09
The steam in the bathroom hadn't yet dissipated, and a thin layer of fog covered the mirror. Shen Qingyu stood in front of the mirror, wiping her wet hair. Her fingertips unconsciously brushed across the mirror, leaving a clear mark on the fog, revealing her flushed cheeks.
She stared at herself in the mirror, her eyelashes trembling slightly - it was just a game, just an ordinary touch of the lower lip, why is it that even now, her heart is still beating like a rabbit, so chaotic and disorderly?
Her eyes unconsciously drifted to her lips, where Yu Wang's scent still lingered. The bitterness of beer mingled with the faint scent of tobacco, lingering like a vine in her heart. She raised her hand, her fingertips just touching her lower lip, then abruptly pulled it back, as if burned. She shook her head to dispel the images, but the shadow of Yu Wang's eyelashes when he tilted his head, the warm breath as he drew closer, lingered ever more clearly in her mind.
"I'm so annoyed." Shen Qingyu scratched her hair irritably, turned around and threw herself on the bed, burying her face deeply in the pillow. The soft fabric stifled her breathing and temporarily isolated her messy thoughts, but after a few seconds, she suddenly raised her head again - she wanted to find someone to talk to, otherwise she would be driving herself crazy by holding this worry in her heart.
The dormitory was quiet. Le Yan'er's bed had a shower curtain, and the sound of water splashing could be heard from inside, clearly still showering. Su Yi and Ji Yuanyuan's beds were empty, and the books on their desks were neatly arranged. It looked like they wouldn't be coming back tonight.
Shen Qingyu took out her phone, unlocked the screen, and swiped her finger across the WeChat list, finally stopping at the avatar of "Qu Shengsheng". After hesitating for two seconds, she clicked on the dialog box and pressed the video call button.
A few seconds after the ringtone, the screen lit up. Qu Shengsheng, wearing a dark green mud mask, half-reclined on the leather sofa in the villa's living room. Behind him, the city nightscape stretched out through the floor-to-ceiling windows. He held a cherry in his hand, looking relaxed and obviously in a good mood.
"What's wrong, sister? You're looking for me at this time? Did something go wrong at the social gathering?" Qu Shengsheng took a bite of a cherry and his voice was unclear.
Chen Qingyu clutched the corner of the quilt, exerted a little force with her fingertips, bit her nails, and then slowly spoke: "I want to tell you something..."
"Yeah, go ahead." Qu Shengsheng nodded and picked up another grape and put it in his mouth.
"I went out to socialize with my roommates today..."
"hold head high."
"Yu Wang's friends and my classmates had barbecue together..."
"Yeah." Qu Shengsheng's eyes fell on the screen of his mobile phone, as if he was watching TV.
"He kept picking up food for me... and he said someone else asked him to pick it up for me..."
"Ang~" This time, Qu Shengsheng's tone was obviously higher, with a hint of ambiguity in his smile. He turned his eyes back and glanced at Shen Qingyu, "Then what? Just picking up the food is not enough."
Shen Qingyu's cheeks became hot again. She avoided the camera and whispered, "Then we went to the bar we went to last time..."
"hold head high."
"Then we played games..."
"Yeah." Qu Shengsheng's voice was full of anticipation, and he was obviously waiting for her next words.
Shen Qingyu took a deep breath, and her heart was made up. She seemed to have made a huge decision, and her expression was a little unnatural: "Then... she kissed Yu Wang."
"Oh...ah???" Qu Shengsheng's voice suddenly rose. The person who was lying comfortably just now suddenly sat up straight, and the mud membrane almost broke. "Holy shit? Is this true? Yu Wang is good enough, he got A right away? 666!" She kept talking non-stop, laughing without concealing it. Her excitement could be felt through the screen.
"...Are you really that happy?" Shen Qingyu drooped the corners of his mouth, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
Seeing her listless look, Qu Shengsheng raised his eyebrows and said with a hint of teasing: "You've already kissed me, aren't you happy?"
