Chapter 476

Ruan Wan broke up with Zhao Shiyong?

Although Li Weijuan had heard rumors before and was mentally prepared, hearing Ruan Wan confirm it herself still left her unable to believe it.

If Li Weijuan was this stunned, how shocked must Zheng Wei and Zhu Xiao Bei have been—easily imaginable.

Previously, Ruan Wan had been the happiest in the dorm, radiating the sour stench of love everywhere. After living together for over a year, nearing two, everyone knew her love story with Zhao Shiyong—daily phone calls, returning home with a beaming smile, driving everyone crazy. Sometimes at night, they'd fantasize about walking into marriage, dreaming of a future raising children together…

"I told you! Zhao Shiyong's unreliable—men are all trash, always lying." Zheng Wei blurted out a group roast, then immediately realized her mistake and asked: "What happened? Didn't you two sleep together already? It's been less than half a year—did Zhao Shiyong get what he wanted and now deny it?"

"Yeah, Ruan Wan, speak up—we still have time before classes start, let's go to Shanghai and beat him to a pulp, I'll lead the charge." Zhu Xiao Bei leapt to her feet, furious and eager.

Li Weijuan rolled her eyes beside her—whether condemning men, demanding reasons, or planning revenge, she'd wanted to say all of it too, but this time she was too busy processing the explosive news and lost her lines.

"Don't get so worked up—let Ruan Wan explain why." She briefly calmed the room, then joined the other two in staring at Ruan Wan.

Ruan Wan sighed helplessly and said seriously: "Let me say it again—I never slept with Zhao Shiyong. As for why we broke up, it's simple: we were too far apart. He's in Shanghai, I'm in Jin Ling—we could only call each other, exchanging sweet nothings. When something happened, I couldn't be there for him right away. Over time, even sweet words get tired of saying and hearing. This kind of affection naturally fades. Distance made us realize we didn't love each other as much as we thought. If that's the case, why force ourselves to stay together? Better to part ways, both free."

The three stared at Ruan Wan, trying to confirm if she was telling the truth. Ruan Wan met their gaze calmly—she hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, by saying this now, she was still giving Zhao Shiyong some face.

"I understand."

After a moment of silence, Zheng Wei looked at her three curious friends, her eyes gleaming with insight, a look of cleverness on her face: "Zhao Shiyong cheated! He's got someone else over there."

Li Weijuan and Zhu Xiao Bei immediately turned to Ruan Wan—she sat silently, head bowed, saying nothing.

"Really?" Seeing her reaction, Zheng Wei was startled: "Zhao Shiyong? He'd dare cheat? You're so good, so gentle, so beautiful, so devoted to him—how could he cheat?"

"Surprising, right?" Ruan Wan sighed, smiling at her three eager friends: "I didn't expect it either. I found out last year when I borrowed money from Old Wang and took three days off. Maybe you didn't notice, but after that, Zhao Shiyong never called again. What Li Juan heard was right before we left for winter break—he came begging me to get back together. Probably thought I couldn't live without him, or just wanted to see if I was still that naive—swing the stick, see if there's fruit or not."

Though she didn't want Zhao Shiyong's shame made public—it would make her look foolish—now that Zheng Wei had guessed it so casually, she stopped pretending. She just wouldn't mention that Zhao Shiyong had gotten some girl pregnant—she'd keep a shred of dignity. After all, cheating and cheating until a pregnancy occurs are two different levels. Besides, she was the one who had to fix it—then she'd look even more foolish. Better not say too much.

Zhu Xiao Bei didn't understand: "Then why were you so happy when you came back?"

"What else could I do? Cry nonstop? I was heartbroken then, but later I realized—knowing now what Zhao Shiyong really is beats finding out later. Otherwise, who knows what he'd have tricked me into? And since the breakup, I've been doing fine. Why torture myself clinging to him?"

"Sure enough, not a single man is worth a damn." Li Weijuan sighed sadly.

