Gong Yiying hadn't even explained why she was late as soon as she got downstairs, but to her surprise, Deng Zhi was the first to lose his temper. Although he didn't yell at her, his actions clearly showed his fury.

Gong Yiying knew Bai Ge and the others must be watching her from upstairs. She had even told Deng Zhi to keep up the pretense for a little longer, but Deng Zhi shot back, "You’re the one who told me to wait for you downstairs, so your dear sisters could see how considerate I am. Can you please be a little considerate of me too?" In this freezing weather, Gong Yiying had insisted he come pick her up to demonstrate his gentle thoughtfulness. Fine, Deng Zhi also wanted Wang Qiqi to see that giving up on him was a decision she would deeply regret. But in Deng Zhi's view, waiting downstairs for five minutes should have been plenty. Instead, he nearly turned into an ice sculpture, only for the supposed culprit to trot down happily apologizing. To Deng Zhi, this felt like she was mocking him for being a fool.

Deng Zhi stormed off in front, clearly irritated. If he hadn't promised to treat both dorm groups today and had already put down a two-hundred deposit for the private room, he would have happily walked away and returned to his dorm. As for whether the girl would be embarrassed, Deng Zhi certainly didn't care enough to worry about it.

Gong Yiying had deliberately worn high heels today, and with patches of ice on the ground, she dared not walk fast, making it impossible to catch up to Deng Zhi's long strides. "Deng Zhi, Deng Zhi, wait for me..."

It wasn't just Deng Zhi regretting things; Gong Yiying felt the sting of regret too. Why had she insisted on Deng Zhi picking her up just to save face? She knew perfectly well that Deng Zhi wasn't the easiest person to deal with. If outsiders were present, he would restrain himself and put on an act of deep affection, but in private, his attitude toward her often turned indifferent, sometimes laced with a sharp comment or two. The truth was, if the New Year's holiday outing hadn't been seen by the whole class, Gong Yiying knew her relationship with Deng Zhi wouldn't last much longer. But after hearing the gossip spreading through the class, her very first reaction was the urge to provoke Wang Qiqi—a move she would come to deeply regret later on.

Wang Qiqi and the others discussed Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi’s relationship as they walked, wondering if there was any real affection or if they were just putting on a show to show off or irritate someone else. Judging by their earlier exchange, it was clear their feelings weren't as harmonious as they claimed.

When Bai Ge and the others pushed open the door to the private room, they overheard Gong Yiying recounting how sweet her relationship with Deng Zhi was. Bai Ge paused, giving a look to those following behind her that clearly signaled, I knew she was like this. She then quickly smoothed her expression into a cheerful one before pushing the door open.

Gong Yiying’s expression flickered unnaturally for a moment when she saw Bai Ge and the others entering. She worried whether they had witnessed the entire scene. She knew that Bai Ge and her friends weren't afraid to speak their minds, especially Bai Ge, who would often deliver a sharp retort when in a bad mood. In Gong Yiying's view, she was also feisty, but she simply couldn't challenge Bai Ge—Bai Ge was the classic type who bullied those she perceived as easy targets. "Bai Ge, you've arrived."

Bai Ge smiled faintly. "Yes, weren't you waiting upstairs for Wang Qiqi to arrive so you could chat for a bit before leaving?" Bai Ge thought to herself: Go ahead and show off, I won't expose you. I know very well the reception the guy gave you just now; it wouldn't be right to rub salt in the wound.

"That's because Gong Yiying was thanking me again, saying I couldn't miss today. I'm truly embarrassed, honestly, Gong Yiying, you are something else, knowing full well we agreed to meet at five," Wang Qiqi said casually, covering her mouth. Hmph, wasn't it someone who was getting impatient? If she knew Gong Yiying had deliberately made him wait down there, would Deng Zhi still look at her so fondly?

Wang Qiqi admitted she had done it on purpose. Hmph, she had initially worried that person would target her, but she never expected to witness such a spectacle. If he were to attack her, Wang Qiqi wouldn't mind pulling down the fig leaf of his supposed romance.

Gong Yiying caught the meaningful glance Wang Qiqi sent her and realized the scene she had set couldn't materialize. If she had said something to embarrass Wang Qiqi, Wang Qiqi wouldn't let her off easy in this setting either.

Gong Yiying quickly assessed the situation, knowing this wasn't the time to lose her temper. "Yes, Zhi and I really must thank you. Zhi, we need to get Qiqi two extra drinks later."

Drinks? Deng Zhi retracted his gaze from his roommates and looked at Gong Yiying. This deviated from their original plan. They had agreed to get Wang Qiqi to drink alcohol, so why had she changed her mind?

Gong Yiying shot a glare at the clueless idiot. If he hadn't done something so impulsive downstairs, would she have needed to back down this much?

Deng Zhi didn't understand at first, but when he turned and saw the teasing looks from Bai Ge and the others, he grasped the situation. His impulsive fit had just ruined the plans they had been meticulously arranging for today. But that was fine; if he and Gong Yiying couldn't take the lead, they still had Han Meina. After all, Han Meina disliked Wang Qiqi immensely.

