Beyond the Rift (Campus 1V1) - 3.

3.

The Park Jun Seok incident sparks discussion at Qianchuan.

Ling Jia’s name is frequently mentioned on the campus forum.

They dare not bring up Zong Du, nor provoke Yan Xue.

They only dare to ask obliquely: 

“Has anyone heard about that Ling Jia thing?”

Countless replies follow below. When the discussion reaches its peak, the post vanishes into thin air.

Immediately pinned at the top is the latest code of conduct for special excellent students issued by the Qianchuan student council.

The most prominent rule among them is:

—Special excellent  students are not allowed to enter places accessible only to regular students without cause.

This aligns perfectly with the incident of Ling Jia entering Zong Du’s exclusive lounge.

The discussion ends there.

Whether Ling Jia has successfully attached herself to Zong Du remains a mystery.

But what is known is that she has thoroughly offended Yan Xue.

At Qianchuan, special excellent students occupy the bottom of the food chain. They have a stark divide from regular students.

Whether it’s seating or dormitory arrangements, special excellent students can only huddle together for warmth.

Thus, after this student council notice.

When the three roommates sharing a dorm with Ling Jia pull her aside and awkwardly ask if she can switch dorms, Ling Jia is not surprised.

“I’m really sorry. But Ling Jia, we’re different from you. No one can help us. If they find out you’re still living in the dorm, it’ll be tough for all of us.”

The one leading the conversation is the dorm leader. While the other two roommates nod in agreement, chiming in: 

“Yeah, Ling Jia, please understand our position.”

Even as they say this, Ling Jia’s belongings have already been packed by them and placed on her desk.

Her bed is spotless. It’s reduced to just a bare wooden board.

And it’s already 9 PM.

There’s less than half an hour until lights out.

Ling Jia stands at the door. She’s neither agreeing nor refusing. Her keychain’s dangling from her fingers as she swings it lightly.

The awkward atmosphere is finally broken by the dorm auntie. She pushes open the door and asks why Ling Jia hasn’t moved out yet.

“Where am I supposed to move to?” 

Ling Jia asks.

The auntie with permed instant-noodle hair glances at her and says, 

“How should I know? Anywhere but the dorms.”

Further arguing is pointless. Ling Jia nods slightly. She takes only the bag containing her bedsheets and covers. She then heads downstairs directly into the open duty room.

When the commotion in the special excellent students’ dormitory building erupts.

Yan Xue has just left the golf course.

She herself doesn’t go to the scene but casually sends someone to check on the situation.

By the time that person arrives, they see the dorm auntie standing outside. She’s cursing loudly.

The small duty room glows with warm yellow light. Through the loosely drawn curtains, Ling Jia can be seen lying on the auntie’s bed. She’s sleeping soundly.

“Are you really okay?”

Finally, on the weekend, at the library entrance half an hour’s drive from school. Yu Yuan catches up to Ling Jia and asks with a face full of worry.

Ling Jia takes the study materials she requested from his hands. Her tone’s flat as if she’s not the one involved: 

“What could possibly be wrong with me?”

She’s always been one to ignore advice. Yu Yuan knows it’s useless to say more.

He has no standing to advise her against getting too entangled with someone like Zong Du.

She told him long ago: if he can’t solve her problems, he shouldn’t interfere in her affairs.

He just sighs. He watches as Ling Jia checks the schedule for the next bus. He asks softly, 

“Do you really have to go tutor Yi Chuan? I can convince my mom to pay you for tutoring me.”

After confirming the time, Ling Jia puts away her phone, hugs her books tightly, and smiles at him: 

“Then, when you can actually convince your mom, come tell me that again.”

The bus can only stop at the foot of the hill.

Ling Jia walks for ten minutes after getting off before reaching the Yi family gate.

She rings the doorbell. When the maid opens it, she hesitates as if wanting to say something but holds back.

Inside the villa, the noise is considerable—the music nearly shatters the door.

Yi Chuan is throwing a party. Though he’s listless himself. He’s sitting on the edge of the sofa. He’s fiddling with a Swiss Army knife.

The blonde boy who messaged Park Jun Seok recounts the day’s events. He emphasizes again in case he doesn’t believe it: 

“Really, bro, she really came out with Zong Du. We all saw it. Zong Du even backed her up. Jun Seok’s in the hospital and can’t even get up now!”

“Isn’t that Xue’s trash?”

Yi Chuan replies indifferently.

He inherited his mother’s beauty as a former actress.

His face is ambiguously androgynous. It’s strikingly pretty.

He slowly points the knife tip at the speaker. He smiles as he asks: 

“After all that talk, is there no special news? Like, while I was away from school, she missed me or something?”

The cold knife tip nearly grazes his face as it moves.

The room’s music blares. But none of the partying boys and girls dare glance this way.

The blonde boy can only swallow hard. He doesn’t even dare to wipe his sweat.

“Yes… yes, she misses you.”

Yi Chuan isn’t satisfied: 

“I can’t hear you.”

