“This was such a long time ago! I was just joking when I mentioned the takeout order, Yuzu. Why do you look so devastated?!”

Qin Dai was startled by Ji Ranyou’s expression of utter despair. She quickly returned the order and reassured her, “Two years ago, you were just an ordinary girl with black-rimmed glasses, a homebody, and Gu Chen was just a fresh-faced youngster. Even when you were caught up in gossip for a week, you two had no real interaction… Now, two years later, you’re still a homebody, unnoticed as ever, while Gu Chen has won consecutive national awards and is preparing to apply to Ivy League schools.”

Patting her roommate’s shoulder, she continued with the tone of a seasoned observer, “More importantly, he’s tall, handsome, and has that aloof, emotionless vibe. He has hordes of admirers… There’s no way you two could have anything going on! Let alone getting involved with each other!”

Ji Ranyou put down her chopsticks, a bit slow on the uptake. “Oh, I accidentally took his takeout order today.”

Qin Dai was baffled. “So… you really are a legendary figure in the two-dimensional world? Even when you make a mistake with a takeout order, it has to be with the campus heartthrob?”

Wiping her mouth, Ji Ranyou suddenly sighed. “I don’t really feel like updating today…”

“Don’t!! I’ll take back what I said, okay?!” Though she had no idea what was going on, as a devoted fan of her roommate’s work, Qin Dai was adept at changing her stance instantly. One moment she was teasing, the next she was all flattery. “Our dear Yuzu just doesn’t like dressing up. Look at this little face, those big eyes, and even those soft, cute ears on your hat… like a bunny!”

Ji Ranyou dodged her wandering hands and stuffed the takeout bag into the trash. “But I really don’t feel like updating today…”

“Why, though? You’re not even writing romance, you’re writing a political intrigue novel!” Qin Dai was going crazy. “Do you know that in yesterday’s update, Luo Wengong had his sword pressed against the king’s throat?! The entire court was watching, and now we’re all wondering if he stabbed or not—I couldn’t sleep all night because of you!!”

“And then there’s that always-scheming Lady Zheng. Usually, characters like her turn out to be spies, but you clearly hinted otherwise in the first book. You promised to reveal the truth in the sequel’s opening—”

While her roommate was ranting and raving, Ji Anyou, lost in thought, remained silent.

Just as Qin Dai was about to launch into another round of complaints—

“Dai Bi,” Ji Ranyou called out languidly, her fingers idly tracing the surface of her phone case, “I think… I might have lost my heart.”

---

Weibo Post:

Er Fu V^[1]“二复” refers to repeating something twice (like a revision or rewrite), then “Double Revision” or “Second Edit” but I left it as is to make the translation … Continue reading : Finally finished writing the extra chapters for the first book of Shi Sha for its print release. Went downstairs happily to pick up my takeout, and somehow… lost my heart. My dear readers! Tonight! Let us all light a candle for my phone case and forget about updating!! 【Picture】 *2

As a Weibo author with 300,000 followers, the moment the post went live, the comment section was instantly flooded.

Debbie is not a fool: Forgive me, but I can’t see how that colorful, DIY, brick-built phone case you posted was supposed to have a red heart in the middle… Er Fu, have you been talking to the trash can? I refuse to take responsibility for this!

Er Fu Support Club V: Thinking about how Luo Wengong’s sword was against the king’s throat… Good thing @ErFuV didn’t turn on location services, or we might be mailing bricks to her door tomorrow. 【smile】

Mom Wants to Cut Off My Internet: Am I the only one who thinks Er Fu actually seems upset? Like… in love?

Never Pulls SSRs: Oh, sweet summer child. You really think a writer as old as your dad is in love and upset about it? Losing a heart? Sounds more like a perfect excuse to skip an update!!

Editor Yingcao V: Received the manuscript for the print edition. Giving Er Fu a day off today, so I’ll kindly refrain from joining the “urge the author to update” squad! =￣ω￣=

Never Pulls SSRs: Editor, don’t go! Look at my pleading hands!

I Want to Be a Baby’s Agent: That last commenter rhymes every time, 233!

---

Compared to other authors’ comment sections, which were filled with things like “Take care of yourself, author!” or “We support you no matter what,” Er Fu was long accustomed to the way her followers bickered and teased her.

Apart from the occasional chuckle, Ji Ranyou scrolled through the comments with complete composure.

At the end, she scrolled back up to like her editor Yingcao’s comment before locking her phone and turning back to her laptop.

She had planned to continue watching her movie, but as she stared at the screen with its dynamic camera angles and edits, her mind drifted… far away.

So far that she had no interest in searching for her past purchase records on Taobao to reorder an extravagant new phone case with a red heart.
So far that her eyes lost focus, yet her mind kept conjuring up the image of a white shirt stained by her carelessness, bathed in the golden evening light.
So far that she could faintly recall a voice, aligning perfectly with the one she had heard earlier that evening—smooth, clear, and rich.

Then, piece by piece, she sketched out that face in her mind. From his brows to his eyes, his nose to his lips—like misty clouds rolling over distant mountains, so close yet so far away…

So, he was Gu Chen.

---

In the dormitory, Qin Dai waved a hand in front of her roommate’s face. “I’m going downstairs to get something. I won’t bring my key, so let me back in, okay?”

“Huh?” Ji Ranyou turned her head and nodded absentmindedly. Then she curved her eyes into a smile. “Sure… the moment you step out, I’ll lock the door and never let you back in.“

“…”

#FriendshipsSinkFasterThanTitanic

As if reading her roommate’s mind, Ji Ranyou shrugged nonchalantly. “We’ve only ever reserved seats together for exams, ordered takeout, picked up packages, gone out to have fun, and shared a bed once—purely platonic. Who said we’re on the same boat?”

“Pfft—” Qin Dai dramatically clutched her chest. “You cruel, two-faced little demon!“

Fixing her outfit in front of the full-length mirror, she made a dramatic exit. “Click.” Silence settled over the room.

The movie on the laptop continued playing.
In a bustling market, the shifting light outlined Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin’s breathtaking profiles. As they collided, their gazes locked for an instant, and his deep, smoky voice murmured with a lethal charm—

“The closest we ever got was 0.01 centimeters. Fifty-seven hours later, I fell in love with her.”

Holding her breath, Ji Anyou let the final note of his voice linger before pausing the film.

She reached for her notebook, flipping to a blank page. Her long eyelashes trembled as she lifted her pen… and wrote down two words.

Gu Chen.

And then, she froze.

---

Across the screen, someone else was equally stunned.

Gu Jingying had initially focused on the phone case in Er Fu’s post, but when she accidentally glanced at the second picture, her hand on the mouse halted midair.

The photo was taken from a balcony, overlooking a familiar green space. A stone path wound through the middle of a flower bed, surrounded by rows of neatly parked bicycles. The golden nameplate on a building in the background read “ZHIYUAN”…

Wait. Zhiyuan?!

A sudden realization hit her. She immediately called someone far away in C City.

Two rings. The line connected.

“Hey, what’s the name of your building again?“

“Zhiyuan,” Gu Chen replied, pausing his note-taking. “Why?“