C2 The Passionate Campus Belle Is Here to Give You Water

Time flew by like a fleeting white horse.

Howard had rejoined his squad two hours ago, and under the blistering sun, he was soaked with sweat, parched with thirst, and both his physical and mental stamina were on the verge of collapse.

"Dismissed. Rest here for ten minutes."

Thankfully, the instructor, sensing everyone's exhaustion, clapped his hands for a much-needed break to hydrate.

Once dismissed,

Howard made a beeline for the shade of a ginkgo tree, leaned against its trunk, and unbuttoned his shirt, fanning himself to cool off.

"Does anyone in the class have any water left?" The class leader, known for his warmth and integrity, was the one asking. Having someone like him in charge was a relief.

"All the water I brought is gone. It's only 4:30, and we don't finish until 6:30. I can't take much more of this!"

University students are no fools.

Yet, they hadn't anticipated that their water supply wouldn't last through the afternoon drill.

Buying water now wasn't an option.

There simply wasn't enough time.

"Man, is everyone this desperate?"

Out of the blue, a voice tinged with smugness cut through the air.

Instantly, all eyes turned to him, which only inflated his ego further: "Hey, can I help it if I'm good-looking? My girlfriend's a sophomore, and she's got nothing going on right now. Just three minutes ago, she texted me—she's bringing me water. In this heat, getting sunburned would be awful, but what can I do? My girlfriend just adores me!"

Boom!

His boast landed with impressive impact.

Moreover, with the class's male-to-female ratio resembling hungry wolves to scarce prey, this guy flaunting his girlfriend dealt a crushing blow to all the single guys—leaving them envious and without a comeback.

They say college is the prime time for romance.

But in truth, how many ordinary students snag a girlfriend right off the bat? Those who do quickly become the envy of their peers, shining like stars.

"Ahem, guys, don't give me that look. I've got to go meet my girlfriend now!"

Within a couple of minutes, a girl sporting a chic, short haircut and a healthy, tanned complexion approached with a bottle of chilled lemon water in hand, waving enthusiastically at the boy from a distance.

"Damn it! Stupid show-off! If I had a girlfriend that gorgeous bringing me water, I'd gladly put in an extra two hours of practice!"

"Bro, you're killing it!"

Howard listened to his roommates' envious chatter, the corner of his mouth twitching. He shook his head in resignation and said, "Cut the chatter and hang in there. It'll be over before you know it!"

"Whoa, is that Senior Sister Liu from the junior year? And she's holding... water?"

The boys buzzed with excitement.

At the sports field entrance, a vision in a white dress, Fredia, approached with a bottle of herbal tea in her hand. She was ethereal, her aloof elegance captivating, and upon her arrival, she drew the gaze of every male on the field. With graceful steps, she made her way to the computer science class's spot.

"Senior Sister, may I ask who you're looking for?" The boy who greeted her flashed what he believed to be a dashing smile, his pearly whites gleaming in the sunlight.

This was Li Can, a rich kid in the class and, thanks to his good looks, quite the campus heartthrob in the computer science department.

Unfortunately for him, Fredia barely acknowledged his presence. After a brief, indifferent glance, her gaze swept across the crowd and settled on Howard, who was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. She strode past Li Can, heading straight for Howard.

"Is she coming this way?"

Wang Yang, Howard's dorm mate, was taken aback and a bit thrilled. "No way, Senior Sister is bringing me water?"

"Student Howard."

That single phrase sent Wang Yang's defenses crashing. "Ho-Howard, she's looking for Howard?"

Ah!?

Roused by the sound of his name, Howard's eyes fluttered open to meet the impeccable visage before him. He was momentarily taken aback, then a shy blush colored his ears. "Senior Sister, is there something you need?"

"Here, I brought you some water."

With a warm smile, Fredia handed the tea to Howard. "I brewed this myself. Give it a try!"

As he spoke, he carefully filled a bottle cap with the beverage and handed it to Howard to try.

Howard was somewhat bewildered by the Senior Sister's unexpected warmth. He took the cap mechanically and downed its contents in one gulp.

The herbal tea was a bit bitter, yet it seemed to bring him back to life, instantly rejuvenating his spirit.

"Thank you, Senior Sister," Howard said, returning the cap to Fredia with a touch of embarrassment. "Bringing me water on such a hot day, I really appreciate it!"

"It's no trouble at all. You're my boyfriend, aren't you? It's the least I can do!" Fredia's declaration caught everyone off guard, but she didn't allow Howard any time to clarify. She thrust the teapot into his arms and turned to leave. "I've got to help out with some patients at the medical station. I'm off now. Try not to faint again, okay?"

Ah!

Oh!

Howard waved his hand in a daze, feeling the piercing stares of those around him who seemed ready to tear him apart. He swallowed hard and muttered, "Senior Sister, you've really put me in a tough spot!"

Howard was no fool.

Nor was he so vain as to believe the school beauty would actually fancy him.

He understood perfectly well that Fredia meant to say they were friends, and bringing water was no big deal. But her phrasing had caused a major misunderstanding, suggesting she was his girlfriend!

"Howard, when did you manage to win over the school belle?" The boys in the class glared at Howard as if he were a romantic rival, wishing they could stab him with a thousand cuts.

"I'm torn apart here. My love life ended before it even began!"

"This guy is incredible!"

"Wow, our computer science department really does have its legends!"

"He may be a legend, but I bet he's going to have a tough couple of years until she graduates."

The boys around him buzzed with commentary, making Howard feel like he was on pins and needles, nervously sipping the herbal tea. "It's over, it's over. My college life hasn't even properly started, and I'm already the enemy of the people!"

But why?

Howard couldn't fathom why the school belle had suddenly become so friendly.

"Quiet down, everyone, line up!" the instructor bellowed, silencing the crowd as they obediently formed a queue.

Howard set his water cup aside and joined the formation, pondering that once today's training was over, he'd return the teacup.

And so it went.

Amidst the jealous stares of his male classmates, Howard endured the grueling morning drills.

Once the exercises were over, Howard wasted no time in reaching out to Fredia.

Little King: Senior Sister, are you free? I'll bring the kettle over to you. Also, thank you for the tea—it was delicious.

In under ten seconds,

Fredia shot back a message to Howard: Hehe, come to the medical station, I'm still here.

After sending an image of thanks, Howard made up an excuse to slip away from his roommates and headed to the medical station.

As he handed the kettle back to Fredia, Howard once again offered his heartfelt thanks: "Senior Sister, I really can't thank you enough. Without you, I might have ended up lying down again!"

"Hehe, no worries!" Fredia chuckled, stashing the teapot in her bag before playfully scrunching her nose in distaste. "You better go take a shower—you reek."

Ah!

Howard paused, sniffed his arm, and sure enough, the sour stench was overwhelming, turning his face a shade of green. He chuckled sheepishly, "Well then, Senior Sister, I should get going. I'll take you out for a meal after military training is done!"

With that,

Howard took off running.

Leaving the medical station behind,

Howard touched his racing heart and whispered to himself, "Is this what it feels like to have a crush on someone?"

Howard had to admit it.

He was smitten, truly smitten with the campus beauty, Senior Sister!

It was love at first sight.