My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 47

Xiao Nianyuan was somewhat bewildered. Ji Rongxue cared about her? How had she not noticed?

Seeing that Xiao Nianyuan wasn’t upset, Tan Xialan continued, “From the moment we started school, she’s always been watching you, as if she’s really worried. Did you two know each other before?”

Aside from this possibility, Tan Xialan couldn’t think of any other reason Ji Rongxue would treat Xiao Nianyuan so well.

Ji Rongxue had never explained why she was so attentive toward Xiao Nianyuan, so Tan Xialan and Du Xiaotong had assumed the two knew each other—it was just that Xiao Nianyuan had forgotten.

The question left Xiao Nianyuan stumped. Had they known each other before? She had no recollection whatsoever.

“We probably didn’t.”

“Then maybe she mistook you for someone else,” Tan Xialan muttered, though she still felt Ji Rongxue and Xiao Nianyuan had met before.

If it was a case of mistaken identity, surely she would have realized by now? Why would she still treat Xiao Nianyuan so well?

When they arrived at the hospital and stood outside the ward, Tan Xialan turned to Xiao Nianyuan. “Let me go in first.”

Noticing her hesitation, Xiao Nianyuan nodded and let her enter ahead.

Once inside, Tan Xialan closed the door behind her. Ji Rongxue and Du Xiaotong were both in the room—Ji Rongxue eating breakfast, Du Xiaotong tidying up.

When Tan Xialan walked in, Ji Rongxue instinctively glanced behind her to see if anyone else had followed. Seeing no one, she sighed silently.

Tan Xialan hurried to the bedside, oblivious to Ji Rongxue’s brief disappointment, and asked anxiously, “Can Xiao Nianyuan come in?”

Ji Rongxue froze.

Thinking she was unwilling, Tan Xialan quickly explained, “She’s still our roommate. She came to visit you—you can’t just turn her away, can you?”

Ji Rongxue remained silent. Growing impatient, Tan Xialan pressed, “Why won’t you let her see you? Didn’t she help you the other day? What’s with the sudden change? Aren’t you afraid of hurting her feelings?”

Ji Rongxue gave a bitter smile. She didn’t know how to explain it to Tan Xialan.

She didn’t want to upset Xiao Nianyuan either, but she had no idea how to face her.

If Xiao Nianyuan asked about what Meng Xingwen had said that day, how was she supposed to answer? If she claimed she hadn’t done anything, would Xiao Nianyuan believe her? She probably wouldn’t even believe herself.

Du Xiaotong suddenly spoke up. “Let her in.”

Tan Xialan looked between Du Xiaotong and Ji Rongxue. With Du Xiaotong’s approval, she happily went to open the door for Xiao Nianyuan.

The moment Xiao Nianyuan stepped inside, the room fell into an awkward silence. No one spoke first.

After setting down the things she had brought, Xiao Nianyuan stood to the side and picked up the medical chart. She couldn’t make much sense of it, but it seemed there was nothing serious.

Once she finished reading, she turned to Ji Rongxue. “If everything’s fine, I’ll head out first.”

Seeing that she was really about to leave, Tan Xialan panicked. “Why leave so soon? Didn’t you say you had something to tell us?”

Xiao Nianyuan did have something to say, but now that she was here, the words wouldn’t come.

The way Ji Rongxue looked at her was cautious, as if she were some terrifying monster.

Her presence would only disturb Ji Rongxue’s recovery—it was better to leave early. As for what she had wanted to say, compared to the current situation, it wasn’t that important anymore.

Watching Xiao Nianyuan actually prepare to leave, Tan Xialan couldn’t hold back. “Ji Rongxue, can’t you just talk things out? We’re all roommates. If something’s bothering you, say it. Keeping it hidden won’t solve anything.”

Tan Xialan’s voice grew heated, and Du Xiaotong quickly covered her mouth.

“Stop fooling around,” Du Xiaotong said softly. “If it were that simple, we would’ve said it already. This is between the two of them.”

Tan Xialan reluctantly closed her mouth, casting a dissatisfied glance into the distance.

She wished everyone in the dorm could get along well, without drifting apart over misunderstandings.

