After Flirting with the God-Tier Beautiful Tycoon - Chapter 78

Chen Yi drove to the No. 7 Girls’ Dormitory at Nancheng University as fast as she could control.

After parking the car steadily, she looked up toward the sixth floor.

She skillfully located the window to Shen Xiaojiang’s dorm, took out her phone, entered the passcode 0328 to unlock it, and stared at their WeChat chat box, falling into a few brief seconds of contemplation.

Then, she immediately exited WeChat and opened her contacts. Finding “Little One” pinned at the top, she dialed without a second thought.

The ringing tone sounded like the noisy chirping of cicadas in a tree, making one feel inexplicably irritable.

One ring, two rings…

No answer.

It wasn’t until a short busy signal echoed in her ear that Chen Yi hung up.

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she gripped the phone, her internal tension had nearly reached its breaking point.

She turned off the engine, unbuckled her seatbelt, and walked briskly toward the dormitory entrance.

The thought of Shen Xiaojiang being busy despite her stomach discomfort perhaps even on an empty stomach meant she couldn’t wait a single moment.

No, not even a second.

Shen Xiaojiang, that beautiful little bird, could fly far, fly high, and be surrounded by others, but she absolutely must not get sick, and she absolutely must not get hurt.

Xiaojiang was such a good, wonderful child, while she, Chen Yi, was a sinner. If possible, she was willing to bear all the pain and injury for Shen Xiaojiang.

She rarely climbed stairs, let alone to such a height. Her heart was racing, and her breathing was extremely ragged.

Her physical stamina couldn’t compare to Shen Xiaojiang’s. By the time she reached the third floor, she was already gasping for air, sweat beading on her forehead.

Finally arriving at the door of Shen Xiaojiang’s room, Chen Yi stood still. Looking at the light accidentally leaking through the crack of the door, her hand, raised to knock, hovered in mid-air.

She adjusted her breathing and stared blankly at the door panel.

In the hallway, students passed by from time to time some holding books, others carrying water bottles. Some were laughing over juicy gossip, while others were grumbling about a hated major course.

Chen Yi felt completely out of place in this dormitory atmosphere.

She continued to stare at the door, feeling at a loss looking at the sliver of light.

Only now did she realize how impulsive her actions were.

Having rushed here regardless of everything, what did she actually want to say? What did she actually want to do?

She hadn’t thought it through.

What if there were others in the dorm?

What if Shen Xiaojiang wasn’t there?

What if…

Before she could finish her mental struggle, Chen Yi’s phone rang.

Two months ago, after parting with Shen Xiaojiang, she had changed her ringtone to a piece of light music they both liked: The Flowing Subness.

Chen Yi was startled by her own ringtone for the first time. Her shoulders jerked, and she clutched her phone as she hurried toward the window at the end of the hallway.

Fortunately, Shen Xiaojiang’s room was some distance from the end of the hall; even if she was inside, she probably hadn’t heard it.

Chen Yi answered the phone in self-denial. It was Chen Fangru.

If it had been anyone else, she would have hung up immediately.

“Sister, what is it?” Chen Yi’s voice trembled slightly from her previous nervousness.

Chen Fangru said, “Nothing special. You forgot the thermos with the chicken stewed in rice wine. I saw you barely touched your food, so I thought I’d bring some back for you…”

Chen Yi blurted out almost instinctively, “There’s alcohol in it; she can’t eat it.”

“Who?”

As soon as Chen Fangru’s voice fell, Chen Yi realized she had misspoken.

She immediately corrected herself: “Oh, no one. You misheard.”

After hanging up, Chen Yi exhaled in relief, her brow relaxing slightly.

Returning to the door once more, before she could even raise her hand to knock, the door was opened from the inside.

The most ordinary cool white light spilled out from the room, casting itself onto Chen Yi’s face, as cold and clear as moonlight.

Shen Xiaojiang stood in the center of this moonlight, her tall figure gradually enveloping Chen Yi.

The surrounding noise seemed to vanish in an instant. The two of them were like being wrapped in a transparent barrier where no one could disturb them.

When Shen Xiaojiang heard the ringtone, her ears had perked up.

Around her, no one knew that melody maybe someone did, but she hadn’t met them.

If her time with Chen Yi were a romantic movie, that melody would be the background score. Hearing it brought back memories of Chen Yi and every little moment they had shared.

Her work was mostly finished, so she sat quietly, holding onto a sliver of hope and waiting.

It wasn’t until two shadows appeared at the bottom crack of the door that she stood up to open it.

It wasn’t that she had to see someone she just wanted to confirm the ringtone, that’s all.

“Auntie,” she called out to the person.

