Not a Substitute (GL) - Chapter 1

At the end of February, the cold wave had yet to recede, and the whistling wind was sharp enough to make one’s face ache.

Cheng Nuo wrapped herself up like a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) and lugged her heavy suitcase onto a train bound for City B.

There were only a few scattered passengers in the spacious carriage. She found her seat, and just as she sat down, her phone began to “ding-dong” incessantly inside her bag. Pulling off her plush gloves, Cheng Nuo took out her phone. When she saw the profile picture on the video call request, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes crinkled into a slight smile.

Despite the nearly empty carriage, she meticulously put on her Bluetooth headphones before accepting the invite. “Hi, Ranran.”

On the other end of the video, Chen Ran had just woken up. Her hair was a messy nest, and her eyes were squinting. Once she processed Cheng Nuo’s surroundings, her eyes snapped wide open. “You actually bought a ticket? No way! Why are you going back to school so early?”

Chen Ran was Cheng Nuo’s roommate and best friend. Both were juniors at a media university in City B, and the spring semester wasn’t set to start for another week.

Cheng Nuo glanced at the nearby passengers, covered her mouth with a delicate hand, and whispered, “I told you, my dad’s colleague moved into our neighborhood. Recently, he’s been visiting my house constantly. Every time he comes, he goes on and on about how amazing his son is. It’s getting annoying; I just couldn’t stay home anymore.”

Chen Ran remembered the situation and let out a yawn. “He’s trying to set you up with his son, isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Cheng Nuo said, looking troubled.

The uncle was indeed trying to play matchmaker, but Cheng Nuo wasn’t interested at all. To avoid making things awkward for her parents, she had booked a train ticket the moment she heard the dorms were opening early.

Chen Ran sighed lazily. “I want to go back to school too. You have no idea how annoying my mom is—she actually wants to arrange a blind date for me! I’m totally over it. She wouldn’t let me date in high school, and now she can’t wait to marry me off. I haven’t even graduated yet! Is she for real?”

Cheng Nuo was stunned. “Your mom is being a bit too hasty.”

“She’s just terrified I’ll never get married!” Chen Ran slapped her thigh in frustration, then looked up with a wistful tone. “Sometimes I really envy you. The ‘good girl,’ great grades, never a shortage of suitors, and your parents never nag you.”

Setting aside the praise, the last part was true. Cheng Nuo gave a shy smile. “My parents think students should focus on their studies first. They never force me to do anything I don’t want to do.”

Chen Ran’s eyes sparkled. “Is your family looking to adopt another child?”

Cheng Nuo couldn’t help but laugh. They chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call. Afterward, she messaged her parents to report that she was safely on the train.

The journey from her hometown to City B took nearly five hours. Cheng Nuo turned on her audio player. As the train entered a tunnel, the warm yellow lights cast a soft glow on her serene profile. Her clear, beautiful face was reflected in the glass—hazy, elegant, and quiet.

Resting her chin in her hands, Cheng Nuo admired the passing scenery while listening to music. Suddenly, her left earbud fell out. She missed the catch, and the device hit the floor with a “thud” before rolling under the seat behind her.

“Excuse me, could you help me pick up my earphone?” Since she couldn’t reach it, Cheng Nuo turned to the male passenger behind her who was buried in his phone.

The man was focused on his screen. He looked at the earphone by his feet with a hint of impatience, but as he bent down to retrieve it and looked up, he realized he was facing a beauty. He froze for a moment.

“Thank you,” Cheng Nuo said, giving him a grateful smile as she took the earphone.

The passenger stared at her for a few seconds, his face flushing slightly. “No… no problem.”

Cheng Nuo turned back around, checked that the earphone wasn’t damaged, and wiped the dust off with a tissue.

After a quick nap on the train, she arrived. Cheng Nuo walked out of the station and took a taxi straight to the university.

Although the semester hadn’t started, many students like Cheng Nuo were returning early. She registered with the dorm supervisor and carried her suitcase up to Room 203. When she opened the door, a wave of musty air hit her. Holding her breath, she pushed open the windows for ventilation.

The cold wind rushed in, making Cheng Nuo shiver violently. She rubbed her small hands and retreated further into the room just as her phone on the desk rang again.

It was Chen Ran.

Assuming her friend was calling to check on her, she breathed out a puff of white mist and said, “I just got to the dorm.”

