Near midnight, the gate of Zhuming Girls’ High School.
After the black luxury car drove off, Lin Yi and the security guard exchanged awkward glances.
In the end, the guard still let her in.
“Don’t let it happen again.”
“Got it, got it.”
Lin Yi walked through the school with trepidation, terrified of running into anyone she knew and being caught coming back this late.
She passed through the teaching building, arrived at the dormitory, pressed the elevator button, and then walked down the familiar hallway.
It was lights-out time.
Although Zhuming Girls’ High School didn’t forcibly shut off the electricity, if the dorm supervisor auntie spotted light coming from behind a door after lights-out, she’d give them a fierce scolding.
Ultraman Tiga wouldn’t survive a single episode at Zhuming Girls’ High School.
She looked left and right, confirmed there were no strange sounds, and then took out her key to unlock the door.
Perfect.
The room was dark.
Yan Jianxing must be asleep.
As long as Yan Jianxing was asleep, then what time she got back tomorrow depended on what time she wanted to say she got back.
The moment Lin Yi’s toes touched the floor, Yan Jianxing sat up in bed:
“You’re back?”
“Wah!”
The motion-activated lights in the entire hallway flicked on.
Lin Yi quickly shut the door, then pressed her hands over her chest to hold her racing heart.
“Is it that scary?”
Yan Jianxing’s voice sounded a bit gloomy.
“You came back so late.”
“Y-y-y-y-you, why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“I was waiting for you.”
“You don’t need to wait for me…”
Lin Yi put her bag on the desk.
“Go to sleep soon. I can tell from your voice you’re tired.”
“I was worried something happened to you.”
Yan Jianxing watched Lin Yi fumble her way to the balcony in the dark.
“What could happen?”
“Did your phone die? I sent you a bunch of messages and you didn’t reply.”
Lin Yi opened her crossbody bag, shook her phone, and saw it was true.
It must have died on the way back from the island.
She’d been feeling a bit sleepy then, so she hadn’t paid much attention to the dead battery.
“Sorry for making you worry.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as you’re back, that’s what matters.”
Yan Jianxing turned over.
“I saved hot water for you. Hurry up and shower and go to sleep.”
She knew Lin Yi was the type of girl who absolutely would not get into bed without showering—she had an almost fanatical respect for her bedding.
“Thanks.”
After showering in the dark, Lin Yi dried her hair with a towel.
Since she didn’t dare use the hairdryer, she had to wait for her hair to air-dry.
Fortunately, the night wasn’t too cold, so she could stand on the balcony and let the evening breeze blow over her.
Thinking it was about time—if she didn’t sleep soon, she might not be able to get up tomorrow—she went back to bed.
Looking at the figure on the opposite bed, Lin Yi ventured,
“Yan Jianxing, are you asleep?”
“Mm.”
“Then how can you answer me?”
“I didn’t answer.”
She’s mad?
That didn’t seem likely.
Yan Jianxing was a sunny, cheerful, beautiful girl.
No way, right?
Lin Yi lay on her stomach, turning her little head toward Yan Jianxing:
“Let’s go to the cafeteria together tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
“Did the old class teacher say anything tonight?”
“Nothing.”
“Your clothes blew down to the ground floor.”
“Really?!”
Yan Jianxing quickly sat up, squinted in the moonlight, and saw Lin Yi’s smile before realizing she’d been fooled.
The two stared at each other, then suddenly burst out laughing.
Yan Jianxing leaned back against the wall, crossing her legs in a meditative pose:
“What are you laughing at?”
Lin Yi rested her head on her hands, wiggling her cute little feet.
“Nothing. I’m not laughing. Heehee.”
“You are laughing. About tonight… forget it, I won’t ask.”
“If you ask, I’ll answer.”
“I’m not asking.”
Yan Jianxing looked up at the ceiling.
“It’s a privacy issue.”
Lin Yi’s white ankles locked together as she looked at Yan Jianxing:
“I know you care about me. If it were you who hadn’t come back at midnight, I’d be thinking about you too.”
“Mm…”
“Let’s eat together tomorrow.”
“Mm!”
“Hehe, my Yan Jianxing is the best.”
This immediately highlighted how awful Jian Shuye was.
Hmph, what kind of fixed partner acts like that, needing her to beg to make it official?
She wasn’t the only beautiful girl around!
And she had the nerve to say that because she was Jian Shuye, it was only natural for others to fall for her?
Pfft, overconfident girl!
“Yi Yi, for Golden Autumn Week, I want to go play with you.”
Yan Jianxing hugged her knees.
“Anywhere in the world is fine. If you’re afraid of the cold, we can skip Qingsong and go to the South China Sea instead.”
So it really was about this.
But everything had a first-come, first-served basis.
Sorry, Yan Jianxing, I already invited Su Kui, so I can’t tag you along.
After all, the lottery ticket specified a two-person trip was one thing, but if you, who aren’t short on cash, tagged along, Lin Yi felt like something out of control might happen.
So she didn’t dare tell Yan Jianxing that she planned to go out with Su Kui.
“I…”
“I know. You said last time you had family stuff.”
Yan Jianxing rested her chin on her knees.
“What about next year?”
“You’re already reserving for next year?!”
“Yeah, that might be too early. What about winter break?”
Lin Yi thought about it:
“Winter break is also a bit early. Anyway, Yan Jianxing, I promise you—November, December, pick any time. If I, Lin Yi, refuse you again, I’ll…”
“No need to swear, no need to swear.”
Yan Jianxing quickly interrupted.
“It’s not that important. No need to make such a big deal out of it.”
“Really?”
Lin Yi pouted.
“But I think it is important. I need to make it clear to you.”
In the darkness, Lin Yi couldn’t see Yan Jianxing’s expression.
All she saw was the beautiful girl bury her face in her arms.
“Yan Jianxing?”
“Mm…”
“Are you listening?”
“I am.”
Lin Yi nodded:
“Think about it—we’re roommates. We’re together every day. We sleep together, wash our faces together, eat together, even go to class together. We’re practically conjoined twins.”
“You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it. I like it a lot, and I’m very satisfied. It’s just… how do they put it? Brief separation makes the union more sweet.”
“Union…”
Ah, she couldn’t see Yan Jianxing’s face again.
Maybe she should have used “parting for three days makes one look at each other with new eyes” instead of that “brief separation makes the union more sweet”?
Since she’d already said it, Lin Yi just went with it:
“When we come back from Golden Autumn Week, we can leave each other a gift. When we meet again, it’ll feel fresh and exciting.”
Yan Jianxing didn’t speak.
The entire dormitory building was like a ship quietly anchored, gently swaying in the thick night.
Only the occasional distant car horn served as the waves.
“Yi Yi…”
“Mm?”
“What do you call me?”
Lin Yi was a little confused but tried:
“Yan Jianxing?”
“Don’t you think the name is a bit long?”
Now that she mentioned it, yes.
Just like how Su Kui always called her “Lin Yi-san,” Lin Yi always wanted to drop the “san.”
“Then… Jian Xing?”
“Mm.”
Yan Jianxing pinched her fingers.
“Say it again.”
“Jian Xing.”
“Mm.”
“Jian Xing…”
“Mm, I’m here.”
“Sleep!”
Lin Yi turned over, her back to Yan Jianxing, pulled up the corner of her blanket, and covered her face.
Meanwhile, Yan Jianxing slowly pulled her blanket over herself and covered her eyes with both hands.
Tonight was indeed shaping up to be a sleepless night.