[Study Room 3, 1:50 PM]
"Actually, no."
Zhang Yuting's lips curved slightly.
Long Tian caught that look, then his face fell immediately, his shoulders slumping.
Of course. Of course she'd say no. Why did I even hope?
Why would she want coffee with him after watching that disaster? After he'd spent ten minutes texting another girl right in front of her?
He lowered his head and stared at the table, accepting this reality with familiar resignation.
This is normal. This is how it always goes. This is the story of my life.
"I understand. That's... that's okay. I'm sorry for—"
"You just spent ten minutes texting another girl."
Zhang Yuting's voice cut through his dejection, and he looked up.
She was leaning forward now, arms crossed on the table, looking directly at him with that playful smile growing wider. Something about his disappointed reaction seemed to satisfy her.
"In front of me. While we were supposed to be studying together. While I was sitting here worried sick about you."
Her tone stayed light, but genuine feeling bled through underneath.
"That's pretty rude, Long Tian."
He swallowed. "I... you're absolutely right. That was really inconsiderate. More than inconsiderate. It was rude."
Her smile grew. "So here's your punishment."
Long Tian braced himself. Punishment. Right. Of course.
"You're spending the rest of the afternoon with me."
Wait. What?
His brain stuttered.
"W-what?"
The word came out uncertain, confused. He blinked at her like he'd misheard.
Zhang Yuting's lips quirked with amusement. He looked cute when he was flustered like this, and that dumbstruck expression on his handsome face made something flutter in her chest.
"I don't have any other classes today," she continued, enjoying his bewildered look. "And you're going to actually pay attention this time."
She pointed at his pocket firmly.
"Phone stays in your pocket. No texting other girls. No mysterious emergencies. Just you and me."
Long Tian just stared at her, his mouth slightly open.
----------------------------
[Opportunity Detected: Extended Contact Time]
[Duration: 3-4 hours]
[Recommendation: ACCEPT]
----------------------------
But he barely registered the system notification. His mind was still processing what she'd said.
She... wants to spend the afternoon with me? With ME? After everything I did?
Something warm bloomed in his chest—desperate, hopeful, almost painful in its intensity.
A smile spread across his face, slow and genuine, probably making him look like a complete fool. He couldn't stop it. He didn't want to.
"I... yeah. Yes. I'd really like that."
His voice came out warmer than intended. More honest than calculated. Almost raw.
Zhang Yuting felt her own smile widen at his expression. That foolish, happy grin was unexpectedly endearing—like a stray dog finally being offered a home.
"Phone stays away," she reminded him. "I mean it. No other women. No checking messages. Just us."
Long Tian nodded quickly, eagerly. Almost too eagerly.
"Yes. Absolutely. Phone stays in my pocket. Scout's honor."
He made an exaggerated salute that was probably supposed to look cool but came out clumsy and earnest instead.
Zhang Yuting laughed.
"Good. Then let's go to the campus garden. It's my favorite spot."
Long Tian stood up and gathered his things, still grinning like an idiot. His hands were almost trembling.
"Lead the way. I'm... I'm entirely at your mercy."
He offered his arm with nervous gallantry. It wasn't smooth at all—just genuine and a bit awkward. The gesture of someone who'd read about romance but never quite lived it.
Zhang Yuting took it naturally, feeling pleased with herself.
"Don't forget it."
They then walked out together, arms linked, comfortable with each other despite everything.
----------------------------
[Campus Garden, 2:00 PM]
The campus garden wrapped around them in golden silence.
Zhang Yuting led him down a winding path, osmanthus trees rising on either side. The sweet fragrance of mid-autumn blooms hung heavy in the air, and golden flowers dotted the branches like scattered coins. Stone benches appeared at intervals along the path, tucked into quiet alcoves.
She stopped under the largest tree and sat down, patting the seat beside her.
"This is my favorite spot on campus."
Long Tian joined her, careful about the distance—close, but not too close. The bench was small, though, and their arms brushed occasionally whether he planned it or not.
"You come here often?" he asked.
Zhang Yuting nodded and turned to look at him. The afternoon light filtered through the branches above, casting dappled shadows across her face.
She's pretty.
