No one knows that the dorm leader is my ex-boyfriend.

We pretend to be strangers, barely speaking to each other.

Until the person I’m interested in celebrated my birthday, and I partied late

into the night before returning to the dorm.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly climbed onto my bed, his voice cold.

“How long has it been since we broke up, and you’re already seeing

someone else?”

“Did you never really like me at all?”

1

My college roommates were great, except for one person.

Ji Huai’an shares the same side of the room as me, but he never even

glances at me.

That’s because he’s my ex, and he was the one who got dumped.

2

On the day I moved into college, I lugged my heavy luggage to Lantong

University.Two suitcases, stuffed full of all my mom’s “worries,” as if she was afraid I

wouldn’t survive and wanted to move our entire house here.

The dorm was on the fourth floor, and it was a real struggle to carry

everything up by myself.

Just as I was about to look for an upperclassman for help, I turned and saw

a familiar figure walking toward me.

That white shirt was so eye-catching, it almost made me think I was back in

high school.

Ji Huai’an still had that same cold demeanor, his delicate face standing out

in the crowd.

I opened my mouth, but before I could find the words to say, he had already

walked past me.

He didn’t even glance my way, as if he didn’t know me at all.

Heh, fine by me.

3

When I got to the dorm, I realized Ji Huai’an was in the same room as me.

What bad luck.

The atmosphere was tense for a while.

Thankfully, the other two roommates arrived quickly.

They were easygoing, and after we got acquainted, we created a dorm

group chat and exchanged contact details.

Zhou Ke suddenly exclaimed, “Wow, Ji Huai’an, is that your cat in your

social media? It’s so huge!”“Yeah, it’s my mom’s Maine Coon,” Ji Huai’an responded while wiping

down the table with wet wipes, over and over—he had a bit of OCD.

I checked my phone, but I didn’t get a friend request from Ji Huai’an.

When we broke up, I deleted all his contact info.

Now, sending him a request first felt a bit humiliating.

I hesitated for a moment, then irritably put my phone away.

That night, I had trouble sleeping.

Knowing that Ji Huai’an was lying on the bed next to mine kept my mind

racing.

I checked my phone again, but still, no friend request from him.

Fine, I guess he’s planning to act like we’re strangers.

4

Zhou Ke and Lu Yan, the other two roommates, weren’t in the same major

as me.

Even though Ji Huai’an and I were in the same class, we never went to

classes together.

I was used to doing things alone anyway, spending my free time working

part-time on campus.

I met a fellow student named Chen Yu while working at a bubble tea shop.

He was in the architecture department.

Chen Yu had a soft, slow way of speaking, which made him seem gentle.

After work today, we went to the cafeteria together.He was a local and knew more about part-time job opportunities than I did,

so we exchanged some tips.

He said, “Liang Yi, when I first saw you, I thought you looked pretty tough,

but you’re actually easy to talk to.”

I hear that a lot—people often say I look like I’m picking a fight when I’m

not smiling.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Well, I used to get into fights a lot in

middle and high school. I was trying to act cool back then.”

“Wow, really? And is that scar from one of those fights?” he asked, pointing

at a small scar near my brow.

I froze for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t been a tough guy for a

long time now.”

He laughed.

That scar, actually, was from helping Ji Huai’an.

Back then, he almost fell while moving a desk, and when I rushed to catch

him, I hit my face on the desk corner.

Later, he always seemed guilty about it and would touch my brow whenever

he kissed me.

…

I was lost in thought when I looked up and saw a familiar white shirt sitting

in the corner.

Next to him was our class president, a top student who was rumored to have

been admitted through early decision.

Every time girls passed by, they’d sneak glances at Ji Huai’an.Sensing something, he suddenly looked up and met my gaze for a few

seconds before casually looking away.

Ignoring the heavy feeling in my chest, I suddenly lost my appetite.

5

That wasn’t the first time I saw Ji Huai’an eating with the class president.

They often sat together in class too, both joining the student council. They

seemed to have a lot in common.

Watching him laugh and chat with others stirred a feeling of envy in me.

I used to be the one sitting next to Ji Huai’an, the one he stuck with all the

time.

That afternoon, after work, I passed by a fruit shop and saw a sale on

oranges, so I bought a big bag.

Ji Huai’an loves oranges but hates peeling them. He used to trick me into

peeling them for him.

Out of habit, I placed two on his desk.

Then I felt it was too obvious, so I gave the other two roommates some as

well.

