Just as he exited WeChat and was about to leave, his gaze happened to drift toward the outdoor badminton courts—and stopped.

On the green court, a black figure swiftly stepped back, then leapt with a quick hop and delivered a fierce smash, scoring a direct point.

The motion was textbook—form flawless, posture graceful, and the smash impeccable.

As he jumped, the hem of his loose sportswear lifted slightly, revealing a narrow, well-toned waist.

He looked slender, but his explosive power was undeniable.

As he landed, cheers erupted from the court, and Shen Hechuan finally saw his face clearly.

Black hair, small face, fair skin, and a radiant smile that immediately gave off a sense of cheerfulness and likability.

The boy held a black racket and waved it at someone on the opposite side of the court, laughing happily, “Chen Hao, you’re treating us to dinner again tonight!”

The person opposite let out a wail. “Why do I always lose? No way, no way, one more game!”

“Sure.” He tapped his racket. “Even if we go a few more rounds, it’s still your treat.”

Chen Hao shouted that it was impossible, grabbed the shuttlecock, and served—but he hit it too hard, sending it flying out of bounds and right over the net, landing at Shen Hechuan’s feet.

The court fell silent for two seconds before laughter broke out.

Shen Hechuan looked down at the shuttlecock by his foot.

“Help me,” Chen Hao groaned, covering his face. “Lele, go get the shuttle.”

The boy called Lele was none other than Qiao Le.

He jogged over to Shen Hechuan and called out, “That’s our shuttlecock—did it hit you?”

Shen Hechuan bent down to pick it up and, as he looked up, came face to face with Qiao Le standing at the net.

Their eyes met, and both froze for a moment.

Chen Hao called out from behind, asking if it had hit anyone.

Shen Hechuan was the first to react and answered Qiao Le’s question: “No.”

“That’s good then.”

Qiao Le smiled. With the light behind him, even his hair seemed to carry a warm hue. His features were clean and youthful, and when he smiled, his eyes curved gently.

Shen Hechuan’s gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds before naturally shifting away. He raised the shuttlecock in his hand. “Want me to toss it?”

“Sure.”

Shen Hechuan tossed the shuttlecock over the net, and it landed right in Qiao Le’s hand.

Qiao Le didn’t leave right away but instead said, “I’m Qiao Le, a freshman. How about you?”

“Shen Hechuan, senior year.”

“Oh, you’re a senior.” Qiao Le smiled. “Want to join us? We’re a bit short on people.”

Shen Hechuan glanced at the court. Even a quick look showed there were at least ten people—it was clearly not “short on people.”

Someone behind was calling for Qiao Le again, and he turned back. “Senior?”

Only then did Shen Hechuan ask, “Would I be intruding?”

“Of course not.” Qiao Le pointed to the other gate. “You can come in from that side. I’ll go tell my friends. Hurry up—I’ll wait for you!”

He said as he ran back onto the court, turning to wave at Shen Hechuan.

Shen Hechuan walked around the net, entered from the side gate, and joined Qiao Le and his group.

Most of them were freshmen, and upon hearing that Shen Hechuan was a senior, they all greeted him politely.

Qiao Le handed him his spare racket and asked whether he preferred singles or doubles.

Shen Hechuan looked at him. “What about you?”

“I’m good with either,” Qiao Le said. “If you prefer singles, I’ll play singles. If you like doubles, that’s okay too.”

Chen Hao interjected, “Come on, didn’t you just say singles are king? Now suddenly doubles are okay too?”

Qiao Le said with conviction, “Singles are king. Doubles are king plus!”

Chen Hao: “……”

Shen Hechuan’s lips curved slightly. He took the racket from Qiao Le. “Then doubles it is.”

Qiao Le had been on the badminton team since high school and even took third place in the city’s junior singles competition in his sophomore year.

But he hadn’t expected Shen Hechuan to be so skilled. From their very first match, their teamwork was seamless, completely overwhelming Chen Hao’s side.

By the time they finished playing, the sun had already set.

Shen Hechuan handed the racket back, but Qiao Le didn’t take it. “Will we get to play again? If so, you can keep the racket with you.”

“We will.” Shen Hechuan took the racket back.

Qiao Le’s eyes lit up. “Then let’s add each other on WeChat.”

“Mm.”

As soon as they became WeChat friends, Shen Hechuan received a call and left for something urgent.

Qiao Le updated Shen Hechuan’s contact note, then opened his Moments.

Just like his profile picture, it was completely blank.

“Wanna go eat?” Chen Hao packed up his racket and shuttlecock. “My treat.”

“Sure.”

Qiao Le put away his phone and left the court with the others.

They went to a hotpot place near the back gate of campus. While waiting for food, Chen Hao suddenly said, “The student council posted the recruitment announcement!”

“Where? Where?!”

“On the official WeChat account! There are more openings this year. Everyone, check which departments you’re interested in.”

Qiao Le had also received the announcement from Judy, along with a registration form.

“Lele,” Chen Hao called, “want to sign up together?”

“I’ll think about it—”

Mid-sentence, Qiao Le froze. A new WeChat Moment had just popped up—it was from Shen Hechuan.

He tapped into it. Shen Hechuan had reposted the student council recruitment announcement.

