The Department of Mathematics has always been a place where there are far more wolves than meat, and watching Mi Xue and Zhang Yang leave together made many thirsty guys spit in frustration.

Many who considered themselves qualified groaned in regret, lamenting their lack of courage to pursue her sooner, resulting in the department's beauty being won over by someone from another department.

In the following days, Zhang Yang picked up Mi Xue every day, coupled with rumors that the two were already living together in a rented apartment, leading many to surmise that the Math Department's campus belle was officially taken.

The department beauty becoming another department’s guy’s girlfriend became a source of bitter resentment for the many male students in Mathematics.

Mi Xue was oblivious to the sad, dimmed gazes behind her; all she knew was that being with Zhang Yang brought her happiness, and she adored the feeling of being near him.

“Zhang Yang, this is a small gift I specifically bought for you today, here you go!”

After walking for a while, Mi Xue took a small box out of her purse and extended it toward Zhang Yang.

Having handed it over, Mi Xue immediately sped up, walking two steps ahead of Zhang Yang, though her eyes kept sneaking glances back at him; this was the very first time she had ever given a gift to a boy.

“What is it? Let me see!”

Gu Cheng leaned in, reaching out as if to snatch the box from Zhang Yang’s hand. The small box was exquisite, wrapped in an outer layer, so one would have to open it to know what lay inside.

“Don’t grab it, be careful you break it!”

Zhang Yang waved his hand, maneuvering his body to shield Gu Cheng behind him. A faint sense of being touched stirred within him. He hadn't lacked receiving gifts from girls before, but the item Mi Xue gave him evoked a distinctly different feeling; his heart rate actually quickened unnaturally—something that had never happened in his previous life.

Mi Xue had already moved six or seven meters ahead, but she turned back when she saw Zhang Yang unwrapping the gift. A sweet smile bloomed on her face, and her steps became even quicker.

“A pager!”

The moment Zhang Yang peeled off the wrapping, Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng exclaimed in unison. The wrapping revealed a black box with a conspicuous image on it—anyone could tell what it was immediately.

“I recognize this one, it’s the Motorola Spirit, that’s quite valuable!” Xiao Bin whispered, confirming that what Mi Xue gave Zhang Yang was indeed a beeper. Seeing that Zhang Yang was about to start his internship at the hospital, where everyone used pagers, and he didn't have one, she decided to buy him one.

She hadn't been able to separate from Zhang Yang for the past two days. Since it was Monday, she rushed to a shop near the school during her lunch break, bought one, and even asked the boutique staff to wrap it beautifully. Even though the pager market had seen overall price drops, this particular model wasn't cheap; Mi Xue had spent every bit of the allowance she had saved up.

“Zhang Yang, I’m so jealous of you!” Gu Cheng chimed in, his eyes practically burning as he looked at Zhang Yang. He had wanted a pager for a long time, but as a university student, he didn't have much use for one, and his living expenses were tight, leaving him no surplus each month to save up for such a purchase.

“Mi Xue!”

Ignoring the other two, Zhang Yang quickened his pace toward Mi Xue. Her sudden gift had truly surprised him.

“You’ll need it for your internship!” Seeing Zhang Yang catch up, Mi Xue’s cheeks flushed again. It was her first time buying a gift for a boy, and she genuinely didn't know what to say.

“I know, thank you, I really like this gift!” Zhang Yang smiled faintly, opening the box right in front of Mi Xue, taking out the brand-new pager, flashing it briefly before her, and then tucking it directly into his pocket.

“I’m glad you like it!” Mi Xue lowered her head and murmured softly, feeling incredibly sweet inside. Little did she know, Zhang Yang actually disliked pagers; someone accustomed to mobile phones finds these old relics rather unimpressive. He only said he liked it because she was the one who gave it to him. However, Zhang Yang genuinely cherished the feeling—he could sense Mi Xue's pure care for him, unmarred by any ulterior motive.

Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng chuckled stealthily, intentionally lagging behind the pair. The four of them, split into two groups, slowly headed toward the Student Union office, soon arriving at the meeting location.

Zhang Yang felt, for the first time, that time passed too quickly. At this moment, he had no desire to attend the meeting; he only wished to walk peacefully alongside Mi Xue like this. In his previous life, he had never experienced such a sensation; girls had always thrown themselves at him, and he had never held any genuine expectation for any girl.

“Zhang Yang!”

A voice profoundly out of place interrupted them. Mi Xue turned around and realized that Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng were far behind them, causing her delicate face to redden once more. She had been so engrossed with Zhang Yang that she forgot they had two friends with them; they were surely going to be teased now.

“Director Wang, I hear your work has been progressing well lately!”

The one who called out to Zhang Yang was Wang Guohua, the man who had taken Zhang Yang’s former position. Wang Guohua’s promotion to Director of the Secretariat was entirely the result of Zhang Yang stepping aside voluntarily, which had subsequently changed Wang’s attitude toward Zhang Yang.

“It’s going alright. Mainly because you built such a solid foundation; I’m simply the beneficiary of the hard work of those who came before me!” Wang Guohua chuckled heartily. As a newly appointed director, Wang Guohua had indeed accomplished quite a bit in the last few days. But he wasn't entirely wrong; before Zhou Yichen took charge, the Secretariat had performed admirably under Zhang Yang, and the significant authority the Secretariat held was partially due to Zhang Yang’s dedicated efforts.

“You’re too modest. Let me introduce you—this is Mi Xue, a new member of my External Liaison Department!” Zhang Yang smiled lightly. Wang Guohua looked at Mi Xue, his eyes lighting up again. He had noticed her earlier—the Math Department's beauty, one of the university’s Four Great Beauties; he couldn't possibly not recognize her, though he wasn't familiar with her and they had rarely spoken. He had previously heard that Zhou Yichen was pursuing Mi Xue and had even sighed then, lamenting that another fine flower was about to be wasted. He never expected that Zhou Yichen wouldn't win her, and instead, Mi Xue would grow close to Zhang Yang. But perhaps this was better; it would deepen the conflict between Zhang Yang and Zhou Yichen, putting the two in opposition, which served the interests of ordinary Student Union executives like himself.

“Hello, Mi Xue. Zhang Yang, you’re being disloyal, hiding such a beautiful girlfriend and only bringing her out today!” Wang Guohua greeted Mi Xue generously and made a joking remark to Zhang Yang. Mi Xue lowered her head again; her usually straightforward demeanor vanished, though this only happened when she was with Zhang Yang.

“Not at all, we’re just good friends. The meeting is about to start; let’s head in!” Zhang Yang laughed out loud, stating the truth—he and Mi Xue hadn't officially established a relationship; they were still just ordinary friends. Unfortunately, Wang Guohua didn't believe a word of it.

As they entered, Wang Guohua continued bantering with Zhang Yang. Neither of them noticed the fleeting look of sorrowful resentment in Mi Xue’s eyes when Zhang Yang spoke. Nor did they notice the pair of venomous eyes watching them from a window on the floor above.

………… Thanks to my friend I Still Miss You for the tip, and a special thank you to friend Smoked Ash for another 1888 Qidian coin tip. Little Yu appreciates everyone’s support! C