The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gap in the dormitory window, casting a long, narrow beam onto the floor.
Yu Qing opened his eyes.
His body felt as normal as ever.
There was nothing unusual.
This time, the Black Pearl hadn’t changed his appearance.
It was as if the struggle between Fu Yi and Lin Wei last night had been nothing more than an illusion.
But he knew clearly—it wasn’t a dream.
The Black Pearl in his pocket had shrunk again, now lying quietly in its box, silently reminding him that he had already stepped onto a path of no return.
After returning with Lin Wei yesterday, everything had progressed normally.
Except that, compared to the beginning, Lin Wei seemed even clingier toward him.
Yu Qing chalked it up to the goodwill he’d earned by sacrificing his looks, and didn’t think much of it.
But regardless, moving out was now the most urgent step.
He couldn’t risk staying in the dorm any longer.
Li Ming was already paying attention to his changes, and the other two had also noticed something, more or less.
Plus, his frequent transformations required a completely safe space.
After the morning classes ended, Yu Qing took a deep breath, slung his backpack over his shoulder, greeted his three roommates, and walked toward the Counselor’s office.
Handling the off-campus housing paperwork was more complicated than he’d imagined.
The Counselor was a young female teacher wearing black-rimmed glasses, but surprisingly rigid, following procedure as she asked about his reasons in meticulous detail.
“I want a quieter environment to prepare for graduate exams. My roommates snore every night, and it keeps me awake.”
Yu Qing chose his words carefully, trying to make it seem like he genuinely wanted to move out.
Which, in fact, was true.
The Counselor looked at him, perhaps wondering why he was only starting to prepare for exams in his senior year, but in the end said nothing more.
She handed him a few forms.
“After you fill these out, get the dorm supervisor’s signature, then bring them back here for my stamp. Read the off-campus housing safety guidelines carefully. Remember to check in on time. It’s your final year—don’t let anything happen at the end.”
“Thank you, teacher.”
Yu Qing took the forms, feeling a weight lift from his heart.
The first step had gone relatively smoothly.
It was normal; by senior year, Counselors generally didn’t make things difficult.
With no classes in the afternoon, Yu Qing began the difficult search for an apartment.
Housing near campus was always in high demand—especially during the freshman intake.
Freshmen unused to dorm life flocked to rent places outside, so by October, there were almost no good apartments left.
After searching for a long time, Yu Qing finally registered on several rental websites and with a few offline agencies.
Then, he went to see each place according to their addresses.
The first one was close to campus, but it was a subdivided unit.
The walls were as thin as paper.
He could hear the neighbor’s phone call clearly.
Yu Qing could almost imagine himself being tortured by all kinds of bizarre noises at midnight.
Not to mention, he needed absolute privacy for what he had to do.
He gave up without hesitation.
The second was a tiny single room on the top floor of an old building.
The price was cheap, but the lighting was terrible.
The room was filled with a damp, moldy smell, and the bathroom was shared.
The environment was awful.
Even if it could be cleaned up, Yu Qing didn’t want to spare it another glance.
There was no elevator.
He eliminated it immediately.
Arriving at the third, Yu Qing was accompanied by the landlord.
The agency had hyped it up to the skies, but in reality, the room was so small it was hard to turn around.
Outside the window was a noisy main road, and dust was everywhere.
Yu Qing didn’t even go inside—he shook his head and left.
The rest were even more appalling.
Not a single one could be called a good apartment.
No—actually, there was one.
Shu Xiang Yuan.
There were still quite a few empty rooms, soundproofing was great, and the environment was excellent.
But Yu Qing simply didn’t want to live there.
Don’t ask why.
Just—he didn’t want to.
He had come with hope, but the entire afternoon slipped away amid exhaustion and disappointment.
Yu Qing’s legs felt weak from walking, and his throat was dry from dealing with agents and landlords.
That familiar, helpless feeling of social anxiety in unfamiliar environments and human interaction returned.
To be honest, he hated the process of constantly explaining himself, being scrutinized, and haggling.
But for his own future, he had no choice but to overcome it again and again.
Fatigue and frustration threatened to overwhelm him like a rising tide.
He needed a place to catch his breath and ease the exhaustion in his body.
Unconsciously, his feet carried him deep into campus, toward a familiar little garden, and into the pavilion he often visited.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the thick leaves, scattering dappled shadows across the stone floor of the pavilion.
The structure stood by the water, and occasional breezes rippled the surface, bringing a cool, moist air.
Few people came here even on normal days; now, it was especially quiet.
However, today the pavilion was not empty.
A woman sat on a stone bench near the water.
She wore a well-tailored, ivory-colored business suit, sitting sideways to Yu Qing.
She seemed to be reading, or perhaps just resting.
She looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Her long hair was tied in a low bun, revealing an elegant neckline and profile.
Her nose was high, her lips painted a faint bean-sand color, and her aura was calm and composed, carrying a mature, dignified charm.
Yu Qing’s steps halted.
He hadn’t expected his secret base to be occupied—let alone by such a… formidable-looking stranger.
His instinct was to turn and leave, but his body was too tired and his nerves too frayed to move.
He didn’t want to keep running around.
Besides, it was just a stranger.
Even if they shared the pavilion, he could rest at a distance without disturbing each other.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Yu Qing lowered his head, trying not to make any noise, and walked to the other side of the pavilion, choosing the stone bench farthest from the woman.
He took out his phone, pretending to scroll through rental listings.
In reality, his mind was a mess and he couldn’t focus.
He kept glancing at the woman’s figure from the corner of his eye.
But the woman seemed completely immersed in her own world, unaffected by Yu Qing’s arrival.
Even the act of turning a page was so soft it was nearly silent—natural and serene.
She simply sat there quietly, like a frozen oil painting, blending into the scenery.
Phew, this isn’t bad.
Being ignored actually made Yu Qing relax a little.
Since that was the case, he had no reason to play the gentleman.
Yu Qing put down his phone, leaned against the cold pillar, and slowly closed his eyes.
The exhaustion from a day of running around crashed over him, his eyelids growing heavier.
Only the wind, the faint sound of water, and the occasional distant bird calls filled his ears.
The afternoon sun was warm on his body, dispelling some of the chill.
He meant to rest his eyes for a moment, but without realizing it, his consciousness faded and he fell asleep.
Yu Qing slept deeply, without dreams.
He didn’t wake until something lightly brushed his cheek.
He jerked awake.
His eyes opened to a brilliant sunset, painting the sky in warm orange-red.
He froze for several seconds before recalling where he was.
He sat up in panic and looked around.
The woman with the dignified presence was gone, as if she had never been there.
The stone bench was empty.
The entire pavilion was silent except for him.
No!
What time was it?!
Yu Qing hurriedly checked his phone.
His heart dropped.
It was already past five in the afternoon!
He’d slept for nearly two hours!
“Damn it!”
Yu Qing muttered, annoyed.
He still had dance practice with Fu Yi that night.
He’d already taken a day off yesterday.
He couldn’t bail on Junior Yi again today, so he needed to get ready in advance.
And—the apartment still wasn’t settled!
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