Reborn into the Obsessive Love of a Dark and Twisted Shadow Queen - Chapter 27

After brushing off the group of girls, Ji Qingshu finally refocused her gaze on Chu Xueyi, a faint smile playing on her lips.

This smile was completely different from the hollow one she had worn earlier.

Are you going to eat in the dorm or on the way?

Many students chose to eat while walking to save time, but… that wasn’t very convenient.

I’ll eat in the dorm.

Chu Xueyi used to be notorious for being late, which explained why the teachers had such a deeply negative impression of her—a prejudice that seemed ingrained to the bone.

The breakfast Ji Qingshu had bought consisted of common items from the school’s breakfast stall, but popular items like the beef buns sold out quickly.

They were delicious, cheap, and limited in quantity each day.

Did you have to get up early to queue for these?

Chu Xueyi led Ji Qingshu into her dorm. She might have felt awkward at first, but now… she seemed completely accustomed to Ji Qingshu coming and going as if it were her own home, acting completely at ease.

Mm-hmm.

I went before the sun had fully risen. Actually, I’ve only eaten these once or twice before, but I knew you liked them.

And she had only tried them because Chu Xueyi liked them.

Ji Qingshu had grown up accustomed to delicacies and rare ingredients. When she started school, her family was quite worried about her.

Not only was she given special privileges in the dormitory, such as a larger room, but they also wanted to arrange for her meals to be specially catered.

However, Ji Qingshu politely declined.

For an actress, maintaining her figure was as crucial as it was for dancers—overeating was simply not an option.

So, despite being a young heiress, she had grown accustomed to eating boiled vegetables.

These vibrant green vegetables contained not a single drop of oil—this was the price of fame, even with legions of fans and the adoration of countless admirers.

Anyone who achieved stardom had to pay a price, whether through cosmetic surgeries like bone reshaping and liposuction, or through relentless dieting to maintain their figure.

These sacrifices were beyond what ordinary people could endure.

Ji Qingshu had never been a big eater since childhood. Later, to maintain her figure, she naturally ate even less. That’s why she only bought two beef buns.

You’re willing to wait in line for me just because I like it?

Chu Xueyi was well aware of how long the line could get, so she only queued up occasionally when she was particularly craving it, or she’d ask a friend to grab some for her.

After all, she was a notorious late sleeper.

Mm-hmm.

A faint blush crept across Ji Qingshu’s usually cool face, his fingers fidgeting as if searching for a place to settle. He quickly tore open the plastic bag.

We’re practically a couple now. Doing this for you… it’s only natural.

In truth, Ji Qingshu desperately wished he could say those words with genuine conviction. But given his current precarious situation, that was utterly impossible.

What if I scare her away?

He’d finally managed to trick her into becoming his fake girlfriend. If he frightened her into running off now, all his efforts would be for naught.

Chu Xueyi picked up a beef bun with disposable chopsticks. Besides that, Ji Qingshu had only bought a small bowl of pumpkin millet porridge.

For a drama school student, this was already quite a luxurious meal.

No, I still want to thank you.

But… I can only thank you in private.

And…

Chu Xueyi chewed on her beef bun in small bites, clearly troubled by the series of events that had just unfolded at the entrance.

They almost saw through our disguise… If we want to keep up the act and prevent our ‘official announcement’ as a couple from becoming a laughingstock, it seems we’ll have to move in together.

As she considered this, Chu Xueyi lowered her head and asked shyly, Is your bed… big enough?

A faint blush crept up her ears, the girl before her radiating bashfulness.

Chu Xueyi rarely brought up such matters, but Ji Qingshu’s single dorm room was the only one with a slightly larger bed—there were no twin beds available.

At least for the duration of their pretense, they would have to share a single bed.

Ahem, ahem, ahem…

But Chu Xueyi wasn’t the only one flustered by the question. Ji Qingshu covered her mouth, coughing wildly, her face flushing crimson like autumn maple leaves.

Xueyi, are you saying you want to move in with me?

Ji Qingshu asked shyly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her chopsticks.

This is really…

Ji Qingshu had experienced countless exciting moments in her life, but none had ever made her ask so cautiously.

So this is how annoying dating can be?

Of course, Chu Xueyi replied matter-of-factly. What if people found out?

Chu Xueyi noticed Ji Qingshu’s flushed face.

Tsk, tsk, tsk… Chu Xueyi instantly lost her own embarrassment. Come on, this is Big Screen Queen Ji blushing! And not even during a movie scene!

What a rare sight!

If people found out we were faking being a couple, we’d be the talk of the school for the rest of the year. I don’t want that.

Chu Xueyi just wanted to get through her studies peacefully, focus on honing her acting skills at school, and prepare for her future pursuit of the Best Actress award.

I see, Ji Qingshu said, her initial joy quickly fading.

But in just a moment, she regained her composure.

Then… I’ll help you move your things over after class.

With that, they reached an agreement.

Chu Xueyi didn’t have much to move, just a few extra clothes. Since her dorm was right next door, she only needed to bring a few everyday outfits.

Ji Qingshu opened his wardrobe and cleared out one side for Chu Xueyi.

Seeing their clothes hanging side by side, Ji Qingshu felt a deep sense of contentment.

She had finally reached this day, and it had come even sooner than she’d expected. However…

Though they appeared to be a couple on the surface, and their friends had begun offering congratulations, their relationship hadn’t actually progressed much further.

How can I close the distance between us?

This was a genuine dilemma, and Ji Qingshu felt troubled.

Chu Xueyi’s current state was like a tightly closed clam, impossible to pry open no matter what.

Thank you for helping me move, Chu Xueyi said, pulling out a tissue and stepping closer to gently wipe the beads of sweat from Ji Qingshu’s forehead. Her touch was incredibly tender.

Her eyes held genuine sincerity.

At that moment, the entire room was utterly silent.

Chu Xueyi’s slender fingers curled around the soft white tissue, tracing down the bridge of her nose to her temple, her expression intensely focused.

Drawn in, Ji Qingshu found herself involuntarily staring into Chu Xueyi’s eyes. Then, realizing how presumptuous it was to stare so intently, she shifted her gaze slightly downward.

She saw a pair of vividly pink lips.

The delicate blush of color, the rounded fullness of the lower lip, and the subtle curve of the corners—it was a perfect, alluring shape.

Ji Qingshu had once kissed those lips.

Outside the school theater.

Now… her heart was stirred again, yearning for a second kiss, and then a third.

If only she could extend her tongue, to taste the sweetness and tang of that crimson hue, to feel its softness.

That would be even better.

At that moment, Ji Qingshu’s heart was pounding like a drum.