C9 Encountered a Pervert

"I, I dropped my pen..."

Su Mo murmured, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

As she leaned forward, her collar stretched taut.

Lin Chen felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

Glancing down at his feet, he spotted a pen indeed.

"Do you need a hand with that?"

Upon hearing his offer, Su Mo quickly shook her head, instinctively replying:

"No, thanks."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she regretted them.

Her eyes darted to the pen by Lin Chen's feet, and she wrestled with indecision.

After a moment's hesitation, she bent over, stretching toward the elusive pen, her head nearly brushing against Lin Chen's leg.

Unsteady, she stumbled into him.

Lin Chen felt a slight bump against his calf and looked down at Su Mo, puzzled.

In an instant, Su Mo shot upright as if jolted by an electric shock, her face awash with embarrassment.

"I, I can't seem to reach it. Could you help me out?"

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She wished she had just let him pick it up in the first place.

Lin Chen was somewhat baffled. The pen lay in such an awkward spot; it was no wonder she couldn't reach it.

He had just offered to help her, but she had declined, only to ask for assistance moments later.

Women's hearts are as unfathomable as the ocean's depths, he mused.

Without further thought, he stooped and retrieved the pen for her.

Grasping the pen, Su Mo cast a grateful glance at Lin Chen and whispered:

"Thank you!"

"No problem."

Su Mo had braced herself for teasing, but Lin Chen simply moved on, leaving her pleasantly surprised.

Now, she found herself stealing glances at Lin Chen's profile, hoping to strike up a conversation but at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Zou Kai, who had witnessed the entire exchange from the back seat, felt his mood darken.

East Sea University was teeming with beauties, and Su Mo was a standout, the belle of their class.

He had set his sights on Su Mo from the start, intent on winning her over.

Yet, to his dismay, it seemed someone might beat him to the punch while he campaigned for class president...

He gave Lin Chen a once-over and relaxed a bit when he noticed his plain attire.

"Are you Lin Chen?" Zou Kai inquired.

Lin Chen glanced back, noting Zou Kai's unfriendly demeanor, and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"We're dormmates. I'm Zou Kai. Why didn't you come back to the dorm last night?" Zou Kai pressed.

It was an interrogation.

Indeed, Lin Chen felt like he was being interrogated.

Realizing he might have come off as impolite, Zou Kai added, "We chose our dorm leader yesterday. You weren't there, so don't hold it against us for not consulting you."

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm living off-campus," Lin Chen said dismissively before turning away, uninterested in further conversation.

To Lin Chen, engaging with someone so self-important was a waste of time.

Zou Kai, on the other hand, felt like he was punching a pillow, frustration building inside him.

"You need to get approval from the counselor to live off-campus. As the dorm head, you're putting me in a tough spot," Zou Kai persisted.

Lin Chen's patience was wearing thin.

Soong Qingwan had told him plenty of students lived off-campus, and getting approval was typically a mere formality. For those who didn't apply, the counselors usually looked the other way.

Clearly, Zou Kai was just trying to cause trouble for him.

Lin Chen wondered when he had managed to get on the wrong side of someone like Zou Kai.

Feeling the tension, two guys next to Zou Kai chimed in, "Hey, no worries. Just apply when it's time. I've heard it's a breeze to get approved."

"Yeah, they usually approve it without any hassle."

Oblivious to the lifeline his friends were throwing him, Zou Kai continued, "If something happens to you off-campus, I can't take that responsibility!"

At that moment, Su Mo glanced back at them.

A look of pleasure crossed Zou Kai's face. "Right, Su Mo?"

Su Mo's brow furrowed slightly. How was this any of her business?

"I don't know," Su Mo said, before turning away to feign busyness with her own work. Yet, her focus remained on Lin Chen. Just then, a disturbance at the door caught their attention, and Lin Chen instinctively glanced up to see what was happening.