Oh no, the aloof school beauty has been reborn too!

It was almost 10 p.m. when I got back to the dorm.

There were sounds of slippers walking on the floor in the hallway, as well as laughter and chatter coming from other dorm rooms.

Shen Qingyi and the others entered the dormitory one after the other.

Girls tend to have more items.

I just finished moving my luggage during the day, and I haven't had time to fully organize many things yet.

The skincare and makeup products were only temporarily placed in the box and had not yet been sorted and arranged.

As soon as Xu Zhixia entered the room, she put her bag on a chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Finally back~"

Tang Xiaoman immediately opened the snack bag on her desk and took out a White Rabbit milk candy.

Han Shuyan didn't say anything, pulled out a chair and sat down, then picked up her phone to check the messages.

Shen Qingyi stood in front of her desk, her fingers lightly touching the phone in her bag.

Traveling by land...

Hey.

She and Lu Xing have reconnected!

This realization is like a piece of candy falling into my heart, slowly melting with a touch of sweetness.

Shen Qingyi's fingertips twitched slightly.

She really wanted to open WeChat right now and see the chat window, even if it was just a system notification.

Shen Qingyi pursed her lips, suppressing the restless flutter in her heart.

Let's do it later.

I'll talk to him a few more times when it's almost time for bed.

In this way, it's perfectly natural to say "goodnight".

Thinking of those two words, Shen Qingyi's heart softened slightly.

She put her bag down, then bent down to open the storage box and took out the small items that she hadn't finished organizing during the day, one by one.

The movements were very light and slow.

It's like tidying up these bottles and jars...

It's as if these trivial actions are a way to slowly calm my racing heart that night.

Xu Zhixia was already sitting in the chair, preparing to remove the hair clip.

But watching Shen Qingyi quietly packing her things, she held back for a long time, but still couldn't help herself:

"Qingyi".

"Um?"

Shen Qingyi put a lipstick into a small drawer in the corner of the table and responded with a sound.

Xu Zhixia turned her chair around, placed her hands on the back of the chair, and looked on with curiosity.

"Did you actually know that guy before?"

The moment those words were spoken, Shen Qingyi paused for a moment.

She was holding a bottle of lotion in her hand, and her fingertips tightened subtly in that instant.

The transparent bottle gleamed under the dormitory ceiling light.

The bright reflection fell into her eyes, but it turned into another kind of blinding white light.

A torrential downpour.

A fierce wind so cold it was almost suffocating.

Raindrops pelted my face and body, a mixture of tears and rain that I couldn't quite tell.

Those images that she had been desperately suppressing in her heart suddenly burst forth as if a hole had been torn open.

Shen Qingyi's vision blurred slightly, and her breath hitched for a moment.

Then she bit her lip hard, and a pain shot through her.

That's how I managed to pull myself out of those chaotic and fragmented images.

Shen Qingyi lowered her eyelashes and put the bottle of lotion away.

Several seconds passed before she managed a weak smile.

I guess so.

Xu Zhixia's eyes widened immediately.

Tang Xiaoman stopped chewing the candy.

"I guess so—?"

Xu Zhixia drawled out the last syllable, her expression suddenly becoming meaningful.

"I knew it!"

Shen Qingyi's ears turned slightly red, and she quickly said:

It's not what you think.

Xu Zhixia leaned back in her chair and let out an exaggerated long sigh.

"well--"

She shook her head, her tone carrying a hint of regret, as if she didn't want things to get out of hand.

"A huge group of guys are going to be heartbroken now!"

Shen Qingyi: "..."

She could only look at Xu Zhixia helplessly, yet it seemed she couldn't refute anything.

Just then, Han Shuyan's voice came from above.

"It's not exactly heartbreak."

Several people looked up at the same time.

Han Shuyan had already climbed onto her bed and was sitting against the bed railing.

Xu Zhixia asked curiously:

Why?

Han Shuyan's tone was very calm:

"We couldn't even get their contact information."