"...It's just a game." Shen Qingyu argued softly, as if trying to convince Qu Shengsheng, or as if trying to convince himself.
"Oh, it's just a game." Qu Shengsheng dragged out his tone, his eyes full of "I don't believe you" look, "Then why are you entangled for so long, specifically calling me on video to talk about this 'game'? Chen Qingyu, I seriously suspect that you are feeding me dog food and you still refuse to admit it."
Looking at Qu Shengsheng's defensive look, Shen Qingyu rolled his eyes and said unhappily, "Get lost."
"Don't rush me to get out of here," Qu Shengsheng said, his smile subsiding. "Think about it, why did he kiss you instead of someone else?"
"Because the dare says to kiss the opposite sex closest to him, I sat next to him." Shen Qingyu retorted almost immediately, but her tone was not so firm.
"..." Qu Shengsheng was silent for a moment, then calmly pierced her excuse, "Then think about it again. He can refuse. It's just a big risk, no one will force him."
"He just wants to prove that he can afford to play and has a game spirit." Shen Qingyu still insisted, but his voice had already lowered.
"..." Qu Shengsheng was completely speechless and rolled his eyes. "So, did you fucking want him to do that on purpose or not? You can't even figure it out yourself, and you're asking me?"
"I..." Shen Qingyu lowered her eyebrows, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I don't know."
Qu Shengsheng looked at her depressed and confused appearance, and sighed with regret: "You have a typical Stockholm syndrome. When someone treats you a little bit well, you start to have wild thoughts."
"Speak human language." Shen Qingyu frowned. She couldn't understand these messy terms.
"People say..." Qu Shengsheng took a bite of the cucumber on the plate next to him and looked at Shen Qingyu seriously, "Sister, you are in love."
Shen Qingyu's heart skipped a beat. She thought about it carefully—she blushed when she saw Yu Wang, her heartbeat quickened when she was close to him, and even now, thinking of him, she felt a mess inside. But when it came to love, it seemed like something was missing. She just felt irritated, and within that irritation, there was a hint of inexplicable anticipation.
"It's easy to like someone," Shen Qingyu said slowly, with a hint of confusion in her voice that she herself didn't even notice. "As long as this person doesn't violate my taboos and doesn't make me hate them, I'll basically have some feelings for them. But love is different. Liking and loving are completely different things."
Qu Shengsheng didn't say anything, just listened quietly. She knew Shen Qingyu's temper and the story behind her.
"My mother taught me since I was a child to learn to protect myself and not to be easily tempted by men." Shen Qingyu's voice lowered, with a hint of bitterness in the memories. "She said that men are too good at pretending, and you have no idea whether they are sincere or not. That's why there are so many infatuated men and women in this world."
She'd been wary of men since she was little, never giving her heart easily. She was clever, always able to see through the boys' subtle intentions, so she'd always taken the initiative, approaching when she liked them and leaving when she got tired, without a trace of lingering feelings, as heartless as a person without a heart. She knew this approach wasn't right, but over the years, it had become a habit, something no one could change.
"I don't even know if I'm sincere towards Yu Wang." Shen Qingyu's eyes were a little empty. "I don't even know what my sincerity is."
Seeing that Shen Qingyu was silent, Qu Shengsheng sighed softly. She probably guessed what Shen Qingyu was thinking: "I see, you are starting to protect yourself again, just like before."
Shen Qingyu still didn't answer. She leaned against the headboard, staring at the ceiling, her heart in a turmoil. Shen Changshen had told her that the least important thing in a person's life was love. A qualified heir to the Shen family was not allowed to have any feelings.
From then on, she got used to looking at people with a cold face, not liking to hide things, and her straightforward and heartless appearance was very much like Shen Changshen.
"Oh, forget it." Seeing that she didn't say anything, Qu Shengsheng stopped forcing her, "Anyway, as long as you are happy, it's fine. You don't lack men at all. As long as you are willing, there are plenty of people around you. These things are common in our circle." She smacked her lips and took another bite of the cucumber, with a hint of warning in her tone, "But it's best if Yu Wang is just playing around. Otherwise, tut tut tut, it would be bad if he hurts his junior brother's heart."
