Chapter 6 "Yan, she actually didn't bring you breakfast today?"

After Luo Xing deleted Gu Shiyan, she charged her phone and drifted off to sleep, clutching her stuffed animal. In contrast, Gu Shiyan was still standing on his balcony, letting the cold wind brush past him as he waited for a certain someone's reply.

His phone chimed.

Gu Shiyan glanced at it.

Li Zhao had tagged him in a group chat with dozens of people. Li Zhao had dragged him into that group, and there were barely a handful of names he could even recognize.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Gu Shiyan stared at that line, his mind replaying all those weekends when Luo Xing would pester him, insisting that he accompany her. She hadn’t asked him out this Saturday because she was with her friends; perhaps they’d made plans long ago. But what about Sunday?

Gu Shiyan didn’t reply to Li Zhao just yet.

He watched as the time on his phone ticked slowly toward midnight. Drawing in a deep breath of the cold air, his fingers tightened around his phone. Finally, he forced his stiff body back inside.

So be it.

On Sunday, Luo Xing and her group of five indulged in food and fun from morning till night, capping the day with a movie. Luo Xing even forgot about Gu Shiyan entirely.

She returned to her room just as the clock struck ten, barely making curfew. On her phone were videos from Ming An and Yun Cai—clips of the male lead at the cinema that day, posted with strings of praise about his overwhelming charm.

Curious, Luo Xing clicked on the videos. She hadn’t expected much, but the guy really was quite attractive: a face that could look both adorable and wolfish, a lean, toned body, and impressive credentials—tall, highly educated.

For once, Luo Xing actually finished watching a male celebrity’s video.

The app automatically scrolled to the next clip.

Wow, so handsome, and in such good shape.

Wow, he’s kind-hearted and a top student.

Wow, he looks so cool and aloof, but he’s actually adorable!

Wow, he likes biting straws, just like me!

After watching all the clips Ming An and Yun Cai had sent, Luo Xing went online to search for more. Before she knew it, it was one, then two, then three in the morning…

She really shouldn’t have clicked on that fan video, not with an eight a.m. class the next day.

Monday’s first class was one of Luo Xing’s major courses. Today, she deliberately dressed down: a rare black T-shirt and loose jeans, her hair in its usual messy bun.

She and Gu Shiyan not only shared the same department but were in the very same class. In the past, she’d stand by the door waiting for him; wherever he sat, she would follow.

But today, she naturally sat with Ming An and Yun Cai. On her other side were Shen Que and Yao Xiangming.

Luo Xing glanced left, then right. “Actually, we’re pretty lucky—all five of us ended up in the same major. Thinking about it, I feel really happy.”

Yun Cai flipped open her textbook. “You make it sound like we’re all secretly in love with you. It’s just a coincidence, that’s all.”

Ming An raised her hand. “I just genuinely like physics.”

Luo Xing rolled her eyes and looked at Shen Que.

Shen Que looked up. “You know I’ve always been best at physics.”

Next, Luo Xing looked to the person beside Shen Que. Yao Xiangming, chewing on a piece of bread, mumbled, “My dad picked it. Nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, Star, I chose physics for you,” Yun Cai said, linking arms with Luo Xing and blinking her eyes playfully.

“Forget it—you did it for your idol, not for me.”

Yun Cai had been a fangirl since middle school. She’d chosen to major in physics at Xing University just to be at the same school and in the same program as her idol. Unfortunately, just as she got in, her idol had a scandal and left the industry.

“Nonsense, that jerk isn’t my idol anymore. Didn’t I show you my new idol in the group chat yesterday?”

At this, the other four all looked at her.

Yao Xiangming pointed at the three girls. “So you made a secret group chat without us just to gossip?”

Shen Que pressed his hand down. “How childish. Who’s gossiping?”

Luo Xing smiled and solemnly swore to Shen Que and Yao Xiangming, “We absolutely weren’t talking about you behind your backs!”

Shen Que didn’t mind. He glanced at Luo Xing. “It’s fine. We already knew. Yao Xiangming just likes to make a fuss.”

Luo Xing shrugged and laughed, tapping Shen Que’s shoulder with her fist. “Thanks for letting it slide, Boss Shen.”

The five of them sat up front, completely unaware that, one row behind, six eyes were fixed intently on their group.

“Yan, she didn’t bring you breakfast today?” Li Zhao watched the scene ahead, oblivious to how dark Gu Shiyan’s gaze had become as he stared at Luo Xing.

“She didn’t even wait for you. She’s sitting with someone else. And look, there’s a tall, handsome guy to her right—actually, two.”

Yi Chuan cleared his throat, glancing at Gu Shiyan’s sour expression, and offered an explanation for Luo Xing. “But there are two girls on her left, too. They’re just good friends—what’s wrong with sitting together?”

“No, Chuan! Look at how she’s smiling! I’ve never seen her smile at Yan like that—her eyes are all crinkled, showing all her teeth, and she even touched his shoulder!”

Yi Chuan ducked his head, muttering at Li Zhao’s hopelessness. “She didn’t touch him; it was just a fist bump. Besides, how she treats her boyfriend and friends isn’t the same. Of course she’s more reserved in front of her boyfriend…”

Li Zhao patted Gu Shiyan on the shoulder. “Bro, maybe you should just message her. Didn’t she always bring you breakfast, no matter how early the class was? And she always sat with you if you had class together.”

Gu Shiyan slowly lifted his gaze to Li Zhao. “Zhao, could you shut up for a moment?”

Li Zhao glanced at the top of Gu Shiyan’s head and zipped his lips.

Gu Shiyan looked at his phone. Their chat was still stuck on the three words he’d sent the night before.

Luo Xing hadn’t messaged him “good morning” in three days.

But if she was really angry, then what were the “good night” and “sleep well” messages from last night?

His slender fingers tapped a pen against the table—thunk, thunk.

Li Zhao realized Gu Shiyan was genuinely upset this time.

Yi Chuan pulled up his chat with Luo Xing and nudged his phone over to Gu Shiyan. “Ask her.”

Back when Luo Xing was trying to get to know Gu Shiyan, she’d added all his friends.

Gu Shiyan stared at Luo Xing’s avatar, unmoving.

Li Zhao sighed. “What’s there to hesitate about? Want me to ask for you?”

Without waiting for a reply, he snatched Yi Chuan’s phone and typed, “Why didn’t you sit with Yan today?”

He showed it to Gu Shiyan. “How’s this?”

Yi Chuan nodded. “Looks good to me.”

Gu Shiyan said nothing, which Li Zhao took as approval. He was just about to hit send when the phone was snatched away.

Gu Shiyan, wearing a high-end luxury watch—though it was an old model from over a decade ago—typed out his own message.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Before Yi Chuan could stop him, Gu Shiyan pressed send.

Yi Chuan froze. “Bro, you’re killing me here. That sounds like I’m the one worrying about her.”