After Tan Yin’s earnest persuasion, Jiang Yilu finally calmed down a bit. She decided not to stay cooped up in the dorm any longer and instead go to the cafeteria for something to eat, replenish some sugar, and boost her happiness a little.
As soon as she arrived at the cafeteria, standing in line at a food window, she spotted Xu Yu. He was wearing a white shirt and jeans, chatting with a smile at a girl behind him. Jiang Yilu had never seen this girl before — she looked unfamiliar, probably a freshman from some other department, and she was quite pretty. Most importantly, the way Xu Yu looked at her was clearly full of tenderness — the two of them had their heads together, talking in an intimate posture.
When enemies meet, their eyes burn red with hostility.
Jiang Yilu was seething inside — this guy had already blocked her own romantic prospects, and here he was, happily off finding himself some new catch?! Could she let this slide?! Of course not!
Just as Jiang Yilu was about to storm over and drag Xu Yu into an argument, someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder.
Jiang Yilu turned around and saw a face that was familiar yet brought her no joy at all — it was that same guy who had started stalking her a month ago. He wasn’t ugly, exactly, just an ordinary-looking guy, a bit on the heavy side, seemingly determined to wrap every pore on his body in designer labels — yet Jiang Yilu found him repulsive no matter how she looked at him.
It had started once after she’d finished studying in the library’s self-study room — somehow she’d caught this guy’s attention. He never approached her to talk; each time he simply trailed behind her at an unhurried pace. At first he was still careful to avoid drawing attention, not daring to push his luck too far, only following at a distance. But after a while, once he realized Tan Yin — sorry, Jiang Yilu — didn’t have a boyfriend, he grew bolder. Once, Jiang Yilu got so frightened she fled into the women’s restroom to hide, and after hiding for half an hour, found he was still waiting outside the restroom door…
In the end, Jiang Yilu had called over every girl in her entire dorm, and the guy, presumably afraid of being exposed, finally left. Since then, things had been quiet for a while — but just when Jiang Yilu thought the whole matter was behind her, the man had appeared behind her again, and tapped her on the shoulder.
Jiang Yilu tensed all over. “What do you want?”
The man smiled, pushed back his hair — clearly unwashed for at least three days — and produced a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “Congratulations, Jiang Yilu, you’ve passed the trials set by us of the Wang family. You’ve successfully earned the qualification to become my girlfriend.” ???
The guy smiled arrogantly, ignoring the stares and murmurs around him, and cleared his throat with confidence. “Ever since I first saw you in the library’s self-study room, I felt you looked pretty good, and you’re diligent in your studies too — I thought you might have a chance at winning my mother’s favor, so I conducted a month-long investigation of you.”
“Every day I observed your schedule — where you went, what you did, what you ate, who you talked to — and I even wrote a book called Diary of Observing Jiang Yilu. Through careful analysis and data collection, I found you to be quite good overall. First, in terms of relationships, you’re fairly simple — no messy, multi-timing business, a straightforward romantic history. Second, your grades are in the middle of the pack in your department, which fits well with the doctrine of moderation our Wang family favors. Third, I showed my mother your photo, and she said you were good — meaning that if we date and eventually marry in the future, you’d win my mother’s approval, and there wouldn’t be any mother-in-law problems.”
Not to mention the onlookers — even Jiang Yilu herself was left completely stunned. This chubby guy wasn’t a stalking pervert after all — he’d been researching and investigating her????
The chubby guy cleared his throat. “But! There are still quite a few areas where you could improve. For instance, first, your diet might not be healthy enough — there’s a good chance you’re constipated and possibly have hemorrhoids, because there was that one time you went into the women’s restroom and didn’t come out for half an hour…”
“Pfft—”
Though most of the onlookers were dutifully holding back their laughter, there were always one or two exceptions — Jiang Yilu looked up to see Xu Yu, still in line, laughing outright with gleeful schadenfreude. Jiang Yilu glared at him, and he still had the nerve to grin and offer advice: “Hemorrhoids aren’t scary — haven’t you heard the saying, where there’s a ‘will,’ there’s a way? Pay attention to your habits — Mayinglong hemorrhoid cream, you deserve it.”