But wasn’t this situation exactly what was damaging their relationships? Tan Xialan hated this. She was straightforward, speaking her mind without holding back, though she often felt wronged afterward.

No one was listening to her, but Du Xiaotong was right—this was between them. She had no right to interfere. The thought of being treated like an outsider made her even more upset, and she stared out the window in silence.

Du Xiaotong: “…”

These girls were giving her a headache. Silently, she patted Tan Xialan’s shoulder in comfort.

Ji Rongxue lowered her gaze and sighed before finally looking up at Xiao Nianyuan. “I never meant to harm you.”

Xiao Nianyuan nodded. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“But you…” Xiao Nianyuan had wanted to ask why Ji Rongxue had been avoiding her, but the words died on her lips. If Ji Rongxue wasn’t willing to explain, pressing her wouldn’t change anything. So instead, she asked, “Never mind. Are we still friends?”

The word “friends” from Xiao Nianyuan’s mouth stunned not only Ji Rongxue but also Tan Xialan and Du Xiaotong, who looked at her in surprise.

Seeing their reactions, Xiao Nianyuan felt awkward. “Was I being presumptuous?”

Tan Xialan quickly waved her hands. “Of course not!”

She had been on the verge of tears, but hearing this, she immediately brightened and happily threw herself at Xiao Nianyuan, hugging her tightly. “I knew we were friends! People kept saying we didn’t get along.”

Ever since Xiao Nianyuan’s photos were posted on the forum, many had claimed their dorm was full of tension—otherwise, why hadn’t they defended her?

To keep Xiao Nianyuan from finding out, they had stayed silent, only for it to become ammunition against them. More than once, Tan Xialan had nearly lost her temper arguing with others, only for Du Xiaotong to drag her away.

Now, hearing Xiao Nianyuan call them friends, Tan Xialan felt it was all worth it.

“By the way,” Xiao Nianyuan said, gently pushing Tan Xialan away, “about what I was going to tell you earlier—do you want to hear it now?”

The three of them watched her expectantly. Xiao Nianyuan pursed her lips. “Actually, I play games too.”

Tan Xialan blinked. “What games?”

Xiao Nianyuan cleared her throat. “The ones you play. I’m even a beta tester.”

Tan Xialan gaped. “You’re a beta tester? How did I not know?”

“I didn’t think you’d be playing too,” Xiao Nianyuan admitted sheepishly.

Du Xiaotong spoke up then. “The person we met in-game—that was you, wasn’t it?”

Tan Xialan turned to her in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Xiao Nianyuan nodded, then said to Tan Xialan, “You really are a bit face-blind.”

People unfamiliar with Xiao Nianyuan might not recognize her in-game avatar, but those who knew her could spot the resemblance. Du Xiaotong had probably realized it immediately but kept quiet. Only Tan Xialan remained clueless, oblivious to just how bad her face-blindness was.

“That was you?!” Tan Xialan exclaimed in shock. “No wonder it felt so familiar!”

Du Xiaotong teased, “Did it really feel familiar to you?”

Tan Xialan nodded eagerly, “Of course it did!”

Truthfully, she hadn’t recognized Xiao Nianyuan at all, but neither Xiao Nianyuan nor Du Xiaotong exposed her.

“That’s great! Since all three of us are playing, will you join us after you’re discharged?” Tan Xialan turned to ask Ji Rongxue.

Ji Rongxue nodded, “I can play with you all right now.”

Tan Xialan was concerned, “But can you play games while hospitalized?”

Ji Rongxue was even more helpless, “I’m just under observation. There’s nothing seriously wrong with me.”

She looked at Xiao Nianyuan, “You saw my medical records earlier. Is everything alright?”

Xiao Nianyuan nodded, “There really isn’t any major issue. She can play with us.”

Hearing Xiao Nianyuan say so, Tan Xialan was naturally delighted. Now both Xiao Nianyuan and Ji Rongxue were willing to play games with them.

Worried that Ji Rongxue might be joking and wouldn’t actually join them, Tan Xialan specifically returned to the dorm to fetch gaming equipment for Ji Rongxue, advising her to log in only when she felt better and to rest properly if uncomfortable.

