“So hard…”

Muttering in her heart, Ji Ranyou rubbed her nose, which throbbed from the collision. She had no interest in seeing who she had bumped into and simply muttered a low “Sorry” before stepping aside, ready to pass by the person.

“Are you feeling unwell?” A familiar voice, usually calm and indifferent, now carried a slight breathlessness from exertion. Gu Chen took two steps back, standing beside her. “Are you okay?”

As a shadow loomed over her, Ji Ranyou stiffened for a moment but maintained her forward-facing posture. “I’m fine, nothing serious.”

“Then why do you look so pale?” Gu Chen wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, yet he found himself furrowing his brows involuntarily. “You don’t seem well. Are you sure you don’t need me to take you to the hospital?”

If this had been earlier, Ji Ranyou might have chalked up his concern to casual politeness. But after seeing his cryptic social media post, the only thought left in her mind was that this was nothing more than the courtesy of a classmate.

And it made sense. Just as she had once been an active, sports-loving student council member but now preferred solitude and avoided socializing, maybe he, too, had changed. Perhaps the aloof and distant impression he gave off to their classmates now was simply because of that girl he couldn’t forget.

Suddenly, Ji Ranyou felt like everything made sense.

Whether it was intentional or not, she found herself, for once, not avoiding him. Instead, after hearing “I’ll go with you,” she looked up, meeting his gaze directly, and playfully teased, “If every girl went to the hospital for this every month, hospitals would just be sanitary pad retailers, wouldn’t they?”

Seeing no trace of amusement on Gu Chen’s face, she wasn’t bothered. With a casual wave of her hand, she added, “Really, I’m fine. Sorry for wasting your time, God Chen. Let’s catch up another time—I’m heading back to my dorm.”

She smiled slightly, nodded, and without waiting for his response, turned to leave.

The dim light from the streetlamps scattered through the trees, casting flickering shadows on the ground. Her delicate dimples appeared and disappeared in the soft glow, and for the first time, Gu Chen felt a flicker of something unfamiliar in his chest. His hand moved instinctively to grab her wrist.

His fingertips barely brushed against the rigid book cover she held, a faint sting snapping him back to reality.

Was this… inappropriate?

Gu Chen hesitated, wanting to withdraw his hand, but it was too late—

Ji Ranyou’s heart was pounding just as wildly.

A chaotic swirl of emotions weighed on her, making her want to stay yet simultaneously flee. When she felt the sudden tug from behind, her first reflex was to let go—

Thud!

A crisp sound broke the silence.

A white arc traced through the air as a book fell to the ground, accompanied by two autograph pages fluttering down.

The warm glow of the streetlamp reflected off the silver edges of the pages, casting fragmented shadows between them. The distance between them remained unchanged, yet something intangible lingered in the space between them. Almost in sync, both bent down to pick up the fallen pages.

Ji Ranyou dusted off the book and clutched it to her chest. As she reached for one of the autograph pages, Gu Chen had already picked up the other. In that moment, as their hands moved toward the same spot, his long, slender fingers brushed against her own.

The sensation was unfamiliar, foreign.

Time seemed to freeze.

One second. Two seconds. Three.

Ji Ranyou was the first to react, yanking her hand away as if electrocuted. Without a word, she pressed her lips together and swiftly stood up.

Gu Chen cleared his throat, retrieving the page she had abandoned. “You don’t want it?”

“Nope. Consider it a gift.”

The only response was a whisper carried away by the evening breeze.

The corners of Gu Chen’s lips lifted slightly as he stood there, flipping the page over. But as his gaze landed on the two bold, sweeping characters scrawled across the autograph, his fleeting amusement froze.

The name wasn’t his.

It wasn’t Gu Chen.

---

“Weren’t you in such a rush to leave just a few minutes ago? How come you’re already back?” Xu Wei glanced up from the study room as he spotted Gu Chen heading upstairs.

“…”

“Oh wow, forgot your friends now that you have a girl? Not even answering my questions,” Xu Wei teased, wiggling his fingers dramatically. “I’m not even asking what position or how long—”

“…”

Xu Wei lowered his voice and leaned in. “Don’t feel bad, Old Four. It’s normal for guys to be quick their first time.”

“…”

Gu Chen’s face darkened instantly.

With an emotionless glance, he quickened his pace, leaving Xu Wei behind to ramble dramatically all the way to their dorm room.

By the time the door swung open, Xu Wei was the first to collapse into his chair, still talking. “Look, you don’t have to listen to everything we say, but when it comes to girls, trust me and Madman. I’ve dated a ton, and he’s watched me date a ton. We’re your mentors here.”

Gu Chen said nothing, merely flipping open his laptop.

“Wait, wait, so you really didn’t get anywhere with her?” Yi Tingfeng poked his head down from the top bunk. “Didn’t you say you were discussing a research topic?”

“Next time.”

Two simple words, as if he were completely unaffected.

But when Gu Chen skipped his nightly workout, both his roommates exclaimed in unison.

“This still counts as ‘nothing’?!”

As Xu Wei turned to complain, his gaze landed on a crumpled autograph page sitting on Gu Chen’s pristine desk. He froze. “Wait a minute… Old Four, where did you get this?! Shisha isn’t even released yet! How do you have Er Ye’s autograph?!”

Yi Tingfeng scoffed. “Nah, if it’s unreleased, it can’t be real—wait.” He looked closer, then gasped. “Old Four, you scared the hell out of me.”

#This humble concubine cannot bear it!#

Gu Chen calmly closed his laptop. “Picked it up.”

“WHAT?!”

His roommates looked like they had just been struck by lightning.

Gu Chen ignored their exclamations and finally asked, “Shisha is a book? Er Ye wrote it? Who’s Er Ye?”

When he got no answer, he sighed and turned to Baidu himself.

Er Fu. Online writer. Signed author of XX website. Rose to fame in 2013 with Huan Sha, a novel that cemented his legendary status. His 2016 series, Shisha, has topped every major ranking. Book One is completed, Book Two is currently ongoing.

Flipping through pages of accolades and record-breaking sales, Gu Chen nodded. “Impressive.”

His roommates immediately launched into excited explanations about Er Fu’s masterful storytelling. Listening to their passionate discussions, Gu Chen found himself… intrigued.

Lying in bed that night, he told himself he’d only skim a few pages.

But as the protagonist hesitated before confessing his feelings, Gu Chen couldn’t help but think—

It reminded him a little too much of tonight’s conversation with Ji Ranyou.