The Girl Who Played the Victim

Chapter 1

Half a month into my first year of college, I was approached by a senior on the playground. He was of average looks and asked for my contact information.

He was so sincere that I couldn’t refuse, so I added him on WeChat.

That night, however, "the girlfriend" came looking for me, bringing a group of people with her. She accused me of trying to steal her boyfriend.

In the corner of the school cafeteria, I was surrounded by a group of older girls, with the leader being the girlfriend, the real "main character."

She was a few centimeters shorter than me even with her platform shoes, dressed in all black. Her posture was strong, and she looked like one of those viral "famous seniors" you see online.

"Hey, girl." She poked me in the shoulder. "Didn’t your parents teach you not to get involved with someone else’s boyfriend?"

We were standing pretty close, and I furrowed my brow.

Ugh... she had bad breath.

I brushed my shoulder where she poked me and patiently explained, "I didn’t know he had a girlfriend. And after adding him on WeChat, I only said a few words to him."

In fact, all I ever replied to him was short words like "yes" or "mm-hmm."

"Shut up!"

Honestly, the way she was throwing a tantrum was like a hen protecting her chicks. She put her hands on her hips and snapped, "Do you even know the rules? Did I tell you to speak?"

"..."

I took a deep breath. I was getting pretty pissed, but before I could snap back, I accidentally caught sight of someone at the corner of the staircase.

A guy, holding a camera, seemed to be filming.

Looks like we have a free journalist here.

I immediately softened my attitude and timidly said, "Sis, it’s not what you think, I—"

Once again, I was interrupted by another shout: "Did I tell you to talk?!"

I obediently shut my mouth.

By coincidence, I was wearing a white dress with a Peter Pan collar, my hair in a half bun. At that moment, I probably looked like an innocent little bunny being bullied.

"It’s okay if you don’t understand things as a freshman," she said. "Let me give you a lesson today. From now on, stay away from other people’s boyfriends, okay?"

"Learn your place. From now on, when you see seniors, be sweeter."

"Don’t think you can go around flirting with boys just because you’re pretty. If you do, you’ll regret it one day!"

I nodded in agreement, "You’re right, sis."

Maybe because I was so obedient, these older girls seemed to hit a soft spot, and in the end, they only insulted me verbally and shoved me around a bit before leaving.

Of course, they also said some pretty nasty things, but I ignored them.

Meanwhile, my peripheral vision kept glancing at the guy on the stairs.

The "lecture" was over.

I watched the girls leave, and then, under the guy’s slightly surprised gaze, I walked up the stairs, casually stopping in front of him.

Tilting my head, I reached out my hand, saying nothing, just quietly looking at him.

He paused for a moment and, noticing my intent, handed me the camera.

I took the camera without flipping through it and immediately played the video from just now.

Sure enough, he had been filming us.

I watched the video from start to finish, and then made a somewhat unprofessional suggestion: "Next time, if you have a chance, you should film me from this angle."

Saying that, I turned slightly and gave him a side profile.

"My left side looks better."

"..."

He was silent for a moment, then surprisingly nodded, "Okay."

After watching the video, I handed the camera back to him. "Add me on WeChat and send me the video."

I took out my phone and showed him my QR code.

He glanced at me, silently pulled out his own phone.

While we added each other, I took another look at him.

Up close, he wasn’t bad looking at all—handsome in a quiet, refined way, with strong brows and big eyes. He reminded me of that actor who plays a dad with big eyes in entertainment shows.

I was lost in thought when my phone suddenly vibrated with a message.

"Hey, do I look good?"

Looking at the unfamiliar profile picture and username, I finally realized that it was from this guy, the one standing in front of me.

I smiled and put my phone away, "You’re not bad looking."

Then I raised my phone, "Don’t forget to send me the video. Thanks."

Waving at him, I quickly left the cafeteria.

There was a heavy silence behind me.

After washing up and getting into bed, I received the video from the "photographer" guy.

His username was David, which sounded like his real name.

I thanked him for the video, then immediately posted it online.

I made sure to tag all the major gossip accounts at my university.

First, there was the infamous female leader of the Workers' Department, and now, these seniors who love teaching "the proper way for younger girls to behave."

It was almost impossible not to go viral.

As expected, the video started gaining traction quickly and drew the attention of many of my classmates.

At the same time, I sent a message to that plain-looking senior.

I already had the "green tea" label on my head, so why not embrace it?

Opening the chat with him, I sent a cute, helpless emoji and quickly typed:

"Hey, do you have a girlfriend? /cry/"

"Today, the seniors came after me and called me shameless."

"I don’t mind the misunderstanding, but she kept saying I was flirting with you, and a lot of people heard it. I’m just worried it might affect you negatively..."

Chapter 2

The senior replied quickly:

"Sorry, I already broke up with her, but I didn’t expect her to cause such a scene. I’m really sorry for the trouble she’s caused you. /cry/"

"Don’t worry, I’ll go talk to her right now."

I glanced at my phone, casually took a sip of instant coffee, and typed away:

"Senior, please don’t be too hard on her. She’s probably just really concerned about you and afraid I might steal you away."

This time, he responded bluntly: "Honestly, I’d rather you take me away."

Ugh.

I had to swallow my disgust and sent him a meme in reply, then didn’t bother typing more.

Don’t break up, please don’t.

They’re perfect together—don’t come and mess things up for someone else.

The guy has a girlfriend, yet adds other girls on WeChat and sends them sweet messages; the girl can’t even manage her boyfriend, and yet she goes around picking fights with innocent freshmen to assert dominance.

None of them are good people.

And me? I’m no angel either.