The thought hit him suddenly. How had he not noticed before? The way the light caught in her eyes, the gentle curve of her smile, the loose strands of hair framing her face.
She's really beautiful.
"When everything gets overwhelming," she said. "When everyone expects me to be perfect all the time."
Zhang Yuting's voice had gone softer, and something in it made him lean closer without thinking.
"That sounds exhausting," Long Tian said. The words came naturally, genuinely. "Being perfect all the time."
Zhang Yuting blinked at him, like she hadn't expected him to understand.
"It is," she admitted. "Sometimes I just want to be... normal. Make mistakes. Not have everyone depending on me, expecting perfection, comparing me to everyone else constantly."
Long Tian listened. Actually listened—watching her face as she talked, the slight furrow between her brows when she mentioned pressure, the way her gaze dropped to her hands.
She was opening up to him. To him, of all people.
Why me? Why would she trust me with this?
"I get that." He nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to his own hands. "Different reasons, but I get it. Everyone has expectations. Sometimes you just want to be yourself without... all the weight."
She looked at him then—really looked, like she was seeing something new.
"I didn't expect you to understand," she said quietly. "Most people just see the position. Not the person in it."
Long Tian held her gaze, and something passed between them. Recognition, maybe. Or understanding.
"Well," he said softly. "I'm not most people."
Zhang Yuting's lips curved, small but warm.
"No," she said. "I'm starting to see that."
They sat together in the quiet, arms brushing occasionally, letting the silence stretch between them. It was the kind of silence that didn't need filling—it was comfortable and unhurried, like they had all the time in the world.
----------------------------
[North Campus Café, 2:45 PM]
"See?" Zhang Yuting smiled as they stepped inside. "We ended up with coffee after all."
Long Tian laughed. "But on your terms."
"Exactly. That's what punishment means."
The café was cozy—warm lighting, soft music playing from somewhere overhead. They found a corner booth and ordered: jasmine tea for her, americano for him, a few pastries to share.
They sat across from each other, close enough that their knees brushed under the table.
Zhang Yuting wrapped her hands around her tea cup, steam curling between them. She looked comfortable here. Relaxed. Different from the composed student everyone else saw.
"So," she said. "Tell me something real. Something nobody else knows."
Long Tian blinked. "Something no one else knows?"
"Mmm." She took a sip, watching him over the rim. "No surface stuff. No 'I like movies' or 'my favorite color is blue.' I need something more… authentic perhaps?"
His gaze dropped to his coffee, his thumb tracing the rim.
What could I even say? Not the system. Not that I might be the protagonist of some story. Well, I am indeed the protagonist of my own story.
No… There are better things that I can say… Yes, like my childhood!
He turned the cup slowly in his hands before answering.
"To be honest, I've never been good at this," he said finally, voice quieter than he intended. "Relationships. Dating. Talking to girls. I always... messed it up somehow. Said the wrong thing. Did the wrong thing. Ended up alone."
The words came out raw—more honest than he'd planned.
Zhang Yuting tilted her head, a small smile playing at her lips. "You're lying."
He blinked. "What?"
"You're lying." Her smile widened slightly. "Look at you. You're handsome, well-dressed, confident. There's no way you're terrible with women."
Long Tian shook his head. "No, I'm serious. Every relationship I've tried..." He paused, his fingers tightening around the cup. "It never worked out. I'd get nervous. Overthink everything. Say something stupid. And then they'd lose interest. Every single time."
His voice dropped lower.
"Maybe it's because I never had an example to follow. I'm an orphan. I never knew my parents. I grew up bouncing between foster homes."
Zhang Yuting's playful expression faded, softening completely.
"I don't know what a real relationship looks like," he continued. "What normal families do. How people... connect. I've just been making it up as I go. Mostly failing."
He finally looked up and met her eyes.
"So yeah. I'm terrified I'll mess this up too. Because this feels... different. Important." His throat tightened. "And I don't want to ruin it."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Zhang Yuting reached across the table, took both his hands, and squeezed firmly.
"You're not messing it up," she said softly. "You're doing fine. Better than fine actually."
Her hands were warm in his, small and soft.
"And for what it's worth," she added, "I don't believe you're terrible with women. Maybe you just... hadn't met the right person yet."
