The little girl is even acting aggrieved now.

"I got it, I got it, I added her!" Xu Shuai exclaimed excitedly, waving his phone in the air.

"Remember that girl whose fingers brushed against mine when we picked up our military training uniforms today? I just added her on QQ."

"Damn, you’re fast," Li Longlong remarked, glancing over, but Xu Shuai clutched his phone protectively to his chest like it was some priceless treasure.

"Buzz off. If you want to flirt with girls, go add them yourself."

"Fine, be stingy. I’ll do it myself," Li Longlong muttered, pulling out his phone and opening the newly created class group chat.

Everyone in the group had already updated their display names. He stared at Han Xiaojing’s profile picture, clicking on it before quickly closing it—a telltale sign of guilt.

If it were someone without ulterior motives, adding her would’ve been no big deal.

"Yes, yes, YES!" Huang Fei suddenly sat up in bed, staring solemnly at his phone. "I added her too. Hahaha..."

Watching Long Aotian get added by the aloof campus beauty, and now even Huang Fei and Xu Shuai having their own targets, Li Longlong gritted his teeth and clicked "Add Friend."

Before long, the friend request was accepted.

Li Longlong raised his phone triumphantly. "See? I added her too. Who cares? Pfft..."

The dorm fell into a rare moment of silence.

The three of them curled up on their beds, clutching their phones, occasionally letting out strange, gleeful giggles.

"Are you guys a bunch of giggling gremlins?" Long Aotian found the whole scene hilarious.

Xu Shuai and Li Longlong were one thing—they’d already admitted their earlier bravado was just for show.

But even Huang Fei, the creator of the "Ten Core Theories of Dating," had turned into a giggling mess.

Weren’t you all about enjoying the single life?

Faced with Long Aotian’s teasing, Huang Fei buried his head under the blanket. "You’re just jealous we have people to chat with..."

Before he could finish, a knock came at the door. "Is Long Aotian in this dorm? Someone’s looking for you downstairs."

At those words, all three bolted upright, their eyes locked onto Long Aotian.

The moment he stepped out, they rushed to the balcony.

Their dorm was on the fourth floor, and soon enough, they spotted Long Aotian below.

"Damn, am I hallucinating? Didn’t Aotian say he’s never been in a relationship? The aloof girl added him after he saved her, but what’s this now?"

"No idea. I suddenly feel like I swallowed a fly. We’re over here celebrating adding a girl on QQ, and he’s already meeting up with one—no, scratch that, she came to find him!"

"Compared to him, I feel like such a pure soul."

"Honestly, it’s too accurate. A smooth-talking, good-looking player who claims he’s never been in love but always has girls around him—and the first one he pulls is a total knockout!"

"You know what they say about sports recruits..."

Before he could finish, the other two cut him off. "Who are you talking about?"

Xu Shuai froze. Damn, he’d almost insulted himself!

---

Outside the dorm.

When Long Aotian saw Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue standing a short distance away, surprise washed over him, followed by an indescribable warmth.

The setting sun painted their silhouettes in golden hues, as if time had frozen. Everything else faded away, leaving only their smiles.

He truly hadn’t expected the two of them to come find him on their own.

He’d planned to reach out after military training ended.

"Didn’t see this coming, did you?" Li Qingxue grinned playfully, her face brimming with triumph.

Her smile was infectious, and Long Aotian found himself mirroring it without thinking.

"Long-ge." Their eyes met, and in that moment, no words were needed.

When his gaze shifted to Hu Yuying, there was no overwhelming emotion—just a quiet certainty, like his heart had finally settled.

She smiled at first, but then her expression crumpled into something bittersweet. The joy was real, but so was the sting of broken promises.

There was a saying: When dependence becomes a habit, leaving feels like withdrawal.

Somewhere along the way, without either of them realizing it, Hu Yuying’s reliance on Long Aotian had filled every corner of her heart.

Or maybe he had noticed—but mistook it for simple dependence.

"Aw, is the little one sulking now?" Long Aotian ruffled Hu Yuying’s hair playfully.

Watching his affectionate gesture, even Li Qingxue felt a twinge of envy.

Hu Yuying’s sincerity toward Long Aotian was unwavering, pure in a way that couldn’t be faked.

"It’s because someone didn’t keep his word."

"Alright, alright, my bad. What do you two want for dinner? My treat!" Long Aotian had no defense against Li Qingxue’s sharp tongue. She was the liveliest, the most talkative.

"Why do you sound so reluctant? Hello, you’ve got two gorgeous girls flanking you. Do you have any idea how many guys are secretly jealous right now?"

"Wow, when you put it like that, I guess I’m the ungrateful one," Long Aotian chuckled, flexing his fists teasingly.

Li Qingxue immediately ducked, dodging with nimble grace. "Missed me!"

Hu Yuying watched their playful exchange, a flicker of longing in her chest.

Li Qingxue had a natural vivacity—something Hu Yuying lacked, something no one could replicate.

It was as if all the world’s brightness had gathered in her. Just being near her was enough to lift anyone’s spirits.

"Hey, spacing out?" Long Aotian waved a hand in front of Hu Yuying’s face. "You’re getting more absent-minded by the day."

"Maybe I should stop calling you ‘little follower’ and start calling you ‘little daydreamer’?"

"No," Hu Yuying insisted, smoothing her ruffled hair. "I am your little follower. The most obedient one."

Two simple sentences, and her mood shifted entirely with his.

"How’d you two get here, anyway?"

Long Aotian had only learned today that A University was just three kilometers away by bike.

His morning runs covered more distance than that.

"By car."

"Was it hard sneaking onto campus?"

"Super easy. We just walked right in," Li Qingxue said, cupping her cheeks dramatically. "What, do we not look like students?" She blinked, her expression equal parts smug and playful.

The carefree radiance of youth shone brilliantly through her...