When Li Si and Kong Dan returned to the dormitory, Yao iling was already there, just coming out of the bathroom after washing her hands, dressed in a camisole and shorts.
"You two went out for dinner? Zhou Na switched dorms, and we have a new roommate now. Have you t her? She's my high school classmate."
They nodded indifferently, clearly not too excited.
Yao iling glanced at Li Si. Over the sumr break, the once plain-looking girl seed to have transford—her skin was inexplicably radiant. How strange.
Unable to resist, she asked, "Hey Li Si, what did you get up to during the sumr? Did you secretly go for plastic surgery?"
Li Si thought of her past life's mories of this girl and didn't bother responding, "Do I look like I have ti for that? I just stayed ho all sumr, barely setting foot outside."
Kong Dan scrutinized Yao iling, "You've gotten a lot darker, haven't you? Did you go on vacation during the break?"
Yao iling raised her chin smugly, her lips curving into a self-satisfied smile. "Heh, I joined a group tour abroad. Got this sun-kissed look. Let show you the pictures I took, so you landlocked youths can get a glimpse of the amazing scenery overseas!"
As she spoke, she pulled out a stack of freshly printed photos and handed them over. Li Si muttered a few polite words before retreating to the bathroom under the pretense of washing up, slipping into her hidden space instead.
The space felt infinitely more comfortable—a sensation akin to stepping out of a sauna and into an air-conditioned room. The air was thick with the fragrant scent of fruit and soil, intoxicating her senses. Relaxing, Li Si stripped off her clothes and sank into the small river. Dorm life made sneaking into her space tricky; she'd need to tread carefully to avoid unnecessary mishaps among all these prying eyes and loose tongues.
Kong Dan gazed at the photos with envious eyes, while Yao iling reveled in a sense of superiority. Just then, Wang Shishi returned, lugging a bag full of snacks from the supermarket. Her face bore a dismissive expression, and Kong Dan, upon seeing her, left with her wallet without a word.
Yao iling eagerly linked arms with Wang Shishi, "Shishi, co check out the photos I took during my trip abroad!"
Wang Shishi showed keen interest and sat on Yao iling's bed, flipping through the pictures with a hint of jealousy in her gaze. Glancing around and noticing Li Si wasn't in sight, her eyes glead with calculation. "Hey iling, is Li Si back?"
"She's back, in the bathroom," Yao iling replied absentmindedly while excitedly narrating the details of her photos.
"You know, I've heard so things about Li Si. Turns out she's not from so fancy rich family!"
Yao iling chuckled softly and replied quizzically, "Who told you that? I think her family's pretty normal—her dad's in design, I believe. What made you bring this up?"
Wang Shishi glanced toward the bathroom door, leaned in close, and whispered conspiratorially, "I heard her dad passed away over the sumr."
Yao iling was taken aback, "Seriously? No way! She doesn't look like soone who's grieving a loss. She's way too composed for that!"
"Ah, don't be naive. When soone's family mber dies, they don't exactly go broadcasting it. My mom even told to get closer to her; you never know, maybe she is from a wealthy family—connections, you know? But co on, that's nonsense. Even my mom misjudged people sotis. Look at her—what a pitiful soul, no parents to rely on, still pretending to be sothing she's not! You didn't see how she was acting earlier today!"
Yao iling leaned in with gossip-fueled curiosity, "Quick, tell more. What happened? I don't think she's that kind of person. How is she pretending?"
At just that mont, Li Si erged from the bathroom, cutting their conversation short. Wang Shishi snorted and returned to her bed, while Yao iling nervously stole glances at Li Si.
Li Si took out her toner and lotion, gently patting them onto her face while looking into the small mirror on the windowsill. Ignoring their probing gazes, she grabbed a book and lay down on her bed.
The dorm's atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. "Knock, knock," ca a sound at the door.
Yao iling stood to ask, "Who's there?"
"Is Li Si here?"
A clear and crisp female voice answered.
Opening the door, Yao iling let in Li Fei. "Sis, I ca to check on you!"
Li Si's lips curled into a sneer—sure enough, stepping up her ga. With cold indifference, she looked at Li Fei. "What are you doing here?"
Li Fei's face was full of grievance as she approached. "Sis, I... I ca to apologize on behalf of Dad and Mom. They were just worried sick and acted impulsively. Please don't bla them, okay?"
"Hmph. What's there to apologize for?"
Did they think she was still the sa pushover? A few sweet words, a convenient excuse, and she'd obediently fall in line, leaving everything in their control.
Just then, Kong Dan returned with a bag full of toiletries. She saw the tense scene in the dorm, silently unpacking the things she had bought.
Li Fei hadn't expected Li Si to give no quarter in front of everyone.
After steadying her breath, she continued, "Sis, don't be like this, okay? Ever since Uncle passed away, you've changed so much. You've distanced yourself from us so much you're like a stranger. We keep trying to care for you, but you won't accept it. We used to be so close—how did things turn out like this?" Tears brimd in her eyes as she finished.
