The course registration portal opened at seven in the morning. Theoretically, the staggered opening times were meant to manage the server load, but it was a futile effort. Every year, without fail, the website crashed.
Students were reduced to a state of desperate prayer, hunched over their laptops and refreshing the page repeatedly, hoping for the luck of the draw to squeeze into the system and snatch their desired classes.
Aside from Ji Yan, who still didn’t stay overnight in the dorm, the other three girls had woken up early.
Having grown accustomed to the grueling schedule of the Injury Company, Xu Yinian was so exhausted she felt like she was floating in a haze.
She pulled back her bed curtains and crawled to the edge of the mattress, sitting there and rubbing her eyes before climbing down. Habitually, she glanced toward the floor, only to find herself unexpectedly locked in the gaze of those upturned Peach Blossom Eyes.
From this angle, the cold arch of Shen Ruoshuang’s brow and the straight bridge of her nose were even more defined, lending a heroic, sharp edge to those otherwise feminine eyes.
It was rare to see Shen Ruoshuang like this—dressed in a loose loungewear jacket, looking relaxed and domestic in the early morning.
She had even broken her own unspoken rule of modesty; the collar of her jacket had fallen open, revealing a glimpse of pale skin and the delicate line of her collarbone.
Xu Yinian stared, dazed for a long moment, before reality snapped back. She realized what she was doing and quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing a faint pink.
This had happened more times than she could count. Every time Shen Ruoshuang tried a new look, Yinian found herself staring like an idiot. It was as if the woman could wear a burlap sack and still leave Yinian breathless for days.
Despite being surrounded by beautiful people in this world, Xu Yinian simply couldn’t desensitize herself to Shen Ruoshuang.
She then remembered that Shen Ruoshuang usually waited until everyone else was finished at night to wash up and change into her pajamas. By then, Yinian would have long since hidden behind her bed curtains. In the mornings, Shen Ruoshuang was typically out the door without a sound before anyone else stirred. When had she ever seen the girl in such a “homey” state?
She really is the female lead… Not a single part of her was less than perfect.
She was disciplined yet considerate. Her morning routine had never once woken Yinian up.
Without realizing it, Yinian remained perched on the edge of her bed, lost in thought about the woman below her.
Even though Xu Yinian had looked away, Shen Ruoshuang’s eyes lingered, seemingly unwilling to let the girl go.
The girl, still groggy from sleep, looked soft and vulnerable. The faint blush on her face suggested she had forgotten to put up her usual guard, wearing her heart—and her distractions—plainly on her sleeve.
“Niannian, it’s understandable to be sleepy when you wake up this early. Come down and register for your classes first, then you can go back to sleep.”
Bai Ran’s voice rang out at the perfect moment, her gentle smile practically melting into her words. It was the same tender care she offered every morning.
This seemingly insignificant interaction—the kind of casual intimacy Yinian had grown used to—was enough to feel like a provocation to Shen Ruoshuang.
Bai Ran knew all too well that Shen Ruoshuang couldn’t bring herself to lower her pride; her icy, aloof nature made it impossible for her to resort to pestering. More importantly, they couldn’t bypass their shared history.
The most the Ice Queen could do was slowly try to repair the cracks between her and Yinian.
While Bai Ran also couldn’t afford to be too aggressive in showing feelings that exceeded “friendship,” she was perfectly content occupying the role of the “best friend.” It gave her the right to gently invade Yinian’s life, patiently using time and effort to nurture “habits” that belonged only to the two of them.
Habits, after all, had a profound, subtle way of influencing a person.
As expected, Xu Yinian was instantly snapped out of her daze. “I—I’m coming down now.”
Shen Ruoshuang watched Bai Ran wedge herself between them. She knew exactly what the other girl was doing. Anyone could see that Bai Ran had known Xu Yinian for a long time and harbored ulterior motives.
Only Xu Yinian was naive enough to believe that such kindness was just a natural part of Bai Ran’s personality.
In reality, both she and Ji Yan had privately looked into Bai Ran’s past relationship with Xu Yinian, but they had found nothing. Even the traces of Bai Ran’s time at that remote sanatorium had been wiped clean in advance. Every record indicated she had been treated at her family’s private hospital in The Capital since she was a child, never once leaving the city.
It was expected. A woman as calculating as Bai Ran wouldn’t leave any evidence or leverage for them to find.
…
While Xu Yinian was registering for classes, Bai Ran stood right beside her, perfectly blocking any potential gaze from Shen Ruoshuang’s direction.
Through her subtle, intentional probing over the last few days, Bai Ran already knew that Yinian wanted to pick quiet, solitary elective courses. She wasn’t worried about Yinian telling the “vultures” circling her.
However, she had to remain on guard against the silent Shen Ruoshuang.
