These individuals had gathered at this university from various high schools. When they first arrived, no one knew each other, and everyone was a stranger to one another.
It was their first time attending school so far from home, and the freshmen were all anxious. Because of this, when someone stepped forward to introduce themselves and extended a friendly gesture, they couldn’t help but accept the other person’s proactive goodwill.
This was exactly the case for Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu.
Even in their dormitory, where three of them had similar academic performances and one stood out significantly above them, they instinctively sought out like-minded peers to distance themselves from someone like Lu Huan.
Lu Huan’s silence was interpreted by them as aloofness. Her studying while they were having fun was seen as antisocial behavior, and they even felt she looked down on them and disdained their company.
Later, however, they heard that Lu Huan was gay and had a girlfriend none other than Jiang Wenshu, who had become famous as soon as she entered the university. Suddenly, Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu felt that this seemingly unapproachable person was just as ordinary as they were.
She, too, fell in love, and her girlfriend was someone like that.
Whenever Dong Sisi spoke ill of Lu Huan, Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu would listen nearby. Hearing the harsh words from Dong Sisi’s mouth, one of them would try to mediate, while the other would change the subject.
They had assumed Dong Sisi had some grudge against Lu Huan, but now, seeing Dong Sisi hovering around Jiang Wenshu without any clear purpose, they would have to be fools not to realize what was going on.
After finishing her washing up, Lu Huan came out and said to Jiang Wenshu, “Let’s go.”
Jiang Wenshu, who had been looking upset earlier, had softened considerably after Dong Sisi’s flattering remarks. She and Lu Huan left the dormitory one after the other.
They didn’t go far, stopping at the stairwell at the end of the hallway. It was a holiday, and most students had already left, leaving the entire building eerily quiet.
The events of the past few days made it difficult for Jiang Wenshu to speak, but she had already made her stance clear and even placed a bet with her friends. Backing out now would mean losing face in front of them.
She had spoken to Lu Huan during military training, never expecting that at this critical moment, Lu Huan would break up with her. She regretted taking Lu Huan to the bar, if they hadn’t gone, none of this would have happened.
Although Lu Huan remained silent, the system notifications never stopped.
[System: Target’s regret value increased by 1%]
[System: Target’s regret value decreased by 2%]
[System: increased by 2%]
Watching the fluctuating numbers that ultimately didn’t change much, Lu Huan muted the system notifications and spoke first, “What did you want to talk about?”
Jiang Wenshu snapped out of her thoughts. “We agreed to go on a trip together a while ago. My friends have already set the time, we leave tomorrow morning.”
Lu Huan had to remind her, “We’ve already broken up.”
Mentioning this made Jiang Wenshu irritable. “Why did you have to break up now, of all times.” Her words trailed off as she looked at Lu Huan’s face. She sighed in frustration and rubbed her forehead. “Lu Huan, you can’t be unreasonable.”
Lu Huan almost laughed in disbelief. What kind of statement was that? Since when was she the one being unreasonable?
“We broke up, but for the sake of your so-called pride, I still have to pretend to be your girlfriend? Are you crazy, or am I?”
But she didn’t say any of that. Instead, with a calm expression, she replied, “You can tell your friends that we’ve already broken up.”
“How am I supposed to say that? I’ve already…” With too many frustrations piling up lately, Jiang Wenshu no longer spoke softly to Lu Huan as she used to. She even felt that Lu Huan was slipping out of her control, which inexplicably irritated her. Her tone turned sharp. “Huanhuan, just come with me, please. I’ve already bragged to my friends, and they’re all bringing their girlfriends. If I show up alone, how embarrassing would that be?”
Lu Huan could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her eyes reddened slightly. “Am I just a matter of pride to you?”
That question struck right at Jiang Wenshu’s core because, to her, Lu Huan really was just about pride.
Jiang Wenshu was left speechless for a moment.
Raised with too much propriety, Lu Huan couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh or do anything to embarrass others. She couldn’t engage in messy, drawn-out conflicts either. She said seriously, “Let’s just end it here, Jiang Wenshu. Thank you for accompanying me this past year.”
Jiang Wenshu was straight. At most, the two of them had held hands a couple of times, and each time, Jiang Wenshu had let go within minutes. For someone who wasn’t attracted to women, holding hands felt unbearably awkward and disgusting.
For someone as prideful as Jiang Wenshu, having to humble herself repeatedly only to be met with indifference made her suddenly furious. “Lu Huan, you’re being ungrateful. So what if Anke drugged you? It’s not like anything happened to you. Besides, wasn’t there that older woman who saved you? I bet you were hoping she’d rescue you. Come to think of it, have you two slept together already? Did you sleep with her?”
