Chapter 13: Friendship Between Girls

Cold water splashed onto his face, bringing a brief moment of clarity.

Yu Qing raised his head and looked at his own damp face in the mirror.

Water droplets slid down his slightly messy hair, and in his eyes lingered the frustration from his failed imitation and a faint, barely noticeable stubbornness.

Too stiff.

And a bit forced.

No matter how he adjusted the curve of his lips, the emotion in his eyes never matched.

The clumsiness and awkwardness unique to Yu Qing stubbornly seeped through like a base color, ruining the forcibly constructed illusion.

Annoyed, he grabbed a towel and rubbed his face roughly, pressing down that inexplicable sense of defeat.

He walked out of the bathroom.

The noise in the dormitory rushed at him like a heat wave, instantly engulfing him.

“Old Yu! Come on! We’re missing one! Haoxuan, this noob, just got wiped out!”

Zhang Li’s voice, always so piercing, rang out as he stared at the screen, hammering the keyboard.

“Shut up! Who’s a noob! The network lagged just now!”

Zhang Haoxuan immediately fired back, his face almost pressed against the monitor.

Li Ming pushed up his glasses and silently handed over a bag of chips from the side.

“Supplies.”

Yu Qing was pulled back to reality by the familiar clamor.

He took the chips, tore them open, and chewed loudly.

The salty, greasy flavor spread in his mouth, oddly soothing his irritation.

“Watch your dad show you what real skill looks like!”

Zhang Li shouted, and his character charged into the enemy group.

“Damn it, don’t feed!”

Yu Qing shouted reflexively.

He had just joined the game, but Zhang Li’s wild moves completely drew his attention back to the battlefield.

After a few rounds, none of the four could speak, the blush on their faces saying everything.

“No more, no more, if we keep playing, I’ll die.”

Zhang Haoxuan was the first to throw down his mouse, collapsing into his chair.

“Just admit you suck, stop making excuses.”

Zhang Li immediately retorted, but also exited the game.

Night deepened.

The dormitory lights went out, leaving only the faint glow of moonlight sneaking in.

The weak lights above the other three beds went out one by one.

The shaking of the bunks quietly ceased.

The dormitory gradually fell silent.

Snores rose, mixed with a few mumbled dream words.

Yu Qing lay on his bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

His mind was a tangled mess, impossible to unravel or break.

Desire, shame, fear, curiosity…emotions twisted together.

He turned over and buried his face in a pillow scented with shampoo.

So be it.

He told himself.

Sleep first.

On the other side of the city, in a warmly decorated and tidy apartment, the scene was entirely different.

“Yi Yi! Let me use your body lotion! Mine’s finished!”

Lin Wei, wrapped in a bath towel, hair dripping wet, poked her head out of the bathroom and shouted.

Fu Yi was sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, dealing with emails on her notebook computer.

She didn’t even look up at Lin Wei’s words, just pointed toward the vanity beside her.

“Take it yourself, the blue bottle.”

Zhou Min, with a face mask on, drifted past like a ghost, grumbling indistinctly.

“Weiwei, you’re using Yi Yi’s again. Didn’t you just buy yours a few days ago?”

“Ugh, mine doesn’t smell good. Yi Yi’s is better, a light jasmine scent.”

Lin Wei grinned and darted out, grabbing the body lotion and scooting next to Fu Yi.

“Yi Yi, what are you doing? Working again? Take a break~”

She leaned over, trying to rest her damp head on Fu Yi’s shoulder.

Fu Yi finally lifted her gaze from the screen, a helpless yet indulgent smile on her face.

She gently pushed Lin Wei’s head away.

“Don’t mess around. Let me finish this email first. And dry your hair, you’ll catch a cold.”

Her tone was affectionate and natural, her actions practiced—as if this kind of horseplay was routine.

Lin Wei chuckled, gave up on insisting, and sat down beside her, applying body lotion.

A sweet jasmine fragrance gradually filled the air.

Zhou Min, still wearing her face mask, joined them, picked up the remote control, and turned on the TV, choosing a funny variety show.

For a moment, the apartment was filled only with the noise of the show, the faint sounds of Lin Wei applying lotion, and the click-clack of Fu Yi’s typing.

When the email was sent, Fu Yi closed the notebook computer, stretched, and her graceful figure was revealed.

She joined them naturally, picking up a bag of snacks from the coffee table.

“Wow, Yi Yi, you finally finished!”

Lin Wei instantly melted against her, hugging her arm.

“Today was so tiring, but super fun!”

“Why happy?”

Fu Yi let her lean on, her voice lazy with laughter as she took a small bite of chips.

“The research the other day! Well, it’s already yesterday, but—”

Lin Wei’s eyes sparkled.

“Yi Yi, you have no idea. Your charm was off the charts that day! I felt like even stray dogs would stop and stare at you!”

Fu Yi paused mid-chew, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes before being replaced by a smile.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“It’s true! Seriously!”

Lin Wei got more animated, sitting up to gesture.

“You’re always good-looking, but that day was different! So proactive, so captivating! Even the auntie selling vegetables and that fierce-looking uncle were completely won over by you! And, and, when you spoke, it felt like…”

Lin Wei searched for words, trying to describe the subtle difference she’d felt.

Fu Yi’s smile remained flawless, but in her gaze toward Lin Wei, a hint of probing depth settled.

She seemed to sense something unusual.

“And you left early because you weren’t feeling well. Minmin and I were worried about you.”

Lin Wei, oblivious to Fu Yi’s subtle change, kept chattering.

“Minmin even thought you might be getting sick. Your voice was kind of…um…”

Zhou Min suddenly reached out and stuffed a chip into Lin Wei’s mouth, cutting her off.

“Stuffing your face is the only way to shut you up.”

Zhou Min spoke, her voice muffled by the face mask, but undeniably firm.

“That day, Yi Yi was just in a good mood. Why so much talking? Watch TV. Isn’t this guest funny?”

She pointed at the screen, successfully diverting attention.

Lin Wei, cheeks full of chips, made muffled sounds and was quickly distracted by the comedy on TV, laughing along with the show.

Fu Yi’s gaze lingered on Zhou Min’s face for a moment.

But Zhou Min was focused on the TV, as if her interruption had been a mere afterthought.

Fu Yi smiled and let it go.

She leaned back into the sofa, took a sip of her drink, and focused on the screen, as if completely absorbed in the relaxed atmosphere.

The flickering light of the television danced across her face.

She laughed with Lin Wei, commented on the show, occasionally exchanging glances with Zhou Min.

But her smile never quite reached her eyes.

In their depths lay a calm lake, impossible for anyone to see through.

Lin Wei’s unintentional words earlier were like a small stone tossed into the lake, sending out faint ripples before vanishing.

[[Shocking sight]High Cold Beauty! Mysterious High-Value Miss encountered on the Metro. Is she from our school? Please claim!]

She stared at the viral post on her phone, her gaze shadowed and unreadable.