In the engineering school's library, the air was filled with the scent of old book pages. Lin Wei hugged a stack of reference books, planning to find a corner to study into oblivion. But her gaze was suddenly captured by a figure sitting by the window.
Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining him in a halo of pale gold. He had his head lowered, completely absorbed in the book in his hands, a calm and almost distant aura surrounding him. His side profile was as sharply defined as a sculpture, with slightly long, deep brown hair falling casually, half covering his brows and eyes, but unable to hide his high, straight nose.
A foreigner, Lin Wei instantly concluded. A light breeze drifted in through the window, lifting those deep brown strands, finally revealing the features that had been hidden. Lin Wei's heart skipped a beat, and she silently added: and a very handsome one at that.
Lin Wei was a go-getter. Once she locked onto a target, she sprang into action. Unbeknownst to him, this figure had already become her "target." So, clutching her heavy stack of books, she strolled past his desk, pretending nonchalance, and then—"accidentally"—tripped beside him.
"Ah!"
Books scattered across the floor with a dull thud, successfully drawing his attention. He looked up, revealing a pair of grey-blue eyes, clear but laced with a hint of irritation at being disturbed. In that instant, Lin Wei felt as if she had stumbled into a tranquil snowy field—but this was no ordinary snowscape; it felt like a sacred, inviolable place, utterly beyond her reach. The thought that she'd tried to approach him in such a clumsy way sent a flush of embarrassment burning through her.
"I'm so sorry!" Lin Wei hurriedly crouched down to pick up the books, her cheeks burning—half from acting, half for real.
"It's alright." His voice was pleasant, low and gentle, with a faint, indistinguishable foreign accent. He bent down as well to help her gather the fallen books. What surprised Lin Wei most was that he was speaking Chinese!
"Thank you! Um… I'm Lin Wei, from Engineering. And you?" Seizing the opening, Lin Wei introduced herself, flashing a bright, energetic smile.
"Yuri." He kept it brief, handing the books back to her. His gray-blue eyes met hers for a fleeting moment before quickly dropping again, as if unaccustomed to sustained eye contact.
"Are you in Engineering too? An exchange student?" Lin Wei was like a chirping little bird. She tried to break the invisible wall of ice. "How long have you been learning Chinese? You speak it really well!"
Yuri seemed a little uncomfortable with her barrage of questions, his brow creasing almost imperceptibly, but he remained polite: "Yes, I'm an exchange student in Engineering. I've been learning Chinese… for quite some time." With that, he gestured subtly towards the book on his desk, indicating he wanted to return to his studies.
Understanding the hint, Lin Wei hugged her books and left. But the spark of interest in her heart was now blazing brightly: Ahhh! So handsome, so gentle, so gentlemanly! I really like him!
Even though he was as cold as a iceberg, Lin Wei believed wholeheartedly that she could melt him with her enthusiasm... and win him over!