X University mandated that all freshmen live on campus, and this first dorm inspection was a rigorous affair designed to establish authority over the new students.
Even someone like Ji Yan, who usually treated school regulations as mere suggestions, had uncharacteristically returned to the dorm to deal with the check.
Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan crossed paths at the dormitory staircase.
Ji Yan was alone, wearing a black mask. Her height of five-foot-nine made her exceptionally striking among the crowd of female students. Meanwhile, Shen Ruoshuang had just returned from picking up uniforms with several other girls from the Flag Bearer squad.
The other girls, though still somewhat intimidated by Shen Ruoshuang’s presence, had already become well-acquainted with one another. They spotted Ji Yan from a distance and began whispering.
“Wow, that girl is so tall and handsome!”
Shen Ruoshuang looked up. Her eyes, already distant and cool, seemed to crystallize into solid ice, radiating an even more piercing chill.
“Sorry, I have something to take care of. I’ll head out first.”
Leaving them with those words, she ignored the bewildered looks of her companions and walked straight toward Ji Yan.
Although Shen Ruoshuang was known for her unapproachable, “Ice Queen” demeanor, this was the first time anyone had seen her face go so cold, her aura so heavy with pressure. After all, no one expected the aloof, ethereal Shen Ruoshuang to be the one to actively initiate a confrontation.
This was the first time the two had met since the infirmary incident. Some debts had to be settled sooner or later.
Both were celebrities on campus, drawing countless eyes even when they weren’t trying. No matter how much she loathed the other woman, Shen Ruoshuang kept her voice low, a cold interrogation meant only for two:
“Enjoy playing the spoiler?”
Though her voice lacked dramatic flair, the oppressive weight behind the question was every bit as heavy as Ji Yan’s.
If Ji Yan’s casual, lazy demeanor was an innate aura of someone born to control the board, then Shen Ruoshuang represented a powerful threat rooted in extreme calm and rationality.
Hearing this, Ji Yan’s indifferent eyes remained untroubled. She merely lowered her long lashes, the color of her pupils deepening. She wasn’t surprised in the slightest; back when she was putting on that performance in the infirmary, she had already prepared for the possibility of the other party bursting through the door to confront her.
In fact, she had been somewhat disappointed when Shen Ruoshuang simply walked away.
After all, that would have been far more stimulating, wouldn’t it?
Ji Yan’s inherent streak of malice and her interest in Xu Yinian were not mutually exclusive. Both were just for fun.
If this confrontation had happened yesterday—before the events of the Opening Ceremony—Ji Yan would have merely toyed with her like a spectator watching a comedy. However, there was one thing Ji Yan hated more than people stepping on her “germaphobe” landmines: people taking things that belonged to her.
She hadn’t forgotten the way Xu Yinian’s attention had been diverted and how the girl had grown shy because of Shen Ruoshuang during the ceremony.
It was one thing for Xu Yinian to unintentionally coax Ji Yan back into a good mood; it was quite another for Ji Yan to tolerate Shen Ruoshuang.
Ji Yan paused her steps and let out a soft, mocking laugh.
“Are you and Xu Yinian really that close? What ‘play’ is there for me to spoil?” She paused, her eyes narrowing behind the mask. “She seems to really dislike you, though.”
Ji Yan was an expert at finding the exact crack in someone’s armor to deliver a fatal blow.
However, she had clearly underestimated the level of Shen Ruoshuang’s obsession when it came to anything involving Xu Yinian. Even if Xu Yinian had said those words herself, Shen Ruoshuang would have simply digested them into an even more tangled, localized madness.
“The ‘dislike’ you’re referring to… is it the Xu Yinian whose eyes can only see me? The one who pushes you away the moment she hears my name?”
Shen Ruoshuang tilted her head slightly. “If so, I rather enjoy that kind of dislike.”
The last sentence was strangely light and cheerful, a natural slip of her obsessive thoughts that stood in jarring contrast to her usual “Ice Queen” persona.
Shen Ruoshuang was brilliant to the point of being demonic; she could keenly perceive and point out that “gaze.” Whether intentional or not, she had successfully offended Ji Yan once again.
The door to Room 503 was right in front of them. The small window beside the door was pitch black. The person they were both concerned about didn’t seem to be in the room.
After they flicked on the lights, both Ji Yan and Shen Ruoshuang immediately cast their gazes toward Xu Yinian’s bed.
It was clean and tidy. The bed curtains hung silently, mirroring their owner’s quiet and reserved nature.
Without the prying eyes of bystanders, the confrontation became much easier. Ji Yan lazily raised her eyes, her words designed to pierce the heart.
“Being an eyewitness doesn’t feel great, does it? I just didn’t expect you to be able to stomach it. Oh, I almost forgot—what status or reason would you even have to stop me?”
“Girlfriend? Friend? …Or just a roommate?”
She didn’t realize that those words would be the ones to finally startle the person on the bed.
But before the tension could snap, it was interrupted.
Ji Yan leaned against the wall, showing no intention of moving. She waited for the “star student,” Shen Ruoshuang, to answer the door.
Shen Ruoshuang ignored Ji Yan’s arrogant posture and naturally opened the door.
