Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan
At the same time.
Outside the hospital.
Ruan Nianxi glanced back at her recent chat history with Xie Shu, her emotions a mix of excitement and regret.
That morning, she had asked Uncle Zhang to gather some information on Xie Shu from last week, and then she headed to the hospital…
She knew she wasn't as composed as before, so she took advantage of her remaining rationality to go to the hospital first.
She arrived around noon.
Though it was the doctors' break time, the money she offered was enough to make an exception and see her first.
***
Just like that, so much time had passed.
During that period, she hadn't checked her phone at all and was unaware of the many messages Xie Shu had sent her.
She didn't reply in time, missing the chance to have lunch with Xie Shu, missing the opportunity to spend time with him.
How she regretted it; she wished she had gone to the hospital in the afternoon instead.
Feeling her heart beating faster and faster, realizing she was entertaining some delusional thoughts, and recognizing the emergence of some ill-conceived plans, Ruan Nianxi quickly took out the new medication she had just purchased from her bag and swallowed a pill.
After taking it, she felt a bit better and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
These past few days had been somewhat torturous for her…
Xie Shu was too good to her.
She was constantly afraid of scaring him away.
Although she could find him no matter where he ran off to, she knew that doing so would make her disliked.
Being disliked by Xie Shu was more painful than death itself.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have tolerated Su Qianyi for so many years.
With a sigh, Ruan Nianxi put away her phone, ready to head back to school.
She hadn't walked far when her phone pinged. Thinking it was a message from Xie Shu, she immediately checked it.
But it was a file sent by someone saved as "Uncle Zhang."
Opening the file, it was just a simple and clear itinerary.
Although the itinerary didn't specify whose it was, both she and the person known as Uncle Zhang understood without saying.
She glanced over it briefly; the entries were nothing more than classes, meals, and dormitory – nothing particularly noteworthy.
Except for the evening before last, there was an additional entry for a social mixer.
A social mixer?
She remembered hearing some classmates mention a mixer organized by students from nearby schools the day before yesterday, and someone in her dorm had asked if she wanted to join.
She had no interest at the time, and since she didn't like talking to people or making friends with strangers, she didn't go.
Her social interactions were limited to the basic ones required by her parents; otherwise, she wouldn't bother with these people.
But now she wondered, did Xie Shu go that night?
He usually went where Su Qianyi was, so did Su Qianyi also attend that night?
The day after that night, which was yesterday, she had an unexpected encounter with Xie Shu on campus, and they started interacting again.
And then…
Yesterday, and this morning, she had been with Xie Shu, and Su Qianyi was nowhere to be seen.
Moreover, yesterday at noon, and this morning, Xie Shu had clearly seen Su Qianyi but ignored her.
Combining this with the conversation she overheard in the corridor today…
She felt something must have happened at the mixer that night.
Thinking this, she replied to Uncle Zhang: [Uncle Zhang, can you investigate more about what happened during the mixer? Like if anything happened at that time.]
Uncle Zhang: [Miss, that's as far as I can go. You know Mr. Ruan doesn't want you getting close to Mr. Xie. If he finds out I'm investigating him for you, he might fire me.]
Ruan Nianxi: [WeChat transfer]
[Uncle Zhang has withdrawn a message]
[Uncle Zhang has accepted your transfer]
Uncle Zhang: [Alright, Miss. Give me a moment.]
Ruan Nianxi: [Okay.]
After ending the chat, Ruan Nianxi truly put down her phone and walked towards the school.
***
At school.
After changing seats for the second class, Xie Shu went to the canyon to spite those three ingrates, capturing a few screenshots of him counter-killing the enemy team.
Of course, he couldn't be that mean all the time. After one game, he logged out and returned to the group chat to boast with his friends.
If it weren't for Su Qianyi sitting next to him, he wouldn't have changed seats.
He didn't mind her presence, but he couldn't handle it.
During the previous class, he felt like Su Qianyi was constantly looking at him, which made him uncomfortable, but he refrained from looking back at her.
But on second thought, he doubted it.
Would she look at him?
That's laughable. She hadn't given him a proper glance in the past ten years, why would she start now?
She was just temporarily sharing a table with him due to a lack of seats, he must be overthinking it.
Anyway, sitting together made him feel uncomfortable, so he switched seats for the second class.
Xie Shu didn't think much of it, casually placing his phone on the desk, alternating between checking it and listening to the teacher.
But the rest of the class began to question their assumptions.
Initially, when they saw Xie Shu and Su Qianyi sitting together during the first class, they thought the forum rumors were false, even commenting that their relationship was still strong. But then, in the second class, Xie Shu changed seats and separated from Su Qianyi.
Confused, the story became even more baffling.
Instead of speculating wildly, it was easier to just ask directly.
***
After class, a bold girl stopped Xie Shu as he was leaving and asked him in front of everyone, "Xie Shu, there's a rumor that you've stopped pursuing Su Qianyi, is that true?"
As the face of the male students in the art college, Xie Shu was handsome and tall, and many girls liked him.
But since freshman year, he had been chasing after Su Qianyi and never gave up.
Although there were many boys pursuing Su Qianyi, and she rejected them all, including Xie Shu, he was the only one who always stayed by her side.
Everyone wondered why Su Qianyi always refused Xie Shu, but seeing that she didn't mind his presence, many girls knew they had no chance and never set their sights on Xie Shu.
Now, hearing that he might have stopped chasing Su Qianyi, some single girls felt they might have a chance.
They needed a definitive answer.
Knowing the answer would determine their next move.
The other girls around were also curious about the answer, so they all stopped to listen.
Some boys also paused to join in on the gossip.
Xie Shu, who was about to leave, paused for a moment when suddenly called out, then calmly said, "Rumors? Sorry, I need to clarify that. It's not a rumor."