With that thought, Tong Ya quickly composed a message and sent it: [Yichen, I saw you having dinner with Lizi today. Does this mean… you two are dating?]
Su Yichen replied almost instantly: [Pfft, Xiaoya, don’t go spreading rumors like that. If Yueli found out, she’d definitely want to break off our friendship.]
[There’s nothing between us. I just happened to run into her at the snack street today, so we had a meal together.]
‘Happened to bump into each other? Had a meal?’
Tong Ya remembered her own “coincidence.” Why was it that she had tried so hard to create an opportunity for a chance encounter and failed, while Luo Yueli succeeded effortlessly?
‘She must have used some little trick!’
[Oh, I see. But Qingyue University is so big, and you two still managed to run into each other? Is it fate?] Tong Ya tried her best to type the message without sounding jealous.
[It was quite a coincidence.]
[When I went to get dinner, I saw Yueli with Jiang Jingjie and a few seniors. It looked like she didn’t want to eat with them, so I helped her out a bit.]
‘The hero saving the beauty?’
Tong Ya scratched her head. She had followed him from the male dormitory, so she had naturally seen Jiang Jingjie and the seniors Su Yichen mentioned.
No wonder Jiang Jingjie looked so upset.
[Then how did you save Lizi? Did you stop them in the middle of the road and shout: “Halt! You scoundrel, how dare you try to snatch my woman!”]
Looking at the dots on the screen, Tong Ya slumped over her desk, clutching her mouth as her body convulsed with laughter.
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Yichen and Lizi… you’ve never chatted like this before, have you?’
‘It doesn’t matter if she won’t fall in love. I’ll teach you, so… please fall in love with me.’
[What kind of minor character script is this? Let me tell you how it really goes.]
[No, don’t! I’m going to sleep!]
Tong Ya knew when to quit while she was ahead. She had to lay the groundwork for her next private dinner with Su Yichen.
[Yichen, next time we eat, can you tell me in person? I don’t like reading stories; I like listening to them~]
Even though they were just friends, she was acting a bit spoiled. Just by looking at those two lines of text, one could almost hear the girl’s willful and unrestrained voice through the screen.
Yichen: [……]
Yichen: [Fine, I’ll tell you next time.]
[Heehee, Brother Yichen, you’re so good to me~ Goodnight!]
[Goodnight~]
After replying, Tong Ya stretched comfortably.
The fact that Su Yichen was willing to explain was a good sign. Moreover, he had agreed to a private meal. Since he didn’t refuse, it meant he had accepted!
She just needed to play the role of an understanding and slightly fragile younger sister.
‘So, what exactly do I need to do…’
‘What do I have to do to break through Su Yichen’s defenses and make him… love me?’
***
Luo Yueli stared at the familiar game icon on her phone screen. Usually at this time, she would be playing with Qianxia, but right now, she had no interest at all.
Her mind was filled with images of her having hot pot with Su Yichen earlier today.
“Xiaoya.”
“Hmm?”
Tong Ya looked over and saw Luo Yueli watching her. She asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Lizi?”
“That… I want to ask you a question, but you can’t laugh at me.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Does a change in feelings… count as betrayal?”
“A change in feelings? What kind of feelings, and what kind of change?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just overthinking.”
Luo Yueli quickly turned back and curled up in her hanging chair.
Today’s Su Yichen had truly been a breath of fresh air.
His initiative in helping her out of that situation, the things he said, and the confidence in his voice—everything felt different. Not to mention his stunning appearance.
Without exception, everything about him was incredibly attractive. It felt as if… something was changing.
As soon as she closed her eyes, the girl saw the boy’s face. If he hadn’t taken off those glasses, she wouldn’t be this confused.
But fate loved to play tricks. She only wanted to show him some care, yet it felt like she was falling into an abyss.
Should their relationship change?
But…
Su Yichen’s words echoed in her mind: “You’re my childhood friend. No matter what happens, I’ll always stand by your side.”
‘Childhood friend…’
‘We are childhood friends.’
‘Always.’
‘Wasn’t that what I told him? Now, he’s doing exactly that… isn’t this exactly what I hoped for? He’s working toward the person I wanted him to be…’
‘Then what am I doing? Is this betrayal? Regardless, I can’t… I can’t betray those words… and I can’t betray him.’
The girl rested her head on her knees, her teeth biting her lip as her eyes slowly fluttered shut.
*Buzz!*
Just then, the phone on the desk vibrated.
Mu Qianqian: [Lizi, are you there? We might not be able to meet tomorrow afternoon. Someone said they’re coming to see the room.]
Luo Yueli’s attention was immediately diverted, and the problem she couldn’t figure out was pushed aside.
Luo Yueli: [That’s fine. I’m free for the next few days. If you’re busy tomorrow, I’ll just practice the piano for a while. You found a roommate to share the rent with?]
Mu Qianqian: [Yes, I did. It seems to be a boy.]
Luo Yueli: [A boy?! Didn’t you say… you only accept girls? And that they had to be under 20 years old, clean, and single.]
Pfft…
Mu Qianqian: [It’s too hard to find… so hard. All the ones who contacted me before already had boyfriends.]
Luo Yueli: [So you realized everyone else has a boyfriend, and even though you’re a cute girl, you’re still single. Now you’re feeling lonely and thinking about kidnapping a boy home?]
Mu Qianqian: [I am not!]
Luo Yueli: [Then why did you agree to let a boy see the room?]
Mu Qianqian: [I… actually, he was quite polite, and he has a nice voice. Plus…]
[He brought me up 2 ranks.]
Luo Yueli: [Well, well, Mu Qianqian. You were secretly getting carried to rank up behind my back?]
Mu Qianqian: [I didn’t know he played the game either… it was just hard to refuse.]
Luo Yueli: [If I remember correctly, you live with your younger sister, right?]
Mu Qianqian: [Yeah, that’s why I only agreed to let him come look. I’ll decide after I see him tomorrow… If I’m even slightly unsatisfied, I absolutely won’t agree.]
Luo Yueli: [That’s good. Qianqian, a girl living on her own needs to protect herself.]
Mu Qianqian: [I know. Anyway, Lizi, I have to go to work. Let’s talk later~]
Luo Yueli: [Bye-bye~ Goodnight.]
***
September 22, 3:30 PM.
Su Yichen arrived at the meeting spot as agreed with Qianxia.
This was an ordinary residential area outside the north gate of Qingyue University. It had a common name: Sunshine Community.
The buildings looked a bit old and weren’t very tall, and the overall property management wasn’t great. However, it was only about 2 kilometers away from the university. It was close, and the rent was cheap.