Yu Qian carried two boxes of strawberries back to the dormitory. As soon as she opened the door, an explosion of loud music instantly made her flinch.

Han Yun was applying a face mask. When she saw Yu Qian return, she quickly turned down the volume.

“You’re back.” Han Yun greeted her with a grin.

“Mm, where are the others?”

Yu Qian placed the strawberries on the table, then walked over to her chair, sat down, and took off her shoes.

Han Yun replied, “They went out for dinner and haven’t come back yet.”

So that’s how it was. Yu Qian didn’t even bother asking if Han Yun had eaten. She already knew the answer. Han Yun was definitely waiting for the other two to bring food back for her.

After more than half a semester together, they had more or less figured out each other’s habits. Take Han Yun, for example. She was cheerful, generous, and loyal, but there was one problem— she was lazy!

So lazy that when she didn’t have classes, she would just lie in the dorm all day, relying entirely on her roommates to bring her food and drinks. Compared to her, Yu Qian felt like she wasn’t even qualified to call herself a homebody.

After changing her shoes and washing her hands, Yu Qian opened one of the boxes of strawberries, washed them, and handed some to Han Yun. “Here, have some strawberries.”

Han Yun thanked her and unceremoniously grabbed one, carefully biting into it before tilting her head back to chew.

“Did Jiang Zheng buy these?” Han Yun asked, looking at Yu Qian with a teasing expression.

She couldn’t be blamed for thinking this way. No matter how much Yu Qian denied it, the two looked like a couple.

Besides, every candid photo of Jiang Zheng on the school forum, except for those taken in classrooms, always seemed to have Yu Qian in the frame.

Yu Qian choked for a second at the question and said irritably, “Just eat your strawberries.”

So that was as good as admitting it, huh? Han Yun smirked knowingly.

Feeling a little uncomfortable from the teasing, Yu Qian dumped half the strawberries into Han Yun’s bowl before quickly retreating to her own seat.

Looking at the strawberries, Yu Qian’s eyes filled with amusement.

On the way back, Jiang Zheng had seen a girl sweetly pulling her boyfriend into a fruit shop. Without a second thought, he had dragged Yu Qian inside too, telling her to pick whatever she wanted while he paid.

The way he acted— like he had an unlimited card and was ready to buy out the entire store— left Yu Qian speechless. Just how many domineering CEO novels had he read in private?

She still had fresh oranges and kiwis in the dorm, so she hadn’t planned on buying any more fruit. But Jiang Zheng stood there like an immovable mountain and she didn’t want to attract attention by arguing with him, so she randomly grabbed a box of strawberries and waited for him to pay.

Then, Jiang Zheng insisted that one box wasn’t enough and added another.

The whole way back, he walked with an air of determination, holding the two boxes of strawberries in a manner that completely clashed with his usual demeanor. The sight of him exuding the confidence of a nouveau riche nearly made Yu Qian burst out laughing.

Jiang Zheng was learning how to love her, and she could feel it. Though his actions were sometimes ridiculous, looking at him filled her heart with warmth. Walking beside him, she couldn’t help but wonder. If they kept going like this, would their future be a happy one?

Yu Qian ate the strawberries with a soft smile.

Her phone vibrated. When she opened it, she saw a message from Jiang Zheng, 【42 days.】

Just a number, yet they both knew what it meant.

With Jiang Zheng’s daily countdown, this was the first time Yu Qian had been so aware of her approaching birthday. In the past, she only ever remembered it when her mother or Qi Yu reminded her.

But now……

She was actually looking forward to it.

She wondered how Jiang Zheng would confess when the time came.

────ρя


As the weather grew colder, Yu Qian took advantage of the weekend to bring all her thick winter clothes to the dormitory.

“Yu Qian, the day after tomorrow is New Year’s Day. The senior sisters in our club said they’re organizing a mixer. Are you coming?” Zhao Na, who was sitting beside Yu Qian, looked at her excitedly.

A mixer?

“I don’t want to go.” Yu Qian immediately shook her head. If she went to a mixer, Jiang Zheng would probably lose his mind.

Besides, she had no interest in sitting around eating and drinking with a bunch of strangers.

“Come on…… Han Yun and Zhang Qiuli are going too. Our whole dorm should go together!” Zhao Na clung to Yu Qian’s arm, trying to persuade her.

“I really don’t want to go.” Yu Qian firmly refused.

“Zhao Na, are you stupid? Qianqian already has a boyfriend. Why would she go to a mixer? Do you want to put a green hat^[1]being cheated on by a partner on Jiang Zheng?” Han Yun looked at Zhao Na like she was an idiot.

“Yeah, aren’t you afraid Jiang Zheng will come after you?” Zhang Qiuli grinned. “If you drag Qianqian there and Jiang Zheng shows up, we won’t be able to save you.”

Oh, right. Yu Qian wasn’t single.

Suddenly remembering Jiang Zheng’s existence, Zhao Na shivered. It was Yu Qian’s fault for being too low-key. Zhao Na had completely forgotten.

Ever since the video of Jiang Zheng scolding someone had gone viral on the school forum, his nickname had changed from ‘Campus Heartthrob’ to ‘Campus Heartbreaker’. They had imagined what it would be like to be on the receiving end of his wrath, and the thought alone was enough to send shivers down their spines.

He had a face that could steal souls, but the moment he spoke, he left people with no will to live— truly a man whose words could break hearts.

After that incident, no one dared to test him again.

“Thanks for the reminder, Sisters. I almost made a huge mistake.” Zhao Na dramatically patted her chest, exaggerating her gratitude toward Zhang Qiuli and Han Yun.

Yu Qian watched their over-the-top performance in exasperation.

Even though Jiang Zheng wasn’t officially her boyfriend yet, she didn’t bother correcting them.

“Hey, Qianqian, I want to ask you something.” Zhang Qiuli turned her chair to face Yu Qian, her expression full of gossip. “Has Jiang Zheng ever…… scolded you?”

The other two instantly perked up, eagerly awaiting her answer.

Yu Qian: “……”

“Why would he scold me?” She found the question baffling.

“Because Jiang Zheng is really skilled at scolding people. I feel like he must have practiced a lot.” Zhang Qiuli said seriously.

What kind of logic was that? Just because he was good at it, did that mean he used her as a practice target? Couldn’t it just be his natural talent?

Yu Qian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“You’re an idiot. People are different.” Han Yun smacked Zhang Qiuli. “Qianqian is his girlfriend. How could she be the same as those other girls? Girlfriends are meant to be spoiled, right, Qianqian?” Han Yun suddenly changed the subject. “So when he gets mad, does he choose to kiss you or hug you?”

Yu Qian: “……”

They were getting more and more outrageous.

Their relationship was still completely platonic— just a pure, innocent connection.

Unfortunately, no one would believe it.