Slap!
Lu Huan’s face flushed crimson, tears welling up in her eyes. Her hand, which had just struck Jiang Wenshu, hung trembling in the air. After a long moment, she gritted out through clenched teeth, “You’re despicable.” With that, she turned and ran out, pushing the door open.
As she stepped out, she tried to compose her humiliated and angry expression, only to find Dong Sisi eavesdropping. She continued to play her part dutifully until there was no one around, then her face returned to its usual impassive state. By the time she reached the dormitory door, she had put on a sorrowful expression again, entering dejectedly and sitting silently at her desk with her head bowed.
Her demeanor made Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu exchange puzzled glances.
Wei Jia, unable to hold back, pulled up a chair and sat beside her, asking cautiously, “Lu Huan, what’s wrong? Did Jiang Wenshu bully you?”
Lu Huan shook her head without speaking.
“Then what happened?” Naive Wei Jia took her at her word.
Wu Xinyu’s face turned cold, as if she had thought of something. “Have you seen Dong Sisi?”
Wei Jia, thinking the question was directed at her, looked around blankly and said, puzzled, “Huh? I just saw her here a moment ago.”
Lu Huan replied, “She’s in the hallway.”
Wei Jia stood up to go check. “What’s she doing in the hallway?”
Wu Xinyu sighed in exasperation and tugged at the back of her collar. “Why do you care what she’s doing?”
Wei Jia struggled. “Why are you pulling my clothes? Let go.”
That evening, while eating in the cafeteria, Lu Huan had just taken a bite of noodles when her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, it was a message from Lou Qing.
Lou Qing: Have you had dinner yet?
Lu Huan only needed to reply with “Eating now,” but after a moment’s thought, she decided to send a photo instead, a picture of her bowl and her hand included.
Lu Huan: Having noodles.
After sending it, she paused for a second and added another message.
Lu Huan: Not as good as wontons.
The wontons were exactly what the two of them had eaten together the night before.
Lou Qing quickly picked up on the girl’s implication.
Lou Qing: I’ll be done around ten. Want to grab a late-night snack?
Lu Huan’s eyes lit up, and she waited a few seconds before replying.
Lu Huan: Yes.
Lou Qing, who was currently eating takeout, held chopsticks in one hand and her phone in the other. Smiling, she tapped a few times on the screen before setting her phone down.
When she looked up, she saw Xiao Mu’s complicated expression and raised an eyebrow. “What? If you don’t want to eat, get out.”
Xiao Mu: “Boss, have you looked in a mirror?”
Lou Qing frowned. “Just say what you mean.”
Xiao Mu teased her, “You have no idea how ridiculously happy you just looked.”
Lou Qing lightly tapped Xiao Mu’s head with her chopsticks. “Want me to make you cry so hard you look ridiculous?”
Xiao Mu immediately covered her head and dodged. “Boss, I’m sorry.” Afraid of annoying her further, she grabbed her lunchbox and stood up. “Boss, I’ll go eat over there.” With that, she hurried off.
Lou Qing watched her run away, then picked up her phone from the table. She grinned at her reflection in the screen, only to find it looked perfectly normal. She immediately felt foolish for believing Xiao Mu’s nonsense.
After leaving the cafeteria, Lu Huan carried her laptop to the library to study. Not long after she sat down, someone took the seat across from her. She glanced up and was surprised to see Wu Xinyu. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Wu Xinyu, what are you doing here?”
Wu Xinyu had actually followed Lu Huan there, but she couldn’t say that. “Dong Sisi is playing games in the dorm, and it’s too loud.”
The mature older woman Wu Xinyu had been trying to get close to for a month had disappeared. Today, Dong Sisi seemed to have hooked up with someone else, speaking in such a sickly sweet tone it made Wu Xinyu nauseous. She hadn’t minded before, but now that she saw through the other’s true nature, she couldn’t stand it. Just then, she spotted Lu Huan heading to the library and decided to follow.
Lu Huan nodded to show she understood.
So the two sat across from each other, each focusing on their own studies.
However, while Lu Huan was immersed in her studies, Wu Xinyu kept glancing at her intentionally or unintentionally. Lu Huan didn’t notice, but others around them did.
The news of Lu Huan’s breakup with Jiang Wenshu had spread across the entire school. Many girls who liked Jiang Wenshu were starting to make moves, and quite a few had their eyes on Lu Huan as well.
