After the Online Romance with the Campus Beauty Roommate Went Wrong - Chapter 1

Early one morning, an unexpected post went viral on Yanjing University’s forum, quickly rising to the top. Replies flooded in at a rate of dozens per minute.

Sang Shi’an clicked the forum link. The moment she saw the title, the cup beside her overturned, spilling onto the keyboard.

The computer screen flickered twice before going completely black.

Front-row seat for the drama!

Oh my~ Aren’t these the two School Belles who supposedly hate each other and turn away whenever they meet?

So, their animosity was just a facade? They’ve been rolling around in bed together all along?

Anyone with insider info? Are they really living together?

……

The photos in the original post were clicked open and enlarged.

Dense foliage blocked the warm yellow glow of the streetlights, casting hazy patches of light. Beneath this dim illumination, Jian Chenyu could be seen walking into the apartment building with Sang Shi’an. Even from the side profile, she was instantly recognizable.

Yanjing University, China’s top institution, was not only home to academic elites but also countless beauties with striking or delicate features.

Yet Jian Chenyu possessed a unique aura—pure, aloof, and otherworldly, like a goddess untouched by earthly concerns. To associate anyone with her felt like a sacrilege.

It was precisely this icy, ethereal, world-weary face that had snatched the School Belle title from Sang Shi’an the moment the semester began, captivating the hearts of countless pure-hearted young men and women.

So when photos of the goddess descending to earth, embracing another person—especially when the candid shots were taken beneath the apartment building in their residential complex—the admirers on the school forum erupted in fury.

As one of the parties involved, Sang Shi’an stared at the photos, exhaling her frustration with barely restrained fury.

Since the start of the semester, she had spent two months dodging Jian Chenyu day and night at school, terrified that anyone would discover they lived together.

Now, everyone knew.

Unlike the others who admired, idolized, or fawned over Jian Chenyu, Sang Shi’an loathed her more than anyone else.

Jian Chenyu was renowned for her excellence within the elite circles of second-generation heirs, having excelled academically since childhood and basked in the endless praise of her parents.

Four years ago, Jian Chenyu had suddenly decided to study abroad for university. Just a few years later, she abruptly returned to China for graduate studies, enrolling at Yanjing University—the very institution Sang Shi’an attended.

Being at the same university would have been bad enough.

But their families happened to be close. Worried that Jian Chenyu might struggle to adjust to life back in China, Sang Shi’an’s parents had given Jian Chenyu the keys to Sang Shi’an’s off-campus apartment, insisting that Sang Shi’an take good care of her.

Thus began their ill-fated two-month cohabitation.

For two months, Sang Shi’an, usually the life of the party among her friends, and Jian Chenyu remained separated by a chasm wider than the Milky Way that separated the mythical lovers, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

Sang Shi’an went out every day, throwing herself into club activities and social gatherings. It wasn’t until last night, at another childhood friend’s birthday party, that she drank too much.

Perhaps Jian Chenyu, knowing Sang Shi’an disliked their relationship being discovered, seized the opportunity for revenge. She paraded the drunken Sang Shi’an around, ensuring they were photographed by fellow students and the pictures posted on the school forum.

A large bruise still marred Sang Shi’an’s lower back. She wondered if Jian Chenyu had deliberately pushed her while she was vulnerable last night.

Just as she was pondering this, her phone rang again, its ringtone blaring defiantly.

It was Su Ningyue, who had sent her the forum link and was also Sang Shi’an’s best friend at school.

Ten minutes later, having finally wiped the last drop of water from her computer keyboard, Sang Shi’an tossed the tissue aside. Overwhelmed by Su Ningyue’s barrage of questions, she finally cracked and confessed everything.

“The forum post is right. I am living with Jian Chenyu…”

“Didn’t you say you were living with a short, fat, ugly, dark-skinned, and ancient repeat student?” Su Ningyue’s voice crackled urgently through the phone.

“Okay, even if you’re blind and can’t see such a stunning beauty like Jian Chenyu right next to you, what about those photos? You’ve always hated Jian Chenyu, refusing to even let me mention her name!”

Sang Shi’an’s arm grew tired. She set the phone on the table, her gaze fixed on the still-enlarged photo on the screen, her emotions a tangled mess. “How was I supposed to know Jian Chenyu would pick me up last night? Now the whole school knows! I should demand compensation for emotional distress.”

Su Ningyue’s voice hesitated. “If she drove all that way to pick you up, maybe your relationship isn’t as bad as you think?”

Sang Shi’an vehemently denied it. “It’s bad. Really bad.”

“Didn’t you ask her why today?”

“No. I don’t sleep with her.” As Sang Shi’an retorted, her peripheral vision inevitably caught sight of the photo of Jian Chenyu holding her.

