“Ahem…”
The Director of Academic Affairs coughed awkwardly, instinctively rising and looking in Lin Yanqiu’s direction.
Hearing the sound, Lin Yanqiu frowned slightly and glanced over at him.
But she understood what he meant.
After all, with so many people still in the office, the matter between herself and Hua Qi’an would be better discussed privately when it was just the two of them.
“Director, it looks like this really was just an accident caused by a quarrel between students.If there’s nothing else, I’ll take Xiao An and go.”
She shot a cold look in Zhao Yingying’s direction, then fixed her gaze on the Director.
The latter, feeling unnerved under her stare, could only nod in agreement.
Then he looked toward Li Lei.
“Um, Xiao Li, stay a moment.”
Why hadn’t Li Lei told him beforehand that Hua Qi’an’s guardian was Lin Yanqiu?
Now things were just…awkward.
“I disagree!”
To his surprise, a sharp voice of protest suddenly rang out—it was Zhao Yingying.
She glared furiously at Hua Qi’an and Lin Yanqiu.
“No matter what, I only fell because of her!”
Zhao Yingying pointed straight at Hua Qi’an.
…
Her face was twisted with jealousy and anger.
Facing Zhao Yingying’s accusation, Hua Qi’an was unusually calm.
“If you hadn’t tried to hit me, how could you have fallen?”
Her words were clear and precise, a stark contrast to Zhao Yingying’s agitation.
Then, she paused, turned her face slightly away, lowered her head so that outsiders couldn’t read her expression.
When she raised her head again, her eyes were brimming with crystalline tears.
A look of having suffered the greatest injustice imaginable.
Even Zhao Yingying was stunned.
What’s with this reaction?
Wasn’t Hua Qi’an always bold and unyielding when facing her in the dorm?
Why put on this face now—what’s she planning?
“Are you okay?”
Seeing Hua Qi’an’s pitiful expression, Lin Yanqiu’s heart skipped a beat.
An indescribable feeling surged up.
She instinctively wanted to shield Hua Qi’an from the stares of others, but in the end, did nothing.
She only frowned and quietly showed her concern.
Hua Qi’an’s appearance was already on the attractive side; now, with tears and a sickly frail look, she seemed so fragile it was as if she might shatter at any moment.
“Um…classmate, if you have anything hidden, tell the teachers. We’ll help you get justice…”
Seeing Hua Qi’an like this, the other three people in the office naturally softened.
Advisor Li Lei already knew about Hua Qi’an’s health and family situation, and she knew Hua Qi’an wasn’t the sort to cause trouble herself.
She actually suspected that Hua Qi’an wasn’t having a good time in her dorm, which was why she’d previously mentioned in a message that if she had any trouble, she could come find her…
But Hua Qi’an never actually did, and she didn’t feel it right to pry.
She just hadn’t expected a dorm conflict would really break out—surely it wasn’t Hua Qi’an’s fault.
“…I’m fine.”
Hua Qi’an wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, looked determinedly at Li Lei, then glanced at the life teacher and the Director.
“We just had a simple argument—”
“Teacher, I’m not feeling very well. May I go with my sister first?”
A shimmer of light flickered in Hua Qi’an’s eyes, as if tears were surging within.
“Actually, I just went to the hospital this morning—”
Saying this, she looked at Lin Yanqiu, who simply nodded.
As expected, with such a display from Hua Qi’an, the matter ended as a mere “verbal dispute.”
Yet Zhao Yingying still stared resentfully at the backs of Hua Qi’an and Lin Yanqiu as they left.
As soon as they exited the academic office building, Hua Qi’an’s tears dried up.
Sigh.
Fortunately, she knew how to put on an act.
That maneuver—half retreat, half advance, feigning to speak then refraining—was certainly effective.
She no longer wanted to stay in the academic office.
With Lin Yanqiu beside her, and seeing how the Director seemed to hold some respect for Lin Yanqiu, she seized the opportunity to put on a show, not only resolving the matter as a quarrel but also sharply reducing Zhao Yingying’s reputation in the process.
But…
Hua Qi’an glanced at Lin Yanqiu, who hadn’t spoken a word since they came out.
She couldn’t help but sigh again in her heart.
“Jiejie, thank you for today…”
Without waiting for Lin Yanqiu to speak, Hua Qi’an seized the initiative, expressing her thanks first.
Her eyes were lowered, her expression one of disappointment.
Lin Yanqiu merely raised her eyebrows.
“Tell me—how exactly is this ‘nothing’?”
“You’re not the type to get into conflicts.”
Lin Yanqiu led Hua Qi’an to a pavilion by the campus path, sitting down casually.
She rested her chin on her hand, watching Hua Qi’an.
“I came here just for you. You can’t expect me to leave without knowing the full story, right?”
Hua Qi’an nodded, gathering her words.
