— No, I’m not in a relationship. I’m single too.
“Aiya, aiya, what’s got you so happy this early in the morning? Tell me so I can share the joy.” Wen Ran yawned. “If you don’t rein in that smile, the corners of your mouth are going to reach your temples.”
She looked down at the coffee in front of her, her face scrunching up. “Good sister, who in their right mind drinks coffee this early in the morning?”
Only then did Fang Run snap out of her daze, the upward curve of her lips pressing down slightly.
Because of a single short sentence from Pei Luo, her mood was so buoyant that she was still floating on air through two classes.
Hearing Wen Ran’s words was what finally woke her from her beautiful dream, allowing her to manage her expression, at least marginally.
Fang Run glanced at her. The other girl was frowning and scrutinizing the coffee from top to bottom, looking utterly miserable and unable to stomach it.
“Who’s your good sister?” Fang Run’s tone was slightly cool. “You ran off from the bar last night without a word. Sister Wen Ran, someone who loves excitement as much as you do is a perfect match for black coffee.”
Even if Beijing’s public safety was good, there were still places the cameras couldn’t reach in the dead of night.
Even though Wen Ran had reported she was safe last night and came to class this morning completely intact, Fang Run was still a bit bothered.
In her memory, the other girl wasn’t this reckless or impulsive.
As a close friend, Fang Run had been genuinely worried about her.
Wen Ran’s expression stiffened. She tugged her lips into an unnatural smile, straightened up, and pushed the coffee to the farthest corner of the table.
She was silent for a few seconds before saying quietly, “Ran into an old friend. I was afraid she wasn’t safe. I couldn’t help but follow her.”
Fang Run understood almost instantly who the “old friend” referred to, but that only made her more displeased.
For someone else, she disregarded her own safety.
Yet the words of reproach wouldn’t come out. If it were her, and Pei Luo was walking alone at night, she’d also want to quietly follow from a distance to make sure she was safe.
In the end, Fang Run just expressionlessly pulled the coffee back in front of Wen Ran and said coldly, “If you don’t finish that, don’t ever expect me to fish you out of a bar again.”
Wen Ran’s face instantly turned ashen, as if she could already envision the torture of the bitterness seeping deep into her bones.
After class, Fang Run and Wen Ran left the classroom together.
“Oh, right, our Directing Department has an activity recently. Everyone has to shoot a micro movie as an entry. Fang, my dear Department Beauty, please have a heart, you can’t just watch me die.” Having downed an entire cup of coffee, Wen Ran looked thoroughly unwell.
After speaking, she covered her mouth and let out a burp, her complexion listless.
Seeing her pitiful state, the anger in Fang Run’s heart had long since dissipated.
Wen Ran had asked her to work on micro movies or group projects before, and since she had nothing going on recently, Fang Run had no reason to refuse.
“But, who are you going to find to polish the script with?” Fang Run couldn’t help but ask.
Wen Ran might be a social butterfly, but she had a fiery temper when shooting, even having snapped at Fang Run before, let alone the scriptwriters she collaborated with.
Judging by Fang Run’s experience of seeing a new scriptwriter for every single project, this time would probably be another new partner.
Wen Ran smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know when the time comes. I found a real ace this time.”
The Playwriting Department was quite far from their teaching building, and Fang Run didn’t interact much with the people there. She was only slightly curious at the news and didn’t really dwell on it.
Thinking of something, Fang Run asked again, “Doesn’t that mean you’ll have to cut down on dates with your girlfriend?”
Although Wen Ran ate lunch with her every day, she’d take her girlfriend out on dates in the afternoon, and the latter rarely complained much about it.
They hadn’t even hit the one-week curse yet, but starting on a film project meant the whole group had to work together, inevitably cutting into date time.
Fang Run thought back and vaguely remembered this week’s girlfriend was the jealous and dramatic type.
Who knew Wen Ran would shake her head carelessly. “Broke up. No worries on that front at all, okay.”
“Broke up?” Fang Run stopped walking in surprise.
She was about to say something when a sudden thought flashed through her mind about what the other had said that morning, and she had a dawning understanding.
Fang Run’s expression was complicated. “Don’t tell me you broke up last night?”
Wen Ran was utterly shameless. “Yep, I don’t like procrastinating.”
Fang Run: “…”
There’s procrastinating, and then there’s… that. Not the same thing, right?
Speechless, she simply dragged the person towards the large lecture hall.
They were in different departments, but there were always a few shared electives. Fang Run had no major courses today, so the three consecutive morning filler classes were just an opportunity to chat and meet up with Wen Ran.
However, as soon as they arrived, they realized the lecture hall was exceptionally crowded today. Many unfamiliar faces had taken over half the room.
“What’s the situation?” Wen Ran was a little baffled.
Fang Run didn’t care much. She pulled her along, heading further back to find a suitable empty spot.
Just their luck, almost all the seats were full, and the empty ones were being held for others.
And to make matters worse, this professor loved calling on people to answer questions. Unauthorized absences got marked on your record.
Fang Run rubbed her forehead with a headache. She scanned the room and didn’t find a free seat, but she did spot a certain person—narrow roads for enemies.
