There was a stir beneath the girls’ dorm.
When Shen Ci came out, the crowd of students parted instinctively, all eyes falling on her.
At the University of Science and Technology, Li Xiao’s reputation was naturally well known thanks to his family background. But Shen Ci was no less famous.
She was beautiful and smart. When she had first arrived as a freshman, her photo had been posted on the campus forum. It had caused quite a sensation online, and she was quickly hailed by the male students as the new “pure yet seductive goddess.”
Countless guys from different departments tried to get close to her, pursuing her fervently. Li Xiao was one of them.
The scene of her nodding to him was still fresh in her memory. That day, he too had stood downstairs holding a bouquet of roses, just like today. Even the crowd of onlookers was nearly the same group of people.
When Shen Ci appeared, Li Xiao’s face lit up with joy as he walked toward her.
“Shen Ci, I’m sorry. I want to apologize for what my mom did today. Please don’t be mad anymore.”
Expressionless, Shen Ci swung her arm. The overstuffed black garbage bag she held suddenly filled Li Xiao’s vision—then smacked straight into his face.
The weight bore down on the huge bouquet of roses. Caught off guard, Li Xiao dropped both the flowers and the trash bag onto the ground.
Everyone gasped. Their mixed expressions turned into one: shock.
And with that shock came murmurs of confusion.
“What’s Shen Ci doing?”“Did they fight? Her face doesn’t look right.”“Don’t tell me they’re breaking up? They’ve only been dating for less than half a year!”
Whispers spread, the crowd speculating wildly about what had just happened.
Shen Ci had given Li Xiao no face at all. With so many people watching, his pride was inevitably wounded.
But he forced himself to hold it in. Seeing her turn to leave without a word, he ignored the mess on the ground and hurried to grab her hand. Leaning close, he whispered with aggrieved humility, “You’re not really disappointed in me because of last time, are you?
“I was just too nervous that time. Please give me another chance, okay? Next time, I’ll definitely do better!”
Shen Ci shoved him away. Looking at him, she curled her lips in an unmistakably scornful sneer.
Her eyes, her expression, even that derisive laugh—every part of her radiated mockery and disdain.
Without saying a word, she had already said everything.
Li Xiao’s brows knit together, his frustration and confusion boiling.
What did she mean by this?
But Shen Ci was doing it on purpose. She wanted him unsettled, second-guessing, tormenting himself.
Just like he had treated her back then—stealing her paper, publishing it under his name, never giving her a single explanation. Three years of love had ended with nothing but a cold red exclamation mark. After that, she had never loved again.
She no longer believed in romance.
Without looking back, Shen Ci walked into the dormitory building. The onlookers didn’t quite understand what had happened, but they could feel that things were over between them.
Li Xiao clenched his fists tight. Bending down, he picked up the fallen roses and the trash bag. His face, half hidden in shadow, grew darker, his eyes flickering with a murky, unreadable light.
“Shen Ci, you really don’t know what’s good for you. A guy as outstanding as Li Xiao is willing to be with you, and you don’t even appreciate it.”
As soon as Shen Ci returned to the dorm, Yu Xinxin leaned against the balcony door with her arms crossed, her voice dripping with ridicule.
Her tone was triumphant. She had been jealous of Shen Ci for a long time. Since their very first meeting freshman year, Yu Xinxin had hated her beauty without reason.
By offering little favors to the other two roommates, Yu Xinxin had pulled them into her circle, isolating Shen Ci together.
“My business with him has nothing to do with you,” Shen Ci said coldly. “Or do you taste-test sewage every time a cesspit truck passes your door?”
She gave a sharp laugh and stepped closer to Yu Xinxin. “What, did you think if I broke up with him, you’d have a chance?”
“Let me tell you, there’s no such possibility. Just like you said yourself—with Li Xiao’s conditions, even if I don’t want him anymore, there are plenty of girls who do. And when it comes to turns, it’ll never be yours.”
Her words shattered Yu Xinxin’s fragile pride.
Eyes blazing, she screamed, “Shen Ci, you bitch, I’ll tear you apart—”
Smack!
The crisp sound of a slap rang out. Yu Xinxin clutched her stinging cheek in disbelief. “You… you dared to hit me?”
Shen Ci looked at her coldly. “I’ve wanted to hit you for a long time. You should know just how much your mouth deserves it.”
Wang Hou and Lin Shuang stood dumbstruck, their jaws slack. Shen Ci’s aura had overwhelmed them so completely that they forgot to react.
In the next instant, Shen Ci suddenly leaned forward, her pure yet icy face magnified right before Yu Xinxin’s eyes. Yu Xinxin instinctively staggered back two steps, nearly crying out.
“From now on, remember to shut your mouth and act like a person in front of me.”
Yu Xinxin trembled all over. Shen Ci seemed like an entirely different person.
Without another word, Shen Ci dragged her suitcase from the corner, packed up the belongings she needed, and left Room 309 without once looking back.
At the most luxurious five-star hotel near campus, Shen Ci showed her ID at the front desk. “One executive king room, please.”
The night-shift clerk, a decent-looking young man, glanced at her pretty face and kindly reminded her, “Miss, if you book online right now, it’ll be cheaper.”
Shen Ci looked at the price list on the wall behind him. The executive king room rate: 0.1888 yuan.
Not even two-tenths of a yuan.
“No need. Just check me in directly,” Shen Ci said, too tired to bother. She only wanted to rest.
The clerk gave an awkward smile but upgraded her to a suite anyway.
Attractive people always got a few extra benefits.
Her executive king room became an executive suite. Shen Ci locked the door behind her, then placed a glass on the doorknob—a habit from her past life.
Somewhere along the way, she had developed an extreme lack of security, especially in unfamiliar environments.
Through the spotless floor-to-ceiling windows, she could overlook the dazzling nightscape of Long City. Taking out her phone, she opened the Time-Space Bank app again, staring unblinkingly at the balance.
After a while, the corners of her lips curved upward.
No matter how this situation had come to be, she was deeply satisfied.
All the wrong choices of her past life, all the lifelong regrets and unspoken words—she finally had the chance to start over.
(End of Chapter)