East 7-105 Dormitory.
Song Rui was apologizing to Wang Yuqiong right then. She hung her little head low, endlessly blaming herself.
One moment, she said she’d been so caught up chatting with Senior Sister Qi that she’d forgotten to tell the two of them.
The next, she said she should have gone back with them, so there’d be someone to look out for them if anything happened. She was full of lingering fear.
Wang Yuqiong didn’t blame Song Rui at all.
On the contrary, she was quite grateful to her—grateful that Song Rui hadn’t kept trailing after Shen An like a clingy shadow!
But Wang Yuqiong knew Song Rui’s personality well. Keeping things bottled up would only make her uncomfortable, so she didn’t stop the apologies. Only after Song Rui had poured out her guilt did Wang Yuqiong slowly soothe her.
Finally, Wang Yuqiong repeatedly emphasized that her body was fine, that she’d just caught a slight chill by accident. That was what finally put Song Rui’s mind at ease.
Seeing the relieved expression on Song Rui’s face, Wang Yuqiong sighed inwardly.
With such a gentle and sensitive personality, she didn’t know how to protect herself. In the future, she was bound to suffer for it.
Having empathy was a good thing, and being introverted wasn’t always bad. But when excessive empathy combined with introversion, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Wang Yuqiong sat up slightly and walked toward the balcony.
Song Rui blinked in surprise. “Are you going to take a shower?”
“No, just going to get some air first. It’s a bit stuffy in the dorm. Feels uncomfortable.”
With that explanation, Wang Yuqiong stepped out onto the balcony.
And with her words, Li Li—who had been about to head for the shower—dropped the idea, planning to let Wang Yuqiong get some fresh air and rest first.
The evening breeze brushed her cheeks, tousling her long hair strand by strand. The moonlight was bright and clear, illuminating the flush on her cheeks.
It really was a bit stuffy.
But the stuffiness came from within her heart.
She tilted her head up, gazing at the clear night sky and that one bright moon. It reflected in Wang Yuqiong’s eyes like a projector, flashing scene after scene from the evening.
Suddenly, a swath of dark clouds drifted by on the wind, covering half the moon. The light on her face became half bright, half dim—one side gentle, the other gloomy. It matched her thoughts perfectly: a mix of light and shadow.
Overall, though, the shadows outweighed the light.
She never imagined Shen An would have any connection to Xu Yijing—and that they were living together, no less.
It was simply too unbelievable.
Wang Yuqiong couldn’t fathom Xu Yijing—with her personality—living with a boy.
That alone was enough to weigh down her mood.
What exactly was their relationship? What connected them?
At the thought, her expression grew even more grave.
It was all Chen Nannan’s fault.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be standing here lost in thought, coming up with nothing but wild guesses.
It was also that blockhead’s fault. Fetching a suitcase took him a full five minutes. Otherwise, he’d have had time to explain in the squeeze they had.
Precisely because she knew nothing and could only speculate wildly, the stuffiness in Wang Yuqiong’s chest grew sharper.
Zhao Qingyu had said he was hiding something, and what she’d seen might not be the full truth.
What exactly was he hiding?
Dullness flowed in Wang Yuqiong’s eyes. She was terribly afraid that Shen An and Xu Yijing truly had some inseparable bond.
If so… what was she supposed to do?
And in the future… what about him?
She was calm and rational.
The worry felt so intense because she knew this wasn’t just about her and him—it involved his safety, even his future.
Fine, then. She’d ask him when they got back.
Freaking out in her heart now wouldn’t help, and overthinking would only cloud her judgment.
With that in mind, Wang Yuqiong shifted her resentment onto Chen Nannan.
If she hadn’t barged in so rashly and disrupted her plans…
She should have been able to take things further with him.
Not only had it interrupted their rare moment of contact, but it had also derailed her probing.
She even suspected Chen Nannan hadn’t just happened to show up—that she’d been lurking for a while.
Sometimes, between girls, a single glance was enough to read each other’s minds.
Speaking of which…
Shen An’s face flashed through Wang Yuqiong’s mind. Her grave gloom scattered like the moon emerging from behind the clouds, shining bright and clear once more.
He really was patient and considerate.
It matched her initial impression of him perfectly.
The only surprise was his lazy demeanor. Someone like that shouldn’t be so reliable.
And who knew if he was truly clever or truly oblivious.
He’d said he wouldn’t pry, and he really didn’t.
Tch.
Didn’t he have any suspicions at all?
Or had she grown so used to scheming that a moment of pure sincerity left her flustered?
But if he found out…
The bright smile on Wang Yuqiong’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by fear and unease.
She’d made a mistake.
All her calculating and scheming was ultimately hypocritical, not worth half his sincerity.
Fortunately…
He didn’t know yet.
She still had a chance to make it right.
She wondered if he’d mind or reject her…
Wang Yuqiong gently pressed a hand to her chest, anxious about how Shen An might see her.
She’d called it an old ailment, nothing serious, definitely not a sickness.
But those were just words to fool herself. How could it be just an old ailment?
It was a sickness.
And she was a patient.
Maybe he did have suspicions but felt there was no need to dig deeper, since he had no reason to yet.
So… up to now, she and he were still just in the realm of friends?
Because they were friends… he knew when to stop and not pry too much?
Wang Yuqiong fell into her old habit of overthinking.
Suddenly, the balcony door slid open. A gust of wind came from behind, along with Song Rui’s anxious voice.
“Yuqiong!”
Her train of thought shattered. Wang Yuqiong’s expression soured a bit.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her impatience, and turned. “What is it?”
Song Rui hesitated, looking a little scared.
“Y-Your phone’s ringing… Someone’s calling you.”
She stammered.
Wang Yuqiong frowned slightly. Who could it be?
“Got it.”
