After the Online Romance with the Campus Beauty Roommate Went Wrong - Chapter 26

Sang Shi’an spent a full ten minutes rereading the short chat log—a few lines that could be read in half a minute—over and over again.

She even pondered the meaning of the single word “Okay” repeatedly, considering the context until she finally accepted the truth:

Last night, while drunk, she had confessed to Jian Chenyu again using her Cat Cat Account, and Jian Chenyu had actually accepted her.

No, she had accepted Cat Cat.

Sang Shi’an had never pursued anyone before, and she found it almost too easy to win someone over in less than a month. But then she remembered her collection of beautiful dresses and decided it made perfect sense.

Footsteps approached the bedroom door again, stopping at the bathroom entrance.

“I knew you’d be dozing off again.”

“Can’t you even wash your face properly?”

Jian Chenyu’s clear voice carried a soft laugh as she reached out and touched Sang Shi’an’s cheek.

Her fingertip wiped away the remaining cleanser. Jian Chenyu pulled out a fresh washcloth and handed it to her. “Hurry up and dry off. You’re going to be late for your first class.”

Sang Shi’an: …

As if finally realizing the gravity of the situation, Sang Shi’an’s mind erupted into a storm of panic: I…

“What’s wrong?” Jian Chenyu frowned, pressing the back of her hand to Sang Shi’an’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Does your head still hurt?”

Sang Shi’an stiffly shook her head, her gaze sweeping down Jian Chenyu’s neck until she spotted a small, round, white bandage.

Memories of the previous night at the bar flooded back. Sang Shi’an’s foot slipped, nearly causing her to fall, but Jian Chenyu quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her regain her balance.

Her voice came out in shock: “Did I bite your neck?”

Jian Chenyu touched the bandage. “Yeah, it’s nothing.”

Sang Shi’an only remembered biting someone. Her drunken actions had been reckless, and the thought that she might have actually injured Jian Chenyu filled her with guilt. “If it’s nothing, why did you put a bandage on it? Is it still bleeding?”

She reached to peel off the bandage, but Jian Chenyu caught her wrist before her fingertips could touch it.

“It’s not bleeding.”

Sang Shi’an didn’t believe her. “You weren’t this nonchalant when I was injured. Let me see.”

Jian Chenyu continued to block her. “I’m really fine.”

Sang Shi’an: “If you’re fine, why did you—”

“It’s just a little red,” Jian Chenyu relented, her voice softening. “If someone saw it, they might misunderstand.”

“Misunderstanding?” Sang Shi’an still didn’t understand.

Her confusion was written all over her face. Seeing her continued bewilderment, Jian Chenyu explained, “The hickey.”

Sang Shi’an’s face flushed crimson. “I-I-I-I didn’t mean anything by it last night!”

“I know. You were completely drunk,” Jian Chenyu said, twisting open a jar of face cream on the vanity and handing it to Sang Shi’an. “Even if you did this while sober, I wouldn’t overthink it. Now, just apply some cream and let’s go, or you’ll be late.”

Sang Shi’an nodded.

She skipped the rest of her skincare routine, casually applied the cream and sunscreen, and headed to the walk-in closet.

As she changed, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

At first, she thought it was because of Jian Chenyu’s words: “I wouldn’t overthink it.”

But it wasn’t until they left the house together that she realized what was bothering her: when Jian Chenyu said “misunderstanding,” was she referring to Cat Cat?

Sang Shi’an still found it hard to believe that Jian Chenyu had agreed to an online relationship with her.

Throughout the journey, she ate whatever breakfast Jian Chenyu offered, feeling light as a feather. Staring at Jian Chenyu walking ahead, she found it increasingly surreal.

Wasn’t Jian Chenyu supposed to be hard to win over?

The School Belle, pursued relentlessly by so many, had fallen into her hands so easily?

As Sang Shi’an entered the teaching building, she glanced at the full-length mirror in the hallway, secretly admiring her own beauty, especially her stunning figure.

This feels pretty good.

Before class, Sang Shi’an had texted Su Ningyue about finding a substitute teacher, but Su Ningyue hadn’t replied, leaving Sang Shi’an without a proper confidante.

