While Yu Qing was secretly frustrated, the boy across from him had already walked over, reaching out to pull him up, his eyes filled with amazement and admiration.
“Bro, nice game!”
This time, I admit defeat!
Wanna add each other as friends?
I’m Jiang Zilin. Want to play together next time?
He seemed to be the sociable type too, which made Yu Qing, a social introvert, a little uncomfortable.
Using the offered hand for support, Yu Qing stood up, waved his hand, and his breathing was still a bit unsteady.
“Thanks. Let’s play again if there’s a chance next time. I didn’t bring my phone, so just give me your contact info. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely call you.”
In the end, Yu Qing still politely declined the suggestion to set another match, since what he needed right now wasn’t someone to play badminton with.
After saying goodbye to Jiang Zilin, he stuffed the slip of paper with the contact info into his pocket, then turned and walked toward the edge of the court where the water and towels were placed.
His gaze “unintentionally” swept across the crowd, then he feigned surprise as he looked at Lin Wei, waving at her with a forced smile.
Lin Wei froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Yu Qing to remember her.
In her memory, Yu Qing had always been a quiet person, and the two of them hadn’t interacted much.
She had assumed he wouldn’t remember her.
“Hello, senior. I didn’t expect to see you here. So you’re actually this good at badminton!”
As the crowd dispersed, Lin Wei made her way through the people and stood in front of Yu Qing, her eyes sparkling, her voice filled with open admiration.
He hadn’t expected to gain a little fangirl after winning.
It was an unexpected bonus—and would make it easier to build rapport when talking later.
“It’s just okay. I haven’t played in a long time, so I’m a bit rusty.”
Yu Qing replied modestly, picking up a water bottle and taking a sip.
His wrist, tired and weak, started trembling when he tried to use it, nearly spilling water all over himself.
He awkwardly wiped his sweat with a towel, trying to keep his tone casual and natural.
“Are you here for badminton class?”
“Yeah, but I’m pretty bad at it. I’m just here to earn credits and move around for weight loss.”
Lin Wei stuck out her tongue shyly, then as if remembering something, continued.
“How about you, senior? Did you choose this class too? I don’t think I saw you before.”
Weight loss?
I remember you once told me that weight loss was the biggest mistake.
Yu Qing laughed inwardly, but didn’t expose her.
“No, there are no Physical Education Classes in senior year. But I did take an Elective Course, which is happening right now, though I skipped it.”
Yu Qing smiled, half-truthfully.
“It’s been so long since I exercised that I felt itchy and just came to play around and stretch a bit.”
“Wow! Skipping class to play? Senior, you’re really rebellious!”
Lin Wei covered her mouth and giggled, her ladylike demeanor catching Yu Qing off guard.
“Rebellious…?”
I thought I looked like the honest type.
Yu Qing shook his head helplessly, stuffed his water bottle into his jacket pocket, and pointed to a wooden bench not far away.
“If you want to chat, let’s go there. Standing here isn’t the best place. Of course, only if you want to.”
Having experienced closeness with Lin Wei as Fu Yi, Lin Wei didn’t feel like a stranger to Yu Qing.
Plus, her eccentric behavior had long since shattered any filter he had about her, so chatting with her felt as natural as talking to the three rascals in the dormitory.
Lin Wei thought for a moment at his words, but didn’t refuse.
The two of them walked side by side to the wooden bench and sat down.
They talked a lot about badminton.
Yu Qing shared some of his tips, and Lin Wei listened attentively.
Just like she’d told him before, she claimed to be in it for credits, but in reality, she genuinely enjoyed the sport.
“By the way, how did that Traditional Culture Exhibition Project go last time? I heard Fu Yi junior took it pretty seriously and put a lot of effort into it.”
Yu Qing pretended to be slightly interested, skillfully shifting the topic.
“Oh, that! It was settled a long time ago! Thanks to Yiyi and your ideas, senior!”
Lin Wei, who had been listening dazedly, immediately perked up when it was her turn to talk, clearly the type who couldn’t keep secrets.
“The final presentation went super well! We even got an Excellent! It’s a pity you didn’t come, senior. Yiyi even specially…”
She stopped midway, as if remembering something.