She recounted how Zhao Yingying tried to set her up with an electric cooker, but she discovered it ahead of time and turned the tables, leading to their falling out.
However, Hua Qi’an left out the part where she retorted back at Zhao Yingying.
The more Lin Yanqiu listened, the darker her expression grew, until her pose shifted from propping up her head to folding her arms across her chest.
She squinted at the ground, her expression so gloomy it seemed it could drip water, as if she was pondering something.
“Alright, I get it.”
Lin Yanqiu nodded lightly.
“I’ll help you handle it.”
She sighed heavily.
“This can’t be the first time you’ve been bullied, right?”
Judging by that roommate of Hua Qi’an’s, she doubted the girl had ever treated Hua Qi’an well before.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Hearing Lin Yanqiu’s question, Hua Qi’an looked a bit embarrassed.
She lowered her head, “…Because I didn’t want to trouble you with such trivial things, Jiejie.”
She paused, giving Lin Yanqiu a tentative look, as if testing the waters, and added, “Before…it felt like you didn’t really like me…”
Lin Yanqiu was left speechless by this.
Hua Qi’an was not wrong.
She really did find her a little annoying before.
So it was because of that…
A faint pang of guilt crept in.
Over time, as they spent more time together, Lin Yanqiu’s opinion of Hua Qi’an gradually began to change.
“…If you get bullied again, remember to tell me.”
Lin Yanqiu pursed her lips, watching Hua Qi’an.
“If something happens to you again, I’ll still be the first one called.”
Seeming a bit awkward, she added this extra sentence.
Hearing this, Hua Qi’an nodded. Sure enough.
Lin Yanqiu’s attitude toward her had indeed softened a lot.
If it had been the old Lin Yanqiu, she definitely wouldn’t have said something like that.
Being used as a pillow at her house for a night really worked.
Maybe she could try getting closer to Lin Yanqiu more often…
“But—”
Before Hua Qi’an could be happy for long,Lin Yanqiu’s clear voice sounded again.
“As punishment for not taking better care of yourself.”
Her voice softened, tinged with severity.
“Hold out your hand.”
Hua Qi’an immediately gave up on thoughts of being affectionate.
…
The stone bench in the pavilion was icy cold, its chill seeping through the thin fabric of her trousers.
But it was nothing compared to the bone-deep cold brought by the slender teaching pointer Lin Yanqiu pulled from her bag.
Why did she carry a teaching pointer around?
It felt as if she’d come prepared…
…
Obediently, Hua Qi’an extended her left hand, palm up.
Her movements were calm, as if she was already used to this scene.
At least it was better than getting her legs smacked.
Lin Yanqiu didn’t strike immediately.
She simply used her sharp gaze to quietly study Hua Qi’an’s outstretched palm.
Slender fingers, distinct knuckles, skin so pale as to be almost translucent, untouched by sunlight.
The lines on her palm were faint, imbued with a sense of cold detachment.
Yet the owner of such a seemingly untarnished hand always managed to cause her headaches.
…
Lin Yanqiu’s gaze darkened.
With her other hand, she gently grasped Hua Qi’an’s wrist, forcing her palm to open fully.
Leaving no room for retreat.
Her fingertips, callused with a thin layer of roughness, caressed the delicate skin of Hua Qi’an’s inner wrist.
The touch was so gentle it was almost tender, creating a striking contrast with her current icy expression.
The air in that moment seemed to freeze.
The distant sounds of students, the rustle of wind through the leaves—everything seemed cut off, as if it all belonged to another world.
In this small pavilion, only their entwined, increasingly rapid breathing remained.
“Pa—!”
A crisp snap shattered the strange silence.
The teaching pointer landed precisely on Hua Qi’an’s palm—not too hard, not too soft, just enough to bring a burning pain.
Hua Qi’an’s body trembled ever so slightly, but she didn’t withdraw her hand, nor did she even frown.
She simply accepted it calmly.
Lin Yanqiu said nothing, repeating the motion mechanically, again and again.
The pointer sliced through the air with a faint whistle, striking the same spot each time.
That patch of pale skin quickly flushed bright red, swelling slightly, like a crimson plum blossom blooming in the snow.
Hua Qi’an’s palm began to itch and tingle, until only a scorching pain remained.
But what was even harder to bear than the pain was Lin Yanqiu’s gaze on her wrist.
That gaze was too focused, too complicated—there was disappointment in her lack of progress, helplessness in her inability to change her, and a trace of…
A trace of greedy obsession that even Lin Yanqiu herself failed to realize.
It was as if she was bewitched by the red marks she herself had made.
Her grip on Hua Qi’an’s wrist unconsciously tightened, her caressing becoming more ambiguous, as if she were appraising a work of art…
This had gone far beyond the scope of “punishment.”
The atmosphere in the pavilion, because of this repeated, rhythmic striking, became tinged with an indescribable feeling.
