As if the heavens hadn’t quite finished playing this cruel joke on her, Tan Yin fought back her churning emotions and arrived at the library, walking dejectedly toward the architecture section — only to find, before she’d even reached the shelves, a familiar pair of figures.

It was Chu Hang and Anna.

The two of them stood before the professional bookshelves; Anna seemed unable to reach a book, and Chu Hang was reaching up to grab it for her. From this angle, Tan Yin couldn’t quite make out the expression on Chu Hang’s face, but Anna’s upturned expression as she looked at him was plain to see. Her face was a mixture of admiration, worship, and — unmistakably to Tan Yin — affection, the kind of feeling desperately trying to be concealed and yet still shining through clearly in the way Anna’s eyes lit up looking at him. And Tan Yin’s sharp eyes caught, right there among the stack of materials in Anna’s arms, unmistakably, a pink heart-shaped envelope…

Looking at the scene before her — the tall, handsome, aloof young man, the sunny, cheerful, lively young woman, both academic stars to boot — they truly seemed like a match made in heaven.

She liked Chu Hang, Chu Hang didn’t like her, and now he’d found his own happiness — and clearly a far more suitable match for him besides. Rationally, Tan Yin knew she should be happy for him, but she found herself petty enough that she couldn’t manage to feel any joy at all right now — only a heavy weight in her chest, one she couldn’t even properly vent. If Chu Hang had fallen for Duan Yingfei instead, she could’ve at least consoled herself that he wasn’t worth her feelings, since he was clearly blind. But Anna was generous and warm, outgoing and friendly — that trip to the museum had made it obvious just how considerate and understanding this girl was — leaving Tan Yin unable to even summon proper jealousy.

Chu Hang and Anna were still searching the shelves for some professional book, but Tan Yin had no desire to linger any longer. She turned hastily and fled the scene.

Right now, Tan Yin didn’t want to see anyone — she just wanted to be alone.

As if in sympathy with her mood, the clear sky that had been shining brightly just moments ago was now completely overtaken by dark clouds rolling in from the west. The sky darkened, clearly brewing another thunderstorm.

Just as Tan Yin passed the sports field, thunder rumbled, and fat raindrops began pouring down. The one silver lining was that Tan Yin, seeing the weather turning, had already found a sheltered spot beneath some trees, and the path was nearly empty of pedestrians, so her sudden vanishing along with the thunder went unnoticed by anyone.

But fortunate as it was that nobody was around, it also meant nobody was around to share an umbrella with her.

Tan Yin gave up running altogether. She sat down under a tree, the raindrops falling through the leaves and branches above chilling her, and she instinctively curled up, hugging her knees, burying her face against them.

They say when it rains, you can’t tell whether what’s running down your face is rainwater or tears.

Though it was a cliché line, Tan Yin had always believed it to be true — but only now, actually living it, did she realize it wasn’t accurate at all, because rainwater was cold, while tears were scalding hot.

Confident that nobody could see her, Tan Yin simply sat there under the tree in the rain, crying her heart out.

Actually, just a few more minutes’ run would’ve brought her to the small garden around the corner of the tree-lined path, where there was a stone pavilion offering shelter from the rain — but Tan Yin felt she couldn’t hold it together for even one more minute. The composure she’d forced herself to maintain in front of Duan Yingfei completely collapsed the moment the thunderstorm began; she couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer, feeling only a heavy stone weighing on her chest. The bleak atmosphere intensified her spiraling thoughts, and the more she imagined Chu Hang smiling only at Anna from now on, caring only about her, looking only at her, holding hands with her, kissing her — the less she could control her emotions.

Trapped by an inner demon of her own making, unwilling to let go, yet utterly powerless, helpless, longing for something she couldn’t have…

Rationally, Tan Yin knew crying wouldn’t help — there wasn’t even really anything worth crying over. Even if Chu Hang didn’t end up with Anna, he might well end up with a Betty instead, or if not Betty, then a Cathy — either way, it was never going to be her. And yet Tan Yin still couldn’t help feeling devastated. This was the first time she’d ever truly liked someone, and though she’d tried to suppress it, in the end she couldn’t escape those two words — “I like him.” Perhaps feelings were sometimes a kind of fate, impossible to escape or fight against. Tan Yin found, almost pathetically, that her feelings for Chu Hang had only deepened, not lessened.

In this whole drama of unrequited love, just as Tan Yin had finally worked up the courage to make her grand entrance, Chu Hang had already exited the stage.

