“What’s wrong, Nian Nian?”
As soon as they entered the arcade, Ruan Yu noticed something was off. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine.” Ji Nian shook her head, suppressing the emotions in her chest, then smiled at her. “Maybe I just ate too much earlier. Let’s go exchange some tokens and play while we walk it off.”
“Alright! I have to win three plushies today.”
Meanwhile, Xie Qingwang was about to leave when someone stopped him.
Bai Xiao smiled at him. “Do you have time today? I can return your things.”
“What things?”
Xie Qingwang genuinely didn’t remember. “Are we even that familiar? Why would I have something at your place?”
Bai Xiao’s smile stiffened slightly. Luckily, her roommates were standing far away. She maintained her composure and said, “Last time I went to Tian’an Hotel to find someone, you dropped something in the lobby. I called out to you, but you didn’t hear me. Since we’re classmates, I didn’t want your belongings to get lost, so I kept it for you. I just haven’t had the chance to return it.”
“So what exactly is it?” Xie Qingwang’s patience was running out.
“A pink bunny keychain.” Bai Xiao took out her phone. “I even took a photo—look.”
She moved closer and showed him a picture of a pink bunny keychain about the length of a middle finger.
It looked like the one Ji Nian had forced on him before.
“No time today. Give it to me in class on Monday.” After saying that, Xie Qingwang turned and walked toward the arcade.
He Weichen glanced at Bai Xiao, raised an eyebrow without saying anything, and quickly followed. “Why are you walking so fast? Wait for me.”
After they left, Bai Xiao’s roommates ran over, all wearing teasing smiles.
“Wow, it feels like Young Master Xie treats you really well.”
“Of course—Bai Xiao is our class monitor and the class beauty. Who wouldn’t treat her nicely?”
Bai Xiao’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, stop it. We’re just ordinary classmates. Besides, he and that Ji girl…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.
“What is she even? There are tons of girls in school chasing after Young Master Xie. She’s just one of them.”
“Exactly. It’s been so long—has Xie Qingwang ever given her an official status? Why even care about her?”
Bai Xiao pretended to glare at them. “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not nice for Ji.”
“You’re just too kind,” her roommates said, defending her.
“Let’s drop it. Weren’t we going to watch a movie? Let’s go.” Bai Xiao looped her arms around them and pulled them into the cinema.
……
“I’ll go try the basketball game over there.”
After making rounds, the only game Ji Nian hadn’t tried was the basketball machine.
Ruan Yu was still battling a claw machine, only nodding distractedly. “Go ahead, go ahead.”
Ji Nian inserted a few tokens and started shooting—but missed five or six shots in a row.
“Big sister, your luck is really bad,” a little boy nearby couldn’t help teasing.
“I’m just not used to it yet,” Ji Nian refused to believe she couldn’t make a shot.
After missing several more, she finally found her rhythm and ended up scoring ten baskets.
“A kid’s basketball game, and your skills are still this bad?”
Xie Qingwang had no idea how long he’d been watching. His sudden voice startled her. “Why are you here again?”
“Why can’t I be?”
Ji Nian glared at him. “Don’t tell me you’re not following me.”
“So what if I am?” Xie Qingwang looked into her eyes—the same ones from his dream, though now they curved like crescents instead of being wide and round.
“Still playing? I can help you.”
His basketball skills were practically at a professional level.
“Xie, if you play for me, then what kind of game experience do I have?” Ji Nian didn’t even want to talk to him. “If you want to play, go play yourself. Stop bothering me.”
She really had changed. Back then, she would’ve loved him to play for her—now she said he was bothering her.
Xie Qingwang suddenly felt like he’d been influenced by He Weichen too much lately, just wasting time on entertainment.
He turned and shouted at He Weichen, who was riding a motorcycle game, “Indulging in pleasures ruins ambition—hurry up and go study!”
Then he strode out of the arcade, not wanting to see Ji Nian again for the rest of the week.
“He’s leaving already?” He Weichen hurried to finish his round.
What a weirdo.
Ji Nian had already lost count of how many times she’d called Xie Qingwang crazy today. How had she never noticed how abnormal he was before?
Then she realized—it must’ve been the filter.
No matter what he did before, she’d unconsciously beautified everything.
Shaking her head, she forced him out of her mind and focused on playing games.
The weekend passed with one day out having fun and one day sleeping in the dorm. By Monday morning’s early class, Ji Nian didn’t even feel as resentful as usual.
“Something’s off about the buns in the cafeteria today,” Ruan Yu frowned as she ate, eventually tossing the remaining half into the trash.
Ji Nian hadn’t eaten any buns. “Then don’t eat it. I’ve got some bread in my bag—have that instead.”
“No need, the soy milk is enough.” Thinking about the upcoming class, Ruan Yu groaned. “Why is our first class on Monday Advanced Math again?”
Friday last period and Monday first period—both were Advanced Math. It was torture.
“No choice—we just have to endure it,” Ji Nian said. She didn’t like math either.
Still, her self-control was decent—she could avoid her phone during class. Ruan Yu, on the other hand…
Less than ten minutes into class, she secretly pulled out her phone. Suddenly, she slammed the desk.
“What are you doing?” the teacher’s sharp gaze shot over.
“A mosquito just flew by—I didn’t control my strength when I slapped it. Sorry, teacher,” Ruan Yu quickly apologized.
Luckily, the teacher didn’t press further. “Be careful next time.”
Ji Nian leaned over. “What did you see that got you so worked up?”
“Look for yourself.” Ruan Yu placed the phone in front of her.
It was a photo.
The people in it were Xie Qingwang and Bai Xiao.
Xie Qingwang was sitting, while Bai Xiao stood in front of him, smiling as she handed him something.
Ji Nian zoomed in—and when she saw what it was, she couldn’t help tightening her grip on her pen.
No wonder he didn’t want to keep the keychain she gave him.
Turns out he was waiting for the female lead to give him one.
It was the exact same thing—yet hers was worthless, while the female lead’s was precious.
Even after being reborn and telling herself countless times not to like him anymore, Ji Nian still couldn’t suppress the bitterness rising in her chest when she saw this.
Why?
Why was everything she did never as good as just one smile from the female lead?
Buzz buzz—her phone vibrated with a text message.
Ji Nian opened it.
Someone had sent her a photo—the pink bunny keychain.
And when she saw the sender…
It was Xie Qingwang.
What did this mean?
Was he provoking her?