“Lele?” Chen Hao noticed his silence. “Spacing out again? I’m asking if you’re signing up.”

Qiao Le put away his phone. “Yeah, perfect chance to challenge myself.”

That night at home, after showering and lying in bed, Qiao Le filled out the form carefully and submitted it.

He didn’t ask Shen Hechuan what department he was in, to avoid making it seem like he was trying to pull strings.

The recruitment lasted five days. After submitting his form, Qiao Le focused on classes and club activities as usual. During that time, he played badminton with Shen Hechuan twice, and the two gradually grew closer.

Still, even while playing, Qiao Le never brought up the application.

The day after the deadline, he received his interview notice. After the interview, he got the callback notice the very next afternoon.

Chen Hao also made it to the second round and invited him to celebrate over dinner—but he was too late. Qiao Le had already made plans with Shen Hechuan.

The final round was a panel interview judged by the student council executive board.

To make a good impression, Qiao Le didn’t wear his usual T-shirt and jeans. Instead, he put on the shirt and slacks he’d worn to his high school graduation, and tidied up his hair a little.

While waiting outside, he didn’t feel nervous at all and even had time to scroll through the news.

When the previous candidate came out, he put away his phone and walked in steadily—only to freeze upon seeing the person seated at the center of the interview panel: Shen Hechuan.

The other party showed no obvious reaction, but his gaze did land firmly on Qiao Le.

Qiao Le realized that his information would’ve been sent to the executive board after passing the first round, so Shen Hechuan wasn’t surprised. He was just caught off guard by Shen Hechuan’s position.

Luckily, he hadn’t privately messaged him about the application—otherwise it would’ve looked like he was trying to use connections.

He quickly regained his composure, took a seat, and began his self-introduction.

Qiao Le performed steadily throughout and answered all the questions with ease.

After the interview, as he left the room and reached the first floor, he received a message from Shen Hechuan on WeChat:

[Shen Hechuan (Badminton Buddy): Free tonight?]

[Qiao Lelele: You want to play?]

[Shen Hechuan (Badminton Buddy): Want to eat. Celebrate your admission.]

Admission?

Qiao Le paused mid-step. Another message came through:

[Shen Hechuan (Badminton Buddy): What do you want to eat?]

[Qiao Lelele: Anything’s fine. When are you done? Where should we meet?]

[Shen Hechuan (Badminton Buddy): West gate. Five thirty.]

[Qiao Lelele: Got it.]

It was already four o’clock, just an hour and a half to go.

Qiao Le pocketed his phone, lips curling into a smile. This was Shen Hechuan reaching out, definitely not backdoor connections.

As he passed the main gate, he checked his reflection in the glass.

Hair? Check.

Clothes? Check.

Pants? Check.

Everything—check!

He found a milk tea shop near the west gate and sat down to wait. Just as he finished a round of his game, he got a message from Shen Hechuan and exited the game to head out.

“Qiao Le.”

A voice called his name. He turned to see Judy and Pei Wenjing entering.

“Senior, Senior.” He stopped and greeted them. “All done with work?”

“Yeah, came out to get milk tea,” Judy said, then pointed at Pei Wenjing. “Want one? He’s buying.”

Pei Wenjing: “My treat, anything you want.”

“No need.” Qiao Le lifted the milk tea in his hand. “I already got mine. Thanks, though.”

Pei Wenjing noticed he was holding two cups. Remembering Judy’s earlier remark about wanting to recruit Qiao Le into her harem, he teased, “Ooh, two drinks? Buying one for your girlfriend?”

Judy’s ears perked up.

Qiao Le shook his head. “Not a girlfriend.”

Her ears went back down. Pei Wenjing pressed on, “Then boyfriend?”

Same-sex marriage was already legal, and openly discussing queer relationships was common and accepted.

Qiao Le smiled slightly. “Not yet.”

That “not yet” clearly implied—working on it.

Judy felt a chill in her heart. Just then, Qiao Le’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it, excused himself, and hurried off.

Pei Wenjing nudged Judy and said smugly, “Miss Judy, younger guys don’t always appreciate older girls. You should treasure the one right in front of you.”

“I refuse!” Judy cried dramatically. “I have to see who this fairy is.”

She shoved past him and marched out. Pei Wenjing called after her but gave up and followed.

They scanned the area by the street. It was right around dismissal time, and students filled the sidewalk. It was Pei Wenjing who spotted Qiao Le’s figure first. He pointed. “There—he’s right there… huh? Isn’t that Hechuan?”

Judy saw it too. “Didn’t President Shen say he had something to do and went back?”

The two of them watched as Qiao Le walked over and began chatting with Shen Hechuan. They exchanged a glance, and Pei Wenjing said hesitantly, “Don’t tell me what he had to do was—”

“Impossible!” Judy cut him off firmly. “They must’ve run into each other by chance. Qiao Le just went over to say hi out of politeness—”

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Qiao Le take a cup of milk tea out of his bag and hand it to Shen Hechuan.

Judy: “……”

Pei Wenjing: “Oh, a polite hello… with milk tea for the student council president?”

Judy: “……”

So much for not interested?!

I’m devastated!