Chapter 100
I hate you.
After being pestered by Dudu and Yiqing the whole way to explain, and with both of them dissatisfied with her answers, Zhan Xinyue really didn't know what to say. Once they arrived at the ball, the three of them greeted Xiao Ye, and then Zhan Xinyue simply made an excuse to slip away, hiding in a corner by herself.
Xiao Ye said there was no need to be too particular, but it was clear that the students participating in the social event took it quite seriously. The girls had all dressed up carefully, and many of the boys were wearing formal attire and had their hair done.
A few people lingered in the cafeteria for a while, having already missed the opening performance. Inside the hall, many people were already freely pairing up, chatting, or dancing. The overhead lights were dazzling, and the young men and women smiled modestly; the atmosphere was much better than she had imagined.
Zhan Xinyue found a chair away from the crowd and sat down. Chinese events always involve food, and although the venue wasn't large, there was a long row of tea tables. She picked up a pastry, but even though she hadn't eaten dinner, she couldn't really eat it.
I feel down, but I don't know why.
Looking up, she saw that Dudu had spotted her at some point and was walking aggressively toward her.
Zhan Xinyue smiled helplessly at her, but before she could give any other reaction, a handsome and fair-skinned boy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood next to Du Du.
"Hi classmate, can I get to know you?" the boy said, blushing. "I think you're very cute."
"Ah." Dudu opened her mouth slightly, glanced quickly at Zhan Xinyue, then looked at her again, her face turning red instantly.
"Thank you, you...you're quite handsome too," Dudu stammered.
"Shall we dance together?" the boy asked.
Zhan Xinyue couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Du Du nod awkwardly. Du Du always complained in the dorm about wanting to find a handsome guy, but now that someone had actually approached her, she was incredibly shy. In any case, she probably wouldn't have time to cause trouble for her anytime soon.
Zhan Xinyue's mood improved considerably, but before her smile faded, a shadow suddenly fell upon her. A somewhat familiar-looking boy was standing in front of her, bending down to ask, "Are you here for the social event too?"
Zhan Xinyue smiled politely at him.
Seeing her expression, the other person scratched his head and said, "Don't you recognize me? We're in the same major and have taken classes together."
Zhan Xinyue then realized what was happening and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I don't know everyone in the department yet, but you look familiar."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." The boy smiled at her good-naturedly. "I just saw you and came over to say hello. My name is Wang Wei. We'll get to know each other better next time we meet. You'll recognize me next time."
"Hello, my name is Zhan Xinyue."
"I know that. By the way, haven't we added each other on WeChat yet? Can we?"
The two exchanged WeChat contacts, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then the other person politely left.
For the rest of the event, Zhan Xinyue remained seated in the same corner. She ran into Yi Qing, who was strolling by, and the two huddled together, listlessly watching everyone socialize and dance. Du Du didn't come over again; she seemed to be having a good chat with the boy.
Because of the extremely low participation, the social dance party didn't leave much of an impression on Zhan Xinyue, and she didn't think much of it afterward. However, early the next morning, as the group walked together to catch their 8 AM rush, Yi Qing casually glanced at her phone and suddenly exclaimed, "Ye Zi, you guys are so efficient! How come the event from last night is already being posted on the official WeChat account today?"
"Of course, effectiveness is very important." Xiao Ye nodded.
"What did they post? Photos from the event? Let me see." Dudu immediately pulled out her phone as well.
A moment later, she looked at Xiaoye with a mournful expression: "Yezi! How could you choose this photo? Look at me, I'm smiling so stupidly, and it was even posted!!"
"I didn't choose the photos, it's none of my business." Xiao Ye glanced at it. "Besides, with so many people in this picture, who would bother to zoom in and see if your smile looks stupid?"
"I can do it!!" Dudu continued to wail.
Yi Qing was already used to Du Du's antics and continued scrolling down the photos. Suddenly, her eyes lit up: "This photo of the new moon is pretty good."
"Am I in the picture?" Zhan Xinyue looked up and saw that there was indeed a photo of her. The photo was a candid shot, capturing the moment when the boy from her department came to ask for her WeChat. The composition was very professional; in the photo, the boy was looking down at her, while Zhan Xinyue was smiling with her head up. Behind them were large decorative clusters of roses against the wall, creating a rather beautiful scene.
"Why is the crescent moon shown in high definition?! But here it's just peeking out from the crowd! I'm so unhappy!" Dudu wailed again.
"There's nothing we can do about it, this is a privilege that beautiful women enjoy." Yi Qing patted her head comfortingly.
"What do you mean? You're saying I'm not pretty, huh?" Dudu's face hardened with murderous intent. "You're finished!"
