Chapter 3

After the breakup, I lay in my dorm room for an entire day.

In the middle of it, I developed a mild fever, and it was my roommate Xiao Chuan who pulled me up, fed me half a bowl of porridge, and gave me two pills.

“I’ve already told the boss that you’re sick and mentioned a bit about your family situation. She said you can go back to the laboratory once you’ve adjusted.”

It wasn’t until my fever subsided that I learned Han Ze had been waiting downstairs the whole day and night while I slept, and Xiao Chuan couldn’t get him to leave.

It wasn’t until this afternoon, when the semifinals of the campus basketball tournament began, that he had to temporarily leave to participate in the Second Sports Meeting.

I nodded to show I understood, took a shower, and still felt uncomfortable, so I planned to go to the campus hospital to get some medicine.

On the way, I ran into a group of boys who had just finished the basketball game.

Han Ze walked dejectedly on one side, and when he saw me, his eyes lit up. He called out “Xia Min” and wanted to rush over, but was forcibly held back by his teammates.

Two junior brothers still in their undergraduate studies smiled apologetically at me:

“Sorry, senior sister Xia Min, we just lost the game today, and Han Ze isn’t in a good mood.”

Han Ze struggled violently beside them, “I want to talk to Xia Min!”

“Forget it.” I sighed, looking at him tiredly, and said softly, “Don’t embarrass yourself anymore, Han Ze. I don’t want the next time I see you to only feel disgust.”

His movements froze, his lips trembled twice, and his eyes turned red.

The group dragged him away, and as I was about to leave, I noticed someone still standing there.

He was wearing the same red and white jersey as Han Ze, his short hair neatly trimmed.

Compared to Han Ze, his features were more deep-set and sharp, and he was taller.

The well-known academic star of the department, Jiang Xingran.

I was somewhat stunned, vaguely recalling that two years ago, when I first saw Han Ze at the campus meeting, Jiang Xingran was sitting right next to him.

Meeting my gaze, he pursed his lips and suddenly asked, “Is senior sister heading to the campus hospital?”

“…Yes.”

“Coincidentally, I need to get some medicine too. Let’s go together.”

I intended to refuse, but he had already very naturally walked to my side, accompanying me.

The words of refusal swallowed back down, I walked silently, yet my memories involuntarily threatened to drag me back to that night at the hospital.

To prevent an emotional breakdown, I took a deep breath and asked Jiang Xingran softly, “Are you here to speak on Han Ze’s behalf?”

The person beside me suddenly paused in his steps.

I instinctively turned my face, meeting his gaze.

Though the same age as Han Ze, Jiang Xingran’s eyes lacked any innocence or naivety, instead exuding a certain cold calmness.

He chuckled, “How could I be?”

I hadn’t interacted much with Jiang Xingran, and the few times we did were almost always because of Han Ze.

He lived in the dormitory next to Han Ze’s and was on the same basketball team. When I went to find Han Ze, I inevitably ran into him and exchanged a few words.

We never had deep conversations, except once when Han Ze was sulking with me, and I was busy with the final integration of materials for my graduate school application, leaving me no time to placate him.

While printing scholarship proof in the color printing room, I happened to encounter Jiang Xingran.

He glanced at the documents in my arms and suddenly asked, “Are these materials for your graduate school application?”

“Yes.” I replied, then asked, “Are you interested?”

He nodded lightly, looked at me, and smiled with a hint of mischief, “I might need to ask you for advice later.”

I didn’t think much of it and agreed readily, “Sure, you can have Han Ze ask me.”

…

As the memories returned, we had already arrived at the campus hospital.

After registering and getting some cold medicine, I was about to leave when I noticed Jiang Xingran sitting in the waiting area, seemingly waiting for someone.

His shoes made a slight sound against the floor, and upon hearing it, he looked up at me:

“Are you feeling better? What did the doctor say?”

I was startled, “Oh… just a cold, nothing serious. Why aren’t you leaving?”

“Waiting for you.”

When he walked over, I noticed he was holding a box of medicine, seemingly an aerosol.

I asked about it, and Jiang Xingran casually replied, “I sprained my wrist during the game, so I bought some medicine to spray on it.”

His tone was nonchalant.

Though the same age as Han Ze, his personality was completely different.

Previously, when Han Ze sprained his ankle playing basketball, he whined for a long time, leaning on me, and I had to remind him to apply medicine on time.

Walking with Jiang Xingran near the Second Sports Meeting, about to part ways, I thought for a moment and said:

“If you have time, persuade Han Ze to stop causing trouble. The finals are coming up, he should focus on studying.”

He suddenly stopped, turned to look at me, “You care?”

“No.” I exhaled deeply, “I’m very tired, I really don’t have the energy to deal with him.”

What I really wanted to say was that I couldn’t afford to lose face.

But thinking it too harsh, I swallowed the words back.

Jiang Xingran in front of me chuckled softly, “You might be mistaken… Han Ze and I aren’t as close as you think.”

That was a polite refusal.

I felt embarrassed, immediately apologizing, “Sorry, I really misunderstood-”

He smiled lightly, “But if it’s you, I’d be happy to pass on a message.”