How could this guy’s mouth be so vicious! Jiang Yilu wanted nothing more than to rush over and tear Xu Yu apart with her bare hands.
But the chubby guy, oblivious to the tension in the air, plowed straight ahead. “Second, I recently heard rumors about you and some shady man. After my investigation, I know it’s not true, but I do hope you can clarify it publicly…”
“That part’s actually true!” Jiang Yilu, having reached peak fury, found herself strangely composed instead. She smiled, walked over to Xu Yu, wrapped an arm around his waist, patted his backside, and turned to warn the chubby guy: “From now on, don’t you dare call my darling here some shady man!”
Xu Yu was dumbfounded — he even forgot to swat her hand away, just staring wide-eyed at Jiang Yilu, while the girl across from him looked even more shocked, as if she’d witnessed something that shattered her entire worldview, clapping a hand over her wide-open mouth.
Hmph!
That was exactly the effect she wanted!
Jiang Yilu thought viciously to herself: if I can’t be happy, Xu Yu, neither will you. You ruined my romantic prospects, I’ll ruin your love match too — let’s see how this plays out! If I’m going to be single, you’re not getting to fly off happily in a couple either!
As for the chubby guy, aside from Xu Yu, he too seemed stunned by this development. He stammered: “You… he… you two…” He paused, then found his train of thought again. “Jiang Yilu, do you know what you’re giving up? Are you really going to refuse me, refuse this chance to change your life?”
Jiang Yilu rolled her eyes. “Change my life? Your family’s rich, and being with you is going to change my life how, exactly?”
“You—how did you know?! I thought I’d been discreet enough!”
“…”
Whether or not his family really was rich, Jiang Yilu could at least confirm that this chubby guy definitely had something wrong with his head. But apparently his family’s wealth gave him confidence, because even after being rejected by Jiang Yilu, he persisted stubbornly: “As long as you’re willing to leave him, I can buy you whatever you want!”
Jiang Yilu smiled brightly and swept her hair back with flair. “When my boyfriend and I got together, we swore that only heaven and earth uniting could tear us apart. Unless my boyfriend Xu Yu dies, I will never be with you.” Having said this, Jiang Yilu affected a shy glance at Xu Yu, then turned back and said gently, “Or, why don’t you go beat my boyfriend to death, and then I’ll consider being with you?”
The chubby guy shot Xu Yu a look of pure hatred, an expression that genuinely seemed to be calculating exactly how one might go about killing him.
“…” Xu Yu finally couldn’t help clearing his throat. “I’m warning you, murder is illegal.”
The chubby guy’s expression sobered.
Jiang Yilu immediately chimed in: “That’s right, this is a modern society, we follow the rule of law. My boyfriend actually studies law — if there’s evidence for murder, that’s definitely grounds for a sentence. Unless there’s no evidence, done without anyone knowing…”
The struggle to commit a crime flickered across the chubby guy’s face once more.
…
In the end, Jiang Yilu, relying purely on her own impenetrable defenses, finally made the chubby guy understand that even having a rich family wouldn’t help him here. Once she’d finally gotten rid of this terrifying admirer, she found Xu Yu now watching her with a cold sneer.
“Anyone who uses persuasion, enticement, instruction, incitement, bribery, threats, or other methods to instill criminal intent into someone who originally had none, causing that person to commit a crime under the instigator’s criminal intent, is also guilty of a crime — that’s incitement to commit a crime. Jiang Yilu, I think you’re recklessly testing the boundaries of the law right now.”
Jiang Yilu spread her hands. “I didn’t do anything — how would I have criminal intent?” She deliberately needled Xu Yu: “Aren’t you my dearest boyfriend?”
As Jiang Yilu spoke, she watched the girl beside Xu Yu, who was now staring at her, seemingly waiting for an answer.
Probably wanting to set the record straight in front of this girl, Xu Yu grew visibly flustered: “You’re committing slander, you know that? Who’s your boyfriend!”
“Last time, under the mushroom umbrella at that beachside guesthouse, that’s not what you said.” Jiang Yilu drawled unhurriedly. “Didn’t you go around calling me your soulmate, your little baby, your sweetheart little treasure?”
