Chapter 7

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As soon as Zhong Yin returned to the dormitory, she was met with a “three-person inquisition” from her roommates.

Led by Guo Tao, the three of them sat with their arms crossed, silently staring at her.

Zhong Yin was genuinely intimidated and tiptoed quietly. “What’s going on?”

“I did some finger counting,” Guo Tao said mysteriously.

“Hm?”

“Someone’s hiding things from upstairs and downstairs, secretly hooking up with a guy.”

“...” Zhong Yin was confused. “What guy?”

“Stop pretending!” Guo Tao stood up and poked Zhong Yin’s shoulder. “It’s Yi Chen, isn’t it? Didn’t you just scold him last time? And now you’re cozying up to him just a few days later?”

Beside her, Zheng Baoni shook her head worriedly. “Ah, our roommate’s grown up—now she knows how to keep a secret romance.”

Shi An’an, the mood-maker, took a bite of bread, shook her head, and sighed deeply.

Zhong Yin was amused by these drama queens and tapped Guo Tao’s head playfully. “No, we haven’t gotten together!”

Guo Tao howled, “Then why not confess quickly and avoid harsher punishment!”

“I’ll have some water first.” Zhong Yin changed the subject and went to her seat.

After finishing half a bottle, she glanced sideways and saw they still hadn’t let up.

Staring each other down, Guo Tao put her hands on her hips. “Finished drinking? Then spill it.”

Seeing no way out, Zhong Yin explained the whole story.

Finally, facing their gazes, she concluded, “We really have nothing going on, honestly.”

Guo Tao said, “Don’t buy it.”

Zheng Baoni said, “Don’t buy it.”

Shi An’an said, “Don’t buy it.”

Zhong Yin was puzzled.

Guo Tao asked, “If nothing’s going on, why did you ask him for his WeChat twice?”

Zheng Baoni added, “If nothing’s going on, why did you go with him to buy late-night snacks?”

Shi An’an chimed in, “If nothing’s going on, why did you... why did you eat with him?”

Zhong Yin thought, You’re like Sherlock Holmes.

Under their burning stares, she completely gave in.

“Alright,” she said, making a small gesture with her fingers, “I do have a tiny bit of a personal interest.”

Guo Tao slammed the table. “I knew you liked him!”

Zhong Yin denied it. “It’s really not him.”

Zheng Baoni blurted, “If not him, then his brother?”

“I’m joking...” Seeing Zhong Yin’s expression, she suddenly stopped, opening and closing her mouth several times. “Wait, you’re serious?”

Zhong Yin nodded slightly. “More or less. I like his roommate, Lin Yinian.”

The three in the dorm erupted.

They all knew Lin Yinian—he had once given a speech to all freshmen as a senior representative, and his face had caused quite a stir among the new students.

“Wait, if you like his roommate, why not just approach him directly?” Zheng Baoni was straightforward and totally confused by the situation. “You could get his contact info just by asking around.”

Only Guo Tao caught on to the real issue, leaning toward Zhong Yin in disbelief. “Zhong Yin, don’t tell me you’re secretly crushing on someone with your face?”

Zhong Yin was speechless.

Silence confirmed the undeniable truth.

“I’m about to faint,” Guo Tao said, holding her forehead.

Shi An’an asked, “When did you start liking him?”

“In the second year of high school, he’s my senior.”

Zheng Baoni asked, “And you still haven’t met him?”

Zhong Yin: “...Yeah.”

Guo Tao summarized, “So the current status is, you just added his roommate on WeChat?”

Zhong Yin: “...Yes.”

A heavy silence spread.

Under their “loving but dumb” stares, Zhong Yin quickly waved her hands. “Don’t get the wrong idea—I’m not that useless.”

“There’s one more thing I haven’t told you: he had a girlfriend in high school.”

Zheng Baoni said, “Oh, he had a girlfriend.”

A second later, she nearly exploded. “What? He has a girlfriend?”

Zhong Yin’s eyes dimmed slightly. “I heard they broke up, but I’m not sure. I don’t want to disturb him recklessly.”

Zheng Baoni looked to the all-knowing Guo Tao. “Does he have a girlfriend now?”

Guo Tao groaned. “I honestly don’t know. Want me to do a fortune-telling?”

Shi An’an didn’t understand why they needed to go through such trouble. “Doesn’t Zhong Yin have Yi Chen’s WeChat? Why not just ask him directly?”

They all suddenly understood and looked at Zhong Yin with admiration.

Guo Tao patted Zhong Yin on the shoulder. “You’re cautious, thinking one step ahead of us.”

The three gathered close, faces full of anticipation. “What are you waiting for? Ask him now.”

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Zhong Yin hesitated.

“What’s wrong?”

