September slipped away without a sound, giving way to the highly anticipated October 1st holiday.

Hua Xin could now happily hole up in her dark little room all week—even on what would’ve been Thursday and Friday class days! As for her Maginot Line Defense Plan against Xia Yan? School could wait. 😋

"Nothing beats dumplings for taste, or lying down for comfort~"

*Gurgle gurgle gurgle…*

Hua Xin’s eyes crinkled into cute crescent moons. Chopsticks and a slotted spoon poised in her hands, she waited eagerly for the dumplings to finish boiling.

Holidays demanded holiday spirit!

TODAY! WE! EAT! JIAOZI! (｡>∀<｡)

The three-treasure dumplings—frozen nearly four months—had narrowly escaped the corrosion of time.

They’d held on.

Expiration date? Tomorrow. Wow!! (Celebration 🎉)

"*Anata no kure buri~ 📺, kita ga douka shite kure yo~ 😋📺, minna mouku no tomo~*"

After queuing up her mealtime drama on her phone, Hua Xin scooped the cooked dumplings onto a plate.

"Ow, hot. Pfft."

Scalding dumpling skin and broth seared her tongue. She stuck out her tongue, fanning it with her hand. A silvery thread of saliva stretched from its pink tip to the bowl, mingling with vinegar and sesame oil before snapping under her chopsticks.

*Hers. No shame.*

"But delicious."

The bliss of dumplings flooded her heart again, tinged with guilt.

Had she eaten too much meat lately? Yesterday, she’d soaked biscuits in spare rib bone milk mung bean soup since her rushed rice order hadn’t arrived. But… she’d devoured so much meat the day before too… 🥺

Her chopsticks paused mid-air. She shoved the thought away.

*Eat first!! They expire tomorrow. 😊*

"*Nom nom munch munch munch…*"

*Buzz buzz.*

Huh? 🤔

The cheerful girl frowned at her phone.

Who messaged at 8 PM? Shouldn’t they be gaming or sleeping instead of harassing people? *I’ll murder-murder-murder them!* 😡

She opened the notification.

Xia Yan: "Hua Hua, wanna take a walk?"

Her eyes turned sharp, icy clarity cutting through the glow of the screen.

*What’s this?? What’s this!?! Finally showing your true colors! Messaging a social-phobe alone at night? This is the net closing in!*

Hua Xin gulped down a cooled dumpling, chewing fiercely.

*Think you’ve already won? Think I’ve been fooled by your fake kindness? That I see you as a real friend?*

*Heh.*

*Xia Yan…*

*Today, we sever ties.*

*I’ll expose your false face to everyone.*

*Even Homelander fears online hate—I’ll break your act!* 😡

Her thumbs flew across the screen: "Where are you?"

"Main gate. Waiting." Xia Yan’s reply came instantly.

…

*So impatient… Can’t wait to bully me?*

Her heart sank. Tiny fists clenched unconsciously.

But that ice cream… that meal… made her hesitate.

Had she not uncovered his true goal, she might’ve truly felt grateful to this second person who’d fed her. Might’ve called him a friend.

She paused while dressing.

Hua Xin stared silently at the leftover dumplings on the table.

"If Lin Qingyu weren’t involved…"

"…I’d spare your life today."

———

Dorm 1225, Male Residence, Demon Capital University.

Mu Feng and Xiang Guan—both homebound during break—lay sprawled on their beds like discarded sacks.

"Why aren’t you home?"

"Lazy. Sichuan’s too far."

"What Sichuan-Northeastern accent mess? Shut up, Lao Mu. I’ll electric-punch you."

"Heh. What Northeastern-Sichuan accent?"

Mu Feng stayed for laziness. Xiang Guan stayed because home was too distant.

*Buzz buzz.* X2

Their bickering died mid-sentence. Phones glowed in the dark.

Mu Feng yanked his blanket over his head, sweating over WeChat.

Mysterious Partner (Hua Xin): "What’s Xia Yan doing today?"

*Bro…*

*Yan-ge has his own place in Demon Capital! 😭 How would I know?! 😰*

*But saying that… nope. ❌*

*Can’t let Hua Xin doubt my loy-al-ty. Whether we sink or swim, I drown first.*

"Chief, all quiet. Xia Yan’s home. I’m monitoring closely. Situation stable."

Silence from the other end. Mu Feng exhaled. *That should prove my dedication…*

Meanwhile.

Xiang Guan buried his head under blankets, sweating bullets at his screen.

Lin Qingyu: "Xia Yan’s current whereabouts."

*Sis…*

*Yan-ge’s in Demon Capital—wait? 🤔 Why’s this so familiar?* He frowned, cutting off the thought to avoid plagiarism.

"Senior, all quiet. Xia Yan’s home. I’m monitoring closely. Situation stable."

Lin Qingyu—ranked Black Hole King—was no pushover like *certain* flower.

"I want his real-time location."

"Five minutes. Or you’ll never get Xiao Ling’s WeChat."

Words hit like physical blows.

*Xiang Guan shot upright, face twisted in panic.*

Rewind to Monday:

The "girl clinging to him saying he smelled nice" was pure fiction.

Truth? He’d carried five crates of water for a civil engineering classmate. 🤣

Lin Qingyu knew he crushed on Xiao Ling, the School of Intelligent Construction’s goddess. She’d "helped him connect" (by making him haul water).

"*Yan-ge…*"

"*Sorry (heartbreak)*"

"*PLEASE tell me what you’re doing 🥺😭 [24 meme barrage]…*"

———

One hour later.

Near the Bund, Demon Capital.

Hua Xin shivered, clutching Xia Yan’s jacket as the motorcycle roared. She kept her head down.

"Why so fast?! 😭 Didn’t you see that semi-truck?!"

"If you’re rushing to reincarnate as a Sword Saint or Dark Sovereign in an isekai, don’t drag me! I haven’t finished my leftover thirteen-spice mix and chili sauce! 😭😭…"

Huh?

She peeked up. They’d stopped.

The bike slowed, engine dying.

Xia Yan kicked down the stand, removed his helmet. Hair slightly flattened, still handsome. He exhaled softly.

"Ever been here?"

"The city’s night view is stunning. I often come alone. Having you here… makes me really happy today."

He smiled, gaze drifting to the neon-lit water. Leaning on the railing, he seemed lost in thought.

He hadn’t expected her to agree.

Facing this world took time. Growth left footprints. No overnight geniuses. No instant decisions.

"Here."

Hua Xin had dismounted silently. From her tiny backpack, she pulled a plastic container—the saved dumplings. Steam still curled from the lid. She’d wrapped it in a sweater to keep warm.

Hands outstretched like offering treasure, she held it to Xia Yan.

"For… me?"

He blinked in surprise.

"Mhm."

She nodded lightly.

His vision blurred. He took the container, plucked a dumpling bare-handed, and ate it. He didn’t even like three-treasure filling.

But he grinned. "Delicious. Perfect—I haven’t had dinner."

Hua Xin still wore her helmet. She joined him at the railing, gazing at skyscrapers shimmering in the water.

*Last time I saw this… six years ago. With her.*

*Crystal clear.*

A quiet ache filled her chest—for who, or what, she didn’t know.

*Xia Yan…*

*This time, we’re even.*