The hospital allowed companions to stay. Previously, to avoid Xiao Nianyuan, Ji Rongxue had sent all three away.

Now, Xiao Nianyuan asked, “Do you want me to stay with you, or one of them?”

Ji Rongxue glanced at Tan Xialan and Du Xiaotong before answering, “You stay.”

From avoiding Xiao Nianyuan to now asking her to stay, it seemed she had truly taken their conversation to heart.

Xiao Nianyuan stayed at the hospital. With nothing to do, she asked Ji Rongxue, “Did you suspect Meng Xingwen was behind this all along?”

Ji Rongxue nodded, “I had a feeling.”

“When did it start?”

“Quite early on,” Ji Rongxue hesitated slightly. “When we were chatting about it possibly being someone who had a grudge against you, I vaguely thought it might be him.”

“Don’t be so impulsive next time.” Xiao Nianyuan paused, then corrected herself, “But this probably won’t happen again.”

“I worried you.”

Xiao Nianyuan sighed, “It’s not about worrying or not. It was dangerous. When we arrived and saw the caution tape, we thought we were too late.”

Ji Rongxue explained, “He probably set up the tape first to avoid witnesses before driving at me.”

She hadn’t expected Meng Xingwen to be so deranged. Even now, she couldn’t fathom his motive.

“Did I know him?” Xiao Nianyuan asked.

Ji Rongxue wasn’t surprised by the question. “It’s about the scholarship. Didn’t you receive one when you enrolled?”

Xiao Nianyuan thought back, “Just because I got a scholarship?”

“He thought he didn’t get one because of you.”

Xiao Nianyuan was silent for a long moment, unsure what to say. She had earned it fairly through merit, without any connections. Finally, she laughed in disbelief, “Over something so trivial?”

“To him, it might have been significant,” Ji Rongxue said. “Maybe the scholarship was very important to him.”

Xiao Nianyuan pressed, “Was his family in financial trouble?”

Ji Rongxue shook her head, “I don’t know, but he didn’t seem poor.”

To Ji Rongxue, Meng Xingwen’s extreme actions seemed purely psychological. If he were truly in need, he could have applied for financial aid scholarships instead of obsessing over the entrance scholarship.

Xiao Nianyuan couldn’t be bothered to speculate about Meng Xingwen’s mental state. If he really had issues, he should see a psychiatrist. She wasn’t anyone special to him—why should she care about his feelings?

After listening to Ji Rongxue recount the events of this period, Xiao Nianyuan’s frown deepened.

Eventually, Ji Rongxue couldn’t continue, nervously watching her.

Xiao Nianyuan asked, “Weren’t you afraid something might happen?”

Ji Rongxue mumbled, “I didn’t expect him to be this crazy.”

With a sigh, Xiao Nianyuan refrained from further blame and held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

Confused, Ji Rongxue unlocked it and handed it over.

Xiao Nianyuan set up a few emergency contacts and instructed, “Keep your phone charged, and don’t turn it off randomly.”

The incident had shaken all three of them, even the usually busy advisor, who kept checking in. The supplements on the table had been sent by the advisor through the class monitor.

The classmates had wanted to visit in a group, but the advisor shut them down with, “Finished your assignments? Prepared for exams? Guaranteed to pass everything?” So they could only send well-wishes in the group chat.

Of course, Ji Rongxue claimed she was fine. Eventually, they agreed to gather and pick her up when she was discharged. Ironically, her hospital stay became a rare moment of peace.

Xiao Nianyuan stayed until noon, bought Ji Rongxue lunch, then left.

Even if she hadn’t, Ji Rongxue would have urged her to go. She was only under observation—having spent more time in hospitals than the entire class combined, she knew the drill. She could manage without a caretaker and actually disliked constant company.

Back in the dorm, Tan Xialan immediately called Xiao Nianyuan to log into the game.

Once Xiao Nianyuan logged in, Tan Xialan circled her twice. “It really is you!”

She still found it unbelievable—the first player she met in-game was actually Xiao Nianyuan, and she hadn’t recognized her at all.

Du Xiaotong sighed. “Can’t you see she’s still disguised right now?”