“When did I ever call you baby, sweetheart, little treasure?! Could I possibly say something that disgusting?!” Xu Yu was thoroughly furious. He glanced at the girl beside him and said firmly, “Don’t listen to her nonsense — I did use her as a decoy once before, to get a girl to give up on me, but nothing ever actually happened between us, don’t get the wrong idea, and please don’t go telling your family about this either!”
Having said this to the girl, Xu Yu turned back to Jiang Yilu: “Last time I wasn’t thinking it through when I used you as a decoy, and I apologize for that — but that time I only made up that story to that one girl. This time you’re saying this in front of everyone in the whole cafeteria — how am I supposed to clear this up now? Are you trying to force an innocent man into infamy?!”
The moment this topic came up, Jiang Yilu’s temper flared right back: “Xu Yu, oh Xu Yu, that woman’s an AI, and you’re artificially unintelligent, I guess. You think there’s a difference between announcing your relationship in front of one girl versus in front of an entire cafeteria? There isn’t. Let me tell you something — if you have a secret, and you tell even one other person besides yourself, that person will make sure the entire world helps you keep it a secret!”
“…”
Xu Yu wanted to say more, but was called over by a loud shout from the auntie serving food at the window: “What are you all staring at in line for?! Hurry up and get your food! Don’t waste time!”
Unwillingly, Xu Yu could only glare at Jiang Yilu before turning to order his food.
By all rights, this would have been the moment for Jiang Yilu to quit while she was ahead and leave. After all, Xu Yu had used her as a decoy once, and she’d used him as one in turn — the two of them were even now. But the moment Jiang Yilu remembered that she, a genuinely single dog, had been inexplicably slapped with the label of “taken, do not approach,” she couldn’t help gritting her teeth. She shot a glare at the girl beside Xu Yu and decided to sabotage Xu Yu’s romantic prospects to the bitter end.
That girl had already been secretly observing Jiang Yilu, so Jiang Yilu simply walked right up to her, leaned in, and said in a lowered voice: “Hey there, junior — I don’t know which department you’re from, but in the spirit of humanitarian sisterhood, why should us women make things hard for each other, right? Even though Xu Yu and I really aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend, there’s one thing I think you should know — before, Xu Yu joined our architecture department’s field research trip, and one pitch-black windy night, this seemingly upstanding guy actually pried open my door and secretly climbed into my bed…” Jiang Yilu narrated this in the style of a tabloid exposé. “Though in the end, thanks to my heroic resistance, nothing happened, I have good reason to suspect this Xu Yu is someone of questionable character — I suggest you tell your family about this little episode! Let them help vet him for you!”
The girl, however, didn’t seem shocked at all. She simply looked Jiang Yilu over with interest, then smiled faintly. She lowered her head to send a message, then looked back up: “Alright, big sis, I’ve already told my family.”
“Mm!” Jiang Yilu felt quite satisfied — she was convinced she’d successfully torpedoed Xu Yu’s romantic prospects, since surely no girl’s family would want their daughter dating a guy like this. Feeling pleased with herself, and taking advantage of Xu Yu still being busy ordering food, she quickly slipped away.
Xu Yu, his face dark, finished ordering and looked around, and sure enough, Jiang Yilu was nowhere to be seen. He snorted coldly to himself — good, at least she had the sense to run.
Xu Yu then carried his tray and jerked his chin at his younger sister, Xu Han. “Let’s go, let’s eat.”
Xu Han, however, leaned in with a grin. “Bro, this Jiang Yilu — she’s actually pretty interesting, I’d like to meet her. And she’s from the architecture department? Wasn’t I thinking about doing an exchange to your school’s architecture department? She might end up being my senior later — introduce us, will you?”
“You’d better not get to know her. What good could you possibly learn hanging around her?”
“But Mom wants to meet her too!”
Xu Yu: ?
Xu Han smiled faintly. “Check the family WeChat group.”
