Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 77

When the minute and hour hands both pointed to twelve, Lu Yibei and Ji Qingqian were already lying down.
One faced left, the other right.
Even with the slight height difference between their sleeping spots, and even though nearly two meters separated them, it still felt as if they could sense each other’s warmth.
The lights were off.
The moonlight was blocked outside by the curtains.
The room was pitch black.
It was the first time since kindergarten that Lu Yibei had lain this close to a girl his age, sharing the same space while sleeping.
The sound of waves crashed gently in his ears.
It wasn’t real waves—it was the white noise his phone was playing.
Both Lu Yibei and Ji Qingqian were the type who couldn’t sleep without some background noise.
“…Yibei.”
Ji Qingqian’s voice floated softly from above.
Earlier, they’d exchanged some casual nighttime chat—nothing explosive, nothing monumental—just small stories about their pasts neither had known about before.
For example, Ji Qingqian had gone to middle school in the northern plains and only returned home to Harbin for high school.
Lu Yibei’s ancestral home was in Jiahe, where his grandparents still lived.
Little by little, they were feeling out each other’s histories.
Fragmented topics, seemingly endless.
Lu Yibei had so much more to tell her, but when Ji Qingqian tried to spark more conversation, he closed his eyes, pretending to nap, and murmured:
“…Mm.”
Drowsy, on the verge of sleep.
He had to wake early tomorrow. Morning classes were free, and no military training—relatively easy. Ji Qingqian, however, had a different schedule.
She didn’t call him again. After hearing his sleep-laden reply, she closed her eyes as well.
No matter the weight of yesterday’s events—Zhou Zhou, or the call from her father—at least he could sleep peacefully now.
Though she still had so much she wanted to say…
This was fine. Let him rest.
Both understood that love meant freedom—but also self-restraint.
Because love is restraint.
…
The alarm rang, shattering the waves.
Ji Qingqian stirred, still a little dazed.
The white noise had long since faded; she had dreamt the waves herself.
In the dream, she was barefoot on a beach, and Yibei was in front of her.
He held her hand, and they walked together—seemingly to the end of the coastline.
Ji Qingqian opened her eyes—but there was no ceiling in sight.
Something was blocking her view.
She touched her forehead and peeled off a sticky note attached there.
“Wake up first, I’m going out to buy a few things. Be right back. —Bei”
She got up and looked under the bed. Sure enough, it was empty.
Ji Qingqian smiled lightly.
Yibei didn’t text her; he left a sticky note—probably worried that she might be scared if she first noticed he was gone.
The note was direct and effective.
She would see it before anything else.
“Yibei’s handwriting is really good…” Ji Qingqian murmured.
She wasn’t an expert, couldn’t name the style—but the strokes, the verticals, horizontals, all carried his flair. The characters were tall and slim—just like him.
She folded the note, slipped it slightly into her phone case, then pulled back the curtains to peek outside.
It was still early, almost six o’clock.
The morning sun blazed red.
The dazzling light lifted her spirits.
She had expected last night to be hard to sleep.
The place was unfamiliar. And though she wasn’t a stranger to Lu Yibei, he was a boy, and she had never, not even imagined, sleeping in the same room with one.
Yet, unexpectedly, he gave her a sense of security.
She had slept soundly.
And…
Biting her lip, she glanced at the bed and the mat beneath.
This was still Yibei’s place.
She slid onto the mat herself.
This must be how he slept last night.
Thinking of this, her lips curled into a smile, her heart pounding as if little deer were racing inside.
She rolled from one side of the mat to the other.
Then back again.
Back and forth several times, meaningless—but utterly joyful.
Then she keenly heard the sound of a key in the lock.
The door creaked open, and Ji Qingqian immediately sat up in a “duck-sit” position, still on the mat.
“…Heroine, what are you doing?”
Lu Yibei asked, locking the door behind him.
She countered: “What are you doing?”
“Buying a toothbrush, cup, and towel for you,” he said. “Luckily, the convenience store opens early.”
“Isn’t there already?” Ji Qingqian said. “We could’ve made do.”
They had a toothbrush; the cup could be substituted by drinking straight from the tap; a towel could be replaced with water and tissue.
“You can’t always just make do.”
Lu Yibei laughed. There would be more nights ahead.
Then he wondered… did she really want to stay just this one night? And never come again?
…That would be awkward.
Ji Qingqian understood the “always” he implied.
She lowered her eyes, her usually cool expression softening.
“…You’re right,” she said softly.
Lu Yibei nodded, then straightened up:
“Then, Private Ji Qingqian!”
Military training had ingrained proper protocol—she immediately stood at attention.
“Yes!”
“Brush your teeth and wash your face! Full speed ahead! Report back when complete!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Take your equipment!”
He handed her the wash items—a new toothbrush with a soft head, slightly more expensive, but it didn’t matter.
He could rough it alone, but he wouldn’t let the heroine suffer.
Ji Qingqian went to the bathroom.
Lu Yibei collected the socks from the drying rack. The weather was fine—they were bone dry.
She completed her routine efficiently, placing the new cup beside his, hanging the new towel next to his as well.
Tilting her head, she smiled wider the more she looked.
She was about to report back to “General McYibei” when she saw him sitting on the mat, lost in thought, fingers tracing his brow.
Her tongue lightly brushed her lips pinkly.
Yesterday, she had kissed exactly where his fingers now rested.
Seeing his troubled expression, Ji Qingqian understood.
Weightless, she stepped lightly to the freshly washed boy.
Hands behind her back, she leaned slightly forward:
“Yibei.”
“Mm?”
“Do you remember what you said before?”
“Which one?”
“You can still eat KFC even after having eaten it before.”
“…Mm.”
Lu Yibei thought for a moment—he remembered.
But the heroine mentioning it now…
His gaze drifted upward. He couldn’t see his freshly washed brow. Meaning… it didn’t matter if it was cleaned. He’d kissed it already…
He was a little taken aback.
Ji Qingqian’s ears flushed, and she spat lightly:
“Don’t get any ideas. Not now.”