I tossed my phone aside and put on a face mask.

Just then, my phone buzzed, and I leaned back on my bed, lazily checking the message.

It was from the guy with the big eyes, the photographer.

David: "You’re pretty brave, posting that video. Aren’t you afraid of getting some backlash?"

Me: "Well, I guess I’ll just hire you as my personal photographer—exposing the truth every time."

I was joking, but...

To my surprise, he actually agreed.

David: "Sounds good."

"See you tomorrow morning downstairs in the dorm."

Tch, so eager.

I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering if it was the recent skincare routine that was making me feel like I was attracting more attention lately.

I’m not exactly the friendliest person. I usually keep to myself, but hey, I wouldn’t mind having a handsome guy with big eyes tagging along.

So, I agreed without hesitation.

We chatted for a bit, then ended the conversation with a simple "Goodnight."

I dropped my phone, ready to take off my mask, but then I noticed my reflection. My lips were slightly curled up.

I paused, took off the mask, and stared at myself in the mirror—

My cheeks were a little flushed, and my eyes were sparkling.

Not a good sign, probably the start of developing feelings.

Before I went to sleep, I received another message from the senior.

I snuggled into my blanket and glanced at my phone. It was a long, rambling message.

From experience, I knew to just skim to the last sentence. The rest was usually pointless.

Sure enough.

The last line was the real point of his message.

He said, with what seemed like deep affection: "Can I pursue you now that I’m single?"

That flowery, formal way of speaking made me laugh.

I casually typed two words: "You can’t."

He almost immediately replied: "Why?"

"Because I have a syndrome called ‘unrequited love’."

He didn’t reply after that, because by the time I sent the message, he had quietly been added to my block list.

For once, I woke up early.

I got up, changed clothes, and put on light makeup without disturbing my roommates.

To be honest, I was kind of looking forward to meeting the guy with the big eyes.

By the way, his real name was David—he’s not only good looking but also has a nice name.

I checked myself in the mirror and went downstairs on time.

However, when I reached the dorm building, I didn’t find the photographer waiting for me. Instead, I found the senior.

He was wearing all black, a bit scruffy, and if you didn’t look closely, he actually looked pretty much like the girlfriend from yesterday.

"Anna," he called my name as he walked toward me.

"I looked it up last night, and ‘unrequited love syndrome’ is when someone falls for someone but doesn’t want any emotional response from the other person."

He took a deep breath, paused, then continued, "So, you liked me, right? In that case, it’s simple—we can just be friends, right? Who says friends can’t be close?"

Saying that, he actually tried to reach for my hand.

Me: ???

Does he not get it?

Also, this last sentence was a bit much. It seemed to imply he thought we could do couple-like things, without any commitment.

Ugh.

I stepped back a little and tilted my head, looking at him.

"Senior, you might actually have a problem."

It looks like not only is he a player, but he’s also ridiculously narcissistic.

Hearing that, he stared at me, still lost in his delusions that I might like him, and seemed frozen for a moment. "What did you say?"

Before I could respond, a voice suddenly came from behind him: "She said you’re crazy."

I turned to see—

Yep, it was my personal photographer, David. I squinted at him, and it seemed like David's eyes were twice as big as the senior's.

Chapter 3

The comparison between the two of them was honestly pretty amusing.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The senior’s face immediately darkened. He shot me a glance but chose to direct his anger at David, the guy standing next to me.

"Who are you?"

The senior’s greeting was as cliché as it gets, his brow furrowed, ready to take David on.

David raised an eyebrow, walked up to my side, and unexpectedly put his arm around me.

My heart seemed to skip a beat.

I looked up at him, but since David was taller than me, all I could see was the sharp curve of his jaw.

From this angle, he looked even better.

It’s true—handsome people have no bad angles.

I quickly turned my gaze away, trying to calm my quickening heartbeat, and leaned a little closer to him, just playing along.

David seemed to smile, "Still not obvious?"

Then his tone changed to something colder, "Since we’re already here, I might as well warn you, senior—if you keep bothering my girlfriend, don’t blame me for being rude."

The senior was clearly stunned.

"Boyfriend?"

He turned to me, his brows furrowing so deeply it looked like he could crush a fly.

"You said you were single?"

"Yeah."

I smiled, then stood on tiptoe and kissed David on the cheek, turning back to the senior with a look of feigned innocence.

"But I’ve had one since this morning."

Tch, tch.

The senior’s face went from clear skies to thunderclouds in an instant.

But before he could start questioning me, a girl rushed over, panicked, "Quick… Emma’s threatening to kill herself, we can’t calm her down, you have to go talk to her!"

Emma, of course, was the senior who had been so bossy and rude earlier.

The senior froze for a moment, then, looking frustrated, followed the girl.

However—

The moment he left, his expression made it clear that he was feeling guilty. I could tell, even if it wasn’t for the coincidence of Emma threatening suicide, he wouldn’t have dared to get into a fight with David.

David was tall, about 6'1", and although he wasn’t extremely muscular, his forearms were toned and looked solid. You could tell he worked out.

As for the senior, he was probably about 5'7", 120 lbs, and compared to David, he looked scrawny.

There was no competition here.

With the senior gone, David let go of the arm he had around my shoulder and took a small step back, distancing himself from me.

I looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow, "Not bad. You’re showing more of a man’s side compared to last time."

David smiled, "I have principles. I can’t lay hands on girls."

Hmm, still a gentleman.

I patted his shoulder, subtly feeling the muscle beneath his thin shirt. I smiled in satisfaction and said, "Well, I’m off to class now."

"Okay."

