Ruo Xiaozhen took the towel from the wardrobe, grabbed it with both hands, and hugged it tightly to her chest.
Then, she buried her face deep into the soft cotton and took a greedy, deep breath.
A faint scent still lingered on the towel.
It wasn’t the smell of laundry detergent or fabric softener, but a scent that belonged uniquely to Yan Yu.
Light and ethereal, like the spring breeze—barely there, yet utterly intoxicating.
Ruo Xiaozhen hugged the towel, curling up in front of the wardrobe, as if something had seized her whole being, her breathing growing rapid.
‘How strange.’
She closed her eyes and hugged the towel even tighter.
‘This version of myself is really too strange.’
Yet even knowing how much of this feeling was forbidden, how much it shouldn’t be, she still couldn’t control her breathing or quiet her wildly beating heart.
Yes.
She had to admit it.
She had been attracted to Yan Yu for a long time.
So long that she couldn’t even pinpoint the exact moment it started.
‘Was it when Yan Yu smiled at her? When Yan Yu softly said “thank you”? Or the moment Yan Yu sat in her wheelchair and looked up at her?’
She didn’t know.
All she knew was that every single move Yan Yu made, every frown and smile, struck the softest part of her heart.
Sometimes, Ruo Xiaozhen even felt something was wrong with her. She wanted Yan Yu to smile only at her, to say “good night” only to her, to show that gentle expression only for her. Seeing others talk to Yan Yu made her uncomfortable. ‘Just what kind of emotion is that?’
Ruo Xiaozhen hugged the towel, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out.
Her mind began to wander endlessly.
In the bathroom, Yan Yu’s half-hidden appearance—wet long hair clinging to her shoulders, water droplets sliding down the curve of her collarbone, a bath towel barely wrapped around her body, revealing a stretch of almost translucent white shoulders.
‘If only I could see it one more time…’
Ruo Xiaozhen’s eyes snapped open, and she covered her burning cheeks with both hands.
‘What am I even thinking?!’
Both hands pressed against her face, the tips of her ears red with heat.
The room was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.
She remained in that position for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, Ruo Xiaozhen lowered her hands and looked at the towel in her arms with hazy eyes.
That scent belonging to Yan Yu was like the most potent wine, making her, a clear-minded person, willingly drown in it until death.
‘Should… do that kind of thing?’
As if possessed, Ruo Xiaozhen brought the towel close to her neck and gently rubbed it against her skin.
The cool touch intertwined with the imagined warmth of Yan Yu’s body, sending a tremor through her.
Then, she finally released the last lock called reason and slowly pressed the towel against her lips.
She didn’t kiss it—just gently pressed it there, touching it cautiously.
The scent of Yan Yu on the towel instantly overwhelmed all her senses, stronger than her own breath.
She closed her eyes, her lashes trembling, as her mind uncontrollably conjured Yan Yu’s image—her slightly panting form, her gentle, smiling eyes, even the collarbone dotted with water droplets from her earlier fantasy.
A never-before-felt heat and emptiness swept over her body. She hugged the towel tighter, unconsciously arching her back like a cat craving comfort, using this cloth imbued with her beloved’s scent to clumsily and urgently soothe her restless soul in this night no one knew about.
She rubbed against it, smelled it, felt that unreal yet real embrace.
‘I like you…’
Each breath carried a sense of sin, each touch made her heart pound more chaotically.
She knew this was wrong, a sacrilege that shouldn’t be allowed.
But in this moment, she didn’t want to be the restrained Ruo Xiaozhen, nor did she want to be Yan Yu’s irreproachable “good friend.” She was just a greedy and humble admirer.
When everything calmed down, Ruo Xiaozhen slumped by the bed, her cheeks still flushed, her eyes carrying a hint of confusion.
She looked at the crumpled towel in her hands, which held all her secrets from tonight.
She slowly put it away, then went into the bathroom to wash up, as if hiding a heart that could no longer be contained by the word “friend.”
Moonlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains, illuminating her reddened ears.
She didn’t know what this feeling really was.
She only knew that from now on, she could no longer fool herself with the word “friend.”
Two days later.
The first midterm exam was scheduled for nine in the morning.
Yan Yu arrived at the teaching building twenty minutes early, rolling her wheelchair.
The corridor was already dotted with groups of students, some clutching notebooks for last-minute cramming, others huddled together chatting in low voices.
She was about to turn into the classroom when she suddenly heard a buzz of murmurs from the crowd.
The voices weren’t loud, but they rose and fell in waves.
A few female students put their heads together, passing a phone screen among themselves.
Yan Yu vaguely caught her own name.
She frowned slightly and moved her wheelchair closer.
“…What’s going on? Wasn’t it announced before that Yan Yu was the one? How did they change the person??”
“Who knows? The student council put out a new notice saying Yan Yu couldn’t participate due to health reasons, so Jiang Muyun is replacing her.”
“Health reasons? But Yan Yu looks fine. I saw her studying in the library just a couple of days ago.”
“How should I know? Anyway, the list says Jiang Muyun.”
A tall boy nearby cut in: “I told you all along. Yan Yu’s level is just decent enough for class paintings. How can she compare to Jiang Muyun? That girl studied abroad formally, learned the Western system—her perspective is different.”
“That’s what you think,” a girl opposite retorted, unconvinced. “What does being good at painting have to do with where you learned? Last time the teacher used Yan Yu’s painting as a demonstration piece, didn’t you see it?”
