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From regular groups to VIP groups and even dedicated publishing circles, there was no denying it—Er Fu had a massive fanbase.
Not particularly interested in chatting with strangers online, Gu Chen yawned lazily and, quite naturally, followed Er Fu V.
Before he even had a chance to scroll through the feed, a row of related recommendations popped up. He quickly skimmed through the reward rankings, noted the big-shot writers who frequently appeared there, and followed them all in one go. Only then did he disconnect from the internet and actually go to sleep.
Almost the exact moment he set his phone down—
Er Fu V: Woke up at 4 AM, but I’m not in the mood to read Haitang. Would the great Kawabata Yasunari strike down a mere mortal like me? 【Silly Husky】【Silly Husky】
Even at this hour, there were still night owls burning the midnight oil and early risers who defied common sense.
Couldn’t Pull an SSR So Not Changing My Name: Er Ye, why are you still awake?! Staying up late is bad for your health—and your kidneys!!
Debbie is not a fool: Er Ye, are you on your period? Tossing and turning, unable to sleep… your mood seems kinda weird…
Sweet and Sour Donut: Or is it because your little wifey is on her period? That would explain it… Er Ye, come here! I was devastated when I saw Zheng Meiren and Lao Luo being shipped together!!
I Am Not an Elementary Schooler: 2333 The comment above makes sense, but I’ll still be here waiting for the fluff moments! 【Innocent smile】 …By the way, Er Ye, when will we get a photo drop? We need the little wifey!!
Debbie is not a fool: We need the little wifey!!
Rarely-Renamed Er Fu Support Club V: Just woke up and saw this—what the heck… Er Ye, we need the little wifey!!
…
Scanning through the endless rows of fans demanding the little wifey, Ji Ranyou wiped away the cold sweat forming on her forehead from period cramps and painstakingly turned over.
Er Fu V: Shhh… my beloved consorts, for my Empress has just gone to sleep.
…
Pale complexion, chills, chest tightness—those were just minor symptoms. During these special days, the kind of pain that felt like being flayed alive made it impossible to stand up straight, not to mention how much her immune system took a nosedive.
Especially for someone who barely exercised.
A pile of crumpled tissues, a laptop, and Qin Dai’s heroic food-delivery service were Ji Ranyou’s only saving grace in this cold, sickly dormitory.
Day and night blurred with no sense of time..
The first day.
The second day.
The third day.
The fourth day…
Until—
Writers usually had a fixed circle of friends. These were people who started as acquaintances but became as close as family—sharp-tongued yet supportive, teasing yet understanding.
And among them, “lazy” had always been a title reserved for Er Fu.
But then—
Friday afternoons were prime time for group writing sprints. The moment a few people logged into the writing software, they were greeted with the shocking sight of Er Fu at the top of the leaderboard with over 10,000 words written—by just 1 PM.
Utterly stunned, they reloaded the page again and again, making sure the system wasn’t glitched. When the numbers didn’t change, the group exploded in chaos.
Chu Binghe: 【Screenshot】 WHAT AM I SEEING? WHAT AM I SEEING?! WHY IS OUR LITTLE ER FU AT THE TOP?! IT’S ONLY 1 PM, AND SHE’S ALREADY WRITTEN OVER 10,000 WORDS?!
Jin Tao the Wastrel: You must be mistaken… Er Fu hasn’t finished watching her dramas, hasn’t eaten, hasn’t grinded her mobile game, hasn’t napped, and hasn’t done her face masks yet—how could she be writing?!
Fifty Steps laughing at Five Hundred Steps: @Everyone—wait, the real shocker is here【Screenshot】… Er Ye has been writing 20,000 words a day, averaging 18 hours of writing time daily, and this has been going on for nearly a week!!
Fifty Steps laughing at Five Hundred Steps: @Little Er Fu Who’s Not a Girl! GET OUT HERE! Confess! WHERE HAVE YOU HIDDEN OUR ER YE?! WHAT KIND OF TENTACLE MONSTER ARE YOU?!
The Almighty Potato: Wait… remember on Monday? Er Ye said she was going to “discuss academic topics” with her male god and study hard… Could it be… that her male god is actually… gay?!
