(Whoa... so big... 😨)

(Whoa... so sturdy... 😨)

(Whoa... so long... 😨)

Hua Xin stared in shock at the thick pillar supporting the building, reaching out to touch it.

Civil engineers are amazing...

Colorful banners hung from the pillar. The huge venue wasn’t hot like outside—thanks to AC, it stayed cool.

People wore all kinds of stylish outfits. Dresses showing long legs and arms, glittering bustier gowns—all the beauties mixed innocence with allure.

Except for the central stage, seats packed the upper levels. A few people already sat watching.

“Lots of people here. Don’t wander off alone.”

“Stay close to me.”

Xia Yan said softly, patting the girl’s black backpack.

(I’m not three years old...)

(Showing off, you real-life achiever... 🙄)

Full and satisfied, Hua Xin pouted but followed him.

“Bro Yan!”

“Totally worth it! So worth it! 😍”

“Worth what?? Where??”

“Point it out fast, Bro Xiang!”

Spotting Xia Yan, Xiang Guan greeted him like a sage. Mu Feng, glued to his phone, perked up like an AI triggered by keywords.

“Shut up, it’s your daydream.”

“Reflect why no one asks for your WeChat ID.”

Xiang Guan snorted, taking two Cokes from Xia Yan.

“They lack taste. Who’d pick a brute like you? Sports students suck. Ignoring a pretty boy like me... uh... I only drink Coke. Delicious. 😋”

“How was noon?”

“Tired?”

Xia Yan asked curiously.

(Seems... quite the haul...)

Xiang Guan raised his hand, flashing seven fingers. “Almost chatted myself out. Tiring stuff. 😎”

“Otherwise, fine.”

“This is...?”

“Brother Hua?”

He eyed the girl hiding behind Xia Yan.

Back in class, he and Mu Feng had noticed this person always dressed head-to-toe in black, even in summer. After Xia Yan’s explanation two days ago, this white-socked sports student nearly shed tears.

How could a kid suffer so much? 😭

Attending class twice a week must torture her. No wonder the counselor made an exception.

When Xia Yan added Hua Xin to their dorm group chat the day before, he’d renamed it “A Loving Family” to seem normal.

“We chatted in the group. This tall guy’s Xiang Guan.”

“Hello.” Xiang Guan greeted politely, not overly familiar.

Xia Yan slyly dodged aside, exposing Hua Xin.

Hua Xin: ...

Under her mask, she twitched her lips. She hadn’t expected Xia Yan’s “help” to include others. Head down, she saw his shorts revealing hairy legs thicker than both hers combined.

(No way... 😨)

(Is your username for an eight-year-old gym newbie? Sure you’re not a twenty-eight-year-old Tyson belt challenger?)

After Xia Yan added her to that WeChat group, she’d stalked “I Love QQ Speed” for hours, memorizing every detail of Mu Feng’s Moments posts.

She’d checked Xiang Guan’s too.

Unlike Mu Feng—who even posted screenshots of her proxy gaming on his skip-payment day—Xiang Guan just shared plain gym photos and videos.

“Hello...”

Hua Xin whispered, heart pounding.

(Don’t punch me... 😭 One hit and I’m gone with this build... 😭)

(Xia Yan, you devil, take me home now... 😭)

(I knew free lunches don’t exist...)

“This is Mu Feng.”

“Hi! I’m that QQ Speed guy. I welcomed you first the other day!”

Mu Feng pocketed his phone, finally serious as he greeted her.

Then he shivered violently, spine icy as if watched. He rubbed his hair.

“Why so cold... AC too long? Nah...”

“Must be the Coke. Ice-cold’s too strong.”

He shivered again.

(It’s you... 😊)

(Small world, haha.)

(You admitted it, right? Confirmed you’re QQ Speed, didn’t you? 😈)

(Your WeChat ID’s woshigeshuaige※※※. Your Moments: Naruto Mobile, Identity V, Yuan Meng Star, Egg Party, Genshin Impact, Justice, High Energy Heroes, It Takes Two, Plants vs. Zombies, Battle of Shanghai Beach—right? 😈)

(You’ve visited twenty-seven cities, climbed five mountains, seen eleven seas. Vomited on Beijing’s bean juice, called Quanjude duck bad, lost sunglasses on the Great Wall, sprained your left foot’s third toe—right?)

(No girlfriend posts on Moments. Always envy love. 100% single. And you lust after my 2D wives—right?)

(You’re a Guangdong native. Love cheung fun for breakfast. Posted seven grandpa birthdays, five mom birthdays, three sister birthdays, one dad birthday, twelve self-birthdays on Moments—right?)

(You hate locking Moments—say it makes you look like a shut-in—right?)

(So: Guangdong native, Mu Feng, phone 15877xxxxx, family of five, Business Admin Class 1 at Magic Capital University, skipped paying me three hundred bucks as “I Love QQ Speed”—right? 😈)

A dark aura radiated from Hua Xin. She muttered silently, staring at Mu Feng like a corpse, ignoring his greeting.

(I’ll kill you... 🔪 I’ll kill you... 🔪 Three hundred bucks... 🩸 Three hundred bucks... 😡)

The air turned thick with awkward tension.

“Uh...”

“Pleasure meeting you. Hua Xin’s shy—just chat more.”

Xia Yan stifled a laugh, watching Mu Feng shiver and look crushed. He nodded to Xiang Guan.

“Go on confidently.”

Their eyes exchanged the unspoken.

“Xia Yan?”

“Been looking for you. Come check the script—I was so busy I missed your messages?”

A graceful figure glided to Xia Yan, trailing faint perfume. Her voice flowed gently—no girlish rush, no icy reserve.

She felt like that understanding older sister who just... gets you.

No clinginess, no control. One look, and you knew her heart.

“I’ll head onstage first. Handle the observation, please.”

“Let’s go, Senior Lin.”

Though worried about Hua Xin, Xia Yan turned, smiling politely at the elegantly dressed beauty beside him.