“Yo, Department Beauty Fang, why didn’t I see you back at the dorm after National Day break?” A girl sitting at the outermost edge of a row not far away shot her a glance and spoke in a sickly-sweet, sarcastic tone.
Wen Ran had been about to socialize with a neighbor to figure out today’s special circumstances. She turned her head at the sound.
“Why is it you everywhere we go, Princess Sun?” Wen Ran raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. “This isn’t your house, so why are you throwing your weight around?”
Sun Zhu. A former member of Fang Run’s dorm.
Her family was supposedly decently well-off, her parents running a company. She herself had an arrogant personality and always loved showing off.
At the start of freshman year, a bare-faced military training photo accidentally turned Fang Run into the new Faculty Belle, infuriating Sun Zhu, who had been eyeing that spot. She had held a grudge ever since.
Sun Zhu thought Fang Run did it on purpose. She had caused plenty of trouble and thrown shade countless times since, even forming a clique to isolate Fang Run.
Fang Run didn’t want to clash with her and endured it all. But what she got in return was the other girl escalating—even sneaking around when she wasn’t looking to slash the new bag her mother had given her for her birthday, and dirtying Fang Run’s bedding with mop water.
Not only that, she tried to turn the tables, accusing Fang Run of buying knockoffs.
After Mother Fang found out, she decisively told her daughter to find a rental outside. That twist of fate led Fang Run to end up living in Pei Luo’s house.
Fang Run might want to avoid conflict, but Wen Ran was not one to swallow her anger.
Throwing aside her thirst for gossip, Wen Ran crossed her arms and looked down condescendingly at Sun Zhu. “You really think being called a princess makes you one? I’ve never seen a princess so poor she can’t even tell the real deal of some foreign luxury brand from a fake. Tsk, maybe Princess Sun here has carried so many knockoffs that she thinks the genuine article isn’t real?”
She had a razor-sharp tongue, her insults firing off relentlessly. At full force in high school, she could verbally joust with a crowd. Dealing with garbage like this was effortless.
Fang Run had moved out right when school started, leaving her no chance to put Sun Zhu in her place. That had left Wen Ran quite unhappy.
Maybe the heavens couldn’t stand it either, letting her run into the girl today. If she didn’t have a good venting session, she’d definitely be pounding the walls in frustration in the middle of the night.
Wen Ran hadn’t kept her voice down, and curious gazes came from all around.
Being stared at by so many people, Sun Zhu was losing face.
Glaring viciously at Wen Ran, she turned her head to Fang Run. “Department Beauty Fang, what’s the big deal about hiding behind someone else all the time? Could it be you’re planning to be a coward, hiding behind some ill-bred shrew of a friend like this?”
Sun Zhu hadn’t held back when speaking either, even feeling her combat prowess was peaking and brimming with confidence.
She was wearing heavy makeup today, her false eyelashes applied long and thick. In her emotional agitation, the lashes wobbled dangerously and, failing to hang on, drooped down halfway.
The long, black, curled false strip swung mid-air like a swing before it settled, partially covering one eye and making her look rather bedraggled.
The air froze for a few seconds. No one knew who cracked first, but stifled laughter followed, then a ripple of snickering and whispering around them.
Sun Zhu scrambled to press the fake eyelash back in place, but the haughty posture from before could not be maintained.
Her eyes bulging with rage, she glared at the silent Fang Run. “Fine, fine! You did this to make me look bad on purpose! Fang Run, you’re truly a vicious, scheming bitch. Just you wait. Don’t think moving out means it’s all over. The bad blood between us is far from settled.”
With that, Sun Zhu couldn’t bear to sit there any longer. She hauled up the girl next to her, and they both headed for the front door.
As the girl being dragged along was about to exit, she lifted her head and glanced back at Fang Run from afar before disappearing with Sun Zhu.
Two seats opened up. Even though Wen Ran didn’t want to use the spot Sun Zhu had left, she had to pinch her nose and sit down.
Noticing Fang Run hadn’t said a word since earlier, she said considerately, “Don’t worry. A paper tiger like Princess can’t stir up any real waves.”
Sun Zhu was clearly spoiled rotten by her family; all she had was a temper, no brains. She wasn’t a real threat.
Wen Ran didn’t take people like Sun Zhu seriously. She even secretly used her as entertainment—trashing the girl could cheer her up for a whole morning.
But Fang Run was different. She couldn’t quite face this type of person squarely.
The panic she’d once overheard from female classmates gossiping behind her back always haunted her like a shadow. Even knowing Sun Zhu was no real threat, worry would still creep in occasionally.
She didn’t want to experience that kind of vicious public opinion war a second time.
It was her hidden scar. Every time she looked down, she could see fresh, red blood oozing out, the wound hideous, as if it could never heal.
She had never told Wen Ran. If she could, she’d want no one to ever know that dark part of her past.
Hearing Wen Ran’s words, Fang Run suppressed the complicated feelings in her heart and smiled at her friend, signaling she was fine.
Soon, they found out why the lecture hall was so packed today.