David seemed like the kind of guy who didn’t speak much, always calm and composed. But his eyes were so captivating—large and bright, it was hard to look away.

It was rare to see a guy with such big eyes, and they gave him a truly striking, energetic vibe.

After saying goodbye to David, I headed to class. But as I passed a classroom door in the building, I caught a glimpse of David’s face in the reflection from the glass.

I froze and turned around. Sure enough, David was standing right behind me.

"Don’t you have class?"

"I do."

I was confused, "Then why are you following me?"

David flashed a smile, "We agreed yesterday, right? I’m your personal photographer."

Huh?

Seriously? Is he really following me around instead of going to class?

To my surprise, David actually came into the classroom with me. And then—

When the teacher started calling the roll, I realized, wait, he’s in the other class.

We only have two accounting classes this year, so most of our classes are combined.

It turned out, he was in Class 1, and I was in Class 2.

We ended up sitting together at the back. After roll call, I nudged him with my elbow, "How come I’ve never seen you before?"

I didn’t notice him during military training, and now that classes had started, I hadn’t heard any of the teachers mention his name.

"I had some family matters and arranged with the school to start classes late," he answered nonchalantly. "I just started this week."

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you’re the sick leave guy?"

David blinked.

"No, I didn’t attend military training because of a family issue."

He mentioned his family problems twice, which made me pause and look at his face closely.

Sure enough, his expression was dark, and his eyes seemed a little downcast.

I didn’t ask more—he probably had a serious family matter, and I didn’t want to pry.

---

There were no more public or major classes, and David left me for the afternoon. I was soon cornered.

This time, it was in the women’s restroom.

And to avoid attention, the senior came alone.

"You messing with me?"

She immediately confronted me, her face full of anger.

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I sized her up. In this hot weather, she was wearing a leather jacket and pants, trying to look edgy, probably to show off her "cool" side.

Definitely not looking like someone ready to commit suicide.

"What’s going on?"

The class bell rang, and the restroom was almost empty. I leaned against the sink and looked down at her.

She raised her hand and grabbed my hair, pulling hard, bending my head down.

I frowned. I knew this move would make me look ridiculous.

"Senior, let’s talk, let go."

I tried to reason with her.

"Talk?"

She sounded even angrier, her voice sharp and grating.

"You’re flirting with my boyfriend and secretly recording us, and now I’m heartbroken and getting bullied online. What do you want me to say?"

As she tightened her grip on my hair, she pushed down harder, clearly trying to shove my head into the toilet.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard. She let go instantly, in pain.

Next, I swiftly executed a shoulder throw, slamming her onto the restroom floor.

The floor was freshly cleaned but still wet, and the water splashed on her leather jacket and pants, making them glisten.

"Senior," I crouched down and looked at her, blinking innocently, "I told you, let’s talk it out, no need for violence."

She didn’t even try to argue. After groaning in pain for a moment, she quickly scrambled to her feet, glaring at me in fury.

"You..."

"What’s wrong?"

I looked at her innocently, "Senior, don’t take it personally. I just slipped up."

She glared at me for a long time, unable to speak. Finally, she muttered a threat and ran off.

I turned back to the mirror, really annoyed. My hair was a mess.

---

I wasn’t sure if it was the unexpected shoulder throw that scared her, but for the next few days, she didn’t bother me again.

The senior was also quietly added to my WeChat blacklist and didn’t try to contact me.

However, David and I grew closer quickly, especially tonight. He invited me to be his private model and help him shoot some personal photos.

Of course, it was free.

And of course, I didn’t refuse. In fact, I even offered to take David out for dinner.

Thinking about it, I was a little excited.

Night, photos, a guy and a girl alone.

Just the thought of it was thrilling.

But—

As I was getting ready to meet David for dinner, I overheard some classmates gossiping.

I usually don’t care about rumors, but when I heard the name "David," I couldn’t help but pause and sit back down.

Pretending to look at my phone, I eavesdropped on some gossip about David. I didn’t know if it was true, but it was shocking enough.

The day before the school year started, a shocking criminal case finally concluded—a woman killed her husband, dismembered him, and hid his body in a freezer.

I heard it was David’s biological parents.

Chapter 4

Murder and dismemberment?

This has never happened in the news, and for the first time, it seems to be happening in real life.

I can't get back to my senses.

It wasn't until the whispering girls had gone away that I barely reacted.

got up and was about to go back to the dormitory to change clothes, but suddenly met a person.

David。

He walked straight up to me, looking the same as usual, and even today he wore silver-rimmed glasses, hiding his big Carslan eyes under the lenses.

A little less heroic, more bookish.

In normal times, I might look at it twice, and then sigh that I am really a treasure boy.

However, at this moment, my mind is full of the gossip I just heard.

David's parents...... Murder and dismemberment......

Shocked and distressed, I couldn't hold back my curiosity to ask, but I was worried about touching his scar.

Even when David walked up to me, I couldn't come back to my senses.

"What are you thinking?"

He handed me a cup of milk tea in a gentle voice.

I took it easily, but the words I wanted to ask instantly fell back into my stomach, such a good-looking boy, how could I bear to sprinkle salt on his wounds.

"It's fine."

I patted him on the arm, "Let's go, didn't you say that you would ask me to be your personal model at night, and invite me to dinner first."

"Okay."

David responded, but his ears flushed a little from the phrase "personal model".

As David left the school gate, I suddenly remembered the rumor when David asked me what I wanted to eat.

If...... That rumor is true, so David must be short of money, right?

With parents dying and going to prison, life should be difficult.

I changed my words in an instant, "There's nothing to eat near the school, so let's go to the cafeteria."