Her gaze flickered and she glossed over it vaguely.
“…Anyway, it all went smoothly!”
That day?
Which day?
Yu Qing’s heart stirred.
He suspected the junior had done something, but didn’t pursue the topic, instead just smiling and nodding in praise.
“That’s great, then.”
Once the conversation started, it was hard to stop.
Especially since Yu Qing gave off a familiar vibe, Lin Wei soon relaxed into her usual self, like she did with Fu Yi and the others.
After finishing their talk about the Group Assignment, the two shifted to fun stories and complaints from college life, from which cafeteria had the best food to which teacher’s class was easiest to fail.
The topics were all over the place, but Yu Qing remained patient.
When the conversation moved to her favorite topics, Lin Wei quickly got excited, chattering non-stop as if she could go on forever.
The atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
Yu Qing checked the time.
Class was almost over, so the timing was just right to talk about the main issue.
“Honestly, it’s more relaxed teaming up with your group. Fu Yi junior is a strong leader, Zhou Min junior is great at statistics and planning, and the others are all good too. Way better than my hopeless roommates.”
He joked half-heartedly, feeling a bit nervous inside.
“Of course!”
Lin Wei lifted her chin proudly, not minding at all that Yu Qing had lumped her in with the “others.”
“Yiyi is amazing! There’s nothing she can’t handle! But sometimes she overdoes it, getting so busy she forgets to eat, so Minmin and I have to keep an eye on her.”
When the topic came to her beloved Yiyi, Lin Wei’s attention, which had been wandering, immediately sharpened.
Yu Qing listened patiently, occasionally agreeing, guiding her to talk about what he wanted to hear.
So, from Lin Wei’s half-complaining, half-proud narrative, Yu Qing slowly pieced together details of the junior’s daily life, like assembling a puzzle until the image of Fu Yi gradually formed in his mind.
Living habits, food preferences, subtle personality traits.
He could even deduce the general time of the junior’s period from related conversations.
Er, it sounded a bit weird, and actually was, but it was important information.
Yu Qing didn’t know if his transformed body would have a period.
If it didn’t, then this information could help him act more convincingly.
But as he listened, Yu Qing’s feelings grew complicated.
A strange emotion sprouted inside him, something like jealousy mixed with an indescribable sense of being touched.
The last person who cared about him this much was probably his own family.
He chuckled, dispersing the gloom in his mind.
His yearning for such friendship only grew deeper.
Yu Qing calmed himself and continued listening to Lin Wei’s story.
“But lately, Yiyi’s been acting a bit strange…”
When she reached the key point, Lin Wei suddenly lowered her voice, glanced around, and spoke in a mysterious tone.
Yu Qing’s heart leapt.
Suppressing his nerves, he forced himself to stay calm and asked.
“What happened?”
“She’s been worried about something lately, like she’s afraid of something. She even told us to be careful and pay attention to safety…”
“……”
“Yeah, that’s about it, senior. Class is almost over. I have to go find Yiyi.”
Lin Wei suddenly fell silent, then spoke after a long pause, said goodbye, and stood up to leave.
Her attitude toward Yu Qing returned to the polite but distant manner from the beginning.
Yu Qing watched her back, waved, and in the end, only said “see you.”
It seems that even the most naive people become sharp when it comes to those they care about.
After all that talking, all he got were bits and pieces.
He was too impatient, making Lin Wei notice something was off.
Yu Qing leaned back against the bench, arms spread limply, a faint worry flickering in his mind.
There was a high chance that the junior had sensed something about that night.
Her movement to search under the bed was probably a reaction to his presence in her room, which unintentionally altered her memory and triggered her vigilance.
Of course, it could have simply been because she noticed her slippers were missing.
If that was the case, then it’d actually be a relief.
But Yu Qing wasn’t about to pin his hopes on that.
Assuming the worst, the junior had already discovered someone in the School who looked exactly like her and had started investigating.
It was possible Zhou Min had also shared information with the junior, and after discussing, the two had further confirmed her identity.
Therefore, regardless of what the junior thought, Yu Qing had to speed up his progress!