Li Si had no patience for people playing the victim in front of her anymore—she had suffered too much from this in her previous life.
"Caring for ? Is it you want to care for, or the money my dad left behind? Don't act like everyone else is clueless. Do you have any actual business here? If not, just leave. Stop making it look like I'm bullying you. I need to rest—get out!"
Li Fei flinched at her tone. No wonder Mom said the current Li Si was a whole different beast to deal with. "There's always tomorrow," Li Fei thought to herself, "I'll wear her down eventually." She softened her voice and said, "Then, Sis, I'll visit again another ti. I'll head out now!"
After Li Fei left, Kong Dan hesitated several tis before finally speaking awkwardly, "Li Si... are they really your biological uncle, aunt, and sister?"
Li Si laughed coldly, shrugging helplessly. "Of course, those are what we call family!" Letting her thoughts spill out, the dorm went silent. All three roommates stared at her with mixed expressions.
The first sester of sophomore year began quietly. Familiar faces mixed with new ones, and Li Si treated everything with a live-and-let-live attitude.
Getting a second chance at the college experience, she felt genuinely content. She often dread of her university days after she graduated and entered the workforce, maybe because her subconscious missed those tis dearly.
University, after all, was like a microcosm of society—less simple than high school, with an array of hidden motives. But compared to coworkers after graduation, the friendships in college were still worth cherishing.
On a sweltering weekend, Li Si left the campus library with her bag and walked past the basketball court. A ga was in full swing there, and from a distance, she could see crowds of students cheering and shouting.
As she thought about the recent ti she'd spent with Bai Shasha, a smile tugged at her lips. Bai was just the sa—lively, straightforward, an optimistic ray of sunshine.
"Speak of the devil and she appears. Just as Li Si was thinking of Bai Shasha," she erged from the crowd, skipping over and slinging her arm around Li Si's shoulder. "Hey, Si Si, where's the wind taking you all by yourself?"
Li Si made an exaggerated bow. "I'm off to worship my 'temple of five organs.' Would Queen Shasha care to join ?"
Bai Shasha giggled, "I'd love to!"
The two walked arm-in-arm, chatting along the way.
"You're skipping the basketball ga? And... him?"
Curious, Li Si turned to glance back at the basketball court. It was blisteringly hot, with several tall guys running back and forth chasing a ball. She knew Bai Shasha wasn't here for the ga but rather for the team's captain Cao Yufan.
Bai Shasha's expression dampened. "Don't talk about him. He's all thrilled right now, what with campus beauty ng Xi passing him water and wiping his sweat. What am I doing there? Putting myself in a bad mood?"
"You're still the sa, huh? Why not try a softer approach—sweet, feminine? I refuse to believe Cao Yufan won't be moved by it!"
Li Si knew Bai Shasha and Cao Yufan were childhood friends, with their parents working at the sa company. He truly liked Bai Shasha, but their dynamic always resembled that of enemies—endlessly bickering as if it were second nature.
She rembered how, after many years and countless ups and downs post-graduation, they finally ended up together. It was a tumultuous journey, filled with mutual stubbornness and even dalliances with other partners en route.
Now, knowing they'd eventually be together, Li Si wondered why their story couldn't just be straightforward and unblemished—why drag other past relationships into the mix and create unnecessary drama? So lately, she had been trying to help push them closer together.
Bai Shasha sighed dejectedly and couldn't help but vent to her best friend.
"Si Si, I get what you're saying, and I've been trying. But every ti I face him, I lose control of my temper. It's like an instant trigger—totally unmanageable. It must be because we've known each other for so long! If I act feminine and gentle, he'll co back with sothing like, 'Did you take the wrong ds or forget to take them altogether?' It drives insane; I could almost bite him!"
Li Si found the pair's dynamic both maddening and endearing.
"You two, honestly! I'm so invested it's giving anxiety. With ng Xi eagerly fawning all over him, you could try doing the sa. Then again, maybe that's just not your style—it's innate. Oh well, let's channel this frustration into so good food."
As they spoke, they reached the small food street across from the campus gates, lined with an array of mouthwatering snack stalls. Bai Shasha imdiately lit up, grabbing Li Si's hand tightly as they surveyed the options.
"What should we eat? How about QQ chicken wing tips, stir-fried noodles, a serving of fried rice, and maybe so pan-roasted glutinous cakes?"
Li Si's mouth watered as the scent of food filled the air. "That sounds perfect! Let's order extra chicken wing tips—but make mine with less spice."
The nostalgia hit hard; these were the flavors she had loved most over the years, especially the legendary QQ chicken wing tips of this food street—a taste she hadn't experienced again for a long ti.
Bai Shasha couldn't help but laugh at Li Si's foodie enthusiasm—her friend was even more of a glutton than she was.
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