When Jing Ran returned to his grandmother’s house, the smell of chicken soup filled the air. It was the chicken soup he had stewed in a timed cooker before he left in the afternoon. Last week, Jing Li had eaten here, and his grandmother had stewed chicken soup for them. Jing Li seemed to really enjoy it and even had two bowls. Jing Li rarely ate much, only when she really liked something.

This pot of chicken soup was destined to go to waste.

Jing Ran poured the soup into the sink, cleaned the stewing pot, and didn’t eat any food. He went straight back to his room, intending to sleep. He turned on the light. In the morning, he had rushed out without folding the quilt. Now his bed was neatly made, and on top of the quilt was Jing Li’s home clothes.

Jing Ran took Jing Li’s home clothes, held them in his arms, and lay down on the bed. He thought that this would give him the feeling of holding Jing Li, but instead, it was filled with loneliness.

Throughout the night, Jing Ran felt that he had said something wrong, and that’s why Jing Li was angry.

Furthermore, he didn’t know how to coax girls, so Jing Li wanted to break up.

“Lili…”

Jing Ran murmured, feeling that his heart was uncomfortable, as if it was being pulled by something. Maybe he was sick, but he didn’t want to go to the hospital.

On Sunday, when Grandma came back from the countryside after soaking in a hot spring, she saw that only Jing Ran was at home and asked, “Where’s Lili?”

Jing Ran honestly confessed, “We broke up.”

“What? You broke up?” Grandma remembered that when she left, Jing Li was diligently applying medicine to Jing Ran’s feet without any signs of disapproval. How did they break up in just one day?

Grandma thought of a possibility and patted Jing Ran’s head with her hand, saying, “Oh, you little rascal, did you do something to Jing Li?”

Jing Ran looked at Grandma with a confused expression and asked, “Grandma, what are you talking about?”

Grandma thought for a moment. How could Jing Ran, such a simple child, do such a thing? She asked again, “Why did you break up with her?”

Jing Ran tightly closed his mouth and said nothing.

Grandma felt worried: Oh dear, how did things turn out like this after just a glance? She thought Jing Ran would be lucky to have a girlfriend and wouldn’t have to worry about not finding a wife in the future.

In the afternoon, when Jing Ran returned to school, he packed up Jing Li’s things. Yesterday, after Jing Li mentioned the breakup, they stood there for a long time without saying a word. It wasn’t until it got dark and the streetlights turned on that Jing Li, with some distance in her eyes, said, “Jing Ran, I’m going back to school.”

Jing Ran nodded and didn’t try to stop her. He watched her turn around and leave.

Ran Ran: [I’m back at school, below your dormitory, returning your clothes.]

The screen displayed a cold reply –

【The other party has enabled friend verification. You are not yet their friend. Please send a friend verification request and wait for the other party to approve it before you can chat.】

Perhaps Jing Li didn’t want to meet him either, so she blocked him on WeChat.

Jing Ran changed to sending a text message to Jing Li: [I’ve left your clothes with the aunt downstairs in the dormitory.]

After editing, he sent the message.

Jing Ran handed Jing Li’s canvas backpack to the aunt in the dormitory and said, “Room 305, Jing Li’s, she’ll come to pick it up later.”

The aunt’s office desk was right at the entrance of the girls’ dormitory staircase. She asked, “Are there any valuable things?”

“No.”

“Put it here!” The aunt pointed to an empty chair next to her.

“Thank you.” After Jing Ran put it down, he left.

Jing Li received the text message and walked out to stand in the corridor of the dormitory, watching Jing Ran enter the staircase of the dormitory and come out shortly after. She watched him pass through the basketball court and walk towards the school road, heading towards the library.

It seems that Jing Ran shouldn’t be affected and is still going to the library to study as usual.

The day before yesterday, Jing Ran confessed that he had liked her for a long time, and she was afraid that breaking up would hurt him.

Sometimes, Jing Li envied Jing Ran’s dull personality. Even if they break up, it wouldn’t bother him.

She cried all night yesterday because she realized that she seemed to like Jing Ran, but they had already broken up.

