Lu Huainan fell completely silent at Ji Zhaoxi’s words.
Ji Zhaoxi assumed she had hit a nerve and secretly gave herself a thumbs-up.
That was how you crushed Lu Huainan’s confidence.
Her ability to destroy someone both physically and emotionally was getting better and better.
Lu Huainan quietly stared at the instruments on the workbench while listening to Ji Zhaoxi hum softly beside him.
What exactly was he thinking? And what sort of expectations did he have for a certain someone...?
The moment he thought of everything that had just crossed his mind, Lu Huainan’s breathing began to quicken.
Was he sick or something?
Ji Zhaoxi had only said one sentence, yet he had managed to imagine an entire story around it. How was that any different from the way he had been in high school?
Back then, he had been like some kind of lunatic, standing every day not far from Ji Zhaoxi and waiting eagerly for her to turn around. But she had never noticed him—not even once.
After all, there were always people surrounding her.
Lu Huainan thought back to high school again. At the time, she had been leaning against the railing in the corridor with several girls. Sunlight spilled across the hallway while the girls huddled together in the shade.
She had lowered her head and complained in a small voice, “Why was I the only one who got caught? But the moment the dean called out to me, my legs just froze.”
Back then, Lu Huainan had walked toward them from the other end of the corridor without looking sideways. He hadn’t wanted to look at her, but when he drew close, his gaze still slipped helplessly toward her.
Just as he passed by, a gust of wind suddenly blew the test papers resting on the railing into the air.
She instinctively reached out to catch them, but he was faster. He bent down and picked up the sheet covered in handwriting he knew all too well.
At that moment, every sound in the corridor vanished. All he could hear was his own heartbeat, loud as thunder.
“Thanks, classmate.”
Ji Zhaoxi took the paper and thanked him politely. She hadn’t even looked at him.
Laughter rang out again, and she plunged right back into the conversation she had been having. That tiny accident seemed to have left no impression on her whatsoever.
Lu Huainan’s gaze rested on the beaker in front of him. Whether then or now, he probably had no place at all in Ji Zhaoxi’s memories.
In the past, he had been nothing more than a stranger who picked up a sheet of paper for her. Now, he was merely a fellow graduate student...
Lu Huainan lowered his eyes, his heart aching with bitterness.
Ji Zhaoxi carefully controlled the flow rate, even slowing her breathing.
After getting one over on Lu Huainan, she was in such a good mood that even her efficiency in the experiment had improved.
“Senior, could you check whether we’re doing this right?” Ji Zhaoxi asked as soon as she saw the senior students beside them finish their work.
Her senior answered her, then looked up—and saw Lu Huainan’s lowered eyes.
The senior paused, then glanced at Ji Zhaoxi, who was staring at her expectantly.
Did Junior really dislike working with Junior Sister that much? Should she ask their supervisor to switch them around...?
If their relationship was this bad, neither of them would make much progress.
It was completely dark by the time the students in the laboratory were finally free to leave.
Ji Zhaoxi slipped out the fastest of all. She had to go home and clarify things during her livestream!
The ping-pong senior couldn’t help laughing as he watched Ji Zhaoxi run off faster than a rabbit.
“I’m going to send Junior Sister a few diamonds tonight. I won them in another streamer’s livestream.”
The senior sister laughed. “You’re so stingy. I send Junior Sister a one-yuan gift every day. I send it, then leave.”
The ping-pong senior grew excited. “One yuan every day! That’s thirty yuan a month, and 365 yuan a year! Could you send me one yuan every day too?”
The senior sister’s mouth twitched. “No.”
After listening to him talk nonsense every day, he should be paying her instead.
The group switched off the lights in the laboratory. The senior brother looked at Lu Huainan beside him and said with a smile, “Junior, you can go check out Junior Sister’s livestream too.”
Watching Junior Sister pretend to be a cold goddess was pretty entertaining.
Lu Huainan answered calmly, “No. I don’t like doing pointless things.”
Everyone else stared at him, dumbfounded.
Lu Huainan silently left.
The group watched his retreating figure. The moonlight stretched his shadow long behind him. Though he had said something so harsh, there was an unmistakable air of desolation about him.
After a moment of silence, the senior brother said, “Tsunderes really aren’t popular anymore.”
Lu Huainan returned to his dormitory, turned his phone’s volume to an appropriate level, and walked into the bathroom.
Hot water poured from the showerhead, raising a fine mist. The glass door blurred until everything became indistinct. Her voice passed through the sound of the running water, slightly distorted yet still clearly reaching his ears.
“It’s not a failed plastic surgery. I only had my wisdom tooth removed. Some rumors are seriously ridiculous.”
“I’m not angry. Something this minor isn’t enough to make me angry.”
“Want to know how not to get angry? Hmm... I suppose it has something to do with my family. My mommy told me from a young age that there’s no need to get angry over rumors that are clearly malicious.”
The phone screen glowed faintly. On the livestream, Ji Zhaoxi wore a faint smile, though her swollen left cheek didn’t exactly fit the image she usually projected.
Ji Zhaoxi suddenly turned away from the livestream and glanced at the mirror beside her. She let out a deep sigh.
It was even more swollen.
[Xixi is so cute today, like a little bee puppy.]
[What’s wrong with the person above? Why are you calling Xixi a dog? You’re the dog!]
[??? I was joking! Don’t you know what a meme is? I’m done!]
[I really want to kiss her...]
Ji Zhaoxi was scrolling through her playlist. She said seriously, “I recently learned a song from a teacher. I’ll sing it for you guys.”
Other streamers often sang for their fans, but the number of times Ji Zhaoxi had sung for hers could be counted on one hand. Although her fans never complained, she did feel a little guilty about it.
[???]
[Why? Are you unhappy today, Xixi??]
[Huh?? Who said they wanted to hear you sing? Nobody did [confused]]
[What’s wrong, Xixi? Why did you suddenly decide to sing [crying]?]
[Nooo, I was about to go to sleep, baby...]
Ji Zhaoxi glanced at the comments and laughed. “I’m the one who said it. It’s been so long since I last sang, and none of you even reminded me.”
“To the babies who are going to sleep, sleep well. Just treat it as a lullaby.”
For a moment, Ji Zhaoxi felt that she had a great responsibility. She had to sing well—she absolutely had to lull them all to sleep.
[Baby, we can’t bear to have you sing. Your throat will hurt [sobbing]]
[Don’t sing, baby. Let’s do a PK and make some money instead, okay?]
[Who would dare say that...]
[I wouldn’t... Someone say it for me... I’m begging you. I really am going to leave the livestream on while I sleep.]
[No one say anything! Xixi, sing as loudly as you can! Such a good baby, you even specially learned a song for us [kisses]]
Ji Zhaoxi felt a little embarrassed when she saw the comments. She cleared her throat lightly and said, “Everyone, don’t set your expectations too high. I only just learned this song, but I’ll do my best.”
She played the accompaniment, cleared her throat, and began to sing earnestly while following the lyrics. This time, she put everything her teacher had taught her into practice.
[Could you people stop ruining the mood? Seeing such a well-behaved Xixi, how can you bear to say such nasty things [angry]?]
[Sigh... sigh...]
“Okay… as long as Xixi is happy. [Sobbing]”
By then, Lu Huainan had already finished showering. He walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel, as steam filled the single dorm room. Her singing drifted into every corner.
Lu Huainan drank some water as he listened to her voice.
He’d forgotten to record it, but it didn’t matter. Someone in the fan community would definitely have recorded it. He could just save it later.