Some kinds of heartbreak simply had no outlet — there was really nothing to do but cry.

The thunderstorm only grew heavier, showing no sign of letting up. Tan Yin gave up holding back entirely and sobbed openly, until her eyes were swollen red and her whole body shook with hiccuping sobs. Only once she felt she’d cried out most of what was inside her did she wipe the rain from her face and stagger to her feet.

So what if it was heartbreak — thank goodness she hadn’t gone and seriously confessed to Chu Hang again, or on top of rejection, she might have had to endure his disgust as well — knowing he already had someone else, he’d probably be even more wary of someone like her who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Tan Yin decided she’d be someone who could pick herself up and let go. Let the tears stay in this thunderstorm — tomorrow, a new day, a new fighter!

But she’d only managed to walk a short distance, standing strong, when a familiar figure crossed her line of sight.

Zhou Ming was walking briskly through the rain, holding one umbrella while carrying a second in his hand. Without thinking, Tan Yin quickly caught up to him — finally, someone with an umbrella, and a friend at that. Why not seize the chance to share it? It would be some small consolation on a miserable day like this, heartbroken on top of everything else.

Except Zhou Ming was walking remarkably fast, practically jogging through the rain as if rushing to meet someone, one hand holding the umbrella handle while the other fumbled with his phone, his expression anxious as he waited for someone to pick up.

Tan Yin had to work hard to finally catch up with Zhou Ming’s pace. By then he’d already reached the little garden around the corner, and from the stone pavilion nestled among the greenery not far off, she could hear several girls’ chattering voices. Hearing the voices, Zhou Ming seemed to relax, his tightly furrowed brow easing. He lowered his phone with a somewhat helpless, doting expression, then shook out the second umbrella he was carrying and hurried toward the pavilion with a smile.

He really was rushing to meet someone — Tan Yin now understood. Zhou Ming was probably bringing an umbrella to whoever was inside that pavilion, and there was little doubt as to who that someone was — most likely the girlfriend Zhou Ming had always been too shy to introduce to anyone.

Tan Yin’s own heartbreak was momentarily forgotten as she decided to tag along and get a look at this mystery girlfriend of his. She’d finally caught up to Zhou Ming and slipped under his umbrella.

It was clear Zhou Ming genuinely cared about this girlfriend of his — the closer he got to the pavilion, the more his face lit up with sweetness and anticipation, practically radiating happiness.

Except…

Except just as he reached the pavilion and was about to step forward, he heard the girls inside teasing and mocking someone—

“You know that guy Zhou Ming, right? He’s been going around calling himself your boyfriend. Last time I went to a department meeting, the professor asked if you were around, said there was some material to give you, and this Zhou Ming just volunteered, ‘She’s my girlfriend, professor, just give the material to me, I’ll pass it along’ — my god, even I was embarrassed for him…”

“Right? Word’s spread all over the law school now, everyone thinks he’s actually your boyfriend.”

…

Zhou Ming froze mid-step, thrown off by this sudden burst of conversation, his face going pale, lips pressed tightly as he listened.

After the rest of the girls finished their round of criticism, finally came the verdict—

“He’s an idiot, honestly. When did I ever agree to be his girlfriend? I just occasionally reach out and talk to him a bit, we’ve barely even met alone. I have no idea where he got that delusion.” The girl’s voice was coquettish yet arrogant, tinged with irritation. “I’ve been nice to him purely because he’s got good grades and can help me write papers and sign me in for attendance — I never once considered actually being his girlfriend. You know when he tries to ask me out, have I ever said yes? I’ve made excuses every time, said I’m busy with club activities, no time — once, twice, isn’t he supposed to pick up on the signal by now? Talk about delusional.”

Zhou Ming stood frozen, as if his whole body had turned to ice, and Tan Yin was equally stunned.

That voice — she’d know it even if it turned to ash — wasn’t that exactly the same Duan Yingfei who’d tried to recruit her into an alliance not long ago?!

The girls inside the pavilion had no idea that, in this heavy thunderstorm, someone else was standing right outside listening — they kept chattering away without a filter.

Duan Yingfei, clearly still stinging from Chu Hang’s rejection, spoke even more cuttingly and selfishly than usual. “Besides, who does he think he is compared to me — completely different worlds. He should look in a mirror. As if I could possibly be with him.”