Not to mention the upperclassmen, even the freshmen Lu Huan’s peers had been subtly observing this pretty girl since military training. Now that she was single, they felt their chance had come.
But Lu Huan was far too dedicated to her studies. From the moment she entered the library, she never lifted her head, completely absorbed in her work, undisturbed by anyone.
It wasn’t until 9:30 that everyone finally saw her move.
The alarm in her pocket vibrated, a reminder Lu Huan had set specifically because she was meeting Lou Qing for a late-night snack at ten.
“Are you heading back?” Wu Xinyu asked softly.
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll go with you.” Wu Xinyu began packing her books.
Lu Huan nodded. “Okay.”
After the two had walked away, the people waiting nearby for an opportunity all began to beat their chests in frustration, regretting their lack of courage earlier. They wished they had gone up to ask for contact information even if they couldn’t get it, just saying a few words would have been better.
Wu Xinyu asked, “Want to play games back at the dorm later? Wei Jia and I, the three of us.”
“No,” Lu Huan replied. The wind tousled her hair, and she tucked the stray strands behind her ear with a smile. “I’m going out for a late-night snack with a friend.”
“A friend?” Wu Xinyu frowned. It hadn’t even been half a month since the semester started, and she hadn’t seen Lu Huan get close to anyone except Jiang Wenshu.
“Mm,” Lu Huan said. “I met her at a bar a couple of days ago.” She didn’t mention how she had been drugged and then rescued by that older sister.
As soon as Wu Xinyu heard that the friend was from a bar, her brows furrowed deeply. “People from bars, they’re not good.” The place was chaotic, and you never knew what kind of person you might meet.
Thinking of Lou Qing, Lu Huan bit her lower lip and said seriously, “There are still good people there.”
Wu Xinyu felt that Lu Huan was being deceived. After all, she was too naive she had been fooled by someone like Jiang Wenshu for a whole year. Now, this so-called friend’s intentions for getting close to her were unclear. Given the chaotic environment of bars, the only motive Wu Xinyu could think of was that this person wanted to sleep with Lu Huan.
Recalling the sight of Lu Huan’s collarbone and exposed skin from the day before, Wu Xinyu pursed her lips, lowered her eyelids, and concealed the emotions in her eyes.
As soon as Lu Huan returned to the dorm, a message from Lou Qing came through, saying she was now at the school gate and even sent a photo.
Lu Huan: I’ll be right there.
Lou Qing: No rush, I’ll wait for you.
Seeing the words “I’ll wait for you,” Lu Huan’s lips curved into a smile. She grabbed her phone and keys and headed out.
“Lu Huan, where are you going?” Wei Jia asked curiously, seeing that she was about to leave.
“Going for a late-night snack,” Lu Huan replied before stepping out.
Wei Jia blinked in confusion and turned to Wu Xinyu. “Late-night snack?” She had never seen Lu Huan go out at night before. Except for when Jiang Wenshu called her downstairs, Lu Huan always stayed in the dorm studying, let alone going out for a late-night snack.
“Do you want something? I’ll go downstairs to buy some,” Wu Xinyu offered, standing up.
“Sure, get me some grilled skewers you know the ones I like,” Wei Jia said, her eyes lighting up eagerly.
“Okay.”
Dong Sisi remained silent the entire time, lost in her thoughts.
But no one paid her any attention. From last night until now, the atmosphere in the dorm had been awkward.
Seeing that only the two of them were left in the dorm, Wei Jia even regretted not going out with Wu Xinyu earlier.
From a distance, Lu Huan spotted the woman outside the gate. She had her hair tied in a high ponytail and was wearing a sleeveless black T-shirt, leather pants, and combat boots. On the wrist of the hand holding her phone was a uniquely styled bracelet, its charms swaying as she typed on the screen.
Her fair, cool-toned skin and slender, well-defined fingers were a pleasing sight.
As if sensing her presence, the woman glanced over. Seeing Lu Huan approaching, she turned off her phone and slipped it into her pocket.
“Sister!” Lu Huan ran the last stretch of the way, stopping slightly out of breath.
Lou Qing gently brushed the stray strands of hair from Lu Huan’s face, her fingers accidentally grazing the girl’s ear. Softly, she asked, “Do you want milk tea?”
Lu Huan thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.”
Lou Qing smiled. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to a great shop.”
“Hmm.”
Watching the two walk away side by side, chatting and laughing, Wu Xinyu frowned, hesitated for a moment, then followed them again.
Cashier, “Miss, your peach oolong milk tea.”
“Thank you.” Lu Huan took it with a smile and expressed her gratitude.