That night, when they returned from playing basketball, Ji Huai’an saw the

oranges on his desk, his eyes lighting up briefly.

Zhou Ke wiped the sweat from his face and playfully threw his arm around

me.

“Wow, Liang Yi, how’d you know I love oranges? You’re my little

sweetheart.”

“…Get lost.”

“Yi-ge, don’t be so cold~”

He faked a whiny voice, and I clenched my fist.

When I glanced back at Ji Huai’an, he was sitting there expressionless,

opening his laptop.

Zhou Ke asked if Ji Huai’an liked the big oranges on his desk.

Ji Huai’an’s voice was deep. “I used to like them. Not anymore.”

“…”

I clenched my fist, feeling like he was hinting at something.

Whatever, I brought it on myself.

I lowered my head, peeled one of the oranges, and ate a slice.

Damn it, it’s sour.

No wonder they were on sale!

6

Chen Yu got sick, so I woke up early to bring him some porridge.

Zhou Ke, yawning, asked, “Yi-ge, where are you going? Never seen you

this eager before.”

“Bringing someone breakfast.”

“Huh? Is it a girl? Are you chasing someone?”

He leaned over with a curious look, but I glared at him.

“Get lost!”I quickly gathered my things and left.

At Chen Yu’s dorm, he was alone—his roommates had gone out all night

and hadn’t returned yet.

His face was flushed, and he coughed a few times.

After glancing at me a few times, he shyly said, “Sorry for troubling you

today. Don’t you have class soon? You should go.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave once I see you’ve taken your medicine.”

I poured him some hot water and noticed that the dorm’s arrangement

seemed a bit off.

The sink and storage cabinets were clearly spacious, yet Chen Yu’s

belongings only occupied a small corner, making him look pitiful.

I looked at him and tentatively asked if he was facing any trouble.

He lowered his eyes and hesitated before telling the truth.

“My roommates say I speak and act too slowly, call me effeminate, and

don’t like interacting with me. So, I spend most of my time outside doing

part-time jobs and don’t like coming back to the dorm.”

“Why don’t you switch dorms?”

“The counselor said there are no available spots right now.”

I clenched my teeth, deeply disliking this kind of bullying behavior.

I told him to get some rest and mentally noted this matter.

By the time I rushed to the classroom building, one class had already

passed.

During the break, I walked into the classroom.

The only seat left in the front rows was next to Ji Huai’an.

This calculus teacher had a rule: no students were allowed to sit in the back

rows, and he especially liked picking on students to answer questions.I frowned and reluctantly sat beside him.

As class started, I flipped through my book and softly asked, “Can I borrow

your notes from last class to copy?”

Ji Huai’an glanced at me indifferently. “Skipping class just for someone

else, and now you want notes?”

“…”

I bit my lip. As expected, ex-boyfriends are always petty.

Just as I was about to borrow notes from the guy in front, Ji Huai’an

grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

We locked eyes, and I tried to pull away.

He wouldn’t let go, silently challenging me.

The calculus teacher must have noticed something was off because he

suddenly called my name to answer a question.

I was dumbfounded, not having listened to the question at all.

The only thing that popped into my head was the teacher’s warning that not

paying attention would result in deductions from participation grades.

I’m doomed!

I stood up slowly, about to make up some random answer, when the person

beside me slid his book over and circled a number with his pen.

After I answered, the calculus teacher told me to sit down and pay attention.

I stared at that circled number, unable to help but remember how Ji Huai’an

used to help me like this in high school.

“Aren’t you going to copy the notes? Hurry up,” Ji Huai’an said coldly,

snapping me back to reality.When morning classes ended, it started to rain outside.

The class monitor, carrying an umbrella, approached Ji Huai’an, asking him

to go to the cafeteria together.

Ji Huai’an glanced at me, hesitated for a few seconds, and left without

saying anything.

Watching them leave, I couldn’t help but think of the past.

The day we broke up, it was raining too.

Before that, Ji Huai’an and I had promised to take the entrance exam for

Lantong University together, so he tutored me every day.

But my family situation was bad. My father was a gambling addict who

often found my mom and me, beat her up, and stole money.

I had to move again, take care of my injured mother after school, and worry

about next semester’s tuition.

At that time, I was completely overwhelmed, and as a result, I flunked my

midterms, dropping over 30 spots in the rankings.

Ji Huai’an asked me what was going on, assuming I hadn’t been working

hard and had gotten lazy.