The other girls, evidently all cut from the same cloth as Duan Yingfei’s usual entourage, quickly chimed in flatteringly. “Exactly, someone like him — he’d struggle to find any girlfriend, let alone someone like you!”

“Right? And that Zhou Ming, he gets nervous whenever there’s a crowd, barely talks, and though he’s diligent about studying, he doesn’t really fit in socially, always off on his own. Honestly, don’t a lot of the perpetrators in those major crime cases turn out to be exactly this type? Looks quiet, no presence, all polite and reserved — turns out to secretly be some psychopath!”

Duan Yingfei let out an exaggerated shriek. “That gives me goosebumps just hearing it. Honestly, it’s my own fault — I only led him on for the free help writing my papers, but really, it’s more that he’s got such low emotional intelligence. He’s brought up wanting to be my boyfriend multiple times, and I’ve just stayed silent or changed the subject every time — but instead of picking up on the hint, he took my silence as tacit agreement that we were together! How was that ever an agreement on my part!”

“Exactly, Yingfei, you should be careful — the quiet, reserved types like him can be the scariest once they snap, when they finally do blow up it’s even worse. I think you should find a chance to make it crystal clear to him, reject him plainly.”

“Mm!” Duan Yingfei mused for a moment. “He actually just called me, I didn’t pick up. Guess it’s time to lay it out clearly for him next time. There’s no more coursework requiring papers this semester anyway, so I don’t need to deal with him anymore. I’ll make it a harsh rejection this time, make sure he really gives up completely, stop pestering me.”

…

By this point, Tan Yin was too furious to listen to any more. The girls casually finished gossiping and dissecting someone behind their back, then breezily switched topics to makeup and the latest TV drama, not a shred of guilt over what they’d just said.

Even Tan Yin, invisible and merely an accidental bystander, felt this angry on Zhou Ming’s behalf — she couldn’t imagine how it felt for him, the actual person involved. He clearly hadn’t expected the shy underclassman he’d had feelings for to be this kind of person; his face had gone pale, even his lips drained of color.

Outside the pavilion, the thunderstorm still raged on, cold wind carrying moisture and raindrops, and even Tan Yin couldn’t help shivering from the cold. As for Zhou Ming — he was clearly not just physically cold right now, but chilled straight through to his core.

Tan Yin had never imagined that Zhou Ming’s “girlfriend” would turn out to be Duan Yingfei — she hadn’t realized Duan Yingfei had been putting on an act not just in front of Chu Hang, but had also skillfully crafted a “sweet, studious, shy underclassman” persona in front of Zhou Ming, thoroughly deceiving someone as innocent and inexperienced in love as him.

Zhou Ming’s hand, still holding his phone, dropped to his side. He lowered his eyes, staring blankly at the ground with a hurt, dazed expression, the earlier anticipation and sweetness on his face gone in an instant, like a tide retreating, replaced by humiliation and embarrassment.

Being as good-natured as he was, even faced with this kind of behind-the-back insult and attack, he didn’t lose his composure — just quietly bit his lip, then set down the umbrella he’d brought for Duan Yingfei and turned to walk away on his own.

Watching her friend being wronged like this, Tan Yin was practically boiling with rage. “Zhou Ming! You should march in there and give those gossiping girls a piece of your mind! And thoroughly call out Duan Yingfei, expose her true colors!”

But since she was invisible, Zhou Ming couldn’t possibly hear her. He really was such a gentle, easygoing person, always considerate of others, always the type to smile it off even when he was the one being wronged.

But Tan Yin just couldn’t let this go. Chu Hang suddenly finding someone had already left her upset enough, and now Duan Yingfei had gone and bullied Zhou Ming on top of it — Tan Yin felt she absolutely couldn’t just let this slide.

Except, knowing Zhou Ming’s personality, if she hadn’t happened to witness this by chance while invisible, he probably never would have told her about it himself — partly because he wasn’t the type to gossip about others behind their backs, and partly because something this awkward and humiliating, he’d surely never want Tan Yin to know about it in the first place…

So how could she, someone who supposedly shouldn’t even know about this, find a way to step in and help Zhou Ming get justice?

But Tan Yin’s concern turned out to be unnecessary before long.

She’d severely underestimated the speed at which gossip traveled around campus. By the time the storm let up and Tan Yin had rushed back to her dorm, soaked, taken a hot shower, and stepped out of the bathroom, she found Jiang Yilu staring at her with an expression like she had something to say but was holding back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Tan Yin, why are your eyes so red and swollen… were you crying about something?”

