Ji Yu didn't seem particularly happy.
Maybe in her eyes, their friendship wouldn't change just because she had changed—it was only natural that they would still be friends.
It was precisely because of this "naturalness" that she didn't want to act overly fake or pretentious.
Without thinking too much, she decided to treat it as simple friendship favoring her a little. She opened her coat, slid her hands into her pockets, and let it hang open, revealing her slim figure. She smiled slightly at Tang Li.
It was both to let him clearly see her change, and also a kind of playful teasing between friends.
When she saw Tang Li blush and look away, she turned as well, no longer toying with him, though the rims of her ears grew warm from the sun.
At an unhurried eleven o'clock, they were still sitting in the back row, the English textbooks in their hands still smelling faintly of fresh ink.
Tang Li had arranged Ji Yu's seat by the wall, which allowed her to relax, leaning her back against it and tilting her head slightly as she listened to the British-accented English of the beautiful teacher on the podium.
She shifted her hat slightly—keeping the roots of her hair pressed down for too long was uncomfortable. She turned the brim until it didn't tug at her hair anymore, then looked up to see Tang Li staring at her in a daze.
Her expression froze. Feeling a little awkward, she quickly turned away from his gaze.
They still hadn't gone back to how things were before yesterday.
The teacher invited several students to come up and introduce themselves, but the crisp, proper Mandarin they used had clearly strayed from the scope of an English lesson, causing a round of laughter in the room.
However, the silence between them only deepened. Neither knew what to say or do to break the stillness.
Thinking back, perhaps Tang Li felt that what he'd said earlier was a little too sentimental, even like a confession. Who knew what Ji Yu, now a girl, was thinking at that moment?
"That… shouldn't you thank me?"
The low voice entered her ear. She turned to look, only to see Tang Li's expression slightly twisted.
Ji Yu was surprised, but after a few seconds of thought, she nodded openly. "Alright, just provide the ingredients, and I'll cook again tonight."
This was Ji Yu.
Tang Li's tongue pressed against his teeth; he wanted to slap himself for saying something that sounded so awkward… like a clumsy pickup line.
But Ji Yu was still the same in temperament—never making people feel embarrassed, never disappointing them.
"Fine, I'll handle the shopping, you just be the chef. If it's not tasty, I'll turn into the Refund Guy, got it?"
She didn't respond, but she was smiling. That was enough.
Even before, they'd had more silence than chatter when together; now, that same quiet felt just right.
After the commotion in class, the lesson turned serious and content-heavy. With their poor English skills, both of them stopped talking entirely, listening intently as the teacher pointed out tips for English-style self-introductions on the slides.
After such a fruitful lecture, they exchanged a glance and chuckled together. "College really is different from high school. I thought it'd be just rote learning again, but they can spend two whole hours just on self-introductions and resumes."
Ji Yu instinctively gathered Tang Li's books along with her own, cradling them in her arms, her smile bright. "I hope we can have more classes like this—saves me from having to carry so many books."
When the two back-to-back classes ended, it was time for lunch break.
Without much hesitation, Ji Yu blended into the crowd and followed Tang Li into the boys' dorm to rest.
It was nothing like the messy, smelly stereotype she'd imagined—in fact, it was the opposite. The white-tiled floor was spotless without being glaring; the spacious dorm only had four beds. Beneath each bed, the desks were neatly organized, each with its own style. The moss-green wallpaper was partly concealed by mosquito nets, which preserved privacy while adding a faint sense of hazy beauty.
"If you want to rest, take the bed. It's got a mosquito net. My roommates basically can't see anything inside."
Following the direction of Tang Li's pointing finger, Ji Yu spotted the bed in the inner right corner—it was his. Seeing the purple mosquito net, she shot Tang Li a sidelong glance, covering her smile with the back of her hand.
"Didn't expect it—purple. You're secretly quite the romantic, huh?"
Without a hint of restraint, as if she were the real owner of the dorm, she claimed his chair, tossed her coat and shoes to him, and said, "The Empress is going to rest. Little Li-zi, what will you do?" She pitched her voice in the style of the Empress Dowager from an old palace drama.
Tang Li kept his head down, eyes fixed on the petite feet—probably size 38—encased in light green socks.
"Ahem…"
To avoid being caught staring, he coughed lightly. "You'd better get up there before my roommates come back."
