Chapter 11

A few days later.

The campus special of "Dining at S University" was released across all official S University accounts. It shattered previous view records, attracting both alumni who had long since graduated and curious netizens passing by.

However, no one expected that the peak of the video's popularity would come from Yi Chen’s interview at the end.

The comment section was filled with laughter. Clips of Yi Chen were turned into memes, with netizens providing sharp commentary:

[Me, when I’m being questioned by my boss during work hours.]
[Handsome, blink if you’re being held hostage.]
[There’s a certain aesthetic to being forced into something against one's will.]
[23333, was this interview really mandatory for this poor guy?]

"..."

In the dormitory, Cheng An pounded the table, nearly laughing himself to death. He turned to look at Yi Chen, who had been silent for a long time. "Chen-ge, say something."

Yi Chen ignored him.

On his phone, messages from Gu Min kept popping up.

[Bro, I just saw someone who looks exactly like you.]
[Damn, he’s so funny, hahahahaha!]
[Bro? Where are you?]
[Wait, this couldn't actually be you, could it...]
[Didn't you just curse the school food last month, saying even dogs wouldn't eat it? Are they holding a knife to your neck or something?]
[But, hahahaha, it seriously killed me.]

The next second, the screen displayed: Message sent, but rejected by the recipient.

Gu Min: "..."

Nearby, Cheng An received a wink from Song Xu. Just as he stopped laughing, a sudden "bang" came from behind him—an empty water bottle was slammed into the trash can.

"I’m an idiot."

Song Xu: "?"
Cheng An: "??"

Both stared at Yi Chen in horror.

Song Xu: "No, no need to go that far."
Cheng An looked sympathetic. "We understand."

Yi Chen’s face was full of irritability. "Understand what?"

Cheng An blinked, momentarily afraid to speak.

Yi Chen didn't pay him any mind, repeating to himself, "I’m an idiot."

Only an idiot would have agreed to Zhong Yin’s stupid request that day.

And he was that idiot.

Cheng An & Song Xu: "..."

"Well, it’s Zhong Yin after all. Who could possibly say no to her?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng An received a death glare from Yi Chen.

"She was intentionally acting coquettish that day..." Halfway through, Yi Chen turned his head away and said stiffly, "Forget it. There’s no point in explaining to you two."

Song Xu adjusted his glasses. "Chen-ge, this is the first time I’ve seen you treat a girl this well."

Yi Chen shot him a look. "Drop it."

Song Xu was oblivious. "Last year, that girl from the Fine Arts Department chased you for three months. Didn’t you reject her quite decisively?"

Speaking of that, Cheng An had a vivid impression. "You mean the one who pestered you until she gave up, and then went on the forum to call you 'destined to be alone'?"

Song Xu nodded.

It was no wonder they remembered; Cheng An suspected that Yi Chen’s current "keep-away" attitude was half-caused by that girl.

It was strange—despite Yi Chen’s "cold-king" aura, he was even more of a magnet for romance than Lin Yinian, and it hadn't stopped since he enrolled.

Although most returned empty-handed, there were always one or two who were particularly persistent.

That girl had tried a dramatic approach, attempting a "love at first sight" moment straight out of an idol drama. On a sunny afternoon perfect for an encounter, she "accidentally" spilled a full cup of coffee all over Yi Chen.

She insisted on paying for the dry cleaning, demanded his WeChat, and thus, Yi Chen fell into her trap, enduring months of message bombardment.

She also had the supernatural ability to figure out his class schedule, creating "coincidental" meetings all over campus—the cafeteria, the sports field, classrooms, the library—with relentless persistence.

On the ninetieth day of chasing him, she asked him out for a heartfelt confession. Unfortunately, Yi Chen’s heart was made of iron, and he rejected her without a shred of hesitation.

Cheng An had felt sorry for her at the time, but he never expected that the next day, this gentle girl would completely transform, posting a thousand-word rant on the forum tearing Yi Chen to shreds.

Later, they found out she had made a bet with someone that she could win him over in three months. After suffering through three months of humiliation without success, she finally snapped.

A few days later, she started dating a handsome guy from the Sports Department. According to her: "Every day I stay away from Yi Chen, the air feels a little fresher."

This dramatic reversal helped evolve Yi Chen into the person everyone now found difficult to approach—if any girl dared to show interest, he immediately transformed into a human refrigerator, radiating icy resentment.

Now, a year later, the only one who could get close was Zhong Yin.

At the mention of her name, Yi Chen’s face went cold. "Why bring her up?"

Cheng An: "Just for comparison."

Suddenly, Song Xu interjected out of the blue, "Chen-ge, are you sure Zhong Yin likes you?"

Yi Chen raised his eyelids. "What do you mean?"

Song Xu: "Could she also have ulterior motives?"

"Impossible."

Yi Chen didn't even think about it.

