Unexpected (GL) - Chapter 4

Xinghe replied with a simple “Okay.”

Xie Jing typed a long message and sent it.

[I’m really unlucky. I killed so many people just now but didn’t get any Battle Will. This win was really close.]

Xinghe stayed silent for over ten seconds before replying.

[You’re really good. You don’t need Battle Will to win.]

Xie Jing laughed the moment she saw that line. She had been playing this game since elementary school, so she definitely had some skill. But no one had ever praised her so directly before—it made her feel so happy!

She couldn’t help but open her screen again.

[Next time I’ll take you to play in the arena. I have an 80% win rate in 3v3.]

Xinghe replied with another “Okay.”

From that moment on, Xie Jing kept inviting Shen Xinghe to play games with her. Shen Xinghe had great awareness and smooth gameplay, and she never held Xie Jing back. Xie Jing really enjoyed playing
with her.

What Xie Jing didn’t say was that she admired strength. When she met someone better than her, she couldn’t help but feel admiration and even develop a crush. Spending time together day and night
made Xie Jing slowly develop a vague feeling called “liking” for the person on the other side of the screen.

She had thought about confessing her feelings. But she was afraid that Shen Xinghe might be straight. Besides, apart from gaming together, they didn’t even have each other on WeChat. Sometimes
they’d bump into each other after class or in the restroom, and Shen Xinghe would only give a polite nod and smile—not warm like in the game.

This made Xie Jing very troubled. Maybe Shen Xinghe really did just see her as a regular gaming buddy. If she confessed out of nowhere, wouldn’t it scare her off? She might even lose this perfectly
matched teammate.

So she decided to keep her feelings hidden in her heart.

Xie Jing timidly thought: I’ll just keep it a secret.

And she kept that secret for almost three years.

That summer, after the high school entrance exams, Xie Jing and Shen Xinghe played games day and night for several weeks. But after that summer, they started to go online less and less. As far as
Xie Jing remembered, at first in high school, Shen Xinghe would log on once every weekend, then once a month, then only once a year—until finally, her avatar never lit up again.

Three years was enough to blur and fade someone’s memory in Xie Jing’s mind. It wasn’t until she heard the name “Shen Xinghe” just now that she remembered the person who once fought side by side
with her in front of the screen.

“Xie Jing, I didn’t think you’d still remember me.”

Maybe because she was far from home, Shen Xinghe couldn’t help but feel close to Xie Jing after seeing her again. They were both born and raised in the south, and now they were studying far away in
the north. Everything around them was unfamiliar, so when she saw someone she knew, it felt naturally intimate.

“How could I forget you? Didn’t you remember me too?”

Xie Jing was just as excited. Her fair cheeks were slightly pink, her dark eyes bright—she clearly looked thrilled.

Shen Xinghe smiled and looked toward the girl standing beside Xie Jing.

“Oh right, Xinghe, let me introduce you. This is my roommate, Zhou Yan.”

Xie Jing pulled Zhou Yan’s hand and smiled brightly as she said, “This is my middle school classmate, Shen Xinghe.”

“Nice to meet you,” Zhou Yan greeted Shen Xinghe politely.

As she smiled, she also winked at Xie Jing, as if saying: Told you so.

Since coming to college, Xie Jing had never hidden her sexual orientation. There were only a few girls in their class anyway, so it was hard to keep it secret. On the first day of military training,
a boy had confessed to Xie Jing. To stop this kind of thing from happening again, she kindly rejected him and told him she liked girls.

That boy’s face turned red instantly. After that day, no one ever confessed to Xie Jing again.

Zhou Yan had originally enjoyed talking with Xie Jing about which boys in class looked better. But after learning that Xie Jing liked girls, she stopped making those comments. Even the entertainment
videos she recommended to Xie Jing were all cute girl content.

There was a reason Zhou Yan had done a tarot reading for Xie Jing this time. The club performance had a lot of girls, especially some pretty new freshmen like Shen Xinghe. Maybe bringing Xie Jing
here would really help her find true love.

After a short break, the next performance started—it was a musical act.

Shen Xinghe had gotten sweaty from dancing and decided to return to the dorm to remove her makeup. She said goodbye to them and left.

Xie Jing watched her leave, her round almond eyes curving with a smile.

“Xie Jing, you’re acting really strange.”

Zhou Yan scanned between Xie Jing and Shen Xinghe with her sharp eyes like she had discovered a big secret.

Xie Jing looked a little embarrassed and pretended not to hear her.

“Whoa, Xie Jing, look over there! Do you see who that is?”

Zhou Yan suddenly grabbed Xie Jing’s arm and shook it like crazy. She was half out of her seat, staring at a tall, slim figure in the center of the stage.

Xie Jing asked, confused, “Who?”

“Isn’t that the new transfer student in our class? The one who just moved into our dorm? I think her name is… Qin Ning?”

Xie Jing followed Zhou Yan’s gaze, and the next second, her eyes widened.

