Chapter 34: A Blatant Secret Crush

Xu Jianwei huffed, “Girl, you’re only realizing this now? You’re seriously slow on the uptake!”

She tapped Lin Yuran’s forehead with her finger. “You’ve got such a good brain for studying. How come it short-circuits when it comes to feelings? I felt something was off from the moment you two started working together, and you still insisted there was nothing. One little comment from you, and Chi Ye started switching luxury cars every day. That’s basically him tattooing ‘I like you’ across his forehead!”

‘Something felt off from the beginning.’

That one sentence sparked a memory in Lin Yuran’s mind, the exact timing of when Chi Ye sent out the recruitment proposal. It had been exactly one week after Xu Jianwei’s birthday, right after she’d posted that photo of her customized character figurine on her Moments.

Back then, when she scrolled through Chi Ye’s Moments, she’d had a fleeting thought, one she hadn’t fully processed. But now, it resurfaced with startling clarity.

Lin Yuran picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and scrolled through Chi Ye’s Moments to confirm. As she scrolled down, she came upon that post titled 【Us】.

That day, she’d messaged Chi Ye, telling him to either delete it or explain himself. After he simply replied, 【Okay.】, she hadn’t checked back. She thought he would’ve deleted it, after all, he was always a man of his word.

But instead of deleting it, Chi Ye had posted a universal reply under that post:【It was just a beautiful dream.】

Reading those five words, Lin Yuran felt something wrench painfully at her heart.

It hurt. It really, really hurt.

Seeing her frozen, staring at the screen, Xu Jianwei leaned over and caught a glimpse of the reply.

“Holy crap! I never liked or commented on that post because I already knew the photo wasn’t real, so I never saw his reply either. We missed an entire century, I swear!”

Frustrated, Xu Jianwei pounded her fist on the table a few times.

Lin Yuran turned her head and asked in a daze, “If Chi Ye could post that much on his Moments, then… why didn’t he just say it to my face?”

“Uh…” Xu Jianwei frowned, biting her thumbnail in thought. “Maybe… he had his concerns?”

Concerns?

The image of that boy, cautiously and awkwardly trying to confess, replayed in her mind.

“Lin Yuran, since everyone’s already gossiping about us, I’ll take responsibility, okay? I know you’re focused on studying, so… how about we get together after college entrance exams?”

He’d said it with sparkling eyes, lips curled in a charming smile trying to mask his nerves. It was tentative, yes, but his eyes and tone were full of sincerity.

And yet, she had said: “What are you talking about? Gaming is a waste of time. I’d never date someone who doesn’t take life seriously.”

She remembered how that brilliant smile of his vanished instantly. That image alone sent a stabbing pain through her chest. She instinctively raised a hand to press against her heart.

And with that pain, another long-buried memory was yanked up from the depths.

Right before the college entrance exams, their homeroom teacher Chen Wenli had caught her and Chi Ye spending the night at an internet café. Their parents had been called in, and Lin Yuran stayed home for two weeks afterward.

When she finally returned to school, the first thing she did was ask Teacher Chen to change her seat.

The two of them sitting together had never been a problem as despite the rumors, their grades were only improving. Teacher Chen hadn’t intended to separate them. But since Lin Yuran had asked, Teacher Chen had agreed.

As soon as she walked out of the office, she ran straight into Chi Ye. He had clearly overheard their conversation. Chi Ye grabbed her arm, his voice hoarse with frustration.

“You said I was affecting you. How? Was I talking in class? Distracting you after class? Where, exactly, did I affect you?”

Every answer to those questions was ‘no,’ and Lin Yuran, feeling cornered, had no choice but to say: “I just don’t want the rumors to start again.”

“I can shut them up. I’ll make sure no one talks.” Chi Ye practically pleaded. “Lin Yuran, let’s not change seats, okay?”

It was hard to believe that Chi Ye is actually begging her. He had never been that humble. Lin Yuran stared at him, stunned.

His eyes, once dark and radiant like obsidian, now looked dim and lifeless, like a light had been extinguished. Overwhelmed with guilt, she turned and fled.

Was that what he’d been worried about? That she would distance herself from him all over again?

“Girl, it’s obvious Chi Ye likes you. What about you?” Xu Jianwei nudged her with an elbow.

“I…” Lin Yuran lowered her head. Her thoughts were a mess. “I don’t know.”

Xu Jianwei, ever the observant friend, understood right away.

If Lin Yuran didn’t like someone, she’d just say so directly, no hesitation, no beating around the bush.

“I don’t know why Chi Ye hasn’t said anything outright, but guys like him, handsome, rich, and genuinely devoted, don’t come around often,” Xu Jianwei said seriously. “Ranran, don’t let this slip away. If he won’t speak up, you can take the lead.”

Lin Yuran blinked at her. “Take the lead? H-How?”

Xu Jianwei grinned. “The iron wall is finally cracking! Pursue him! Girl-chases-guy is like cutting through a paper screen. Or just confess directly. I mean, with you, who could possibly say no?”

Lin Yuran covered her face with both hands. “Let me… think about it.”

Knock knock.

