Shen Jia Yan turned the Rubik’s Cube and took a deep breath. “Ready.”
Under the warm yellow light, the Rubik’s Cube cast a shadow on the tabletop. Shen Jia Yan’s fingertips trembled slightly as scenes from her days of nonstop practice flashed through her mind—the computer screen paused repeatedly on tutorial videos at one in the morning, sneaking practice sessions in the back of the classroom during ten-minute breaks, even her fingers twisting in her dreams while memorizing formulas.
“Time starts now.” Wen Wan Ning pressed the stopwatch on her phone, her eyes sparkling like they held the stars.
The Rubik’s Cube spun rapidly in Shen Jia Yan’s palm, the colored blocks emitting faint clicking sounds. She could feel Wen Wan Ning’s gaze fixed on her hands, so intense it nearly burned a mark into her skin. This made her heart race even more than the spotlight on stage.
Thirty seconds passed, and the cube was nearly solved. Fine beads of sweat formed on Shen Jia Yan’s forehead, one droplet sliding down her temple. She didn’t dare wipe it away, afraid of wasting even a fraction of a second.
“Ten seconds left.” Wen Wan Ning reminded her softly, her voice laced with irrepressible amusement.
Shen Jia Yan’s fingers suddenly slipped, and one block jammed. Her heart skipped a beat as she glimpsed the phone screen in her peripheral vision: 00:57, 00:58…
“Done!” She slammed the restored Rubik’s Cube onto the table.
Wen Wan Ning hit pause, the screen showing 0:59. She raised an eyebrow at Shen Jia Yan. “Impressive.”
Panting, Shen Jia Yan’s chest heaved dramatically. She wiped the sweat from her chin, her eyes shining extraordinarily bright. “A bet’s a bet.”
Wen Wan Ning flipped her phone face down on the table and said warmly, “Go ahead, what’s your condition?”
Shen Jia Yan thought for a moment and asked, “I haven’t decided on the condition yet. Can I save it for later?”
Wen Wan Ning tilted her head slightly, a strand of hair slipping from her shoulder. She gazed at Shen Jia Yan’s sweat-dampened sideburns and chuckled softly. “Sure.”
Shen Jia Yan was momentarily stunned, not expecting such quick agreement.
She had prepared a whole speech, like “I’ll owe you” or “I’ll claim it next time,” but Wen Wan Ning just smiled lightly and agreed so casually that it left her speechless.
“Really?” she asked tentatively, her tone tinged with disbelief.
Wen Wan Ning leaned back in her chair, looking up at her with gentle, teasing eyes. “You went all out. How could I back out now?”
The corners of Shen Jia Yan’s mouth curved up involuntarily, as if she had finally confirmed her victory in the bet.
After putting away the mission-accomplished Rubik’s Cube, the two enjoyed a pleasant late-night snack.
Afterward, they returned to the school gate to wait for Yu Xiaohuan as agreed.
The gossipy Xu Jingyao dragged Fu Jinxi and Zhang Min along under the pretense of buying fruit and showed up at the gate too.
Seeing Shen Jia Yan and Wen Wan Ning standing there, she jogged over. “Jia Yan, what a coincidence.” Then she turned to Fu Jinxi and Zhang Min who had followed. “We were just out buying fruit.”
Shen Jia Yan shot her a covert glare, seeing right through her little scheme. “Yeah, super coincidental.”
Since they were here, it would be awkward not to say anything.
She turned to Wen Wan Ning. “Wan Ning, these are my roommates.” Then she pointed to the three. “Xu Jingyao, Fu Jinxi, Zhang Min.”
Wen Wan Ning’s lips curved up as she nodded at them. “Hi.”
Shen Jia Yan continued the introductions. “This is my high school classmate, Wen Wan Ning.”
Xu Jingyao teased, “We know. Wan Ning, right? Jia Yan mentions you all the time. You’ve practically become the fifth roommate in our dorm.”
Wen Wan Ning couldn’t help but laugh, her gaze shifting to Shen Jia Yan. “Oh? I have that honor?”
Shen Jia Yan’s ear tips flushed red, her glare at Xu Jingyao fierce enough to “kill” her a hundred times over.
“Don’t listen to her nonsense,” she said, trying to sound calm but unable to hide her embarrassment. “I don’t mention you all the time.”
“Sure, sure,” Xu Jingyao said with an “I get it” expression, deliberately drawing out her words. “Just once in a while, like at meals, before bed, while gaming…”
Zhang Min stifled her laughter nearby, while Fu Jinxi simply turned away, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold it in.
Wen Wan Ning stood there, her lips curved in a smile, her eyes growing even gentler.
Watching Shen Jia Yan’s stubborn yet soft-hearted panic, a wave of sweetness welled up in her heart.
So, in others’ mouths, she was such an existence.
She hummed softly, her tone natural and warm. “Then you can keep mentioning me. I don’t mind.”
Shen Jia Yan’s fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her shirt, crumpling the fabric in her palm. Looking into Wen Wan Ning’s smiling eyes, filled with gentleness that nearly drowned her.
Soon, Yu Xiaohuan arrived at the gate.
After greetings, Wen Wan Ning and she prepared to leave.
