A single sentence made both of them blush a little.
Lu Youran subconsciously glanced at Fu Ran, but quickly averted her gaze the moment their eyes met.
"Who, who said I wasn't single?" she stammered in refutation.
Fu Ran also quickly changed the subject, but the lingering glances they exchanged, though brief, were enough to prove something was going on.
Wen Tingxue, seeing it all without saying a word, curved her lips.
This little girl was nine times out of ten falling for him.
Ever since Fu Ran helped her with the venue setup last time, she hadn't called him "grandson" again.
The two, who used to argue every few days, had been much more subdued recently, even exchanging good morning and good night greetings from time to time.
Though they were both awkward about it, who couldn't see their feelings?
...
The first to reach the summit was Jiao Yutong, closely followed by Tang Mobai.
They were close together, seemingly talking about something, but the atmosphere was tense.
By the time everyone else arrived, Jiao Yutong had already gotten her room card and gone upstairs.
"What's the situation?" Lu Youran asked Tang Mobai.
He rubbed his temples and replied, "I upset her. Please take this to her for me."
Lu Youran looked down; it was a pack of heat patches and a bag of donkey-hide gelatin and red dates.
In their dorm, Jiao Yutong's period was the most punctual.
But she also suffered the most pain.
"Oh, you know that much?" Lu Youran asked gossipy as she took the items, "When did you start liking our Tongtong?"
Tang Mobai paused for a second and said, "A long time ago."
Lu Youran and Wen Tingxue were stunned simultaneously.
Although they had guessed it was a long time ago, his tone suggested it was even earlier than they had imagined.
However, Tang Mobai didn't offer further explanation. After handing the items to Lu Youran, he took his room card and left.
"How many rooms do you ladies need?" the landlady asked with a smile.
Lu Youran said, "I want a single room."
Fu Ran also got a single room, but their rooms were close to each other.
Was it the landlady's good luck, or had someone made prior arrangements?
The two pulled their luggage, which had arrived early, towards their rooms.
After settling in, Fu Ran called them for dinner in the group chat.
Although homestays usually meant doing everything yourself, Fu Dashao was rich.
He had arranged for a chef to be waiting there.
And what was cooked was Lu Youran's favorite Shandong cuisine.
"I told you he had feelings for you," Wen Tingxue winked at her.
Lu Youran, with a slight blush, retorted, "I checked for you, they have condoms."
"Cough!" Wen Tingxue almost choked on her own saliva.
Lu Youran added with a smile, "Sixteen in a box, definitely enough."
Wen Tingxue: "..."
Have some decency!
-
As they were finishing their meal, someone suggested, "Let's play a game?"
"What game?" Lu Youran loved playing games and was quick to respond.
"It's simple. Everyone says something they have, anything at all. If it's the same, we drink; if it's different, we eat. How about it?"
Games that foster camaraderie were never refused.
"Then let me start," the person volunteered, "I have my beloved here."
"Oooooh—!"
Dropping such explosive news right at the start, the atmosphere immediately ignited.
"Don't just cheer," the person glanced subtly at a certain girl and urged, "Drink if you should drink, eat if you should eat. Respect the rules!"
At that, many people lifted their glasses.
Tang Mobai was the first. The drink in his glass was baijiu.
Half a glass.
Not a drop left.
He stared intently at Jiao Yutong while drinking and continued to do so after setting down his cup.
But Jiao Yutong never touched her cup, only picking up some vegetables.
Many people at the table chose to drink.
Fu Ran's hand immediately went for his wine glass, but remembering his uncle's words, he hesitated.
The Fu family's rules were something even his uncle couldn't defy. What capital did he have?
As he wrestled with his thoughts, Lu Youran raised her glass and took a big gulp of orange juice, her cheeks puffed out like a goldfish in defiance.
Fu Ran's heart stirred slightly. Without further hesitation, he downed a large glass of baijiu, specifically showing her he had finished it all.
Lu Youran turned her head away haughtily, ignoring him.
But the corners of her lips curved up slightly.
Seeing the girl he liked drinking juice, the guy immediately perked up, his tone filled with joy.
"Let's go clockwise. Youran, it's your turn," he said.
The named Lu Youran was slightly taken aback.
Fu Ran's heart clenched with hers.
He stared intently at her lips, countless phrases flashing through his mind. Instead, she said, "I have a record of eating ten meals in one day."
Fu Ran: "..."
He should have known.
This little girl only had eyes for food!
When it was Tang Mobai's turn, he lowered his gaze and paused for a few seconds before saying, "I have someone I've loved for ten years."
"Wow—!"
This declaration sent the room into an uproar.
"It's Jiao Yutong, right?"
"It has to be! Did you see Tang Mobai's eyes during the first round of drinking?"
"I knew that song in the finals was a declaration of love!"