Though she felt a bit helpless, Zhong Yin was honest. “Yi Chen has a bad temper; he definitely won’t tell me.”

What she didn’t say was that if Yi Chen knew her feelings, he would never let her use him as a bridge to get closer to Lin Yinian.

Zheng Baoni was baffled. “You’ve added an ancestor, huh?”

Zhong Yin: “...An ancestor wouldn’t be this troublesome.”

Guo Tao grew impatient. “Why can’t you just add him directly?”

Zhong Yin looked her in the eye seriously. “Taozi, do you think there aren’t many girls trying to add him through various channels?”

Guo Tao wasn’t convinced. “Even if there are, you’re Zhong Yin! Who apart from Yi Chen would reject you?”

Zhong Yin shook her head. “I’m not that special.”

“He probably knows Yan Hao and maybe has heard some bad rumors about me. He might think my intentions aren’t pure.”

“If I can, I want to take it slow. It’d be best to start as friends and get to know him gradually.”

Guo Tao had no rebuttal. Zheng Baoni immediately issued a diagnosis. “It’s over. She’s really in love.”

Shi An’an sighed deeply. “So what are you going to do now?”

Zhong Yin considered. “Wait and see? Maybe fate will bring us together someday?”

Zheng Baoni twitched. “No wonder you haven’t gotten close for two years. Waiting for fate to fall is like waiting for pie to drop from the sky.”

Zhong Yin: “...”

Guo Tao said, “Why don’t you quietly use Yi Chen to get inside?”

Zhong Yin shrugged. “I thought about it, but he’s really hard to approach.”

“I think it can work.” In a flash, Guo Tao had already done a reading and said mysteriously, “Great luck, the plan will succeed.”

Zhong Yin blinked.

Guo Tao said, “When in doubt, trust mysticism. Believe it’s all divine guidance.”

Zhong Yin asked, “So what should I do?”

“Simple. Since his mom told him to look after you, just interact normally, be friends. Then you’ll naturally meet Lin Yinian.”

Zhong Yin nodded; that was her plan too.

Zheng Baoni raised her hand. “I have another question.”

“Yeah?”

“Aren’t you afraid Yi Chen will misunderstand and start liking you?”

“He already does,” Zhong Yin said with a wry smile. “But he hates me. He always tries to warn me not to have foolish crushes on him.”

Zheng Baoni was confused. “Is he gay?”

“Possibly.” Zhong Yin nodded seriously. “The chance he’s gay is probably higher than the chance he likes me.”

“...”

The three burst out laughing. Guo Tao said, “You know, if he really is, Lin Yinian better watch out.”

Zhong Yin’s face changed. “Huh?”

“You actually believed that!” Guo Tao laughed until she was out of breath, poking her forehead. “Yi Chen looks as straight as an arrow.”

Zhong Yin rubbed her head. “True.”

As they chatted, the topic shifted. Zheng Baoni asked, “So, Yin Yin, are you finally going to teach Yan Hao a lesson? What’s your plan?”

Zhong Yin rolled her eyes and beckoned them closer. “Come here, I’ll tell you.”

—

A new week began.

Monday was always Zhong Yin’s busiest day. Packed with classes from morning till evening, she finished at six, then had to rush to the campus radio station by six-thirty to host the broadcast.

“What do you want to eat? I can bring it back to the dorm,” Guo Tao hurried alongside her.

Zhong Yin thought a moment. “Just corn.”

She was always disciplined; Guo Tao waved off the surprise. “I’ll wait in the dorm then.”

They walked a few steps.

They exchanged a glance; Guo Tao made a cheering gesture. “Show that scumbag who’s boss later!”

Zhong Yin smiled and returned the gesture.

At this hour, the cafeteria was packed. The university had four cafeterias; the first was the busiest, known for good food and closest to the dorms.

At the entrance of the first cafeteria.

Two tall, lean boys walked in one after another, drawing attention.

Passing girls excitedly bumped each other’s hands.

Yi Chen led the way. Lin Yinian caught up and broke the silence. “A’Chen, I still think you shouldn’t do this.”

Yi Chen didn’t look back, found an empty seat, dropped his bag, and said coldly, “If you want to be a good person, don’t drag me into it.”

“Don’t be so harsh,” Lin Yinian frowned. “I’m not trying to be a good person; just leave some room for others. Don’t make enemies you can’t handle.”

“I’ve already made the necessary enemies. One more won’t matter.”

Lin Yinian sighed. “Why bother making enemies with someone like that?”

Yi Chen softened his tone. “Our group of seven or eight people worked hard for a month to get the results. Why should he get it for free?”

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Lin Yinian sat opposite him. “Yan Hao will find out soon. Remember to talk to him properly.”