Shen Jia Yan grabbed Wen Wan Ning’s wrist, checking her phone with her other hand. “Wait a sec. The ride I called is almost here. It’s so late—no subway anymore.”
“No worries, we’ll just grab a cab back,” Wen Wan Ning said.
Shen Jia Yan ignored her and pointed to the car pulling up. “Here it is. Get in.”
“Fine.” Wen Wan Ning gave in.
After they got in, Shen Jia Yan held the door and told her, “Call me if anything comes up. Let me know when you get to school.”
The driver in the rearview mirror frowned. Talking like I’m some creep.
Wen Wan Ning responded softly, “Okay.”
Shen Jia Yan closed the door and watched the car drive away.
Xu Jingyao waved her hand in front of her face. “Not done staring yet?”
Shen Jia Yan snapped back and glared at her again. “You have the nerve to talk? You almost blew my cover back there.”
Xu Jingyao looked innocent. “I was just helping you level up your progress bar.”
Fu Jinxi scolded her. “Let’s not cause trouble for Jia Yan.”
Shen Jia Yan nodded in agreement. “Jinxi’s the reliable one.”
“Hmph.”
“Alright, alright, let’s go.” Zhang Min linked arms with her.
Shen Jia Yan smiled and still bought a few boxes of fruit to placate her.
In the car back, Wen Wan Ning gazed at the passing street scenes outside the window. Neon lights flickered on one by one in the dusk, reflecting her pensive face in the glass.
Yu Xiaohuan stewed for a long time before finally blurting out, “Wan Ning.”
Wen Wan Ning gathered her thoughts and turned. “Hm?”
She got straight to it. “Is the person Jia Yan likes you? Are you two together?”
“Her…” Wen Wan Ning’s voice was soft, nearly drowned by the jazz on the car radio. “She was just using me to get out of it.”
“Using you?” Yu Xiaohuan repeated, puzzled.
Wen Wan Ning sighed lightly. “She saw what your classmate felt for her and didn’t want to reject her outright, so she came up with this gentler way.”
Yu Xiaohuan blinked, still processing.
“So she held your hand on purpose to turn down someone else?”
Wen Wan Ning nodded slightly, a complex yet gentle smile on her lips. “Yeah, she’s always so considerate. She won’t embarrass people directly. Even a small hint, she’ll handle in the kindest way.”
“Oh.” Yu Xiaohuan got it. “That’s a shame then.” Then she asked, “So can she accept liking girls now?”
After all, her reason for rejecting Lin Yan was that she already liked someone, and it seemed to hint at Wen Wan Ning—not that she couldn’t accept liking girls.
Wen Wan Ning froze.
Yeah, her reason for rejecting Shao Han back then was that she couldn’t accept girls. Why hadn’t she said that today?
“She…” Wen Wan Ning’s voice was feather-light. “She did say before that she couldn’t accept girls.”
Yu Xiaohuan caught her hesitation keenly. “So now…”
Wen Wan Ning looked down at her phone, the chat with Shen Jia Yan open on the screen. “I don’t know.” She finally whispered. “Maybe…” She can accept girls now?
She didn’t know. She hadn’t even thought about it.
Yu Xiaohuan lit up like she’d discovered a new continent. “If that’s possible, that’s great. My classmate might still have a shot.”
She turned fully toward Wen Wan Ning. “Seriously, Wan Ning, Jia Yan was so cool tonight. Lots of guys can’t compare. No wonder girls like her so much.”
Wen Wan Ning listened to Yu Xiaohuan’s excited words, silently staring at the chat on her screen.
Shen Jia Yan had just sent: [You back at the dorm yet?]
She hadn’t replied.
“Right?” Yu Xiaohuan asked midway, noticing the lack of response and prodding a bit.
Wen Wan Ning came back to herself and hummed softly. “Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”
She neither denied nor argued, but unclear emotions churned inside her.
Anticipation, displeasure, and a hint of jealousy.
She hadn’t even realized that when others praised Shen Jia Yan as “cool” or “popular with girls,” a sourness would bubble up in her heart.
The words were true—even she thought Shen Jia Yan shone like the protagonist under the stage lights, radiating her own aura. But when others kept emphasizing her charm and popularity, she inexplicably felt… uncomfortable.
Like a sense of being spied on, coveted, quietly taking root.
She looked down at the phone screen, the message still sitting there: [You back at the dorm yet?]
So gentle, not like a casual check-in, but a quiet confirmation.
She didn’t reply right away, her fingertip absently caressing the screen, as if she could reach through the cold glass to touch that girl who sparkled under the stage lights.
Yu Xiaohuan noticed her distraction and poked her with a smile. “You a bit tired?”
Wen Wan Ning snapped back and nodded lightly. “Probably watched the show too long. Kinda sleepy.” She said it casually, but couldn’t hide the daze in her eyes.
Yu Xiaohuan dropped the topic, and Wen Wan Ning subconsciously ignored her odd feelings.
Soon, they arrived back at the dorm.
Wen Wan Ning messaged Shen Jia Yan: [I’m at the dorm.]
Shen Jia Yan replied almost instantly: [Good you’re back. Go wash up. Thanks for coming to see me today. (Super happy puppy.jpg)]
Wen Wan Ning looked at her phone, a doting smile appearing on her face without her even realizing.