"Him?" Shen Qingyu was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously asked, "Why would he be sad?"
"Yeah, don't underestimate him." Qu Shengsheng sat up straight, his tone filled with gossip and excitement. "Let me tell you, don't be fooled by Yu Wang's scumbag face and his always cold attitude. The more scumbag-looking a man is, the more affectionate he is. He can pluck the stars from the sky for you. And, I heard a rumor that Yu Wang is a Scorpio."
"Scorpio?" Shen Qingyu frowned. She didn't know much about astrology, but she vaguely remembered hearing about it somewhere. "Isn't that a sign that holds grudges?"
"Nonono, you're wrong." Qu Shengsheng waved his hand, touched his chin pretentiously, and explained seriously, "Scorpios are all very romantic. Once they fall in love, they are very loyal. But you still have to take it easy and don't get too involved, otherwise you won't be able to withdraw."
"Okay, got it." Shen Qingyu responded perfunctorily, but he remembered the three words "Scorpio" in his heart.
Of course she knew that for people of their status, marriage was never something they could decide on their own. Feelings were a luxury that could not be touched.
Qu Shengsheng snorted, clearly not believing her. "I hope you can yell like this, so you don't fall down and come crying to me again."
After hanging up the video, Shen Qingyu hadn't recovered from the previous conversation when the shower curtain was pulled open with a "swish" sound. Le Yaner came out wiping her wet hair, with the scent of shower gel on her body.
"Yu Yu, you were just on the phone with Qu Shengsheng, and I thought I heard you say 'scumbag Yu Wang'?" Le Yan'er leaned over, her eyes full of curiosity. "Do you really want to scumbag Yu Wang?"
Shen Qingyu was shocked and quickly smiled to cover it up: "No, how could it be possible. I was just joking with my friends. Besides, I don't have the opportunity to scumbag others."
Le Yan'er didn't believe it and looked at her with an ambiguous look: "Why not? Today at the barbecue restaurant, Yu Wang picked up food for you and helped you grill the meat, and his eyes were almost glued to you. When we played Dare tonight, when he kissed you, his expression didn't look like he was just playing a game. I don't believe that he has no interest in you."
"He should be just being gentlemanly and polite, and having a playful spirit. He doesn't want to spoil everyone's fun." Shen Qingyu was still defending himself, but his tone was a little unnatural.
"Yu Wang isn't like this with other girls." Le Yan'er said confidently, with a hint of certainty in her tone, "I've seen him talking to other girls before, and he was so cold. He didn't even give her an extra glance, let alone pick up some food for her or kiss her on the cheek."
Shen Qingyu looked at Le Yan'er's serious expression, and her heart seemed to be gently bumped by something. She licked her lower lip uncomfortably and asked in a low voice: "Is... is it?"
"Yeah!" Le Yaner nodded solemnly, afraid that she wouldn't believe him. "Why would I lie to you? There were girls in our class who took the initiative to ask for his WeChat, but he directly refused with a very cold tone."
The corners of Shen Qingyu's mouth unconsciously raised a little, then quickly pressed it back down, pretending to be nonchalant and said: "Hahaha, then he is quite aloof, not quite the same as in the game."
Qu Shengsheng's words suddenly rang in his mind. Shen Qingyu hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking Le Yan'er: "Yan'er, is Yu Wang a Scorpio?"
"Yeah!" Le Yan'er was stunned for a moment, then smiled at her, her eyes full of mischief, "What's wrong? Are you trying to see how compatible your zodiac signs are?"
Shen Qingyu waved her hands quickly, her cheeks flushed: "No, no, I was just asking casually, I just happened to think of this."
"Hey, Yu Yu, stop pretending." Le Yan'er smiled and took out her phone, opened a constellation app, and came to Shen Qingyu, "I've already checked it for you two. You're a Capricorn and he's a Scorpio. The compatibility is over 90%! It says it all. You two are a perfect match!"
