After dinner, Luo Ziling took the initiative to suggest that they head back early to rest.

This came as a surprise to Yang Qingyin, who had thought that after dinner, Luo Ziling would invite her to go for a stroll somewhere. She was indeed a bit tired today, as it had been a while since she had walked such a long distance. She was thinking about how to gently decline if Luo Ziling asked her to go out.

"Alright, then let's head back early to rest," Yang Qingyin felt a warmth in her heart at Luo Ziling's considerateness and smiled brilliantly again, "I had a lot of fun today."

"This is the first time I've gone on an outing with someone other than my grandfather," Luo Ziling said, revealing a mysterious smile, "You're quite lucky!"

"Oh, it looks like I'm taking advantage of you?" Yang Qingyin rolled her eyes adorably.

She also wanted to say that aside from her family, he was the first boy she had gone out with alone, but she didn't want to say it out loud.

Yet Luo Ziling's words did catch her slightly off guard.

"Have you never gone on an outing with anyone before?" she couldn't help but ask.

"You might not believe it," Luo Ziling said somewhat sheepishly, "I was specially admitted, I have never been to school, not even graduated from elementary school, everything I know I learned from my grandfather. What I told you earlier wasn't a lie!"

Yang Qingyin opened her mouth in surprise, looking incredulously at Luo Ziling: "You've never been to school? And you managed to get into Yan University without schooling?"

"Really, I'm not lying to you," seeing the shock on Yang Qingyin's face made Luo Ziling even more embarrassed, "I've always stayed in the Northwest, learning medicine, martial arts, and other things from my grandfather. When he gave me the admission notice and told me to go study Western medicine, I thought it was odd because I hadn't taken the college entrance exam, how could I attend university? Besides, what I studied with my grandfather was inherited traditional medicine; it would make sense if I were to study that at the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, but he said I'd be able to teach any professor there. He wanted me to study Western medicine in hopes that I could imbibe merits from all fields, integrating both Chinese and Western approaches."

"You've really given me a new level of respect," Yang Qingyin believed what Luo Ziling said, but the look she gave him was a bit odd.

Luo Ziling didn't explain further; he somewhat regretted telling Yang Qingyin such a big secret.

"Let's go, others are waiting to eat too." He got up and beckoned Yang Qingyin to leave.

After settling the bill, they still walked towards the western gate of the campus.

As they walked and talked, Yang Qingyin was very interested in what Luo Ziling had just shared and kept steering the conversation back to that topic. Luo Ziling thought about it for a moment and decided not to hide it from her, telling her some things.

Of course, he only told her that he truly hadn't attended school and learned everything from his grandfather. His grandfather was a polymath, proficient in astronomy and geography, but barely touched modern things like computers and English, so Luo Ziling didn't know those either.

"The first time I used a cellphone," Luo Ziling took out his inexpensive Redmi phone and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm out of touch with society, and I think this is the real reason my grandfather sent me to university."

Yang Qingyin had already sensed that Luo Ziling's identity was extraordinary, and she really wanted to ask about it, but her pride as a woman made it hard for her to bring it up, plus she knew it was too abrupt to ask him about these matters now.

In the future, she'd let Luo Ziling bring it up on his own.

"It seems you really are special," Yang Qingyin faced Luo Ziling's slightly shy smile with a radiant one of her own, "I believe I'll hear many more astonishing things from you in the future."

"If there's a chance, I'll tell you about them."

Yang Qingyin just smiled and didn't say much else.

The two slowly walked towards the school.

When they reached a crosswalk, both stopped to wait for the red light.

As the green light came on, Luo Ziling naturally extended his hand, holding on to Yang Qingyin's arm to escort her across the street.

Yang Qingyin didn't pull away but instead took hold of Luo Ziling's hand, and together hand in hand, they crossed the street.

Crossing the street, when a man willingly holds your hand to escort you across, it's not about taking the opportunity to take advantage, but a protective instinct, something Yang Qingyin was well aware of. As they crossed, Luo Ziling naturally reached for her hand and walked on the relatively more dangerous side; halfway across, he switched sides, which truly warmed her heart.

He was a boy with a keen attention to detail, and this small act was telling.

After crossing the street, Yang Qingyin did not struggle to free her hand but allowed Luo Ziling to keep holding it.

Luo Ziling did not intend to let go of her hand either and continued to hold it as they moved forward.

As they proceeded, Luo Ziling walked on the side closer to the road and naturally took protective measures whenever someone walked by or when non-motorized vehicles approached.

In fact, he had been this protective when they had gone to dinner earlier, except he hadn't been holding Yang Qingyin's hand then.

Yang Qingyin thoroughly enjoyed Luo Ziling's subconscious protectiveness; she liked to discern a man's character through these little gestures.

Of course, there were very few men whose character she was interested in observing, and up until now, it had only been Luo Ziling.

Luo Ziling certainly couldn't guess what Yang Qingyin was thinking.

After boldly taking her hand to cross the street, he had initially planned to let go right away but, after thinking it over, he boldly squeezed her hand again.

When Yang Qingyin did not pull away, Luo Ziling breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking with her.

Yang Qingyin's hand was soft and delicate, holding it in his palm gave him an indescribable feeling, one that he could not articulate.

The two didn't speak anymore, walking forward in silence.

Yet neither of them felt awkward; instead, there was a sense that everything was communicated without words.

Everything was conveyed through the holding of hands, making words seem somewhat superfluous.

The two continued hand-in-hand until they were not far from the school before they let go. When they did, Yang Qingyin gave Luo Ziling a slight smile. This smile made him feel as if he was bathed in the spring breeze, filling him with an inexpressible sense of contentment and comfort.

Under the cover of darkness, Luo Ziling walked Yang Qingyin to the girls' dormitory building.

When they reached the shade of the trees at the foot of the dormitory, Yang Qingyin did not go inside immediately but stood facing Luo Ziling for a while.

"Today I gave you a free tour, but your payment is not enough!" Yang Qingyin teased with a smile.

In the darkness, although Luo Ziling could not see her clearly, he felt the sparkle in her shining eyes and warmth flooded his heart.

"Then how about I invite you out for late-night snacks another day, or treat you to a big meal, how does that sound?"

"Treating me like a foodie, huh!"

"Getting a bit chubby isn't bad!"

"What if I turn into a fat pig?"

"Well, I definitely won't be taking you to the slaughterhouse, I'll just accompany you to lose weight."

"Sometimes you're really annoying!"

After a few playful exchanges, the two parted reluctantly.

Watching Yang Qingyin walk away under the cover of darkness, then quickly sneaking out from the shadows and briskly entering the dorm building when she wasn't paying attention, Luo Ziling finally turned to leave.

But after only a few steps, he saw someone standing ahead waiting for him.

Upon closer inspection, he finally recognized him—it was Lu Weiguang, the same person who had stopped and warned him before.

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