A second later, perhaps feeling he’d reacted too strongly, he shrugged nonchalantly. "Even if she has ulterior motives, so what? I wouldn't accept her anyway."

Song Xu wanted to say more, but Cheng An nudged his shoulder. "Zhong Yin is different from that girl. Can they even be compared? Not at all! Right, Chen-ge?"

Yi Chen gave a cold laugh.

There was no comparison.

Zhong Yin was clearly more calculating. Not only did she use all sorts of tricks to get his WeChat and plot "accidental" encounters, but even worse, she used his mother to threaten him.

Wait.

Yi Chen straightened his back—

How could he have forgotten his mother, who always took the other side?

Ever since that dinner, his mother, Gu Qing—who usually only contacted him once every blue moon, aside from sending his monthly allowance—had been asking about Zhong Yin every two or three days.

She threatened his living expenses at the drop of a hat. Could he dare to refuse?

His original agitation suddenly turned strangely calm.

Yi Chen leaned back into his chair, humming from his nose. "To be honest, I’m actually afraid she’ll complain to my mother. Otherwise, I would have rejected her long ago."

Song Xu glanced at him. "Just afraid your mother will blame you?"

"What else?"

Cheng An joked, "I thought you were about to be conquered by Goddess Zhong."

Yi Chen snorted. "That’s just what you think."

Song Xu whispered, "Don't believe it."

"What?" Yi Chen didn't hear him clearly.

"Nothing."

"..."

-

After seeing the enthusiastic response in the comment section, Zhong Yin’s first thought was:

The sky is going to rain, the mother is going to remarry, and Princess Yi is going to be angry.

With the dormitory special coming up, would Yi Chen just back out of it now?

Zhong Yin tentatively poked his profile picture.

No reply.

She carefully sent a meme.

A crow looking at another depressed crow: [Are you really mad?]

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message.

It was Zeng Ke in the group chat: [The meeting is in half an hour. Everyone, remember to leave early.]

Zeng Ke was talking about the regular weekly meeting, but the teacher found it troublesome and changed it to "only when necessary." In the two months since enrollment, this was only the second time Zhong Yin had attended a full meeting.

The meeting was held in the administrative building of the Qing Media Center, quite far from the dorms. Seeing the message, Zhong Yin put down her phone, threw on a cardigan, and hurried out.

As November approached, the wind felt biting against her face.

Zhong Yin walked for a few minutes, looking up at the overcast sky. Would it rain later?

She hesitated about going back for an umbrella when her phone buzzed again. Zeng Ke tagged her in the group: [Those who haven't arrived yet, hurry up.]

There was no way to go back now, so Zhong Yin picked up her pace and reached the front of the administrative building.

The meeting room was on the third floor. As she climbed the stairs, she saw Zeng Ke standing at the landing, smiling at someone opposite her.

It seemed she wasn't late yet. Zhong Yin felt a sense of relief.

"Senior," she greeted.

"You're here?" Zeng Ke glanced at her and gestured nonchalantly toward the hallway. "Go in and take a seat first."

Zhong Yin nodded and took a few more steps. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she caught a glimpse of the person Zeng Ke was talking to. Her head buzzed, and she froze in place.

At the same time, Lin Yinian noticed her, his eyes smiling. "Zhong Yin?"

"What a coincidence," Zhong Yin gripped her palms. "What are you...?"

Just as Lin Yinian was about to speak, Zeng Ke interrupted, turning her gaze to her. "You two know each other?"

Afraid of overstepping, Zhong Yin carefully said, "We've met once before."

"Oh?" Lin Yinian raised an eyebrow. "I thought we already counted as acquaintances. Looks like I was being over-sentimental."

Zhong Yin’s eyelashes flickered, and she quickly corrected herself, "Then we are acquaintances."

"That's quite a coincidence." Zeng Ke didn't look happy. She told Zhong Yin, "Everyone is waiting for you. Come earlier next time."

Zhong Yin checked the time. "There are still ten minutes left. Should be fine, right?"

"Better early than late. You can't keep the teacher waiting, too. Go in." After saying this, Zeng Ke turned her head, ending the conversation.

Mindful of Lin Yinian’s presence, Zhong Yin didn't say anything else. She nodded. "Then I'll go in first."

She took one last look at Lin Yinian, nodded, and turned to leave.

"How come I haven't heard that you two know each other?" After Zhong Yin walked away, Zeng Ke looked at Lin Yinian, her tone soft.

Lin Yinian didn't answer. "Aren't you going to the meeting?"

Zeng Ke waved her hand. "It's fine. The teacher hasn't arrived yet. It's not too late."

"I won't delay you," Lin Yinian smiled faintly. "Go in early. Don't keep people waiting." With that, he gave a slight nod and left with the file folder in his hand.

"Hey..."