Zheng Wei nodded in agreement: "I told Ruan Wan before—Zhao Shiyong's unreliable. He only listens to his mom, who didn't want him with Ruan Wan, and his family's well-off. Even if he hadn't cheated now, he'd have had bad intentions later. Good riddance. There are plenty of men in the world—Zhao Shiyong isn't irreplaceable. But… you really didn't let him get his way?"

"Oh come on, I swear I didn't! Why won't you believe me? Do I look that stupid?" Ruan Wan waved her hand irritably: "Enough about me—it's just a breakup, what's the big deal? I'm fine, why are you all so gloomy?"

"Doubting love!" Zheng Wei sighed: "You used to say how amazing you and Zhao Shiyong were—how you'd never marry anyone else, how you'd raise kids together. But look what happened—he cheated! And now I think of myself—you know Lin Jing is five years older than me, and he's changed a lot too—who knows what he's been doing these past two years?"

"Then don't rush to answer," Zhu Xiao Bei waved her hand casually: "You're only twenty—why rush to give yourself away?"

"But he's twenty-five already—I can't just keep being vague forever, can I?"

Li Weijuan shook her head: "If he really wanted to be with you, he'd have already considered the age gap. Men aren't like us women—we only have a few years of youth, but men hit their prime around thirty. We're only sophomores now; even after graduation and starting work, it's just three or five years away. By then you'll be twenty-five, he'll be thirty—you'll be youthful and beautiful, he'll be established. Perfect match. What's there to worry about?"

"Yeah, they're right. Whether you accept or refuse, if you're unsure, don't rush to respond." Ruan Wan fully agreed with Li Weijuan. When you can't see someone clearly or understand their intentions, extend the timeline—eventually, the answer will come.

Zheng Wei sat frozen, her mind in chaos, unsure how to decide.

The dorm fell silent. No one spoke—each lost in thought. Love, always elusive, yet endlessly itching, stirring the hearts of young men and women.

After a while, Li Weijuan broke the quiet: "Another year passed—let's get together with Old Wang and Old Zhang for dinner? Last year we all met and had a great time; we should keep this tradition. College is only four years—only four dinners total. After graduation, we'll scatter to Tiannanhaibei, and meals like this will get rarer and rarer."

She glanced at Zheng Wei, who looked ready to explode: "Just invite Lin Jing. You don't need to hold a grudge against Old Wang—look at yourself, so angry. What difference does it make to him? He doesn't care whether you show up or not. Why torture yourself?"

"I'll do what I want—what's it to you?"

"So are you coming or not? We're all going."

"Fine, I'll go—who's scared?"

"Then it's settled. We can't go today—it's the first day of school. Let me check…" Li Weijuan flipped through the desk calendar: "Next week, everyone's free. Let's eat… Xiao Bei? You're not working there anymore—can you still book that private room?"

"I'm on great terms with the boss—don't worry, not only can I book it, we still get a 50% discount like last year."

"Then it's settled—I'll contact Old Wang and Old Zhang."

Li Weijuan acted decisively—left immediately, went downstairs to the boys' dorm, had someone call Wang Yan down, told him about next week's gathering, had lunch with him right then, chatted awhile, then parted ways.

Back in the dorm, she saw Zhang Kai, Xu Kaiyang, and others laughing and boasting. She remembered that when they left last year, Chen Xiaozheng had cleaned the room thoroughly—it was spotless. Now, just two days later, it was a pigsty again.

He leaned against the door and called out: "Old Zhang, Young Xu Gong—Li Weijuan just came to find me. We're getting together Saturday, same place—Ren Sheng Jin Jin Yichuan."

"But Xiao Bei isn't working there anymore—how can we get a table? That place is always packed." Xu Kaiyang shook his head. Though he'd given up pursuing Zheng Wei and had gone through several girlfriends, they still got along well and had fun together.

"She's close with the boss—she'll reserve a private room, same as last year, 50% off."

Xu Kaiyang perked up: "Can I bring my girlfriend? She's been wanting to go for ages—never got a spot."

"Of course—Li Weijuan said Zheng Wei's bringing her love interest too."

Xu Kaiyang's eyes flickered, his brow furrowing slightly—he still hadn't let go, still felt uneasy.

