Chapter 5
Lu Zhiying sat on the soft carpet and continued assembling the LEGO set she had only half finished. Her hands were fair and flawless, with slender, elongated fingers and clearly defined knuckles. Even the simple act of picking up pieces and fitting them together was pleasing to watch.
So much so that when the semester first began, Wen Tao had confidently recommended that she become a hand model.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains as time slowly passed. Two hours later, the entire forest cottage LEGO set was finally complete. Lu Zhiying admired it with satisfaction for a full minute before taking out her phone, snapping a few pictures, and sending them to her mother.
After leaving her chat with her mother, she stared at the profile picture of a newly added contact.
It was an oil painting.
The image was somewhat blurry, and all she could make out were the moon and stars.
She opened the chat. Since exchanging contact information three hours earlier, neither of them had sent a message. After considering it for a moment, Lu Zhiying opened the contact’s profile and changed the default name to Senior Fu.
Then she immediately exited.
After we meet tomorrow, we probably won’t have much reason to contact each other again, she thought.
After spending an entire day studying so intensely that she lost track of time, Lu Zhiying unusually allowed herself to linger in bed the following morning. It wasn’t until her alarm rang for the third time that she finally crawled out from under the covers, got out of bed, and drew open the bedroom curtains.
Yesterday had been bright and sunny, but today there wasn’t a trace of sunlight. Layer upon layer of dark clouds covered the sky. If nothing unexpected happened, a large-scale downpour would arrive soon.
Lu Zhiying stretched, went to the bathroom to wash up, and began preparing breakfast for herself.
There was a lecture at the university at 2:30 that afternoon, given by a visiting professor from another institution. It covered a cutting-edge academic topic she was interested in, so she planned to attend. After finishing breakfast, she changed her clothes and headed out.
She lived in a relatively expensive residential complex near the university. The apartments faced south, with one residence per elevator landing, and it took only ten minutes to walk to campus. Lu Jing had rented the apartment for her before the semester began.
In the four months since starting university, last night had been the first time she’d stayed overnight in the apartment.
Unlike the pink silk floss trees on campus, those planted near her residential complex had brilliant red blossoms. It wasn’t until she turned onto Minsheng Road, which led into the university, that the vivid red silk floss blossoms gave way to the pale purple flowers of trumpet trees.
With vibrant flowers blooming in every direction along the way, Lu Zhiying’s mood improved a little more by the time she entered campus.
Wearing her glasses and a face mask, she swiped her card to enter the library, took the elevator to the tenth floor, and found a random seat to begin reading. Occasionally, she frowned or adjusted her glasses, but otherwise remained completely absorbed in her book.
At two in the afternoon, she left the library and bought a sandwich from a nearby supermarket for lunch.
Just as the lecture was about to begin, the heavy rain arrived as expected.
Lu Zhiying closed her umbrella and left the wet umbrella outside to dry. Because she had arrived a little late, the middle and back rows were already full. She walked to the front row, and just as she sat down, she heard people whispering nearby.
“Why have all the videos been deleted?”
The person beside the speaker answered bluntly, “They should’ve been deleted in the first place. Filming someone without their permission isn’t right.”
“Even people who saved copies can’t upload them to the forum anymore. There have been plenty of videos of people confessing to Senior Fu before, but I’ve never seen anyone take measures like this.”
“How can you lump ordinary admirers and a girlfriend together??”
Hearing that, Lu Zhiying instinctively protested silently in her heart—
Not her girlfriend.
Fortunately, all the discussions quickly died down once the lecture began. Lu Zhiying took out her tablet and devoted her full attention to the presentation. Over the next three hours, she filled five pages with notes on the subject.
However, since it was an astronomy lecture, there were some concepts she hadn’t fully understood.
So she wrote down the professor’s email address, planning to organize her questions and email the professor for clarification later.
–
The rain had eased somewhat compared to three hours earlier.
After the lecture ended, Lu Zhiying opened her umbrella and headed toward the nearest west gate, intending to take a taxi to their agreed meeting place.