"No, shouldn't the focus be on ten years? Ten years!"
Just as everyone was shocked by Tang Mobai's devotion, Jiao Yutong, the person in question, gave a cold smirk.
Ten years...
Who was he kidding?
"This... something feels off..." someone noticed Jiao Yutong's reaction.
"Unrequited love? No way."
"Tang Mobai can't even win her over?!"
Among the new students at the Fine Arts Academy, Tang Mobai was the most popular.
His looks, professional skills, and even his athletic abilities made him the undisputed number one.
If it weren't for Fu Ran and Song You, he would definitely be the top male star on the academy's list.
In other words, many girls wanted to win him over, but he didn't give them a chance.
And yet...
The atmosphere gradually cooled down.
Sensing the probing gazes, Jiao Yutong expressionlessly picked up a dish, chewed slowly, and after finishing, stood up and said, "I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now. You guys enjoy yourselves."
Everyone shifted their gaze to Tang Mobai.
Tang Mobai's eyes were downcast, lost in thought.
He didn't move.
Just as everyone thought their speculation was wrong, he suddenly stood up and quickly chased after her.
On the forest path, Tang Mobai intercepted Jiao Yutong.
Jiao Yutong looked at him with a serene expression, "Is there something?"
Her overly distant attitude pricked Tang Mobai's heart. He pursed his lips and asked, "Don't you believe me?"
Jiao Yutong didn't answer, only saying, "If it's not about returning the notebook, we have nothing to talk about."
She started to walk, but Tang Mobai blocked her path again, "What I said is true."
He really had liked her for over ten years.
Jiao Yutong still ignored him and walked around him.
Not long after, she was blocked by him again.
After this repeated cycle, Jiao Yutong completely lost her patience.
"Tang Mobai," she suddenly looked up, her eyes as dark as the night staring straight at him, "I'll ask you one question: when I was being bullied, were you just watching coldly?"
Tang Mobai froze.
-
The lunch ended on a sour note, and the afternoon activities were naturally not arranged.
Although Fu Ran had organized the gathering, he was busy and didn't have time to deal with such matters.
So, everyone tacitly agreed to have free time.
Wen Tingxue had initially planned to accompany Yu Wenli for a stroll and some fun, as the homestay had beautiful scenery and many activities.
However, he had a burst of inspiration and had been writing in a notebook since he entered the room, his pen never stopping.
Coincidentally, there was a guitar in the room.
After a simple tuning, he tried composing a melody, which sounded quite pleasant.
Wen Tingxue knew he got engrossed when he was playing music, so her presence would be redundant.
She then contacted Fu Ran to see if he was busy.
If not, she would go to him to discuss the anime characters.
She had some ideas in the past couple of days.
Fu Ran replied quickly, saying he wasn't busy.
Wen Tingxue carefully left the room and headed towards Fu Ran's.
On the way, she received a call from Song Ruining.
"I have some news that I think you need to know."
With a slightly heavy tone, Wen Tingxue stopped in her tracks. "What?"
Song Ruining stepped out of the detention center. "Bian Wei is dead."
"What?" Wen Tingxue felt a bit dazed, but her body instinctively broke out in goosebumps.
In just over two months, two lives were gone.
"How did he die?" she asked, her voice a little distant.
"I don't know," Song Ruining said, "On the surface, it was suicide."
On the surface...
Wen Tingxue suddenly felt a chill. She squatted down and hugged herself. "Cousin, do you think he committed suicide?"
Song Ruining remained silent.
-
After Yu Wenli finished writing down all the melodies and lyrics in his mind, the phone beside him suddenly rang.
The caller ID displayed - Cheng Xi.
Yu Wenli's eyes darkened as he stared at the name.
By the time it was about to hang up, he swiped to answer.
The man's voice immediately blurted out, the word "anxious" seemingly attached to his tone.
"My sister has been taken by Chi Ye! I'm afraid something will happen. Can you go and check on her for me?"
Chi Ye was extremely powerful in Jiang City, and even the capital had to show him respect.
Cheng Xi, a petty entertainment reporter, was no match for him.
After returning from dinner, Yu Wenli went to take a shower.
Wen Tingxue looked out the window at the dark, unyielding night, then at the clean white bed beside her, and her heart suddenly felt...
— "I checked for you, they have condoms."
— "Sixteen in a box, definitely enough."
Lu Youran's words suddenly popped into her mind.
Wen Tingxue's cheeks burned as she averted her gaze. A few seconds later, for reasons unknown, she went to the bedside table and, with a curious hand, rummaged through it.
Indeed, she found them.
She counted.
Hmm, not too many, not too few, sixteen.
As she pondered what to do with them, whether to keep them or hide them,
A male voice filled with confusion came from behind her, "Honey, what... are you doing?"