“Perfect!” Chen Ran exclaimed. “The neck massager I bought arrived, but I forgot to change the address and sent it to the university! The courier just called me. Can you help me pick it up?”

“Sure,” Cheng Nuo said without a second thought. “Is it at the delivery station downstairs?”

“No…” Chen Ran hesitated, sounding a bit embarrassed. “I put the wrong address. It was sent to the Old Campus.”

“Where?”

“The Old Campus.”

Cheng Nuo took a deep breath, her tone suddenly solemn. “Chen Ran, I’m telling you now: you owe me at least one meal of malatang.”

Chen Ran agreed instantly. “Yes, yes, yes! My treat. Thanks so much, darling! Love you~”

Cheng Nuo put down her phone and sighed at her half-unpacked suitcase.

The media university had two campuses. The Old Campus was currently used as a leisure spot for retired faculty; it was remote and had no direct subway access. Cheng Nuo got a headache just thinking about the commute.

She knew Chen Ran’s personality—careless and forgetful—so she didn’t even bother asking how she could confuse the two addresses. She was used to it. After a quick tidy-up, Cheng Nuo resigned herself to her fate and headed out.

It was her first time at the Old Campus. Between following the GPS and calling the courier, it took her ages to find the pick-up point with the help of a retired staff member.

As she was walking back with the package, a sudden thunderclap boomed across the dark sky. Cheng Nuo, who was texting Chen Ran, jumped and looked up. A heavy, icy droplet smashed onto her forehead. She was stunned.

Is it raining?

The heavens gave her no time to breathe. A torrential downpour slammed down, instantly turning Cheng Nuo into a “drowned rat.”

It was too sudden. City B’s smog was usually thick, and winter was always gloomy, but Cheng Nuo hadn’t expected rain. She didn’t have an umbrella, and to make matters worse, this remote area only had one bus line, and hailing a ride was nearly impossible.

She huddled under a bus stop sign that offered almost no protection, shivering as she thought: One meal of malatang isn’t going to cut it. I need two.

Just as she was trapped in this dilemma, wondering if she would freeze to death before a bus arrived, a cool, crisp voice sounded in her ear:

“Are you alright?”

Cheng Nuo looked up miserably. Through the dense curtain of rain, she saw an exquisitely beautiful face.

It was a stranger.

The woman was tall, likely over 170cm, with an aura that felt extraordinary at first glance. Unlike Cheng Nuo, who was bundled up bulkily, the woman wore a slim-fit khaki trench coat. The soft fabric was stained with raindrops, and the muddy water had sullied her expensive boots, though she didn’t seem to notice. One hand was tucked in her pocket as her gaze lingered on Cheng Nuo’s rain-soaked face for a few seconds.

Her elegant eyebrows arched slightly. Before Cheng Nuo could answer the first question, she added:

“Have we met somewhere before?”

What a cliché pick-up line…

Cheng Nuo blinked, her wet eyelashes fluttering. She looked seriously at the cold beauty who had appeared out of nowhere and suddenly had an epiphany.

They actually HAD met!

Two months ago.

Cheng Nuo had gone to an office to drop something off. She knocked and saw a tall silhouette standing by the desk. She had blurted out, “Hello, Professor—”

The person had turned around. Her delicate features were accentuated by exquisite makeup, and her red lips curled into a playful smirk. “Little sister, you’ve got the wrong person.”

The setting sun had filtered through the window, splashing colors onto the woman and making her look like a living painting. Cheng Nuo had been completely dazed. At the time, her only thought was: If this person were a teacher, it’d be a disaster—no student at this university would ever focus on the lesson.

With a face like that, anyone would take a second look. While it was rude to stare, Cheng Nuo hadn’t been able to help herself.

Lin Yiyan had also been quietly observing her then, her light brown eyes hiding subtle emotions, a teasing smile playing on her lips. Cheng Nuo’s face had flushed hot as she hurriedly looked away.

Even after she turned, she felt that probing gaze lingering on her. A moment later, she heard Lin Yiyan call out to the inner room: “Zhao Yue, a student is looking for you.”

Zhao Yue was the teacher Cheng Nuo was actually looking for. As the real teacher emerged from the restroom, Cheng Nuo handed over the documents. As she left, she could still faintly hear their conversation.

“How about it? I told you our school has plenty of beauties. That girl just now is the ‘department flower’ of the directing department. Great grades, always ranks first.”

