(So big... 😨)  
(So hard... 😨)  
(So long... 😨)  

Hua Xin stared in shock at the thick, upright pillar before her—a structural column rising from the building’s core, so massive it seemed to prop up the entire hall. She tentatively reached out and gave it a little touch.  

Civil engineers are truly impressive…  

Colorful banners hung from the column, and unlike the sweltering heat outside, the vast event venue was refreshingly cool thanks to the air conditioning.  

Crowds of people filled the space, dressed in all sorts of stylish outfits—some in skirts that showed off long legs and bare arms, others in glittering, strappy gowns. Each look radiated either innocent charm or sultry allure, depending on the wearer.  

Beyond the central performance stage, tiered seating surrounded the arena on all sides, already dotted with scattered spectators settling in for the show.  

“There are a lot of people here. Don’t wander off on your own,”  
“Stay close to me.”  

Xia Yan spoke softly, giving the black backpack on the girl’s shoulders a reassuring pat.  

(I’m not a three-year-old…)  
(Why so smug, you relationship-having normie? 🙄)  

Hua Xin, now well-fed and hydrated, pursed her lips—but still followed him obediently.  

“Yan-ge!”  
“We didn’t come here for nothing! 😍”  
“Where’s ‘nothing’?? Where??”  
“Point it out for me right now, Lao Xiang!”  

As Xia Yan approached, Xiang Guan greeted him with an almost saintly expression. Beside him, Mu Feng—who’d been furiously tapping away on his phone—suddenly perked up as if his AI had just triggered a keyword alert.  

“Gauze? ‘Nothing’ my ass—you’re dreaming in broad daylight.”  
“Go reflect on why nobody ever asks you for your WeChat.”  

Xiang Guan scoffed, snatching two bottles of Coca-Cola from Xia Yan’s hand.  

“They just don’t have taste! Why would anyone pick a brute like you over someone refined like me? What’s so great about jocks anyway? …Uh… but I only drink Coke. It’s delicious. 😋”  

“How was lunch?”  
“Tired?”  

Xia Yan asked curiously, glancing at him.  

Looks like… you had quite the haul…  

Xiang Guan caught his meaning instantly, held up seven fingers, and sighed dramatically:  
“Almost couldn’t keep up with the chats. Kinda exhausting on that front. 😎”  
“Other than that, not much.”  

“Then this must be…”  
“Brother Hua?”  

He looked puzzled at the girl hiding behind Xia Yan.  

Truthfully, he and Mu Feng had noticed her during class—the mysterious figure who, even in summer, wore head-to-toe black, completely covered up. After Xia Yan explained the situation two days ago, this athletic guy in white socks nearly shed tears.  

How could a kid suffer so much? 😭  

No wonder attending classes twice a week felt like torture for her—and no wonder the counselor made special arrangements.  

When Xia Yan added Hua Xin to their dorm group chat the other day, Xiang Guan even renamed it “One Happy Family” to make things feel more normal.  

“The tall one who chatted in the group the other day—that’s Xiang Guan.”  
“Nice to meet you.”  

Xiang Guan offered a polite greeting, careful not to come across as overly familiar or flirty.  

But Xia Yan slyly sidestepped—exposing Hua Xin fully to their view.  

Hua Xin: …  

Beneath her mask, the girl’s mouth twitched. She hadn’t expected Xia Yan’s “help” to involve other people. Even though she kept her head down, she could clearly see his shorts—and those tree-trunk thighs, each thicker than both of her legs combined.  

Seriously… 😨  
Did you just turn eight and start hitting the gym? Or are you actually twenty-eight and secretly hold a Tyson-level boxing belt?  

Ever since being added to that WeChat group by Xia Yan, she’d spent hours stalking “I Love QQ Speed”—meticulously combing through every detail of Mu Feng’s social media, missing nothing.  

She’d also checked out Xiang Guan’s profile.  