The night wind was strong, causing her skirt to flutter precariously, making her figure appear especially frail as she leaned against Jian Chenyu’s chest.

It’s no wonder the forum users were overthinking things.

Sang Shi’an silently closed her eyes. Jian Chenyu was hardly the type to be affectionate with others.

Four years ago, when Jian Chenyu left the country without a word, Sang Shi’an had harbored resentment for all that time. On the day Jian Chenyu moved into this house, Sang Shi’an decided it was pointless to dwell on the past. She greeted her familiarly with a cheerful “Older Sister Chenyu” and offered to help unpack.

But the moment Sang Shi’an touched the suitcase, Jian Chenyu flatly refused her assistance. “I don’t bring people back here,” she said, “and I expect you to respect that. Also—”

Jian Chenyu’s tone was aloof and dismissive, as if she loathed Sang Shi’an’s touch. “I have certain… peculiar habits. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t rummage through my things.”

Sang Shi’an’s pupils constricted, her face flushing crimson.

Yet Jian Chenyu’s gaze remained steady, as if she hadn’t uttered those shocking words. Her clear, pale eyes shimmered with a golden light in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the icy, snow-like demeanor Sang Shi’an remembered.

Especially when that gaze met hers directly in the silent room, Sang Shi’an’s heart pounded like a drum.

She had fled back to her bedroom, locking the door for the first time in her life, as if hiding from a demon.

From that day on, Sang Shi’an lived in constant fear, haunted by countless nightmares about Jian Chenyu that jolted her awake in the dead of night.

“Of course I know you didn’t sleep together,” Su Ningyue’s voice snapped Sang Shi’an out of her reverie. “I just want to know, if you dislike her so much, how did you end up hugging last night?”

“It was just a polite gesture of support,” Sang Shi’an corrected Su Ningyue, her fingers clenching tightly as she mumbled guiltily, “It was just an accident…”

The reason Jian Chenyu knew her whereabouts last night was due to an absurd dare—one for which Sang Shi’an herself was entirely innocent.

Sang Shi’an had always been game for Truth or Dare, her narcissism convincing her that no one was worthy of her. Despite her worldly appearance, she was still a sophomore who had never been in a relationship.

So, when the birthday celebrant’s friend had failed to extract any juicy gossip after questioning everyone, he immediately dared Sang Shi’an to pick a random contact from her phone and call them to say, “I like you.”

By sheer, cursed coincidence, the randomly selected person turned out to be Jian Chenyu.

What a cruel twist of fate.

Fortunately, Sang Shi’an was already quite drunk and didn’t feel too embarrassed. When she hung up, she even smugly believed she had disgusted Jian Chenyu, and she eagerly accepted the drinks her childhood friend offered.

Alcohol clouds judgment. The events that followed spiraled beyond her control.

She passed out completely. When Jian Chenyu came to take her home, a photo of them walking intimately upstairs was leaked on the school forum. The relationship Sang Shi’an had desperately tried to conceal was now fully exposed. The entire school knew she and Jian Chenyu were close enough to be “living together.”

Sang Shi’an casually dismissed Su Ningyue with a flimsy excuse and collapsed into a chair, staring blankly at Jian Chenyu in the photo.

In the night’s darkness, Jian Chenyu wore a fitted white shirt, her long, soft black hair billowing in the wind. Even the streetlights seemed to favor her.

After Jian Chenyu went abroad years ago, Sang Shi’an had unilaterally deleted all their contact information, convinced they would never meet again. Who could have imagined… Sang Shi’an took a deep breath, forcing the memories from her mind. Just as she was about to delete the secretly taken photo, *drip*—

A glistening drop of water landed on Sang Shi’an’s phone screen, spreading out and settling perfectly on Jian Chenyu’s face in the photo.

“What are you looking at?”

The steamy warmth of Jian Chenyu’s recent shower washed over Sang Shi’an, who held her breath and looked up.

Jian Chenyu’s post-shower skin glowed like fine mutton-fat jade, droplets of water trickling from her dark hair down her soft jawline and disappearing into her tightly wrapped bathrobe.

Sensing the humid warmth radiating from Jian Chenyu, Sang Shi’an abruptly stood up. “J-Jian Chenyu! Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!”

Jian Chenyu calmly replied, “I just finished showering, and I *am* wearing clothes.”

Sang Shi’an stared blankly for several seconds, unable to find a retort, and the two locked eyes in a silent standoff.

Jian Chenyu continued, “Why are you reacting so strongly? Are you afraid you might lose control and do something to me?”

Her tone was utterly detached, but given Sang Shi’an’s daring confession to Jian Chenyu during last night’s truth-or-dare game, she instinctively felt Jian Chenyu was mocking her. Sang Shi’an lifted her chin and retorted, “What are you talking about? That was just a game of truth or dare. You didn’t actually take it seriously, did you?”