Chu Binghe: Did she just… witness Male God with his boyfriend?!
Fifty Steps laughing at Five Hundred Steps: You guys are so mean! At most, maybe… Male God’s real face was revealed without a beauty filter, and Er Ye was so horrified she collapsed and became bedridden?!
The Almighty Potato: …
Chu Binghe: …
Jin Tao the wastrel: …
#You Win#…
Ji Ranyou had just finished her routine phone call with her mom when she put down her phone and got bombarded by group @mentions. Following her mom’s advice, she took out the last cup of ginger tea, brewed it, took a sip, and sniffled.
Little Er Fu Who’s Not a Girl: Oh, right. I seem to have some people’s embarrassing photos in my computer. Just clearing them out. If my hand slips and they end up somewhere…
The previously chaotic chat room fell dead silent.
As she scrolled through past messages related to her male god, Ji Ranyou absentmindedly wiped her nose, wincing as the tissue scraped her already irritated skin. The pain unexpectedly sharpened her dulled senses.
Knowing full well that her friends were still online, she hesitated for a moment before sending a voice message, her nose still stuffy—
“That day, I went. Then I found an excuse to leave early. Though I did run into him at the entrance, we didn’t actually get around to discussing the topic. We rescheduled.”
Chu Binghe: So you ghosted him… and took it out on us?
The Almighty Potato: So you ghosted him… and took it out on us?
Fifty Steps laughing at Five Hundred Steps: So you ghosted him… and took it out on us?
…
Before they could finish their synchronized roasting, Ji Ranyou @mentioned Chu Binghe: “Quit stirring things up.” Then, she sent a second voice message.
After saying the three letter and one heart, there was a five-second silence.
Just as everyone thought that was all, Ji Ranyou’s casual voice finally arrived, slow and deliberate:
“Chu Binghe, from the perspective of a normal young man in his early twenties, what is the significance of keeping a post like that?”
As a published author researching psychology of those in relationships, Chu Binghe responded without hesitation:
“I’m not him. How the hell would I know?!”
Ji Ranyou: “…”
“But, theoretically speaking, there are a few possibilities,” Chu Binghe continued, deciding that typing was too slow and switching to voice message. His Mandarin, laced with a heavy Cantonese accent, made his words sound both awkward and amusing. “One, he simply forgot to delete it. Two, he doesn’t care either way. Three, it holds some sort of significance.”
“Wait a second,” Chu Binghe suddenly realized something. “Little Er Fu, don’t tell me you ghosted him just because of that?!”
On Ji Ranyou’s desk, a stack of textbooks and notebooks lay haphazardly to the left. On the right, half-eaten snacks clipped shut, unopened junk food, tangled data cables, and neglected skincare products were scattered in the remaining space.
Chaos. Disorder.
She had been living in this state for a week. She wasn’t sure why, but as she listened to Chu Binghe’s analysis, a strong sense of fatigue suddenly washed over her.
Frowning, she debated whether she should clean up. At that moment, a voice call request from Chu Binghe popped up. She answered, and his voice continued in her ear—
“You don’t have to admit it. I already know—you care.” Chu Binghe hit the nail on the head. “I won’t deny that you’re rational and intelligent in many ways, but in others, you’re just as prone to doubt and overthinking as anyone else.”
“I want to hang up.”
“Let me finish.” His slowed-down tone had a calming effect. He paused for a few seconds, giving her enough time to process before continuing. “You rarely go out. You hardly socialize. So first, you need to figure out—do you really like him, or is this just a momentary rush of hormones?”
“Not just admiration for his type, not picking a type first and then happening to meet him,” Chu Binghe thought carefully and simplified the complex concept. “I mean that kind of genuine, undeniable liking… You’d know if you felt it, right?”
“I want to hang up.” Ji Ranyou stuck to her four-word reply.
“Yuzu, last question.” This time, Chu Binghe called her by her real name and sped up his speech. “If it’s just a fleeting crush, there’s no need to overthink. But if you’re sure—does he have a girlfriend?”