David was stunned, then turned to look at me, "It's hard to be a model, you don't have to save me money."

I looked up at him and suddenly smiled.

"Why is it hard to be a model, is it ...... What are the implicit terms?"

As an adult, David certainly understood what I meant by this joke.

So, the man's face turned red instantly.

Tut.

It looks like a young man full of energy, but in fact, he blushes when he teases him.

I tilted my head to look at him, and became more interested in him.

Dragging David to the cafeteria, a bowl of spicy noodles per person, I looked at him with my cheeks on my cheeks.

「David。」

"Huh?"

He answered, but he didn't lift his head, and was picking up the parsley in the bowl.

Because, I just said casually, I haven't eaten cilantro since I was a child.

Looking him up and down, I asked unhurriedly, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

David's hand picking at the cilantro paused.

"Nope."

He still lowered his gaze, unable to see the change in emotion on his face.

"Then you have it now."

As I spoke, I reached over and scratched the back of David's hand with my fingertips.

David's hand froze for a moment.

After a long time, he looked up at me, frowned slightly, and suddenly said without a trace, "Anna, your current appearance is not at all like the little white rabbit of that day."

I laughed, my fingertips drawing circles on the back of his hand, then retracting.

"I'm not a white rabbit in the first place."

As I spoke, I brought the bowl of spicy noodles with coriander he had picked up in front of me, and looked up and winked at him.

"Give me a chance, I'm definitely the big bad wolf, the one who pushes you down and eats it clean."

David froze, and then, he didn't say anything, just took his bowl of spicy noodles and ate it with his head down.

But—

I took the time to look at him as I was stunned, and the roots of my ears were red.

After dinner, we went to an old classroom at the school.

This classroom is located in the corner of the top floor of a teaching building, probably in a remote location, and there are no classes arranged here on weekdays, so few people come.

However, looking out the window from here, the view is not ordinary.

David said he was interested in the view from the window.

Push the door in, in order to maintain the atmosphere, we did not turn on the lights, at dusk, the classroom is not too dark, the light is mild, special feeling.

I walked to the window and took a look, pushed it open, and the breeze was blowing.

"Shoot here?"

I turned to look at David, only to meet his gaze, who was looking at me quietly, as if he was a little distracted.

"Hmm."

David quickly withdrew his gaze and looked down to fiddle with his camera.

I smiled and sat by the window waiting for him.

After waiting a long time, I turned my head to look out the window.

"Click—"

Suddenly, there was a shutter sound behind me, and I turned my head to look, and I happened to be on David's camera.

I was defenseless, and my slightly stunned expression was frozen in his camera.

David looked down at the picture, the corners of his lips pursed slightly, and he seemed to be smiling.

"Is it pretty?"

I leaned against the window and asked him, and David nodded, his voice so small that I could barely hear it.

"Beautiful."

From so far away, I could seem to see a slight flush at the base of his ear.

obviously has a star face, but he is a little milk dog who can't stand the teasing, and he blushes when he teases.

I leaned back a few bits, looking up at him, "Then I'm afraid of one."

As I spoke, I pulled the collar of my shoulder downward.

The clothes I wore today were originally loose necklines, and when I pulled them up, they were slightly loose collars, and when I pulled them off, they were ordinary one-line shoulders.

I inhaled slightly, trying to make my collarbone as visible as possible.

I posed, I couldn't hold my breath anymore, and there was no movement from David's side.

I turned my head to look, only to see David looking at me quietly.

Sunset.

He stood there and looked at me, his expression slightly stunned, his Adam's apple rolling slightly, and the roots of his ears were already red.

I chuckled, "David, it's time to take a picture."

"Hmm."

He suddenly came back to his senses, and hurriedly raised the camera, his eyes were clearly flustered.

I posed again, and the old classroom was filled with the sound of camera shutters.

Until—

David lowered his voice and said, "That...... You lift your clothes up."

I deliberately teased him, "Where?"

David told me a little, and I deliberately pretended not to understand, frowning, "You come and help me."

David was silent for a moment, then put down his camera and walked over.

He gently pinched my collar with his fingertips, holding the measure without touching my shoulder.

However, I took a breath and moved my shoulder slightly, and David's collar, which had not yet been lifted, slid down a few more points.

I swept down, and I could see my white shoulders.

Really.

David's breathing was a little shorter.

Before I knew it, it was getting darker again, and David leaned over and tugged at my collar as I straightened up, deliberately closing the distance between us.

The dim light adds a touch of charm to this scene.

「David……」

I called out to him in a soft voice, "Am I good-looking?"

My question is plain and straightforward, but, in this case, it may be easier to provoke people.

"Hmm."

He answered, nodding reservedly.

I chuckled and pointed to my lips, "I'm a little thirsty, what should I do?"

David was in a trance for a moment, then jerked to his feet, "I...... I'm going to buy you water."

However, he didn't make it.

Because I grabbed my wrist.

I grabbed his hand, then stood up, trying to lean over and tease him again.

I swear, I just think he's a little cute with a red face and red ears, and I just want to tease him.

But—

Coincidentally, after sitting in the same position for a long time, my legs were numb, and I got up in too much of a hurry, and dragged David backwards.

First he collapsed on his desk, then he rolled to the ground.

It's damning.

David was under me, and I guess I didn't fall lightly.

However, whether it is back pain and butt pain is not important, what matters is ......

I lay on David's back, looking at each other, and I seemed to be only a few centimeters away from him.

David's breath fell on my face, burning hot.

I regret it a little, dusk is a bit ambiguous, and in the dusk light, the atmosphere is a little more charming.

I swallowed, and David rolled his Adam's apple quietly.

