Chapter Seven: Woof~ Woof~ Woof~

No matter how old you are, falling in love is always a joyful thing.

Especially love on a university campus—carefree and unburdened by messy material concerns.

Anyone who’s experienced a university romance can relate; even if, in the end, you don’t make it to the finish line together and go your separate ways.

Years later, after enduring the many trials of society, you’ll realize those were the most beautiful days of your life.

Whenever you face hardship afterward, the memory of that time gives you the courage to keep striving. That is the warmth and strength a good relationship brings.

Chen Ling, too, was doing his utmost to nurture this romance. After all, his girlfriend was simply extraordinary: beautiful, innocent, with a wonderful figure, a good personality, and a great family.

And most importantly, she was destined to be a superstar in the future—who could possibly resist? Certainly not Chen Ling.

In his previous life, Chen Ling’s girlfriends had all been quite decent, but people are always susceptible to comparisons.

With someone this outstanding, if Chen Ling hadn’t been reborn, he could never have reached her.

He silently thanked Teacher Aska Yang for singing “Just Once,” and “Goodbye Mr. Loser,” and the Happy Mahua comedy troupe. If he ever had the chance, he’d invest in their movies.

Once again, the two of them walked hand-in-hand through the campus of the Beijing Film Academy. Whenever they ran into familiar classmates, they would greet them with a smile.

Most of the time, Jing Tian was too shy to lift her head, but Chen Ling didn’t care. Dating was hardly a crime, and having such a beautiful girlfriend was something to be proud of.

Under a tree where the streetlight couldn’t reach, they couldn’t help but embrace and kiss passionately. Soon, their breaths grew heavy.

“Darling, stop, your hands are misbehaving again…”

Jing Tian, using the last ounce of her strength, caught Chen Ling’s mischievous hand, panting as she spoke.

“Baby, I’m sorry, you’re just too irresistible. I really can’t help myself.” After all, lovers often find themselves testing each other’s boundaries.

Besides, the two were in the throes of young love—it was only natural to lose control now and then.

“Next month I might have to join a film crew,” Jing Tian murmured, nestled in Chen Ling’s warm embrace, her ear pressed to his heartbeat.

“Next month? That’s not far away,” Chen Ling replied, a touch of reluctance in his voice at the thought of being apart.

“Yes, actually, shooting starts this month. I’ve been making excuses for almost a month already,” Jing Tian admitted, just as unwilling to leave him.

“In our line of work, time together is always fleeting. Once you’re busier, we might only see each other a handful of times a year,” Chen Ling comforted her.

“Oh… Then what if I just stop taking roles?” Imagining such a future, Jing Tian found herself unable to accept it.

Oh dear, was his girlfriend becoming love-struck?

Chen Ling could clearly sense her dependence and reluctance.

“Acting is your passion and your career, just like mine. It’s a part of your life, not the whole of it. You don’t need to abandon one for the other—you just need to find a balance,” Chen Ling said, speaking with the wisdom of someone who’d been through it all.

“How come I always feel you’re so much more mature than me? You’re two years younger, yet you’ve thought things through more thoroughly than I have.” Jing Tian was born in 1988, Chen Ling in 1990—she really was two years older.

“Maturity isn’t about age. That’s why you should call me ‘big brother,’” Chen Ling teased.

“I’m older than you, so you should call me ‘big sister,’” she retorted.

“I’m not calling you that—I’ll only call you ‘baby.’”

“Hmph! Who knows how many people you’ve called ‘baby’ so fluently.”

Ever since they started dating, Jing Tian had been quietly troubled by how skilled Chen Ling was at kissing.

“There’s no such thing—you’re my first love in this life,” Chen Ling replied honestly. Jing Tian really was his first love in this life.

“I don’t believe you,” she said, but her body relaxed into his arms.

“Just thinking about being apart in a few days makes me so sad… What should I do, baby?”

Chen Ling hugged her closer, deeply reluctant to let go.

“I’ll miss you too.” After all, what girl in love would want to be separated from her sweetheart?