Jian Chenyu hummed in response. “Then that’s for the best.”

She held out her hand to Sang Shi’an. “The photo.”

Since she’d already been seen, hiding it would be pointless. Refusing would only make her look like she was trying to cover something up. Besides, she wanted to know if Jian Chenyu knew about it, and this was a perfect opportunity to gauge her reaction.

As she handed the phone to Jian Chenyu, the dampness on Jian Chenyu’s fingertips brushed against Sang Shi’an’s palm. The humid warmth mingled with the crisp scent of bath products, momentarily disorienting Sang Shi’an.

Sang Shi’an took a deep breath, leaning back in her seat with feigned impatience. She pretended to watch her phone being taken, but her peripheral vision subtly scrutinized Jian Chenyu.

From her lowered, indifferent eyes to the exquisitely sculpted, straight bridge of her nose, and finally to her thin, pale lips.

The Jian Clan was a century-old pharmaceutical empire, holding numerous drug patents. Many of the country’s finest original research drugs originated from the Jian Family. Jian Chenyu herself had majored in chemistry during her undergraduate studies, her every movement radiating an air of meticulousness and purity.

Truly, she was remarkably deceptive.

Finding the situation uninteresting, Sang Shi’an shifted her gaze.

Sensing this, Jian Chenyu pressed her lips together slightly, her tense nerves relaxing just a fraction.

Five minutes later, Jian Chenyu finished reading the post, handed the phone back to Sang Shi’an, glanced at her shoulder dampened by her wet hair, and turned to blow-dry her hair.

“Jian Chenyu, why did you pick me up last night? And why did someone take these photos?” Sang Shi’an asked, her slippers slapping against the floor as she hurried after Jian Chenyu.

“Your parents had your driver take a business partner to the airport. Your mother called me and asked me to pick you up,” Jian Chenyu explained as she entered the bathroom, pulled out a hairdryer from the drawer, and began blow-drying her hair.

Sang Shi’an froze outside the bathroom. She had been too drunk last night, her memory stopping at sending the driver her location. She couldn’t recall anything after that.

Jian Chenyu’s explanation sounded plausible, not like a lie. After all, since their reunion, Jian Chenyu had maintained a cold demeanor, hardly the type to take the initiative to pick her up and bring her home.

“I didn’t say anything weird or do anything embarrassing when I was drunk, did I?” Sang Shi’an asked.

When drunk, Sang Shi’an was remarkably quiet, sleeping peacefully in the car—a stark contrast to her usual sharp-tongued self.

Jian Chenyu lowered the hairdryer’s setting and replied, “No.”

Sang Shi’an’s mind drifted back to those secretly taken photos. Imagining herself being manipulated at will, she thought, *No wonder they looked so harmonious in the pictures.*

Seeing Jian Chenyu turn to face the mirror and blow-dry her hair, Sang Shi’an took another step closer and asked, “Wait, I need to confirm something. You didn’t have those photos taken secretly, did you?”

The moment her words left her lips, the hairdryer abruptly stopped. Jian Chenyu leaned in, closing the already small distance between them. Sang Shi’an’s nostrils filled with the familiar scent of Jian Chenyu’s bath products.

Then, a clear, cool voice whispered in her ear, “Actually, I’ve been secretly in love with you too. After hearing your confession, I deliberately flaunted our relationship to make it public.”

The warm, damp breath brushed against her skin, sending a ticklish sensation through her. Her mind, already dulled by the hangover, seemed to be shrouded in a thin fog, going completely blank for a moment.

Sang Shi’an stared blankly at Jian Chenyu, meeting her calm, unwavering gaze. When a drop of water from Jian Chenyu’s hair landed on her neck, Sang Shi’an seemed to snap awake.

A thousand waves of shock crashed through her heart. Her pupils, usually constricted, widened with rare vulnerability. “You…”

Jian Chenyu chuckled softly, her voice tinged with coolness. “Want to hear other versions?”

Huh?

Jian Chenyu picked up the hairdryer again, its buzzing occasionally brushing against Sang Shi’an. It took Sang Shi’an several seconds to realize Jian Chenyu was teasing her.

The photos hadn’t been taken by someone Jian Chenyu hired, and the forum post wasn’t a deliberate attempt to expose their cohabitation.

Her pounding heart gradually calmed, regaining its composure.

Sang Shi’an pouted, muttering under her breath, “If you’re going to joke, don’t look at me so seriously. You’re just like those annoying boys at school.”

“You scared me to death…”

Jian Chenyu’s gaze lingered on Sang Shi’an for two seconds before shifting back to her half-wet hair reflected in the mirror. As the hairdryer lifted her long strands, her eyes momentarily flickered downward, then quickly returned to their usual unflappable composure.