She turned and went back into the dorm, picking up her phone.
The screen showed only a string of numbers, no name. Clearly, not someone in her contacts.
“Hello?”
Wang Yuqiong answered.
“Hey, hey, hey? Dear customer, do you need heart-to-heart chat services over there?”
Huh?
Wang Yuqiong was about to say no, but the voice was so familiar it stunned her.
Composing herself, she said, “Hold on a sec.”
Then she took the phone and dashed back to the balcony.
“How do you have my number?!”
Facing the evening breeze, Wang Yuqiong lowered her voice—surprised, yet brimming with secret delight.
“? How else am I supposed to add you without your number?”
“You memorized it?” Wang Yuqiong was even more shocked.
“My memory’s always been great.”
“True. You memorized that huge file in no time, getting most of it down pat. With a bad memory, you’d have embarrassed yourself up there.”
Wang Yuqiong smiled faintly. Her slightly heavy mood lifted with his voice, as if the wind had blown it all away, leaving her suddenly lighthearted.
“So? You back at the apartment?”
Wang Yuqiong teased, “Nice of you to remember to check on me. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“What nonsense. I’m asking if you need chat services.”
“?” Wang Yuqiong pouted. “I don’t like talking on the phone much. Feels awkward.”
“Then come down.”
“???”
Wang Yuqiong gripped the phone tightly. “You’re downstairs?”
“You tell me.”
How…
Wang Yuqiong quickly leaned over the railing to look. Sure enough, a figure stood by the tree in front of the dorm building entrance.
“Wait for me!”
She hung up abruptly, spun around, and shoved the door open.
“Yuqiong?”
Li Li looked surprised. “You’re going out now?”
“Yeah!”
“But curfew’s almost here.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be right back~”
Wang Yuqiong was so excited she didn’t even change out of her pajamas or put on proper shoes—just pink slippers and casual sleepwear as she clattered down the stairs.
Li Li and Zhang Tong exchanged silent glances, both puzzled.
So late…
What could be so urgent?
Song Rui closed the door behind her, also a bit confused.
She rarely saw Wang Yuqiong this excited and eager… but it didn’t seem like bad news.
Because…
She’d left with a smile.
Living on the first floor had its perks.
It was easy to see what was going on at the main entrance.
Note that the “first floor” here actually meant the second floor, since the ground floor was reserved for dorm supervisors and other school staff.
Student dorms started from the second floor up.
Clack-clack-clack~
The crisp sound of slippers echoed in the stairwell. Wang Yuqiong didn’t hide her joy at all. She never expected Shen An to come back specially for her.
The thrill of this unexpected surprise was indescribable.
But as she reached the first floor, she quickly reined in her delight, pretending to be casual. Hands behind her back, she strolled out slowly.
She sidled up silently behind Shen An and said haughtily, “Something you need?”
Shen An jolted as if startled, whipping his head around. Wang Yuqiong burst out laughing. “You’re such a scaredy-cat! You actually got spooked by me?”
“Heh.”
Shen An patted his chest. “Are you a ghost or something? You walk without making a sound.”
He glanced downward and understood. “Oh, you’re wearing slippers. No wonder they’re so quiet.”
Then he couldn’t resist looking again.
He had already savored and caressed Wang Yuqiong’s elegant, slender hands, imprinting his touch on every delicate finger.
It was precisely because her hands were so flawless that he naturally found himself anticipating another part of her.
In that sense, Wang Yuqiong had given him quite the surprise.
He had figured he would need another chance, but here it was, unexpectedly…
Shen An lowered his gaze to her exquisite feet—those fair, tender ones nestled in pink slippers.
Just as he had hoped and imagined.
Someone with such slender, beautiful fingers would surely have beautiful feet as well.
The first impression Wang Yuqiong’s feet gave Shen An was one of pure, startling whiteness.
Then came the wonder at their incredible tenderness and pinkness.
The white was infused with a rosy glow, layer upon layer of soft, hazy pink.
The top of her foot gleamed with such luminous pink-and-white perfection that it mirrored the moonlight from above, save for the faint blue veins that proved it was no mirror at all.
Her toes were equally flawless, untouched by any polish, as if crafted by nature itself.
At one point seven-eight meters tall, Wang Yuqiong naturally had feet that were a touch larger.
Larger feet could sometimes detract from their appeal.
That was why so many prized small feet for their dainty perfection.
Yet Wang Yuqiong’s feet, though on the larger side, lost none of that refinement.
There was a delicate charm to the small, just as there was a majestic elegance to the large.
The preference for small feet stemmed from their ability to retain perfect shape without distortion.
Wang Yuqiong’s feet clearly hadn’t weathered much hardship—they were scarcely less soft than a baby’s.
She must rarely wear high heels.
He stared openly, brazenly, without a shred of restraint.
This left Wang Yuqiong flustered and shy, thoroughly embarrassed.
Her toes curled inward just a little, as if echoing her secret thrill of shyness, tucking themselves away.
Unable to hold back, she gave him a light push, her voice a coquettish whine. “So, what’s this about anyway?”
Shen An pulled his eyes away, still the picture of a proper gentleman. “I came to see you.”
As he spoke, he reached out to fasten the buttons on her pajama top. “You don’t even wear your clothes right. Pajamas are thin as it is—you’re not worried about catching a cold?”
A wave of sweetness welled up in Wang Yuqiong’s heart, softening her tone to utmost gentleness.
“It’s not winter right now. I won’t catch a chill that easily.”
Even as she said it, she made no move to stop him. She simply stood there quietly, letting him button her pajamas.
This guy…
Wang Yuqiong ducked her head, a blush she could scarcely endure creeping over her face.
Shen An finished with the buttons and lifted his gaze, a thought flickering through his mind: “Red…”