She had just taken out her phone when someone walking toward her collided with her.
Clatter!
Her phone fell straight to the ground, landing upside down.
The girl with long red hair hurriedly picked up the phone and apologized. “I’m sorry! I was in a hurry and wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m really sorry.”
Lu Zhiying shook her head. “It’s okay.”
The girl handed her the phone. “Please check whether it’s damaged. If there’s anything wrong with it, I’ll cover the full cost.”
Lu Zhiying raised her umbrella a little higher. Seeing that the phone screen was still lit, she opened the camera and checked it as well. Only after confirming that nothing was wrong did the girl hurriedly continue on her way.
After taking a tissue from her bag and wiping her phone clean, Lu Zhiying had just reached the area outside the west gate when she heard a very faint cry.
With the sound muffled by the curtain of rain, she wasn’t sure whether she’d heard correctly.
At the same time, her phone began vibrating incessantly.
—Fu Rongyue was calling.
Just as she answered, a gust of wind blew over the umbrella of a pedestrian across the road.
Lu Zhiying obediently greeted her. “Senior.”
“Mm,” Fu Rongyue said. “The rain is too heavy. I’ll come pick you up.”
Lu Zhiying instinctively declined. “You don’t have to go to so much trouble. I can just take a taxi from the university.”
“I’m almost at the university.”
Lu Zhiying remembered that Fu Rongyue had asked over the phone yesterday whether she had anything planned for today. Only after confirming that the afternoon lecture was her sole commitment had Fu Rongyue settled on a meeting time and place.
“Okay.” She stopped being hesitant. “Senior, I’m near the west gate.”
“Mm.”
The moment Fu Rongyue finished speaking, Lu Zhiying heard that faint sound again. It sounded like a pitiful stray cat trapped somewhere.
Rain pattered around her as she followed the cries into a narrow alley to her right. She didn’t hang up the phone. As she ventured deeper and was about to reach the end, Fu Rongyue’s voice came through the phone again.
“I’m at the west gate.”
“Meow~”
The edges of a hole in the wall at the end of the alley were covered in crumbling plaster. A stray cat with a severed tail lay curled up beside the opening. Its legs were bent at unnatural angles, and a wound beside its right ear had already begun to fester. Barely clinging to life, it was letting out its last desperate cries for help.
Lu Zhiying’s eyelashes trembled. She immediately crouched down and held her umbrella over the cat to shield it from the wind and rain.
“Junior Lu, where are you?”
Hearing Fu Rongyue’s voice, Lu Zhiying began taking off her jacket as she answered, “I’m in the old alley about two hundred meters from the west gate. There’s an injured stray cat here. Sorry to trouble you, Senior, but could you wait for me a little while? I’ll be there soon.”
Fu Rongyue didn’t answer, but Lu Zhiying paid it no mind. She lowered the umbrella handle and tried to wrap the cat in her clean, warm jacket so she could pick it up.
At first, the stray cat was somewhat frightened. Fortunately, Lu Zhiying was very patient and continuously tried to reassure it of her goodwill. Eventually, the cat voluntarily stopped baring its fangs and allowed her to hold it.
In less than a minute, Lu Zhiying’s hair and shoulders had already been soaked by the rain.
She was just about to pick up her umbrella and stand when the rain falling above her head suddenly stopped.
She raised her eyes and saw Fu Rongyue, who should have been waiting in the car, standing over her and the cat with a black umbrella.
Even viewed from below, Fu Rongyue’s strikingly beautiful face was flawless, without the slightest imperfection.
Lu Zhiying froze for a moment, then averted her gaze and stood up.
“…Senior.”
“Let’s go to a veterinary hospital,” Fu Rongyue said.
“Okay. Let’s go to the nearest one, Deluo Hospital.” Lu Zhiying added, “Sorry to trouble you, Senior.”
From the end of the alley to its entrance, Lu Zhiying’s attention remained entirely focused on the stray cat in her arms.