“It’s still early. Let’s go catch a movie together. Who knows when we’ll have the chance again,” Chen Ling suggested.

“Mhm.” Jing Tian didn’t refuse. The way she replied, “mhm,” was something Chen Ling had taught her in a Penguin chat—cute, happy, and full of agreement. As for “mm,” that was just “mm,” pronounced with the fourth tone.

They got into the car, but Chen Ling didn’t drive to the cinema closest to campus. Mainly, Jing Tian was embarrassed about running into classmates.

Instead, they found a theater not too far, but not too close, to the school.

At this time, smartphones weren’t a thing yet; you couldn’t choose movies or seats by phone.

So they went inside, checked what was playing, and picked a romance film that was about to start.

They bought two buckets of popcorn and some milk tea, and went into the auditorium. It wasn’t a weekend, and there were no blockbuster releases, so the theater was nearly empty.

They found seats in a quiet corner in the back row, avoiding any disturbance.

This wasn’t their first movie together. Jing Tian knew exactly what was on Chen Ling’s mind. Both were in love, so there were no objections.

During the entire film, Chen Ling didn’t remember a single scene; probably Jing Tian didn’t either. Their hearts weren’t on the movie at all.

They whispered and cuddled, teased and laughed—the very definition of young love.

Two hours later, the movie ended. As they walked out, Chen Ling took out his phone and said, “Sweetie, the dorm must be closed by now. Why don’t we just stay outside for the night?”

Jing Tian’s parents weren’t in Beijing at the moment, so she usually stayed in the dorm, occasionally going home. Chen Ling only mentioned the dorm, not her home, so he wasn’t sure how she would respond.

Still, sometimes a bold move was the only way to seize an opportunity.

If he acted too gentlemanly, he’d likely end up hearing, “We’re not right for each other, you’re a good person but I’m not worthy—please move on to the next one.”

But his girlfriend was Jing Tian; if not now, when? Miss this chance, and it might never come again.

Jing Tian understood as well. She’d already braced herself during the movie. Though things seemed to be moving fast, knowing they’d soon be apart made it hard to refuse.

Besides, she was a bit of a hopeless romantic; seeing the anticipation in Chen Ling’s eyes, how could she say no?

They drove to a nearby star-rated hotel, and Chen Ling booked an executive suite.

He showered first. When Jing Tian emerged from the bathroom, even though he’d tried to prepare himself, Chen Ling couldn’t help but swallow hard. Some women lose their charm after a bath and without makeup—after all, makeup is additive for women, making them look even better.

Men, on the other hand, usually look fresher just after a hot shower.

But this rule didn’t apply to true beauties. For someone like Jing Tian, fresh out of the shower, her skin was radiant and dewy, leaving Chen Ling unable to take his eyes off her.

It wasn’t until she lay down on the other side of the bed that he snapped out of it.

“You sleep over there, I’ll sleep here. Don’t cross the line and don’t do anything bad,” Jing Tian said, cheeks flushed as she pulled up the covers.

“Don’t worry, baby, I won’t do anything bad. This is the dividing line—if I cross it, I’m a puppy,” Chen Ling said with mock seriousness.

“Hmph! Big liar, I don’t believe you.”

If only his expression hadn’t been so mischievous, Jing Tian might have believed him.

“If I cross the line, I’m a puppy,” Chen Ling repeated solemnly, then turned off the lights and got under the covers.

The room was plunged into darkness.

In the quiet, they could hear each other’s breathing—though the silence didn’t last long.

“Didn’t you say whoever crosses the line is a puppy?” Jing Tian gasped, catching Chen Ling’s wandering hand.

“Woof, woof, woof!”

With his hands caught, Chen Ling rolled over and pinned Jing Tian beneath him, imitating a puppy’s bark.

Seeing that the girl beneath him didn’t resist, he wasted no time and kissed her deeply.

Jing Tian struggled faintly, then gave in. In the moonlight streaming through the window, the two gradually became one.

Time slipped by. The moon outside slowly hid behind the clouds, and for the two of them, this was destined to be an unforgettable, beautiful night.