1

September, Ningzhou University.

The early autumn breeze was gentle, yet the warmth still lingered.

As Xiang Ran left the study room, he passed by a small meeting room and heard the buzz of planning for the school anniversary activities. It looked quite busy.

Although the school’s 70th anniversary was at the end of October, the student council and various departments had already started preparations. Their dorm leader, Wang Hao, had been swamped with work from the learning department, barely seen for days, and even another roommate, the social butterfly Qi Dong, was in and out, helping out constantly.

Xiang Ran didn’t linger too long. He didn’t hold any position and hadn’t been roped into volunteering, so he had a relatively free schedule, allowing him enough time to complete group assignments, debug programs, and make adjustments.

He pulled out his phone, turned off silent mode, and opened WeChat, noticing that a group chat had over 100 message notifications. After a moment’s thought, he remembered it was for a low-key social event.

A couple of days ago, the school belle, Liu Shuyao, had an accident and was hospitalized. Since they were in the same club, Xiang Ran planned to visit her, so he had been making sporadic trips to the hospital over the past few days.

Xiang Ran had a casual relationship with Liu Shuyao and was only following along to fulfill a social obligation. He glanced at the time; they had agreed to meet at 3:30 PM, but after being pulled away to help a classmate with some coding, it was now nearly 4:00.

As he hesitated about whether to go, he saw a message on his phone.

[We went ahead; just come up when you arrive.

The last part of the message included Liu Shuyao’s room number, so Xiang Ran had no choice but to take a cab to the hospital.

"603... 605..."

Xiang Ran quietly counted as he passed by the room numbers until he reached 608. He didn’t push the door open immediately because...

Standing at the school belle's bedside was Zheng Fuxin, a well-known rich second-generation student from the university, holding a bunch of vibrant red roses.

“Shuyao, how did the tests go? I’m really worried.”

“Thank you for your concern; I’m fine.”

“This is a Galician rose, especially bought for you.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m allergic to pollen.”

“How come I never knew...?”

Zheng Fuxin’s words were coldly interrupted. “I have a boyfriend now!”

Xiang Ran, who accidentally stumbled upon this tragic confession scene, gasped.

And the school belle actually has a boyfriend!

Although Liu Shuyao wasn’t particularly silent and participated in school activities, she had an underlying sense of distance that made you feel she was a nice person, yet distinctly in a different world.

While it seemed she responded politely, that was just a result of her good upbringing and manners. At the beginning of the semester, many students had awkwardly confessed to her, with predictable outcomes.

Plus, there was the Maybach that had dropped her off at school and her extraordinary talent in art.

Then Zheng Fuxin's peripheral vision caught sight of Xiang Ran's plain plastic bag, which contained just two lonely apples given by the dorm aunt. He didn’t even bother to mock; he simply pressed on and left.

However, before Xiang Ran’s curiosity could kick in, Zheng Fuxin had already wrapped up his brief visit, and they brushed past each other.

Now that the school belle had a boyfriend, even Xiang Ran, who usually wasn’t one to gossip, felt a bit curious about who this guy was!

Now it was Xiang Ran’s turn to feel awkward. Before coming, he had expected to see a lively scene, where he would simply blend into the background with minimal notice.

Who would have thought he would encounter such an outrageous situation?

Where was his friend?

Why was it just Liu Shuyao in the room?

Then, in the next moment, they unexpectedly locked eyes.

Liu Shuyao had a white bandage wrapped around her forehead, slightly stained with blood. Her small face was pale to the point of being almost transparent, and the loose hospital gown revealed her visible collarbone, enhancing her delicate appearance.

As Xiang Ran pondered how his social anxiety was acting up and searched for a reason to escape, Liu Shuyao, who had been sitting upright, suddenly relaxed her back. She looked like a cold lily, losing the distance she had maintained before and becoming something almost within reach.

Her eyes now held a hint of vulnerability as she pitifully said, “Hubby, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time~”

“...Huh?”

“Do we know each other...?”

This question left Xiang Ran speechless.

What was worse was that he could somehow sense a hint of a pout in her words.

What was going on?

Noticing Xiang Ran's reluctance, Liu Shuyao suddenly resembled a cat—proud and aloof most of the time, but now surrendering unexpectedly.

The disappointment on her face was evident.

Before he could say anything else, Xiang Ran stole a glance and quickly averted his eyes in panic. He saw Liu Shuyao on the bed beckoning him closer.

Seeing the boy's awkward steps, Liu Shuyao felt a deep sense of grievance, her eyes revealing the frustration she couldn't hide. After a moment, she reached out her arms and wrapped them around Xiang Ran's neck, pulling him closer.

Her breath was shallow, and the sensation of her lips brushed against his. In the large hospital room, Xiang Ran could clearly hear the sound of his own heartbeat.

“I’m sorry, I know I was wrong. I won’t run off and argue with you again…”

Her soft voice, like something coated in sugar, was sweet yet overwhelming.

Xiang Ran felt as if he had been electrocuted. He instinctively took two steps back, creating a safe distance, his face turning bright red.

His heartbeat felt like a little drum that had lost its rhythm, pounding chaotically as if it were in a disorderly space.

Xiang Ran stood there in a daze.

Was this some new prank?

Before he could react, a girl with short hair and stylish black-frame glasses, an ordinary-looking girl in every way, appeared. There were still two rose petals stuck to her shoulder, indicating she had just dealt with a bouquet.

"Friend, Zhao Ying, current president of the debate club."

Xiang Ran vaguely remembered she was Liu Shuyao’s roommate.

Zhao Ying was skilled in debate and had consistently kept his roommate, Qi Dong, who was the vice president of the debate club, firmly in check.

Zhao Ying casually took the plastic bag from his hand, pulled out the two apples, and headed toward the water room.

“Shuyao, I’ll go get you a cup of hot water.”

“Xiang Ran, why don’t you help me wash these two apples for Shuyao?”

Xiang Ran hurriedly followed Zhao Ying, leaving the hospital room with a head full of questions.

She jumped up three feet high, gesturing toward the room.

“What happened to her?” Zhao Ying patted Xiang Ran’s shoulder meaningfully and explained, “You saw it too. The accident caused Shuyao to have amnesia. Well, it’s not exactly amnesia; it’s more like a memory disorder.”

“Now, in her mind, you’re her boyfriend of several years, and you two have a very loving relationship.”

This brief statement left Xiang Ran struggling to process it for five minutes. He could understand each word, but when put together, he felt dumbfounded.

What? What boyfriend?

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