…
Five minutes later, Xu Yu looked up from his phone and simultaneously erupted into a furious roar: “Xu Han, are you asking for it?! What rumors did you spread in the group?! What do you mean ‘saw a girl who slept over with me one night but didn’t end up as my girlfriend’?! And you know what Mom just private-messaged me? ‘Men Who Don’t Respect Women End Up Infertile,’ ‘Karma Comes for Playboys,’ ‘Twenty Virtues a Man Must Memorize’…”
Xu Han put on an infuriatingly innocent face. “I wasn’t lying though. Sister Jiang Yilu just said that during your architecture field trip, you crawled into her room and slept with her for a night.”
“That was a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! I didn’t do anything to her at all! I just went into the wrong room!”
“I didn’t lie either — I only said you two slept in the same bed for a night, I never said you did anything.” Xu Han blinked. “Blame Mom and Dad for having such impure minds.” Having said this, she sighed, feigning deep thought. “Though I guess we can’t really blame Mom and Dad — you should really blame yourself. It must be the impression you normally give them, that when they hear something like this, they immediately jump to the conclusion, without a second thought, that you must have done some beastly thing to that poor girl…”
Having said her piece, and fully aware she’d stirred up serious trouble, Xu Han made a face at Xu Yu and dashed straight out of the cafeteria.
There was no way he could eat this meal now. Xu Yu abandoned his tray and chased after Xu Han —
“Xu Han, you slipped-through-the-cracks menace to family planning — today, in the name of humanity, I’m going to destroy you!”
Tan Yin was in the middle of grinding through her structural mechanics homework when she saw Jiang Yilu, who’d only just left, push the door open and walk back in with a dark expression.
“You’re done eating already? I’ve only finished one problem!”
Jiang Yilu said angrily: “With my appetite, under normal circumstances, you shouldn’t have seen me again until you’d finished at least twenty more problems. I’m back this fast because I didn’t eat at all! I got so mad I filled up on anger instead! How does that jinx Xu Yu manage to be everywhere at once? I go to the cafeteria for a meal and still run into him — what rotten luck!”
Tan Yin set down her textbook. “Have you ever heard the saying — five hundred glances in a past life earn you one brush past a stranger in this one? Given the frequency you two keep bumping into each other, in your past life it definitely wasn’t just five hundred glances — it must’ve been at least five thousand, the kind where you turned your head so many times your neck twisted right off.”
Not to be outdone, Jiang Yilu shot back: “And what about you and Chu Hang, then?”
Tan Yin bit the tip of her pen. “Me and Chu Hang — that’s probably five hundred days and five hundred nights of glaring at each other, and in the end neither side won, and we both perished together. But whatever happened in our past life, this life I’m definitely winning, because I have superpowers and he doesn’t.”
“…”
Jiang Yilu was momentarily at a loss for words, but then a thought struck her, and she scooted closer to Tan Yin. “Oh right, speaking of superpowers, sis, can you do me a favor? Next time you go invisible, if it’s convenient, could you go dig up some dirt on Xu Yu for me?”
Tan Yin flatly refused: “No way. I’m a person of principle — I need to devote my limited life to the infinite pursuit of studying, and no one’s going to interrupt my studying!”
“I’ll cover your breakfast for the next month.”
“Although I have principles, on second thought, sisterhood matters more — lending a helping hand in a sister’s hour of need, rescuing her from dire straits, that’s the only way to live without regrets. It’s just that, since this would go against my principles, someone of my extremely high moral standards can’t help but feel a little conflicted inside…”
Jiang Yilu caught on immediately: “Two months!”
“For the sake of sisterhood, I’ll brave blades and boiling water! Deal!”
“…”
Tan Yin didn’t expect to get her chance to act so soon — the very next day turned out to be another thunderstorm day, and Jiang Yilu, leveraging her hard-won position as moderator of the campus forum’s gossip section, quickly dug up intel on Xu Yu for Tan Yin.
“My source tells me, reliably, that Xu Yu and Chu Hang were spotted in the school’s music practice rooms!” Jiang Yilu had grilled her network of informants and supplemented the intel further. “Practice room 204!”
Having said that, Jiang Yilu pumped her fist at a patch of empty air: “Go get ’em, Tan Yin! You can do it! You’re going to write a Ni Yin Qi Le Wo De Zhu Yi – Chapter titled ‘Tan Yin Fulfills Her Mission’ — it’ll be in elementary schoolers’ classical Chinese textbooks a hundred years from now!”
