Chapter 38: Aren’t You Really Dating…?

Xu Jingyao pulled Fu Jinxi and Zhang Min to sit down.

Just as she was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of Shen Jia Yan still standing there, staring in the direction Lin Xingyu had left.

She gently tugged at her pant leg. “Jia Yan.”

Shen Jia Yan snapped back to reality. “Huh?”

“Why are you staring like that?”

“No, nothing.” Shen Jia Yan saw everyone else sitting down and followed suit.

Xu Jingyao continued, “Look at them—how brave, how open.”

Fu Jinxi chimed in, “Yeah, way more upfront than someone who was just secretly gossiping about them.”

“I was… I was just concerned about a classmate,” Xu Jingyao insisted forcefully.

Zhang Min suddenly leaned in, lowering her voice mysteriously. “For real, though—what do you all think about two girls being together?”

Shen Jia Yan’s heart raced, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her palms. The moonlight happened to be blocked by clouds, hiding the tips of her ears that had turned red in an instant.

Xu Jingyao bumped her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “Minmin, who knew you could be so—gossipy.”

“I think it’s great,” Fu Jinxi said casually, plucking a blade of grass. “If you like someone, you like them. As long as both are sincere, respect each other, and cherish one another, that’s what matters. Who can dictate feelings so rigidly?” She pulled out her phone and opened her photo album. “My cousin just got married to her girlfriend in Canada.” She waved the phone. “Their wedding photos are super sweet.”

Zhang Min glanced at the wedding photos and said naturally, “I’m pretty envious of that kind of pure love. At least it doesn’t get tangled up in too many worldly things.”

Shen Jia Yan quietly unclenched her fists, her palms covered in crescent-shaped nail marks. She pretended to look up casually, gazing toward Jingbei University—toward Wen Wan Ning’s school.

“But…” Xu Jingyao suddenly turned to her. “Jia Yan, why have you been so quiet?”

Shen Jia Yan stared in the direction of Jingbei University and said softly, “I’m just thinking… it’s so nice to be able to hold hands openly like that. It’s so nice for your feelings to be understood by the people around you.”

Her “entertainment reporter” instincts picked up the scent of gossip in an instant.

“You…” She leaned close to Shen Jia Yan, her voice barely above a whisper. “Do you have someone you like?”

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Shen Jia Yan opened her mouth but couldn’t get any words out. She just lowered her head, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I…” Her voice was so soft it nearly dissolved in the breeze.

Seeing her half-admission, Xu Jingyao looked triumphant. “I knew it—she’s got something going on.” She probed further. “Is it that classmate you went to visit at Jingbei University?”

Fu Jinxi nodded along, then suddenly realized something and frowned. “But Jia Yan said her classmate is a—girl.”

“She’s a girl, and I like her.” Shen Jia Yan declared her feelings as openly as Lin Xingyu had.

Her three roommates let out muffled gasps in unison.

Xu Jingyao grabbed her wrist excitedly. “Really? You really like girls?”

“Yeah.” Shen Jia Yan added, “If you can’t accept it, that’s fine. I can keep my distance from you all, or even move out.”

“What are you talking about?” Xu Jingyao suddenly pinched her wrist hard enough to make Shen Jia Yan look up in pain.

Fu Jinxi patted her lightly too. “Are you dumb? We were just praising how brave Lin Xingyu is.”

“We’re classmates, roommates, and friends. We’ll always be your solid backup,” Zhang Min agreed.

She silently handed Shen Jia Yan a tissue. Only then did Shen Jia Yan realize her tears had already fallen onto the grass.

“But what if…” Her hands clenched tighter. “What if other people…”

“Screw them!” Xu Jingyao jumped to her feet and pulled her up too. “Dorm 406 fully supports you in chasing your love!”

Moonlight broke through the clouds, illuminating Shen Jia Yan’s tear-streaked but smiling face. The sound of her heart’s walls crumbling turned out to be far gentler than she’d imagined.

※

Back in the dorm, everyone tidied up one after another, showered, and headed to bed.

Shen Jia Yan checked the time—lights out was imminent. She said goodnight to her roommates and headed out with her phone.

She had started school a bit earlier than Wen Wan Ning, and she was glad for it. That way, she could face those initial waves of unease and panic before Wen Wan Ning did.

When Wen Wan Ning enrolled, she could be the steady presence to catch all her disorientation.

Even though they weren’t at the same school, she could still soothe all of Wen Wan Ning’s anxieties from the unfamiliarity in late-night calls, with her gentle voice.

She knew Wen Wan Ning’s lights-out time was later than hers, and her free time each day was usually after Shen Jia Yan’s own lights out.

So, she typically called after lights out. To avoid disturbing her roommates, she’d finish all her bedtime routines beforehand, so she could hop straight into bed after the call.

Moonlight slanted across the dormitory building, dotted with points of light. Shen Jia Yan stood amid one of those glowing spots.

