Jiang Xin, knowing the route by heart, arrived at Wang Qiqi's place and knocked for a while before the door opened, revealing a sleepy-eyed Wang Qiqi. “Qiqi, you’re back?”

Wang Qiqi yawned, nodded at Jiang Xin, and urged, “Hurry up and come in, it’s freezing out here.” Although she grew up in the south, having grown accustomed to the heating in the north, Qiqi couldn't adapt during the two days she spent back home, especially at her aunt's house where heating was out of the question in winter. She deeply missed her apartment in the capital.

Jiang Xin, navigating the rooms with familiar ease, found Shi Man and Zhu Lina nestled in Wang Qiqi’s room, reading. “Do you know who I saw when I went out to eat today?”

Wang Qiqi burrowed into her duvet, leaned against the wall, picked up a book, and continued reading. As for the person radiating the air of having earth-shattering news, Qiqi paid her no mind whatsoever. “Don’t know, and couldn’t care less.”

Shi Man was usually keen on gossip, but the problem was that whoever Jiang Xin was so excited about was likely from the Finance department, someone Shi Man didn’t know. So, she merely perked up an ear. As for Zhu Lina, you couldn't expect much from her regarding trivial matters.

Jiang Xin was quite disappointed by the lukewarm reactions of the three. Especially Shi Man. When she first met her, she thought Shi Man was some kind of ethereal fairy, only to discover later that she was quite enthusiastic about gossip. Of course, in public, no matter how much Shi Man wanted to hear a secret, she maintained an air of utter disinterest. Moreover, she wasn't a chatterbox, so many people were willing to share gossip with her, making her the ideal confidante for Jiang Xin’s tales. To find Shi Man adopting this attitude this time made Jiang Xin intensely disappointed.

“Don’t you even know who Qiqi’s ardent pursuer is currently involved with?” Jiang Xin knew that this statement would at least capture everyone’s attention.

Just as Jiang Xin predicted, the moment she finished speaking, Shi Man put down her book. “Deng Zhi?”

“Zhang Han’s idiot roommate?”

“That moron?” Wang Qiqi hadn’t held any positive feelings for Deng Zhi since that last messy incident. However, regarding the supposed inside scoop, she corrected, “Is it my roommate, Gong Yiying?” Wang Qiqi stated with certainty.

Jiang Xin was initially satisfied with the reactions—this was more like it! Otherwise, it was tedious to be the sole performer sharing what she thought was hilarious material while the audience offered no applause. But before she could triumphantly announce the female lead, Wang Qiqi had already solved the puzzle, leaving Jiang Xin stunned. “You already know? Did Gong Yiying announce it in the dorm?”

“How is that possible?” Wang Qiqi dismissed Jiang Xin’s guess. “If she announced it, wouldn't she have to treat us to a meal? And I haven’t eaten anything. I just happened to see them kissing.”

“Kissing?” Jiang Xin had only seen them walk out of school holding hands and hailing a taxi. After her own analysis, she suspected they might be dating, but she never imagined Wang Qiqi had witnessed such explosive action. “Oh my god, no way, they actually kissed? Wait a minute, Qiqi, when did you see this?”

Shi Man and Zhu Lina both shifted their gazes to Wang Qiqi. They were very curious how the man who had only recently professed his devotion to Qiqi could have changed his mind so quickly, and that the object of his change was one of Qiqi’s roommates—and not even a friendly one.

“It was that day, when I went out to buy late-night snacks and you all didn't want to come,” Wang Qiqi searched her memory before finally recalling the occasion. “I wasn't paying attention initially; if it weren't for the sound of their voices, I might not have even recognized them.”

Initially, Wang Qiqi had noticed Gong Yiying’s voice, which made her look over, only to see a man she never expected to be with Gong Yiying. Furthermore, they were hugging each other, and then they kissed.

“Ah, this happened ages ago, why didn’t you say anything?” Shi Man was the first to object. Wang Qiqi was truly annoying; she knew everyone had at least some awareness of Deng Zhi.

Jiang Xin nodded in agreement beside her, glancing at Wang Qiqi with an air of grievance. How could such major news be withheld?

“Why should I say anything? He’s just an irrelevant person.” Wang Qiqi deeply regretted her slip of the tongue. If she hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't know any of this. “Actually, if I had said something, what would you all think? Wouldn’t you think I was indifferent to Deng Zhi, to still care about his movements?”

Listening to Wang Qiqi, Jiang Xin recalled the gossips in their class. “True, never mind then. Just pretend you didn't see it. But I bet by tomorrow, the whole class will know.” Since she wasn't the only witness, the news was bound to spread. “But how come there hasn't been a peep about them being together for so long?” That was genuinely strange.

Wang Qiqi also found it odd. Gong Yiying wasn't exactly a low-profile person, and Deng Zhi’s family background was rumored to be quite good, though certainly not as affluent as Zhang Han's. “Maybe they had their reasons. But with the snow today, they probably thought no one would be out, so they let their guard down for a moment, and you saw them. Wait, you said the whole class will know tomorrow…” Could Jiang Xin’s roommate have seen them too?