So much so that she never noticed how the umbrella remained tilted toward her the entire way, preventing even a single additional drop of rain from touching her or the cat.
After they got into the car, Fu Rongyue handed her a dry towel.
“Dry your hair.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
Polite words and a distant tone filled the unfamiliar space between them. Fu Rongyue said nothing, merely turning up the heating in the car.
It took only five minutes to travel from the university’s west gate to Deluo Hospital.
When the hovercar arrived, Lu Zhiying carried the stray cat, which seemed on the verge of losing consciousness, and hurried with Fu Rongyue to the veterinary emergency department as quickly as possible.
Medical staff rushed over upon hearing them.
As Lu Zhiying placed the stray cat on the examination bed, the animal, which had nearly passed out, opened its green eyes. It struggled to move closer to Lu Zhiying and rubbed against her palm of its own accord.
“Don’t be scared, okay?” Lu Zhiying’s voice was exceptionally gentle at that moment. “I’ll be right outside, keeping you company.”
“Meow~”
The medical staff wheeled the examination bed into the treatment room. Only when the automatic doors closed did Lu Zhiying finally withdraw her gaze.
She sat on a bench outside the room, seemingly lost in thought. It was only after a while that she belatedly remembered to look for Fu Rongyue, who had accompanied her.
Fu Rongyue happened to be returning.
She was carrying a drink and a white paper bag, which she had probably bought from the shopping mall opposite the hospital.
Lu Zhiying watched as Fu Rongyue stopped in front of her and extended the drink.
“You got caught in the rain. Drink some ginger tea to warm yourself up,” she said.
Lu Zhiying accepted it. “Thank you, Senior.”
“There’s a hair dryer in the car. After you finish the ginger tea, go dry your clothes and hair, then put on this jacket.” Fu Rongyue looked at her. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay here and keep watch.”
This was the third time Fu Rongyue had handed Lu Zhiying something that afternoon.
Lu Zhiying met her gaze, and ripples of emotion gradually appeared in the eyes hidden behind her lenses.
…The Fu Rongyue standing before her really did seem somewhat different from the person described in the rumors.
At least she isn’t nearly as cold or unapproachable as people say, Lu Zhiying thought.
She had already said thank you countless times that afternoon.
After accepting the clothes, Lu Zhiying thanked her again. When she took the car key, went to the car to dry her hair and change into the jacket, then returned, she thanked her yet again.
After the beginning of winter, daylight hours in Jiahua City were short. By 6:30 in the evening, darkness had enveloped the entire city.
At last, the doors to the treatment room opened.
The doctor leading the medical team said, “There are lacerations on its right ear and along the tail vertebrae, as well as severe fractures of the humerus and tibia on both sides. Fortunately, you brought it in promptly. For now, it’s out of immediate danger.”
The weight hanging over Lu Zhiying’s heart slowly lifted.
The medical staff wheeled the stray cat out after surgery.
Its eyes were moist, and when it saw Lu Zhiying, its left ear twitched.
Lu Zhiying gently stroked it, softly praising it for being so brave during surgery and encouraging it to get better soon.
The surgery cost 3,500, while hospitalization would cost 300 per day.
After paying the fees, Lu Zhiying stayed with the stray cat for a while longer. Only when it had fallen into a deep sleep did she leave its temporary enclosure.
When she stepped out of the room, Fu Rongyue was standing beside a window, talking on the phone.
After the call ended, Lu Zhiying took the initiative to ask, “Senior, shall we go have dinner?”
Their original plan had been to have dinner together, but it had now been delayed by more than two hours.
However, those two hours had brought about many changes—
For example, they had rescued a cat.
And for another, the image of Fu Rongyue in Lu Zhiying’s mind had changed from an immensely popular, cold and aloof campus belle into an immensely popular campus belle who wasn’t quite so aloof, possessed a certain amount of patience, and also cared about animals.
–
A private restaurant called One Sparrow, located in the city center, was extremely famous throughout Jiahua City.
The restaurant’s interior incorporated many elements of the wabi-sabi aesthetic that had been popular during the medieval period.