“…”
Tan Yin, invisible, stood behind Jiang Yilu, watching her lecture a genuine patch of thin air with utter sincerity, and could only shake her head helplessly.
“Remember our battle strategy? Drink the strongest liquor, dig the darkest dirt, chase down the wildest lead!”
“A friend’s enemy is an enemy! A sister’s foe is a foe! Absolutely no sympathizing with Xu Yu!”
…
By the time Tan Yin had walked out of the dorm and was heading toward the practice rooms, Jiang Yilu was still, unaware, lecturing that same patch of empty air, itching to personally coach Tan Yin, step by step, on how to dig up dirt.
…
Well, fine — might as well let this distract Jiang Yilu and help vent her feelings a bit…
Tan Yin ducked in and out from under several different girls’ umbrellas, borrowing one after another as she made her winding way to the practice rooms.
“204… 204…”
Jiang Yilu had studied piano and occasionally came to practice, so she was relatively familiar with the practice room layout, but Tan Yin had no musical talent whatsoever and had never been to the practice rooms before. After searching for a long while, she finally found room 204 at the end of the hallway on the second floor.
Tan Yin walked up to the door and found, as if heaven itself were helping her, that the practice room door was unlocked. Since she was invisible anyway, she strode right in without a second thought.
The moment she stepped into the practice room, Tan Yin’s gaze was immediately drawn to the person sitting at the piano.
The boy sitting there had his back to her — though he was clearly still at that age between boy and man, his back was straight and upright, and beneath his white shirt she could faintly make out the elegant curve of his shoulder blades. The nape of his neck, visible above his collar, was pale, pale enough to carry a cold sheen, and yet the small black mole on his neck softened that coldness, adding a hint of playfulness and allure. The breeze through the window stirred his hair gently.
This wasn’t Xu Yu — this was Chu Hang.
On his lap lay an orange tabby cat curled up — a stray cat Tan Yin had seen around campus a few times before. It had probably just run in from the thunderstorm outside, its fur still soaking wet, splattered with mud stains. The cat, apparently feeling comfortable, rubbed against Chu Hang, successfully smearing mud stains not only onto Chu Hang’s pants but also onto his white shirt.
And yet Chu Hang, normally so severely fastidious, didn’t seem to mind at all. He even reached out and idly stroked the plump cat’s back, smoothing its fur. For someone normally so aloof he bordered on frigid, his motions petting the cat were somewhat clumsy — and yet, in this moment, Chu Hang seemed remarkably gentle. This strange gentleness, so sharply at odds with his usual coldness, only made Chu Hang seem all the more captivating.
It looked practically like a painting, so much so that Tan Yin found herself wanting to hold her breath and gaze on, for fear of disturbing the scene.
And yet Xu Yu, who was supposed to be here, was nowhere to be found — Chu Hang was alone in the room. For some reason, Tan Yin instinctively felt a wave of nervousness. She couldn’t help stepping back, and accidentally bumped into the trash can by the wall.
Chu Hang turned his head toward the sound, his features still handsome and refined, his expression still difficult to please. Whether it was Tan Yin’s imagination or not, she felt Chu Hang glanced right in her direction — in that panicked instant, their eyes even seemed to meet. Though it lasted barely a fraction of a second, because very quickly, Chu Hang hastily looked away.
He can’t see me, he can’t see me.
Though Tan Yin repeated this to herself countless times in her head, for some reason, her heart still began racing faster.
In that fleeting instant just now, she’d suddenly understood the meaning of “a single glance, a thousand years” — with someone this striking, even a brief moment of eye contact could feel this heart-stopping.
The only saving grace was that Chu Hang couldn’t actually see her — as far as he was concerned, he’d merely glanced at empty air.
Tan Yin touched her own cheek and found it heating up again. She patted her chest and looked up slightly, only to notice that Chu Hang’s cheeks looked a bit flushed too, his expression somewhat unnatural.
It seemed her own blush was probably just due to the weather too — it really was too hot today!
“Chu Hang, want an iced cola?”
