The owner of the hanfu shop ran promotional sales every year during Double Eleven, and also took the opportunity to launch new items.

Jiang Ruoqiao had done a photoshoot for autumn clothing the previous month, but only for part of the collection. Another portion was scheduled for late September to early October. Autumn clothes were naturally thicker than summer ones, and in order to look more flowing and graceful on camera, Jiang Ruoqiao was especially mindful of her figure during this time. She hadn’t planned on eating dinner outside either. She rinsed the muscat grapes and divided them into portions, leaving some on each of her three roommates’ desks. A small box of sugar-free yogurt and a few grapes—that was her dinner for the evening.

The sun set in the west.

Jiang Ruoqiao, who had been thoughtfully selecting background music for her next video, absentmindedly leaned toward the balcony and looked outside. Orange light poured across the entire expanse of the world, lifting her mood in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

She took out her phone, wanting to capture this quietly beautiful moment, when her phone rang. The caller ID showed a landline number.

She hesitated for a moment, then answered.

Until she heard the hoarse male voice on the other end: “Ruoqiao, it’s me.”

Jiang Ruoqiao let the smile fade from her face and said as politely and distantly as she could manage, “Is something the matter?”

That Jiang Yan would come looking for her was no surprise.

In the original story, the supporting female character had broken up in a way that came across as shallow and materialistic, and the male lead had spent a long time pleading with her in a lowered voice.

Let alone now.

Jiang Yan was standing outside campus at a small newsstand. He’d dialed her number on the public phone, but the moment she picked up, he found he didn’t know what to say. Should he interrogate her? Demand to know what her relationship with Lu Yicheng was, demand to know why she hadn’t pushed Lu Yicheng away? He wanted to ask. But years of upbringing were carved into his bones and wouldn’t let him get the words out, because he knew—no matter what assumptions he formed about her and Lu Yicheng, none of it would change the reality of what he himself had done wrong.

Even if he felt only loathing for Lu Yicheng right now, Jiang Yan couldn’t deny Lu Yicheng’s character. After two years of living together, Jiang Yan couldn’t bring himself to write Lu Yicheng off entirely over something like this.

He was even less able to write off the girlfriend he deeply loved.

All of these emotions were nearly enough to drive him insane.

After a brief silence, Jiang Ruoqiao spoke first. “If there’s nothing you need, I’ll hang up.”

Only then did Jiang Yan speak, in a muffled voice. “Ruoqiao, I’m sorry. I’m not misunderstanding anything between you and Lu Yicheng.”

Jiang Ruoqiao nearly laughed, and replied with a casual air, “Oh, is that so? Then thank you, I suppose.”

Jiang Yan could hear the sarcasm in her tone. “……I’m sorry. Ruoqiao, it’s my fault. I was the one who lost you.”

Jiang Ruoqiao: “?”

What was going on.

Jiang Yan had seemed perfectly normal before. How had he, after the breakup, started sounding more and more like the male lead from the novel she’d read?

Even “I was the one who lost you”…

“No.” Jiang Ruoqiao said quickly. “Couples breaking up is perfectly normal. Jiang Yan, you really don’t have to be like this.”

There was no need for this. Truly no need.

In the original story, Jiang Yan ended up marrying Lin Kexing after all.

“Alright, I’m done talking, I have things to do.” Jiang Ruoqiao paused, then said as diplomatically as she could, “To be honest, there’s not much left for us to talk about.”

In other words, please stop calling her.

The most crucial point was that it kept cycling through the same few lines anyway. He wasn’t tired of saying them, but she was tired of hearing them.

She wasn’t someone who could be easily worn down. That wasn’t one of her qualities.

She wouldn’t be moved just because he kept repeating the same things over and over again.

Jiang Yan gave a low, muffled sound of acknowledgment.

Jiang Ruoqiao hung up without a second glance.

Jiang Yan held the receiver, listening to the busy signal coming from the other end. A piercing, bone-deep ache began spreading through him in dense waves. He hung up in a daze and wandered aimlessly until he found himself in front of a small restaurant where he and Ruoqiao had eaten during the previous semester. Ruoqiao had always loved the pulled noodles here.

The new school year was beginning.

New students had already arrived for early registration and were getting ready for military training. Lin Kexing had visibly become worn and gaunt over the past few days. Fortunately, Mrs. Lin had been rushed off her feet lately and hadn’t yet noticed. Mrs. Jiang accompanied Lin Kexing to help her move into her dorm room. Lin Kexing’s university was a fair distance from A’Da. After arriving at the dorm, Mrs. Jiang bustled around on her behalf. Lin Kexing gently caught her arm. “Someone else can do all of this.”

In Lin Kexing’s eyes, Mrs. Jiang was her mother’s personal assistant—but she was different from the other staff at home.

These things could be left to other helpers.

Mrs. Jiang patted the back of her hand warmly. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving it to someone else. I’m used to doing it.”

There were other girls in the dorm room. One of them was climbing up to her bunk to hang a mosquito net, and wanting to break the ice with her new roommate, she smiled and said, “Lin classmate, your mom treats you so well. My mom dropped me off and left right away.”