Zeng Ke stared at Lin Yinian’s retreating figure. A moment later, she pouted, stomped her foot, and turned toward the meeting room.

The advisor for the Qing Media Center was named Zhao. He was young but obsessed with wellness, carrying his goji berry tea everywhere.

As the director of the entire Qing Media, Zeng Ke sat at the head of the table, closest to the main seat. Zhao Shen would take a sip of tea after every few sentences, and Zeng Ke would diligently pour him water.

Throughout the meeting, Zhao Shen rambled for half an hour, only mentioning the special feature, "The first episode was done with a lot of heart, and the feedback from the Youth League Committee was very good."

He looked around the room, realizing he didn't recognize any of the new faces from this year. Finally, he just looked at Zeng Ke and said vaguely, "Thank you and all the students in the department for your hard work."

Zeng Ke quickly said, "It’s not hard. It’s all thanks to your guidance, Teacher."

"You are too modest. After all, they are new students; they still rely on you, their senior, to teach them." Zhao Shen smiled.

Zeng Ke replied with a smile, "It's my duty."

"Keep up the good work for the following episodes." Zhao Shen turned his gaze toward everyone, encouraging them. "If you do a good job, when it comes to future awards, honors, or even party membership, there might just be a spot for everyone."

As soon as these words were out, the freshmen sitting at the lower end of the table looked up.

After all, competition within their respective colleges was fierce. If the Qing Media Center had these quotas, it was definitely a new opportunity.

After a few more casual remarks, Zhao Shen waved his hand to dismiss the meeting.

The meeting room gradually emptied. Zhong Yin walked at the back, accompanied by several others who were equally silent.

Zeng Ke hadn't been there last time. The preliminary planning, filming, and scripting—the most cumbersome parts—had all been left to them.

"What is this? This teacher is so unreliable. He’s clearly just painting a big picture for us."

A girl named Zhou Qi said indignantly. She had been responsible for the script and post-production, so the effort involved was obvious.

"Exactly. We did all the work, and Zhong Yin even worked overtime to memorize the script. Why does Zeng Ke get all the credit? Besides pointing fingers after we finished, what did she actually do?" another girl in post-production added.

"So, all the awards and honors will go to Zeng Ke in the future?"

"Sigh, thinking about how we have to film several more episodes, I don't even want to do it anymore."

"Zhong Yin, what should we do?"

Zhong Yin patted her companion’s shoulder lightly. "The senior might be busy lately. Let’s just invite her to join us for the next episode. Don't worry about it for now."

"Let's do that."

"Fine. I just can't stand her doing nothing."

After chatting for a while, they said goodbye and went their separate ways. Before leaving the building, Zhong Yin went to the restroom. As she came out, she ran into Zeng Ke in front of the mirror.

Zeng Ke was touching up her lipstick. "Still here?"

Zhong Yin bowed her head to wash her hands, thought for a moment, and said, "Senior, there is something I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"The team members are new to these responsibilities and lack experience. We need you to lead us for the next shoot."

Zeng Ke was noncommittal. "Aren't you guys doing just fine?"

Zhong Yin wiped her fingers, speaking slowly and steadily. "After all, it’s a team effort. You are the anchor of the team; we can't do without you."

She used honorifics, but Zeng Ke didn't feel much respect. She gave a fake smile. "You really know how to talk."

Zhong Yin didn't take the bait. "I will contact you before the next shoot, trying to work around your busy schedule."

After saying that, she waved her hand. "I'm leaving now. Goodbye, Senior."

Zeng Ke called out to her. "Wait a minute."

Zhong Yin paused.

Zeng Ke capped her lipstick and examined her in the mirror. Suddenly, she asked an unrelated question: "I heard you're chasing Yi Chen lately?"

Zhong Yin was stunned and denied it. "No, that’s just a rumor."

Zeng Ke shrugged half-jokingly. "No matter. It doesn't change anything if there's one more person."

Zhong Yin frowned and was about to speak when Zeng Ke asked, "So, did you get to know Yinian through Yi Chen as well?"

Zhong Yin looked her straight in the eye. "What are you trying to ask, Senior?"

"Nothing," Zeng Ke smiled. "Just curious, since Yinian never mentioned it to me. Just asking."

The underlying tone of territorial claim was clear to Zhong Yin.

She had barely met Lin Yinian a few times, yet a love rival had already shown up. Zhong Yin felt a sense of absurdity in her heart. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going."

Zeng Ke hummed.

A moment later, something even more absurd happened.

As soon as Zhong Yin stepped out of the building, giant raindrops fell on her head.

Before she could react, it was a downpour.

Zhong Yin retreated one step back into the building, sinking into the bleakness of the late autumn wind.

Just then, a light laugh came from behind her.

Footsteps approached.

Lin Yinian’s voice came through: "Didn't bring an umbrella?"

In an instant, Zhong Yin felt her heart stop.