Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 61

Ma Jiao Jiao continued,

“So that’s why you came back so late… were you hanging out with Senior for a while?”

Ji Qingqian didn’t hide it and just gave a soft, “Mm.”

“The juice… was that from Senior too?”

“Mm.”

Technically, it wasn’t, but Ji Qingqian thought explaining would be too troublesome. She drank it anyway, so she might as well say Yibei brought it for her.

Besides, he wouldn’t mind~

Chu Chu stabbed at her rice with her chopsticks, looking indignant:

“Why do I feel like I’ve become part of your little Prey duo?”

“Next time, we won’t involve you,” Ji Qingqian said.

“I was wrong! Sorry!” Chu Chu apologized.

“I was wondering why Senior always comes around during the hottest part of the day,” Wang Jue whispered, realizing the gentleness in Lu Yibei’s timing. “Ah… he’s just worried Qingqian might not be okay…”

“Wow, that’s meticulous. Really careful,” Ma Jiao Jiao murmured in admiration. No wonder he’d won over this ice-cold goddess.

She didn’t voice it aloud, though—she knew Qingqian would get embarrassed if she did.

In all honesty… it was really Qingqian herself who wanted Yibei’s attention.

Chu Chu glanced sideways: “Jealous? Speaking of which, your Senior hasn’t even come by a few times compared to Lu Senior…”

Ji Qingqian cut her off: “No, that’s not right.”

Realizing she’d overstepped, Chu Chu hurriedly apologized: “Sorry, Jiao Jiao, I didn’t mean that.”

Normally, Chu Chu and Ma Jiao Jiao teased each other constantly, so it was easy to slip up like this.

Chu Chu knew gossiping behind friends’ backs was wrong. Comparing a female friend’s boyfriend was even worse—it could easily strain friendships.

Ma Jiao Jiao didn’t care.

“People have different ways of interacting. Lu Senior has his gentle side, and my Senior has his own strengths. Even if my Senior isn’t as good as Lu Senior, so what? I’m not as good as Qingqian either.”

She smiled lightly. Her words carried no bitterness, only sincerity:
“It’s natural to be a little jealous~ but you can’t force it.”

After finishing their meal, the group returned to the dormitory together.

Chu Chu took a short nap in the infirmary and recovered fairly well, deciding to push through the afternoon.

“After all, military training ends the day after tomorrow…”

Chu Chu said, though there was no achievement to be gained, “It would feel pointless to quit at the last moment.”

“The day after tomorrow, it’s just a morning drill, right? Forming a formation and done?” Ma Jiao Jiao asked.

“Mm,” Ji Qingqian nodded, climbing onto her bed and plugging in her headphones.

“There’s night training tomorrow,” Chu Chu said. “Not sure what we’ll do yet.”

At Jiangnan University, military training usually had no night activities—tomorrow was the exception.

“Senior said it’ll be some small games,” Ma Jiao Jiao explained. “Since the day after tomorrow is tight, there won’t be time to properly say goodbye to the instructors. So tomorrow night is basically farewell time.”

Wang Jue murmured, “That means time really flies.”

Chu Chu paused, realizing it was true…

At first, fourteen days of military training seemed unbearably long. Now, having made it to the end, it had passed in the blink of an eye.

Time itself is neutral—it’s never too fast or too slow.

But it can be cruel, slipping away without notice.

“So fast~~”

Chu Chu sighed. “Think about it: four years of college will feel long, but by graduation, we’ll look back and feel the same. Time waits for no one… hey!”

Chu Chu was about to praise herself for such a profound observation, only to realize:

Ji Qingqian was focused on her pad, Wang Jue and Ma Jiao Jiao huddled together watching the screen, completely ignoring her.

“What are you watching?” Chu Chu asked, leaning over to Ma Jiao Jiao.

“Dangerous in My Heart,” Ma Jiao Jiao replied.

Chu Chu: ?

“The full title is Dangerous Things in My Heart,” Ma Jiao Jiao said.

It was a romance-themed anime.

Chu Chu glanced briefly and scoffed: “Grown-ups still watching cartoons?”

If a newcomer to anime heard that, they’d probably argue back.

But Ma Jiao Jiao, a veteran otaku, just smiled faintly and said, “Ah, yes, our private viewing is like this,” brushing it off.

Then Chu Chu went over to Ji Qingqian’s bed and looked up:

“And you?”

Ji Qingqian removed her headphones: “What?”

“Watching what?”

Chu Chu assumed the icy goddess would watch something more mature. Looking at the pad, she couldn’t see clearly, but the visuals seemed nice—and featured real actors.

“Ultraman: Final Battle—Belial Galactic Empire,” Ji Qingqian said.

Seeing Chu Chu’s confused expression, she explained: “It’s an Ultraman movie.”

Chu Chu: …

She silently backed off. One ridiculous choice after another!

Still, with nothing else to do, she ended up sitting on the other side of Ma Jiao Jiao, fiddling with her phone while occasionally glancing at the anime.

She couldn’t help but scoff.

What’s so fun about these flat, paper-thin characters? Far less interesting than the sexy older boys and girls she liked.

So childish.

Ma Jiao Jiao and Wang Jue too… grown-ups, yet still liking this stuff.

…Hm? …Uh… Huh?

Chu Chu looked once, twice… and then again…

…and couldn’t look away.

Time passed quickly.

“…Let’s go,” Ma Jiao Jiao said to Wang Jue. “Time to gather soon—Qingqian, let’s go!”

“Mm,” Ji Qingqian replied, setting her pad aside. She sent a quick message to Lu Yibei that she was heading out to the assembly, then jumped off the bed.

“Wait!”

Chu Chu called out to Ma Jiao Jiao, anxious: “Can’t we finish this episode first? We’re halfway through!”

Ma Jiao Jiao: …

……

“The military training ends tomorrow,” Liu Jie said, asking the other three gathered around Zhao Sun’s computer: “Do you think Monkey Bro will have traditional performances tonight?”

“Don’t bother me.”

Hao Zhangwen cut him off, merciless: “Let’s finish Dangerous in My Heart first.”

Liu Jie sneered. A bunch of kids, squished together watching anime!

Sure enough, he was the only mature one in the dorm.

Yes!

He, Liu Jie, was following the manga…

Way ahead in the plot!

He leaned over to peek: “Oh, this episode, let me tell you…”

“Hey, fatty!” Lu Yibei called.

“Yes, sir!”

Hao Fatty immediately wrapped his thick arm around Liu Jie’s slender neck:

“Shut up, you spoiler dog!”

Once the episode ended and the ED rolled with no main feature, Hao Fatty finally released Liu Jie.

“What’d you say?” Lu Yibei asked.

“I asked if Monkey Bro’s event tonight will have traditional performances, and if so, will Junior Qing perform?” Liu Jie asked.

Last year, Monkey Bro’s game segment had been singing.

“How would I know?” Hao Fatty said. “Yibei, what do you think?”

“How would I know?” Lu Yibei said too. He hadn’t asked the heroine yet.

“Then… shall we go check?” Liu Jie tried tentatively.

“No. Totally pointless,” Zhao Sun continued clicking his mouse, looking for something else to do.