Chapter 31

Tang Tianman arrived two minutes late to class. When she slipped in through the back door, the teacher caught her right away.

The teacher gave her a glance. Tang Tianman clasped her hands together in a full-faced apology. The teacher turned back to the PPT and ignored her.

Ruan Ruan was sitting in the back row. Tang Tianman tiptoed over to her side and quietly took a seat.

For the first ten minutes, thanks to her tardiness, Tang Tianman paid unusually close attention to the lesson. She didn’t fidget at all.

Ten minutes later, Tang Tianman slid her notebook over to Ruan Ruan to pass a note.

—Jiang Xue’s here.

Ruan Ruan scribbled back in a flash:

—Do I need you to tell me?

—You’ve been so mean to me lately.

—Reflect on yourself.

—I didn’t do anything. I just fooled around with someone else a little.

—You call that fooling around?

—Isn’t it?

—Then I kinda want to fool around like that with JX too.

—Tsk, abbreviations.

“Boring,” Ruan Ruan muttered softly. She ignored her.

Tang Tianman unusually stayed focused for the entire class. During the break, Jiang Xue came back to the rear from the front row with her cup in hand. Tang Tianman nudged Ruan Ruan’s arm. Ruan Ruan noticed but turned her head toward her instead.

“What’s up?” Tang Tianman leaned on her desk too, looking at Ruan Ruan. “Given up already?”

“No point.” Ruan Ruan’s voice was tiny. She closed her eyes.

Tang Tianman looked at Ruan Ruan, then up at Jiang Xue. She felt it would be such a shame to just drop it like this.

It was just like every second she’d known Zheng Xiyu. If either of them had ever stopped wanting to befriend the other, they wouldn’t have this… sweet life now.

Jiang Xue reached the water dispenser and unscrewed her cup lid. But she paused for two seconds staring at it, then turned back.

“Huh?” Tang Tianman was puzzled. “No hot water?”

“What?” Ruan Ruan lifted her head.

“She went to get water but then didn’t.” As Tang Tianman spoke, someone flipped on the hot water switch. Water gushed out, steaming hot.

“Weird,” Tang Tianman said.

“Not weird.” Ruan Ruan eyed the dispenser. “She has germaphobia.”

“Huh?” Tang Tianman was shocked.

“See, there’s residue on the spout.” Ruan Ruan pointed it out. “She can’t stand it.”

“That happens after a while with anyone,” Tang Tianman said.

“Yeah, so normal people don’t care.” Ruan Ruan propped her head on her hand. “She does.”

“How long have you been watching her? That’s so detailed.” Tang Tianman stared at Jiang Xue’s back.

“Watch her? We’ve had a few classes together. Can’t you tell?” Ruan Ruan nodded toward Jiang Xue. “Look at her clothes—ever a wrinkle? Her hair—ever messy? Buttons always perfectly buttoned. Second row, aisle seat on the left, first one. If that’s taken, she goes right side. Notebooks never dog-eared. Tsk…”

Ruan Ruan shook her head with a sigh. “Not just germaphobia—OCD too.”

“Is that why you’re giving up?” Tang Tianman asked.

“It has nothing to do with giving up or not. I never said I was pursuing anything.” Ruan Ruan pouted. “I wanted to get to know her, but maybe I can’t. She probably has high standards for friends too.”

“Her cup’s empty,” Tang Tianman noted. “And she looks thirsty.”

Ruan Ruan pressed her lips together without a word.

Tang Tianman unzipped her backpack and pulled out an unopened bottle of mineral water. “Zheng Xiyu stuffed this in my bag. She said my snacks were salty and I’d get thirsty…”

“Showing off your romance first thing in the morning.” Ruan Ruan glared at her.

“What’re you saying?” Tang Tianman pretended to scold, but her face beamed with smug delight. She held the water out to Ruan Ruan. “Here, give this to her. Maybe she’s just slow to warm up.”

Ruan Ruan didn’t budge.

Tang Tianman gave her that knowing big-sister look, set the bottle on the desk, and looked away.

A while later, right before class resumed, Ruan Ruan shot to her feet. She grabbed the water and strode forward.

Tang Tianman’s eyes sparkled as she watched, clenching her fist in silent cheer.

