“Zhizhi, have you heard? Feng Sinian has been scouting out all the red roses around Jingzhou University lately. Is he planning to confess to you?”
Her roommate, Li Zimeng, suddenly scrambled up the bunk ladder and poked her head out, snapping Nan Zhi back to her senses.
Feng Sinian was Nan Zhi’s Childhood Friend. Their families had been close since they were in kindergarten. The two of them had been inseparable since childhood, and in the eyes of outsiders, they shared a deep bond. Not only were their college entrance exam scores the top two in Anhe City, but they had also been admitted to the prestigious Jingzhou University together.
Everyone assumed they would end up together. Nan Zhi used to think so too.
Hearing the news, she lowered her eyes. “Is that so?”
But she was clearly allergic to pollen.
When Nan Zhi was six, she and Feng Sinian had accidentally wandered into a stranger’s backyard garden. Nan Zhi had gone into anaphylactic shock and fainted. Feng Sinian, unable to carry her, had stumbled toward the road and knelt in the middle of the street, begging a passing driver to save her. From then on, Feng Sinian had always consciously kept her away from flowers.
Nan Zhi hadn’t heard Feng Sinian mention meeting any new girls, but she didn’t think she was the intended recipient of the confession either.
After Bai Wei appeared, she and Feng Sinian could never go back to the days when they shared everything.
Even though Feng Sinian seemed to treat her the same as always after that, she would occasionally catch a glimpse of resentment flickering in his eyes.
Thinking of Bai Wei, Nan Zhi’s expression darkened.
Bai Wei was a transfer student in their senior year of high school. She wore her hair in a high ponytail, and her complexion was a sickly, deathly pale. Her faded clothes and trousers marked her status as a Poor Student from head to toe. Yet, her expression was stubborn and her aura cold; she didn’t spare even a single glance for the students sitting below the podium.
After the teacher left, Bai Wei’s gaze swept across the classroom. The only empty seat left was by the window in the corner—the seat next to Feng Sinian.
Her brow furrowed slightly. She stood on the stage for a moment before walking over hesitantly.
Feng Sinian was napping with his head on the desk. Bai Wei tapped lightly on the tabletop. “Hello. May I sit next to you?”
Tang Yuan, never one to miss out on drama, poked Nan Zhi’s arm. “Zhizhi, she wants to sit next to your Sinian.”
Nan Zhi followed her gaze. As expected, Feng Sinian irritably told Bai Wei to get lost.
Unmoved, Bai Wei pulled out the chair and sat down, placing a book between their two desks. “Don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of getting close to you; there just aren’t any other seats in the classroom. This book will serve as our boundary line. We’ll stay out of each other’s way.”
“She’s the first person who hasn’t backed down from Feng Sinian’s temper,” Tang Yuan whispered, leaning in closer. “Zhizhi, don’t you feel a sense of crisis?”
Nan Zhi turned back disinterestedly and continued her practice problems. “It’s the critical stage of senior year. Let’s just focus on studying.”
Tang Yuan smiled mischievously. “Fine, fine. I’m sure Feng Sinian won’t be interested in her. After all, he has a talented and beautiful childhood friend like our Zhizhi. How could a mere newcomer possibly compete?”
Nan Zhi didn’t expect those words to eventually come true.
From the moment Bai Wei transferred in, she never took the initiative to say a single word to Feng Sinian. The latter, in turn, gradually moved from contempt to accepting such a quiet seatmate.
Until one day, after evening self-study ended, Feng Sinian passed by the end of an alley and rescued Bai Wei, who had been cornered by a group of people.
Standing under the dim light, Feng Sinian glanced at her shoulder, which was exposed by her torn clothing, took off his jacket, and threw it over her.
Bai Wei froze, then thanked him in a trembling voice.
Perhaps it is easier to let one’s guard down in moments of vulnerability; huddled in his jacket, she began to talk about her background.
Only then did he learn that Bai Wei had an abusive father and a cowardly mother. Her tuition over the years had been earned by her own hands. Her gambling addict of a father owed a lot of money, and the debt collectors had tracked her down, nearly assaulting her.
From that night on, their lives began to intersect. She even joined Feng Sinian and Nan Zhi, turning their duo into a trio.
Nan Zhi remained unfazed by this, habitually bringing Feng Sinian health tea.
He had a weak stomach, so the ingredients she added to the tea were specifically for stomach nourishment.
One morning, as usual, Nan Zhi placed the thermos of health tea on Feng Sinian’s desk.
The moment she left, Bai Wei poured the tea from the thermos into the trash and took out her own plastic cup. She opened the scuffed cup and poured a milky-white liquid into his thermos.
Nan Zhi only realized the health tea had been discarded when she heard Tang Yuan’s gasp. She frowned and stopped Bai Wei. “What are you pouring in there?”
Bai Wei answered, puzzled, “It’s soy milk.”
Tang Yuan laughed out of sheer anger. “Why did you pour it out? The health tea Zhizhi brews uses very expensive medicinal herbs. Did you get Feng Sinian’s permission to just throw it away like that?”
At the mention of Feng Sinian’s name, Bai Wei became more confident. “He’s the one who allowed it. So what?”
Nan Zhi pulled Tang Yuan behind her, her eyes cold as she questioned Bai Wei. “Don’t you know Feng Sinian can’t touch soy products? Are you trying to kill him?”
Bai Wei was stunned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that. He said yesterday that he wanted to drink the soy milk I brewed.”
Seeing her admit her mistake, Nan Zhi didn’t intend to pursue it further. “Feng Sinian has a bad stomach and can’t drink soy milk. Please pour it out.”
Feng Sinian walked into the classroom to find a crowd gathered around his seat. He strode over quickly.
Without waiting for anyone to explain, he stood in front of Bai Wei and questioned Nan Zhi with a dark face, “Are you bullying Bai Wei?”
Nan Zhi hadn’t expected that Feng Sinian, who had always protected her without hesitation, would accuse her so indiscriminately in front of everyone. “I wasn’t bullying her. I was just telling her that you can’t drink soy milk.”
The Feng Sinian she knew was supposed to be upright and rational, yet now he was branding her as the aggressor without even asking for the facts.
Feng Sinian unscrewed the cap and, ignoring Bai Wei’s attempt to stop him, drank it all in one go.
Bai Wei cried out, “Feng Sinian, do you have a death wish?”
Nan Zhi watched as he held the empty cup before her eyes and shook it as if to prove a point. She clenched her hands tightly. Her fingernails dug into her palms, but she couldn’t feel the pain; she only felt a suffocating sensation in her heart that made it hard to breathe.
Feng Sinian looked at Bai Wei, his gaze warm. “She woke up early to prepare this soy milk for me. I have to finish it.”
Nan Zhi’s eyelashes trembled violently for a few moments before she managed to suppress the emotions surging within her.
He said Bai Wei woke up early to grind soy milk for him. But for all these years, she had also woken up early to personally brew health tea for him. He never mentioned it, simply accepting her kindness as a matter of course.
“Fine,” Nan Zhi let out a soft breath, her chest feeling so heavy she could barely breathe. “Feng Sinian, you’re really something.”