The cashier was momentarily dazzled by her smile and felt a bit shy. Her gaze shifted to the tall woman beside the girl; the other’s untamed aura was somewhat captivating.
“Let’s go.”
As the two walked away, the cashier continued to stare after them.
A coworker leaned over and asked, “What are you looking at?”
“Just now, there was a couple both of them are so beautiful. One has a wild beauty, the other an intellectual beauty. They’re such a perfect match,” the cashier said enviously.
The coworker urged her, “Alright, alright, stop daydreaming. Hurry up and get back to work. The boss will be here soon.”
Lu Huan held the milk tea, taking small sips while secretly glancing at the person beside her. Finally unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “Aren’t you going to drink?”
“You have it.” Lou Qing gently ruffled her hair.
“Oh.”
The girl was just too well-behaved, so much so that it made one want to tease her.
Lou Qing asked, “Do you want to eat wontons, or something else?”
“Wontons,” Lu Huan replied. If she said she wanted something else, wouldn’t it seem too calculated, considering she had mentioned wanting wontons earlier that evening?
She wasn’t playing the role of someone scheming right now.
Lou Qing smiled, “Alright, let’s go eat wontons.”
Seeing the two enter a wonton shop, Wu Xinyu didn’t continue following. Just then, Wei Jia called to hurry her back, so she had no choice but to turn around.
After having their late-night snack, right before the dormitory curfew, Lou Qing escorted the girl back to school. Before leaving, she said, “Tomorrow at 8 a.m., I’ll wait for you at the school gate.”
“Okay.”
Coincidentally, Jiang Wenshu and her friends were also scheduled for the same time tomorrow.
But now, none of that had anything to do with her anymore. However, there was one person who did have a connection with Jiang Wenshu.
Returning to the dormitory, Lu Huan caught sight of Dong Sisi sitting on her bed, texting someone. A hint of amusement flickered in her eyes.
She had known since returning from the library who Dong Sisi was playing games with. From the moment she overheard Dong Sisi eavesdropping at the staircase that morning, she had understood this person’s intentions.
But none of it affected her. With Dong Sisi pestering Jiang Wenshu, she could finally relax and enjoy her trip.
When she lay down in bed, Lou Qing sent her a message to confirm she was safe. They exchanged goodnights and closed their eyes to sleep.
The next day, when Lu Huan got up, Dong Sisi was already awake and putting on makeup. She glanced at Lu Huan a few extra times when she saw her rise.
Lu Huan hadn’t told her roommates about her travel plans with Lou Qing, so no one in the dorm knew.
Wu Xinyu was still lying in bed and asked when she saw Lu Huan up, “Are you heading to the library this early?”
Lu Huan shook her head, “I’m going on a trip with a friend.”
Mentioning “friend,” Wu Xinyu immediately thought of the woman from last night. Though she hadn’t been close, the other’s style had bothered her, a somewhat punk look that made her wonder if she was involved in music.
“Where are you going? Just you and that friend?” Wu Xinyu pressed.
“Mount Huang,” Lu Huan said. “And a few of her friends. I’m not sure exactly how many.”
Hearing “Mount Huang,” Dong Sisi, who was about to apply blush with her makeup brush, paused. Through the mirror, she gave Lu Huan, who was packing her backpack, a thoughtful look.
It was quite a coincidence Jiang Wenshu and her friends were also going to Huangshan. Dong Sisi wondered whether the friend mentioned by the other party was Jiang Wenshu.
But Jiang Wenshu had said she would take her along and hadn’t mentioned Lu Huan.
If Lu Huan wasn’t going with Jiang Wenshu, who else would bring her? And what a coincidence!
Seeing the other person packing her bag and preparing to leave, Dong Sisi quickly applied her lipstick, grabbed her backpack, and hurried after her. “Lu Huan, I’ll go downstairs with you.”
Usually, she would have thrown a few sarcastic remarks Lu Huan’s way, but today she was unusually enthusiastic. Wu Xinyu, watching from behind, found it all rather strange.
Lu Huan wasn’t one to hold back her temper, yet she showed no reaction to Dong Sisi’s approach, treating her as if she were invisible.
Dong Sisi was fuming inside, but she kept a cheerful smile on her face and continued chatting with her.
As the two walked toward the school gate, Dong Sisi asked along the way, “Lu Huan, you’re going to Huangshan? Which friend is taking you? It couldn’t be.”
“Huahuan!” Jiang Wenshu, who had been waiting impatiently at the gate, brightened up the moment she saw Lu Huan and couldn’t help calling out her name.
Dong Sisi, completely ignored, felt her face darken.