Seeing the two of them arbitrarily pulling at each other on the road again, Zhan Xinyue and Xiao Ye silently moved a step closer to each other.
"How embarrassing!" Xiao Ye said.
The crescent moon silently expresses its approval.
"By the way, is Wang Wei trying to chat you up in that photo?" Xiao Ye knows far more people in the grade than the rest of them.
"It wasn't exactly a flirtation; it was just a professional who came over, said hello, and added me on WeChat."
"I see." Xiao Ye nodded. "I've met Wang Wei a few times. He's a nice guy, a local from Beijing. You can consider him."
Zhan Xinyue casually swiped to unlock her phone; the screen was still showing the page from yesterday when the other person added her as a friend. They had sent her a few messages last night, and she replied with a smiley face emoji before falling silent. The other person must have sensed her reaction, replying with a smiley face and saying nothing more.
"No need, I don't plan to date," Zhan Xinyue said.
"Is it that universities don't want to talk about it, or that they don't want to talk about it?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," Xiao Ye said, "It's fine not to be in a relationship."
Today was a full day of classes. After a busy day, Zhan Xinyue didn't go skateboarding. She just wandered around the campus alone until late before heading back.
The girls' dormitory is a strange place. I don't know why, but every night there are couples embracing in twos and threes in the open space in front of the dormitory, inseparable and without any regard for others. Today, perhaps because it's a bit late, the entrance is unusually empty.
Zhan Xinyue walked towards the building and was about to step through the door when she suddenly saw a person leaning against the dark corner of the wall outside the door, which startled her.
Fortunately, the campus was generally safe, and the building was brightly lit, so Zhan Xinyue quickly calmed down. Looking back with suspicion, she saw a pair of eyes staring straight at her in the darkness.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhan Xinyue slowly walked over and stopped in front of the other person.
"Shi Ziqian? What are you doing here?"
She didn't know why, but ever since she met Shi Ziqian at the party, it seemed like she bumped into him everywhere she went.
Shi Ziqian leaned against the wall, his head slightly lowered: "I'm waiting for someone."
"Oh." Zhan Xinyue responded knowingly, pondering whether the law school's dormitories were also in this building, but she had no clue for a moment.
"Okay, you wait here, I'll go up first." She smiled politely and turned to leave, but her arm was suddenly grabbed.
Shi Ziqian suddenly exerted force, and she was immediately pulled a few steps towards him, her chin hitting his hard chest.
His familiar scent instantly enveloped her, along with the familiar pine resin and an undeniable, sharp smell of alcohol.
"Why don't you ask me who I'm waiting for?" Shi Ziqian stared at her intently. In the dim light coming from the dormitory door next door, she could see that his eyes were slightly red.
Zhan Xinyue didn't ask; in this situation, she knew the answer perfectly well.
"You've been drinking?" Zhan Xinyue tried to shake off his hand, but couldn't. "People with stomach problems shouldn't drink alcohol."
Shi Ziqian didn't reply, but just kept staring at her: "Zhan Xinyue, did you go to a social event?"
Zhan Xinyue turned her eyes away: "No, I just went to join in..."
Shi Ziqian didn't give her a chance to finish: "I came to you just to ask you one question: you're willing to participate in a social event, willing to interact with a strange guy, but you just don't want to choose me, right?"
Zhan Xinyue exclaimed in bewilderment, "What are you talking about? You're drunk! Let go of me!"
Shi Ziqian not only didn't let go, but gripped her wrist even tighter: "Who is that boy? Did you exchange contact information?"
Zhan Xinyue finally realized what he was talking about; he was referring to that tweet. But the content was posted on the college's official WeChat account, and the two weren't even from the same college, yet he had seen it.
Zhan Xinyue's voice became a few decibels stronger: "This has nothing to do with you."
"It has nothing to do with me." Shi Ziqian seemed to have finally regained his senses. His voice gradually lowered, and his back slowly hunched over. "I have no right to ask about it."
A glimmer of light flickered in his eyes as he looked at her: "But Zhan Xinyue, I'm so sad, I can't help it."
The fading sound grew fainter and fainter, almost disappearing into the night.
Zhan Xinyue composed herself and forced a smile, "I don't know what you're talking about. Don't you remember? You said that day that you no longer liked me."
"I lied." Shi Ziqian's eyes were fragile and painful as he looked at her. "Zhan Xinyue, I hate you. But I also miss you so much."
Zhan Xinyue looked at him and suddenly remembered that rainy night before they parted. Her nose tingled, and she avoided his gaze: "What you said today is just your obsession, I won't take it seriously. You already have a girlfriend and a new life, you should cherish it. We shouldn't dwell on the past anymore, it's time to move on."
Shi Ziqian was stunned for a long time, his brows gradually furrowing: "Who told you I have a girlfriend?"
