“Hey, it’s early morning—A-Wang, what are you doing?”
They were in a two-person dorm. He Weichen had been happily dreaming about beating up his scumbag dad and kicking his stepmother when he was jolted awake by Xie Qingwang yelling.
Xie Qingwang sat up on his bed, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
What the hell was that?
Why did he dream about Ji Nian? And that kind of dream?
No—that’s not the point. The point is, why was he like… a needle?!
He had to check!
Not even bothering to put on his shoes, Xie Qingwang rushed into the bathroom. After confirming things, he finally felt relieved.
Then he stared at his dark eye circles in the mirror, gritting his teeth. “Ji Nian, this is all your fault!”
“A-Wang, what’s wrong? You feeling sick or something?”
He Weichen was startled, thinking his stomach issues had flared up again.
“I’m fine, just taking a leak,” Xie Qingwang’s muffled voice came from inside.
“With the way you sounded, I thought your bladder was about to explode,” He Weichen rolled his eyes and crawled back into bed.
……
“Nian Nian, try this pink coat!”
Inside the mall, Ruan Yu was happily picking out clothes for herself and Ji Nian.
Even though online shopping was convenient, she still loved physical stores—shopping just felt more satisfying.
Ji Nian put on the coat and looked in the mirror. The reflection showed fair skin, delicate features, and a tall figure. The pink coat made her look soft and adorably gentle.
“Looks great, looks great,” Ruan Yu nodded.
“Then I’ll buy it.” Ji Nian made a decisive purchase.
They had arrived at the mall around 10 a.m., and by nearly noon, hunger drove them to find a place to eat.
“I checked reviews—this barbecue place is supposed to be good,” Ji Nian was quite picky about food.
Ruan Yu glanced at the place. Clean and tidy—it looked decent. “Let’s get milk tea. What do you want?”
“I’ll have fruit tea. Cuts the grease,” Ji Nian said.
“Good idea, I’ll get fruit tea too!”
It was the weekend, so the place was fairly busy, but the food came quickly and the service was good—no wonder it had high ratings.
Ji Nian liked cutting her barbecue into small pieces. She was focused on grilling when a male voice called out:
“Junior Ji, Junior Ruan—what a coincidence!”
Ji Nian didn’t recognize him, but Ruan Yu did. “Senior Xu An, what a coincidence.”
“Yeah, I came out with my roommates for a weekend meal.” Xu An wore glasses; his looks weren’t remarkable, but he had a refined, scholarly air.
A table nearby had just freed up, so they sat down.
“He’s a senior from our department, a sophomore,” Ruan Yu quietly explained to Ji Nian.
Ji Nian nodded.
After sitting down, Xu An transferred 200 yuan to someone on his phone, then smiled at Ruan Yu. “First time here—any recommendations?”
“It’s our first time too. We just ordered the highest-rated dishes,” Ruan Yu handed him the menu. “Take a look, Senior.”
“Alright.”
When Ji Nian glanced up, she noticed that when Xu An took the menu, he practically grabbed Ruan Yu’s fingers along with it—but Ruan Yu didn’t seem to notice.
Ruan Yu was usually carefree and wouldn’t think much of it, but Ji Nian felt uncomfortable.
“A-Yu, is this meat ready?”
“Let me check.” Ruan Yu focused on the grill.
“This place is pretty expensive,” one of Xu An’s thin roommates clicked his tongue. Looking at the two girls’ food and drinks, he couldn’t help saying, “Girls have it good—they can eat whatever they want.”
Xu An cut him off, displeased. “I’m treating. Why are you talking about them?”
The thin roommate gave an awkward smile. He came from a poor family and lived frugally. In his mind, girls should be even more thrifty—otherwise how would they manage a household after marriage?
But knowing Xu An’s stance, and since he was getting a free meal, he didn’t dare say more. “I was just making a comment, nothing else.”
“Watch what you say next time.” Xu An glanced at nearby tables, only to see no one paying attention.
Ji Nian placed a piece of meat in Ruan Yu’s bowl. “This beef is really good.”
“I’ll try.” Ruan Yu chewed. “Delicious.”
The two of them focused on eating, unaware that someone at a nearby table was taking photos.
After eating their fill, they planned to watch a newly released movie.
“What a coincidence—we were planning to watch a movie too,” Xu An smiled wider. “How about this—I’ll treat you two?”
“No, no, we’ll buy our own tickets,” Ruan Yu quickly refused. They weren’t close—no need to owe him a favor.
“Just let him buy them—Young Master Xu isn’t short on money,” one roommate teased loudly. “Let him show off a bit!”
His voice drew attention from nearby tables.
On weekends, the mall was mostly filled with students. Ji Nian and Ruan Yu had already gained recognition for their looks since entering university—especially Ji Nian, who had ties to Xie Qingwang, making her even more well-known.
Now many people recognized them.
As for Xu An, he was part of the student union, rumored to be wealthy and sociable—somewhat well-known himself. People didn’t expect him to be connected with these two.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Xu An said, looking embarrassed.
Ji Nian frowned, linking arms with Ruan Yu. “Really, no need, Senior Xu. We can afford movie tickets.”
“Exactly!” Ruan Yu was getting annoyed—his roommate’s words were unpleasant.
With that, the two of them paid and left.
Xu An’s expression darkened. “Who told you to talk like that?”
“Sorry, didn’t think they’d be so sensitive,” the teasing roommate said awkwardly. He couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t take advantage of a free offer.
……
“Bro Wang, that Ji Nian spread rumors about you yesterday, and today she’s out eating with another guy. That’s ridiculous.”
Inside a private room at a KTV called “Meise,” the gathering was organized by Fang Ruiming, who even showed up with a bandaged head to apologize to Xie Qingwang.
Xie Qingwang drank the wine he handed over—considering it forgiveness.
But right after, he heard someone say that.
The glass tightened in his hand. Thinking of that “red dot,” his expression darkened.
“What’s going on? Let me see,” He Weichen leaned back, stretching out his hand. “Phone.”
“Here, Brother Chen.”
It was a group chat, filled with several photos—all centered on Ji Nian.
He Weichen scrolled through them. “Are you blind? Can’t you see Ji Nian is eating with her girlfriend? Can’t you see that guy isn’t even at her table?”
After saying that, Xie Qingwang sat beside him, looking as if he didn’t care at all.
“Take a look, A-Wang. Compared to you, that guy’s nothing,” He Weichen deliberately held the phone in front of him.
“None of my business!”
Xie Qingwang shoved it away.
He Weichen clicked his tongue and kept scrolling. “Oh? Planning to watch a movie together?”
Hearing that, Xie Qingwang slammed his glass onto the table. He wanted to pull out his phone—but then realized he couldn’t message her.
Anyone could tell he was in a bad mood, but no one knew why.
“The cinema’s right next to this mall. How about we go watch a movie too?” He Weichen tossed the phone back and said casually.
“If you want to go, that’s none of my business,” Xie Qingwang snorted.
He Weichen shook his head while buying tickets. “Yeah, none of your business. I’m just buying for myself.”
“……”