“As long as he doesn’t provoke me.”

Lin Yinian took a meal card from his bag. “What do you want to eat? I’ll order for both of us.”

“Anything.”

“Nothing is ‘anything.’”

Yi Chen suddenly thought of something. “Then tomato and egg noodles it is.”

He added casually, “No cilantro, no scallions, no spice.”

Hearing the jab at his taste, Lin Yinian smiled wryly. “What did I ever do to offend you?”

Yi Chen grinned sheepishly. “Nothing.”

They both ordered noodles. Yi Chen ate half-heartedly, then soon put down his chopsticks.

Lin Yinian looked at him. “If you don’t like it, why order it?”

“You Shanghai people like this bland stuff?”

Lin Yinian was surprised. “Shanghai people?”

He emphasized “people.”

“Slip of the tongue,” Yi Chen averted his eyes and urged, “Eat faster, don’t dawdle.”

Lin Yinian shook his head with a smile.

At that moment, soothing music played on the outdoor broadcast, followed by a clear, pleasant female voice.

“Today is October 23rd, Monday. Welcome to today’s Voice of the Campus. I’m your host, Zhong Yin.”

Lin Yinian glanced instinctively across at Yi Chen, who didn’t look up, eyes fixed on his phone.

He started the conversation: “Among the hosts, Zhong Yin has the most distinctive voice.”

Yi Chen gave a perfunctory “oh,” “Never really compared.”

Lin Yinian raised an eyebrow. “Then you should compare next time.”

Yi Chen hummed. A few seconds later, he put down the phone and said inexplicably, “What does that have to do with me…”

Before he finished, a voice interrupted sharply, “Yo, Yi God, eating?”

Without warning, Yan Hao came to their table, slapping Yi Chen heavily on the shoulder, asking with a forced smile, “Was it you who asked the teacher to kick me off the team list?”

“So what if it was me?”

“Withdraw the request now, and we can forget everything between us. Still brothers after this.”

Yi Chen sneered, “What fantasy are you living in?”

Yan Hao started pushing him. “Yi Chen, cut it out. Stop pretending here... Hey, let go!”

Yi Chen twisted off the hand on his shoulder without expression, tilting his head. “Want me to break this hand too?”

Lin Yinian stood up. “A’Chen, don’t fight!”

Yi Chen ignored him. Yan Hao gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. “You really want to go against me for that girl? She’s already with you, and you’re still licking her?”

Yi Chen lowered his eyelids, gripping tightly, voice icy. “You want to die?”

Seeing Yi Chen enraged, Yan Hao laughed heartily despite the pain.

Lin Yinian frowned and pulled them apart. “Calm down! Isn’t a warning enough?”

Yan Hao reluctantly shook his hands free. Yi Chen’s grip was strong; soon his right hand cramped.

He was about to say more when the campus broadcast music changed, and a familiar female voice came on.

He didn’t pay attention until the broadcast mentioned his name.

“Next is today’s Message of the Day.”

“A student who wishes to remain anonymous has sent a message to Computer Science sophomore Yan Hao. Let’s hear what they said.”

Lin Yinian diverted Yi Chen’s attention. “Stop fighting, listen. Someone wrote you a letter.”

Though confused, Yan Hao listened curiously.

They all strangely listened together in the cafeteria.

“Dear Yan Hao,

I write this letter to express my admiration and praise for your wonderful qualities.

In my heart, you are optimistic and never give up—otherwise, how could you persistently pester and harass after so many rejections?

Your computer skills are top-notch; you hacked the entire campus forum, leaving an indelible cyber record.

You dare to challenge the impossible, claiming to be 1.8 meters tall but actually just 1.7, with 10 centimeters of height insoles. That gave you courage to challenge the 1.9-meter basketball captain, even if you ended up in the infirmary after a punch.

You are also clever and tactful. You never do team work but always take credit. Who could be smarter than you?

Why are you so excellent? I think it’s your ordinary yet confident aura. Your confidence has reached the summit of Mount Everest at S University.”

The female broadcaster’s polished tone made the message absurdly and humorously sarcastic. “Thank you to the student who sent the letter. I believe Yan Hao has received your feelings. Let’s give him a round of applause.”

“That’s all for this program. Thanks for listening. I’m your host Zhong Yin. See you next time.”

In the cafeteria, Yan Hao’s face shifted from pale to red as he cursed, pointing at Yi Chen. “Damn it, I’ll get you two back sooner or later.”

“How?” Yi Chen stood slowly, hands in pockets, stepping closer. His meaningful gaze fell on the high-top boots Yan Hao was wearing. He suddenly laughed, voice teasing:

“Wearing your ten-centimeter height insoles, gonna jump and hit my knee?”