The way she looked at him when she said it. Like maybe—just maybe—she could be that person.
Is she… is she saying what I think she's saying?
Isn't this moving a bit too fast? It hasn't even been two hours.
Things don't move this fast for me. Ever.
But what if I slow down and she disappears?
Stop. Don't overthink, Long Tian. Not this time.
I deserve this. At least just this once.
"Your turn," he said, attempting to match her earlier playfulness. Yet, the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him. "Umm… Tell me. Tell me something nobody else knows."
Zhang Yuting looked down at their joined hands, and her smile turned quieter.
"I'm scared too," she admitted. "Of being used. Of becoming something… like a cogwheel. The useful girl everyone wants as their figurehead. Not the real me.
She looked up and met his eyes.
"My family isn't rich. We're... ordinary. I came from a poor family. My parents work hard just to keep me here at Qinghua. I got in on merit, on scholarships."
Her voice grew softer, more fragile.
"Everyone else here... their families have money. Connections. They belong here naturally. But me? I have to work twice as hard. Be twice as perfect. Because if I slip up—if I'm not excellent all the time—if I'm not as good as the cousin I admire—then what else is good enough about me?"
Her thumb traced small circles on his hand.
"So I became class president. Even if it meant being pushed around by richer classmates. At least I could prove myself. Show everyone I could become something." She paused. "But now all they see is the useful girl. The one who helps. And somewhere along the way... I stopped being Zhang Yuting."
She squeezed his hands tighter.
"Weird, right? Hehe!" Zhang Yuting let out a self-deprecating smile and continued. "But you... you saw me panic. You saw the messy Zhang Yuting."
"That matters to me. That matters so much."
Her eyes glistened for a moment. Then she laughed — soft, a little wobbly.
"So here's the deal. You've seen too much. The panicking, messy Zhang Yuting." She squeezed his hands. "I'm going to have to bribe you. Coffee. Lunch. Maybe dinner. Keep you close so you can't spread rumors about the not-so-perfect Zhang Yuting."
The joke landed light, but her grip on his hands said something else entirely.
"Deal?"
For a moment, Long Tian was just silent, then he blinked and then something clicked.
Oh. So that's how we're doing this...
Hmm… I might be inexperienced, but I'm not stupid. I'm not blind.
"Bribery, huh?" He leaned back, fighting a grin. "I'll have you know my standards are very high. This could take months. Maybe longer."
But tomorrow works too. Tomorrow would be perfect. Tomorrow would be—
Stop. Play it cool, Long Tian.
"But… still… thank you," he said quietly. "For staying. For giving me a chance. For... this."
Zhang Yuting's smile widened—not the polite smile that she always wore, but something real.
"Thank you for being worth it."
They sat like that for a while, hands joined across the table, tea cooling, pastries forgotten. Neither of them moved to break the moment.
Somewhere distant, system notifications flickered.
[Zhang Yuting Affection: 61 → 63 (+2)]
Long Tian didn't notice.
He was too busy memorizing the way she looked when she smiled at him like that.
----------------------------
[Campus Lake, 3:30 PM]
"Want to walk by the lake?" Zhang Yuting suggested as they left the café.
The afternoon had mellowed, with golden light painting everything warm. They walked together, naturally close, arms brushing with each step.
The campus lake stretched out before them—willows trailing into the water, a walking path curving around the perimeter. Other students scattered across the grass, couples here and there, the whole scene peaceful and unhurried.
Zhang Yuting's hand found his as they walked. Their fingers intertwining naturally.
Long Tian's breath caught. He looked down at their joined hands, then up at her face.
She was watching him, a small, shy smile on her lips.
"Is this okay?" she asked quietly.
"Yes." His voice came out thick. "Very… I mean, yes. Okay. Very okay!"
They walked hand in hand along the path as it curved around the lake. Willows created natural curtains of green, and the water reflected the sky and trees like a mirror.
"It's beautiful," Zhang Yuting said softly, her gaze on the willow branches trailing into the water.
Long Tian barely glanced at the tree as his eyes drifted to her instead.
She's beautiful.