Bamboo branches and plum blossoms intertwined in ceramic vases, the white plum blossoms releasing a faint, delicate fragrance.
Lu Zhiying sat in a private dining room on the third floor, looking through an open window at the fish swimming in a pond beneath a tree on the first floor.
Once all the dishes had been served and the waiter had left, she withdrew her gaze and discovered that nearly all the dishes suited her preference for sweet flavors.
Fu Rongyue, sitting opposite her, said, “Try them and see if they’re to your taste.”
“They are,” Lu Zhiying replied. “I like sweet food.”
“That’s good, then.”
During the meal, Fu Rongyue asked, “What do you plan to do with that stray cat after it’s discharged from the hospital?”
“I’ll take it to an animal rescue shelter.”
She had rescued stray cats and dogs before. Afterward, she would usually send them to an official nonprofit animal rescue shelter and then visit them regularly.
Keli was economically prosperous and highly developed, so stray animals were actually uncommon in its cities.
The rescue shelter was government-funded, operated reliably and efficiently, and was completely open and transparent.
Moreover… she was technically one of the shelter’s sponsors, so she felt quite reassured about leaving animals in its care.
They discussed animal rescue for a little longer, but eventually, the conversation came to an end.
After finishing her meal, Lu Zhiying put down her chopsticks and gradually became nervous and reserved again.
Once she had carefully prepared what she wanted to say, she decided to take the initiative and address the most important matter between them.
“Senior, thank you for helping me so much today. I’m truly very grateful.”
She moved on to the main subject.
“The night before last, I didn’t know those drinks contained alcohol, and I didn’t know I’d get drunk as soon as I drank any. After getting drunk, I behaved inappropriately and said a lot of inappropriate things. I’d like to apologize to you, Senior. I’m sorry.”
“If there’s ever anything you need help with, I’ll definitely do everything I can.”
All that was missing was a formal bow.
Lu Zhiying felt that this speech would surely earn full marks in a social skills course.
In reality, however, these weren’t the words Fu Rongyue wanted to hear. As far as she was concerned, giving the speech a zero wouldn’t be unreasonable.
The rain had already stopped.
Fu Rongyue asked unhurriedly, “Junior, since you remember everything, do you also remember the last thing you said?”
That single question immediately transported Lu Zhiying back to the scene.
After drinking the hangover soup, she’d held onto Fu Rongyue’s wrist, using that action to stop Fu Rongyue from switching places with Ren Shuiqiu and Gu Ling, silently expressing that she wanted Fu Rongyue to stay with her.
Afterward, she’d rambled on about all sorts of things.
When she became overwhelmingly sleepy, she’d murmured drowsily, “Will I get to see you tomorrow?”
Fu Rongyue had replied, “Do you want to see me?”
“Yes.” Her final words had been, “I want to see you every day. I like being with you.”
Yet now that they had met again, there was no warmth or intimacy between them, only distance and polite courtesy, the complete opposite of what she’d said while drunk.
It would have been better not to mention it. Now that it had been brought up, Lu Zhiying felt thoroughly embarrassed.
She suspected that the mystery of why she behaved that way when drunk would become one of the nine great mysteries of her personal universe.
Her embarrassment made her ears grow hot, but she had no choice but to admit it.
“I remember.”
Fu Rongyue asked, “If you remember, does being with me now make you uncomfortable?”
The straightforward question caught Lu Zhiying completely off guard.
Before actually interacting with Fu Rongyue, she had indeed felt somewhat troubled.
After all, Fu Rongyue was always the center of attention in a crowd. Every move she made attracted the notice of those around her.
That was why, the moment Lu Zhiying drew the dare, she’d wished she could transform into a Duskviolet Bird and immediately enter dormancy. She’d even wished the creator of Truth or Dare would change the rule that prevented players from escaping certain punishments.
But after interacting with Fu Rongyue over the past two days, especially today, her impression had changed somewhat.
When it came to spending time together privately, she could no longer say she felt troubled.