Zhang Kai, chuckling beside him, exclaimed in surprise: "Love interest? Out of nowhere? Where'd he come from?"

"Said they're childhood friends—I don't know the details. We'll find out soon enough. Gotta go." Wang Yan smiled, nodded toward Chen Xiaozheng, who was packing up and watching him, then turned and left.

The semester started, but for Wang Yan, nothing changed—he no longer attended classes, only occasionally checked in with professors, asked questions, just enough to prove he was still alive. No one cared.

After half a semester apart, they naturally exchanged feelings whenever Ruan Wan had no class. Beyond that, nothing serious—day after day passed like this.

In the blink of an eye, a week passed.

Ren Sheng Jin Jin Yichuan's business remained as booming as ever—staff always enthusiastic, service always attentive. They anticipated customers' needs before they arose. Their motto: customers come for the experience, not just the food—even though their barbecue was truly top-notch.

In the private room sat Ruan Wan and the other three, Wang Yan, Zhang Kai, Xu Kaiyang with his freshman girlfriend, and Lin Jing—nine people total. After introductions, laughter and chatter erupted. Before the main barbecue arrived, only peanuts, edamame, and cold dishes were served, yet they were already drinking heartily.

"Come on, Wang Yan, Xu Kaiyang—I'll drink to you." Lin Jing raised his bottle by the neck, looking at Wang Yan seated between Zhu Xiao Bei and Li Weijuan, and Xu Kaiyang, close to his girlfriend: "The past is past—no need to dwell. We must look forward."

Zheng Wei glanced at Lin Jing beside her, then at the slightly awkward Xu Kaiyang and the smiling Wang Yan—she knew this was meant for her. She wasn't surprised Lin Jing knew about Xu Kaiyang's pursuit of her and her confession to Wang Yan—just ask around, you'd find out.

Wang Yan raised his bottle too, glanced at Zheng Wei, and smiled: "You mean you want us to look at who's beside us."

After two years in the real world, he wasn't some reckless kid. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said one sentence addressing three people—he'd have yelled, "You're the one named Wang Yan, aren't you?"

Lin Jing turned to look at Zheng Wei, who was unusually shy, and laughed: "Who knows? Come on, drink up!"

The three clinked bottles, downed them in one go—drank hard. Wang Yan drank half, then put his down, watching Xu Kaiyang and Lin Jing neck it. He didn't know Lin Jing's intent, but Xu Kaiyang clearly wanted to compete—he wasn't convinced he was inferior, and now they were face to face, so why not settle it with drinks?

While the two on one side clashed, Zhang Kai sat beside Ruan Wan, concerned: "I heard you broke up with your boyfriend? You okay?"

Ruan Wan was watching the spectacle—nine people, four men, three tied to Zheng Wei, two now drinking fiercely—fascinating.

"You heard about it already?"

"Big beauty, you're way underestimating your influence. It's not just me—everyone on campus knows now. I bet in a bit, you'll be swamped." Zhang Kai said with concern: "Enough about that, enough about that—are you okay?"

"Do I look like I'm not okay? Besides, Zheng Wei and the others already comforted me. Isn't everything fine now?"

"Good. I say it's better this way—you're in much better shape than before. You dress better, you're prettier, more energetic, you practically glow."

Ruan Wan laughed: "You're exaggerating." As she spoke, she raised her cup and clinked it against Zhang Kai's, and the two drank happily.

After that drink, they fell quiet. Zhang Kai quietly asked about romantic matters with Zheng Wei on the other side, all while drinking cup after cup himself.

Sitting at the same table, Wang Yan naturally noticed Zhang Kai's actions—he knew this kid had truly decided to silently pine away.

The reason? Zhang Kai lacked confidence—or perhaps he was overconfident. Now that Ruan Wan was single, pursuing her was perfectly feasible. But he lacked confidence in his own worth matching hers, and was confident she'd reject him anyway.

So to stay by her side openly, to remain friends, to still laugh and joke together, he chose silence—to let no one know his feelings for Ruan Wan. In the quiet of midnight dreams, he savored the bittersweet ache alone.

