Right after getting dumped, He suddenly learned that his best buddy was the legendary cold-as-ice school beauty. - Chapter 85

[Yibei: No.]

[Yibei: You’re being unreasonable, heroine.]

[Yibei retracted a message.]

[Yibei: Fine, what do you want as compensation?]

Ji Qingqian didn’t answer immediately. She asked:

[Qingqian: Are you in class?]

[Yibei: Principles of Computer Organization.]

[Yibei: So boring. Let your senior chew on this tough bone for you first.]

[Qingqian: Focus on class. Tell me after it ends.]

She remembered—Yibei had professional classes in the afternoon. His grades in this subject were excellent; she couldn’t afford to hold him back.

[Yibei: o…k]

[Yibei: Oh, right. Two of them are your roommates.]

[Yibei: Remember to forward the photos to them.]

[Yibei: After all, it’s a keepsake.]

Ji Qingqian flipped through the photos. Sure enough, there was one of Wang Jue and one of Ma Jiao Jiao.

Both girls looked serious, their expressions as resolute as soldiers on parade.

Chu Chu and Ma Jiao Jiao watched Ji Qingqian’s back nervously.

No surprises—she was probably messaging Senior Lu.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t fight over it.

Though it wasn’t a big deal, in the eyes of a couple in the throes of young love, there’s no room for even the smallest misunderstanding… especially with Ji Qingqian being so strong-willed.

Then their phones vibrated.

A dorm group chat.

“??”

Ma Jiao Jiao tapped first, surprised. “Huh? What’s this?”

Wang Jue exclaimed: “Why is mine here too?”

The photos looked great.

Even without filters.

As the saying goes, photography is the art of light. The sun was perfect today, everything came out beautifully.

“Mm.”

Ji Qingqian nodded. “Senior asked me to give them to you. At least it’s a keepsake.”

Ma Jiao Jiao immediately said, “Thirty years from now, when I pull this out, I’ll probably cry.”

Wang Jue nodded in agreement.

They’d changed back into their casual clothes, the military uniforms stuffed into the lockers.

No doubt—they wouldn’t wear them again.

“Thank your senior for me.”

Ma Jiao Jiao downloaded the original photos; the camera shots were over twenty megabytes each. “And there’s even a little surprise. Senior Lu really isn’t bad~”

Chu Chu glanced at Ma Jiao Jiao’s photo, then at her own posted on the official account, and instantly felt jealous.

She pointed at herself: “What about me?”

“No way, you already have three! Why compete with us?” Ma Jiao Jiao said.

“Exactly,” Wang Jue echoed.

“No matter, I want a surprise too!”

Chu Chu pouted and pleaded: “Qing… Qingqian~~ can you get me some original shots too?”

Ma Jiao Jiao yanked her back: “If you begged for them, can it still count as a surprise?”

Then she asked Ji Qingqian: “We all have them. You must have them too, right?”

Ji Qingqian nodded.

As someone who didn’t like her photos being posted publicly, she wasn’t one to flaunt herself.

But when asked by Ma Jiao Jiao, she couldn’t help but mention:

“He gave me over thirty.”

“Wow.”

Ma Jiao Jiao inhaled sharply. “I knew his camera kept circling you. He never stopped the shutter.”

Now that the topic came up, Ma Jiao Jiao couldn’t help but gossip.

She hadn’t had time to ask in detail earlier—the morning was rushed, and Qingqian had napped after lunch. This was her chance.

“Qing, how long have you known Senior Lu?”

“Mm.”

Ji Qingqian admitted it. She didn’t mind talking about Yibei with her roommates. But she asked: “How did you know?”

“Sorry!”

Wang Jue hurriedly apologized. “…I overheard your sleep talk the other day. You said, ‘I came to Jiangnan to see Yibei’… Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to tell anyone.”

Judging by Ji Qingqian’s reaction, Ma Jiao Jiao thought if she spoke with a sharper tone, Wang Jue would’ve knelt right there.

Ma Jiao Jiao continued:

“Don’t blame Wang Jue… If you hadn’t returned to the dorm, and she hadn’t mentioned it, I bet Chu Chu would’ve sneaked out to find you.”

Ji Qingqian opened her mouth, unsure what to say.

After thinking, she first thanked Chu Chu, then looked at Wang Jue:

“You heard it?”

“Acc… accidentally.”

“Mm… it’s fine,” Ji Qingqian said.

“So, you came here… for Senior Lu?” Chu Chu asked softly.

“Mm.”

“Does he know?”

“I didn’t before coming, but now he does.”

“You gave him such a big surprise?”

Chu Chu could guess roughly, but hearing Ji Qingqian admit it, she was still stunned… before, she thought losing to Qingqian wouldn’t be embarrassing. Now, she felt winning would be even stranger.

She used to envy Ji Qingqian—so pretty, and the senior liked her.

Now, she envied Lu Yibei even more.

What did he do to deserve her… and he didn’t even prepare a surprise for her!

Before coming, Ji Qingqian hadn’t known if it would be a surprise or a shock for Yibei.

Luckily, it seemed to be a pleasant surprise.

“So… are you two seeing each other now?” Ma Jiao Jiao asked.

“Mm.”

“That’s great.”

Ma Jiao Jiao smiled wistfully.

She suddenly recalled the story Ji Qingqian had told them when military training first started.

The story had been slightly embellished, but now, hearing Ji Qingqian’s affirmative answer, it seemed the ending was slowly becoming perfect.

Ma Jiao Jiao laughed: “After traveling so far, seeing you two finally together… I can imagine how happy you must be.”

“No,” Ji Qingqian said.

“Don’t deny it now. Denying it would be false modesty~” Ma Jiao Jiao teased.

Ji Qingqian: …

In truth, her happiness was beyond what Ma Jiao Jiao could even imagine.

She glanced at her phone—Yibei had finished class.

“Oh, it’s almost the weekend. Any plans?” Chu Chu asked.

This was their first real weekend since starting college; the previous two had been spent in military training.

“Senior invited me to the movies,” Ma Jiao Jiao said.

“Pfft, love stinks.” Chu Chu stuck out her tongue. “Qingqian, Senior Lu didn’t invite you too, did he?”

Ji Qingqian almost shook her head—but then thought better and sent a message:

[Qingqian: You owe me a trip to West Lake on Saturday.]

“Invited,” she said.

Amid Chu Chu’s disdainful scoff, Ji Qingqian thought: equality.

If boys can invite girls, girls can certainly invite boys.

[Yibei: It’s raining.]

[Qingqian: I thought loyalty in the Jianghu would make you brave through fire and water.]

[Qingqian: Didn’t expect you’d lose to a little rain.]

[Yibei retracted a message.]

[Yibei: Just saying, heroine, pretend you didn’t see it.]

[Yibei: Anytime, anywhere, your very serious tour guide, Super Yibei.]

[Qingqian retracted two messages.]

[Qingqian: Fine, deal.]

[Qingqian: I’ll come pick you up later.]

[Yibei: ?]

[Yibei: I’ll pick you up then.]

[Qingqian: Last few times you came for me, this time it’s my turn.]

[Qingqian: Jianghu rule—fair trade.]

[Yibei: Chivalrous! Do I need to bring anything?]

[Qingqian: Bring your brain and your body.]

[Yibei: Oh no, I sent my brain to the author while reading a novel. I’ll go fetch it later.]

Wang Jue didn’t say anything.

But she felt something was… off.

For example, upon hearing Ji Qingqian had overheard her sleep talk, her first reaction wasn’t, “Did I sleep talk?” but rather, “You heard that?”

…Something about it felt very strange.