I Fell In Love With My Rival (GL) - Chapter 10
Su Chunyin waited and waited on her phone. The morning self-study bell was about to ring at seven when the other party finally responded—slowly and selectively:
[Picked it up.]
The aloofness on the other end didn’t dampen Su Chunyin’s enthusiasm. She rarely met anyone, online or in real life, who was genuinely interested in meteorites. Even her close friends, like Song Rao and Xu
Chang, only knew she liked collecting rocks—none of them understood the finer details or distinctions between each specimen. One of the reasons she had such a favorable impression of Lu Fang was because he once listened patiently as she explained the differences between each meteorite.
She texted back excitedly:
[So you’re really a meteorite hunter? Aren’t you strapped for cash? This one’s so rare—why didn’t you sell it?]
The bell rang. The classroom quieted down immediately as the homeroom teacher entered. Su Chunyin had no choice but to put her phone away and start reciting along with the rest of the class.
At lunchtime, members of the “Niaoniao Support Squad” gathered to eat in the cafeteria. Xu Chang and Yang Yuxia were still chatting about their summer vacation plans and asked if she had decided on a destination.
Su Chunyin replied absentmindedly while checking her phone now and then, waiting for a message from Qiu Ye:
“Maybe Hawaii.”
Once exams were over, her father Su Zhi would likely return to Hawaii from a business trip in Germany. Knowing his style, he’d probably just fly her over for a holiday.
“Wow,” Yang Yuxia said, clearly a bit envious. “Be sure to livestream when you’re on the beach checking out hot guys.”
Xu Chang scoffed. “More like chubby white dudes with beer bellies.”
Yang Yuxia’s fantasy shattered. She smacked her with her spoon in mock anger, and the two started laughing and teasing each other. Song Rao leaned in and glanced at Su Chunyin’s screen.
“What are you looking at?”
Su Chunyin flipped her phone face down and stuffed a spoonful of rice in her mouth.
“Nothing.”
After lunch, they stood up to return their trays. A commotion in the corner caught their attention. Someone in the queue was trying to cut in line, and it sparked an argument.
Looking over, Su Chunyin realized the center of the drama was none other than Fu Erqiu. She held her tray with a calm expression while the person arguing with her looked visibly agitated.
“We’re classmates, what’s the big deal about letting me cut in line?”
When Fu Erqiu didn’t respond, the boy grew even more frustrated, his tone turning nasty.
“What, Lu Fang can’t even feed you properly, so you’re desperate to get food yourself?”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Rumors about Su Chunyin confronting Fu Erqiu over Lu Fang had already spread through the school. Fu Erqiu, being somewhat of a campus celebrity, now found herself mocked in public, which delighted those with petty schadenfreude.
That wave of guilt Su Chunyin had felt during the flag-raising ceremony came rushing back. She quickly averted her eyes. Song Rao, ever the instigator, smirked.
“Well, well, if it isn’t our star student Fu.”
“Let’s go, don’t watch.”
Su Chunyin hurriedly left the cafeteria, not wanting her guilt to deepen further.
It wasn’t until dusk that Qiu Ye finally replied:
[I used to be broke, so I went to Lop Nur. Not really a meteorite hunter. I sold the rest, only kept this one.]
!!!
Su Chunyin had been slumped on her desk but now sat up straight in an instant. In her mind, Qiu Ye instantly became a towering figure. A meteorite hunter who had actually been to Lop Nur!
She had heard stories of hunters traveling to Lop Nur in July and August to search for undiscovered meteorites. In her imagination, it was a romantic yet grueling journey—one that required physical endurance, expertise, and reliable companions. She never expected that the high schooler she hired for chat company turned out to be a hidden master who had gone meteorite hunting at Nibiru. That thought thrilled her.
[What was Lop Nur like? Was it beautiful? Was the hunt hard? Can high schoolers really go there?]
By the time the moon had risen, Qiu Ye finally responded, tersely:
[Beautiful. Not too bad. Someone took me.]
Su Chunyin was annoyed:
[Hey! You’re my paid companion—how can you slack off like this and reply with just one sentence after hours of silence!]
The other side went silent again. Su Chunyin kept poking her phone, growing more curious:
[Hey, which school do you go to?]
The previous companion who introduced Qiu Ye only said she was a high schooler—she didn’t know which school she attended or what grade she was in.
No reply. She thought she wouldn’t answer—but then, after a while, a message came:
[Jiangcheng.]
Jiangcheng? That’s the same city Su Chunyin lived in!
She was about to marvel at the coincidence but then remembered Galaxy OL matched companions based on geographic region. Since she’d chosen a local server, finding someone from her city wasn’t that surprising after all.
The excitement waned slightly. She poked at her phone again:
[I meant which high school. I go to No. 1 High. What about you?]
Long pause. Then:
[Oh.]
Su Chunyin was floored by the single-character reply. The messages were getting shorter—was she even thinking?
In fact, on the other end, Fu Erqiu wasn’t thinking anything at all. When she saw the words “No. 1 High,” she quietly breathed a sigh of relief: At least she’s not an elementary schooler.
Noticing Qiu Ye’s reluctance to discuss school, Su Chunyin obediently switched the topic back:
[You said you sold other meteorites—do you have photos of them?]
This time, she was more responsive:
[Yes, on my computer.]
Su Chunyin lit up:
[Send them to me later then!]
The reply came quickly:
[Okay.]
The thought of seeing all those beautiful meteorites filled Su Chunyin with excitement for the evening ahead.
Outside the classroom, Song Rao called out:
“What are you dawdling for? The weather report says it’s going to rain soon—let’s go!”
Su Chunyin responded absentmindedly, grabbed her bag, and headed out.
Just as she stepped outside the school building, her phone buzzed—new message notification. It was from Qiu Ye:
[It’s raining.]
The moment she read it, a raindrop landed gently on her forehead. She looked up. Rain had begun to fall in earnest—the first drop followed by a cascade. Students started running for cover, laughing and shouting.
Song Rao tugged her back under the eaves.
“Don’t worry—I’ll call the driver to bring umbrellas.”
Su Chunyin messaged Qiu Ye:
[Did you bring an umbrella?]
Then, she remembered the parasol in her own bag—good enough to shield someone until the driver arrived. Since Song Rao had already called for help, she might as well lend hers to someone who needed it.
While rummaging for the umbrella, she noticed that most students had already left. The classroom next door still had its lights on, though. She guessed someone was still there and called out:
“Hey!”
A shadow flickered, then walked out and switched off the lights.
The dim light revealed the figure—and Su Chunyin instantly regretted calling out. It was none other than Fu Erqiu, her recent frenemy.
Fu Erqiu had her jacket worn backward to cover her backpack—clearly planning to run through the rain.
She glanced at Su Chunyin, acknowledging her call.
Su Chunyin hesitated. When she didn’t respond, Fu Erqiu turned and stepped into the rain.
The moment she did, Su Chunyin felt a surge of regret and shouted again, louder this time:
“Hey!!!”
But Fu Erqiu didn’t look back. She disappeared into the downpour.
Su Chunyin stood there, a little dazed.
The Song family driver arrived quickly and drove them home with umbrellas. After showering, Su Chunyin lay on her bed drying her hair, still brooding over what had happened that evening. When she checked her phone again, she noticed an unread message from Qiu Ye—sent who knows when.
[Didn’t bring one.]