Actually, the group had little to say—just at the start, they chatted about New Year's events. Beyond that, they were all from the same school, knew each other well, and had few secrets. Wang Yan naturally enjoyed talking with Li Weijuan and the others, eating heartily. He came here to eat. He didn't often eat like this—he always saved some novelty. Though he wasn't picky, he still got tired sometimes; after all, he'd been eating for hundreds of years. Even if Chinese cuisine was endless, he'd nearly exhausted it. It was hard.

The most entertaining part of the whole night was the contest between Xu Kaiyang and Lin Jing. Lin Jing had a better tolerance, but Xu Kaiyang drank like his life depended on it. Once his competitive spirit flared, they had to settle who was better. Drinking didn't care about social experience—you drank or you didn't. So Xu Kaiyang vomited terribly, inside the private room…

After settling the bill, the server ignored the vomit on the floor and smiled: "These two seem drunk—would you like us to help you get them into a car?"

Outside the restaurant stood a row of taxis and ride-hailing drivers—all partners of the establishment—who knew every patron's details, had records of who got in when, all to ensure customer safety. Those who drove themselves were forbidden to leave drunk. They could park outside, but to drive off, they needed a designated driver—or risk being reported to traffic police.

It was disgusting, and inconvenient—traffic enforcement wasn't strict these days, and car owners weren't ordinary people; plenty thought themselves superior. But they still held firm—it was better for everyone. After all, warnings had been given before the meal; if you didn't like it, leave. That saved the hassle of pretending to be tough after getting drunk.

Zheng Wei glanced at the drunken Lin Jing: "Help him outside—let him breathe some fresh air and sober up."

Soon, the group stood wobbling outside, dazed from afternoon to evening—even if they hadn't drunk much. Wang Yan lit a cigarette and watched the scene from the side.

"Lin Jing? Lin Jing? You okay? Can you find your way home?" Zheng Wei patted Lin Jing's back, trying to rouse him—but the result was obvious: Lin Jing only mumbled incoherently, unable to respond.

In contrast, Xu Kaiyang, supported by Zhang Kai and his girlfriend, was far better off. Though uncomfortable, he could still communicate, and he chuckled at Lin Jing.

"What do we do? He can't go home like this. Should I take him back?" Zheng Wei looked to her friends for help.

No one there was foolish. Zheng Wei's tone clearly meant she didn't want to take Lin Jing home herself. Instantly, three pairs of eyes turned to Wang Yan, who was smoking on the side. Ruan Wan and the others were women—they couldn't handle a passed-out guy.

Wang Yan spread his hands: "Do you think she'd agree? Let Old Zhang do it."

Zheng Wei, supporting Lin Jing as his unsteady body swayed her: "Lin Jing's heavy—I doubt Old Zhang can carry him. Look at him—he's drunk too. You've trained, right? You do it. Consider it charity."

It was a sensible choice. Zhang Kai couldn't handle it, and he was drunk himself. If Ruan Wan and the others went along, it'd be too much trouble. Better to just ask Wang Yan—even if it was awkward.

"There's a hotel right across. Pay a little, let him sleep there tonight."

"Do you think everyone's as rich as you? What else couldn't you do with that money? I'm begging you—please. I'm a girl and I don't mind. You're a man—why are you dragging your feet?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "Fine. Go slow, then. I'll do a good deed." He walked over, easily hoisted Lin Jing, and shoved him into a roadside taxi. Then he slid into the front passenger seat. Zheng Wei consciously got into the back, gave the address, and let the drunken Lin Jing lean against his shoulder.

Wang Yan saw all this in the rearview mirror. Zheng Wei was still holding her neck up, showing off to him. He ignored her, rolled down the window, propped his arm on it, and let the cold wind blow.

The ride was silent. Soon they arrived at Lin Jing's place—a modest old apartment building not far from the Confucius Temple. Most housing now was like this; new buildings were still rare.