“Mmh… she is indeed very beautiful.”

The voice had been unique—steady, calm, with a hint of lazy sexiness.

Just like it was now.

“Two months ago, at the Media University,” the woman reminded her softly, seeing Cheng Nuo’s dazed expression.

Cheng Nuo blinked rapidly. She didn’t have a photographic memory, but the woman’s striking looks and unique voice were so memorable that she recognized her almost instantly despite the time passed.

She just hadn’t expected the other woman to remember her as well.

A subtle, inexplicable feeling rose in her heart. Cheng Nuo felt half-surprised and half-delighted. “Ah, I remember now! You are…” She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she didn’t actually know the woman’s name.

“My surname is Lin.”

“Hello, Miss Lin,” Cheng Nuo greeted her naturally.

Lin Yiyan nodded. Her gaze swept over Cheng Nuo from head to toe, and she couldn’t help but frown.

The girl looked like an abandoned kitten. She was soaked to the bone, and her fair face was turning purple from the cold. She looked pitiful.

“My car is over there. I can give you a lift.”

The rain showed no signs of stopping, drumming loudly against the umbrella. Lin Yiyan’s voice was muffled by the sound, yet Cheng Nuo heard it clearly.

She stood up abruptly, her frozen eyes flickering with a joy that hadn’t quite reached her expression before she remembered her soaked state. Her face stiffened, and she mumbled without giving a clear answer.

The old bus station floor was uneven and full of puddles. Between them lay a filthy pool of water, with fine rain drifting like mist.

Lin Yiyan seemed to read her hesitation. She took her hand out of her pocket and reached through the rain. Her brown eyes looked at Cheng Nuo calmly, her voice carrying an indefinable allure:

“Will you come with me?”

Should she go?

If she didn’t leave now, she might actually freeze to death.

Cheng Nuo stared at her, seemingly bewitched. This time, she didn’t hesitate. She placed her purple, frozen hand into the other woman’s.

A warm, dry palm instantly enveloped her small hand. With a gentle pull from Lin Yiyan, Cheng Nuo hopped over the puddle and practically tumbled into her arms. Fearing she would get the woman wet, Cheng Nuo quickly pulled back.

Lin Yiyan looked down at her briefly but said nothing.

Despite Cheng Nuo’s best efforts to avoid contact, Lin Yiyan’s shoulder was soaked by the time they reached the car. “I’m so sorry,” Cheng Nuo said, feeling terribly embarrassed.

Lin Yiyan smiled dismissively. She turned the heater to the maximum and reached into the back seat for a clean towel. “Dry yourself off.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Nuo took the towel, removed her heavy coat, and wiped the water from her face and hair, though it didn’t help much. Her inner clothes were wet too. The bone-chilling cold clung to her, and as the warm air hit her face, the contrast made her shake even harder.

Lin Yiyan noticed. During a red light, she glanced over. Her gaze lingered for a split second on Cheng Nuo’s damp chest before returning to her face. Her voice was gentle.

“The campus is still quite far. Do you want to come to my place first to change into some dry clothes?”

Cheng Nuo’s chattering teeth nearly bit her tongue. She looked at her in shock.

This was only their second meeting. They didn’t even “know” each other. Miss Lin was actually inviting her to her home?

Cheng Nuo was stunned by the kindness. But perhaps her brain was frozen; her survival instinct lowered her guard against this stranger. Looking at the woman’s elegant side profile, she swallowed and asked—as if possessed—”Is it… convenient?”

Lin Yiyan gave a casual smile. “There’s no one else at my house.”

Cheng Nuo opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.

She really was too beautiful. Her features, highlighted by light makeup, were very defined; her eyes were narrow and alluring. Her curly hair, slightly dampened by the rain, fell lazily over her shoulders. As she leaned her elbow on the steering wheel and turned to look over, she exuded an indescribable mature charm.

Cheng Nuo’s frozen cheeks began to warm up. She looked away and nodded like a little chick pecking at grain. “Then… I’ll trouble you.”

The red light ahead was still counting down. Lin Yiyan’s slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel. She caught Cheng Nuo’s eye in the rearview mirror, her expression unreadable—halfway between a smile and something else.

“Little sister,” she said softly. “Aren’t you worried I might be a bad person?”

[Author’s Note]

Current ages: Cheng Nuo (20), Lin Yiyan (30). An age gap of 10 years.