Is this… their version of flirting? Xu Yinian had no interest in the drama; she just wanted to be a ghost and stay as far away from them as possible.
After ten seconds of silence, Ji Yan let out a low, ambiguous laugh.
“Is the relationship between you two roommates always this… affectionate?”
She lingered on the word “affectionate” with a deep, meaningful drawl. She didn’t wait for an answer. Her gaze brushed, perhaps intentionally, over the bandages and iodine Xu Yinian had already packed away. Then, she looked down coldly and turned to leave the room.
The sudden departure made Xu Yinian jump.
What was that? Did they just get into a staring contest and get mad at each other?
Xu Yinian knew she was dense when it came to romance, but even she could tell that wasn’t what “falling in love” looked like.
Whatever… not my problem.
As the door clicked shut, the dorm suddenly felt quiet and empty.
One Buddha had been sent away, but before Xu Yinian could breathe a sigh of relief, she realized the atmosphere was now even more awkward than before.
With Ji Yan, Xu Yinian felt a simple fear of the girl’s intensity and the cruel methods she’d read about in the novel. But with Shen Ruoshuang, the emotions were far more complex.
While she was still frantically trying to think of an excuse to deal with her, Shen Ruoshuang was suddenly right in front of her.
The impact of that peerless beauty appearing so close was staggering. Xu Yinian stopped breathing and froze for several seconds before realization dawned and she took a flustered half-step back.
Forced to meet those “peach blossom” eyes, Xu Yinian found that the usual cold detachment had been replaced by something unfamiliar. It looked like… stubbornness?
Even on the day the “Ice Queen” had confronted her in the past, Xu Yinian had never seen her look like this.
“Xu Yinian, it’s been two years and six months since we last saw each other.”
Shen Ruoshuang maintained her composure, but her voice was lower and raspier than usual, betraying her inner state. “Do you have nothing you want to say to me?”
Her intention was clear. She wasn’t going to let Xu Yinian go until she got the answer she wanted.
Knowing she lacked the backbone to keep fighting, and being backed into a corner, Xu Yinian decided to stop running. She “laid flat”—total passivity. She was like water in a sponge; if you squeezed hard enough, something was bound to come out.
Since Shen Ruoshuang seemed to have a tacit agreement not to bring up the mess from their past, Xu Yinian decided to play dumb to the end.
“Congratulations on achieving your dream,” she said after a pause, a slightly bitter smile touching her lips. “Though… I suppose that was always going to be easy for you.”
They had both applied for the X University winter camp back then; it had been their shared dream. However, three years ago, when Xu Yinian first saw Shen Ruoshuang solving complex competition problems on a blackboard in an empty classroom, she realized just how large the gap between them was.
Even though they had both made it to X University, the invisible chasm between them had only grown wider.
Seeing Xu Yinian finally soften—whether she was forced or not—Shen Ruoshuang’s posture instinctively relaxed.
“I achieved my dream, but it wasn’t easy at all. I prepared for a very long time,” Shen Ruoshuang replied. When she spoke the word “dream,” the only thing reflected in her eyes was Xu Yinian.
Xu Yinian didn’t know what to say. It had been so long since she’d had any news of Shen Ruoshuang. She didn’t even know if she had entered through the Gaokao or through independent recruitment.
Or rather, she had been intentionally ignoring any news.
There were too many people who found Shen Ruoshuang unattainable, yet they couldn’t forget her. Even after she had been gone for so long, they mentioned her constantly. Each time they did, it felt like a slow execution for Xu Yinian.
The small spark of curiosity that had just flickered to life was instantly doused by that cold realization. She fell back into silence, unsure if she was being stubborn or if she was just afraid.
“On my way here, I saw the cafeteria where we used to eat together. Do you want to go have dinner there later?” Shen Ruoshuang asked, sensing Xu Yinian’s urge to retreat and cutting her off.
“No, there’s no need,” Xu Yinian refused without a second thought. After a long pause, she came up with a weak excuse. “I… I already ate.”
Shen Ruoshuang wasn’t letting her off. “Then what about tomorrow?”
Xu Yinian obviously didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t think of another excuse on the fly.
Just then, her phone rang, saving her.
She gripped her phone like a lifeline and blurted out, “Phone call,” before scurrying toward the balcony.
The timely call was from her cousin, Jiang Ke. It wasn’t anything urgent; Jiang Ke had sent a bunch of photos of her own roommates and, when she didn’t get a reply, grew worried that Xu Yinian was having trouble settling in.
Despite growing up in different cities, Jiang Ke had always been clingy toward her, like a child who refused to grow up.
Xu Yinian naturally didn’t mention the stressful events of the day. They only spoke for a few minutes before Jiang Ke was called away by her roommates.
Afraid to go back inside and face Shen Ruoshuang, Xu Yinian stayed on the balcony, scrolling through her messages.
Jiang Ke had indeed sent a lot of photos. It was only the first day, and the four girls in her dorm were already acting like best friends. To Xu Yinian, such a thing was unimaginable.
She scrolled to the bottom and replied: Have fun, stay safe.
Whether it was because she rarely used her phone or because of her habit of speaking as little as possible, her texts were always brief. They appeared cold, but in reality, that was just how she communicated.
Just as she was about to lock her phone, she noticed a notification from a group chat—someone had @-mentioned her.
She looked closer. it was the university class group chat, specifically the one for students without the counselor or teachers present.
When Xu Yinian had first been added to the group, everyone had been clamoring for her to post a photo. Panicked and unsure how to respond, she had simply ignored it, and eventually, everyone had started treating her like a ghost.
Seeing herself being noticed again now, Xu Yinian had a very bad feeling.
