Chapter 42 — Trash Can RevelationLi Shuru returned to the dormitory with the same slow, restless steps she always used when her thoughts were circling too fast, and the moment she entered, the air of the room felt strangely calmer, as if the walls themselves were trying to absorb the tension she carried like a hidden burden. Guo Ran was sprawled on her bed with her laptop open, the screen casting a soft glow across her face as she was deeply absorbed in the usual Korean drama that made her forget about real life for a while, and her voice came out automatically the second she noticed Li Shuru had returned alone, because she could not help but ask in a half distracted tone, “Where’s Jin Jin?”Li Shuru sat down in her chair with a mind that refused to settle, and the question felt like a small pinprick, not because she disliked being asked, but because the question reminded her of the absence that now lingered in the dorm like a shadow. She answered without looking

C44 – OutingThe message had not been sent to the wrong person, and the truth of that fact felt like a sharp blade sliding out of a hidden sheath, ready to cut through any illusion of normalcy. Leo Xu had indeed passed the mountaineering club’s vetting process, and on Saturday morning, he stepped onto the bus reserved for the outdoor activity organized by the club, a scene that would have been completely ordinary if not for the fact that his presence there already carried the weight of an unspoken rumor.The coach waited at the entrance of the cafeteria where the club’s coach had parked, and Leo’s arrival coincided with the appearance of a young man who looked like he belonged in a travel magazine rather than a university club activity, dressed in hiking boots and full mountaineering gear, a cap shading his face as he greeted every student boarding the bus with the practiced, bright smile of someone who had spent too much time pretending that life was always this c

C46 – Mountain Between Us“Shu Rui, what’s wrong?”Li Shuru’s voice sounded calm, but the stillness in her eyes was anything but peaceful, and she answered with a careful, almost forced, “Nothing,” as if she could will her unease to disappear simply by refusing to acknowledge it. Her gaze slid away from the screen, then snapped back, restless and anxious, as if her attention had been hijacked by some invisible force.The moment she heard the words “Brother Han of Ling Shiqi,” her mind instantly flooded with images and implications, and she knew exactly what it meant even before she read the comments flooding the live stream. The audience was already filling the chat with hints and rumors, and it was clear that this wasn’t a simple mention, it was a sign.Han Jiang Lonely Shadow was probably watching Ling Shiqi’s live stream right now.After months in the industry, after having spent more than a year creating content, Li Shuru understood t

Chapter 48: Contracted PondThe moment the words left Leo Xu’s mouth, the air in the fishpond area seemed to freeze, not because the temperature dropped, but because everyone present felt the same sudden shock ripple through them as if the world itself had paused to check whether it had heard correctly. The statement was simple, almost casual, yet it carried the weight of a bank vault being opened. “I want everyone to know that this fishpond has been contracted by her,” Leo Xu said, his tone calm and steady, as if he was merely announcing the weather instead of declaring ownership over a massive public space.Silence followed. It was not the quiet of people being impressed, but the quiet of people trying to process a claim that sounded too bold, too absurd, and too expensive to be real. The sound of the wind faded, the lapping water seemed to hush, and even the distant calls of birds felt muted. Everyone who was nearby, from the serious looking Amber Lin and the co

Chapter 50: Snowfall of Fate In this world, the snow did not only fall from the sky, it fell into the lives of everyone walking their own separate paths, like a gentle verdict that left its mark on every step, whether they were aware of it or not. It was not the kind of snow that demanded attention, not the dramatic kind that turned streets into a scene from a romance novel, but rather the quiet kind that seeped into the corners of existence, turning ordinary moments into something slightly colder, slightly heavier, and yet somehow more honest. The night air carried the faint smell of winter, mixed with the warm scent of beer and the muted murmur of conversation, and the small rooftop bar where Leo Xu found himself sitting felt like a hidden corner of the world, a place where time slowed down just enough for a person to forget how loud reality could be. The lights around the rooftop glowed softly, casting gentle halos that made every object look like it