*
In the new week, Jing Li woke up early and went to the playground for a run as usual. The weather was gradually getting warmer, and there were more and more students running, but she didn’t see Jing Ran.

Jing Li went to the cafeteria to buy breakfast and saw Jing Ran eating in a corner. She was thinking whether she should go and say hello to him. However, Jing Ran finished his meal, stood up, took his tray to the food disposal area, emptied the leftovers, and placed the tray in the collection bin.

Jing Li watched him walk away, feeling empty inside.

Jing Ran just ignored her earlier—
Pretended not to see her.

At noon after school, Jing Li walked out of the classroom, and Jing Ran was not waiting for her in the hallway as usual to have lunch together.

“Jing Li, why didn’t the top student wait for you today?”

Jing Li’s roommates walked out together, and Cheng Xue was surprised to find that Jing Ran wasn’t waiting for Jing Li in the hallway.

Jing Li calmly said, “We broke up.”

“Ah?” The three roommates exclaimed simultaneously, and then started talking all at once:

“How did you break up?”

“If you break up with him, can I still stay in his debate team?”

“Did the top student cheat on you? I heard that ugly guys are more likely to cheat!”

Jing Li said lightly, “We broke up peacefully.”

Seeing that Jing Li seemed unhappy, her roommates stopped asking questions.

Jing Li: “Ruihua.”

Li Ruihua: “Yes?”

Jing Li: “You can join Jing Ran’s debate group. He’s not that petty.”

Li Ruihua: “…”

Since Jing Li broke up, her roommates felt that she had changed quite a bit.

She bought a lot of strawberry candies and kept them in the dorm, eating a few every day.

Who knows, Jing Li likes sweets but doesn’t like candy. Sometimes she even says, ‘Only children like to eat candy.’

As a bad student, she goes to the library every night with a few books to study.

A bad student being diligent in studying?

Does the sun rise from the west?”

*
Jing Li arrived at the library’s self-study room, but she was late, and all the good seats were taken by others. She could only sit near the restroom door, where an unpleasant odor occasionally wafted in.

This seat is toxic, no wonder no one occupies it.

Jing Ran was studying diligently in the center of the spacious self-study room. There were a few couples next to him, being affectionate, but it didn’t bother him.

Jing Li felt a bit annoyed by the couples next to him. Couldn’t they go somewhere else to express their affection? Must they occupy the seats around Jing Ran in the self-study room, not studying at all, and making her sit so far away from him?

When it was closing time for the library, Jing Li saw Jing Ran packing up his things. She also started packing up, pretending to accidentally encounter him.

“Jing Li.”

While Jing Li was packing up, a male student called her. She looked up and saw an unfamiliar face, someone who didn’t seem to be from the management department.

Jing Li asked, “What’s the matter?”

“I’ve liked you for a long time. Can we date?” The male student confessed shyly to Jing Li.

Jing Li, being the popular girl in the management department, often attracted a lot of attention to her love life. Just like when she broke up with Jing Ran, within two days, the whole department knew about it. Some male students saw an opportunity and came forward to confess their feelings to her.

Jing Li responded, “I’m sorry, but I already have someone I like.”

Suddenly, someone appeared behind the male student. It was Jing Ran.

Upon hearing her words, Jing Ran paused for a moment, then casually walked past them as if nothing had happened, heading towards the exit near Jing Li’s seat.

Uh-oh, Jing Ran must have misunderstood that she likes someone else.

Jing Li quickly took the two or three books from the table and hurriedly followed him outside.

Jing Ran‘s legs are much longer than Jing Li’s, and he easily descended three floors. Jing Li ran to the first floor to catch up with Jing Ran, breathing heavily. She wanted to explain to Jing Ran about “someone she likes ,” but they had already broken up.

Why would he care if she likes someone?

Will he mind?

“Boom…” A flash of light lit up the pitch-black night sky, followed by thunder, and within a minute, heavy rain poured down.

Jing Li is very afraid of thunder and instinctively walked up to Jing Ran to seek a sense of security. She stood behind him and reached out to tug at his clothes.