—He Qiuyi had come.
As the most buzzworthy Triple Gold Best Actress of the present day, He Qiuyi was an almost perfect person. She had entered the Beijing Theatre Academy with top scores in both cultural and professional exams. During her time there, she balanced both her studies and career impeccably. After graduation, she skyrocketed, capturing multiple awards in one fell swoop.
Wen Ran was a casual fan too. To say she was thrilled to see the real person today was an understatement; soon, she had forgotten all about the earlier incident.
According to the explanation going around, He Qiuyi was back at the school to film a variety show. She needed to teach a brief, open film history class, with a camera crew recording it for inclusion in the main episode or extras after editing.
Wen Ran was so excited, it was like she was the one standing at the podium teaching. She held up her phone to snap pictures, not forgetting to enlighten Fang Run: “He Qiuyi. My goddess. Her acting is absolutely amazing.”
Fang Run was speechless at this besotted behavior. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked away, pretending not to know this drama queen who had instantly turned into a die-hard fangirl.
To be fair, He Qiuyi was beautiful and had a great attitude. She carried herself with real poise while lecturing and never acted stiff. When she occasionally called on people to answer questions, she was very patient. The whole classroom atmosphere was lively and enthusiastic.
When the question came to what the world’s earliest sound film was, He Qiuyi scanned the room and calmly called on someone: “The student in pink, on the outermost seat of the second row from the back.”
Fang Run was looking down at her phone. Pei Luo had sent a new message.
Pei Luo:
[Class over yet?]
[Let’s have lunch together]
On the very first day, Pei Luo had said she wanted to get a meal with her. It was only on the third day that there was finally a hint of it happening.
Fang Run was naturally happy to oblige. She was just about to tap the screen to reply when she was nudged by an elbow beside her.
Slightly frowning, she turned her head to look at Wen Ran.
Wen Ran was making exaggerated, tiny eyebrow gestures at her. Only then did Fang Run notice that the classroom had fallen unnervingly quiet.
She lifted her eyes. Gaze from all directions landed on her, as if they were observing a gorilla at the zoo.
In an instant, the shadow of being stared at and talked about pressed down on her heart even more heavily.
Fang Run instinctively wanted to evade this kind of attention. She raised a hand to shield her forehead, not quite understanding why this was happening.
“Calling you up to answer a question,” Wen Ran squeezed out from between clenched teeth. “What’s the world’s first sound film?”
The realization hit Fang Run, and she promptly stood up.
Across many rows, she met the eyes of the Triple Gold Best Actress standing behind the lectern. The latter smiled at her encouragingly.
“The Jazz Singer. It was released in the USA on October 6th, 1927.” Fang Run answered, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, her expression calm and gentle.
Although Fang Run loved spacing out in class, she quite liked film history. Besides, this particular fact had come up so often during her art school entrance exams that she hadn’t been able to forget it even after more than two years.
He Qiuyi smiled again. “Correct. Please sit down, classmate.”
Fang Run sat back down. She looked at her phone screen, thought for a few seconds, and didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she went to a corner of the hallway after class and dialed Pei Luo’s number.
A few seconds later, Pei Luo picked up. “Hello?”
Fang Run pinched the edge of her phone. “Sister Pei Luo, I was in class just now. Sorry, I only just saw your message.”
“I have time today at noon. We can go eat together.” Her voice was light and sweet, as if she was eagerly looking forward to their lunch for two. “What are we going to eat? Do I need to go back and change clothes?”
The sound of paper shuffling came from the other end. Then Pei Luo’s voice sounded again.
Pei Luo: “You don’t need to change. I’ll come pick you up in a bit, is that alright?”
“Sure, sure,” a little bird inside Fang Run’s heart was fluttering its wings, chattering noisily. “I’ll wait for you then, Sister Pei Luo.”
Hanging up, Fang Run still felt a thrill of joy.
She turned to walk out. But before she could leave the corner, she heard a slight commotion.
“It pisses me off! What gives Fang Run the right? It was just He Qiuyi calling on her to answer a question, so why is she all over the trending topics? And so many people praising her for being pretty and graceful—are they blind?” Sun Zhu’s voice rang out.
Fang Run’s body stiffened. The shadows of the past settled over her heart once more.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got some top-secret dirt on her. Let her enjoy the praise for now. The higher she’s lifted, the harder she’ll crash when it’s time.” Another voice sounded.
Sun Zhu: “What dirt? Tell me, come on.”
That person: “Don’t rush, you’ll know when the time comes.”
The footsteps faded into the distance. It was a long time before Fang Run stepped out of the corner.
She didn’t know who the girl talking to Sun Zhu was, but the certainty in her tone filled Fang Run with a sense of deep unease.
What kind of dirt could it be, to make her so certain that Fang Run would be shattered beyond repair?
Fang Run didn’t want to think any further. She pressed against her temples, feeling a needle-like pain flare in her head.
“Aye, what are you standing there for? Let’s go, let’s go. Gotta buy a fruit tea to celebrate.”
Wen Ran came jogging over, her face beaming. “Good sister, you’ve gone viral.”