The teacher was already at the classroom door. Ruan Ruan set the water on Jiang Xue’s desk without a word and turned back.

Tang Tianman: “!!!???”

The teacher entered and resumed the lecture.

Jiang Xue glanced back, then shifted the mineral water to line up neatly with her cup.

Perfectly aligned.

Tang Tianman started passing notes again:

—See? Success! She’ll remember you now. Just shy, that’s all.

Ruan Ruan drew a smiley face for her.

Tang Tianman chuckled and kept writing:

—Gotta be proactive. That’s how stories start.

Ruan Ruan shoved her notebook aside. This Tang Tianman was getting annoying.

The bell rang. Next class was next door, but Tang Tianman took her time packing her bag leisurely.

Ruan Ruan was in a rush. She stuffed her books in her bag and urged her to hurry.

Li Tong sauntered over, smirking wickedly on one side of her mouth. “Tangdoudou, what were you up to so early this morning?”

“Hmph,” Tang Tianman huffed.

“Out before dawn, back late, even plotting to stay out all night. All grown up, huh?”

Tang Tianman smacked her on the head.

Li Tong fixed her hair. “Don’t get handsy like that anymore. I don’t want certain people getting the wrong idea and challenging me to a duel. Tsk, I couldn’t win.”

Tang Tianman didn’t bother explaining—there wasn’t much to explain. Before, when Ruan Ruan and Li Tong talked about “certain things,” she’d thought it was mostly joking. But now, Tang Tianman figured it was probably true.

She and Zheng Xiyu were so close—it was easy to misunderstand.

Heh heh heh.

The three bantered as Tang Tianman finally packed up and they headed to the next classroom.

Suddenly, Jiang Xue appeared before them. She looked at Ruan Ruan and said nothing.

“Ah!” Tang Tianman grabbed Li Tong and bolted. “Too late—let’s go!”

Leaving Ruan Ruan alone, facing Jiang Xue’s gaze, tense and at a loss.

The classroom was nearly empty now, just the two of them with no one around. Ruan Ruan thought it was perfect for talking, but Jiang Xue still didn’t move.

Ruan Ruan grew anxious for her—or rather, for herself.

She twisted her fingers unconsciously, wanting to meet Jiang Xue’s eyes but feeling awkward.

Finally, the last few stragglers left.

The empty classroom held only the lingering warmth of the chatter.

Jiang Xue held out the bottle of water to Ruan Ruan. “Thank you.”

The words were light and clear, her voice like water trickling in winter—cool and precise.

Ruan Ruan looked down at the bottle, confused.

Jiang Xue’s gesture was clearly a return. It took Ruan Ruan two or three seconds to catch on.

In that instant, embarrassment crashed over her from all sides, igniting into anger. She couldn’t hold back.

“Is that necessary?” she asked through gritted teeth.

Jiang Xue paused. “Thank you for the gesture, but no need.”

Ruan Ruan snatched the mineral water from her hand. Childish and wasteful, but she had to. She tossed it straight into the trash bin.

Now Jiang Xue was stunned.

Ruan Ruan shouldered her bag. “I get it—you think it’s dirty. Won’t happen again.”

With that, she turned and left.

In the next classroom, Tang Tianman chatted idly with Li Tong while waiting for Ruan Ruan, but she never showed—even after class started.

Tang Tianman whispered to Li Tong, “Guess what those two are up to?”

Li Tong: “Ask you. What do you and Zheng Xiyu usually do?”

Tang Tianman: “Heh heh, we had breakfast together today.”

Li Tong: “What’s special about that? You’re eating lunch with me today too.”

Tang Tianman: “Not the same.”

Li Tong flashed a deathly smile.

Luckily, the teacher didn’t take roll. During the break, Tang Tianman texted Ruan Ruan about lunch together. Ruan Ruan replied no.

“Tsk.” Tang Tianman showed Li Tong her phone. “Won’t even eat with us.”

Li Tong: “Tsk, like eating’s such a big deal for her.”

Tang Tianman: “That’s why you eat with important people.”

Li Tong flashed another deathly smile.

Two big morning classes—exhausting.

Tang Tianman was in high spirits and not rushing to the cafeteria with Li Tong. “Let’s check out the scenery first.”