And then.

I grabbed David by the collar and kissed him.

Although it's a bit unjustifiable now, both of them are single, so what's the matter.

Kiss it first.

David's lips were so soft, with a hint of strawberry.

Well, after eating, he ate strawberry-flavored fresh candy and gave me one at the time.

He must have been planning against me for a long time!

David was stunned for a few seconds, but quickly reacted, and put a hand on the back of my head, accentuating the kiss.

I smiled and slowly closed my eyes, and it seemed that the little sheep was not soft.

Still a man of action.

This strawberry-flavored kiss is soft and long, and I was savoring it when I suddenly heard footsteps at the door of the classroom!

The footsteps were hurried, and they seemed to be coming towards us.

David and I didn't even have time to react, but when we looked up, we saw a head poking out of the desks.

The man stood at the table, quietly watching us.

David and I, on the other hand, pressed against him, one hand grabbing his collar tightly, while he clasped one hand behind my head, and the other hand landed lightly on my waist at some point.

After the kiss, David and I blushed slightly and the corners of our lips moistened.

Looking down further, the corners of my skirt lifted a little because of the action just now, and I couldn't help but think about it......

Chapter 5

Honestly.

The moment that head popped up, I immediately imagined all sorts of murder scenes, but instead, what appeared was a stranger's face.

A strange, male face.

Our eyes met. The guy who had popped up looked just as shocked as I was. He froze for a few seconds, quickly glanced between me and David, then hurriedly apologized.

"Sorry, I was just passing by and heard some noise. I came to take a look... didn’t mean to interrupt."

After that, he turned and ran off.

Ran off...

David and I exchanged a glance, frozen for a moment, then we both burst out laughing.

I raised my hand to wipe the wet corner of his mouth, about to say something, when suddenly, the sound of footsteps came again.

It was that guy again.

I thought he might have something important, but instead, he ran up, quickly snapped a picture with his phone, and then ran off again.

I was speechless.

As a guy, is it really okay to be this nosy?

Not wanting to stay in this position any longer, I quickly scrambled off David and reached for him. But then, I made a rather surprising discovery.

It seemed like something was... well, "stirring" in a very noticeable place.

Maybe I stared a little too long, because David immediately noticed and quickly jumped to his feet, turning around with his face bright red.

I knew it.

I might be the fake little bunny, but he was the real little lamb.

A kiss on the lips and he’s blushing like crazy.

I grabbed the camera on the desk nearby, intending to give him some space to calm down. But as I casually flipped through the pictures, I was in for a bit of a surprise.

After a while, I walked over to him, opened one of the photos, and held it up in front of his face.

"David, why are all the photos on your camera... of me?"

That’s right—David’s camera had dozens of pictures, and every single one was of me.

Walking, sitting.

The only unfortunate thing was, the very first photo was taken after we met.

When I discovered this little secret, my first thought was that David had been secretly in love with me since the beginning of the semester. Maybe that time in the cafeteria wasn’t a coincidence, and he’d actually been following me secretly.

But no.

Under my questioning, David admitted that after he saw me in the cafeteria that day, he was stunned by my beauty and immediately fell for me.

Of course, his words were much more tactful than that.

After carefully admitting his feelings, David pushed me up against a wall, nervously licking his lips.

"So... you..."

"What?"

I tilted my head, blinking at him.

David seemed even more nervous, took a deep breath, and said softly.

"So, what do you think of me?"

"You guess."

David shook his head, signaling that I wasn’t going to guess correctly.

I grabbed his collar, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him. "David, you’re like a little lamb."

"So soft and fluffy."

"…"

That evening, as the sun set, David cornered me against the wall, and I held onto his collar, kissing him passionately.

After that kiss, David officially became my boyfriend.

But...

A few days later, a photo started circulating on everyone’s social media.

The photo showed me and David lying on the floor, surrounded by desks and chairs. I was lying on top of him, my skirt slightly lifted, and we both looked stunned, staring straight at the camera.

Tch.

What was supposed to be an accidental kiss had been caught on camera by that guy, turning it into something that could easily be made into a dramatic short film.

Just... unbelievable.

That noon, David and I sat together in a corner of the cafeteria, looking at the photo, both silent.

"What should we do?"

I took a bite of ice cream and looked up at him.

David frowned, clearly unhappy.

It wasn’t that he was scared; the problem was, we didn’t even know who that guy was. We had no idea where to even begin looking for him.

"Do you remember what he looked like?" David asked.

I shook my head.

"Come on, that was such an intense, thrilling moment. How could I remember his face?"

David sighed. "I don’t remember either, but don’t worry. I’ll find out who he is."

Saying that, David grabbed a napkin and wiped the corner of my mouth.

"No need."

As his hand came close, I lightly licked his finger with my tongue. David froze, his eyebrows furrowing in resignation.

"Anna, no more teasing me."

"Why?"

I loved seeing David blush. He was tall, had big eyes like a dad from a popular TV show, with a dignified face—yet, he blushed at the slightest teasing.

His words came out in a stutter, "I... can’t control myself."

"Can’t control yourself where?"

I smiled, looking at him with a mischievous glint in my eyes.

David quickly handed me the ice cream to change the subject. "Hurry up and eat. It’s melting."

I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable anymore.

But...

As we were about to leave, I noticed David was right: he really couldn’t handle teasing.

I just fed him a bite of ice cream and, when the cafeteria was empty, I leaned in, gently licking the ice cream off the corner of his lips. In an instant, his face turned bright red.

It seemed like he wanted to kiss me, but was holding back because we were still in the cafeteria. I checked around to make sure no one was around, then I leaned in, gently biting his lip and licking it with my tongue.