As Xu Yinian’s webpage froze and she nervously refreshed it over and over, no one noticed that the computer in front of Shen Ruoshuang wasn’t even on the registration page.
Sensing Bai Ran’s defensive posture, a faint, imperceptible smirk touched Shen Ruoshuang’s lips.
Back when she had passed the entrance exam for the Chemistry Department’s Zhiyuan Competition Class, she had learned about the numerous privileges that came with it—including priority course selection. She didn’t have to compete with the rest of the student body; as long as she submitted her choices within the designated window, she was guaranteed a spot.
She had been planning this for a long time.
While Shen Ruoshuang remained composed, it was Xu Yinian who grew restless.
Since she didn’t know which classes Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan were picking, she was terrified that the “plot” would force her into the same classroom as the Ice Queen, dragging her back into the center of the drama.
She watched until the enrollment numbers for her selected courses hit their limit, confirming that no one else could join. Only then did she feel the urge to scout out what the others had chosen.
Pretending she needed to grab her clothes for the day from the balcony, Xu Yinian walked past Shen Ruoshuang’s desk, casting a “casual” glance at the monitor.
The screen was already on standby.
“…Are you finished choosing?”
Desperate to know, Yinian took the rare initiative to speak, her voice carefully neutral as if she were just making small talk.
Shen Ruoshuang seemed surprised that Yinian was actually speaking to her. She paused for a moment before turning around. Those beautiful Peach Blossom Eyes fixed onto Yinian, burning with an intensity that demanded the girl continue.
Caught in that gaze, Xu Yinian felt her throat go dry. She didn’t dare meet those eyes, dropping her gaze as she blurted out, “I—I chose Yoga, Folk Arts Heritage, and Literary Appreciation. What did you pick…?”
She had volunteered her own list to prove she was already done, hoping to signal that she wasn’t looking to match her schedule with Shen’s.
However, as Shen Ruoshuang turned her body, her loose jacket shifted against her shoulders, threatening to slide off. Beneath it was an unexpected camisole.
A slender strap rested precariously on her thin shoulder, and… the gentle curve that had been hidden by the jacket was now visible.
Shen Ruoshuang acted as if she were completely unaware of the exposure.
Xu Yinian’s voice grew smaller and smaller until it vanished entirely.
This was different from Qin Jiashu’s bold, provocative beauty. This was the Ice Queen—the woman who was usually so high and mighty, so buttoned-up that she seemed like a sacrilege to even look at.
Yet, in her mind, Xu Yinian had already committed a thousand “improprieties” against her.
That soft, rounded shape beneath the thin fabric of the pajama top… It seemed even more… than Qin Jiashu’s.
Bai Ran’s voice drifted over from behind them. “Niannian? Is something wrong?”
Before anyone else could see, Shen Ruoshuang casually raised her hand, pulling her jacket back into place. Throughout it all, her expression remained cold and detached, as if that fleeting glimpse had been nothing more than a figment of Yinian’s imagination.
She… she knew?!
Why hadn’t she covered up when Yinian was awkwardly staring?
When Yinian looked at her again, Shen Ruoshuang’s expression was as normal as ever. Her cold eyes were undisturbed, quietly drinking in the sight of Yinian’s utter disarray.
Why am I the only one feeling embarrassed? She’s the one who was seen!
Yinian’s mind was a chaotic mess. To make matters worse, she couldn’t stop her brain from replaying the image.
The Ice Queen lowered her eyes, a shimmer of something hidden swirling in those Peach Blossom Eyes.
That reaction… she liked it, didn’t she?
Bai Ran had reached them now, completely unaware of the silent, seductive play that had just unfolded right in front of her. The secret shared between the other two only added a layer of illicit tension to their relationship.
“I haven’t picked my courses yet,” Shen Ruoshuang said, facing Bai Ran but addressing Yinian’s original question. Her voice was inexplicably husky. “Can I pick the same ones as you?”
Seeing Yinian’s unusual initiative, how could Shen Ruoshuang not realize what she was plotting? Yinian had told her the results so directly that it would almost be rude not to ask for permission to join.
So, Shen Ruoshuang threw the challenge right back at her.
Xu Yinian’s breath hitched. Faced with Shen Ruoshuang’s directness, she found herself at a loss. Thinking of the courses that were already at full capacity, she felt she had the upper hand, so she feigned a generous tone.
“If—if you can get in, then of course you can.”
“You said it yourself.”
Shen Ruoshuang let out a soft chuckle, her gaze deep and mysterious.
Seeing Xu Yinian trying to be clever, acting all magnanimous while digging her own grave, Shen Ruoshuang felt a rare prickle of mischief.
She was truly looking forward to seeing the girl’s regretful, teary-eyed expression when she realized she couldn’t escape—and that there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