He easily carried Lin Jing up to the fifth floor. Zheng Wei rummaged through his pockets for the key, opened the door, and Wang Yan dumped Lin Jing onto the bed. Then he glanced around the room.

The apartment was clearly rented—no company would generously give an employee such a large space as dormitory housing, let alone assign it as a benefit. At over sixty square meters, it was tidy and odorless, filled with books scattered everywhere. For a single man, it was quite nice.

Zheng Wei bustled about, tending to Lin Jing—removing his shoes, tucking him in, bringing water for him to sip, then placing another glass on the nightstand. She looked almost virtuous.

"Zheng Wei, Zheng Wei, I love you, let's be together," Lin Jing mumbled in bed, tossing and turning: "When you were little, you kept calling me 'Lin Jing brother, Lin Jing brother.' Back then, I decided—I'd protect you for life…"

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile. He had no interest in listening to some childhood-growth story. He spoke up, startling Zheng Wei out of her daze: "Are you sleeping here or what?"

Zheng Wei exhaled deeply, turned, and shot Wang Yan a furious glare. She tucked the blanket tighter around Lin Jing: "I'm leaving. Rest well." She turned, left the bedroom, switched off every light, then walked out with Wang Yan. The door slammed shut with a bang.

Hearing the door close, Lin Jing opened his eyes in the dark, lying on the bed…

"He's faking."

On the way out of the compound, the two walked side by side, shadows beneath their feet. Zheng Wei, silent, suddenly looked at Wang Yan, who was smoking.

"Not too stupid," Wang Yan said, unsurprised.

"Men are all no good."

"You're right."

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Zheng Wei was furious—but she exhaled again, controlling her emotions: "Since freshman year, you've been close to Ruan Wan, Li Weijuan, and Zhu Xiao Bei. You bought them wallets—but you've always ignored me. Tell me honestly—why do you dislike me?"

"I answered this before—on the day of the cultural performance last year. I said we just didn't click. And even if I liked you, what would it change?"

"Am I pretty?"

"Yes."

"Not worse than Shi Jie?"

"About the same."

"You shouldn't be so honest."

"Force you into it by making it inevitable?" Wang Yan stopped. Zheng Wei instinctively halted too. He reached out, brushed her wind-tousled hair back, and traced her burning cheek: "That's a matter of character. I may not be a good person—but I still consider myself human. I follow the principles of consent and equality. I'm not a scumbag yet."

He tapped her nose with his fingertip, chuckled, and turned to walk on.

Bastard… Zheng Wei muttered inwardly, flushed with shame, stomped her foot, and broke into a run to catch up: "How's it going with Shi Jie?"

"Still great."

"Can you be honest with me—how did you make Shi Jie, who knows you're a bastard, still stick by you?"

"You might not believe me—but she came to me on her own."

"I believe you!"

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and kept walking lazily.

"You seem unusually agreeable today?"

"You're talking to me normally today."

Another silence. Zheng Wei said: "What do you think of Lin Jing?"

"You should already have your own judgment."

"He's twenty-five, a man—this kind of thing is understandable, right…"

This wasn't the reunion years later, when both had lived full lives, sat across from each other, spoke of past loves, regrets, and blame. This was early. The matter was still early.

Zheng Wei grew up following Lin Jing around, then chased after him to university—this bond, unbroken over seven or eight years, was even less likely to fade after Lin Jing had been gone for just over a year. So it was natural for Zheng Wei to explain to Lin Jing, and to understand herself.

Wang Yan shook his head: "You should ask whether he'll respect your wishes even when you disagree—not invent excuses for his behavior based on your own ideas."

"Should… probably… yes…"

After leaving the residential compound and walking a while, they finally spotted a taxi. They got in one after the other; the four wheels rolled along the wide road and soon returned to campus.

Wang Yan was considerate enough—also because it was on his way. In silence, he escorted Zheng Wei to the entrance of the female dormitory, then casually waved goodbye and walked off.

"Wang Yan!"

Wang Yan stopped, turning to look at Zheng Wei standing on the steps.

"Can we be friends?"