I swear, it was such a simple motion.

But when I glanced down, I noticed something... well, quite "stirring."

I stared at the reaction and couldn’t help but laugh.

"David, are you too hot-tempered? Maybe you should try some Six-Flavor Rehmannia Pills."

Chapter 6

"Anna!"

David nearly growled my name.

But when he met my gaze, his tone softened.

He reached out and poked my forehead, his voice full of helplessness. "Can you stop teasing me? It makes me seem so weak-willed."

"Can’t."

While he wasn’t paying attention, I purposely smeared some ice cream on the corner of his mouth, then leaned in to gently lick it off and smiled at him.

"But it makes me look so charming."

"..."

David rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

Seeing him struggle to hold back something, his face turning red, I finally felt a little guilty. I stopped teasing him and shifted back to the topic we were discussing earlier.

"The photo thing, don’t worry about it."

"Why not?"

The ice cream was starting to melt, sticking to my fingers. I quickly finished it and winked at him. "How about we get married? Once we’re married, it’s legal to be all lovey-dovey."

"What?"

David froze, stunned by my words, his face full of surprise.

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. "Just kidding."

As David pulled out a wet wipe to clean my hands, I became serious. "Don’t worry, everyone will forget about this in a few days."

David hesitated for a moment but finally nodded, saying nothing more.

But...

Two days later, just as I had predicted, the photo incident faded from everyone’s minds.

The gossip about David and me, which had been circulating in small circles, was quickly overshadowed by something even more shocking that grabbed everyone’s attention.

Our school’s vice principal, that greasy, middle-aged man with a “military belly,” was exposed for sexually harassing many of the female students on campus.

Of course, the girls who were harassed remained anonymous, only showing blurred videos and various chat logs.

The gossip spread throughout the entire school, even going viral online, which quickly attracted government attention.

I heard the vice principal was being investigated soon.

Tch, tch.

Actually...

It was me who leaked the news.

That’s right. I deliberately made the vice principal take the heat for me. What could I do? The greasy old man had been bothering me for a while.

I had gathered evidence on him a while ago, and was just waiting for the right moment to expose it. It just so happened that I had been distracted by other matters before.

Looking back now, it almost felt like fate.

His disgusting behavior ended up saving me from a tight spot.

Nice.

Everyone thought David and I would lay low and try to forget about those photos. But, in reality, we didn’t.

On the contrary, we went on as usual.

We held hands and took walks around campus, and we even stole kisses in the schoolyard at night.

Our WeChat profile pictures were of the two of us together, and our usernames were the initials of each other’s names.

It was something I insisted on.

When you're in a relationship, it’s important to be passionate about it. We’re not walking toward a grave here.

Besides, not many people were actually paying attention to us.

David and I weren’t some big campus celebrities. We were just two freshmen who had barely started. The photos, if anything, only looked a little ambiguous. We hadn’t done anything outrageous. After a couple of days, people’s interest faded away.

But there were still some surprises.

For instance—

One morning, when David went for his run and I went to the back gate to buy egg pancakes, I ran into a familiar face:

Emma, that senior in the black leather pants.

The alley behind the school gate wasn’t very busy yet, and Emma, looking like a domineering big sister, had cornered a petite girl against the wall, acting all tough.

"Little girl, don’t you know you should stay away from a senior who has a girlfriend?"

Tch, those words sounded so familiar.

I couldn’t help but take another look. The girl was pale, weak-looking, and her face was full of fear. She was stumbling over her words as she tried to explain:

"Senior, I... I didn’t know... he added me on WeChat. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend..."

I slowed my pace as I passed them.

The voice, the scene... could it be? Were they back together?

That truly would be "true love."

Clearly, the girl’s explanation seemed weak under Emma’s pressure. Emma’s questioning became more aggressive.

Perhaps Emma remembered the video incident from before, so this time, she came alone without a group of people.

Even so, the poor girl looked helpless and terrified.

I frowned. I was about to continue walking to the egg pancake stand, but I turned around and walked toward the alley.

"Well, look at you, Senior, acting all high and mighty."

Chapter 7

As I walked, I opened the yogurt I had with me and took a sip.

I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but as soon as I spoke, I thought I saw Emma’s back stiffen for a moment.

Then, almost simultaneously, both of them looked up.

Maybe it was the shoulder throw in the restroom that scared her last time. When she saw me, Emma’s expression changed slightly, and she didn’t say a word. Instead, she just snorted, quickly averted her gaze, and walked away.

I was a bit disappointed. I thought she might say something harsh, but all she did was try to act tough with that warning.

It was kind of anticlimactic.

However, Emma probably didn’t know that I wasn’t really a fighter. I only watch videos of street fighting out of personal interest, and as for the shoulder throw…

I had practiced it on my own a few times, but the first time I actually used it was that day.

Afterward, I looked up some info. I got lucky because that move, while unprofessional, could have easily caused serious injury if I had thrown her head onto the ground.

Now, after looking it up, I promised myself I wouldn’t mess around with moves like that again.

Shaking off those thoughts, I looked over at the girl standing in the corner, her pale face full of fear. I bit my lip.

That time in the cafeteria, I was playing the innocent little bunny, but the girl in front of me was probably the real deal.

"Thank you, senior..."

She fidgeted with her fingers, her voice barely audible.

"Senior?" I couldn’t help but laugh, "I’m also a freshman."

"Huh?"

She looked surprised for a moment, then nodded in realization. "Oh right, you called her senior just now, I didn’t notice."

She stuck out her tongue in a cute, natural way.

"You’re so amazing, I was really scared back there..."