"Isn't Wu Chuni your girlfriend?" Zhan Xinyue asked, bewildered. "Then what is your relationship?"
Shi Ziqian remained silent. After a few seconds, he slowly released her, took a step back, and his refusal to answer was clear.
Zhan Xinyue took a deep breath and pinched her brow: "You really drank too much. Go back and rest early."
Shi Ziqian continued to stare at her, motionless and unwilling to speak.
"Ziqian, is that you?" During the stalemate, a familiar female voice called out tentatively from not far away, slowly approaching. It was Wu Chuni.
Shi Ziqian ignored him, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and said in a hoarse voice, "I might have really had too much to drink. I'm leaving, just forget about tonight."
He turned around, and just then, the voice rang out again from not far away.
"It really is you! I've been looking for you for so long! Someone just messaged me saying they saw you in Building 6, so I rushed over... Oh, junior, you're here too." Wu Chuni's gaze shifted from him to Zhan Xinyue's face, her expression slightly surprised.
Shi Ziqian walked straight past her, his tone indifferent: "Get out of my way."
Wu Chuni glanced at Zhan Xinyue again, then quickly turned around and followed her, patiently advising, "Why did you drink? Your stomach isn't good to begin with. Never mind, it's already late, let's go back quickly, we can talk about it tomorrow."
As the two walked away, Zhan Xinyue went back into the stairwell. After climbing a few floors, she leaned wearily against the wall.
Those few steps seemed to have exhausted all her strength.
My mind is in chaos, a jumble of thoughts, and I can't find a solution.
After standing there for a while, she finally felt some strength returning, but her heart still felt heavy, and she couldn't breathe properly. She decided to go downstairs again to buy a bottle of water.
To make things easier for students, there is a small kiosk not far from the dormitory building that sells fruit and drinks.
As she approached the pavilion, she unexpectedly saw Shi Ziqian and Wu Chuni again. Despite the passage of time, they hadn't gone far and were standing facing each other as if they had been arguing.
Zhan Xinyue withdrew her gaze, grabbed a bottle of water, and was about to pay when she suddenly heard Shi Ziqian's clear voice from the other end, tinged with impatience: "How much did he give you? You'll get double, and stay away from me."
She subconsciously looked over again, only to see Shi Ziqian's retreating figure. After he left, Wu Chuni stood there for a while, then suddenly turned and walked towards them, her expression not very pleasant. Her eyes met Zhan Xinyue's, and she was slightly taken aback.
Zhan Xinyue hadn't expected her to suddenly turn back. Before she could look away, she could only awkwardly say, "Sorry, I didn't mean to overhear."
Wu Chuni stopped beside her: "You've made a fool of yourself in front of me."
Zhan Xinyue said, "I only heard one sentence."
"It doesn't matter." Wu Chuni's expression was indifferent, lacking the cheerful and lively demeanor she displayed when she was with Shi Ziqian. "So what if you heard it? There's nothing wrong with hearing it. I already guessed something when I saw him come to see you. You and him..."
"He drank too much, don't take it to heart," Zhan Xinyue said weakly.
She didn't know how to explain it, after all, she couldn't even convince herself not to take it to heart; her mind and heart were in complete turmoil.
“It’s okay.” Wu Chuni was much calmer than her. She picked up a bottle of water, paid for it, and took a sip. “I don’t mind at all.”
As she glanced at him, perhaps noticing Zhan Xinyue's surprised look, she added, "We're not in the kind of relationship you're thinking of."
"I know some people are saying that I am his girlfriend, but I have never come out to clarify. Just think of it as a girl's little vanity."
Zhan Xinyue pursed her lips and remained silent.
Perhaps people who study law are always particularly sensitive to micro-expressions. As if she knew what Wu Chuni was thinking, she smiled slightly and said, "I can guess the relationship between you two, so telling you shouldn't be a problem. Actually, I should be considered Shi Ziqian's study companion."
"A study companion?" Zhan Xinyue was taken aback. Shi Ziqian's family background was good, but it shouldn't be to the point of having such a spoiled young master's mentality.
“I came up with this word myself, or whatever you want, like ‘accompanying someone to study,’ it’s something like that,” Wu Chuni said. “I think I mentioned it before. We’re from the same city. Not long after the college entrance exam this year, his father sent someone to find me and gave me a large sum of money to keep an eye on him at school, so I followed him around every day.”
Zhan Xinyue was completely confused. "Why are we staring at him?"
“I’m not sure if I should say this… never mind, maybe I should tell you.” Wu Chuni hesitated for a moment. “He has some mental issues. His father was worried that something might happen to him if he stayed here alone, so he found me. He lives off-campus. His family owns property here, and I was arranged to live across the hall from him.”
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