Chapter 163: Trust Me 3

Near the Wanqing Yongxing School, there’s a popular street food stall—affordable prices, generous portions, and always filling. Ji Yueniang had been there a few times before, and every time she would spend a hundred or two yuan.

This time, though, she wasn’t alone. She brought along the other four from her dorm. Along the way, the five from Dorm 802 laughed and joked, a lively and harmonious atmosphere surrounding them.

Especially the new guy, Liu Yao. He didn’t act like an outsider at all, maxing out his social skills—whether the topic was national politics, diplomacy and war, or celebrity gossip and food safety, there was nothing he couldn’t chat about.

As the dorm leader, Ji Yueniang was quite gratified. After all, if roommates didn’t get along, things could easily turn into silent cold wars.

She glanced at Luo Yikang beside Liu Yao. Maybe because he saw his close friend getting along so well with the roommates, his whole body trembled with excitement.

Who would’ve thought that this guy, usually a flirt and a player—practically a “Sea King”—would actually value friendship so much.

The group followed behind Ji Yueniang, walking for about ten minutes. As they passed a crossroads, a tall, long-haired beauty suddenly appeared at the corner. Yao Shiming froze, but Hu Li’s eyes lit up. He waved and ran over excitedly, shouting,

“Sister Tang!”

Hearing the voice behind her, the long-haired beauty turned her head. Spotting a somewhat stiff-faced boy among the five, surprise flashed in her eyes. Then, her gaze landed on the delicate-looking young man in front.

“Little Hu.”

“Old Ji, let me introduce you.” Hu Li waved them over and pointed at the long-haired beauty. “This is my sworn sister I met at the bar—Sister Tang, Tang Xueting.”

At the words “sworn sister,” Tang Xueting’s lips curved into a slight smile. Especially when she saw a certain someone quietly step back, as if trying to shield the group, her smile grew even warmer.

Hearing this, Ji Yueniang looked at Tang Xueting, finding her quite beautiful, though her complexion was pale, as if she rarely saw the sun. Her temperament was not lively like other girls, but instead seemed reserved and steady.

She felt as if she’d seen this person before.

Ji Yueniang’s expression grew a bit odd, and she glanced back.

“Shiming.” At that moment, Tang Xueting spoke, calling out to the boy who had positioned himself in front of everyone. Smiling, she strode up to him and leaned down slightly.

“Dear, what are you doing here?”

Dear?

At those words, everyone was stunned. Their expressions turned odd as they looked at the two, not knowing how to react.

“You didn’t tell your classmates about us? Dear.” Tang Xueting kept a sweet smile, raising her hand to link arms with Yao Shiming, acting coy.

Noticing everyone’s strange looks, her face grew shy. She let go and turned to the group, apologetically explaining, “Sorry, everyone, that was a bit abrupt of me.”

“I’m Shiming’s girlfriend and fiancée. Don’t be fooled by my height—I’m only 19 and a freshman.” Tang Xueting laughed, a blush still on her cheeks. “We’ve been engaged since we were kids. Once Shiming graduates, we plan to get married.”

“Isn’t that right, Brother Yao~?” She hugged Yao Shiming’s arm, shaking it with a spoiled tone.

A long-haired beauty, almost 1.8 meters tall, hugging a guy a little over 1.7 meters, acting all cutesy—it looked odd, no matter how you saw it……

Beads of sweat broke out on Yao Shiming’s forehead. Looking down at her, for some reason, he suddenly had the urge to run away.

He tried to pull his arm back, but it was held tight, so he could only helplessly say, “Xueting, can you let go for now? I need to go eat with my roommates.”

Tang Xueting immediately released him and turned to flash a dazzling smile. “Alright, you go eat first. We’ll talk on the phone when you get back!”

“Oh, right. Your birthday is coming up, isn’t it? I got you a present.”

With that, she leaned in and did something no one expected… She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek! The warmth of a young girl, and the faint, cold scent of snow lotus, instantly enveloped Yao Shiming.

“Dear, happy 19th birthday.”

Her move was so intimate that Yao Shiming froze. Just as he was about to push her away, she had already turned and was walking off in the other direction.

Standing there, Yao Shiming stared at her tall, elegant back. Suddenly, a memory surfaced: a little girl beneath a tree, looking up at him and asking again and again, “Brother Shiming, do you like Xueting?”

Hu Li was equally stunned. Tang Xueting, however, came over, patted him gently on the shoulder, and left him with a meaningful glance.

“Little Hu, let’s meet again next time.”

*****

Inside the street food stall, after the whole Tang Xueting episode, the mood had obviously turned strange, especially for Yao Shiming. As soon as they arrived, he started drinking away his sorrows, only to find them multiply. He chugged beer and poured out his woes nonstop.

Everyone sat around the table, bottles of beer everywhere, along with plates of grilled meat, ribs, and snacks.

“Old Yao, didn’t you say she was your childhood friend? When did she become your fiancée?” Ji Yueniang asked, biting into a rib, her words muffled.

“Our engagement was set when we were kids, but I’m really not interested in her.” Yao Shiming chugged more beer, reeking of alcohol, shaking his head. “Really not interested, not interested.”

“But she seems quite interested in you—fair skin, beautiful, long legs. Why not just accept her?”

“No way, no way.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

“I’m going to the restroom.” Suddenly, Hu Li stood up and walked toward the bathroom.

No sooner had Hu Li left the room than Yao Shiming, now totally sloshed, pointed after him and shouted, “Lin Li ran away, ran away, ran away…”

“What Lin Li, that’s Hu Li!” Ji Yueniang swatted Yao Shiming’s hand away. “You’re completely wasted!”

“Hehe.” Yao Shiming giggled foolishly.

“No way, I need to go too.”

Saying that, he staggered to his feet and chased after Hu Li.

Their departure didn’t dampen the mood at the table. Ji Yueniang, cheeks flushed from the drink, raised her glass to Liu Yao, who had been feeding Luo Yikang the whole time. “A toast to our new roommate.”

“Thanks, Dorm Leader.” Liu Yao clinked glasses with her and downed it in one go.

Ji Yueniang did the same.

She wiped the wine from her lips and thumped her chest, “Don’t call me Dorm Leader, that’s too formal. Just call me Old Ji or Ji-ge!”

Liu Yao was quick on the uptake and immediately called out, “Ji-ge!” then drank another glass with her.

“Ji-ge, your pecs are something else.”

“Of course. I’m head of the Sports Department. Gotta keep up with my training.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Before long, Hu Li and Yao Shiming returned, one after the other. Hu Li’s cheeks were flushed, and Yao Shiming seemed to have a faint palm print on his face.

But Ji Yueniang didn’t see clearly.

She was already a bit tipsy. After her gender swap, her tolerance wasn’t what it used to be. Three beers and one bottle of liquor, and she was drunk.

Some drank, some ate, some drowned their sorrows. Once again feeding his good friend, Liu Yao’s gaze swept over Hu Li, then over Yao Shiming, and finally lingered on the flushed, lively Ji Yueniang.

He smiled knowingly, then leaned over to Luo Yikang’s ear and whispered, “You’ve got a pretty interesting bunch of roommates.”