It was the first time a girl had called me "amazing," and I felt a little embarrassed.

I waved my hand and turned my gaze toward where Emma had just walked off.

"She just likes to pick on the weak."

It was strange, though.

I’m not really the type to make a lot of friends. I’ve always been independent and kept to myself. I’ve never really made an effort to get close to people because I don’t like having to worry about other people's feelings. I’m just used to being alone.

But somehow, this girl from the Chinese department, Grace, and I had become friends.

Her name was Grace, and it felt like fate since we shared the same last name.

What’s more, Grace and I had a lot in common. Neither of us had many friends. While I had always been solitary by choice, she had been isolated and excluded.

I could understand why. Grace came from a good family, was beautiful, and had a classic "skinny and delicate" look. She spoke softly, which made her a treasure in the eyes of the guys, but probably less popular among the girls.

That’s why, after I helped her out in the cafeteria, Grace had stuck to me like glue.

I didn’t mind, but David wasn’t too happy about it.

Because Grace was just too clingy.

When we had lunch, she insisted on sitting next to me, even stealing food from my plate. When we went shopping, she would playfully beg to come along, always ending up with a milk tea in hand while David lagged behind, carrying all our bags.

Even when David and I had an argument, she would insert herself between us, poking David with her finger. "I’m telling you, stop making Anna angry! You’re a guy, can’t you just apologize?"

What David really couldn’t understand was that, even on our first Valentine’s Day, Grace insisted on tagging along.

Today was Valentine’s Day.

At lunch, David subtly told Grace that we were going out for dinner later, just the two of us, and that she could find her roommates to hang out with.

Grace blinked for a moment, then turned to me. "Anna, why don’t you guys bring me along? I’ll pay, and I promise to be a quiet third wheel, just eating and not saying a word."

She lowered her gaze and said, "My roommates aren’t home tonight. I’ll be scared alone in the dorm..."

I’m not really someone who cares much about romantic gestures. To me, Valentine’s Day isn’t a big deal.

So when I saw the look of pleading on Grace’s face, I almost agreed. But then, I glanced at David, and it hit me.

Sure enough.

David, usually so easygoing, had an unusually serious look on his face as he glared at Grace.

Taking a deep breath, he patiently repeated, "But Grace, today is my first Valentine’s Day with Anna."

He paused, then added, "We’re both in our twenties, don’t you think this is a little much?"

Grace hesitated for a moment, her hand loosening its grip on my arm. She lowered her head and ate a bite of food, smiling awkwardly. "I understand. You two have fun then."

I gave her a glance, but didn’t say anything.

David often said that Grace was just too clingy. For a while, he even wondered if Grace might have a thing for me. I thought he was overreacting.

But, on this Valentine’s Day, we didn’t get the romantic evening we had planned because—

That night, during our candlelit dinner, I received a call from a bar near the school. Grace had gotten drunk and was alone.

Reluctantly, David and I had to leave our half-eaten dinner, take a cab, and head to the bar.

At the bar, Grace was slumped over a table, asleep, surrounded by empty bottles.

"Grace?"

I gently patted her shoulder, but she didn’t respond. It was clear she was really drunk.

I called David over to help me get her back to school.

However...

Maybe we had been too rough in helping her up, because when Grace opened her eyes and saw me supporting her, she glanced over and caught sight of David.

I couldn’t see her expression, but I heard her voice, hoarse and full of frustration.

"David, you’re finally here..."

I froze and raised an eyebrow. Her tone didn’t seem right.

Next, Grace, completely drunk, somehow found the strength to throw her arms around David’s neck, her voice filled with sobs.

"David, please break up with Anna. Please?"

"I like you so much, can’t you just look at me?"

Chapter 8

I froze, and so did David.

But in that moment, as the lights flickered, I could see the unmistakable disgust in David’s eyes.

And then—

David actually let go of me, and I wasn’t prepared at all. I watched as Grace, unable to hold herself up, collapsed to the ground.

Raising an eyebrow, I turned to look at David.

He shrugged. "Too much drama, I’m afraid of getting caught in the middle."

I couldn’t help but laugh. Honestly, he had a point.

Looking at it now, David was the one who was clear-headed. All along, he had been telling me that Grace was like a "green tea" type of girl. Meanwhile, I, pretending to be a "green tea" type, had run into the real thing.

What an irony.

That fall seemed to shake some of the drunkenness out of Grace. She stood up, looked at David with an expression of grievance, and was about to say something. But as her gaze shifted, she suddenly noticed me.

In that instant, the expression on Grace’s face was absolutely priceless.

Her face turned red, then pale again. She quickly composed herself, then reached out, trying to hold my hand like she used to.

"Anna, don’t misunderstand, I thought you weren’t here. I wanted to test David for you, to see if I could trust him with you."

Her pale face, her innocent expression, and her sincere eyes—Grace explained herself as if nothing was wrong.

If I were a fool, I might have believed her.

But unfortunately, I’m not.

So—

I pushed her hand away and walked over to David, proudly linking my arm with his.

"David."

"Mm?"

David looked down at me, never once glancing at Grace.

I smiled at Grace, but my words were directed at David. "Nono is worried about you. How about we show her some love to make her feel better?"

David instantly understood. As soon as I finished speaking, he gently cupped my face and leaned in to kiss me.

The music blared loudly, but in the corner of the bar, David held my face and kissed me deeply.

At first, I just wanted to act a little to mess with the girl who had deceived me, but David didn’t hold back at all.

The moment our lips met, he parted my lips and his tongue slid in.

Damn, a French kiss?

