Wait a minute—
Why was she nervous?
Why the hell should she care about Yu Zhongmeng’s feelings?
Su Qingqing frowned, holding her change of clothes in hand. Her voice already carried a faint tone of irritation, as if Yu Zhongmeng were meddling unnecessarily. "Because I got soaked."
"……"
Yu Zhongmeng stared at her deeply for a moment before looking away. She returned to her desk, turned on the lamp, and quietly resumed reading. It was like she was that student who only ever memorized the word abandon for vocabulary quizzes—her copy of Strategies of the Warring States never moved past the chapter Su Qin Persuades the King of Qin. Over and over again, the same pages flipped until the corners grew creased.
Su Qingqing shirked all responsibility, patted herself dry, and slipped into the bathroom. As the sound of running water echoed out, warm mist began to seep through the gap under the door, bringing with it the gentle scent of body wash. Ming Xue, now sitting in Su Qingqing’s chair, lifted her nose slightly and sniffed the air.
She felt oddly out of place. Even though the girl behind her had her back turned, Ming Xue couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. The sounds of water mixed with the faint cries of cicadas and birds outside, and Ming Xue rested her chin on her hand, her imagination spiraling.
Su Qingqing actually had a very nice figure. While perhaps not as "gifted" as herself, her body was beautifully proportioned, every curve exactly where it should be. She could already imagine the water from the shower trickling down Su Qingqing’s chest, gliding over her flat stomach, sliding into intimate places, spiraling around her blushing knees before finally dripping off her pale feet.
The quiet rustle of pages stopped abruptly.
Yu Zhongmeng closed her book with a snap, leaned back slightly, and turned to Ming Xue, her voice cool as she asked, "Senior, why did Su Qingqing get caught in the rain?"
That question alone already irritated Ming Xue. She turned toward the aloof, beautiful girl and sighed.
"Mengmeng, you really need to talk some sense into Susu. She has absolutely no awareness of how to take care of herself as a girl. If I hadn’t randomly decided to check out what campus looks like in the rain today, I wouldn’t have run into her at all."
"What was she doing? She did bring an umbrella to the field. Then how did she still end up soaked?"
"Her umbrella broke halfway through, and then she just gave up. She let the rain pour on her and kept walking around the track like that. I’ve seriously never seen anyone this dumb!" Ming Xue huffed.
"Oh~"
But what Yu Zhongmeng saw in her mind wasn’t the scene Ming Xue described. Instead, she recalled another one.
A slender boy, also without an umbrella, walking alone in the pouring rain under flickering city neon lights. The glow of car lights and street signs shattered by raindrops danced chaotically over his figure. She had rolled down the passenger-side window and heard him say he’d ordered a ride-share… but insisted on sitting in the front seat.
What a strange person.
Her memories stirred.
Yue Yue had said, “Look at that guy. It’s pouring and he’s not even carrying an umbrella.”
Then her memories shifted again—to the image of that seemingly frail boy landing a single punch and knocking out a man in a suit.
She hadn’t cared about the man fainting. What stuck with her was how that previously obedient boy had suddenly changed. Even though the look in his eyes had burned with anger when he last looked at her, Yu Zhongmeng couldn’t understand—how could someone go from calm to so chaotic, just because of their so-called romantic relationship?
Did spiritual, platonic affection even count as love?
She’d asked herself that question many times. Unsurprisingly, there was never a clear answer.
"Mengmeng, are you listening?"
Ming Xue’s voice called out a few times before Yu Zhongmeng snapped out of her thoughts. She gave a faint, bitter smile and responded, "It’s a torrential downpour. Walking around without an umbrella is just stupid."
"Right?! I told you she’s dumb!" Ming Xue nodded enthusiastically, her ponytail swaying slightly with the motion.
——————
By the time Su Qingqing emerged from the bathroom, the chilly atmosphere in the dorm had lifted. The two girls were chatting casually, although Ming Xue clearly talked more while Yu Zhongmeng listened quietly.
"Susu, how’re you feeling?"
Ming Xue tilted her head at the sight of Su Qingqing emerging through the lingering mist.
"I’m fine. What could possibly happen to me? I’m practically a professional when it comes to getting caught in the rain—especially heavy rain. That’s my jam."
"That’s not something to be ‘professional’ at!" Ming Xue rolled her eyes and stood up. "As long as you’re okay. I’ll head back now and catch up on sleep. I was planning to sleep until noon today!"
"People with set biological clocks have a hard time sleeping in."
"So…" Ming Xue waved her hand with a little whine, heading toward the door.
"Wait—hold on!"
Su Qingqing suddenly remembered something and rummaged through the medicine box on the table. She grabbed two packets of cold medicine and stuffed them into Ming Xue’s hand. "Take these when you get back. You got rained on too."
A smile as brilliant as a galaxy lit up Ming Xue’s face. Her gaze lingered fondly on Su Qingqing’s soft, freshly bathed cheeks.
"Then I’ll go now. Bye, Susu, bye, Mengmeng~"
"Bye, Sister Ming!" Su Qingqing smiled as well.
As the door closed, Su Qingqing’s expression stiffened for a split second. But she quickly adjusted, her face returning to calm as she turned to face Yu Zhongmeng.
"Aren’t you tired?" Yu Zhongmeng asked, scrutinizing her.
Su Qingqing was undeniably adorable. Her already youthful face now glowed from the post-bath moisture, soft and dewy like you could squeeze water from it. The faint blush on her cheeks made her look temptingly kissable.
"Why would I be tired?"
"You don’t really like smiling, do you?"
Su Qingqing walked over to her seat. She still had work to do and wasn’t in the mood to argue with Yu Zhongmeng. But suddenly, she paused and replied, "You got that wrong. I actually love smiling."
Yu Zhongmeng changed her question, "Do you know Su Qin?"
"I know of him. He doesn’t know me. The whole vertical-horizontal alliance guy, right? Aren’t you literally reading Strategies of the Warring States?"
Yu Zhongmeng was momentarily at a loss for words. She wanted to keep asking, but Su Qingqing had already slipped on her headset.
"Not knowing is better. That way, it doesn’t hurt so much." Yu Zhongmeng placed her hand over her chest. She could clearly feel her heart slowing, calming down to a steady rhythm.
She thought for a moment… and finally gave in.
She dialed a number from home.
The line connected quickly. "Miss, what are your instructions?"
She bit her lip, rare for her, and invoked the privilege she rarely used.
"Investigate my roommate. Su Qingqing. I want her full records. From birth until now."
Even if there was confusion on the other end, the voice replied firmly, "Yes, ma’am."
Su Qingqing had no idea what Yu Zhongmeng was up to. After finishing a game, she cupped her ceramic mug and slowly drank her cold medicine. Her pale feet slipped out of her slippers and rested lightly on the edge of her chair. Wearing oversized headphones, she hugged her knees, her expression a little dazed.
She glanced sideways at the shrinking rain beyond the dorm window and suddenly felt something missing in her mouth.
Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and stepped out.
I’m missing a cup of cola, she thought.
When you’re feeling down…
You really need a cola.
(End of Chapter)