Yue tugged at the straps of her canvas bag, glancing around their dorm room like a conductor making sure her orchestra was ready.
Meixuan was already tugging on a hoodie, one brow raised as Yue debated whether to bring her sketchbook or just her notebooks.
"Do we really need both?" Meixuan asked, glancing at the precarious stack in Yue's arms.
"Of course," Yue nodded enthusiastically. "You never know when inspiration might strike."
Meanwhile, Anran moved with her usual calm efficiency, opening the mini fridge with quiet authority. She reached for the half-eaten mochi sitting inside, holding it up like it were a small relic.
Yue and Meixuan gasped in unison. Pinching their noses, they stepped back as if the mochi might explode.
"Oh no! I can feel it from here!" Meixuan wailed, waving a hand dramatically.
"D-disgusting!" Yue echoed, wrinkling her nose and taking a cautious step away.
Anran, unfazed, dropped the mochi into a small plastic bag. "It doesn't smell," she said matter-of-fact-ly. "Don't be dramatic."
Yue and Meixuan stared at her, mouths slightly open before bursting into exaggerated groans.
"You… you did that without a helmet or gloves?!" Yue cried.
"How can you be so calm?!" Meixuan demanded, stepping back and waving her free hand in mock horror.
Anran just tied the bag securely, placed it inside the trash bin and smiled softly. "Done. Now we can move on."
The girls slowly recovered, still holding their noses in dramatic flair before collapsing onto their beds with theatrical sighs.
Then Anran tapped a pen on a fresh sheet of paper, writing quickly but neatly before handing a neatly folded pink paper with love sticker to the two girls.
"Soy milk <3
Toothpaste <3
Air freshener <3
Laundry detergent <3
Dish soap <3
3 Toilet papers <3
…
P.S.: If you two can't find something, it's okay <3 Just grab the closest thing you can. Don't stress, kayyy? :)"
Yue unfolded the crumpled list, holding it up for Meixuan to see.
"Seriously?" she murmured, eyes wide in awe. "Who puts hearts on a grocery list?"
Meixuan snorted, flicking her eyes over the page. "Apparently, someone who runs our lives better than we ever could."
"Awww! She's so cute," Yue said, tucking the list into her pocket with a fond smile. "Let's buy something for her after. A red velvet cupcake! She once said she loved it."
Meixuan grinned, shoving her hands into her hoodie pockets. "Of course. Anything to keep the queen happy."
The two girls grabbed their bags and swung open the dorm door, the late morning sun spilling across the pavement and warming their faces.
The city was alive with students and the occasional vendor selling snacks, the familiar hum of campus life threading through their conversation.
Yue bounced a little on her steps. "Okay, first stop: soy milk. Then toothpaste. Then… basically everything else," she said, reading the list from memory. "This is going to take forever."
Meixuan looped her arm through Yue's. The weather's quite nice today, it's a good thing they decided to go out. "It's only five blocks down. Stop dramatizing."
Yue giggled, skipping a few steps ahead. "I can't help it! We've got the queen's list to follow. This is serious business."
Meixuan smirked. "Sure, our life depends on checking every heart emoji."
The two of them walked along the familiar pavement, the same route they had taken countless times since first semester. Sunlight spilled across the quad and the campus smelled faintly of freshly cut grass and roasted street snacks.
Yue remembered how, back in their first year, they had raced down this path with oversized backpacks, laughing at how clueless they felt navigating the university.
Now, in their third year, it felt like second nature. The benches, the bike racks, even the little fountain in the corner of the path seemed like old friends.
As they rounded the corner, Yue slowed, suddenly distracted. She twirled a loose strand of hair around her finger, frowning thoughtfully. "You know… I've been thinking. Maybe I should straighten my hair. Like… really straighten it. Make it shiny and smooth like Anran's."
Meixuan shot her a look that was equal parts disbelief and amusement. Having been with Chen Yue since high school, she didn't understand why she wanted to change it.
Back then, Yue's curls had been the talk of every hallway. Boys had tripped over their words just to get her attention, and girls had whispered behind their hands, envious of the effortless bounce and shine that framed her face.
Teachers complimented her on her "natural glow," and even the most grumpy seniors couldn't resist remarking how her curls seemed to have a life of their own.
"Why? Your hair is perfect already. Why would you ruin it?"
Yue threw up her hands in exasperation. "Because… because they have a mind of their own! One day it's bouncy and cute, the next day it's frizzed out like a… like a puffball! I can't even put it in a braid without it looking like a bird's nest!"
Meixuan raised an eyebrow. "A bird's nest?"
"Yes! And don't get me started on humidity!" Yue groaned, tugging lightly at a stubborn curl that refused to lie flat. "One second I look decent, the next second poof! I'm a walking cloud! I spend more time taming my hair than doing my actual makeup. It's unfair! Why does everyone else have sleek hair that just behaves?"
Meixuan laughed. "Wow… you sound like a shampoo commercial in despair. Honestly, I don't know how you and Anran survive with hair that long," she shrugged. "I'm cutting mine next week, zero maintenance, problem solved. Wanna join?"
Yue tilted her head, curls bouncing around her shoulders. "Short hair… hmm… that does sound nice sometimes. But then I'd miss the curls! They're part of me and part of my charm, don't forget."
"Your 'charm,' huh? Alright, curly queen, keep your puffs. I'll be the practical one with no tangles and minimal drama."
Yue giggled, brushing a curl behind her ear. "Fine, fine, but I might try straightening just to see how I'd look."
Meixuan rolled her eyes, grinning. "Do it then send me pictures, I'll critique it mercilessly."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the convenience store, tucked neatly between the girls' and boys' dorms. Its familiar green-and-white sign had greeted them every semester like a little checkpoint on the campus map.
Yue had a habit of scanning the shelves before even entering as if preparing herself for a treasure hunt.
"I'll find the soy milk, you go and grab the juice," Yue told Meixuan, who gave a quick nod and disappeared toward the drinks aisle like a mini missile.
The convenience store was small but perfectly organized for quick shopping: shelves neatly labeled, racks of snacks within easy reach, and the cold drinks lined up in a clear glass display so you didn't have to hunt blindly.
Yue had always appreciated the efficiency. It made it easy to check off Anran's list without wasting time.
She made a beeline for the dairy section, confident she remembered where the soy milk had been last semester. But when she reached the usual rack, her eyes scanned the shelves… there was nothing. Her brow furrowed.
"Hmm… that's weird," she muttered, glancing around. She spotted a store worker restocking the aisle and waved. "Excuse me, do you know where the soy milk is?"
The worker pointed casually toward the cashier counter. "It's over there, right by the register."
Relieved, Yue hurried over, weaving through the narrow aisles until she reached the small refrigerated section near the counter. There it was, lined up neatly just like she remembered, cartons smiling up at her like little white trophies.
She bent down to grab one, carefully checking the expiration date when the door chimed. Footsteps echoed softly on the tile, indicating that someone had entered.
Yue looked up instinctively at the entrance upon hearing the chime, probably just students coming in to grab snacks or drinks. Her eyes swept over a couple of faces in casual hoodies and shirts, and she immediately looked back down at the soy milk.
But then her eyes caught a tall figure in the corner of her vision, prompting her to do a double take.
Her breath hitched.
The calm posture, the effortless stride, and the way the light caught the edges of his glasses… it couldn't be anyone else.
Her hand froze on the carton of soy milk, her pulse suddenly loud in her ears. The everyday convenience store, the ordinary aisles, and the mundane task of shopping, all of it blurred around the guy that had just entered.
Han Zixuan.