“I don’t think so?” Ji Ranyou recalled what Qin Dai had dug up from Xu Wei—“He’s going with the flow, but it’s probably unlikely.” She gave it some thought and confirmed, “No, he doesn’t.”
“Then what are you anxious about?!” Chu Binghe exclaimed. “If you want him, and he’s not married yet, who cares if he posted one heart emoji or ten? It means nothing, just like commas and periods mean nothing!”
Realizing she didn’t want to answer, he didn’t press her. Clearing his throat, he switched tactics. Just like when they were kids, he used his ultimate move—singing (horribly) to make her laugh.
“Left hand holds a chicken, right hand holds a duck, waiting for you to bring a brother-in-law home~”
Ji Ranyou burst out laughing. “Alright, you can go now—”
“Got it!” Chu Binghe immediately went with the flow, but not without continuing, “I’m rolling away in the wind and rain~ But so what~ Wipe your tears, don’t be afraid, at least we can still act cute~”
Ji Ranyou: “…”
#With talent like this, why not audition for The Voice?#
#Cousin, may I ask what your dream is?#
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Goofiness aside, Chu Binghe was a proper academic, specializing in psychology.
From childhood to adulthood, Ji Ranyou had never hidden her emotional ups and downs from him.
Let alone—Gu Chen.
Skipping over the question and avoiding an answer wasn’t just some shy, girlish hesitation.
It was because… she herself didn’t know the answer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Although Ji Ranyou wasn’t someone who loved going out, staying in for an entire week straight… was still a bit unusual.
“I think if you don’t go out soon, you’re really going to start growing mold.”
Waking up at 9 a.m. on a no-class Saturday was standard practice for Qin Dai. After finishing her daily Onmyoji tasks, she called out to Ji Ranyou.
“Yuzu, it’s already 10:30. You told me to wake you up… Want to go out for food today?”
A sound of turning over came from the bed.
Qin Dai pressed on. “You haven’t seen the outside world for so long—are you sure you’re not growing mold? One leaf falls, and the whole world knows autumn has arrived. Except for you…”.”
Another sound of turning over.
Qin Dai went in for the kill. “It’s Saturday. Yesterday, I saw a post on the university forum recommending a Chongqing-style Chicken Hot Pot place—one that doesn’t even exist in Chongqing! They say it’s pretty good. There’s a buy-one-get-one free deal today, and their beef pot has great reviews. Also—”
“Okay.”
With that single word, the sound of rustling clothes came from behind the curtain-covered bed.
Having finally won the long battle of persuasion, Qin Dai let out a deep sigh of relief. To commemorate the moment, she posted a meme of a slumped cat in her feed:
“An entire week. I kept wondering—if I have the gift of persuasion strong enough to get Yuzu to go out for some fresh air, why am I not selling those 998-yuan TV deals? But as it turns out, forget 998—Dongmen’s Chongqing Chicken Pot is all it takes!! 【spinning in circles】【spinning in circles】”
Qin Dai was on Xu Wei’s special notifications list.
The moment the post popped up, Xu Wei poked Gu Chen, who was staring at his computer.
“Hey, Old Four, want to grab lunch outside?”
“Another day.”
The rejection was calm and indifferent.
Xu Wei poked him twice more. “I saw a post yesterday about this Chicken Pot place—apparently, it’s really good… More importantly, Qin Dai is going. If I go alone, my intentions might be too obvious… Help a bro out?”
“Another day.”
Still, the rejection remained calm and indifferent.
Xu Wei grinned at Yi Tingfeng, who had just poked his head out from his bed, then cleared his throat and started dramatically reading aloud:
“An entire week. I kept wondering—if I have the gift of persuasion strong enough to get Yuzu to go out for some fresh air, why am I not selling those 998-yuan TV deals? But as it turns out, forget 998—Dongmen’s Chongqing Chicken Pot is all it takes—Hey, hey, Old Four!”
Before he could even finish reading, he saw Gu Chen shutting his laptop and getting up smoothly.
“Old Four, where are you going with your phone and keys?”
“To Dongmen. Fengzi, get out of bed.”
Gu Chen rapped his knuckles against Yi Tingfeng’s bed frame.
“Lunch is on me.”