Shen Qingyu looked at the number "90%" on the phone screen, and her heart began to get confused again, but she still smiled and said, "Haha, it's really high. This thing is just for fun."
But she remembered it clearly in her heart - Yu Wang was really a Scorpio.
While Le Yan'er was drying her hair, Shen Qingyu secretly opened her mobile browser, typed in the words "Scorpio man", and clicked search. The moment the page popped up, the three big words "cold violence" came into view, and they were bold and black, making them particularly eye-catching.
Shen Qingyu thought of Yu Wang's usual cold appearance, and the aura that kept strangers away from him when he was silent, and couldn't help but shudder - cold violence, it really seemed like something he could do.
At the same time, in the boys' dormitory, Yu Wang was sitting in front of the computer playing games, when he suddenly sneezed loudly with a "choo".
"Are you fucking saying bad things about me behind my back?" Yu Wang didn't even raise his head, his fingers still tapping quickly on the keyboard, and he cursed Wu Hao who was watching videos on the bed in an unhappy tone.
Wu Hao was watching the movie with great interest, but was stunned by his scolding. "I didn't say anything. I was just watching a cat movie. How could I say bad things about you?"
"Fuck, this is so unfair! Lao Yu, now that you're taken, you've forgotten all the good things that happened to me, right?" Wu Hao put down his phone and pretended to be aggrieved. "Wow, this is so painful. It's not right to put love before friendship..."
Yu Wang: "..." He felt that if Wu Hao continued to pretend like this, he might not be able to help but smash the keyboard on his face.
Lu Yisi sat on the chair next to him, took a deep breath, suppressed the irritation in his heart, and yelled at Wu Hao: "If you fucking hate him, forget it, but don't take me with you! I still want to live a good life!"
Wu Hao turned off his phone, sat up from the bed, and approached behind Yu Wang with a gossipy look on his face. "By the way, Old Yu, what happened between you and my goddess? What happened today wasn't something you would do with just ordinary friends, was it?"
"What's the matter? We're just ordinary friends." Yu Wang's eyes were still fixed on the computer screen, his tone was flat, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter.
"Tsk, who would believe that?" Wu Hao curled his lips and raised his eyebrows, his tone full of disbelief. "Can ordinary friends kiss on the cheek? Don't use the big dare as a shield. This excuse may fool others, but it won't fool me. Old Yu, tell me honestly, do you like my goddess?"
Yu Wang's hand that was clicking the mouse suddenly stopped, and the skill he was about to release deviated in direction, and the hero on the screen was instantly killed by the opponent.
Lu Yiwu was in the middle of a team battle with the other team. When he saw Yu Wang's hero fall, he immediately yelled, "Hey hey hey! Old Yu, why are you gone? Damn! The other team is about to push the crystal!"
Sure enough, the opponent took advantage of the situation and directly pushed down the base. The word "failure" popped up on the game interface, and Lu Yi's promotion match was over.
"Ah! My promotion match! Damn Wu Hao, you idiot!" Lu Yi angrily threw the mouse down, stood up suddenly, climbed onto Wu Hao's bed, hooked his arm around his neck, and pretended to strangle him to death. "This is Old Yu's own business, you keep nagging me! It's all your fault. You made me lose the promotion match! Damn you!"
"What the hell! I was just gossiping, I didn't mean it!" Wu Hao struggled to defend himself, his face flushed red.
Just as the two were tussling, Yu Wang suddenly spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it reached their ears clearly: "I like her."
Wu Hao and Lu Yiwu stopped instantly, frozen in place. The dormitory suddenly became so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing.
A full minute passed before Wu Hao finally reacted. He pushed Lu Yiwei away and shouted excitedly, "I knew it! I knew you had bad intentions towards my goddess! I saw it a long time ago!"
Lu Yizi rolled his eyes and was speechless at Wu Hao's fussing look.
Yu Wang turned around and gave them a provocative smile, saying frankly, "Yes, I did have ulterior motives."
Wu Hao and Lu Yiwu: "..." It was the first time they saw Yu Wang admit his feelings so bluntly.