So she answered seriously, “No. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”
She continued, “Actually, I’m the one who’s caused trouble for you, Senior. Do you know about the video being circulated on the forum?”
Fu Rongyue replied, “I do.”
In fact, Teng Ran had called her many times when the incident happened, even going so far as to contact Aunt Chu.
Only after receiving Fu Rongyue’s response had the controversy on the forum been swiftly brought under control, with all related videos removed from major media platforms.
Even Lin Yao’s apology to Lu Zhiying had been made at Fu Rongyue’s instruction.
However, Lu Zhiying knew nothing about this.
She believed Wen Tao and Teng Ran were primarily responsible for resolving the matter.
Thinking about the consequences of the incident, she spoke somewhat slowly.
“Although all the videos have been taken down, a lot of students at the university are still discussing it.”
She offered the explanation she’d prepared.
“If anyone asks about it again, Senior, you can just tell them it was only a game and that you simply didn’t want to embarrass me too much.”
The window hadn’t been closed completely, leaving a narrow gap.
A cold breeze carrying traces of moisture slipped through the opening.
Fu Rongyue fell silent for a moment before asking calmly, “Junior, do you think I accepted simply because I didn’t want to embarrass you?”
Lu Zhiying didn’t hesitate in the slightest about that explanation.
“Mm.”
“What if I told you that wasn’t the reason?”
Lu Zhiying was both confused and surprised. Her puppy eyes widened slightly.
She genuinely couldn’t think of any other explanation. Immediately becoming reserved again, she hesitantly asked,
“…Was there another reason?”
Dark clouds obscured the moon.
The little mushroom had originally begun quietly poking its cap out of the soil, but the instant moonlight spilled down, it immediately burrowed back underground, leaving not even the slightest opening.
Beneath the table, the pheromone bracelet around Fu Rongyue’s wrist lit up briefly.
The fluctuations in her pheromones told her—
Being rejected and shut out by Lu Zhiying did not feel good.
After turning off the bracelet, Fu Rongyue spoke without betraying her emotions.
“Junior, do you remember what I said about Professor Cheng mentioning you to me?”
“I remember.”
“My first impression of you was very good,” Fu Rongyue continued. “Before that, my family had been constantly introducing potential partners to me. I was opposed to that kind of arrangement, so I told them I already had someone I genuinely liked.”
“As it happened, we met at the gathering, and I drew that card.”
She paused, as though it truly had been a coincidence.
“I don’t like being around Alphas. In fact, you could even say I dislike them. Since I already had a good first impression of you, given the circumstances at the time… I couldn’t bring myself to reject you, so I went along with it and accepted.”
This explanation went far beyond anything Lu Zhiying had imagined.
She slowly tried to digest what Fu Rongyue had said. Although she recognized every individual word, somehow, once they were strung together into sentences, they became difficult to understand.
It took her a long time to process everything.
Once she finally understood, she was first shocked, astonished, and bewildered.
Then, gradually, she began to feel that Fu Rongyue was a little pitiful.
If the information posted on the university forum wasn’t wrong, Fu Rongyue wasn’t even twenty yet.
At nineteen, she was already being pressured into an arranged marriage for business interests…
Lu Zhiying: (oí _ ìo)
“That night, I originally wanted to explain the reason to you, but you were drunk. The next day, I had something to attend to and wasn’t around. It would’ve been difficult to explain everything properly in just a few words over the phone, so I didn’t have the chance to clarify things until we met today.”
Lu Zhiying said softly, “It’s okay, Senior.”
“There were very few people at the gathering that night, so the rumors could have been controlled. But now, because of the video, everyone knows about it.”
After saying that, Fu Rongyue carefully chose her next words.
“Junior Lu, if spending time with me doesn’t make you uncomfortable, would you be willing to…”
Seeing the little mushroom before her bury herself even deeper, Fu Rongyue voluntarily took a step back, adding one word before the idea of dating.
“Would you be willing to consider ‘pretending’ to date me?”
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