Lin Xinyuan was very happy.
Originally, she had been somewhat nervous about the arrival of another roommate, but once she learned it was Li Tang, she was completely at ease. Watching Li Tang unpack, she decided to lend a hand to speed things up.
She grabbed a rag from the balcony rack and began helping her friend wipe down the cabinets. As they cleared the dust from the bed and desk, Li Tang—always the one to spark conversation—started sharing updates about her life, specifically how her family had discovered her relationship with Zeng Yan.
“We were dating in secret, but then my mom happened to walk out and see us! It scared the life out of me,” Li Tang said, her voice trembling with lingering fear but also an irrepressible, excited joy. “Later, the whole family found out and sat down to talk with Brother Yan and me. But it looks like they’ve agreed to let us be together? Hehe… they even started asking when we’re getting married!”
“So! Brother Zeng and I have decided—we’re getting married right after graduation! Jealous?” The girl looked at Lin Xinyuan with eyes full of pride.
“Yeah, I’m jealous, I’m jealous,” Lin Xinyuan replied, genuinely happy for her. It was a blessing to persevere and get what one desired. However, her thoughts immediately drifted to her and Qin Nanfeng… especially that conversation between her grandmother and him.
While she felt a flicker of fear, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.
If I’m truly willing… will that guy really marry me? That damn blonde… just when will he marry me?
While the young girl was lost in thought with a blushing face, Li Tang finished folding her clothes and placed them into the clean, freshened cabinet. She turned her head, grinning mischievously at Lin Xinyuan.
“Hey, A-Yuan! Didn’t you take your man back to meet your parents? How did it actually go?”
Li Tang was dying of curiosity. Previously, they could only chat online, and if Lin Xinyuan didn’t want to talk, there was nothing she could do. But now… Hehe, A-Yuan won’t be able to escape…
The words “your man” made Lin Xinyuan blush furiously, yet she felt a secret sense of pleasure and satisfaction. She hesitated, stammering for a long time before responding, “What do you mean ‘how’… it was… just like that! They didn’t say much…”
“Then that means they approved! Great, great~” Li Tang nodded, satisfied with her friend’s answer.
Thinking about it, she felt it was inevitable. Setting aside his reputation at school, Qin Nanfeng’s personal qualities were exceptionally outstanding; countless girls were flocking to him. It was only natural for Lin Xinyuan’s family to accept him.
Though Li Tang knew most of those other girls were likely motivated by vanity… she herself was a bit of a “germaphobe” when it came to relationships and couldn’t accept a guy who flirted around. Fortunately, Brother Yan wasn’t like that—he hadn’t done that with that “dead woman,” otherwise… she couldn’t have stood it.
Yet, her best friend had ended up with Qin Nanfeng. All she could do was offer her blessings. After all, she didn’t have the bad habit of judging other people’s relationships; without knowing the full story, it was better not to speak out of turn.
Despite not seeing each other for a long time, there was no awkwardness between them. They spent most of the afternoon chatting. When they got tired, they rested on their beds until it was nearly 6:00 PM.
A certain someone—who seemed to have finally finished his work—sent a message to Lin Xinyuan, asking her to meet at the small canteen.
Just as she woke Li Tang and they were preparing to head down for dinner, the third roommate finally returned.
Li Tang had already heard about Liu Qingyan’s situation from Xinyuan. Upon seeing her, she greeted her warmly: “You must be Liu Qingyan, right? Hello! I’m Li Tang, A-Yuan’s best friend. We’ll be roommates from now on!”
“And if you’re okay with it, we’ll be good friends too! Please look after me, hehe~”
Looking at the small hand extended toward her, Liu Qingyan was stunned for a moment before reacting. she smiled softly and shook the hand, which seemed to carry a unique warmth. She mouthed the words: [Hello!]
“Qingyan, have you eaten?” Lin Xinyuan chimed in with her soft, waxy voice.
[I have. What about you?]
Lin Xinyuan shook her head. “Not yet, we’re just about to go down.”
“That’s right, A-Yan!” Li Tang addressed her with natural familiarity. “We’ll talk more later, we’re hungry!” She playfully patted her stomach and gently shook Liu Qingyan’s arm.
Hearing the nickname and feeling the genuine, unforced affection, Liu Qingyan’s clear eyes flickered. Her smile became more real as she nodded vigorously: [Mhm!]
“Qingyan, we’re leaving now…” “A-Yan, bye-bye!”
Watching the two girls walk out arm-in-arm and hearing the door click shut, a sincere curve finally formed on Liu Qingyan’s lips. She thought of Li Tang’s sincere smile and her words… Good friends… are we all friends?
It seemed she had met good people this time. At least they didn’t seem hypocritical. Her expression softened, and the gloom in her heart dissipated significantly. The warmth on her palm lingered.
“Let go… A-Tang! There are so many people outside…”
Lin Xinyuan urged the girl beside her to let go of her arm. It was fine in the dorm, but outside, she still felt strange.
“Pfft, what are you afraid of?” Li Tang knew exactly what she was afraid of and, annoyed by her friend’s lack of confidence, gripped her arm even tighter. “You are a real girl now. A straight pole casts no crooked shadow—don’t be afraid! You have me, don’t you? At worst, if people find out, I’ll be embarrassed right along with you!”
“But…”
Hearing this, Lin Xinyuan felt a bit more settled. Whether physiologically or socially, she was a “real” girl now—so why was she afraid?
Yet, in a trance, the memory of those piercing glares remained fresh… the disdain, the mockery, the disgust. Those eyes that looked at her like an “alien” or a “freak” caused her subconscious anxiety. She was terrified someone would suddenly point at her and scream “Monster!”
She fell silent for a moment. But then, the tall figure of a certain guy flashed in her mind—standing before her like a solid rock, shielding her.
Lin Xinyuan bit her lower lip, her mind gradually calming. No matter what… given that “Damn Blonde’s” reputation (for better or worse), people would find out sooner or later. In fact, people had probably noticed since the start of the semester.
Could she retreat? No… she couldn’t back down. She couldn’t give up on Brother Feng.
With this thought, her gaze became firmer. Though she still felt a reflexive fear of the eyes watching her, she no longer resisted as much.
What the young girl didn’t realize, however, was that she was overthinking it. After so much time, most people had long forgotten “that incident.” What they were looking at now was simply the beauty she radiated.