"So how are you guys doing now? Have you confessed your feelings?" Wu Hao came closer again, his eyes full of curiosity.
"It's nothing, just ordinary friends." Yu Wang turned around, reopened the game, and his tone returned to normal.
"No chatting? No plans to go out and play?" Wu Hao asked, obviously not satisfied with this answer.
"At the moment, she hasn't recognized me." Yu Wang's fingers tapped lightly on the mouse, with a hint of imperceptible expectation in his voice.
“??? What do you mean?” Wu Hao and Lu Yiwu were stunned. They looked at each other with confusion on their faces.
"Guess." Yu Wang deliberately kept the question in suspense, with a faint smile on his lips.
Wu Hao frowned, thinking carefully for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly, "I remember! It's that League of Legends account! 'Yu Xi', right? You mentioned before, that amazing girl, that's her!"
Yu Wang nodded, which was considered as his agreement.
Lu Yiwu and Wu Hao both opened their eyes wide in surprise. Lu Yiwu couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect that Shen Qingyu really plays League of Legends, and the kind you praised before. This is too coincidental."
Wu Hao and Lu Yiwu looked at each other and saw the words "indescribable" in each other's eyes - this fate was too wonderful.
In the middle of the night, Shen Qingyu lay in bed, tossing and turning but still unable to fall asleep. Her insomnia had been getting worse recently, and she couldn't explain the specific reason. She just felt that it was difficult to calm down because she had something on her mind.
The phone screen lit up in the darkness. She opened the playlist and randomly played a soothing folk song. The soft melody slowly flowed through the room, but it failed to calm her heart.
After listening to the song for about ten minutes, she somehow shared it on her WeChat Moments, with no accompanying text, just a simple music symbol. As soon as she clicked send, her phone vibrated and a WeChat message popped up on the screen.
0:13, the sender is "Wuyin".
Wuyin: Not asleep?
Shen Qingyu was a little surprised. She didn't expect Wuyin to be still awake at this hour, and she didn't expect him to take the initiative to chat with her. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers tapping on the screen: "Yeah, I have a little insomnia. Did you stay up late to improve your grades?"
Wuyin: Yeah, just finished a game.
Shen Qingyu looked at the replies on the screen, a subtle feeling rising in her heart. She posted to her Moments, and he sent a message right after. Could it be that he has been checking Moments the whole time? As soon as this thought came to her mind, she suppressed it - it must be just a coincidence.
Wuyin: I casually glanced at my Moments and saw the song you shared, so I asked.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Wuyin sent another message with just the right explanation, which didn't seem deliberate and dispelled her doubts.
Shen Qingyu smiled and replied: "Okay, this song is quite nice, suitable for listening to at night."
Wuyin: Yeah, I like it too. I never realized before that our playlists are quite similar.
Seeing this, Shen Qingyu's heart moved. She clicked on Wuyin's circle of friends and flipped through the music he had shared before. She found that there were indeed several songs that she liked. She couldn't help but reply: "Really? You also like this singer? I thought few people knew him."
Wuyin: I heard it by chance and thought his lyrics were very delicate, so I started paying attention to him.
Just like that, the two of them chatted back and forth. From their favorite music to their favorite movies, from the games they usually played to the interesting things in school, Shen Qingyu found that she and Wuyin had many common topics and they were having a very happy chat.
In the past, when she chatted with others, she was always a little perfunctory, rarely opening her heart and chatting for such a long time. But when facing Wuyin, she felt very relaxed, without having to pretend or be cautious, as if she had known him for a long time.
Before she knew it, it was already past one in the morning. Shen Qingyu yawned, her eyelids drooping, and she realized she had been chatting for so long. She rubbed her eyes and replied, "It's too late. I'm a little sleepy. I have classes tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep first."
Wuyin: Okay, go to bed early, good night.
Shen Qingyu looked at the words "Good night" on the screen, and her heart felt warm. She replied "Good night" before turning off the phone and closing her eyes.
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