The dappled sunlight filtered through the gaps between tree branches, casting shifting patterns on the shaded path beneath.
Xie Guanyan couldn’t bring himself to meet the girl’s eyes at first, but he mustered his courage and forced himself to look directly at her. One hand reached out hesitantly, while the other unconsciously clenched into a fist. His heart pounded like thunder, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.
This was the first time he had ever spoken to her.
He had practiced those words for two whole months.
Everything he wore today was new—his clothes freshly laundered, his shoes never worn before. He wanted to make a good impression.
Lin Mo hadn’t expected her longtime rival to greet her on the first day of university.
And with such formality, too.
She wasn’t the type to hold grudges.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she reached out and gave his hand a light shake. “Hello.”
An electric sensation shot through Xie Guanyan’s entire body.
She shook his hand!
Her fingers were softer and more delicate than he had imagined, warm against his skin.
A fierce excitement burned in his eyes, and it took every ounce of his self-control to keep his wrist from trembling.
“Wait, you two didn’t know each other before?” Sun Ning, their senior, looked genuinely surprised.
Lin Mo withdrew her hand and answered casually, “We knew of each other, but we’d never spoken.”
Xie Guanyan lowered his hand, his thumb unconsciously rubbing against his fingers.
A new thought rose in his chest, making his breath quicken.
He lifted his gaze to her again, his lashes fluttering slightly. “Can I—”
“Lin Mo!”
A male voice abruptly cut Xie Guanyan off.
He turned, his heart lurching.
Gu Jingchuan, dressed in a loud floral shirt, shot Xie Guanyan a glare so icy it carried an unmistakable warning.
Lin Mo stiffened at the sight of Gu Jingchuan.
Even after she had broken up with him, he kept showing up at her family’s villa.
That was until Shen Sizhan had doused him with toilet water, set a guard dog on him, and thrown literal crap at him.
Only then had he stopped coming.
She thought he had finally given up—but here he was, chasing her all the way to campus.
Lin Mo had no intention of entertaining him. She turned back to Xie Guanyan. “What were you saying?”
Gu Jingchuan wasn’t bad-looking, but standing next to Xie Guanyan—whose face could rival a sculpted masterpiece—he barely passed as human.
Xie Guanyan felt the weight of Gu Jingchuan’s glare. His fingers curled into fists, nails digging into his palms hard enough to hurt.
He couldn’t act recklessly.
After finally speaking to Lin Mo, he couldn’t risk making her hate him.
“It’s nothing. I should head to the dorms.”
Xie Guanyan turned away, pushing his suitcase as he walked off.
The dappled light fell on the slender boy’s shoulders, casting a lonely, desolate shadow.
No one saw him lift his hand to his nose, inhaling deeply the lingering scent of Lin Mo’s touch.
Gu Jingchuan scowled at Xie Guanyan’s retreating figure.
How dare he talk to Lin Mo? Clearly, he needed to be taught a lesson.
Gu Jingchuan turned back—only to find Lin Mo gone.
His eyes widened as he frantically scanned the area.
Then he spotted her—sprinting away at full speed, dragging another girl along as if fleeing from a rabid dog.
Gu Jingchuan: “……”
He immediately gave chase.
Sun Ning gasped for breath, her legs giving out. “No more… I can’t run anymore!”
Lin Mo had spent her summer vacation working out two hours a day, so her stamina was excellent.
But seeing her senior exhausted, she had no choice but to stop.
A glance back confirmed Gu Jingchuan was still coming.
The wind blew his bangs aside, revealing a forehead so large and shiny it resembled that of a Qing dynasty nobleman.
Lin Mo couldn’t bear to look. She wanted to die on the spot.
Gu Jingchuan finally caught up, panting so hard his tongue lolled out. “Lin… Lin Mo, stop running… I need to talk to you.”
Since she couldn’t shake him off, Lin Mo sighed. “We’re already broken up. Stop bothering me.”
She had repeated this all summer.
Gu Jingchuan, still bent over catching his breath, argued, “You broke up with me unilaterally. I never agreed.”
Lin Mo rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t a negotiation—it was a notice! You’re not even a student here. If you don’t leave, I’m calling campus security.”
Being dragged out by security would be humiliating.
Gu Jingchuan gritted his teeth. “Lin Mo! I’ll win you back!”
Once he was gone, Sun Ning chuckled. “He loves you, but you don’t love him. What a tragic romance.”
Lin Mo rubbed her chin. “The real tragic romance is between the people and their wallets.”
Sun Ning blinked, then burst out laughing. “Fine, I admit—I’m a hopeless romantic!”
After touring the campus, Lin Mo treated Sun Ning to lunch before the senior left to greet other freshmen.
Lin Mo wandered around on her own, exploring every corner.
By dinnertime, she ate at another cafeteria before deciding to head home.
On the way, she received a message from Zhao Ziling.
【Ugh, I’m in a bad mood. Ordered four little puppies to cheer up.】
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up. 【Send pics!】
Zhao Ziling: 【……You’re such a real one.】
A photo soon arrived—four bottles of Shuangwaiwai (a yogurt drink).
Lin Mo: 【……】
Still, she cared about her bestie. 【What happened?】
The campus grew quieter as night fell, the daytime bustle replaced by stillness.
Zhao Ziling replied quickly: 【Went to an auction with my mom this afternoon. There was a painting I wanted, but someone outbid me.】
Lin Mo: 【Who dares snatch something from Miss Zhao? Point me to them—I’ll handle it.】
Zhao Ziling: 【Huo Tingshen! I asked him to let me have it, but he flat-out refused! No man has ever rejected me so bluntly! I’m fuming!】
Zhao Ziling was stunningly beautiful, with admirers lining up since childhood. Even the elite young masters of Beijing’s upper crust fawned over her.
But Lin Mo knew of Huo Tingshen—the sole heir of the Huo family, an old-money dynasty in Beijing.
Men like him, born into power, weren’t easily swayed.
Lin Mo consoled her. 【Alright, don’t be mad. I’ll send four M’s to pamper you.】
Zhao Ziling perked up. 【Seriously?】
Twenty minutes later, she received four McDonald’s meals.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo continued walking, phone in hand.
Then, from a dimly lit corner, she heard muffled groans.
Her peach-blossom eyes widened.
What in the world?
Curiosity got the better of her. She crept closer, peeking around the corner.
A boy was viciously kicking another boy on the ground.
The attacker’s silhouette looked familiar.
“Gu Jingchuan! What are you doing?”
Lin Mo stepped forward, her voice sharp.
Xie Guanyan, curled up on the ground, thought he was hallucinating when he heard her voice.
With great effort, he lifted his head.
The radiant girl was already looking at him.
His breath hitched, and he immediately turned away, not wanting her to recognize him.
Every time they met, he was at his most pathetic.
He hated her seeing him like this.
But Lin Mo recognized him instantly—perhaps because they had just met earlier.
His once-pristine white T-shirt was now filthy.
Their eyes had met for only a second before he looked away, but she had already seen the blood at the corner of his lips.
Gu Jingchuan hadn’t expected Lin Mo to stumble upon him while teaching Xie Guanyan a lesson.
Panic flickered in his eyes. “Lin Mo, we were just—”
SMACK!
Lin Mo’s palm struck his face with full force. “Who gave you the right to bully him?”
