The two walked side by side on the asphalt road, but the distance between them seemed to have grown.
All the way, Zhong Tingyue was silent. It was only when they reached the women’s dormitory building that she finally turned, looked at Li Yuan, and spoke her first words.
"Senior, Little Moon had a wonderful time today. Thank you for the song you wrote for me."
Li Yuan’s throat tightened. He felt a slight ache and a flutter in his heart. After a long moment, he regained his composure, a smile returning to his face as he extended his hand.
"Now, let’s get reacquainted. My name is Li Yuan."
Zhong Tingyue smiled, understanding the meaning behind his words. She also reached out and shook his hand. "Zhong Tingyue. It’s nice to meet you."
Li Yuan let go of her soft hand and watched as she turned to leave. He stood there, waiting until her figure disappeared from sight. Seven or eight minutes later, his phone vibrated.
It was a text from Zhong Tingyue.
"I’m back in the dorm. Good night."
"Good night. Get some sleep."
Li Yuan replied, his heart filled with a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite place.
The day had been thrilling, but the night was even more so. He found himself suddenly starting to love this feeling, like dancing on the edge of a knife. Although one careless move could leave him covered in wounds, the sensation was truly unique.
Did I really become a scumbag after my rebirth? No, that’s not quite right. Even before my rebirth, my personality had already changed after I broke up with Bai Weixi. It’s just that in the past, due to economic factors, work, family, and other reasons, I had always suppressed myself... So, fundamentally, I’m no different from that two-faced Bai Weixi. I’m just a scumbag who fakes affection. Maybe I was once a warrior who charged into battle for love, but that was in the past... In this life, so be it. If any of them really do leave me, it will be the fruit of the seeds I’ve sown. I can only blame myself for being too much of a scumbag...
Li Yuan suddenly realized that in just over half a month since starting university, he was already entangled with four completely different girls.
Bai Weixi was his former first love. Although he had deleted her contact information, it was impossible to completely forget her after two lifetimes. They might not cross paths again in the future, or perhaps they would occasionally, but in his heart, he no longer cared...
Xia Zhijin, the hidden gem in his class, was incredibly pure and shy. She was also a pitiable girl, the one he was least likely to ever give up on, and his ideal for a perfect, gentle wife and mother...
Jiang Zhiyu was a wealthy girl from a powerful background. Chatting and spending time with her was a huge psychological boost, as she looked up to him with great admiration, treating him like an idol...
And then there was today’s Zhong Tingyue. A chance encounter and a lie had woven a special story that suddenly ensnared them both...
Damn it. In my past life, I watched the Grandmaster’s videos every day. Did I actually learn the true essence of his teachings? Could Xu Zhi have been right all along? Am I really a scumbag?
Li Yuan fell into self-doubt, discovering that since his rebirth, his Peach Blossom Luck had truly begun to flourish...
In Women’s Dormitory A-1314, all the lights were still on as Xu Tingrou and Ding Shanshan anxiously waited for Zhong Tingyue to return.
Ding Shanshan asked with a hint of worry, "Tingrou, it’s almost 11:00 PM and Tingyue still isn’t back. Should we give her a call and see what’s going on?"
Xu Tingrou hesitated for a moment. "Let’s wait a few more minutes. Tingyue should know her limits. They might really have things to talk about."
Ding Shanshan thought about it and agreed. It had been less than thirty minutes, so an accident was unlikely, right?
Listening nearby, Deng Meiqi asked curiously, "Shanshan, Tingrou, who did Tingyue go out with? She’s still not back? You don’t think she’s staying out for the night, do you?"
Wang Lisha giggled and teased, "Who else could it be? It must be her boyfriend. I’m just a little curious, when did Tingyue get a boyfriend? Is he a childhood sweetheart from high school?"
Bai Weixi was at her laptop chatting with Wang Yuchen. When she heard the words "childhood sweetheart," her body trembled violently, and a figure flashed through her mind.
The other roommates continued their discussion.
Ding Shanshan spoke hesitantly, as she wasn’t sure about the relationship between Li Yuan and Zhong Tingyue. "They must have been classmates. It’s certain they knew each other from before and probably share some special history."
Wang Lisha grew even more curious. "Wow, I actually guessed right! It really is a childhood sweetheart. That guy must be pretty impressive, then. Tingyue wouldn’t settle for less."
Was Li Yuan impressive? Ding Shanshan and Xu Tingrou exchanged a glance, each holding a different opinion.
If you looked at any single aspect of him, he wasn’t exactly top-tier. But taken as a whole, he actually seemed quite good. At the very least, among the current students at the Finance Academy, no one seemed more outstanding than him.
"He’s not bad," Xu Tingrou finally said. "In my opinion, he’s barely a match for Tingyue. But as for whether they’ll end up together in the future, that’s hard to say."
"Hee hee, you guys have no idea," Ding Shanshan added. "Tingyue is like a different person in front of him. She even took the initiative to drink beer, and she had two bottles!"
"Really? It’s pretty rare for us girls to drink beer. When Tingyue gets back, we have to grill her properly for keeping secrets even from us sisters."
As they were talking, there was a knock on the dormitory door.
Xu Tingrou, who was applying a face mask, heard the knock and smiled. "A knock at this hour? It must be Tingyue."
Ding Shanshan was already lying on the top bunk playing with her phone. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was exactly 11:00 PM. "Let me see... yup, eleven o’clock on the dot," she teased. "Tingyue is so punctual."