The door handle jiggled, followed by Qin Lang’s voice. “Babe? Why are you two girls locking the door?”

Since they’d already talked this much, Xu Jianwei didn’t push her any further. She figured Lin Yuran needed some time to sort through her feelings. She got up and opened the door.

Qin Lang didn’t come in, he peeked in through the crack and smiled at Xu Jianwei. “The ultimate bro showdown is about to start. Let’s go see your man in action.”

Xu Jianwei grabbed his face with both hands and gave it a good squish. “You haven’t even started yet. Isn’t it a bit early to gloat?”

Qin Lang took her hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Babe, I am that good. Victory’s in the bag.”

Xu Jianwei snorted. “Arrogant.”

Lin Yuran watched them flirt, a wave of longing washing over her. She couldn’t help but yearn for a love like that, sweet, silly, and full of warmth. Suddenly, a familiar magnetic voice called out from behind the door.

“Why are you just standing at my door?”

Qin Lang turned to see Chi Ye and teased, “Back already? What, here to pick someone up?”

Chi Ye gave a soft ‘mm’ and pulled Qin Lang aside to step in. His eyes landed on Lin Yuran.

“Coming?” he asked in a flat but quiet voice.

Qin Lang chuckled. “We’re all headed over. No need for you to make a special trip. What, worried we’d lose her?”

Chi Ye drawled, “Yeah.”

Xu Jianwei couldn’t help it and let out a laugh.

“…!”

Lin Yuran hadn’t expected that reply. Her ears burned.

Her brain went completely blank. She had no idea how she ended up in the parking lot with the others, empty-handed. When she snapped out of it, she turned to go back for her things.

But Chi Ye caught her wrist.

“I packed everything for you already.”

Lin Yuran: “!”

Xu Jianwei circled Chi Ye’s black Lamborghini Veneno, pretending to gasp in admiration.

“Chi Ye, this car is insane! Let Yuran ride with Qin Lang. Can I ride with you and take some photos inside?”

Without missing a beat, Chi Ye shoved her aside.

“Let Qin Lang take you in his car next time.”

“…!”

Qin Lang came over and grabbed her. “Come on, babe. Skip the drama. We’ll go to my garage next time, and you can shoot all you want.”

Back in the office, Qin Lang’s intentions were already obvious. And now, with Chi Ye acting this openly, it was clear the two of them had been in on it together. When she’d asked earlier, Qin Lang had claimed he didn’t know anything.

Figures, bros before anything else.

Xu Jianwei slapped Qin Lang’s hand away. “Who wants photos in your car?”

Still, she gave him a fierce glare before striding over and hopping into the passenger seat. Qin Lang stood there confused, scratching his head. He looked pitifully at Chi Ye. “My girl loves your car so much. Let me borrow it just once?”

“Get lost.”

“She’s mad, dude. Let me drive it, it won’t kill you.”

“She’s sitting in your car now, isn’t she?”

“…True.”

Before Lin Yuran realized Chi Ye had switched cars for her, she hadn’t thought much of it. Just assumed he wanted a change.

But now, sitting beside him, in his passenger seat, Lin Yuran felt like the leather cushion beneath her was on fire. Her whole body was burning, like she’d come down with a fever. Her brain fogged over.

Chi Ye glanced at her dazed expression.

“You feeling okay?” he asked, leaning in to buckle her seatbelt.

As his body moved closer, his subtle woodsy scent enveloped her, pulling her already-wild heartbeat into total disarray. His suit jacket brushed her cheek.

Lin Yuran’s face flushed instantly.

“Lin Nuotao, are you sick?” Chi Ye asked, clearly concerned. He pressed a hand to her forehead. “You’re burning up.”

Lin Yuran froze like a glitched program, screen stuck, background a chaotic mess of code.

“You’ve got a fever. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Just hearing the word hospital snapped her out of it. “No, no, don’t. I’m not sick,” she said quickly.

Chi Ye looked at her, unconvinced, and pressed his hand to her forehead again for confirmation. At that touch, Lin Yuran nearly blacked out. She clamped a hand over her face and whispered like a kitten,

“Chi Ye, don’t touch me anymore!”

His hand froze mid-air. “…Sorry.”

After half a minute of silence, he asked quietly, “You’re really not sick?”

Lin Yuran turned away and shook her head. Chi Ye pressed his lips into a line. He didn’t say anything more.

That entire evening, Lin Yuran felt like she was floating, like walking on clouds she couldn’t quite land on. She couldn’t do anything else. Just keeping her heart steady took everything she had.

Once break ended and life returned to normal, Lin Yuran managed to stay composed so long as she didn’t see Chi Ye. But the moment she did, her face would flush, her heart race, and all logic flew out the window.

Luckily, they were both busy. They didn’t cross paths too often.

But on cold, rainy autumn days, or snowy winter evenings, Chi Ye always somehow turned up, dropping by the campus under some pretense. Either to walk her home, or to say he had school business and could drive her there.

Before, she’d never thought much of it. Just figured it was coincidence. But now that she knew how he felt… those excuses felt almost laughably flimsy.

She didn’t ask. She just quietly accepted it. Giving herself time. Letting her heart catch up.