Unlike Mu Feng—who’d even posted screenshots of her代肝 (paid gaming help) work on his feed the very day he skipped out on paying her—Xiang Guan’s posts were refreshingly simple: just workout photos and training videos.  

“Hi…”  

Hua Xin whispered, heart pounding with anxiety.  

(Please don’t punch me… 😭 If you hit me once, I’ll literally vanish… 😭)  
(Xia Yan, you monster—just take me home already! 😭)  
(I knew there’s no such thing as a free lunch…)  

“And this is Mu Feng.”  
“Hey! I’m that ‘QQ Speed’ guy! I was the first to welcome you in the group the other day!”  

Mu Feng finally put his phone away and greeted her with slightly more seriousness—though it lasted only a second before he suddenly shivered, as if an icy presence had locked onto him. He rubbed his arms, confused.  

Why’s it so cold all of a sudden…? Is the AC too strong? No way…  
Must be the Coke. Yeah, that ice-cold Coke’s just too intense.  

He shivered again.  

(Ohhh, so it’s you… 😊)  
(What a small world, huh? Haha.)  
(You just admitted it, didn’t you? You totally did—you confirmed you’re ‘QQ Speed,’ right? 😈)  
(Your WeChat ID is ‘woshigeshuaige※※※,’ and your Moments are packed with posts about Naruto Mobile, Identity V, Dream Star, Egg Party, Genshin Impact, Justice Online, High-Rise Heroes, It Takes Two, Plants vs. Zombies, and even Shanghai Triad—right? 😈)  
(You’ve traveled to 27 cities, climbed five mountains, visited eleven seaside spots, threw up after drinking Beijing’s fermented bean juice, complained that Peking duck sucks, lost your sunglasses on the Great Wall, and sprained your left foot’s third toe—right?)  
(You’ve never publicly posted about a girlfriend, constantly rant about envying love, are 100% single, and harbor impure thoughts toward my 2D waifus—right?)  
(You’re from Guangdong, your favorite breakfast is cheung fun, you’ve posted birthday wishes for your grandpa seven times, your mom five times, your little sister three times, your dad once, and yourself twelve times—right?)  
(You hate locking your Moments because you think it makes you look like a shut-in—right?)  
(So, just to confirm—you’re Mu Feng from Guangdong, phone number 15877xxxxx, live with five family members, currently studying Business Administration Year 1 at Shanghai University’s School of Management… and you owe me 300 RMB for skipping out on payment for ‘I Love QQ Speed’—right? 😈)  

A dark aura seemed to swirl around Hua Xin as she mentally ranted, her gaze fixed on Mu Feng like he was already dead. She didn’t respond to his greeting at all.  

I’ll kill you. 🔪 … I’ll kill you. 🔪 … Three hundred yuan… 🩸 … Three hundred yuan… 😡 …  

The atmosphere grew unbearably awkward—tense, stifling, practically crackling with unspoken hostility.  

“Uh…”  
“Well then! Nice to meet you, Hua Xin! She’s just shy—don’t mind her. You two should chat more.”  

Xia Yan barely contained his laughter as he watched Mu Feng shiver like a man condemned, stepping in to smooth things over. He gave Xiang Guan a meaningful nod.  

“Go ahead.”  
“Don’t worry—I’ve got this.”  

Their silent exchange complete, Xia Yan turned—only to be intercepted by a graceful figure drifting toward him on a trail of delicate perfume.  

“Xia Yan?”  
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Come quickly—let’s go over the script together. You’ve been so busy you forgot to reply to my messages?”  

Her voice was melodious—neither girlishly urgent nor overly maturely reserved. She exuded the calm, knowing warmth of an older sister who understands you perfectly.  

She didn’t cling, nor did she impose. Just by looking at you, you’d understand everything she meant…  

“I’ll head up to the stage first. I’m counting on you two to keep an eye on things.”  
“Let’s go, Senior Lin.”  

Though slightly uneasy about leaving Hua Xin, Xia Yan turned with a polite smile toward the elegantly dressed young woman beside him.