I’m not sure if it was the alcohol, or if he just felt a little embarrassed, but after that lingering kiss, Grace, who was initially "completely drunk," had disappeared.

She ran off.

And so—

When David and I were about to leave, the owner informed us that Grace still had two bottles of wine she hadn’t paid for. We exchanged a glance and, resigned, paid the bill for her.

What a pain.

---

Since then, I hadn’t heard from Grace again.

That night at the bar, I blocked her on WeChat. Green tea types—once you’ve had too much, they’ll give you sleepless nights.

David and I were doing great, though, aside from—

David’s family.

That was probably David’s sensitive topic, and I’d always been careful to avoid it, afraid I’d bring up something that would upset him.

Until—

One afternoon, while David and I were having lunch in the cafeteria, he received a video call.

I was busy eating some braised chicken, shoving a piece of chicken into my mouth when I absentmindedly glanced at his phone and froze.

The contact name said: "Mom."

Mom?

I instantly became alert and looked up at David, but his face showed no change. He put his chopsticks down and answered the video call.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the person on the other end—a middle-aged woman with light makeup, smiling warmly at David, looking very friendly.

I was stunned.

So... it looks like that gossip was false.

But just as I started to relax, I suddenly saw my own face in the screen.

It was David holding the phone, aiming it at me.

With a smile, he said, "Mom, come meet your daughter-in-law."

I’m not one to be shy, but when facing his mom through the screen, I felt an unexpected nervousness.

"Hi, Auntie," I said, forcing a polite smile.

David’s mom blinked in surprise, then smiled even more warmly. "Hello, you must be Anna, right? David talks about you all the time. You’re even more beautiful than the pictures he showed me."

The word "darling" from Auntie really threw me off, and I quickly complimented her back, saying how young and beautiful she looked.

The video call ended with me fumbling through awkward moments.

After hanging up, I sighed in relief.

But when I turned around, I met David’s smiling gaze. My face turned red, and I pushed him playfully. "Are you still laughing? I wasn’t prepared for this."

David laughed and wiped the corner of my mouth with a napkin. I looked at him and saw a big oil stain.

How embarrassing.

Maybe he saw how flustered I was, so David gave my face a little pinch and chuckled. "Don’t worry, my mom likes you."

I shot him a glance. I wasn’t stupid—those kinds of words are usually just to comfort you.

But David looked very serious when he added, "Really, because my mom used to act like an innocent little bunny to hook my dad."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that’s quite the story."

Wait a minute.

Hearing him mention his parents, I suddenly remembered the gossip I had heard and immediately turned to him, serious. "I need to ask you something."

David looked at me in confusion but nodded. "Okay."

I then told him the eerie gossip I had heard before.

David listened quietly, but when I finished, he was silent for a long time.

Finally, he muttered a curse under his breath.

"Seriously?"

And then, in David’s version of events, I understood what happened.

At the start of the semester, he had taken leave because of a family matter—his grandmother had passed away. He had originally planned to take two days off, but then he got a hemorrhoid issue and had to get it treated, so he ended up taking an extended leave until after military training.

"Is that all?" I asked.

David nodded. "That’s it."

I blinked, still a bit suspicious. "But… can you take half a month off for a family death?"

David sighed. "I went to attend the funeral for our counselor."

"What do you mean?"

"The counselor is my aunt."

"…"

Okay, I think I get it now.

"So what about that news article?"

Why would someone make up rumors about David?

David sighed again. "I think I know why."

Apparently, the couple involved in the news story were neighbors of his family. After the incident, David’s family had decided to move. The news only mentioned the neighborhood but didn’t give the specific apartment number. When David filled out his address for school, he just listed the neighborhood name. Plus, the husband in the news story shared the same last name, "Zeng." The rumor probably just spiraled from there.

So it was all just a big misunderstanding. I took a moment to process, then said, "It’s no wonder they misunderstood. It’s quite a coincidence—same last name, same neighborhood, and you just happened to take half a month off..."

"Yeah, the rest was a coincidence," David paused, then seriously added, "But as for the last name, our neighborhood is a resettlement area, and almost everyone there is from my village. Our village is called Zeng village, and about 80% of the people are named Zeng."

I paused, then my attention shifted elsewhere.

I wiped my mouth and leaned in to hook my arm around his. "Oh, so you're from a family of 'second-generation demolition people'?"

David blinked for a second, then smirked, "What, regretting not being nicer to me?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

I quickly agreed, "Zeng-ge, your food’s cold, let me feed you."

With that, I picked up a piece of his fish and held it to his mouth.

David, however, arrogantly refused to open his mouth, instead jutting out his chin.

I frowned. What, am I supposed to feed him with my mouth?

I looked around, lowered my voice, and said, "That’s disgusting, and there are so many people in the cafeteria..."

David blinked, then poked my forehead. "What are you thinking? I’m thirsty. I just want some water."

With that, he reached over and grabbed the bottle of water from beside me.

But as he sat back down, he leaned in and kissed me on the lips for a brief moment, the warmth lingering.

I hadn’t even realized what happened before he was already sitting back down.

David chuckled. "I wasn’t going to, but once you mentioned it, I just couldn’t resist."

I shot him a look. "You’re so cheesy."

David wasn’t offended. Instead, he pointed behind me. "I’m not the cheesy one. Look at that couple behind you."

Instantly curious, I turned around to look.

But when I looked outside through the window, I realized it was just the reflection in the glass. No couple.

As I started to turn back around, David suddenly grabbed my shoulder and—

In the reflection, David leaned in, holding my chin, and kissed me again.

And in that reflection, our two figures were clearly visible.

Tch.

Seems like my little lamb isn’t so soft anymore... but I like it.