"Doesn't a breakup only count as a breakup if you've been in a relationship, or at least had one?"

After she finished speaking, she looked down at her phone again, as if she had just made a casual logical correction.

Xu Zhixia, however, did not quite agree.

"No way?"

She thought about it carefully and then gestured with her hand.

"Isn't being heartbroken also understood as failing in a relationship?"

"For example, if you like someone, but then find out that they already have someone they like, or that you have absolutely no chance with them, isn't that also a heartbreak?"

Tang Xiaoman blinked and popped another candy into her mouth.

"That makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Han Shuyan paused in her actions.

She paused for two seconds, then reached up and adjusted her glasses.

"If we understand it according to this broad concept..."

She nodded.

"That's certainly possible."

Xu Zhixia immediately smiled.

"See? I told you so."

Han Shuyan said calmly:

"But strictly speaking, they haven't even started pursuing it yet, so it can also be called a one-sided disillusionment."

Xu Zhixia: "..."

Tang Xiaoman: "..."

Shen Qingyi couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of her lips.

Xu Zhixia almost burst out laughing after she realized what was happening.

"Shuyan, do you always speak so academically?"

Han Shuyan thought for a moment.

"no."

She said in a very serious tone:

"I'm just talking nonsense."

Xu Zhixia immediately burst into laughter and leaned back in her chair.

Tang Xiaoman almost couldn't keep the milk candy in her mouth.

Before we knew it, the topic had been steered off course.

Xu Zhixia even went so far as to say, "Isn't it a kind of fleeting moment of attraction if the cafeteria lady gives you an extra piece of pork rib?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaoman immediately stated seriously:

"Of course, it's love at first sight."

Xu Zhixia asked:

Why?

Tang Xiaoman was very serious:

"Because having an extra piece of pork rib really makes me happy."

Han Shuyan glanced at her.

"Reasonable."

Xu Zhixia laughed uncontrollably again.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingyi, who was originally at the center of the conversation, had already taken advantage of their heated discussion to tidy up the small items on the table.

She then took her pajamas and toiletries and went to the bathroom.

The sound of water soon began.

The sound of rushing water blocked out the laughter and chatter from inside the dormitory.

Tang Xiaoman sat in her chair, a half-melted milk candy still in her mouth.

The sweet, milky flavor slowly spreads in your mouth.

She swung her legs, her gaze falling on the empty seat where Shen Qingyi was sitting.

They had only known each other for a day.

On that very day, the number of boys who came to see Shen Qingyi was almost too many to count on two hands.

Some people directly asked for my WeChat ID, some pretended to ask for directions, and some offered to help me move things.

Some of the smarter boys, not daring to directly bother Shen Qingyi, went around to get close to her roommates.

Being beautiful isn't always easy, is it?

Although Tang Xiaoman seems a bit slow-witted, she is indeed a little foodie.

Often, she would rather spend her time researching which dessert shop has the best taste than think about the complicated interpersonal relationships.

But that doesn't mean she can't understand the atmosphere and emotions at all.

Quite the opposite.

Tang Xiaoman was laughed at many times since she was a child because she ate a lot and loved snacks.

Some people say she's greedy.

Some people say she's fat.

Some people joked that she would definitely marry the cafeteria worker in the future.

When those people speak, they may just be chuckling casually.

But Tang Xiaoman could understand it.

They can tell which jokes are malicious and which laughs are contemptuous.

That's why she's much more sensitive to other people's emotions than she seems.

She clearly sensed that Shen Qingyi's emotions were very complicated when she looked at Lu Xing.

It wasn't just simple surprise, nor was it the flutter of the heart when meeting a handsome guy.

There's a lot in those eyes.

There is restraint, there is nostalgia...

There is also a very deep sadness.

When she looked at Lu Xing, her brows were slightly furrowed.

She seemed to want to get close to him, yet was also afraid to get close to him.

Tang Xiaoman slowly chewed the candy in her mouth.

There must have been some kind of entanglement between Qingyi and that boy.

As for what exactly it is...

