A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind. What does he want with me?
Mu Bai loomed over her like a mountain, his tall, imposing figure casting a shadow. “Chu Yunhan said you were looking for me.”
His voice was deep and icy, resonating in her ears. The unmistakable chill in his tone made her shiver.
When did I ever look for him? Su Qingqing wondered.
Oh, no! The realization struck her. In the original novel, her character—the original host—had been obsessively tracking the male lead. She’d constantly interrogated Chu Yunhan from every possible angle, trying to learn Mu Bai’s whereabouts. But because the male lead was rarely on campus, her efforts to cross-dress as a man to stalk him had been a complete waste of time.
“I… yes.” Su Qingqing grabbed a piece of clothing without looking and waved it in front of Mu Bai. “I just bought this. Do you think the color looks good?” she forced a smile.
A pair of bright red underwear dangled blatantly before his eyes.
Mu Bai said nothing.
As his expression grew increasingly strange, Su Qingqing finally glanced down at what she was holding.
Underwear!
Her face flushed crimson. She was waving a pair of bright red boxer briefs in the air, right under their combined gaze.
Su Qingqing froze.
“No, wait… I grabbed the wrong thing! It’s a scarf!” she stammered, stuffing the underwear beside her bed and frantically searching for a scarf. It was a pathetic attempt to cover her tracks.
But as she said the word scarf, his gaze remained just as strange. She looked down at the short-sleeved shirt in her hand. A scarf? In this heat? What am I, a hen brooding eggs?
The air seemed to solidify around them. Su Qingqing knew she was only digging herself deeper. Thankfully, Mu Bai said nothing, but his stare… his stare was terrifying.
She glanced at his impeccable attire and awkwardly tucked the red boxers away.
She couldn’t blame him for being on guard. Who wouldn’t be? Imagine having someone constantly pry into your whereabouts, only to wave a pair of bright red boxers in your face and ask if they looked good.
The more she thought about it, the more horrifying it sounded. She had no idea how to break the suffocating tension. The boxers had been bought by the original host to deceive others, not to be worn.
Finally, she grabbed her clothes and stole one last glance at the figure in the living room. She needed to go to the bathroom and shower.
Afterward, she’d have to re-wrap her chest binder, only loosening it once she was safely in bed.
Su Qingqing sighed, her chest sore and flushed. She vowed to wrap the binder looser from now on; any injury she might cause herself would be a price too steep to pay.
Gently massaging the aching area, she slipped into her pajamas and walked to her bed. While this was an upscale dormitory, it was still a dorm room at its core. To discourage a sense of separation between students, the beds were arranged facing each other rather than being divided into separate rooms, though the space was still vast and luxurious.
Su Qingqing had only been in this world for two days. For the first two nights, the male lead had been away, and she had relished the freedom. Now, she had to sleep facing him, bed to bed.
The discomfort was overwhelming. She stared at the opposite bed—neat and meticulously kept—and tossed and turned, unable to sleep for the first time since her arrival.
From the living room came the faint rustle of pages turning. Su Qingqing untied her chest binder, let out a soft breath, and rolled onto her side as drowsiness washed over her.
Lulled by the melodic sound of turning pages, she finally drifted into a dream.
A figure passed her bed, pausing for a moment before moving on.
In her dream, the original host was alone in the dorm. There was no sign of the male lead or anyone else. She sat on the sofa, a figure of desolate solitude, staring out the window.
Before Su Qingqing could process the scene, the dream shifted. Now, the original host was pinned against a wall by a man. He snarled a warning, then, without laying a hand on her, spat a few more curses before leading his entourage away.
Su Qingqing recognized the man. She hadn’t seen him during her two days here, but he had the look of a school bully.
A school bully? she thought. The third male lead, the one who loves the female lead but can never have her… That’s always the school bully. After graduation, his family would be one of the most influential in the country, second only to the male lead’s.
Su Qingqing sighed. By this point, the original host must have been madly in love with the male lead.
The dream shifted again. This time, she was in a luxurious villa. After a quick glance around, Su Qingqing guessed it was the home of the original host’s wealthy parents.
A sudden scream startled her, and she whipped her head toward the living room.
The original host stood there, her hair now shoulder-length, her beautiful face streaked with tears.
“Why?! Why do I have to leave? Am I not your daughter?!” Her voice cracked with despair and grief.
Three people sat opposite her. One was a girl about the same age—the female lead, no doubt. Beside her, a well-groomed middle-aged couple tried to soothe her. They were obviously the original host’s parents.