When Wen Wan Ning hesitantly said on the other end, “The dorm shower is so tiny,” Shen Jia Yan was leaning against the corridor window, her fingertip lightly tracing the moonlight reflected on the glass.

“The first time I used one, I nearly scalded myself with the hot water,” she said softly, sharing her own blunder as comfort. “Later, I figured out you have to turn the valve 15 degrees more to the left.”

A light laugh came from Wen Wan Ning on the other end, like a breeze brushing her ear. Shen Jia Yan unconsciously gripped her phone tighter, as if it brought her closer.

“Really?” Wen Wan Ning’s voice carried amusement. “Our almighty Shen Jia Yan got scalded by hot water too?”

Shen Jia Yan turned to gaze at the moon outside the window. “Not only that—I almost knocked over the shampoo bottle.” Then, more tenderly, “So every little mishap you’re facing now, I’ve already tested and messed up for you ahead of time.”

The faint rustle of fabric came through the phone, like Wen Wan Ning rolling over.

“So…” Wen Wan Ning’s voice suddenly softened, like a feather grazing her eardrum. “Does Teacher Shen have any more survival tips for freshmen?”

Outside, the autumn night buzzed with distant insect chirps. As Shen Jia Yan listened to Wen Wan Ning’s breathing gradually relax, all the confusion and loneliness she’d once faced alone melted into the warmth flowing through the phone line.

“Most importantly…” Shen Jia Yan gently pressed her chest, where emotions hotter than mere longing surged. “No matter what happens, you can call me first.”

The other end went quiet for a few seconds. When Wen Wan Ning spoke again, her voice held a softness Shen Jia Yan had never heard before. “Okay.”

Moonlight filtered through the late-night corridor window, tracing a silver gleam on Shen Jia Yan’s flushed ear tips.

In the early days of school, calling Wen Wan Ning every night became Shen Jia Yan’s unmissable ritual.

She wanted to accompany her as she slowly adjusted to university life, stay up with her through every homesick night, and be there for every moment she needed support…

Xu Jingyao always teased, “Aren’t you really dating?”

Shen Jia Yan always replied, “The road is long.”

Her feelings for Wen Wan Ning were never a fleeting crush but a steady, enduring wait.

Wen Wan Ning might not understand yet—or might not be ready to face the deep affection hidden behind her silences and tenderness.

But she wasn’t in a hurry.

She remembered once when Wen Wan Ning asked, “Why are you so good to me?”

She just smiled and said, “Because you’re my best friend.”

She had another line she hadn’t voiced: Because I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time now. But for the moment, I want to be the person you can rely on first—before becoming the person you like.

A week after classes officially started, Shen Jia Yan and Fu Jinxi received notice from the Taekwondo Club.

The club required new members to begin training, scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from eight to ten p.m.

Shen Jia Yan stared at the training schedule, her brows furrowing unconsciously. Her fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, making a dull sound.

“If I train, I’ll get back at least ten-thirty…” she muttered to herself.

She thought for a moment, then sat next to Fu Jinxi and said apologetically, “Jinxi, I’m afraid I can’t train with you at the Taekwondo Club anymore.”

Fu Jinxi set down her skincare product and frowned at her. “What’s up? Something come up?”

“I’m planning to quit the Taekwondo Club.”

Fu Jinxi, who had just applied her face mask, whipped her head around, nearly dislodging it. “Huh? Didn’t we just sign up? We haven’t even gone to a single activity.”

Shen Jia Yan rubbed the back of her neck, her voice quieter. “Training ends too late at night.”

Fu Jinxi narrowed her eyes. “How late?”

“Ten o’clock end, then back to the dorm to freshen up—probably almost eleven.”

“And?” Fu Jinxi raised a brow.

Shen Jia Yan’s ear tips warmed, her voice growing smaller. “Wan Ning usually rests at ten-thirty.”

She didn’t want to miss their one daily chance to chat.

The dorm fell silent for a second.

“Ooooh~~~” Fu Jinxi drew out the sound, her mouth curving up wildly under the mask. “Time conflict, huh.”

Shen Jia Yan nodded sheepishly.

“Shen Jia Yan, you love-struck fool,” Xu Jingyao quipped as she passed by.

Shen Jia Yan coughed lightly, trying to defend herself. “Didn’t you all say you’d support me before?”

Fu Jinxi held back a laugh, raising her hands in surrender. “We support you, of course.” She cleared her throat dramatically. “I approve your withdrawal from the Taekwondo Club.” She paused, then winked. “But in exchange, when are you bringing your ‘family member’ to treat us to dinner?”

Shen Jia Yan’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll try.”

Some choices didn’t even need weighing. No hobby could compare to a sleepy “goodnight” from the other end of the line.

She knew their relationship was inching forward. She was willing to wait, to protect that hidden affection with every punctual call.

Calling Wen Wan Ning was never just a habit for her—it had become the most vital ritual in her life. She didn’t want to miss a single second.