A cool breeze blew in from the window, lifting Ye Qiu's bangs slightly. His slender eyes narrowed, and his sharp, sword-like eyebrows angled downwards, giving him a cold and intense look as he gazed at Ran Dongye.
A serious man can be very attractive, and a serious woman can be equally captivating. As Ran Dongye stubbornly stared into Ye Qiu's eyes, refusing to retract her extended right hand, she exuded a unique charm—a mix of determination and elegance, like a plum blossom standing tall and unyielding in the snow. It was a different kind of beauty.
After a long pause, Ye Qiu finally reached out and grasped Ran Dongye's hand, which had grown cold from the wind. "Ye Qiu," he introduced himself.
In that instant, it was as if flowers bloomed around them. Ran Dongye's face lit up with a sweet smile. "I knew you weren't the kind of man to hold a grudge."
"Don't think you understand people. In reality, you know nothing," Ye Qiu sighed inwardly. For the first time, he felt he had been bested by a woman.
Whether it was with Tang Guo, Lin Bao'er, or the astute Shen Monong, he had always maintained a playful attitude in his interactions with them. Even when they teased or mocked him, he had always been playing his own game.
But this time, he had lost completely and wholeheartedly. He couldn't help but wonder what the old man would think if he knew.
Ran Dongye seemed unfazed, her smile growing even brighter as she continued to gaze at Ye Qiu's elegant eyebrows. "We met at that restaurant when you were drinking with others, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you need me to do anything for you?"
"No."
"Alright then. I'll do my best to support you. If you ever need anything from me, just ask. We're friends now, after all," Ran Dongye said cheerfully. She patted her stomach and added pitifully, "I've been up since six this morning, busy with makeup and shooting the commercial. All I had was a piece of bread. I haven't eaten anything since then…"
"Let's go. Time to eat," Ye Qiu said as he headed back toward the canteen. Ran Dongye smiled brightly, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons. As Ye Qiu walked through the wooden door of the emergency exit, her smile faded, and she pulled a wet wipe from her bag, carefully wiping the blood from her lips. After checking her reflection in a small mirror to ensure everything was in place, she followed him out.
When Ye Qiu returned to the canteen, a fierce battle over a woman's honor was in full swing. Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er were locked in a verbal duel with Ran Dongye's three roommates, holding their ground admirably despite being outnumbered. The girls from the Film Academy, known for their acting skills, were no match for Tang Guo, an economics major with a sharp tongue. Lin Bao'er, too, was proving to be a formidable opponent, quick to exploit her adversaries' weaknesses and leaving them flustered.
Yang Le and Li Dazhuang, who had just returned with their chicken legs, were secretly relieved to find that Ye Qiu wasn't at the table. With the leading man gone, they hoped they could step up from being mere supporting roles to being the stars of the show. Li Dazhuang, in particular, was feeling a rush of excitement, surrounded by beautiful women. The envious glances from the other male students only added to his elation.
But their happiness was short-lived. Before they could decide which girl to approach, the women on both sides began arguing, their words sharp and their tempers flaring. Suddenly, any thoughts of flirting vanished as they found themselves desperately trying to mediate. They quickly realized that having too many women around wasn't always a good thing. For some, it was a stroke of luck; for others, it was a disaster.
Seeing Ye Qiu return, the two men were overjoyed. They quickly offered him their seats, eager to escape the chaos.
Ye Qiu glanced at Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er, then at Ran Dongye's roommates, and said, "You all continue eating. I'm full and have something else to do."
Without waiting for objections, he stood up and headed for the door. This place was nothing but trouble, and he needed to get out as soon as possible. Yang Le and Li Dazhuang groaned inwardly. They had spent all their time getting food for the women and then trying to keep the peace, so they hadn't even had a chance to take a bite. They wanted to leave with Ye Qiu, but doing so would be too obvious and would make them look bad in front of the women.
Tang Guo snorted in annoyance, grabbed her lunchbox, and left with Lin Bao'er. With Ye Qiu gone, there was no point in continuing the battle.
"So, did you get him?" the woman with the deep purple eyeshadow asked, nibbling on a chicken leg as she gave Ran Dongye a mischievous look.
"What? Third Sister, what are you talking about?" Ran Dongye replied, feigning innocence.
"Still won't admit it?" the woman teased with a grin.
"Admit what? We're just regular friends. We were discussing some important matters earlier," Ran Dongye explained with a smile, trying to remain calm. She had promised Ye Qiu not to reveal their past acquaintance, so she couldn't afford to slip up now.
"Oh really? And did your 'regular friend' make you bite your lip until it bled?" the woman whispered into Ran Dongye's ear, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"What?" Ran Dongye gasped in shock. "No, this has nothing to do with him. I bit my own lip."
Her words caused an immediate stir.
Initially, no one had heard what Third Sister said, but Ran Dongye's panicked explanation drew everyone's attention to her lips.
It was too late to cover it up. On closer inspection, they all noticed a small tear on her lower lip, with a fine line of blood seeping from it—strikingly visible against her moist, red lips.
What could have caused this? Even Li Dazhuang, who had never held a girl's hand, could imagine what might have happened. They must have locked eyes, then embraced passionately, and then—*damn it, how did we not notice Ye Qiu had a violent streak?*
Third Sister gently patted Ran Dongye's soft cheek and teased, "Silly girl, if you're going to cover for him, at least come up with a smarter excuse. Who in their right mind would bite their own lip until it bled? If all non-virgins claimed they broke their own hymens, would you believe it?"
Seeing Yang Le and Li Dazhuang's faces turn beet red, Third Sister chuckled and said, "Oh dear, looks like we have a couple of virgins here. My apologies, I got a bit too graphic."
Ran Dongye touched her wounded lip and forced a bitter smile. She thought to herself, *I've really messed things up with Ye Qiu this time. I was trying to keep our connection a secret, but now it's only led to more misunderstandings.*
Ye Qiu, unaware of the situation in the canteen, felt relieved as he stepped out of the third canteen and saw no one following him. He turned to Lan Kexin, who had been quietly trailing behind him, and said apologetically, "Kexin, are you full? If not, I can take you to get something else to eat."
"No, I'm fine. I've had enough," Lan Kexin replied, smiling shyly and shaking her head.
"Alright. Do you have anything you need to do? I need to go to the supermarket to buy some bedding and other essentials—I might need to stay at school for a night sometime. Since Professor Chen already mentioned it, I don't want to embarrass him by refusing."
"I'll go with you. I can help you set things up," Lan Kexin offered gently, her face flushing slightly as she worried that Ye Qiu might misunderstand her intentions.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8