Xiaoman doesn't know.

Qingyi didn't say anything, and she wouldn't ask.

After all, everyone has their own secrets.

The sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped.

When Shen Qingyi came out drying her hair, Xu Zhixia was still arguing with Han Shuyan about whether liking anime characters counts as being in love.

Xu Zhixia argued vehemently:

"How can it not count? I've spent money on him!"

Han Shuyan pushed up her glasses.

"That's closer to consumer behavior."

Xu Zhixia: "..."

Tang Xiaoman immediately chimed in:

"But her heart races when she spends money."

Han Shuyan thought for two seconds.

"Could it be because the price is too high?"

Xu Zhixia clutched her chest.

"Shuyan, you're so cold-hearted."

"Hehe, don't fall in love with me."

Shen Qingyi listened to their conversation and chuckled softly.

Although her smile was faint, it softened her entire demeanor considerably.

Xu Zhixia turned to look at her, her eyes lighting up slightly.

"Qingyi, are you done washing?"

A beautiful woman emerges from her bath!

"Um."

Shen Qingyi nodded, put the toiletries back in their place, and picked up the hairdryer to start drying her hair.

A buzzing sound of wind arose.

She kept her head down, her hair blowing wildly in the hot air.

The dormitory light fell on her profile, making her appear quiet and gentle.

After everyone finished washing up, the dormitory gradually quieted down.

Xu Zhixia climbed into bed, and before pulling back the curtains, she peeked out and gave a cheerful reminder:

"Qingyi, remember not to chat too late tonight."

Shen Qingyi paused.

"What are you going to talk about?"

Xu Zhixia jokingly said with a smile:

What do you think?

Tang Xiaoman peeked half her head out from behind the bed curtains:

"Qingyi, you should at least take care of yourself during your freshman year."

Shen Qingyi: "..."

I never expected Tang Xiaoman to be like this!

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked up at them.

"sleep!"

Xu Zhixia smiled and shrank back.

Han Shuyan had already put on her headphones, seemingly listening to English listening exercises.

Tang Xiaoman whispered "Goodnight" and then crawled into her own bed.

The dormitory lights were quickly turned off, leaving only a faint glow coming through each person's bed curtains.

Shen Qingyi climbed into bed and gently drew the bed curtains.

The small space immediately fell silent.

She leaned against the pillow and finally took out her phone.

The moment the screen lit up, her heart skipped a beat.

In my WeChat contact list, the newly added friend lies there quietly.

The profile picture is a very ordinary landscape photo, and the nickname is also very simple.

Travel by land.

How interesting, his WeChat profile picture will start to change in a few years.

I vaguely remember that I first changed my profile picture to a big one?

Shen Qingyi opened the chat box, where the system notification was still displayed.

You have added Lu Xing; you can start chatting now.

As she looked at those words, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She had looked at Lu Xing's chat box countless times before.

later……

Shen Qingyi closed her eyes, suppressing the surging bitterness and sorrow once again.

Things are different now, this life is different.

Shen Qingyi stared at the input box, her fingertips hovering over the keyboard, unable to make a move for a long time.

What should I say as my first sentence?

"Have you arrived at your dorm yet?"

Wouldn't that look too much like checking up on someone?

Thank you for today.

It seems too formal...

"Land Travel~"

No, that's too strange.

She kept deleting and revising, the words in the input box appearing and disappearing.

Several minutes passed before Shen Qingyi finally typed a line of text.

[Orange Soda: Have you arrived at your dorm yet?]

After sending the message, she immediately covered her phone with the blanket.

My heart was beating incredibly fast.

But less than three seconds later, she couldn't resist turning her phone over again.

No reply!

Too……

They're probably still washing up in the boys' dorm.

Shen Qingyi told herself not to rush, but her gaze still involuntarily fell on the screen.

Five seconds, ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Finally, a few words appeared at the top of the chat box—

"The other party is typing..."

Shen Qingyi's breath hitched.

The next second, a message popped up.

[Lu Xing: Just arrived.]