Jing Ran turned around and looked down at the trembling girl. This situation has happened several times. Whenever Jing Li is scared, she always tugs at his clothes and honestly says, “I’m scared…” But now, she didn’t say anything.
“Jing Ran, I didn’t bring an umbrella. Can you take me back to the dormitory?” Actually, Jing Li’s backpack has an umbrella, but she doesn’t want to take it out.

A few boys passing by heard that the campus belle didn’t have an umbrella, and one of the boys gallantly handed her a folding umbrella: “Goddess, you don’t have an umbrella, here’s one for you.”

Jing Li felt annoyed. How could outsiders interfere with her and Jing Ran?

“You’ve borrowed an umbrella, so I’ll go ahead.” Jing Ran raised the umbrella in his hand and headed into the pouring rain.

Jing Li angrily returned the umbrella to the boy and said, “No need, thanks!”

After saying that, she took out a girly pink folding umbrella from her backpack, opened it, and left the library.

The remaining boys were left standing at the library entrance, their hair disheveled by the wind.

Jing Ran returned to the boys’ dormitory and left the umbrella in the corridor outside. Their dormitory door was open, so he walked in without knocking.

Inside the dormitory, three boys were chatting and laughing. When they saw Jing Ran come in, they stopped laughing.

“What’s wrong?” Jing Ran found it strange. Usually, they were not like this. Even when he came in, they would continue their conversation. Jing Ran never participated in their topics, he just listened.

The dormitory, which was previously filled with laughter and chatter, suddenly fell silent when a certain person returned. It was easy to misunderstand that they were talking badly about that person.

Cao Jianhua clarified, “We were just talking about the male student from the computer science department. He just posted in our computer science WeChat group that he plans to pursue Jing Li within a week and even have intimate relations with her.”

“Intimate relations?” Jing Ran mostly focused on his studies and rarely chatted with others. Even when he did chat, it was about serious topics.

He doesn’t understand such vulgar words. The people in the dormitory know that Jing Ran is innocent, and they never showed him the explicit videos they privately shared. They felt it would be a terrible thing to corrupt such a well-behaved person.

Cao Jianhua explained, “It means going to bed, do you understand?”

“Oh,” Jing Ran responded indifferently.

Cao Jianhua asked, “Hey, don’t you mind?”

Jing Ran: “Jing Li has someone she likes. The person from your department can’t win her over.”

“Oh… Wait, did you say Jing Li has someone she likes? It’s only been a few days since she broke up with you, and she already likes someone else? Did she cheat on you?” Cao Jianhua discovered a new world.

Jing Ran pondered, realizing that she indeed had feelings for someone else, so she didn’t like him anymore. Everyone has the right to choose their own love, as long as Jing Li is happy. Even if he was cheated on and abandoned by Jing Li, what difference would it make?

• 
  A few days later, in the evening, Jing Ran came out of the library after studying.

Jing Li suddenly appeared, intercepting Jing Ran on his way back to the dormitory.

She earnestly said to him, “Jing Ran, I like you. Can we date?”

Jing Ran glanced at Jing Li indifferently and spoke calmly, “Jing Li, don’t joke with me. It’s not funny at all.”

“I’m not joking with you…” Jing Li felt a bit guilty. Did Jing Ran find out the real reason why she dated him before?

Jing Ran walked past her, continuing to move forward.
“Ranran, I really like you! I genuinely like you!” Jing Li anxiously shouted towards Jing Ran’s retreating figure.

However, Jing Ran didn’t turn back.

Jing Ran was lying, saying that he liked her a long time ago, but within a few days, he didn’t like her anymore.
Tears welled up in Jing Li’s eyes. Stupid Jing Ran, stupid top student, stupid little prince, I don’t like you anymore.

Jing Li sadly ran back to the dormitory and heard Li Ruihua gossiping, “Today, when we were discussing the arguments for the debate with Jing Ran and a few others, we all went to the cafeteria together after having dinner. Suddenly, a few junior sisters took turns confessing to Jing Ran. Jing Ran is just a bit plain-looking, but those junior sisters went too far. They used Jing Ran to amuse themselves on April Fool’s Day.”

What???

April Fool’s Day?

Jing Li took out her phone and checked the date—
It was indeed April 1st!

This time, she truly cried because of her own foolishness.