Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 33

“I didn’t mean to.”

Lu Yibei raised both hands stiffly, offering a mock French military salute.

Was this flirting? Probably.

Strictly speaking, it was close contact—back in the old days, such things could land someone in serious trouble.

But he genuinely hadn’t noticed the small black mole.

So Ji Qingqian even had a mole on her neck…

Lu Yibei’s gaze couldn’t help but be drawn back.

Ji Qingqian lightly traced her neck where his hand had touched, her cheeks flushing.

Yet seeing Lu Yibei standing there in a mock-surrender pose, all solemn and serious, struck her as slightly amusing. She pressed her lips together, paused, and said:

“Do you know what that means?”

“Ah?”

“You’re always peeking at my legs and never paying attention to anywhere else.”

Lu Yibei hastily insisted three times:

“I didn’t! Really didn’t! Absolutely didn’t!”

“Then you did it on purpose.”

“…Not really.”

“Then there’s no reasonable explanation, right?”

“….”

Ji Qingqian said lightly, “You’re punished.”

Though he felt it was accidental, Lu Yibei admitted his ‘guilt’ sincerely:

“Please punish me, my lady.”

“Look at me.”

Lu Yibei: ?

“Look.”

Ji Qingqian repeated, emphasizing it.

Lu Yibei lifted his eyes to stare.

Ji Qingqian, however, didn’t look at him. She gazed straight ahead, her profile serene and elegant, eyes cool and clear. As if wanting him to see better, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Lu Yibei, following her words, focused only on her cheek—completely oblivious to the faint pink at her ear.

After a moment, Ji Qingqian spoke coolly:

“Remember me.”

“…Mm.”

“Did you remember?”

“Remembered.”

“Good.”

Ji Qingqian lifted her legs slightly, swaying back and forth, a trace of delight in her eyes—but she didn’t speak again.

Her quiet nature made silence natural.

But Lu Yibei wasn’t quiet. He felt that if he didn’t speak now, it would seem like he was completely mesmerized by her.

Which… he kind of was.

He quickly found a topic.

“It’s been pretty hot these past days.”

Talking about the weather—so clichéd.

But classic still worked. Ji Qingqian didn’t notice the topic shift felt unnatural.

“Mm.”

“The sun’s strong.”

“Right.”

“You haven’t gotten much tan.”

“Really?” Ji Qingqian held out her arm.

Lu Yibei did the same.

Their arms pressed side by side.

He wasn’t exactly dark-skinned, but compared to his summer at home, he’d been under more sun at school, and his skin had darkened a bit.

Good, proves I’m not superficial, he thought.

But Ji Qingqian’s skin was even paler, translucent and flawless. The veins in her wrist were visible under the delicate skin.

“So fair.” Lu Yibei murmured.

By comparison, everyone else in military training looked tanned like him.

“I can handle the sun better,” she said.

Ji Qingqian didn’t feel proud—Lu Yibei’s skin was fine too.

Then, suddenly, she seemed to think of something. Her eyes sparkled mischievously, lips pressed together, as if she was… trying not to laugh?

Lu Yibei had never seen the heroine like this. He asked quickly:

“What is it?”

“…Nothing.” Ji Qingqian struggled to keep her composure.

“Ah?”

“Phew…”

After a pause, she took a deep breath and said: “I… can handle the sun… in short, I’m sun-resistent… pfft.”

Lu Yibei’s eyebrows twitched violently.

“Don’t make dirty jokes about yourself!”

Ji Qingqian turned her face away, giggled softly twice, then looked back, the smile fading a little:

“This isn’t good… I didn’t want to say it…”

“But then you thought, hey, it’s a rare joke, might as well share it with me?” Lu Yibei’s eyebrows still twitched.

“You just needed to know,” Ji Qingqian lifted her delicate brows. “Aren’t you going to laugh?”

Lu Yibei recited stiffly: “Hahaha.”

Then he muttered:

“You’re young but all you do is joke dirty… seasoned veteran.”

“I’m older than you,” Ji Qingqian said, calm again.

“Don’t brag,” Lu Yibei said. “Acting mature now… wait till you’re twenty-five, you’ll know how nice it is being younger.”

“You’re twenty, right?” Ji Qingqian asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m twenty too.”

“Huh?”

“My birthday’s in January, January 2nd,” she said, lifting her chin slightly, a hint of pride in her tone. “You should call me sister.”

Lu Yibei felt something was off.

Same age… but Ji Qingqian was technically older. He was in his second year, and she was only a freshman?

“Do students there start school a year later?”

“No, I repeated a year.”

“…?”

Lu Yibei didn’t respond, his mouth slightly agape.

“Don’t believe me?”

No sooner had she spoken than she suddenly moved—and his reaction was too slow.

She gasped, realizing her chin was already resting on Lu Yibei’s shoulder.

His arms completely wrapped around her.

Lu Yibei was holding her tightly.

Ji Qingqian froze, words failing her.

…What was happening?

Once she realized she was being embraced, his warm body immediately heated her cheeks.

Instinctively, she wanted to push him away. Yet his hug… wasn’t inappropriate at all. It was considerate, gentle, as if he were afraid of breaking her.

“Yibei, what’s wrong?” Ji Qingqian whispered, gently patting his back, trying to soothe him.

The hug was sudden, unexpected—she was actually worried about him.

Lu Yibei, stirred by her voice, remembered her half-asleep words about repeating a year just to come to Jiangnan… to see him.

He was already touched, and now he realized… this foolish girl had…

Taken the exam twice?

That was high school…

Lu Yibei felt like crying.

He awkwardly loosened his hold on her slender body:

“Scared you?”

“Mm,” Ji Qingqian answered honestly. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Suppressing the lump in his throat, Lu Yibei said casually: “Just scared you a little. We’ve known each other for three years, and I wanted to hug you the first time we met. But since it was our first meeting, I didn’t dare go too far. I waited… until now. Just the right moment… to surprise you a bit.”

Strong emotions often made people lose control.

Even this hug had caught him off guard; he quickly made an excuse.

Ji Qingqian looked at Lu Yibei silently.

He sniffled slightly. “Why… are you mad?”

“…Bored.” Ji Qingqian said.

“You’re not as bored as me.” Lu Yibei said.

So bored he repeated his final year of high school…

“Idiot,” Ji Qingqian said.

“You’re the idiot.” Lu Yibei replied.

So foolish he repeated his final year… just to come to this stupid school and meet a bored, foolish girl.

“Repeating… must’ve been exhausting, right?” Lu Yibei asked softly.

“No, I’m a genius. The first time I just wasn’t prepared,” Ji Qingqian said lightly, summarizing the year’s struggles.

“How could you play games while repeating a year? High-intensity gaming and studying… isn’t that pushing yourself too hard?” Lu Yibei’s eyes were slightly red.

Although she hadn’t said it outright, he could feel it—she played just to find him.

Thinking back, since last year, she hadn’t really played solo queues. Every game session was for him.

“I told you, I’m a genius,” Ji Qingqian teased. “Not like you ordinary people…”

Sadly, she felt that the only thing connecting her to the boy in front of her was the game.

So… she insisted anyway.

“And besides, if I hadn’t pulled your line in-game, you’d have been killed off and quit long ago.” Ji Qingqian said.