Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 35

After eleven o’clock at night, Hangzhou’s summer air was at its gentlest.

A soft evening breeze drifted through, the heat had subsided, and in the distance, frogs croaked rhythmically.

Lu Yibei stayed with Ji Qingqian a little longer.

The girl stretched her long legs comfortably, while he quietly trained his night vision.

“Yibei.”

“Ah… yeah.”

He quickly tore his gaze away.

“Did you come to military training today?” she asked.

“I did.”

“I didn’t see you.”

“How do you know?”

“My roommate saw you and just called me,” Ji Qingqian said. “She said you smiled at her.”

Lu Yibei tried to recall:

“Oh, her.”

Her eyes tilted slightly: “You remember?”

He conjured the memory and mentally clicked [Delete]:

“Not really. Did she know we know each other?”

Ji Qingqian shook her head.

“Girl, this is painful. Not introducing me to your roommate… is knowing me such a shame that you can’t even say it?”

He dramatically clutched his chest.

Ji Qingqian looked conflicted:

“I don’t know how to put it.”

Lu Yibei smiled, letting go of the act. His voice softened: “Just joking. If you don’t know what to say, don’t. It’s fine. You’ll have the chance to introduce me later, just follow your pace.”

She nodded softly.

Knowing she wasn’t very social, Lu Yibei took extra care to be gentle with her.

But…

Warm as her heart felt, criticism still had to be delivered.

“You came to see me,” Ji Qingqian said, slightly displeased. “Not someone else. Why’d you leave before I could see you? Busy with class?”

He smiled: “I was afraid Monkey Bro would chase me down.”

Ji Qingqian: …

Typical, teasing the instructor like that.

“Next time, I’ll wait until you see me before I leave,” Lu Yibei promised.

“Okay.”

She thought for a moment and added: “But you don’t have to come at noon every day. Aren’t you afraid of the heat?”

“I come at noon because I am afraid of the heat,” he said.

Suddenly it clicked for her.

He worried she wouldn’t be able to handle the intensity of training, so he always chose this time.

He really thought of everything.

“I’m fine,” she whispered.

“I can tell. Northeast Superwoman, after all.”

“Pretty impressive, huh?”

“Very.”

“Eep.”

A soft moan suddenly echoed.

It carried both pain and pleasure.

Lu Yibei looked at her.

“…Not me,” Ji Qingqian denied.

She looked at him.

“Then definitely not me,” he said.

Clearly a woman’s voice.

The night was dark, wind rustling.

A mysterious female moan.

Ji Qingqian noticed his pupils twitch. She immediately recalled how timid he had been watching horror movies together.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

She pressed her hand over his, giving him courage.

“Not afraid,” Lu Yibei said helplessly. “I’m not timid to this degree—”

The woman moaned: “Don’t…”

“—level—”

Lu Yibei: …

To clarify in advance, he wasn’t scared, just felt something… off.

Encountering this at such a late hour would feel eerie to anyone.

“But definitely not afraid,” he insisted. “It’s just a series of brain reactions to the weirdness—pressure triggers special chemicals in the body…”

Ji Qingqian: …

By any normal standard, Lu Yibei’s “series of brain reactions” was just… fear.

“You stay here, I’ll go check.”

Ji Qingqian intended to find the source of the sound. Lu Yibei stood behind her, taking a deep breath, keeping her close.

“If there’s anything, stay behind me…”

Thinking carefully, it probably wasn’t supernatural. Lu Yibei told himself—there’s no way it’s really ghostly.

Understanding that, he wasn’t scared at all. He certainly wouldn’t let Ji Qingqian face it alone.

She lowered her gaze, noticing his hand firmly holding hers. Slightly trembling… but he stood in front of her.

“Mm,” she smiled.

They walked toward the bleacher steps.

Beneath the dim streetlights, they saw a couple…

Caught in the act of making out.

Woman: “Stop… someone’s coming, eep…”

Man: “Relax, no one comes here this time of night…”

Lu Yibei and Ji Qingqian exchanged glances.

Had they run into this scene before?

God, not again!!

The woman noticed first, slapping the man hard on the shoulder.

He turned, startled.

Lu Yibei no longer ignored them:

“Buddy, do you know what time it is?”

The man, interrupted twice, was irritated. The woman glanced at her phone knowingly.

“Ah! Eleven twenty!”

She punched her boyfriend’s chest: “It’s your fault… the dorms are closed! What if I can’t get back?”

The man hadn’t checked the time either, clearly scared.

“Pay attention next time,” Lu Yibei said. “If not, book a room outside. A few bucks, no big deal…”

The man snapped back: “Look at you, not so different yourselves!”

Lu Yibei wanted to argue, then realized he was holding something soft in his palm.

One look… oh.

He let go.

Not on purpose.

Lu Yibei smiled sheepishly.

Too many surprises tonight; he had lost count of how many times he’d said that.

Ji Qingqian’s gaze mocked him.

You’re just a coward.

Lu Yibei: …

Two choices: A) Admit you were scared and didn’t notice, or B) Admit you intentionally grabbed the superhero’s hand.

He decisively chose… “or.”

He ignored Ji Qingqian and continued talking to the man.

“We’ve cleared it with the dorm supervisor; it’s fine to go back now.”

The man was shocked. Really okay?

“Let’s go.”

Lu Yibei nodded at Ji Qingqian, and she nodded back. The woman clutched at a lifeline.

“Which dorm building are you in?” she asked.

“…Building 10,” Ji Qingqian said.

“Perfect, I’m in 10 too!” The girl breathed out, pleading: “Can you take me along… please, please!”

Lu Yibei nodded to Ji Qingqian.

She nodded back at the girl.

Two men watched as the two women entered the dorm.

The dorm supervisor, noticing the extra girl trailing behind Ji Qingqian, quietly scolded them before letting them in.

A close call, but safe.

“Which dorm are you in, buddy?”

After leaving the women’s dorm, the man followed Lu Yibei, hoping for a free ride like his girlfriend.

“I don’t stay in the dorm.”

That crushed the man’s hopes: “You’re planning to sneak out of school? Want to come?”

The man: …

Wait, what? Bro??