Long Tian found himself watching her more than the scenery. The way the afternoon light caught in her hair. The way she smiled at something a duck did on the water. The way she squeezed his hand when they passed under a particularly pretty willow.
"Long Tian?"
He looked at her. "Hmm?"
"Long Tian."
"Hmm?"
"You've been staring at me for the past five minutes."
"I have not—"
"You have." She glanced at him sideways, fighting a smile. "Keep it up and I'll melt. Then you'll have to explain to everyone why a student named Zhang Yuting has turned into a puddle."
"I—that's not—" He gave up and laughed, ears burning. "I mean, the light is just... really good right now," He gestured vaguely at the sky.
"Uh-huh." She didn't sound convinced.
After that, they walked in silence for a moment. Then, quieter:
"I'm glad this happened. I wasn't sure if... I mean, after the study room and everything, I thought maybe..." She shook her head. "Anyway. I'm glad."
He stopped walking and turned to face her fully.
"Me too. I'm really—" He stopped. Started again. "I don't know how to say it right. But I'm glad. Really glad."
Zhang Yuting looked up at him. They were close now. Very close.
The willow's trailing branches cocooned them from the rest of campus. Golden light filtered through the leaves.
He could hear her breathing—soft, slightly uneven. He could feel the warmth radiating off her skin even though they weren't quite touching.
The world had shrunk down to the space between them.
And that space was getting smaller by the second.
He could see the gold flecks in her eyes, the way her lips parted slightly, the rapid pulse at her throat.
Is she... is she waiting for me to—
Then a frisbee sailed past their heads, followed by a shouted "Sorry!" from somewhere on the grass.
Just like that, the spell broke. They stepped apart with flushed faces, neither quite able to meet the other's eyes.
"I think… we should..." Zhang Yuting gestured vaguely at the path.
"Yeah." Long Tian's voice came out rough. "Yeah, we should keep walking."
But their hands found each other again immediately. Tighter than before.
They continued around the lake, talking and laughing, the earlier tension still there but different now. Acknowledged. Building toward something neither of them was ready to name.
[Zhang Yuting Affection: 63 → 68 (+5)]
The notification flickered at the edge of Long Tian's consciousness. Barely registered. Unimportant.
What mattered to him now was the warmth of her hand in his. The sound of her laugh. The way she looked at him like he was someone worth looking at.
Like I'm someone worth choosing.
----------------------------
[Rewind — Campus Lake — East Side, 1:00 PM]
An hour before Long Tian and Zhang Yuting made their way through the garden, Lin Feng and Xiao Yue were already at the lake.
They walked the path together, her hood still up but her steps close to his—closer than she'd ever dared before.
She was telling him about her notebooks.
"So this notebook of yours..." Lin Feng kept his tone light, teasing. "How detailed are we talking? Did you rate my outfits? Give my hairstyles scores?"
Xiao Yue's face flushed beneath the hood. "I... that's..."
"Oh my god, you did." He laughed. "What else is in there?"
She mumbled something inaudible.
"What was that?"
"...there's not just one notebook." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "There are... a few more."
They found a quiet spot beneath a large willow, its branches hanging low enough to curtain them from the rest of campus. Lin Feng settled onto the grass first, his back against the trunk, and she followed—sitting close, then closer, until their shoulders touched.
The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves above, dappling the ground around them. But Lin Feng wasn't looking at the light.
"You're really going to make me spell it all out, aren't you?" she muttered, pulling her hood lower.
"Absolutely." He grinned. "I want every detail."
She took a deep breath.
"Fine." She exhaled. "Your routines. Your preferences. Your expressions when you thought no one was looking. The way you tie your shoes. Which coffee shop you prefer on different days. How you react when you're frustrated versus when you're genuinely angry."
Lin Feng's eyebrows rose. "That's... incredibly detailed."
"Do you... do you think I'm weird?" Her voice went small. "I know it's creepy. I know it's not normal."
He reached over and placed his arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her to his side. She stiffened slightly in surprise, then relaxed against him, fitting naturally into the space beside him.
"No," he said. "I don't think you're weird."
He let that settle for a moment. Then:
"But I want to know more. About you." He tilted his head to look at her. "Tell me about yourself, Xiao Yue. Not about watching me—about you. Your life. Your interests. What you like. What you think about."
