The night was pitch-black, swallowing the entire plaza in darkness so thick you couldn’t see your hand before your face. Only the faintest silhouettes of tangled couples emerged from the gloom.
Jiang Xiaoyao held that pose for over ten seconds before finally pulling back.
She shot Chen Yuzhe a playful wink, then bounced off toward her dorm.
Though the plaza wasn’t silent, Chen Yuzhe still caught the hushed whispers and pointed fingers aimed his way.
His face blank, he reached up and brushed his cheek.
Dry. No kiss had landed.
Just an empty gesture.
But to eager onlookers, it spoke volumes—they hadn’t seen whether lips met or not.
*Damn brat. Playing for real now?* Chen Yuzhe ground his teeth. *Trying to rope me onto your pirate ship for good? Challenging me?*
*Fine. I’ll remember this.*
*I’ve got one talent, Yuzhe Chen: I keep grudges. A gentleman bides his time. Just you wait.*
——
——
The next day, Chen Yuzhe got Jiang Xiaoyao’s text—well, technically an anime club announcement:
*"Anime Club Welcome Party: Saturday, 7 PM, Hongba House by the school gate."*
*Saturday?* Chen Yuzhe frowned.
Why pick Saturday night of all times?
He’d promised Sis Yan he’d be home for dinner that weekend.
After a moment’s headache, he texted Yan Qiuran: *Sorry Sis Yan, school party Saturday night. Can we move dinner to noon?*
Her reply came quickly: *OK. I’ll make stir-fried pork with green peppers and kung pao chicken for you.*
His two favorite dishes—especially when she cooked them. Restaurants never matched her touch.
Just thinking about Saturday lunch with Sis Yan lifted his mood.
Stretching lazily, Chen Yuzhe debated whether to grind *God of War 4* trophies or queue up a few *LOL* matches when his roommates, Da Liu and Lao Xie, barged in.
“…Scared the hell out of me! Thought I’d wandered into the girls’ dorm…” Da Liu ranted. “Was that girl waiting for her boyfriend? Just standing there like a statue under the dorm entrance, clutching clothes. If her eyes hadn’t moved, I’d have sworn she was a mannequin.”
Chen Yuzhe’s hand froze on his mouse.
That description…
Sounded way too familiar.
“Da Liu, Lao Xie—you saw a girl downstairs?”
“Yeah,” Da Liu jumped in. “Right by the dorm door. Didn’t budge. Like a door god. Took me ages to confirm I hadn’t lost my way.”
Lao Xie added, “And she wouldn’t talk. Just stared at everyone coming and going. Didn’t feel like waiting—more like searching.”
“…Short hair? Petite?”
“Exactly! Pale skin too, though her figure wasn’t—wait.” Da Liu’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at Chen Yuzhe. “That girl… here for you?”
Chen Yuzhe facepalmed. “Nah. She’s returning clothes to Lao Wei next door. He’s out playing ball. I’ll grab them.”
He straightened his shirt and headed downstairs.
Watching him leave, Da Liu and Lao Xie exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.
“Nope. Something’s off.”
——
——
Sure enough, at the stairwell entrance, Chen Yuzhe spotted Xinyu’s small figure by the door. She craned her neck, peering anxiously into the hallway.
Her face lit up the moment she saw him. “Se—” she called out, waving.
Then she caught herself—shouting like that outside the boys’ dorm wasn’t proper. She swallowed the rest, cheeks flushing pink.
“Yo,” Chen Yuzhe drawled, slippers dragging on the floor.
“Been waiting long?”
“Not really…” Xinyu avoided his eyes, head dipped low. “That senior left in such a hurry the other day. He didn’t give his room number. I just… hoped I’d get lucky.”
*Damn. She really stood here waiting like a statue. Stubborn girl.*
Chen Yuzhe took the clothes from her, teasing lightly, “If we hadn’t shown up, were you planning to stand here till dark?”
Xinyu stayed silent, head still down.
“Well, thanks for coming all this way. I’ll give these to Lao Wei. You should head back.”
As Chen Yuzhe turned to leave, a small voice stopped him: “Wait—”
He glanced back.
Xinyu bit her lip, uncharacteristically flustered, eyes darting away.
*What’s she nervous about? I won’t bite.*
After a long pause, she whispered, “That day… thank you, senior.”
*Oh. Just a thank-you?* Chen Yuzhe almost laughed. *Had me thinking it was a confession.*
“Oh, that?” He scratched his head, grinning. “No big deal. Just helped out. Did the manager fine you extra after I left?”
“No… just scolded me a bit.”
“Good.” He nodded, waving casually. “Really, no need to make such a fuss over a tiny thing. You’re club members too, after all.”
“It’s not tiny!” Her voice rose slightly.
Chen Yuzhe paused.
Xinyu lifted her head, meeting his eyes with sudden intensity.
“To you, it might’ve been nothing. But to me… it mattered.”
“If you hadn’t stepped in, I might’ve been fined heavily. Or even lost that part-time job…” Her voice faded.
*That serious?* Chen Yuzhe froze.
*No—what really matters is why she’s so terrified of fines and losing work. Does that mean my guess about her was right?*
He held back the question. Instead, he smiled warmly.
“Glad it worked out. Didn’t know freshman Xinyu was this polite. I’ll take your thanks.”
A faint smile finally touched Xinyu’s lips.
“Well, I’ll go deliver these. See you Saturday night, yeah?”
“Ah, senior!” She called him back again, hesitating. “About Saturday’s party…”
“I… I have family stuff. Might not… make it…”
Chen Yuzhe’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
*What the hell? You’re not coming? Then why the hell am I going? To watch Jiang Xiaoyao fish for rich guys?*
*You’re literally the protagonist of this game! Without you, it’s over before it starts.*
He also noticed the details: her blinking had doubled in speed. Her breath came quicker after speaking. A flush stained her cheeks.
*She’s lying.*
“Family stuff” was just an excuse.
The real reason? Easy to guess. She didn’t want to spend extra money.
Club parties meant splitting costs. For most students, it was trivial—even necessary for socializing. Parents usually encouraged it.
But if his hunch about Xinyu was right… her family situation might be worse than he imagined.
Maybe they were poor. Or someone was sick, draining their savings. Otherwise, why would a girl skimp to this extreme?
Now *he* had a problem.
Let her skip it? His plan with Han Cheng would collapse. Finding another chance would be near impossible.
Pay her share? He and Han Cheng could afford it—but that’d backfire horribly. Her relentless part-time hustle proved she was fiercely independent. Paying for her would feel like charity. Like treating her as a beggar.
*“Beggars scorn alms given with contempt.”* One wrong move, and her goodwill would plummet to zero.
*What now…?* Chen Yuzhe’s mind raced.
“Se…nior?” Xinyu’s voice cut through his panic. “Is… is it bad if I miss the club event?” Her tone dipped with worry.
*Shit. Wrong direction!*
“Ah—no! Not that at all!” He forced a laugh. “It’s totally voluntary. Just a mixer for new and old members. Your absence is a shame, but no big deal.”
“Oh… okay.” Xinyu relaxed slightly.
*Damn it. No solution?* He kept smiling while his insides churned like ants on a hot pan.
*How to get her there without crushing her pride…*
Time was short. Only one shaky gamble left.
“Actually,” Chen Yuzhe sighed dramatically, “I’m just disappointed.”
“Huh?”
“I heard you needed part-time work. I found a solid gig. Was gonna tell you at the party.”
