On the way to the cafeteria, Shen Xiyan trailed a few steps behind the girls, his brows furrowed as he silently watched Qin Sheng chatting casually with Wenwen.
Wenwen didn’t seem too bright—Qin Sheng effortlessly steered the conversation wherever she wanted.
“Qin Sheng-jie, what do you even see in my brother? What kind of guy do you like?” Wenwen asked curiously.
Qin Sheng thought for a moment, turned her head to glance at Shen Xiyan, and replied, “Someone like your brother is just perfect…”
Wenwen didn’t buy it for a second. “If that were true, wouldn’t you already be dating someone by now?”
Shen Xiyan felt as if an invisible arrow had pierced right through his heart.
Qin Sheng laughed softly and tapped Wenwen’s nose. “Nonsense! Guys like your brother are incredibly rare, you know?”
Wenwen looked at her brother, then at Qin Sheng. Lowering her voice, she cautiously whispered, “But… it doesn’t seem like my brother likes you back?”
Lin Ci raised her eyebrows.
Qin Sheng, unfazed, smiled and asked, “Wenwen, tell me—which is better: loving someone, or being loved by someone?”
Wenwen blinked, shook her head, and looked at her expectantly.
Without hesitation, Qin Sheng answered, “Neither! The best is when the person you love also loves you back.”
“Oh…”
Wenwen looked thoughtful. She glanced at Lin Ci, then exaggeratedly wiggled her eyebrows at her own brother.
[Bro! She’s totally head over heels for you!]
“Wenwen!” Shen Xiyan suddenly barked.
“Huh?”
“Come here.”
“What for?”
As she walked over, a subtle smile tugged at Qin Sheng’s lips.
Having gone through this once before, trying to win her boyfriend over again was unexpectedly… fun.
She knew all of his personality quirks and preferences—every word she spoke, every move she made, hit all the right nerves.
Watching him flustered, conflicted, embarrassed—yet unable to resist—it was a kind of thrill.
Qin Sheng used to wonder why some boys liked teasing girls so much.
Now she understood.
Sometimes, making someone blush and hide their face in embarrassment… that was youth.
And gender roles? Totally reversible.
She could teach him everything, step by step.
Compared to that, this tiny setback? Nothing at all.
“Bro, what’s the big deal?”
“Traitors don’t get to talk to me.”
Once Wenwen stood by his side, Shen Xiyan chose silence over conversation. He would rather stare into space than talk to her.
How could she betray him with such a flawless excuse?
“You’re the one who called me over.”
“Oh, and if I told you to jump off a cliff, would you?”
Wenwen pouted, clearly wronged. “Even if I hadn’t said anything, she would’ve figured it out. What’s that got to do with me?”
She didn’t seem to care about his cold shoulder. She moved closer to him. Shen Xiyan stepped aside. She shuffled over again.
He finally placed a hand on her head, blocking her from leaning in.
“Do you think I’m upset about the outcome? I’m mad about your attitude! After everything I said last night, you’re still cozying up to her today? Have some loyalty!”
“I thought you were just putting on an act in front of Auntie.”
“I’ll slap you right now, then you’ll know if I’m acting!”
“Geez, why are you so fierce?!”
Wenwen’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Bro, why don’t you just give in? She’s really pretty, you know. And it’s even rarer to find a pretty girl who likes you…”
These days, girls “in the scene” were everywhere.
Caked in makeup at sixteen or seventeen, brows drawn, lashes curled, every other word was a curse.
They’d party-hop five or six times a day, bags stuffed with makeup, always ready to reapply with a quick swipe.
Constantly calling everyone “hubby” or “wifey.”
Or worse, they’d pull out their phones and blast short videos—laughing obnoxiously like fools after watching.
Wenwen had met a few like that and decided to keep her distance. She didn’t even bother remembering their names.
They simply weren’t from the same world.
“Give in? And who’s going to take care of you if I start dating?”
“Do I look like I need you to take care of me?”
She opened her mouth in disbelief, reaching up to touch his forehead like he was sick or something. When did he get this weird idea?
Shen Xiyan didn’t argue.
Truth was, “taking care” wasn’t the right term.
They leaned on each other. Depended on each other.
In her previous life, it was Qin Sheng pushing Wenwen away that broke everything. The final straw.
Auntie was already gone, and yet Qin Sheng still got jealous—of his sister, no less. How ridiculous could you get?
“Fine. Thanks a lot~”
Wenwen gave an exaggerated gasp and strolled off.
Her brother could be a bit dumb sometimes.
They’d be having a perfectly nice conversation, and suddenly he’d get all emotional? So gross.
“Wenwen, your brother didn’t give you a hard time, right?” Qin Sheng asked.
Wenwen shook her head without hesitation. “…Nope!”
“That’s good. If I caused trouble for you, I’d feel guilty.” Qin Sheng continued walking as she spoke.
The path was paved with alternating colored tiles, and she playfully hopped only on one color. When the gaps were too big, she gave a cheerful skip.
She completely ignored Lin Ci’s presence, looked at Wenwen, and said, “Want to know the real reason I like your brother?”
“Why?”
“Look—”
“What?”
They stopped walking.
So did Shen Xiyan.
“In your memory, has your brother ever walked ahead of you?”
“…Hmm? I don’t think so?”
It wasn’t something Wenwen had paid much attention to before, but now that she thought about it—he never had.
And with legs that long, too!
“Did you think he just liked walking slow?”
“…Then what was it?”
“If he walks behind you, he can always see what you’re doing. Maybe you don’t notice it usually, but if something bad happened—he’d be the first to know. Someone walking in front of you couldn’t do that…”
“Really?” Wenwen furrowed her brow, glancing at her brother.
Shen Xiyan still refused to speak, avoiding any interaction with Qin Sheng.
“Character shows through in the details,” Qin Sheng said with a soft smile. “Don’t underestimate it. Guys like your brother are incredibly warm. If you were ever in danger, he’d be the first to rush in and protect you.”
“That’s so nice…” She smiled down at her feet, then looked up and repeated it with more feeling. “Really… that’s so nice.”
“But you didn’t know that at first, did you?”
“I was drawn to your brother’s looks at first sight. That was love at first sight. But discovering how amazing he is? That’s fate.”
“Will you ever stop?” Shen Xiyan finally snapped, unable to take it anymore. But the moment her eyes locked on his, his heart skipped a beat.
There was something in her gaze he couldn’t describe.
Qin Sheng didn’t reply. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, her expression full of warmth.
Then suddenly, she looked a little… sleepy. She rubbed her eyes.
Her mood dipped for a second, but when she looked up again, she was once more that confident, breathtaking Qin Sheng.
“I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, and when I finally turned around—there he was, in the dim glow of lantern light.”
No one could understand what she felt—waking up alive after choosing death, only to see him again.
So happy she cried…
Turns out, when joy hits its peak, a person really can cry.
Thank you, heavens.
Lin Ci had listened silently the entire way.
At first, she was just wary.
Now… a creeping sense of danger consumed her.
She’d never noticed Shen Xiyan’s little habits, never truly understood what made him special. All she knew was that she felt comfortable around him.
But now she understood—because Qin Sheng spelled it out.
From glances to gestures, to every subtle detail in daily life—it was all right there.
That wasn’t just fondness. It was love.
A kind of deep, unique love. Hard to describe, but unmistakable.
As a fellow girl, she could feel it.
How could someone like that exist?
Throwing herself at a guy like this?
It was way too much.
Lin Ci… couldn’t understand it at all.
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