Hua Qi’an’s cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.
She didn’t understand Lin Yanqiu.
This woman always expressed her twisted care through strictness.
Before, Hua Qi’an thought Lin Yanqiu’s behavior toward her meant she hated her.
But after what happened in the academic office…
Hua Qi’an suddenly realized.
If Lin Yanqiu hated her…
She wouldn’t bother with her at all.
Just like she didn’t bother with Zhao Yingying.
Just like she didn’t bother with her own biological parents…
And the more Lin Yanqiu did these seemingly strict things to her, the more it showed she actually cared?
Hua Qi’an lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a small shadow below them, hiding the brief panic that flashed through her eyes—even she herself hadn’t noticed it.
It was all so absurd.
Finally, after who knows how many strikes, Lin Yanqiu stopped.
She released her grip on Hua Qi’an’s wrist and casually set the slender pointer down on the pavilion bench.
It made a faint “clack.”
Then, she pulled out a small tube of ointment from her bag—the same one she’d used before.
She picked up Hua Qi’an’s now-red and swollen hand again, but this time, her touch was unbelievably gentle.
The cool ointment was squeezed onto her fingertip, then carefully, bit by bit, she applied it to Hua Qi’an’s burning palm.
The coolness instantly relieved the stinging pain, but also brought a different, unbearable tingling itch.
Lin Yanqiu’s fingertip, coated with ointment, circled slowly over the swollen skin, as if she were rubbing that coolness into her very bones.
“Does it hurt?”
Her voice was low, slightly husky.
Hua Qi’an didn’t answer, only watched her in silence.
Lin Yanqiu’s fingertip traced the lines of her palm, as if mapping out the road of Hua Qi’an’s heart.
Her gaze was focused and deep, as if she wanted to see through that thin layer of skin into Hua Qi’an’s innermost secrets.
In that instant, Hua Qi’an’s heart skipped a beat beyond her control.
“Will you dare do it again next time?”
Lin Yanqiu lifted her gaze, staring straight at her.
Those usually sharp eyes now seemed as deep as a bottomless lake.
Hua Qi’an opened her mouth, only to find her throat was dry.
In the end, she merely nodded gently.
“I won’t dare…”
Seeing her so obedient, the ice in Lin Yanqiu’s eyes seemed to melt a little.
She said nothing more, quietly finished applying the ointment, screwed the cap back on, and put it away.
“Let’s go back.”
She stood up, her tone returning to its usual coldness.
“You don’t have to worry about the dorm situation. If they give you trouble again, tell me directly.”
“…I have things to take care of.”
With that, she turned and left without looking back, heading straight toward her car at the school gate.
Her steps were almost hurried.
Hua Qi’an looked at her retreating back, then lowered her gaze to her still-cool, swollen hand, her heart a tangle of emotions.
…
Hua Qi’an returned to the dormitory.
Pushing the door open, a suffocatingly awkward atmosphere rushed out to greet her.
Zhao Yingying wasn’t there—probably off tending to her laughable “injury.”
Li Xiaozhen hadn’t come back yet either, so the heavy incense smell in the room had faded a bit.
Still, there was a lingering cloying sweetness in the air.
Thankfully, the life teacher had opened the windows earlier to air out the room, otherwise it would have been a new headache.
Only He Yi was there, sitting at her desk with her back to the door, busy with something.
Hearing the door open, her shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly, but she didn’t turn around.
Hua Qi’an didn’t care.
She just wanted to retreat to her little corner of the bed and block out all this trouble.
She was done trying to maintain the fragile, false peace.
She hadn’t just fallen out with Zhao Yingying.
It might look like it was just Zhao Yingying, but once she dropped her mask, it meant she’d never again wear that ridiculous, gentle facade in the dorm.
She walked straight to her bed, tossed her bag onto her chair with a sound just loud enough to break the silence.
“Xiao Qian…”
He Yi’s voice came from behind, hesitant and probing.
“Are you…are you okay? I saw what happened at the academic office just now…”
Hua Qi’an didn’t even pause in her steps, not even sparing her a glance.
Expressionless, she took off her shoes, climbed onto her bed, and with a “swish,” pulled the curtain closed.
The blue curtain was like a cold barrier, cutting the world in two—and separating her completely from He Yi.
He Yi’s voice fell silent.
She stared at the tightly closed curtain, worry and concern on her face gradually fading, replaced by a cold, almost numb pallor.
Her fingers, pressed to the keyboard, turned white from the force.
On her screen was a chat window with a stranger’s account.
[I like someone…but she doesn’t seem to care about me at all]
She typed the words and sent them off.
She buried her head in her arms, shoulders trembling.
Soon, a reply came.
[I have a secret way to make the person you like fall for you! :)]
“…”
Inside the curtain, Hua Qi’an leaned against the cold bed rail, letting out a long sigh.