"Mutual fathers and sons, huh? Messy crowd you've got here."
Once she took off her hat, her black hair flowed down like a waterfall, draping over her shoulders without a bend. Long-haired girls always carried a sense of softness and lightness, and at that moment, she tilted her head, her blue pupils partly veiled by lowered lashes. The smile she wore froze Tang Li in place.
Tang Li was a rational type. Compared to relationships that might end in a breakup, he preferred to spend his time on the sports he loved.
A near-all-rounder in the athletics department, he naturally had no shortage of girls admiring him. But in his overly rational, somewhat dense, straight-guy mind, such youthful emotions had never gone beyond imagination.
Ignoring the way Tang Li kept zoning out all day, Ji Yu lifted the mosquito net, straightened her hair, hooked the blanket with her foot, and went straight into sleeping beauty mode.
Still, before sleeping, she put on her earphones, treating them as a kind of bedtime lullaby. But the tiredness of this body was greater than she'd expected.
Half-asleep, she heard loud voices and an argument, then quiet again. Sleepily turning over, unable to find her phone, she lazily asked, "Tang Li… what time is it now?"
The drowsy softness of her voice could only belong to a beautiful girl.
"Damn, that voice is something! I told you, man, why'd you, a sports student, pick this school instead of a better one?"
"So you already had a little sister lined up, huh?"
The teasing of his two roommates made Tang Li's face flush hot and cold by turns.
Standing on a chair to get close to her, he whispered through the mosquito net, "It's only 1:10. Keep sleeping, I'll wake you when it's time for class."
"Wow, so considerate. If she's not your girlfriend, I'll stream myself eating my own shoe."
"Brother Tang Li, I'm scared~~"
The teasing voices behind him carried a hint of envy. Tang Li heard them clearly, but when he looked at the slightly disheveled Ji Yu, who had fallen half-asleep within minutes, he could only sigh helplessly.
Inside the net, she turned over. She wasn't awake—just adjusting to sleep more comfortably.
Her lips moved gently with her breathing; her lashes swayed slightly. Tang Li found himself staring.
For Ji Yu now… was she really just a friend?
If so, why did the teasing of those two guys make him feel… satisfied?
He sat back down, put on his headphones, and launched a horror game. He cranked up the volume, trying to drown out his chaotic thoughts with fear.
"Buddy Li, introduce your girlfriend to us sometime."
Even through the headphones, he heard it. He didn't answer. The lack of response dampened his roommate's enthusiasm, and they went back to their own games.
When his game character was killed repeatedly by a crazed old lady, his irritation boiled over. "Stop asking!"
The sudden outburst startled the other two.
"What? I thought Outlast was fine for you?" Zhang Jun muttered.
"Later. I'll introduce you later. Just drop it."
This reply brought the dorm back to silence, the only sound the clacking of Tang Li's keys.
After a long pause, Zhang Jun suddenly realized. "Oh! You meant her, right? Took you long enough to answer—I mentioned it ages ago."
Ages ago? Just now?
Tang Li glanced at the time—Ji Yu had been asleep for an hour already.
So… why had I thought Zhang Jun was still talking about her? Or was it…
I wanted them to be talking about her, as if she were my girlfriend?
Tang Li gave a casual "Oh," then pressed the keys harder. His other roommate, Chen Haoting, kept his eyes fixed on Tang Li's profile.
"You haven't made a move yet, have you?"
The keys fell silent. Tang Li turned his head, and their eyes locked—three pairs of eyes, all holding the same emotion.
Doubt.
Doubt that Tang Li could treat a girl so gently and not be pursuing her; doubt about whether he really hadn't made a move; doubt in himself about what his feelings for Ji Yu really were.
The shrieks and howls from his game continued, but there was no fear—just the three of them staring each other down.
Finally, with a sigh, Tang Li broke the Medusa-like standoff.
"I don't know what my feelings for her are. Don't ask. I'll figure it out myself."
"Fine, just don't forget to give us candy when you get her."
On the screen, the flashlight's battery was nearly dead, but it still lit the dark, creepy country road ahead—the thorny path leading to the protagonist's safety and salvation.
"Please forgive me, for betraying my youth. In the crowded crowd, how much have I compromised? Until I'm left with nothing I can… obtain…"