Jiang Xin smiled and nodded. “Yes, I was startled by my roommate appearing so suddenly.” To be honest, Jiang Xin felt sheepish admitting that her roommate had likely tailed her for a distance; the way she was sneaking around didn't suggest a normal walk.

“That’s great. I get to eat another free meal then.” That was Wang Qiqi’s reaction.

Hearing Qiqi say that, Shi Man sighed. “Ugh, Qiqi is about to enjoy her second meal paid for by a future brother-in-law or something, and our dorm can’t even get one meal out of it.” Damn it, truly annoying. The girls in their dorm were attractive enough; why was no one pursuing them?

Zhu Lina shot Shi Man a sideways glance. “You can find someone yourself and treat us.” What an idiot. Was that meal really so great? “Qiqi, if you attend that meal, you’ll likely become the center of attention.” Regardless of whether Qiqi had accepted Deng Zhi or not, everyone would remember the history between Deng Zhi and Wang Qiqi. The way people looked at Qiqi on that day would be strange.

“Right. Maybe Gong Yiying and her crew won’t let you off easy,” Jiang Xin mused, knowing that the couple didn't think highly of Wang Qiqi. Would that meal make things pleasant for Qiqi? “Qiqi, aren't you worried at all?”

“Worried? What do I have to be worried about?” Wang Qiqi snorted. “If they decide to drop the pretense, I won't be polite either. I don't rely on them for anything.” Humph, they would scheme against even an orphan like her. As for Deng Zhi’s supposedly good family background, that needed serious verification. Who knew? Maybe some rich girl would appear one day, give a little beckon, and Deng Zhi would kick Gong Yiying to the curb and throw himself at the feet of a wealthy beauty. Of course, if the roles were reversed, Gong Yiying would do the same. They were truly a match made in heaven. “Besides, knowing how much Gong Yiying values appearances, she won’t let me steal the spotlight at an event where she’s the main character. She’ll be too busy guarding against Han Meina.”

Ever since Zhang Han's high-profile courtship, the progression of his relationship with Han Meina had been quite conspicuous. They were constantly seen walking around holding hands. Every time Wang Qiqi saw them, she wanted to ask how old they were to be acting that way. Also, being too high-profile rarely boded well for a relationship's longevity. Wang Qiqi figured Han Meina wouldn't miss Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi’s celebratory dinner, and she was intensely curious about how the dynamic would shift that day.

Jiang Xin was surprised Wang Qiqi had grasped the situation so quickly. Considering the recent behavior of Han Meina and Zhang Han, Jiang Xin was certainly looking forward to seeing how they would steal the spotlight at Gong Yiying’s banquet. “How about this: on the day of the treat, Manman, we should go too, just to witness the atmosphere.” Jiang Xin knew Deng Zhi and his group would likely host the dinner at a restaurant near the school, and the soundproofing in those so-called private rooms wasn't excellent. If voices got loud enough, neighboring rooms could hear. Since most patrons were students, no one usually minded a bit of noise leakage.

“Fine by me,” Shi Man was also anticipating it. Although she figured Wang Qiqi wouldn’t avoid the situation anyway, it would be a good chance to watch—oh, wait, listen to Wang Qiqi unleash her temper. “Plus, we can improve our own meals for once.”

“Whatever,” Wang Qiqi said, knowing some things couldn't be stopped. “What good food should we have tonight?”

“Hot pot, that’ll warm us up,” Jiang Xin raised her hand enthusiastically. “Actually, we could eat here. Eating at home is livelier, and we can eat as long as we want.” More importantly, they could fight over the food. Last time they ate hot pot out, the atmosphere wasn't as good; everyone seemed too concerned with manners to be loud, and ultimately, no one felt fully satisfied.

“Good,” Wang Qiqi agreed. “You guys go buy the groceries then? Are you staying here tonight?”

“Deal,” Jiang Xin happily agreed. “I was already planning on taking a proper shower today.” Showers at the school required queuing, and even then, two people shared one faucet—it was miserable. “Oh, right, Lina, if the north-facing room opens up, can I rent it?” Jiang Xin had been eyeing that north-facing room for ages, but she never brought it up, worried Zhu Lina might object.

Zhu Lina knew Jiang Xin had long desired that room, and she understood a thing or two about her roommate. “Sure, but you three will have to clean the apartment thoroughly when the time comes.”

“Ah, you agreed?” Jiang Xin had expected to plead her case multiple times before convincing them. She was surprised they agreed so readily. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Then... can I sleep in Qiqi’s room from now on?” Jiang Xin asked cautiously after falling silent.

“No way,” Wang Qiqi interjected before Shi Man could speak. “When next semester starts, everyone gets their own room. If you want to sleep in mine after that, you’ll have to pay rent.” Wang Qiqi thought, how could anyone live with four people squeezed in every night? (To be continued)