Chen Yi’s eyes, which had been wide, narrowed bit by bit. Her gaze swept over Shen Xiaojiang’s hair which was a bit shorter now and landed on the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose.

It was the first time she had seen Shen Xiaojiang wearing glasses, and a different kind of throb stirred in her heart.

The excessively clean and beautiful girl wore a white shirt tucked into blue slim-fit jeans, paired with classic black and white high-top canvas shoes. She looked as youthful and sunny as when they first met.

The black-rimmed glasses and the top button fastened all the way up gave Shen Xiaojiang an air of unintentional “abstinence” in Chen Yi’s eyes.

Only Chen Yi knew how unrestrained and wild this seemingly innocent girl could be once the lights were out.

Her throat felt dry, and she rasped back a response: “Mm.”

After a few seconds of silence, Chen Yi spoke again: “So, you are here.”

Shen Xiaojiang looked at the person in front of her, who seemed different from usual, and asked back with feigned indifference: “So, you didn’t come here to find me?”

Chen Yi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

That question was poorly phrased it did sound like what Shen Xiaojiang suggested.

“I…” Chen Yi gripped the hem of her cardigan and stole a glance at Shen Xiaojiang, “I didn’t mean that.”

“Then who are you looking for?”

“You’re asking the obvious.”

“I don’t know,” Shen Xiaojiang replied decisively.

Chen Yi slowly turned her eyes, a light quietly flowing within them. “I’m looking for you.”

Shen Xiaojiang appeared unmoved.

Chen Yi looked at her; she looked at the shadows on the floor.

Both knew exactly what was going on.

After a long time, Shen Xiaojiang stepped aside, leaving enough space for one person to pass, and said flatly, “Come in.”

After entering, Chen Yi stood in the open space of the dorm, recalling the scene when she first came here.

At that time, Shen Xiaojiang was innocent and pure, a bit shy and a little silly.

The dorm was still the same dorm, and the person was still the same person, but they could no longer say the words they had said back then.

“Have you… had dinner?”

Just as Shen Xiaojiang sat down, she heard Chen Yi’s soft, delicate voice from behind her.

“I’ve eaten,” she replied.

“What did you have?” Chen Yi asked again.

“Porridge,” Shen Xiaojiang replied curtly.

After a short silence, Chen Yi moved closer to Shen Xiaojiang. “And the medicine? Did you take it?”

When she heard the word “medicine,” Shen Xiaojiang was visibly stunned for a moment.

She didn’t answer.

Chen Yi leaned against the locker door next to Shen Xiaojiang’s desk, looking down at her. “I went to my sister’s house tonight and heard from Jiabao that your stomach has been bothering you and for quite a while now. But you haven’t gone to the hospital, you even just bought random medicine to take.”

Shen Xiaojiang remained silent.

She wasn’t good at lying. What the other person said was the truth, and she couldn’t deny it.

“I’ll take you to the hospital for a gastroscopy, a check-up, and to see a doctor.”

“No need, I’m fine.”

As soon as Chen Yi finished speaking, Shen Xiaojiang refused sternly.

The other woman didn’t speak, but continued to gaze at her longingly.

Shen Xiaojiang felt uncomfortable, so she turned up the desk lamp and continued reading.

Chen Yi wasn’t angry or pushy.

Her long, ice-blue skirt fluttered gently, looking like a pair of beautiful butterfly wings.

She went to the balcony, resting her hands where Shen Xiaojiang usually did, looking out at the scenery Shen Xiaojiang often watched.

When she returned to the room, Shen Xiaojiang was looking at her.

It was night, without wind or moon.

“Auntie…”

Before the rest of the words could come out, there was a “snap” the dorm’s circuit breaker tripped.

Shen Xiaojiang wasn’t particularly nervous.

This dormitory building was one of the earliest built and the oldest of all the girls’ dorms. The wiring was old; although the school’s logistics staff had repaired it many times, power outages in the summer were still a frequent occurrence.

She was used to it, but Chen Yi who wasn’t afraid of people but was terrified of “supernatural” forces let out a small gasp the moment the room went dark.

She stood in the pitch black, watching Shen Xiaojiang’s blurred silhouette move slowly toward her.

Then, the phone’s flashlight flickered on.

“Can you see?” Shen Xiaojiang asked her.

“Yes, I can,” Chen Yi replied, walking toward Shen Xiaojiang in the dim light.

Perhaps it was because she had stood up too quickly, or perhaps it wasn’t.

Shen Xiaojiang’s stomach was hit by another wave of throbbing pain.

It had never hurt this much, not even during her period.

She remembered the instructions on the stomach medicine said it could effectively relieve pain, but why had it lost its effect only a few hours later?