Tan Yin lied through her teeth. “I just ducked into that movie theater outside campus during the rain, watched a really sad movie, cried my eyes out over someone else’s love story.”

Though this was a lie, Tan Yin figured it wasn’t entirely false either — hadn’t she cried her eyes out over Chu Hang and Anna’s romance too, in a way?

Fortunately, Jiang Yilu didn’t press further. She quickly accepted the explanation and moved on to a new topic. “By the way, that Zhou Ming from the law school — he’s your friend, right?”

Tan Yin nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Jiang Yilu handed her phone over. “Take a look at this yourself.”

Tan Yin took the phone and looked, and her expression immediately darkened. This was the campus gossip forum Jiang Yilu moderated, always full of the latest campus scandal, and right now, a trending post flagged in red sat at the top of the section, with an eye-catching title — “Exposing a Self-Absorbed Guy from the Law School.” Tan Yin pressed her lips together and clicked it open, and sure enough, inside, the discussion was all about Zhou Ming and Duan Yingfei. The original poster was clearly one of the girls who’d been in the pavilion that day, and through all sorts of exaggeration and embellishment, Zhou Ming had been painted as some kind of delusional stalker who’d inexplicably become fixated on the idea that Duan Yingfei was his girlfriend and was forcibly pursuing a relationship, while his shy, introverted nature had been twisted into something sinister and calculating…

Tan Yin had no patience to finish reading. She tossed the phone back to Jiang Yilu. “Is there really nothing else more worth gossiping about on this campus? Is the whole school this bored, that everyone’s fixated on some tiny non-issue like this?” she said furiously. “And besides, this isn’t even what actually happened! Zhou Ming isn’t like this at all, he was completely deceived by Duan Yingfei!”

Jiang Yilu nodded. “I know, I trust your judgment and who you choose as friends. I can delete this post, but by the time I noticed it, the view count was already in the hundreds of thousands — the damage to Zhou Ming’s reputation is basically a done deal at this point…” She paused, then added, “This post blowing up like this is also partly just unlucky timing, because there was breaking news today about a court case — a guy pursuing a girl who rejected him multiple times, but the guy stayed completely fixated in his own delusion that they were basically together, kept harassing the girl, and eventually, when she lost her patience and lashed out at him angrily, he ended up stabbing her to death… That news itself already had huge traction, and this post basically painted Zhou Ming with almost the exact same profile as the perpetrator in that case — no wonder it’s blown up like this.”

Tan Yin understood immediately. The post could be deleted, but the bias it had planted in people’s minds couldn’t be. Zhou Ming, pure and kind-hearted, had been exploited by Duan Yingfei for no reason at all, humiliated behind his back like this, and now on top of everything, he’d have to bear this unjust reputation too.

And since the post was already out there, Tan Yin figured there was no point holding back anymore. She headed to the coffee shop and called Zhou Ming out to meet her directly.

School was really just a small society of its own, and gossip spread faster than anything. Zhou Ming had clearly already heard about the campus forum post — he sat down across from Tan Yin, his face pale and haggard, wearing a helpless, embarrassed smile. “You saw it too?”

Tan Yin and Zhou Ming had grown up together as friends. She looked at him. “What are you planning to do about it?”

Zhou Ming lowered his head. “What else can I do? I misread the situation myself. Guess I’m just not smart enough about these things — makes sense I can’t find a girlfriend.”

Watching her friend spiral into self-deprecation like this, Tan Yin felt awful. “If I’d known your little girlfriend was Duan Yingfei, I would’ve broken that up ages ago. She doesn’t deserve someone like you.”

Zhou Ming looked somewhat helpless and melancholy. “I’m the one who couldn’t read people properly.” He said, embarrassed, “Now the whole forum’s saying guys like me will never find a girlfriend in this lifetime. Guess they’re not wrong — imagine liking someone like Duan Yingfei, letting her play me like that. My judgment must really be terrible.”

“You’re a great guy, there’s no way you couldn’t find a girlfriend!”

Zhou Ming said nothing, just kept his head down.

“You need to clear your name!”

“How would I even clear it.” Zhou Ming’s voice was heavy with sadness. “Three people telling the same lie makes a tiger — I don’t have any proof to defend myself with.”

“You’re about to!” In a flash of inspiration, Tan Yin suddenly had an idea. “Starting today, I’m your girlfriend!”