Lin Kexing was startled.

Mrs. Jiang smiled gently.

In the end, Lin Kexing didn’t correct her.

Perhaps in her heart, Mrs. Jiang was more like a mother to her than her own mother—attentive in every detail, caring in every way.

Mrs. Jiang helped Lin Kexing make the bed and hang the mosquito net, and by the time all the small tasks were done, the other three roommates had all arrived. Only then did she pick up the three elegant boxes from the desk and pass them out one by one with a smile. “Hello everyone. These are small welcome gifts that our Kexing has prepared. I hope you’ll all get along well and become lifelong friends.”

The three roommates were overwhelmed—they’d never seen anything so formal. Who brings gifts like this?

Lin Kexing smiled too, and said softly, “I hope you like them.”

Mrs. Jiang laughed a little. “Kexing has a simple, pure-hearted nature. This is her first time living away from home, and she’ll be adjusting to communal living from now on. If she does anything that falls short, I hope you’ll all be patient with her.”

With that, Mrs. Jiang prepared to leave. Before going, she pulled Lin Kexing aside and lowered her voice. “Get along well with your roommates. But if anyone gives you a hard time, don’t put up with it. You can call home anytime.”

Lin Kexing gave a small nod.

When Lin Kexing returned to the dorm room, the other three roommates were already very warm toward her.

At this age, the way students thought was actually quite straightforward. Especially once they opened the boxes and found that the gifts were designer wallets—the kind of brand they would never buy, and could never afford. Everyone had a pretty clear sense of Lin Kexing’s family’s financial standing. So, they’d actually ended up with a wealthy roommate.

That afternoon, all four of them went to the cafeteria together for a meal.

Lin Kexing was naturally quiet and reserved.

All through the evening, the mood in their dorm room was wonderful—until one girl, while applying a face mask, suddenly said, “Hey, is A’Da far from us? I’ve just arrived in Jing Shi for the first time and have no idea.”

“Not exactly far, but not close either. It takes two transfers on the subway. Why are you asking?” A roommate teased, “Is your boyfriend at A’Da?”

“I’m single. Very single. There’s a girl I really like who goes to A’Da.” The girl said, “Do you know the account ‘Like a River, Like Qiao’?” Before anyone else could answer, she launched into enthusiastic detail. “She’s my idol. She’s A’Da’s campus beauty, super driven and disciplined. Back when I was in my third year of high school and going through a rough time emotionally, I once sent her a private message on impulse—and she actually replied to me. She kept encouraging me. I just love her so much!”

The girl was doing her best to sell it.

She picked up her phone and opened her photo album, which had a few lifestyle photos Jiang Ruoqiao had posted on her social media. She showed them to her roommates one by one. “Isn’t she stunning?”

The other two roommates were very enthusiastic. “She really is beautiful. And it’s that kind of intellectually graceful beauty. No wonder she’s a top student!”

When she held the phone up to Lin Kexing, Lin Kexing instinctively averted her eyes and refused to look, her reaction entirely cold. Not a single word.

The three roommates instantly sensed the atmosphere shift slightly…

The beginning had genuinely been so warm and pleasant, and all three of them had been considerate of Lin Kexing’s feelings. Now everyone was a little awkward, though they quickly glossed over it with a bit of casual laughter.

The three of them also started discussing whether they should return the wallets to Lin Kexing.

They’d all told their parents about the gift—practically showing off—only to have every single parent forbid them from keeping such expensive presents.

Their parents had said: accepting things from others puts you at their mercy. After all your years of schooling, did you still not know this?

Meanwhile, Jiang Ruoqiao was tidying her desk and flipping through textbooks from the previous semester.

Her phone rang. The caller ID showed the supervisor from the company.

She held her breath and answered immediately, without a moment’s hesitation. Her voice was respectful. “Cathy, hello.”

“Xiao Jiang, I hope I’m not disturbing you at this hour?”

Jiang Ruoqiao pressed her lips together. “You have some misconceptions about university students’ schedules……”

A cheerful laugh came from the other end. “Fair enough. When I was at university I was basically nocturnal. Alright, let me get straight to the point. Xiao Jiang, the company has a job I think suits you quite well, so I wanted to ask about your availability and get your thoughts. We have a long-term client who has referred a foreign lady to us. She’s in her fifties this year, and her reason for coming here is to fulfill a wish of her late husband’s. Her husband was Chinese and passed away from illness last year. She now wishes to donate half of his estate. Normally for a client like this, I’d be inclined to assign one of our more experienced colleagues. However, this lady’s husband graduated from A’Da, and she wishes to visit the university where he once studied. Since you also attend A’Da, I think it’s a perfect fit. Are you up for the challenge?”

Jiang Ruoqiao was absolutely willing.

She had taken this part-time job primarily for the commission. She could tell this wasn’t a one-or-two-day assignment, and the pay would certainly be attractive—otherwise her supervisor wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of explaining so much.

“I’m very happy to.” Jiang Ruoqiao said. “My class schedule is relatively light these days. I can manage it.”

The supervisor laughed. “I knew you could. Come by the office tomorrow to pick up the client’s information.”

—