Under the orange sunset light, a girl in a white chiffon dress stood in the center of the sunken round stage. Half of her face was covered in golden light, outlining her delicate features. Her white
dress, long legs, and even her hair sparkled.

At that moment, Xie Jing was stunned.

Wow… how could someone look so beautiful?

And this person… is actually her roommate?

Not just Xie Jing—everyone was stunned.

The beautiful sound of a violin filled the air, but Xie Jing could still hear her heart pounding like a drum.

She pressed her hand against her racing heart, confused.

What was going on with her?

“Your face is so red.”

Zhou Yan leaned closer. “Xiao Jing, are you okay?”

Xie Jing asked, “You said her name is Qin Ning?”

Zhou Yan replied, “Yeah, Qin from Qin Shi Huang, and Ning from Ningxia. Why?”

The more Xie Jing looked at Qin Ning, the more familiar she felt. She was sure she had seen her somewhere before. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t remember.

Just as she was about to look away, Qin Ning suddenly looked in her direction.

Xie Jing froze.

Across the noisy crowd, their eyes met.

Qin Ning’s pupils were deep and black. Xie Jing felt like she had fallen into a cool, clear spring.

She stood there in a daze, forgetting to look away. They locked eyes for a few seconds.

Suddenly, Xie Jing remembered.

Yesterday, during evening study in the classroom, she had seen someone wearing a mask—

That person was Qin Ning.

No wonder she looked familiar.

“Xiae Jing, did you know her before?” Zhou Yan was confused. Why did Qin Ning keep looking in their direction?

Xie Jing shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

They had never even spoken a word.

“Hmm… that’s really strange,” Zhou Yan murmured.

As the music performance was about to end, Zhou Yan pulled on Xie Jing’s arm and said, “It’s almost dinner time. Let’s leave now, or we’ll have to wait in line at the cafeteria.”

Xie Jing nodded. “Sure.”

After packing up her water bottle and textbook, Xie Jing left with Zhou Yan. They first stopped by the package pickup center to get their deliveries, then headed to the cafeteria for dinner. At that
time, there weren’t many people, so they didn’t need to line up.

Xie Jing ordered braised chicken rice, and Zhou Yan got spicy hotpot. Just as they sat down, they happened to see Shen Xinghe walking in from outside.

She had removed her makeup and changed her clothes. Her whole face looked soft and delicate—Xie Jing almost didn’t recognize her.

“What a coincidence, you’re here too,” Shen Xinghe walked over and smiled. “Is the braised chicken rice here good?”

Xie Jing nodded eagerly. “Very tasty!”

With Xie Jing’s approval, Shen Xinghe ordered the same dish and sat down next to them.

“Qin Ning always wore a mask before—I had no idea she was this pretty.” Zhou Yan was still thinking about Qin Ning’s beauty. Even while eating, she couldn’t stop talking about her.

Qin Ning had just moved into their dorm yesterday. Back then, she had a mask on. She left early this morning and didn’t return at noon, so today was actually the first time Zhou Yan and Xie Jing saw
her real face.

“Qin Ning? Is it the same Qin Ning I know?” Shen Xinghe looked up in surprise.

“You know her too?” Zhou Yan’s mouth dropped open. “Is she that famous?”

“I had a classmate named Qin Ning, but I don’t know if it’s the same one you know.”

The Qin Ning in Shen Xinghe’s memory had very top grades. In fact, they used to sit at the same desk.

After dinner, Zhou Yan suggested they walk around the sports field to help with digestion. Xie Jing and Shen Xinghe both agreed. The braised chicken rice on the second floor of the cafeteria was too
good—they both ate a bit too much.

Around six or seven in the evening, the sports field wasn’t crowded. A few people were jogging, but most were just walking. After walking half a lap, Zhou Yan suddenly bent over holding her stomach.

“I need to use the bathroom. You two go back to the dorm after walking, don’t wait for me.”

There were public restrooms around the track, and after saying goodbye, Zhou Yan quickly left.

The October weather in the north wasn’t too hot or too cold—it was just right. Xie Jing and Shen Xinghe strolled slowly along the track in the gentle breeze. Every now and then, Shen Xinghe would
turn to talk to Xie Jing.

“Can I call you Xie Jing from now on?”

Shen Xinghe suddenly stopped and looked at her gently.

“Ah?” Xie Jing was stunned for a second, then nodded blankly. “Of course.”

Xie Jing had felt uneasy since this afternoon. She didn’t know what was going on—maybe she was too excited after meeting her old crush?

That short-lived crush had ended long ago. Now, Shen Xinghe was right in front of her. Should she take a step forward?

She lowered her head, feeling torn.

“Xie Jing.”

Xie Jing came back to her senses. “Hmm?”

“We’ve already walked two laps. Let’s go back.”

Shen Xinghe smiled.

“Okay.”

Just as Xie Jing turned around, her steps froze.

Less than twenty meters away, Qin Ning was staring at her.

As soon as their eyes met, Qin Ning turned around and left without any expression.