Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 72

Li Si said his goodbyes.

The 404 boys’ dorm crew returned quietly, walking in silence for a stretch.

Liu Jie broke the quiet:

“Do you guys think… in the river just now, Lu Yibei really got the campus beauty taken away just like that?”

“Not really the river’s doing.”

Hao Pang replied, “Judging by the scene, it looks more like the campus beauty herself ran off with him.”

Liu Jie was silent for a moment.

“That’s even more frustrating…”

When Zhou Zhou appeared, Liu Jie had worried for his brother.

Now, with Ji Qingqian stepping in, Liu Jie felt like his brother was driving a Land Rover.

…Wrong. With this proactive freshman and that Big C move, it wasn’t just a Land Rover—at least a Ferrari LaFerrari-level situation.

Tears of envy spilled out uncontrollably.

Zhao Sun clasped his hands, bowing in reverence:

“Junior Ji acted righteously, rescuing Lu Yibei from peril. Words cannot express your greatness.”

Hao Pang added, “Wait, didn’t you guys notice the hair tie on Lu Yibei’s wrist matches the one Ji Qingqian used for her ponytail?”

Liu Jie and Zhao Sun stared at him, a mix of shock and suspicion.

The sharp gleam in Pang’s eyes was like lightning.

Zhao Sun quickly composed himself, cleared his throat, and scoffed at Liu Jie:

“Jie, you’re hopeless. Zero observation skills.”

Liu Jie was even more confused: “You guys knew all along?”

“Of course,” Zhao Sun sneered. “I’m no fool from Jiangsu, Shanghai, or Sichuan. Do you think I’d be as dumb as you?”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?”

“Haven’t you heard Lu Yibei talk enough?” Hao Pang replied.

Liu Jie: …

“Fools never believe,” Zhao Sun said disdainfully.

Truthfully, he hadn’t believed it either.

But belief wasn’t the point—it was about making Liu Jie think he believed it.

Liu Jie was even more flustered.

This… Lu Yibei, you guys…

This is too unreal.

Could it be that the Liu family’s title of China’s top sci-fi mind was about to be stolen today?

……

At some point, Lu Yibei stopped resting his head on the heroine’s thigh.

Anyone who’s done the “resting on a thigh” thing knows—it can get surprisingly stiff over time.

Now he leaned back against the public bench, while Ji Qingqian tilted her head, resting it lightly on his shoulder.

Lu Yibei lowered his eyes.

He saw that their hands were still tightly intertwined.

The warmth of Ji Qingqian’s palm traveled from their fingers straight to his heart.

Then up to his forehead.

His brow itched… though he knew it wasn’t his brow—it was a mirage, stemming from the flutter in his chest.

Her lips had just brushed his cheek lightly, leaving a subtle thrill.

He breathed deeply several times before calming himself.

Ji Qingqian had let down her ponytail; her black hair fell straight.

She must have showered before leaving the dorm, leaving a faint citrus scent in her hair.

Neither of them spoke. They sat in quiet, as if communicating through the gentle contact of their intertwined fingers.

A cool night breeze whispered, sending faint chills across the lake’s ripples.

The lingering heat of a southern summer was fading.

“Summer’s almost over,” Lu Yibei said softly.

Ji Qingqian simply responded with a hum, leaning lazily against him, almost dozing.

Lu Yibei smiled.

He remembered how he used to divide personalities by seasons—broad strokes, but sometimes amusing in retrospect.

Take Xia Li, for instance—pure midsummer.

Bright smile, sun-kissed skin glistening with sweat, vibrant energy.

Summer embodied.

Ji Qingqian?

At first glance, she seemed like winter.

Cold features, few words, skin pale as snow.

But not quite—just like her name, Qingqian, not pure white, but a soft, refreshing blue-green.

The season that matched her most? Spring.

Occasional chill, but mostly warmth.

“Qingqian.”

“…Hmm.”

Lu Yibei whispered to the girl resting on his shoulder, “You are April on earth.”

Her half-closed eyes widened slightly, pupils dancing with delight. But she quickly suppressed the expression and replied calmly:

“Hmm. Then you are… May’s bittersweetness—”

“Shut up!”

Lu Yibei cut her off immediately. “Don’t try to get past the censor!”

And hero, how many years have you been surfing the web? This is way too old for anyone younger to get.

Ji Qingqian pursed her lips, finally letting the topic go. Instead, she offered a gentle, teasing compliment:

“You’re so corny. More and more corny, Lu Yitu.”

“…That’s from a poem by Lin Huiyin,” Lu Yibei explained.

Ji Qingqian adjusted her head, looking sincerely at him:

“I know.”

“So… you?”

“I’m just saying you’re corny. I have no issues with the poem itself.”

“You only have issues with me?” Lu Yibei mock-pouted.

“I don’t care about anything else,” she replied.

Lu Yibei’s mock sadness evaporated. “…Alright. Then give me a less corny one.”

He wanted to see what kind of flirtation this wandering heroine could conjure.

Ji Qingqian shot him a cool, piercing look:

“Steal, cheat.”

“…”

“But you did well today, so I’ll indulge you a bit.”

Her eyes flickered playfully, clever and sharp. She spoke lightly:

“Potatoes can become mashed potatoes, corn can become cornmeal… what can Ji Qingqian become?”

Lu Yibei: “…”

His lips twitched. He had no answer.

“Idiot.”

Ji Qingqian said coldly, “I can become… the one who loves you (mash).”

Lu Yibei: “Ha… haha. I see, I see.”

The perfect chapter.

How to describe it? He loved hearing it—spoken by Ji Qingqian herself.

But with her straight face and the pun…

He couldn’t say it aloud. Heroine… didn’t you think this was even cornier?

But if she was happy… that was enough.

Ji Qingqian frowned slightly, displeased: “Not good enough?”

Lu Yibei shook his head: “Perfect as is.”

“Then I’ll try a new one.”

She was serious this time. She lifted her head from his shoulder and gazed at the crescent moon.

The moonlight tonight was beautiful.

Lu Yibei thought of Natsume Sōseki’s famous words, often used as a confession: “I love you.”

No doubt Ji Qingqian knew, having read works he recommended, like I Am a Cat, The Young Master, and Poppy Grass.

And because he recommended it, she also knew that he knew the moonlight was beautiful…

He smiled softly, not surprised, but hearing her say it brought him immense joy.

“The wind is gentle too,” he thought to himself.

But Ji Qingqian didn’t praise the moon. She softly recited:

“The moon in the water is the moon in the sky, but the person before me is—”

Her clear eyes met his.

Lu Yibei froze.

The heroine had changed her approach, catching him off guard.

The final three words: “the one in my heart,” adapted from Eileen Chang.

He knew that too.

Lu Yibei couldn’t help but chuckle.

Ji Qingqian paused, then smiled gently, eyes soft:

“—mine.”