Charlene Discovers Subai's Magical Growth

Whether men actually become more handsome after their high school adolescence is quite a metaphysical question.

If we're talking about girls, the answer is undoubtedly yes—they do become more beautiful.

After all, right after the college entrance exams, they quickly master makeup and photo filters.

Meanwhile, boys spend their summer break obsessing over "budget dorm PC builds under 3,000 yuan" or grinding away at Valorant or League of Legends.

None of which does anything to improve their looks… Actually, if they pull all-nighters gaming, it might even make them uglier.

And post-semester life? Even harder to judge.

During military training, most guys don’t bother with sunscreen.

So, the start of freshman year might very well be the lowest point in many boys' attractiveness…

Could it be that Su Bai’s peerless beauty is finally revealing itself over time?

Xia Lin figured this was probably the only explanation.

Because Su Bai did look even more striking than the last time she’d seen him.

Let’s face it, truly handsome guys are rarer than beautiful girls, so they naturally stand out more.

"Want to go for a morning run together?"

"Sure, sounds good."

"You’ve been keeping up with your workouts, huh? That’s great. Look at your classmates—how many of them can even manage to wake up early?"

"...Haha."

Su Bai chuckled casually, refraining from any sharp remarks. If not for his absurdly good physique, he wouldn’t be able to wake up early either. Staying disciplined is tough—luckily, he could afford to indulge.

He deliberately slowed his pace to jog side by side with Xia Lin.

Truthfully, Xia Lin wasn’t a slow runner, but compared to Su Bai’s usual sprinting tempo, this was downright leisurely.

The early morning air in Jiangcheng carried a faint misty dampness.

Across the campus, greenery sprawled everywhere, and flowers of all colors and varieties were on the verge of blooming.

Seeing the signs of an impending floral spectacle, Xia Lin couldn’t help but feel a little wistful.

She was already twenty-two.

Yet her experience with men remained embarrassingly shallow.

Or, to put it bluntly—frustratingly repressed.

Yes, even someone like Xia Lin, a young lady from Shanghai’s elite circles, could feel stifled.

But Su Bai? He was already a seasoned playboy. The recent escapades she’d witnessed between him and other girls were downright scandalous.

No, she had to step up her game… Xia Lin wanted to push their relationship forward but was utterly clueless about how to do it.

After all, she was still a well-bred, reserved young woman.

Su Bai understood her feelings to some extent, but he wasn’t in a hurry.

Xia Lin’s flustered, slow-burning reactions were endlessly entertaining to him.

After their run, Xia Lin invited Su Bai to breakfast at the university cafeteria.

Jiangcheng University had two cafeterias, both open year-round—even on National Day and New Year’s Eve.

One was near the undergraduate dorms, the same place where Su Bai often grabbed stir-fried dishes on the second floor with Wang Haoran.

The other was clustered near the lab buildings… a subtle reminder of the grueling, workhorse existence awaiting grad students.

"Got any plans for the day?"

"If Professor Xia wants to schedule me, I’d be more than happy to oblige."

"Who am I to schedule you? A college student’s time is their own. Besides, you seem to have your life pretty well-organized."

"Organized? Where?"

"Hey, I compliment you, and now you’re getting cocky?!"

Xia Lin feigned annoyance, rising slightly on her tiptoes to lean closer. A warm, fragrant scent wafted over as she reached out and pinched Su Bai’s nose.

"Then come work out with me. I’ve been wanting to invite you, but I could never find the right time."

"If Professor Xia is wearing those yoga pants while we work out, then I’ll suddenly have a lot more free time."

"Oh? And when wouldn’t you have time?"

Su Bai just grinned without answering, but the glint in his eyes made Xia Lin think of something… inappropriate. Her face flushed, and she quickly averted her gaze.

This little pervert!

Xia Lin was now absolutely convinced—despite his youth, Su Bai was already a seasoned Casanova!

Too embarrassed to continue, she hastily made an excuse. "Sit tight. I’ll go grab us some spicy hot pot."

"...Spicy hot pot for breakfast?"

"You’ve got a healthy appetite, don’t you? Besides, I’m thinking ahead for our workout. We’ll get the boiled version with soy sauce, some chicken breast and broccoli—otherwise, we’ll get hungry mid-session."

"Fair point. Then I’ll leave it to you, Professor Xia."

"So polite~"

Adopting her gentle big-sister tone, Xia Lin pressed Su Bai’s shoulders to keep him seated before heading off with her meal card.

Her student ID was tucked into a plastic sleeve, attached to a red lanyard around her wrist—almost like a work badge, but far more refined. No idea which online boutique she’d gotten it from, but Su Bai had to admit Xia Lin had excellent taste in everyday accessories. Simple yet elegant.

Jiang Qiuran, on the other hand, was hopeless in that regard. Having grown up with her, Su Bai knew her aesthetic leaned heavily into generic influencer trends.

Watching Xia Lin’s retreating figure, Su Bai’s mind wandered from her student ID to work badges, then to how she’d look in an office lady’s outfit.

Given her family background and career plans, she probably wouldn’t wear that kind of corporate attire… unless Su Bai requested it in private?

Seemed like a possibility.

"Hey, kid. I saw you with Xia Lin earlier. What’s your relationship?"

A sharp, slightly sour voice snapped Su Bai out of his thoughts. He turned to see a lanky man in a Chelsea football jersey eyeing him with a dark expression.

Probably a teacher or admin staff.

For some reason, Su Bai felt like he’d seen this guy’s face before…

"I’m her little brother. And you are…?"

"Wait, why are you calling me ‘uncle’—"

"Oh, my bad. Should I say ‘old man’ instead?"

"...I’m not that old!" The man’s face twitched, but he forced a smile. "Since when did Xia Lin have a little brother? I wasn’t aware."

"Ah, she didn’t tell you? Must’ve slipped her mind. Big sis has been pretty busy lately."

"But I just saw her jogging with you. She had time for that."

"Well, that’s different. I’m very special to her."

"..."

If this guy were an anime character, steam would be shooting out of his ears right about now.

Watching him seethe, Su Bai stifled a laugh.

He had a pretty good idea who this dude was—just another one of Xia Lin’s admirers.

A refined, elegant woman like her was bound to have suitors.

During class meetings, Su Bai had even seen young teachers from other departments trying to cozy up to her.

Recognizing the man’s intentions, Su Bai deliberately fed him lines guaranteed to spike his blood pressure.

Seriously, who the hell are you to interrogate me like this?

I’m not breaking any laws here!