The freshman dorm inspection team was indeed a massive procession. Because 503 was a mixed-major dorm, several Counselors had gathered together. Add to that the Student Union representatives and the leaders from the Dean’s Office, and the narrow corridor was completely blocked.
It was hard to tell if every room received such a grand reception, or if Room 503’s reputation was so great that it was being used as a textbook example.
When the group saw Shen Ruoshuang, a wave of admiration washed over them. Some were struck by her looks and temperament, while others were already well-aware of her reputation as a genius.
“Our Chemistry Department’s pride, Shen Ruoshuang. Little Shen, right?”
The Chemistry Counselor checked her name off the list with pride. In the past, the freshman representative speaker was always someone from the Broadcasting and Hosting department. This year, Shen Ruoshuang had been chosen, bringing immense glory to the Chemistry Department.
“Ah, is this the girl who gave the speech in front of the whole school today? Excellent speech. Truly worthy of being our X University freshman representative!” The Dean didn’t hold back his praise, nodding repeatedly.
Shen Ruoshuang, surrounded by all this attention, seemed a bit distracted. Her gaze drifted through the bustling crowd, looking toward the distance as if searching for someone.
The Digital Media Counselor had been worried that the difficult Ji Yan might be absent. Seeing her in the room, the weight was finally lifted from her heart.
As the Digital Media Counselor whispered a few words to the Dean, everyone noticed the tall figure standing in the shadows. Since the school forums had already dissected the occupants of Room 503, they immediately realized this was the famous Ji Yan.
Even though a black mask covered half her face, the chilling, exotic eyes and the sharp contour of her brow bone made it clear that her beauty was equally stunning. The mysterious “Star Second-Gen” was standing right before them; her fame was not a bit less than Shen Ruoshuang’s.
The Student Union representatives were already exchanging looks, planning to seize the opportunity to recruit these two high-profile freshmen as the “faces” of the union.
“Student Ji, are you adjusting well to school life? Are there any inconveniences?”
“Thank you, I’m quite used to it,” Ji Yan replied politely, though her words sounded a bit strange to those listening. “Especially my roommates. They’re very easy to get along with.”
Or rather… ever since the door opened, no one had seen Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan share a single word or even a glance.
The Chinese Department Counselor waited for the pleasantries to end before realizing that Xu Yinian from her class didn’t seem to be in the room. Recalling Xu Yinian’s “good student” image, she felt it was unlikely.
“Where is Xu Yinian? Is she in the dorm?”
At the mention of that name, the expressions of both Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan darkened simultaneously.
It was indeed strange. Given Xu Yinian’s shy and obedient personality, how could she possibly miss such an important roll call?
Shen Ruoshuang’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Her fingers at her side twitched, and her lips parted as if she were about to say something.
Suddenly, a weak voice drifted from behind them.
“Mm… Has… has the roll call started?”
Xu Yinian, who had been suffering in silence the entire time, finally had no other choice. She “rose from her deathbed,” pulling back the bed curtains and forcing herself to look bleary-eyed, as if she had just been awakened by the noise.
Xu Yinian… she was in the dorm the whole time?
What did she hear?
Something seemed to collapse within Shen Ruoshuang’s usually calm and indifferent eyes. She froze, then whipped her head around to look at the person on the bed. She didn’t even notice the dangerous, possessive aura beginning to grow wildly within her.
A flicker of surprise crossed Ji Yan’s eyes as well, but it quickly transformed into deep amusement. Xu Yinian really knew how to give her surprises.
The girl, now the center of everyone’s attention, was wearing loose cotton pajamas. Her soft hair was slightly messy, and her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink from “sleep.” Only those pale eyes remained clear as glass marbles, devoid of any impurity.
Her voice carried a slight nasal quality from her feigned sleepiness, sounding even more fragile than usual. Xu Yinian didn’t realize that when she wasn’t actively trying to hide or diminish herself, she could easily make everyone’s heart melt.
She didn’t dare look at Shen Ruoshuang or Ji Yan. She focused entirely on climbing down from her bed. By the time she stood before the Counselor, her face was red.
“I just fell asleep… I’m so sorry.”
Even as she tried to ignore them, she could feel two burning gazes pinned to her back.
Naturally, no one made things difficult for Xu Yinian. The Dean nodded at her encouragingly.
“There are only three of you. Where is the last student?”
The Clinical Medicine Counselor explained, “Student Bai Ran. She has some health issues that prevent her from participating in military training. She was originally going to be a commuter student, but in the end, she insisted on not wanting special treatment. She’ll be moving in before formal classes begin.”
Despite only hearing a name, a wave of whispers broke out among the group. Who didn’t know the legend of the “Eldest Daughter” who had donated a whole building? It was just a pity they wouldn’t see her today.
Xu Yinian froze when she heard this. She realized they were talking about the final roommate—the mysterious heiress.
She’s moving in before classes start…!
In the original novel, the final roommate had definitely become a commuter student due to her health. This time, she was actually coming to live in the dorm.
Why had the plot changed? Was this a sign of things to come?
Xu Yinian was so lost in thought that by the time she snapped back to reality, the inspection team had already walked far away.
“Xu Yinian… did you really just wake up?”
“Shen Ruoshuang, why are you looking so fierce? It looks like you’re about to eat her alive.”
Two voices rang out at the exact same time.