“That’s just the teacher’s personal preference. Do you even have any artistic judgment? Jiang Muyun’s academic style is the one with real weight—”
“Weight? Weight is just bought with money. Everyone knows her family is rich—”
“Enough, enough, stop arguing.” Someone nearby tried to mediate, lowering their voice. “The student council’s Li Duo personally announced the list. How could it be wrong? She’s the one in charge of the handover. She knows the situation best. If the list changed, there must be a reason.”
Just then, the corridor suddenly fell silent.
It wasn’t a sudden pause, but a deep stillness.
The people at the far end stopped talking, then those in the middle sensed something amiss and quieted down too.
Finally, everyone followed the others’ gaze and heard the sound—the squeak of wheelchair wheels rolling over floor tiles.
Yan Yu passed by the crowd, her wheelchair slowly rolling into the classroom.
She had heard every word of the conversation—every single word, every tone, clearly reaching her ears.
But her expression didn’t change at all.
There was neither anger nor grievance. She simply passed by those people quietly, as if the matter they discussed had nothing to do with her.
In truth, she was quite calm inside.
‘Stealing things from others—that’s always been typical Jiang Muyun behavior.’
‘Judging from her past actions, that woman is simply not used to the word “lose.”’
‘Her overseas art education, her status as a rich heiress, her title as Su Qinghan’s savior—all these labels have made Jiang Muyun accustomed to standing above others. Now, losing to a substitute in a wheelchair at a small college art exhibition? How could she ever accept that?’
‘So using some tricks to take the spot back—that’s totally Jiang Muyun’s style.’
Yan Yu didn’t have much of an emotional reaction. Having her exhibition qualification snatched away did annoy her a bit—since her work being chosen was a recognition of her skill.
But that was it.
She didn’t have the time to lock horns with Jiang Muyun right now.
The midterm exam was right in front of her—that was the most pressing matter. As for the art exhibition, she could deal with it after the exams.
Under everyone’s gaze, Yan Yu returned to her seat as if nothing had happened.
She took out her stationery from her bag, arranged it neatly on the desk, sat up straight, and waited quietly for the exam to begin.
Her composure disappointed many who had been expecting a scene.
They thought they’d see some intense reaction, but Yan Yu showed nothing. She just sat there, her expression as calm as still water.
The invigilator walked in with a stack of exam papers, cleared his throat, and began reading out the exam rules.
The onlookers dispersed, returning to their own seats.
The bell rang.
The first midterm exam was about to begin.
On the other side of the campus.
On a tree-lined path connecting the teaching buildings and the dormitory area, Li Duo was walking quickly with small, hurried steps.
She was in an exceptionally good mood today—so good she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from lifting, so good she felt the sky above her head was bluer than usual.
Her top was a bit old, the threads at the cuffs slightly frayed.
But in her arms, she carried a leather bag that looked expensive—black pebbled cowhide.
Her fingers tightly clutched the bag strap.
Not long ago, Jiang Muyun had come to her.
She still remembered Jiang Muyun’s expression clearly—lips pressed into a thin line, eyes slightly red. But her voice was very calm.
“Do me a favor,” Jiang Muyun had said. “After it’s done, this bag is yours. Also, in next year’s student council president election, I’ll help you rally votes.”
Li Duo hadn’t hesitated for long.
That bag was a style she had dreamed of but could never afford. She had looked at it many times through the mall window, always stopping and staring at it for a good while.
As for the student council president position—that was her biggest ambition throughout her entire college career.
Her abilities weren’t outstanding, and she had only been mediocre in the student council. Jiang Muyun’s family had considerable influence in the area; with her help in rallying votes, her odds would at least double.
With both conditions combined, Li Duo had no reason to refuse, so she agreed.
Using her authority as vice president of the student council, she submitted an application to the college administration stating that “Yan Yu declines to participate in the exhibition due to health reasons.”
As for whether that application was actually written by Yan Yu herself—nobody checked.
The college administration was too busy; seeing the student council’s stamp on the application, they approved it without a second thought.
The list was swapped out just like that.
The whole process went as smoothly as a rehearsed performance. Li Duo even felt she had a certain talent for this sort of thing.
Of course, she knew it wasn’t right. But so what? Who was Yan Yu? Just a girl in the class who had trouble walking. No family background, no strong connections. Even if Yan Yu found out, given her personality, she probably wouldn’t say much.
So Li Duo felt quite at ease.
At this moment, she walked along the tree-lined path, unable to hide the smile on her face. The feel of the leather bag in her arms made her feel light as air. She even couldn’t help humming a folk tune from her hometown.
The bag was already in hand, and the president’s position would soon fall into her lap.
Everything was heading in the best possible direction.
She reached the end of the tree-lined path and turned onto a small road leading to the girls’ dormitory building. This road was somewhat secluded, lined with tall camphor trees.
Not many people walked here during the day, and it was even gloomier at night. But since it was morning, Li Duo wasn’t bothered.
She was humming and walking forward when suddenly—
A tall figure stepped out from behind a tree by the roadside, blocking her path without missing a beat.
Li Duo was startled, her steps halting abruptly, the leather bag almost slipping from her arms.
She instinctively looked up, her mouth falling open.
The moment she saw the face of the person in front of her, all her smile froze.
Her pupils dilated slightly, her lips trembled, and a voice squeezed out from her throat.
“Su Qinghan… Senior?!”