“What scenery?” Li Tong was skeptical. “In this weather?”

“There’s a maple tree by the Sports Gymnasium, red like fire. After the rain, it’s got this vibe.” Tang Tianman looked dreamy.

“There’s a girl by the Sports Gymnasium, tall like a little poplar. One look from Tang Tianman, and it’s got this vibe.” Li Tong mimicked her passive-aggressively.

Tang Tianman punched her arm.

Li Tong: “I’m done for.”

Tang Tianman pulled out her phone. “Hold on, gotta ask something.”

Li Tong casually peeked over her shoulder at the whole exchange asking Zheng Xiyu what she was doing.

Zheng Xiyu replied fast: eating, then coach meeting.

Tang Tianman pocketed her phone. “Okay, lunch time.”

Li Tong: “No scenery?”

Tang Tianman linked arms with her. “We can look on the way.”

Li Tong shoved her. “Go hold your own umbrella, pest.”

Tang Tianman knew she was being annoying, so they skipped the school cafeteria for lunch and went out for a big meal.

The two snapped some photos and posted them to the dorm group chat, tagging Ruan Ruan. But Ruan Ruan didn’t reply.

So Tang Tianman and Li Tong gossiped about their classmate Ruan Ruan as they ate, fantasizing about her and Jiang Xue getting up to all sorts of things—and how that had somehow turned Tang Tianman into the way she was now.

By the time the fantasy reached that point, Li Tong wasn’t pleased.

“Fuck,” she tossed her chopsticks down, suddenly no longer in the mood to eat. “Doesn’t that leave me as the pitiful one in the end?”

Tang Tianman quickly ordered her an expensive dessert by way of comfort.

With no classes that afternoon, the pair ate their fill and then went shopping to walk off the meal before finally heading back.

Li Tong was surely planning to flop onto her bed the moment they returned. No matter what she was doing—homework, gaming, watching movies—it all had to happen on the bed, where it was most comfortable.

Tang Tianman had a bit more ambition. The books in her bag were already at the ready; she planned to rest for a while, then head to the library to keep poring over her research materials.

The two dawdled their way back to the dorm. When they pushed open the door, the curtains were drawn tight, plunging the room into darkness like some demonic lair.

Li Tong reached up to flick on the light. Tang Tianman was humming a little tune as she went to set down her bag when suddenly a long-haired head poked out from the bed and said in an eerie voice, “Tang Tianman… come here…”

Tang Tianman was so startled she nearly swung her bag at it.

Li Tong shuddered and managed to switch on the light.

The head dangling from the bed belonged to Ruan Ruan. Her hair was a tangled mess, her whole body limp and listless, her face somewhat puffy.

“What happened to you?” Tang Tianman dropped her bag and hurried over, clambering up the ladder for a closer look. “Did you oversleep, or were you crying? Why are your eyes so red?”

Ruan Ruan swatted her hand away and fixed her with a stare. “Tang Tianman, I want to lose weight.”

Tang Tianman blinked. “You say that to me three times a day on average.”

Ruan Ruan insisted, “This time it’s real. I’ve made up my mind.”

Tang Tianman replied, “You say that to me three times a week on average.”

Ruan Ruan suddenly raised her voice. “Tang Tianman, what the hell?!”

Tang Tianman panicked and scrambled up the ladder onto Ruan Ruan’s bed. She looked her over from head to toe before saying, gently and earnestly, “Okay, okay. What exactly happened? Tell me.”

Ruan Ruan let out a cold laugh. “I don’t want to talk about it. I want to lose weight.”

Tang Tianman nodded. “Lose weight—I’ve got plans ready to go.”

Ruan Ruan shook her head. “I want to exercise.”

Tang Tianman said, “Exercise—ask Zheng Xiyu about anything you don’t get.”

At the mention of Zheng Xiyu, Ruan Ruan burst into a wail. She started thumping her quilt with both fists in turn. “I need to learn one more thing, Tang Tianman. Don’t hold anything back—teach me everything you know!”

Tang Tianman felt a pang of heartache and gave in completely. “Learn, learn, learn. Whatever you want—just say it.”

Ruan Ruan lifted her head and brushed the hair from her face, tucking the strands behind her ears. “Tell me how you seduced Zheng Xiyu.”