She lifted her head slightly, surprise flickering across her face. "You... you want to know more... about me?"
"Of course I do." He kept his voice easy, but he meant it. "You've spent five years learning everything about me. I know almost nothing about you. That doesn't seem fair, does it?"
Xiao Yue went quiet. He watched her process the question—watched the confusion settle in, then something softer underneath. Like no one had ever thought to ask before.
She's been stalking for so long she forgot she could be seen too.
"I... I don't know what to say." Her voice dropped. "I'm not very interesting."
"Let me decide that." He shifted slightly, angling toward her. "Start anywhere. Your family. Your hobbies. What do you do when you're not watching me?"
She hesitated. Then, slowly, she began to speak.
At first the words came out halting, uncertain—small pieces offered up like she expected him to lose interest any second. But he didn't interrupt.
He didn't check his phone. He didn't even look away.
So she kept going. And somewhere along the way, the hesitation faded.
He felt her weight shift against his shoulder. Not testing anymore. Just... there.
Good.
----------------------------
[Campus Lake — East Side, 3:45 PM]
The minutes stretched on, quiet and easy.
Her breathing slowed. Deepened. Her weight against his shoulder grew heavier, and when Lin Feng glanced down, he realized she'd fallen asleep.
She's asleep.
The girl who never let anyone see her face. Who spent five years hiding in shadows. Who watched me like I was something precious and dangerous all at once.
She fell asleep. On me.
He watched the top of her head, her black hair soft against his chest, moving gently with each breath she took.
When was the last time anyone trusted her enough to let her rest like this?
When was the last time anyone trusted me like this?
Something twisted in his chest—not painful, just... unfamiliar. He didn't have a name for it.
Over an hour passed.
His arm had gone numb long ago, pins and needles crawling from shoulder to fingertips. His back ached from leaning against the tree trunk in the same position.
Compared to army training from my past life, this is nothing.
I've held worse positions for longer.
So he didn't move. He didn't dare disturb her.
She slept peacefully, breathing even and soft. Her black hair caught the golden afternoon light filtering through the willow branches above.
And as she slept, something else twisted inside him.
This girl spent five years watching that "Lin Feng."
That "Lin Feng" who shared my name and my face—plus the silver hair.
Documenting his habits. His preferences. His expressions.
She thinks she knows me better than anyone.
But the person she fell in love with... is gone.
Gone. Displaced. Overwritten the second I woke up in this body.
The original Lin Feng—the one who tied his shoes a certain way, who preferred certain coffee shops, who had those expressions she catalogued so carefully—that person no longer exists.
And she doesn't know.
She's sleeping in the arms of a stranger wearing a familiar face.
Lin Feng held her tighter.
What can I say? "Sorry, the man you loved is dead and I'm wearing his body"?
He buried the guilt. Focused on the present.
I'll just have to become someone worthy of her love.
Even if I can never tell her the truth.
His mind drifted unbidden. Back to his previous life.
Why did I even read that garbage novel in the first place?
Ten thousand chapters of trash harem smut. Terrible writing. Cardboard protagonist who conquered women like collecting cards. Brainless heroines who fell for the stupidest tricks. Plot holes you could drive a truck through.
He'd complained about it constantly. Rated it one star on every review site. Told everyone who'd listen how terrible it was.
But he'd kept reading. All ten thousand chapters. Every single awful word.
I always found it strange. Why I stomached that book to the end.
A book no one else could find. A story no one else remembered.
Maybe it was just that bad. No one else wasstupid enough to read it like I did.
But even so...
I don't know why... but I always felt a little guilty whenever I read two names in it.
Xiao Yue.
Lin Weiwei.
Perhaps... maybe...
The only reason I can think of...
They loved the villain. They truly loved him—unconditionally and completely.
And the novel just... broke them for it.
Lin Feng looked down at Xiao Yue.
----------------------------
After a few moments of silence, his arm tightened around her.
Somewhere in the branches above, something stirred.
A small quadcopter drone—compact, professional-grade—had been perched there the entire time. Its camera lens aimed at them. Recording. Observing. Documenting.
Lin Feng and Xiao Yue beneath the willow. Her sleeping against his chest. His arm around her.
