Chapter 21: Accidental Encounter Part 4

“Thank you so much, Senior Sister,” Xu Yinian said obediently, her round, apricot-like eyes still filled with bottomless gratitude. Then, realizing something, she added, “Are you here for Ji Yan? She’s not in.”

“That was only one reason. If she’s not here, then forget it.”

For some reason, after seeing Xu Yinian, the disappointment of missing Ji Yan vanished. It was replaced by a strange urge to tease the younger girl.

As she spoke, she pointed a finger at her own chest. Xu Yinian then noticed that she was also wearing a dorm-sweeping ID badge. It read: Broadcasting Station, Vice Station Manager.

“Vice Station Manager… Ah!”

Hearing her exclamation, Qin Jiashu blushed slightly. “Oh, it’s just what happens when a seasoned veteran hangs around long enough. It sounds more intimidating than it is. Do you want to join the Broadcasting Station, Junior? I can pull some strings for you. I have at least that much influence.”

“I… I stutter… I can’t speak well.” Xu Yinian declined hastily. In her panic, she practically proved her point.

Qin Jiashu waved her hand regretfully, then suddenly remembered something and asked casually, “By the way, Ji Yan’s motorbike was reported near the dorms last night. Do you know who did it?”

Xu Yinian was stunned. “Huh?!”

She remembered last night—how Shen Ruoshuang had been upset upon learning she had ridden on the back of Ji Yan’s bike, and her promise to “help her.”

No way… was that her way of helping?

It certainly solved the problem of having to ride the bike again, but it was incredibly ruthless. Also… wouldn’t Ji Yan hate her for this?

Seeing the kaleidoscopic shift of emotions on her face, Qin Jiashu—who had only been asking on a whim—became convinced the girl knew something.

“Who’s bold enough to mess with the Tiger’s head? Ji Yan has never been played like this in her entire life.”

Xu Yinian thought to herself: Who else could it be but the protagonist-bottom, Shen Ruoshuang? She’s the only one with those kinds of privileges.

But looking at the oblivious Qin Jiashu, Xu Yinian felt a pang of pity. As the feelings between the two protagonists deepened, this Senior Sister was bound to end up heartbroken.

She’s a good person. It’s a pity she likes the wrong person.

Xu Yinian gathered her courage to warn her. “Senior Sister, you deserve someone better. Ji Yan… she isn’t a good person.”

Qin Jiashu didn’t understand why she said that, her mind racing with confusion. Just as she was about to ask for clarification, Xu Yinian waved her hand as if fleeing from a ghost and slammed the dormitory door shut.

Eh? Qin Jiashu felt there was definitely something fishy behind the motorbike incident. She immediately pulled out her phone to call her contacts and investigate.

To avoid any more recruiters, Xu Yinian turned off the lights and refused to answer the door, pretending she wasn’t home. Lying in bed, she could vaguely hear people in the hallway discussing Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan.

They really are popular.

With the 11:00 PM curfew, the noisy hallway finally quieted down. Xu Yinian suddenly realized that she was all alone in the room tonight. Even Shen Ruoshuang, whom she saw every night, hadn’t returned.

Is it… because I didn’t reply to her message?

Her heart was in a mess. She stared at the message from that morning as if she wanted to burn a hole through the screen. Shen Ruoshuang’s inexplicable kindness over the past few days flashed through her mind.

A wave of helpless guilt washed over her. Was I too mean to her?

Finally, looking at the time, Xu Yinian sent the message she had edited a thousand times. True to her cowardly nature, she shut off her phone the second it was sent.

Her heart was pounding too hard to sleep. Bored and restless, she opened her eyes and ventured a glance toward Shen Ruoshuang’s bed for the first time. The curtains were drawn, hiding everything from view.

Every night, being on the same side of the room as Shen Ruoshuang made her incredibly tense. She didn’t even dare to toss or turn, fearing the other girl would notice she was still awake.

Yet, facing the empty bed for the first time, she found herself unaccustomed to the silence. She even realized that the strangely comforting fragrance that lingered around her nose as she drifted off each night… actually came from Shen Ruoshuang.

In just a few days, the subtle changes that girl had brought into her life were far more numerous than she had imagined.

Maybe… our relationship really can move past the shadows of the past?

***

The next day, Xu Yinian felt her foot had recovered enough to walk longer distances. Before the holiday ended, she went alone to finish her missed university physical exam.

However, while waiting in line, she started feeling unwell. She wasn’t sure if it was because she hadn’t eaten breakfast for the blood draw, but her stomach was aching. By the time she finished the rounds, her face had turned a shade paler.

When she left the medical center, the cafeteria was already closed. Xu Yinian had no choice but to head to the supermarket beneath the dormitory to buy some bread.

As she was browsing the shelves, she suddenly felt someone approaching from behind. After being kept on edge by Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan for days, Xu Yinian jumped in fright.

Just as she was about to turn around, a soft, strangely comforting female voice sounded near her ear.

“Don’t be afraid. I mean no harm. But… you need to cover the back of your pants.”

With those words, a pair of hands reached around her waist from behind. They moved with a perfect sense of boundaries, never actually touching Xu Yinian’s body. Looking down, she saw the stranger tying a thin, beige cardigan around her waist.

“There. Now it’s fine.”

Xu Yinian was momentarily mesmerized by the voice. Forgetting to think, she turned around like a fool—only to realize the other person hadn’t stepped away yet. She crashed straight into a pair of eyes as gentle as water.

In that instant, the “romantic eyes” described by Fitzgerald seemed to take living form. They were amber, like the warm winter sun, containing a smile so full it threatened to overflow.

At such a close distance, Xu Yinian could even smell a lovely fragrance coming from her. She stood dazed once again in a cloud of soft, warm kindness.

It took a long time for her to snap out of it. Realizing how rude she was being, she quickly retracted her gaze, her face flushing so red she felt like she might drown in it.