"As long as you don't call me a scumbag bastard." Wang Yan shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled away lazily.

Watching his figure grow distant, Zheng Wei muttered to herself: "You're a scumbag bastard."

Saying this, she burst out laughing, turned, and ran to a window, knocking to wake the old man downstairs, acting cute and pleading desperately to be let in…

Wang Yan had an easier time entering the dormitory—the old man slept early, but had a good temper; he chuckled and chatted with Wang Yan for two yuan before returning to bed.

The boys in the dorm were still studying; seeing Wang Yan return, they began chatting idly.

"Old Wang, I heard Ruan Wan broke up with her boyfriend—aren't you going to make a move?" Sun Mingbo cared about Wang Yan's love life.

"Yeah, you've got such great luck with women, yet after over a year, you're still single," Zhou Army Supervisor nodded in agreement: "Look at Wang Bo—since his acne disappeared, he's been so smooth; in just over a year, he's already dated two girls."

Wang Bo quickly defended himself: "I've truly opened up to them both—I'm not just after sex like you think. You're a lifelong virgin, jealous and bitter."

This kid, now acne-free, was genuinely handsome; youthful, restless, self-taught, improving through practice, he spouted flirtatious nonsense daily. But his circumstances were poor—he couldn't afford going out to eat or party, or he'd be a real scumbag. Still, he didn't neglect his studies—he pushed himself hard. The dorm's study atmosphere was strong; he'd feel ashamed not to study in this room.

"Hey, you're just making things hard for yourself," Zhou Army Supervisor clenched his fist: "All three of us are still single."

"No no no, Brother Zhou, I'm wrong!"

Turning away, the three of them started fooling around, no longer caring why Wang Mou had such great luck with women yet remained single and a virgin… Wang Yan felt ashamed.

He shook his head, took off his clothes, and carried a basin to the water room. There, Chen Xiaozheng was still laboriously washing clothes.

"What a coincidence—you're washing clothes too." Wang Yan made small talk.

"Mm. You're washing up so late—just back? Weren't you all going together?"

"Well, Young Xu Gong and Zheng Wei's childhood friend were drinking, both got drunk. Zheng Wei couldn't take her friend home alone, and Zhang Kai was also drunk, so I did a good deed and went with Zheng Wei to drop off her childhood friend. That's why I just got back. Hey, did you check—how are Young Xu Gong and Zhang Kai doing?"

"Old Zhang's fine—he came back, lay on the bed, quiet and peaceful, even smiling in his sleep. But Xu Kaiyang? Can't drink, yet insists on overdoing it—he came back vomiting all over the floor, yelling he wanted to drink with that Lin Jing. That Lin Jing—isn't he Zheng Wei's childhood friend?" Chen Xiaozheng sighed helplessly.

Wang Yan nodded: "You cleaned it up?"

"Who else? Me and Fatty ran back and forth for half the night."

Seeing the deadpan look on his face, Wang Yan chuckled—poor kid…

After a long silence, Chen Xiaozheng asked: "You came back with Zheng Wei?"

"No."

Chen Xiaozheng's hands froze suddenly: "Did she spend the night at that Chen Jing's place?"

"Just kidding—I dropped her off at the female dorm entrance. Why are you so tense?"

"I'm not tense—I just think girls should value themselves. Staying overnight at a guy's place is asking for trouble. I feel sorry for her."

Chen Xiaozheng lied to himself.

Wang Yan didn't care—he just marveled at the strange fate. Chen Xiaozheng and Zheng Wei's connection began with a dropped model, then they cleared it up and moved on; his focus shifted to her. Their remaining contact? Zheng Wei occasionally came to their dorm to play cards, and Chen Xiaozheng always came home late—they rarely met, let alone talked. Yet under these conditions, Chen Xiaozheng fell into secret love, quietly watching her.

Maybe, like Zhang Kai, he was destined to be a supporting character. But even if he wanted to, he couldn't be one—supporting characters need to share scenes with the protagonist; he couldn't even get a word in, so what kind of role could he play?

Perhaps it all still comes down to this: loving someone needs no reason.