Her hands were still trembling slightly, yet Su Qingnuan’s gaze remained unwavering.
She looked at Su Yuerou, the corners of her lips curling into a smile.
"So what if I hit you?" Su Qingnuan said with a faint smile. "If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll call security to kick you out. This is a school, not a place for you to act out!"
"Act out?" Su Yuerou rolled up her sleeves and rushed forward. "You were the one who hit me first! Trying to twist the truth! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I won’t be a Su anymore!"
Seeing her charge forward aggressively, Gu Xiaoxiao hurriedly stepped in front of Su Qingnuan.
"Su Yuerou! You say such horrible things, and yet you won’t let your sister get angry? Don’t you know your sister isn’t in good health? You just had to provoke her!"
"Not in good health?" Su Yuerou sneered coldly as she struggled to push Gu Xiaoxiao aside. "She looks perfectly fine to me—been alive too damn long if you ask me!"
Watching the two entangled in conflict up ahead, Su Qingnuan clutched her chest and stepped back.
Her face was pale, her breathing labored.
Everything Su Yuerou said felt like knives, relentlessly stabbing into her heart.
"Su Yuerou! Don’t cross the line! This is a school, not your home—don’t think you can act recklessly here!" Gu Xiaoxiao defended Su Qingnuan, her expression stern.
Glancing at Gu Xiaoxiao, Su Yuerou sneered coldly. "So not only do you seduce men, you have friends willing to stick up for you too. But let me tell you, Su Qingnuan—"
Her gaze locked onto Su Qingnuan, sharp and venomous like a snake about to strike, ready to bite and poison her.
Pressing down on Gu Xiaoxiao’s hand, Su Qingnuan took a deep breath. "Su Yuerou, today is your birthday. If you want to act out, do it at home. No one here is going to indulge you."
Seeing her calm demeanor, Su Yuerou gritted her teeth. "Su Qingnuan, just you wait! I won’t let you win so easily!"
With that, she stormed off.
Watching her retreating figure, Gu Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. "Does your family spoil her ? Saying whatever she wants?"
Su Qingnuan smiled bitterly, wrapping her arm around Gu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder. "Alright, don’t get mad. That’s just how her temper is—I don’t even bother engaging with her."
"Not engaging is better!" Gu Xiaoxiao muttered through gritted teeth. "That brat is just asking for trouble!"
Smiling faintly, Su Qingnuan nodded. "Exactly."
Thanks to Su Yuerou’s sudden appearance, their mood was disrupted, so Su Qingnuan and Gu Xiaoxiao grabbed a quick bite outside before heading back to the dormitory.
Just as they got back to the dorm, Su Qingnuan’s phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, Su Qingnuan froze for a moment.
Why would Fu Yihan call her out of the blue?
Feeling uneasy, she answered the call softly. "Hello?"
"Pack up and be at the gate in half an hour."
The phone emitted a series of beeps—the call had already ended.
Staring at her now-black screen, Su Qingnuan frowned slightly.
"What’s wrong?" Gu Xiaoxiao, noticing her troubled expression, asked curiously, "Who called?"
"No one." Su Qingnuan put down her phone and looked apologetically at Gu Xiaoxiao. "I’m sorry, Xiaoxiao, I need to head back."
"Head back?" Gu Xiaoxiao lowered her gaze to check the time. "It’s still early—you’re going back now?"
"Yeah...." Su Qingnuan offered a bitter smile. "He called, said something came up at home, told me to return."
Gu Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up instantly. "He? Is it Fu Yihan? Can I go with you and meet him? I haven’t seen him yet!"
"... He’s not too fond of meeting strangers," Su Qingnuan said tactfully.
Disappointed, Gu Xiaoxiao sighed. "Alright, let me know when things get better between you two so you can take me to meet him."
Awkwardly smiling, Su Qingnuan nodded. "Okay."
This "better relationship"—Su Qingnuan wasn’t sure if it would happen before she left.
The thought made her let out an involuntary sigh.
After packing lightly, Su Qingnuan headed out of the dormitory and out the campus gates.
Standing at the school entrance, Su Qingnuan looked around but didn’t spot the familiar car.
It hadn’t arrived yet, she supposed.
Calming herself, Su Qingnuan stood quietly at the entrance, waiting.
Su Qingnuan turned her head to see an adorably cute young man running up to Shen Zhiliu.
"Senior!" The young man stopped in front of Su Qingnuan, visibly excited, his eyes darting around.
"You’re calling me?" Su Qingnuan smiled. "Which major are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you before."
"...I’m in the computer science department too—I’m a freshman."
No wonder—he did look unfamiliar.
"Oh, a freshman. It’s been a year since you started. Are you adjusted to life here?"
"Yes!" Facing Su Qingnuan’s gentle demeanor, the young freshman nodded quickly, his lips curving into a smile that revealed two adorable dimples. "I heard Senior made it to the finals with the top score—congratulations, Senior!"
"It’s just the finals." Su Qingnuan said with a wry smile. "There are still tougher contestants waiting for me, so there’s no reason to celebrate just yet."
The freshman blushed and lowered his head shyly. "True, but I believe in you, Senior—you can definitely do it!"
Su Qingnuan smiled modestly, her gaze lingering on the freshman.
After a moment, he hesitated, took out a letter, and handed it to Su Qingnuan.
"Senior, I have something to tell you, but I can’t say it face to face, so..."
Su Qingnuan froze for a moment, staring blankly at the freshman.
Seeing her hesitate, the freshman quickly said, "Please don’t misunderstand, Senior! I just wanted to share my thoughts—I’m not trying to pressure you or anything. I know you have someone you like."
Finally snapping out of it, Su Qingnuan looked at the trembling letter in his hand, wavering and uncertain.
With a soft laugh, Su Qingnuan accepted the letter.
"I appreciate your gesture, but something —don’t do it a second time." She waved the envelope lightly, her eyes filled with amusement yet tinged with an unreadable sadness.
The freshman stiffened slightly, lowering his head with drooping shoulders, looking somewhat pitiful.
From afar, it almost looked like she was bullying someone.
Su Qingnuan chuckled softly. "If you ever need help with schoolwork or anything else, feel free to ask me."
His eyes, once dim, lit up instantly.
"Really?" The young freshman asked excitedly, looking up at her.
Su Qingnuan nodded. "Really."
"Then... then..." The freshman flailed his arms, struggling to articulate his thoughts.
Su Qingnuan smirked playfully. "Then what? Lost your words?"
"No!" The freshman quickly refuted. "Can I come to you for guidance in the future?"
"That’s amazing!" The freshman stomped his feet in excitement, his gaze toward Su Qingnuan brimming with gratitude.
Watching his ecstatic expression, Su Qingnuan couldn’t help but smile, like she was watching a joyful child.
The young freshman jumped up and down for a while before he suddenly paused and turned to speak to Su Qingnuan.
A honk from behind disrupted their conversation abruptly.