But I was exhausted, and as a teenager, I felt too ashamed to tell him the

truth, so we ended up fighting.

“Stop worrying about me. I’m just not cut out for studying,” I said, tired.

“Are you feeling unwell? If you want, I can shorten our study sessions at

night.”

“No, don’t you get it? I don’t want to be pushed so hard anymore. I can’t

get into your dream university anyway.”It’s fine, you can apply somewhere nearby, and we can still go together.”

Ji Huai’an was trying his best to stay by my side, but I was too irritated and

worn out.

We argued, and in a moment of anger, I said it.

“I’m tired. Let’s break up!”

He froze, grabbed my collar, and said, “Say that again if you dare.”

I was about to speak, but he cut me off.

“Liang Yi, is it really that easy for you to say those words? Am I someone

you can just give up on, like that?”

“…”

I lowered my eyes, unable to look at him.

After a long, tense silence, he angrily pushed me away and never spoke to

me again.

Later, I studied on my own, telling myself that if I got into the same

university, I’d make up with him.

If not, we’d part ways.

Luckily, Lantong University lowered its admission score by a few points,

and I just barely made it.

But unfortunately, Ji Huai’an no longer waited for me.

Thunder rumbled outside.

I snapped back to reality, slowly packing my things, planning to wait until

the rain let up a bit before heading back.As I walked out of the classroom and down the stairs, I ran into Ji Huai’an

coming up.

He was holding a new umbrella, looking at me with a dark expression.

“You…”

“Let’s go.”

He cut me off, opened the umbrella with a huff, and we walked out of the

building together.

He tilted the umbrella towards me, and I didn’t get wet at all.

I stole a glance at him, feeling like a cat scratching inside me.

I wanted to ask if he had come back just for me, but looking at his stern

face, I didn’t dare.

Ji Huai’an suddenly spoke up, “If you’ve got something to say, just say it.

You’re about to go cross-eyed.”

I pursed my lips. “Why haven’t you added me on WeChat? Aren’t we

supposed to be strangers now? So why come back to get me?”

“You deleted me first. Why should I add you? I only came to get you so you

wouldn’t catch a cold and infect me.”

“…”

I swallowed my pride, pulled out my phone, and said, “I’ll add you now.

Make sure you accept it.”

I awkwardly added, “Since we’re roommates now, it’ll make it easier to

stay in touch.”

The moment I unlocked my phone, a message from Chen Yu popped up.He said he felt better after sweating a bit and told me not to worry about

bringing him lunch, adding a cute emoji.

Ji Huai’an saw the message and snorted. “Made a new friend already?”

Didn’t he get along with the class monitor just fine?

I shrugged. “Same goes for you.”

After that day, Ji Huai’an, who had always been in good health, caught a

cold.

Seeing him cough miserably, I went to buy him some medicine and throat

lozenges.

I hurried upstairs and caught a glimpse of the class president leaving our

dorm room. He smiled and greeted me, “Ji Huai’an is sick, so I brought him

some medicine. Make sure to take care of him for me, okay?”

Take care of him for you? Who is Ji Huai’an to you?

I felt a little irritated but didn’t show it. I opened the door and went in. Ji

Huai’an was eating, and there were some newly bought medicines on the

table. I pressed my lips together and quickly stuffed the bag I had in my

hand into the drawer. I was feeling quite frustrated.

…

Chen Yu wasn’t having an easy time in the dorm, so I had to figure out a

way to help him. I posted in the dorm’s group chat, asking if anyone wanted

to switch rooms.

To my surprise, quite a few people added me. After checking out the vibe of

their dorms, I settled on one belonging to an art student. They seemed nice,

but their schedules didn’t match. One guy liked staying up all night playing

games, while the other three art students didn’t, so they didn’t get along

well.

I told Chen Yu about it, and he hugged me gratefully, insisting on treating

me to dinner. The day he moved was on a weekend. He now lives on the

third floor, right below me, so we can keep an eye on each other.After moving his stuff, Chen Yu dragged me out for hotpot. By the time we

got back, it was already late, and curfew was about to kick in. We ended up

sprinting back to the dorm building.

At the third-floor stairwell, we said our goodbyes, and Chen Yu grabbed my

arm, his eyes sparkling.

“Liang Yi, let’s do part-time jobs together from now on. We can also grab

meals together when we’re free.”

“Sure,” I replied.

When I got back to the dorm, only Ji Huai’an was there. The other two

roommates had gone out to watch a game all night.