After holding it in for too long, she quietly switched to her Cat Cat Account and messaged Jian Chenyu: Older Sister?

Jian Chenyu replied as the bell rang: I was in class. What’s up?

With a nervous heart, Sang Shi’an typed: I just wanted to ask, Older Sister, we were really together last night, right? When you said ‘yes,’ did that mean you agreed to be my girlfriend?

Jian Chenyu: I thought you understood that last night.

Your reaction time is so slow?

I was worried you’d get what you wanted and then abandon me.

Sang Shi’an’s face flushed uncontrollably, as if Jian Chenyu were whispering those words in her ear.

Abandon me…

She, she, she might have been a bit rude.

But she had drunk too much last night, so perhaps she hadn’t seen Jian Chenyu’s reply before falling asleep.

Sang Shi’an couldn’t admit she was drunk, so she replied: I was too afraid of being rejected by Older Sister, so I didn’t dare check my messages after sending them. I never imagined Older Sister would actually say yes! I’ve been in a daze all morning. I only just mustered the courage to ask Older Sister for confirmation.

Jian Chenyu: So I was just overthinking things.

Sang Shi’an wasn’t good at sweet-talking people; she could only offer the simplest form of reassurance: When Older Sister has time, can I make it up to her?

Jian Chenyu didn’t ask what kind of compensation she meant—it was an unspoken understanding between them. Okay.

Sang Shi’an followed Xu Taotao and the others to their new classroom, along with the substitute teacher Su Ningyue had found.

The substitute teacher was a Senior Sister in her third year. Freshmen and sophomores in their major were notoriously overworked, but by their third year, they only had one long class a day, leaving them plenty of time to earn money by subbing for others.

As they walked to the new classroom, the Senior Sister asked Sang Shi’an curiously, “Junior Sister, are you chatting with your boyfriend?”

Sang Shi’an was using a privacy screen, so she wasn’t worried about anyone seeing her messages. “It’s the person you’re subbing for. She said she’d also found another substitute for the afternoon and asked me to keep an eye on things.”

Senior Sister chuckled. “You sophomores are so full of energy! Running off to play all day on a Monday. Unlike us juniors, who just lie around in our dorms on weekends, only moving our fingers to order takeout when we’re hungry.”

Sang Shi’an smiled noncommittally.

As they entered another classroom building, the substitute teacher asked, “Junior Sister, do you know what kind of person Senior Jian likes? She’s so hard to win over! Several guys in our class have been trying to ask her out lately, but she’s turned them all down.”

“It’s December, after all. Christmas and New Year’s are right around the corner. If you could win her over in the next couple of weeks, you’d have all those romantic anniversaries to look forward to.”

Is Jian Chenyu really that hard to win over? Sang Shi’an wondered to herself.

Well, I managed to win her over.

And it was so worth it.

“What’s so strange about that?” Xu Taotao interjected, overhearing the conversation. “Senior Jian isn’t someone you can just win over easily. When she proctors exams for the teachers, she never shares her personal contact information. She’s only really close to Sangsang, but she’s also really kind—she often buys us milk tea and snacks.”

The substitute teacher agreed, “That’s true. Even though she turns people down, she’s always polite and never loses her temper. She doesn’t accept gifts either. Honestly, it makes me want to pursue her myself.”

Xu Taotao teased, “If Senior Jian ever liked girls, our Sangsang would have been snatched away long ago. Just give up on that idea.”

The substitute teacher laughed even louder. “You’re right. But the forum posts about them are so cute! Even the recent lesbian couples in the entertainment industry aren’t as visually appealing as those two.”

At this point, the substitute teacher glanced at Sang Shi’an with a hint of regret. “Too bad you’re just pretending. Sigh.”

Sang Shi’an: ……

At noon, Sang Shi’an was called to a small Student Union meeting by Gu Yao. Only the sophomore and junior officers were present; the freshmen were not invited.

After the meeting, Sang Shi’an stayed behind under Gu Yao’s expectant gaze to transcribe the meeting minutes and take an approved project proposal to the Department of Chemistry.