All of it was captured by the drone.
Unaware of their observer, Lin Feng stayed still as the drone's rotors hummed to life—soft and nearly silent. It lifted from its perch among the leaves, glided through the canopy, and disappeared into the September sky.
His guard was down. For this one afternoon, he'd let himself just... be.
Lin Feng didn't even know someone was watching him.
----------------------------
[Lake Path, 4:00 PM]
Xiao Yue stirred.
Her breathing changed first—deepening, then quickening slightly. Her fingers twitched against his shirt. Her body shifted as consciousness returned in slow waves.
Her eyes opened.
Where am I?
Then awareness. She was pressed against Lin Feng's chest, her face buried in his shirt, his arm around her shoulders, both of them leaning against the willow trunk.
Oh.
Oh no.
She'd fallen asleep. On him. For over an hour.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice muffled against his shirt. "I'm sorry... I slept for so long..."
Lin Feng's hand moved—gentle pressure against her shoulder.
"I didn't mind at all. You looked peaceful." His voice was warm. "I didn't want to wake you."
----------------------------
[Lake Path — Walking, 4:03 PM]
They walked together along the lake path. Her hood back up, both her hands wrapped around his arm.
Her mind was racing beneath the calm exterior.
She was happy. Deliriously happy. But happiness wasn't enough.
Lin Weiwei.
Lin Feng's stepsister, the one who was brought to the Lin family after his father remarried. The one Xiao Yue had been watching for years with an intensity second only to Lin Feng.
Those cold eyes that tracked his every movement. That possessive tension coiled beneath her composed exterior.
She'll make her move soon. Tonight, probably. Definitely before tomorrow.
Xiao Yue had watched Lin Feng for five years. But she'd also watched his watchers.
It takes a stalker to recognize a stalker.
And Lin Weiwei was dangerous. She had everything Xiao Yue didn't: proximity, history, legitimacy. Thirteen years of shared memories. A place in his home.
What do I have? One morning. One lunch. One afternoon.
Not enough. Not nearly enough.
She needed to secure her position now—before that woman struck.
It hasn't even been a day yet.
But I can't wait. I can't afford to wait.
She stopped walking.
"Xiao Yue?" Lin Feng turned to her. "What's wrong?"
She didn't trust herself to speak. If she spoke, she'd lose her nerve.
So she just—reached for him. Grabbed his collar before she could talk herself out of it. Pulled him down.
He stumbled slightly, caught off guard. His hands found her waist to steady himself, and suddenly they were close. Too close. Their foreheads almost touching, her breath mixing with his.
Oh god. I'm actually doing this.
"Lin Feng!"
Her voice came out different. Not shy. Not hesitant. Something harder underneath.
"I've waited five years. I won't wait anymore."
His breath caught.
"Whatever happens after today... whatever she tries... remember this."
She? Who is "she"?
But before he could ask—
She closed the remaining distance and pressed her lips against his cheek. Lingering. Deliberate.
Not his lips. Not yet. But it was a promise. A claim. A mark.
Her whisper against his skin: "You're mine now. I won't let anyone take you."
Lin Feng forgot how to think.
What do I—
How do I—
Nothing. Just static. Just her face inches from his and the ghost of her lips still burning on his cheek.
----------------------------
In that exact moment, a couple walked past them on the lake path.
A boy with golden hair catching the afternoon light. A pretty girl beside him, laughing at something he'd said. Less than two meters away.
Lin Feng didn't see them.
Xiao Yue didn't see them.
And they didn't see Lin Feng or Xiao Yue either.
Lin Feng's entire world had narrowed to Xiao Yue—her face, her eyes, the skin of her forehead touching his and the warmth still lingering on his cheek.
Two couples passed each other on that path, and neither knew who they'd just walked by.
----------------------------
The afternoon sun was halfway toward the horizon, stretching their shadows long behind them. The lake glittered gold and orange where the light hit it, and somewhere nearby, cicadas were winding down their summer song.
"So," Zhang Yuting said. "Ducks."
"Ducks," Long Tian agreed.
"You really think they're having a meeting?"
He pointed at the cluster waddling by the shore. "That one's clearly the manager. Look at that stance. Very authoritative."