Just as Tan Yin was lost in these wandering thoughts, Xu Yu’s voice came drifting closer from outside the door. He strode into the practice room, kicking the door shut behind him.
Chu Hang pressed his lips together. “No.” Having said that, he glanced up at Xu Yu. “Why’d you call me to the practice room?”
“Keep me company while I practice!” Xu Yu laughed. “There’s a cultural evening next month at my department, and I’ve got to perform on stage. But you know it’s been years since I’ve practiced — cramming at the last minute now, so I need you to point me in the right direction.”
Tan Yin blinked in surprise — Chu Hang could actually play the piano?
Chu Hang said nothing, cradling the cat, and gave up his seat to Xu Yu. Xu Yu sat down, cleared his throat, and with an air of great importance, set both hands on the black and white keys, then began to play.
He played “A Dream Wedding.” Though he claimed he hadn’t practiced in years and was rusty, to Tan Yin’s ears, Xu Yu was clearly playing rather well. She couldn’t help walking up to the piano, resting her chin on it, listening in rapt fascination.
Today’s task Jiang Yilu had assigned her was to keep watch on Xu Yu, and having accepted two months’ worth of breakfast, Tan Yin took her job seriously — from the moment Xu Yu had entered the practice room, she’d kept both eyes fixed on him, fearing she might miss some detail that could be dug up as dirt.
The song came to an end. Although, given her relationship to Jiang Yilu, she and Xu Yu were technically on opposing sides, art transcends hostility — Tan Yin couldn’t help clapping enthusiastically.
“Xu Yu! That was amazing! I had no idea you actually had real talent! Music and painting are completely different fields, but since we’re both in the arts, even though Jiang Yilu hates you, I’ve decided to appreciate you for one second! Played to near perfection!”
At almost the same moment, Chu Hang spoke up, his tone indifferent, yet merciless the instant he opened his mouth: “Your right hand’s octave runs and your left hand’s rhythm were completely out of sync; your wrist motion was so exaggerated, were you playing piano or stir-frying vegetables? Your dynamics were also off — if it weren’t a piano beneath you, I’d have thought you were giving a massage to a blind man; and that sixteenth-note passage was downright unbearable to listen to.”
This wasn’t the first time Xu Yu had come to Chu Hang for pointers on his piano playing, and while Chu Hang normally had plenty of criticism for his skills too, he’d never critiqued him this ruthlessly, this mercilessly before. Had this old man’s temper been triggered by something in particular today, souring his mood?
Tan Yin also felt quite indignant on his behalf: “Xu Yu played really well though…” She was about to complain with a “why don’t you try then,” when Chu Hang really did take over.
“Move over.”
Xu Yu stood up and gave up his seat. Chu Hang sat down, still remembering to settle the plump cat back on his lap, then set both hands on the black and white keys…
And then, every single one of those black and white keys seemed to be imbued with an entirely different soul — Tan Yin found herself nearly swept away completely by the sound.
Chu Hang, playing piano, was elegant and noble beyond reproach, his playing melodious, like flowing water, tender and lingering. His beautiful, slender fingers danced across the black and white keys, his ten digits long and elegant, every knuckle distinct — utterly impossible to look away from.
Tan Yin had known for a long time that Chu Hang had beautiful hands, but watching those hands play piano — it was practically enough to make her want to reach out and touch them herself!
He simply lowered his head slightly, a small tuft of hair at his forehead hanging gently, his eyes focused and absorbed, the lines of his profile sharp and handsome. His expression started out somewhat reserved, but by the time he reached the climax of the piece, Chu Hang had clearly become fully immersed in the music — his eyes shimmering with brilliance, the corners of his mouth carrying a faint trace of a smile, spirited and radiant, dazzling.
Playing piano, Chu Hang shed his usual low-key restraint, and that intense command he held over the music even made him seem a bit domineering, like a sword freshly drawn from its sheath — sharp, and utterly breathtaking.
Some people’s brilliance is simply impossible to conceal by nature.
Without comparison there’s no true sense of contrast — a moment ago Xu Yu’s playing had seemed heavenly, but now, set against Chu Hang’s, it suddenly seemed nearly unlistenable!