Chapter 9: The Day She and I First Met 

The underground parking lot was beneath the administration building and a bit far from the teaching building, but Mu Nanqiu had no plans to go straight to class anyway.

The library seemed like a good idea—and maybe stopping by the cafeteria convenience store on the way to get something small.

She took the elevator to the ground floor, exited via the side door, and walked through a small garden that led directly to the library.

A few students who weren’t napping back at their dorms were lounging around the pavilion chatting casually. 

When they noticed someone approaching, they instinctively looked over.

And once they looked—

They couldn’t look away.

A beauty striking enough to make your heart flutter—it was pure visual therapy.

Clearly, staying on campus this afternoon had been a genius move. 

If they’d gone back to their rooms, they’d just be listening to roommates yelling over mobile games. 

Where else would you find such a scene?

What? You’re asking what scenery?

Isn’t that obvious? She’s the scenery!

***

Technically it was winter now, but the early December breeze was still gentle, as if giving people a few grace days to adapt.

Mu Nanqiu wasn’t at the age anymore where she’d chase after looks and freeze for fashion.

She wore a long gray trench coat, with a black fleece-lined base layer underneath. 

Black tights, short leather—ahem, well, too bad she wore plain cotton shoes. 

A bit lacking in punch.

Black and gray—restrained elegance.

A single silver necklace gleamed faintly on her chest—her only accessory.

Smooth black hair, finely sculpted features, and an expression so calm it bordered on indifferent.

Like someone who:

“Doesn’t delight in things, nor grieve for herself.”

There was always a subtle detachment clinging to her like a barrier—making it hard for others to approach.

***

Mu Nanqiu had very few friends.

With her cold demeanor toward unfamiliar people, it was already a miracle she had any at all. 

In truth, most of the credit went to Hua Mingye.

Even if she looked icy on the outside, she was warm on the inside.

You just had to get past that surface—but that was rare. Not many ever made it that far.

That’s why the internet was such a great place.

Online, everyone drops their masks.

After all, unless you tell someone, who’s going to know if you’re typing fully clothed—or while doing something… hands-on?

***

Mu Nanqiu came from wealth.

She lacked for nothing.

From a young age, she was raised as the family’s heir—private tutors, elite academies, everything.

With such resources, it was only natural she scored higher than her peers. 

And Nanqiu did everything her parents expected—and more.

Until the third child, her younger brother, grew old enough for school.

Then, without warning, the weight that had always rested on the eldest daughter’s shoulders was suddenly lifted.

Nanqiu didn’t understand.

She had worked so hard, done so well—surpassing every expectation. Why…?

When they told her she no longer needed to try so hard, she cried right in front of her parents.

Her mother awkwardly comforted her.

Her father even apologized.

“We’ve always placed so much pressure on you… and never considered how you felt. But now, you don’t have to work so hard anymore. We’re not short on money—you can do whatever you want to do.”

Do whatever she wanted?

She tried traveling.

Theme parks. 

Roller coasters. 

Dancing. 

Painting. 

Playing instruments.

All of them… felt dull after a while.

She even tried raising pets.

But eventually gave them away.

Didn’t quite click.

Fluffy little creatures were cute—just not exciting enough.

***

Maybe she just needed something different?

When she first touched online games, she wasn’t interested.

Logged in now and then, mostly just to check in.

Gaming just wasn’t her thing—until Hua Mingye dragged her into it.

***

The real turning point came when she met someone with the username “Yao Xiao Su” 

At the thought, Nanqiu’s lips quirked up ever so slightly.

***

At first, she didn’t pay much attention to Yao Xiao Su.

Just some poor sap Hua Mingye had lured into the guild. 

That girl loved messing with boys who pretended to be girls in-game.

She even spent 100,000 yuan on a ranked account just to do it.

With a master like Hua Mingye, Yao Xiao Su naturally got teased into oblivion.

Hua Mingye was a natural con artist.

Even back in kindergarten, she’d somehow sweet-talked two young female teachers into dating each other.

Nanqiu figured Yao Xiao Su was just another victim.

What she didn’t expect was—

Even after getting conned, Yao Xiao Su kept helping count the money.

Even praised her “kind and generous Master.”

Whenever she scraped together some gold, she’d get convinced to buy “undervalued materials” because her Master’s top-ranked account had “inside info.”

She’d pour all her money into those items—and end up losing big.

Nanqiu knew everything.

Worse, those “undervalued materials” were ones that Hua Mingye herself had dumped onto the auction house.

She even lent Yao Xiao Su in-game money.

And when the game updated, those materials became worthless.

Yao Xiao Su would owe a lot.

Hua Mingye already had Yao Xiao Su’s real-life contact info.

As her best friend, Nanqiu knew this crazy woman was about to pull something intense.

As for Yao—no, Su Yao’s fate…

It wasn’t hard to imagine.

***

Nanqiu didn’t know why—but watching the silly, happy Su Yao being led around and teased in the QQ group…

It made her feel angry.

She ended up buying all the materials with her own money, just so Su Yao could break even.

And when she saw Su Yao gushing with joy over the “profit,” Nanqiu found herself… inexplicably happy too.

It was less than 1,000 yuan.

Not much at all.

That night, a thought suddenly struck Nanqiu:

Wait… did Hua Mingye plan all this? Did she use me too?!

So she showed up at her place in the middle of the night, tackled Hua Mingye, and gave her a proper beatdown.

They didn’t speak for a month afterward.

Neither of them touched that game again.

Nanqiu ended up taking over as the “Master,” and she and Su Yao—still going by “Yao Xiao Su”—played together for two whole years.

Two years.

***

Lost in thought, Nanqiu was suddenly jolted back when someone bumped into her.

A girl.

Head down, face hidden behind long hair.

She kept apologizing in a sweet, delicate voice:

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to… I’m really, really sorry…”

Then she braced herself against the wall and limped away from the cafeteria.

Nanqiu turned to see Wang Jing, frozen in place.

“Jing’er? What’s wrong?”

Wang Jing looked at her bestie Nanqiu.

She opened her mouth, then stopped.

Lowered her head…

Then jerked it back up.

“Ah Qiu, am I… am I ugly?!”

“Uh… well, you’re… quite distinctive, I’d say.”

***

At X University, among all the girls on campus, Wang Jing could definitely be considered top-tier.

But right now…

She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but only managed a single:

“I—”

Then dropped her head again in defeat.

She really couldn’t handle what just happened.

And Mu Nanqiu stood there…

Completely confused.

Nanqiu.jpg – utterly baffled.