"That one's just fat."
"Exactly. That's the CEO."
She laughed—a real one, not the polite kind—and bumped her shoulder against his. Her hand was still in his, warm and solid, and every time he remembered that fact his brain stuttered a little.
She's holding my hand. Still. Why is she still—
"You're so stupid," she said, but she was smiling.
"You're still holding my hand though."
The words slipped out before he could catch them.
Zhang Yuting went quiet.
Why did I say that. Why did I—
Long Tian fixed his eyes on the path ahead, feeling the heat crawl up his neck.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I am."
Neither of them said anything after that.
The path curved gently along the water as they walked, and other students drifted past them heading back toward the dorms. The air had cooled just enough to feel good against his skin, carrying the smell of the lake and the last warmth of the day.
Act normal. Breathe. Don't make it weird.
A breeze rustled through the willow branches up ahead, and the light filtering through them turned everything soft and golden—like they'd wandered into someone else's memory.
That's when he noticed them.
A couple under one of the willows. A male student, his silver hair catching the light. A girl in a hood pulling him down toward her, their foreheads pressed together.
Long Tian looked away so fast his neck cricked.
So did Zhang Yuting.
The silence stretched.
Then, slowly, he glanced back at her.
She was already looking at him.
"Did you—"
"Nope."
"Me neither."
Something flickered across her face—caught, embarrassed—and she turned toward the lake like it was suddenly the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.
Long Tian did the same, except he chose the sky.
His face was burning. He could feel it spreading—up his neck, across his cheeks, into his ears—the kind of blush you couldn't hide no matter how hard you tried. And from the pink creeping up Zhang Yuting's neck, she wasn't doing much better.
Her fingers tightened around his.
He squeezed back without thinking.
And somewhere behind them, less than two meters away, the silver-haired man and the hooded girl were still lost in their own world—their foreheads touching, hands clasped, completely unaware of anything else.
----------------------------
Xiao Yue pulled back from his cheek.
Her eyes held something he couldn't quite name—a fierceness, but fragile underneath. Like she was daring him to forget this. Like she was terrified he would.
"Remember what I said."
Lin Feng opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His voice had gone somewhere far away and wasn't coming back anytime soon.
In the end, all Lin Feng could do was nod. She'd stolen every word he had.
Behind them, the other couple kept walking—the golden-haired boy and the girl with the red ears, heading further down the lake path without a backward glance.
And Lin Feng and Xiao Yue walked the other way.
The moment passed.
And just like that, it was gone.
----------------------------
[Zhang Yuting's Dorm Room, 4:05 PM]
The ceiling had a crack in it.
Zhang Tingting hadn't noticed it before, but she'd been staring at it long enough now that she could trace its path from memory. It started near the light fixture and wandered toward the window, branching twice before disappearing behind the curtain rod.
Her phone buzzed.
She grabbed it so fast she nearly dropped it—but it was just a notification from some shopping app. Sale on skincare. Thirty percent off.
She let the phone fall back onto her chest.
Come on, Yuting. Just reply.
The afternoon light slanted through the window, catching the dust floating in the air. Somewhere down the hall, someone was playing music—muffled bass through the walls, just loud enough to be annoying.
She was still wearing her chef uniform. She could smell the kitchen on herself—oil and flour and something burnt from when she'd gotten distracted earlier. She should shower. She should change. She should do something other than lie here like a dead fish.
She picked up the phone again.
"Hey, are you busy?"
Sent 2:47 PM.
Nothing underneath. No reply. Not even typing bubbles.
Maybe she didn't see it. Maybe her phone died. Maybe she's in a meeting.
Tingting's thumb hovered over the keyboard. Should she send another message? Would that seem desperate?
She put the phone down.
Picked it up again.
Put it down.
This is stupid. She's probably just busy.
She hugged Zhang Yuting's pillow and went back to staring at the crack in the ceiling.
The light outside had shifted. Softer now. The crack was harder to see.
"Anyway…"
Zhang Tingting murmured to no one, her eyes tracing the crack on the ceiling.
"What is going on in Lin Feng's mind right now?"
"Why did he change all of a sudden?"
[End of Chapter 14]