This was Sang Shi’an’s second time delivering Student Union documents for Gu Yao. The last time, she had encountered a graduate student senior trying to exploit her for lab work. This time, however, everything went smoothly, and no one stopped her.

After delivering the documents to the office, Sang Shi’an descended the stairs and was surprised to find that many parts of the experimental building had been renovated.

As she curiously peered inside, one of the laboratory doors swung open, and she unexpectedly came face-to-face with Jian Chenyu.

Both froze for a moment. Jian Chenyu recovered first and asked, “Here to deliver Student Union documents again?”

“Ah… yes, yes, that’s right,” Sang Shi’an stammered. Now that she knew Jian Chenyu was really in an online relationship with Cat Cat, she couldn’t bring herself to admit that Cat Cat was her, but she couldn’t help feeling nervous.

Three parts shock, four parts guilt.

“It’s almost lunchtime. Have you eaten yet?”

Jian Chenyu stepped aside to reveal the laboratory inside. “I’ve already eaten. I’m just waiting for a set of data to react. I noticed you were looking around outside earlier. Want to come in and take a look?”

“Me? Is it okay? Should I change into lab clothes or something?” Sang Shi’an hesitated, eyeing the intricate instruments and various test tubes.

“Come on in. It’s not a sterile lab, no need to be so formal,” Jian Chenyu said, leading the way. The door behind them automatically closed.

“Did you replace all the lights and tables in the lab?” Sang Shi’an asked, voicing the question that had been nagging her since she first noticed the changes. “The light tubes seemed much shorter last time, and the tables weren’t this color.”

“Yeah, they were just replaced over the weekend. My aunt said since I’m the one using the lab, we shouldn’t skimp on it, so she got the company to allocate funds for the upgrades.”

Jian Chenyu handed Sang Shi’an a stool before moving to the lab bench.

Sang Shi’an watched quietly for a while. When Jian Chenyu paused between steps, she suddenly asked casually, “Jian Chenyu, your company has no shortage of highly skilled talent. Why do you still come to the lab so often?”

In Sang Shi’an’s mind, Jian Chenyu’s pursuit of a second master’s degree at Yanjing University was similar to his previous studies in pharmacology at Oxford—both were strategic moves to ensure he could understand his subordinates’ reports and avoid being misled when he eventually took over the company.

Jian Chenyu picked up a test tube and heated it briefly in the outer flame of a Bunsen burner, then gently swirled it in the air. His focused movements were graceful and relaxed. After a long pause, he finally replied, “Because I enjoy it.”

Sang Shi’an watched Jian Chenyu’s hair, pulled back into a bun, and softly repeated the word “like.” As her voice trailed off, Jian Chenyu placed the test tube in the rack and turned to face her.

“I like things that shine brightly,” Jian Chenyu said, her voice soft and gentle, as if she didn’t want to disturb the chemical reactions in the reagents.

Sang Shi’an didn’t quite understand but continued to look up at Jian Chenyu, her face bathed in the bright overhead light.

“When reagents react, they collide and produce brilliant colors. When elements combine, they create new substances. Some are familiar to humans, but many more remain unknown. I love the surprises it can bring.”

When Jian Chenyu looked at Sang Shi’an, the usual coldness in her pale eyes had vanished. The light reflected in her pupils, making them sparkle like stars.

Sang Shi’an’s voice was barely a whisper: “But to many, chemistry is a dry and tedious subject, one that dulls a scholar’s edge and makes them rigid and uninteresting, just like…”

Just like the impression Jian Chenyu gave off—her aloof, moon-like aura seemed to isolate her from the rest of the university. The mundane affairs of the world felt like an intrusion upon her.

Jian Chenyu seemed to understand Sang Shi’an’s unspoken words. She lowered her head and chuckled softly. “Just like me, right?”

Sang Shi’an found the remark somewhat offensive and immediately shook her head in denial. “No, no, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant like the equipment in the lab.”

“You can think of it that way if you like.” Jian Chenyu paused, as if considering her words or searching for the right phrasing.

She refocused her gaze on Sang Shi’an’s face and said, “But the brilliant things I admire aren’t limited to chemistry experiments.”