Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 100

Lu Yibei collapsed onto the bed.

Qingqian, who had been leaning against him, immediately scrambled up and leaned beside him.

“Yibei! Are you okay?”

Lu YiBrother Yibeintly blocked her soft, reaching hand.

“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

But as he spoke, a faint grimace crossed his face.

“…Just a little sore.”

Qingqian noticed the tip of his nose was reddened.

Her eyes filled with worry, yet she felt utterly helpless.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“It’s not that serious.”

He lay back for a moment, staring at the ceiling, then suddenly sat upright.

Qingqian followed, perching on the edge of the bed.

Lu Yibei lightly rubbed his still-sore nose, then glanced at the girl in the Hanfu beside him, who was holding her breath and staring at him without blinking.

He chuckled lightly:

“Come on, spin around once. Give your lord a little show—maybe the pain will go away.”

Lu Yibei’s mock-rogue tone made Qingqian scowl at him, cheeks puffed slightly.

But remembering he hadn’t really seen her properly in this outfit before, she quickly hopped off the bed.

“Wait for me!” she called.

She grabbed the hair tie on her wrist, bit it lightly between her lips, and gathered her hair at the back of her head.

As she pulled her high ponytail into place, she adjusted it in the mirror, ensuring it was neat and firm.

Once her long, dark hair was tied up, she turned back to face Lu Yibei.

Following his instructions, she spun gracefully once.

The hem of her cyan mamian skirt fluttered, and the high ponytail swayed elegantly behind her.

Her skin was pale as snow, lips like peach blossoms, slender and tall—cool yet heroic.

After her spin, she lifted her skirt slightly, bowed lightly, and clasped her hands behind her back, her posture perfectly straight.

She looked like a beauty stepping straight out of a classical painting.

Not a noble lady or a rich girl in finery—simply a white inner shirt paired with a modest, yet vibrant, cyan skirt. And yet, she looked every bit the heroine.

“…You really are a heroine,” Lu Yibei murmured.

Qingqian twirled her thumbs behind her back and asked softly:

“Do I look good?”

“Good,” Lu Yibei replied honestly.

Her dark eyebrows curved slightly, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. Unsatisfied, she pressed further:

“Really good?”

“The best,” Lu Yibei said without hesitation.

Her small, peach-like lips pressed into a satisfied line as she nodded.

“That’s good.”

A woman dresses for the one who delights her.

Her efforts to show off this outfit for him had not been in vain.

Seeing Lu Yibei’s eyes fixed on her, Qingqian was even more pleased.

To ensure he could see every detail, she spun a few more clean, precise circles.

The fluttering hem made Lu Yibei dizzy with admiration.

If she held a sword in her hands, it would have looked like a dance of blades.

Then Qingqian suddenly stopped, reaching out to steady herself on the wall.

“Dizzy,” she murmured.

“…Don’t push yourself!”

Lu Yibei hurried to steady her. He had thought her spinning so effortlessly meant she had dance training.

Qingqian sat briefly on the bed, letting her eyes clear from the dizziness.

“I’ll take a shower first.”

“Wait—you haven’t showered yet?” Lu Yibei asked, surprised.

She shook her head.

“You need the sound of water, right…? Yibei, what were you doing just now?”

She was referring to the moments she had been in the bathroom, dressing in her Hanfu, sensing that Lu Yibei had seemed distracted enough not to notice even whether water was running.

“Reading,” he said, holding up his copy of The Red and Blue Frozen in Time.

“You were holding it upside down.”

“…It’s for training my reverse-thinking ability,” he said stubbornly.

He couldn’t exactly admit he had been trying to block out the world to focus on his… impulses.

Qingqian hummed and repeated:

“Then I’ll go shower.”

“Mm.”

After her reminder, Lu Yibei could clearly hear the shower running inside the bathroom.

He placed the book back on his crossed legs.

Even with the book upright, his mind refused to focus.

Every sound from the bathroom penetrated his ears, startlingly clear.

He knew he shouldn’t overthink it, shouldn’t let his eyes wander—but they did, drawn involuntarily toward the bathroom door, like a joystick sliding out of control.

All he could see was the plain door.

Light spilled from the bathroom, but nothing of her form was visible.

Yet…

The sound of running water alone was enough to set his imagination running wild.

Web novels required imagination, after all—and once the scene was in his mind, there was no turning back.

“….”

He drew a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

Lu Yibei, Lu Yibei… what am I even saying to myself?

Don’t let your willpower overcome your desires… or wait, is that the wrong way around?

Either way, he was sweating.

He even felt sweat forming on his upper lip—and instinctively licked it.

Then he realized.

It wasn’t sweat.

He quickly looked up, grabbed a tissue from the bedside, and stuffed it into his nostrils.

Nosebleed! Damn it!

No wonder there was a strong metallic smell…

For a young man in his prime, that was almost too much to handle.

Or… was it a leftover effect from his nose colliding with the heroine’s forehead?

Lu Yibei pressed the tissue against his nose, silently praying it would stop quickly.

There were only two possible causes: the first, sheer physical trauma; the second… well, the second explanation would make the heroine worry, maybe even feel guilty.

If he blamed the first, he’d face utter embarrassment.

Neither explanation could be spoken aloud.

Above all, he couldn’t let Qingqian notice he had a nosebleed.

Fortunately, showers took longer for girls.

By the time she stepped out, Lu Yibei had stopped the bleeding completely—and, thanks to focusing all his attention on it, his mind was unexpectedly clear.

Qingqian had brought several changes of clothes but was still wearing the black T-shirt and loose sports shorts Lu Yibei had given her to sleep in.

She seemed fond of this outfit as sleepwear.

Perhaps worried about her hair, she had not washed it.

Her pale, delicate face was slightly flushed from the steam.

“Are you going to shower?” she asked.

“Mm, just a quick rinse,” he replied.

“Okay. Give me a tissue.”

Lu Yibei tore one off and handed it to her. She wiped her hands casually.

As she was about to toss the tissue into the bin, she noticed something.

Inside the trash, there was a layer of used tissues.

She remembered emptying the bin before her shower—it had been fairly clean then, with no mess.

These tissues had been used, each crumpled into a small ball.

Lu Yibei felt relieved—he had deliberately wrapped the bloodied tissue deep inside, so she wouldn’t notice.

He had even ventilated the room to avoid suspicion.

Yet, Qingqian’s dark, cool eyes betrayed a flicker of emotion—not regret or worry, exactly, but… surprise, and maybe a little panic.

She took a deep breath, then, half a beat later, tossed the tissues into the bin. She glanced at Lu Yibei meaningfully, but said nothing.

He read her expression perfectly.

What were you doing with so much tissue while I was in the shower…?

Lu Yibei: …

He scrambled mentally.

Adolescence, shared dorm, girl showering… what could a guy possibly be doing with all that tissue besides wiping a nosebleed?

“Wait!”

Lu Yibei quickly blurted: “Heroine! It’s not what you think!!”

Misunderstanding level: catastrophic.