With that thought, Deng Zhi quickly devised a counter-strategy. "Bai Ge, why don't you sit at the table nearby? We can have Zhang Han and Han Meina keep you company, alright?"

When Bai Ge and her group entered, they had already noticed the liquor on the table and were mentally questioning why alcohol was present today. Although it was a happy occasion, drinking seemed excessive, especially with classes tomorrow. Then, noticing the awkwardness when Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi mentioned drinks, Bai Ge and the others exchanged glances.

"Don't worry, we’ll take care of ourselves," Bai Ge said, taking a seat. She then leaned toward Wang Qiqi beside her. "Be careful later; I suspect they plan to ply you with alcohol."

Wang Qiqi nodded. She stood up, carried the liquor and beer to Deng Zhi's table, and said, "There are only girls at our table; there’s no need for liquor. But I'll take the sodas." Wang Qiqi unceremoniously grabbed all the soft drinks from their table. "Today's main event is Deng Zhi and Gong Yiying, especially since they’ve been secretly dating for so long. I bet if it hadn't spread throughout the class, they still wouldn't have made it public."

"Exactly. I kept saying Deng Zhi was always out, and I suspected he was dating, but the guy absolutely refused to admit it," Deng Zhi's roommate, Jin Canrong, chimed in. "So, brothers, don't hold back today; we have to get this guy plastered."

Deng Zhi's roommates weren't too pleased with him either. He had set his sights on Wang Qiqi, and after being rejected, he immediately hooked up with Gong Yiying. If he had announced things earlier, no one would have been so angry. Everyone had been planning how to help Ren Zhixuan pursue Gong Yiying, as he had a real crush on her. But Deng Zhi acted like nothing was happening, which naturally left everyone feeling resentful. They hadn't even wanted to come out today to embarrass Deng Zhi, but Ren Zhixuan finally got angry, saying they couldn't let Gong Yiying lose face, which is why everyone showed up.

"Then we must properly toast this secret couple," Wang Qiqi giggled, covering her mouth. Seeing the dagger-like look Jin Canrong shot at Deng Zhi, Wang Qiqi didn't understand why Jin Canrong was displeased with Deng Zhi, but internal strife was excellent news for Wang Qiqi; how could she not exploit it? "Deep feelings require a straight gulp, especially since Deng Zhi is riding high on success right now."

"Right." Jin Canrong didn't understand why Wang Qiqi was constantly encouraging everyone to pressure Deng Zhi to drink, but he understood one thing: Wang Qiqi was unhappy with Deng Zhi. An enemy of my enemy is my friend; Jin Canrong knew that much. "Sis, you girls just drink soft drinks on the side. Although we Korean people, both men and women, can hold our liquor, you're from the South, Qiqi, you probably can't drink, right?"

Although Wang Qiqi could handle a bit of alcohol, in this situation, the best response was to pretend she couldn't. "Yes, my parents taught me from a young age that good girls don't drink. That’s why I brought the alcohol over here."

Wang Qiqi turned and walked back to her seat, giving Bai Ge and the others a victorious gesture. Seeing Wang Qiqi’s smug face, Bai Ge whispered, "I bet Gong Yiying is going to make a fool of herself again today."

Duan Xiaomin glanced at Gong Yiying, noticed her smile stiffen, and secretly chuckled. Gong Yiying thought Wang Qiqi was an idiot, but she didn't believe Gong Yiying would let Wang Qiqi off the hook so easily. "And what about Han Meina?"

Bai Ge disagreed slightly. "Whether Han Meina sides with Bai Ge is still up in the air."

Wang Qiqi sat down. "Regardless of whose side Han Meina takes, we just need to be cautious."

Han Meina, linking arms with Zhang Han, pushed open the private room door. "Sorry, sorry, we're late." Han Meina surveyed the room, happy to see everyone present. Although Gong Yiying was the main focus today, she certainly had to make a grand, final entrance.

Wang Qiqi put on an expression of surprise. "Not late at all. Waiting for a beauty is mandatory." Wang Qiqi closely examined Han Meina, who was wearing a striking red coat over a black turtleneck dress. It had to be said, it suited Han Meina perfectly. This look completely overshadowed the meticulously dressed Gong Yiying. Gong Yiying’s outfit wasn't bad today, but Han Meina’s height, slender build, and fair skin instantly drew more attention.

Upon seeing Han Meina’s outfit, Gong Yiying mentally cursed Han Meina, wondering if she had misunderstood the occasion. She was supposed to be the star, yet Han Meina was wearing new clothes. What hurt Gong Yiying even more was, "Zhang Han bought this coat for me today," Han Meina said, pausing her action of taking off her coat as she turned slightly to show it off.

Hearing this, Gong Yiying looked plaintively at Deng Zhi. In all the time she had known him, he had never bought her so much as a cheap sweater, let alone a coat. Even if she wouldn't wear that type of sweater, it still represented an attitude, didn't it? (To be continued)