“Coming back this late, huh?” Ji Huai’an said in a low voice, giving me a

once-over with his eyes.

“This is my dorm. Where else would I go?”

I picked up my clothes and was about to take a shower when he suddenly

grabbed me, clearly upset.

“What were you doing today, and who were you with?”

“Why are you so tense?”

“Tense?” He let go of my arm abruptly, his expression cold. “I’m just

worried you’re out there causing trouble again, and it reflects badly.”

Tch. Does he still think I’m that immature, reckless kid?

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t get into fights anymore.”

He snorted, still nagging like some overprotective parent about me coming

back late and getting into trouble with the dorm staff.

He’d never been this talkative before. It’s like he’s turned into a nagging

mom.I was getting irritated and snapped back, half-testing him, “Why do you

care so much? We already broke up. Or do you still like me?”

Ji Huai’an’s face darkened instantly, staring at me with an unfamiliar look

in his eyes.

“You’re overthinking.”

“…”

Just as I thought, but still, hearing it made my chest tighten.

I forced a smile and shrugged it off. “Then that’s settled. Let’s just stay out

of each other’s business.”

I went into the bathroom, and outside, I heard him slam a chair hard against

the floor.

…

Chen Yu and I started hanging out more often. Whenever there was a short-

term gig, he’d call me along. One weekend, we were handing out flyers at a

nearby plaza. It was so hot, I almost got heatstroke.

On the way back, we had to return the frog mascot costume to get paid.

Chen Yu noticed I wasn’t looking too well and bought me water and an ice

cream.

“Drink some water,” he said, tearing open the ice cream wrapper and

feeding it to me.

I was holding onto the heavy costume, so I couldn’t free my hands. I took a

bite from his hand, and some yogurt ice cream smeared the corner of my

mouth, but I didn’t notice.

Chen Yu laughed and sneakily took a photo of me. “You look so cute and

silly. You could be a meme!”He chuckled and wiped the yogurt off my mouth. I felt a little awkward

with him being so close.

Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted us from behind.

“Excuse me.”

Ji Huai’an stood there, expressionless, holding a book. He looked like he

had just come from the library.

Chen Yu, startled by his intense gaze, instinctively stepped back.

Ji Huai’an walked past us, radiating cold vibes the whole way.

“Hey, what’s up with that guy? The road’s so wide, why’d he have to walk

through here?”

“I don’t know… maybe this side’s in the shade,” I replied vaguely, hurrying

Chen Yu along to return the mascot costume.

When I got back to the dorm, the cool air conditioning felt like heaven.

Ji Huai’an frowned as he looked at me. “It’s so hot out, and you still went

out with him. Aren’t you worried about getting heatstroke?”

“As long as I’m earning money, I don’t care.”

Money is what matters most to me now.

Ji Huai’an’s frown deepened. “Are you that desperate for money?”

“Yeah. If you know of any good part-time gigs, let me know.”

After all, I’m paying for school with a loan.

This was the first time I openly admitted in front of him that I was broke.

Before, my pride wouldn’t let me show weakness in front of my boyfriend.

But now, it didn’t matter anymore.Ji Huai’an seemed surprised, pausing for a moment. I didn’t want to see any

pity or sympathy in his eyes, so I quickly escaped to the bathroom for a

shower.

…

At the end of October, it was my birthday. I never really celebrated it

because, growing up, the end of the month was always when debt collectors

came knocking. Life was already hard enough—no one remembered my

birthday.

Except in high school, when Ji Huai’an had celebrated it twice for me.

After finishing a part-time shift at the milk tea shop, Chen Yu insisted on

taking me to a movie. He always had endless things to talk about, and every

time he looked at me, his eyes sparkled.

After the movie, we grabbed a late-night snack at a barbecue stand near

school. Chen Yu handed me a box containing a pair of shoes.

“Happy birthday, Liang Yi!”

He checked the time and exclaimed, saying the cake should be arriving

soon.

A few minutes later, a delivery guy brought a small cake to our table.

I was taken aback, feeling a bit of warmth inside. I hadn’t expected

someone to go out of their way to surprise me in a place where I didn’t

know anyone.

“How did you know it was my birthday?” I asked.

“I accidentally saw it when you filled out your part-time job information

form. I hope you’re happy today. Make a wish!”

“Thanks.”As I made my wish, a familiar figure in a white shirt came to mind. I

hesitated for a few seconds, then blew out the candles.

Just then, Chen Yu quickly smeared a bit of cream on the tip of my nose.