The knife tip slices his left cheek.

A bead of bl00d rolls down immediately.

This is the moment Ling Jia pushes open the living room door.

Yi Chuan doesn’t release the knife. He turns his head to look at her.

She stands at the entrance. She’s hugging her books. She has changed out of her Qianchuan uniform into an old gray tracksuit.

Ling Jia’s gaze lands only on Yi Chuan’s face.

Amid the music, she asks him, 

“Are we having class today?”

Yi Chuan reads her lips to understand.

He spins the knife once and tosses it onto the table.

The clatter prompts someone to immediately pause the music.

“Of course,” 

Yi Chuan smiles innocently: 

“To wait for you, I’ve been entertaining myself for half the day.”

A black box sits on the desk.

Yi Chuan pulls out a chair and sits. He tells Ling Jia to open it—it’s a gift for her.

Ling Jia sets down her books and opens it to find a pet collar engraved with her name.

“Do you like it? I had it specially custom-made.”

Pure gold nameplate. It has diamonds embedded at the edges.

It’s quite extravagant.

Ling Jia closes the lid and puts the box into her canvas bag.

“Thank you, I like it a lot.”

The expected reaction.

Only his foolish cousin thinks this would humiliate Ling Jia.

How could it? He knew long ago that as long as it’s something that demonstrates monetary value, Ling Jia likes it all.

He looks at the study materials the girl has carefully prepared on the table in front of him.

He suddenly laughs out loud.

“Ling Jia.”

Ling Jia doesn’t respond. She bites a hair tie in her mouth as she ties her hair.

The boy in a wine-red shirt smiles. He lightly pokes her collarbone with his pen.

“My patience is limited. While I’m still interested in you, don’t make me angry, okay?”

Ling Jia doesn’t stop her movements. She slowly ties her hair before looking at him.

Her expression is calm. As if he’s just commenting on the nice weather.

“Didn’t I just help get your mother into my family’s hospital recently? I don’t think you’re stupid enough to believe Zong Du would help you like I do, right?”

Ling Jia lowers her eyes. She looks at the gold fountain pen in his hand.

After a moment, she responds with a soft “Mm.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

How could Zong Du be like him?

Ling Jia smiles gently.

Yi Chuan is clearly the one who least dares to provoke Zong Du.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so impatient with Yan Xue yet still tolerate her foolish actions.

Cleaning up her messes every time.

This is definitely not for any so-called family ties.

Ling Jia packs her things and leaves the Yi house as the sun sets.

The iron gate closes behind her. She looks up and sees Yi Chuan standing on the second-floor balcony. He’s watching her expressionlessly.

She meets his gaze across the distance for three seconds. Then she slightly curves her lips, smiles at him, and turns to leave.

On the way to the bus stop.

She takes out her phone and finds a photo she took before leaving in her gallery.

After selecting for a moment, she posts it on INS for Zong Du.

–

The Zong family is in the midst of dinner.

Zong Du’s grandfather, Zong Chengxun, is over eighty years old. He knows the family’s internal conflicts. He doesn’t require daily family meals but mandates attendance at the weekly Saturday dinner.

Yan Xue accompanies Zong Du’s aunt, Zong Caizhi, after a spa session. She’s sitting at the end of the table.

Next to her is Zong Du’s cousin, Zong Min’en.

He attends a vocational high school in Li Jin and flew in this morning to Li City.

Zong Caizhi asks him, 

“How’s school been lately? Are you doing well health-wise?”

“The school knows you’re my aunt—who would dare bully me? But bro—” 

Zong Min’en looks at Zong Du. He’s seated to the grandfather’s right. Min’en then smiles: 

“He seems… a bit thinner than last time?”

The words fall flat; no one picks up on them.

He laughs it off nonchalantly and asks Yan Xue beside him, 

“Are you and my brother still on good terms? No need to break off the engagement for now, right?”

His father frowns: 

“Min’en, what nonsense are you saying?”

Zong Min’en innocently clutches his chest: 

“I’m just worried about my health, Dad. The doctor advised against frequent flights in the short term. If bro wants to cancel the engagement, won’t I have to fly back again?”

“Ah Du takes good care of me,” 

Yan Xue smiles at him: 

“You probably don’t have that worry for now.”

Zong Min’en shows a relieved expression: 

“That’s good.”

Usually, Zong Du leaves halfway through the meal.

But today, he sits there the whole time. He’s fiddling with his phone without excusing himself.

This surprises even Zong Chengxun, who glances at him several times.

He asks, 

“What interesting thing has you so engrossed?”

It’s a photo.

More precisely, a photo of a girl’s lower body.

She’s sitting on a bed. Her uniform skirt is hiked up halfway.

One hand rests obediently on her thigh. Her palm’s holding a gold nameplate.

Engraved on it is his name.

—I found your nameplate on me. How should I return it to you?

Interesting?

Zong Du corrects: 

“It’s an interesting invitation.”