"Oh? Then tell me, who would you pick?"
"Third-year seniors, of course. My first choice would be Senior Wu Yaoyao. She's been the number one campus belle on the YuYang University boys' forum three years in a row. And that dancer's figure, not to mention her performances~~ tsk, tsk. Anyone she chooses must be blessed by heaven."
"Pfft. Your obsession with older women doesn't count, man. Your XP system is bugged, it's not part of our discussion." Zhang Jun laughed and shoved him playfully.
"What's wrong with older women? That's the ultimate path! I just happen to like them, got a problem with that? And besides, she really is the campus belle. Even if I've got a thing for older women, I'm still into a belle."
Chen Haoting burst out laughing, not caring about the teasing, and went on, "Our school has a lot of campus belles. In third year, there's Senior Wu Yaoyao, Senior Liu Yunxiang, and Senior Mao Ruoyi. In second year, there's Senior Su Xiaomeng and Senior Yun Cuicui. They're all top-tier beauties. Honestly, they could debut in the entertainment industry right now and be instant stars. YuYang Uni really has too many pretty girls… sob sob sob, I'm so glad I got admitted here."
"Pathetic."
Tang Li rolled his eyes, then glanced at the stream of girls walking out of the building. "Where the hell did you even get all their names? It's only been two weeks and you've already got the entire school beauty ranking memorized?"
"Duh. What else is the point of college if not for this kind of fun?" After brushing off Tang Li's question, another guy chimed in, "And don't forget about the freshmen! What, are you looking down on our year's beauties?"
Chen Haoting scratched his head. "Of course not, I just haven't collected enough names yet. How many first-years have you guys got on your list?"
The boy leaning against the bench smirked smugly. "Say what you want, but you won't believe this. Lin Xiaoya's here too."
"You mean the daughter of that billionaire? She might be rich, but she's got zero personality. Not my type."
"Who cares what you think? I like her."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll give you that."
"What's wrong with it? If I win her over, I can live the easy life, bro."
"Shameless!" Chen Haoting laughed and turned back to Tang Li. "Seriously though, out of all the girls we introduced to you, not even one caught your eye?"
"...Ahem."
He tossed his water bottle into the trash can with perfect aim, then sighed. "No. They're all too… overwhelming. I didn't feel that kind of freedom."
"What kind of 'freedom' are you even talking about?" The guys crowded around Tang Li, half-joking and half-curious, tugging at his jersey like he was hiding some dark secret.
Realizing how weird he sounded, Tang Li quickly explained, "No, I mean, none of them gave me that relaxed vibe."
"You're not still hung up on that Ji Yu girl, are you?" Zhang Jun grinned, fingers poking at Tang Li's muscles to annoy him.
"Ji Yu? Who's that?" A guy standing behind them asked curiously.
"A freshman, of course. Total beauty. Too bad our boy Tang doesn't have the luck to land her."
"I've never heard of her. Got a photo? Let me see."
"Didn't you say you liked cold, expressionless girls? What, did your XP system get reinstalled?"
"Cut the crap. Show me the picture already!"
Tang Li ignored their nonsense. His gaze drifted through the crowd until—
"Damn. Look at that girl. Her outfit's insane! I'm in love already!"
Following the finger, everyone saw the girl whose fashion sense made her stand out like a spotlight in the crowd.
Ji Yu was annoyed.
Sure, the admiring stares and whispers were flattering at first. But being ogled like a monkey in a zoo while walking across campus? Very uncomfortable. Every little move she made felt magnified under everyone's eyes.
"Ji Yu! Over here!"
A familiar voice called from outside the crowd. She followed the sound and saw Tang Li, tall and smiling, waiting by the roadside.
"Good afternoon, Tang Li."
The moment she saw her friend, Ji Yu's tiredness eased a little. "Just finished basketball? Let's grab lunch together."
"Sure." Leaving his teammates behind, Tang Li walked beside Ji Yu, silently enjoying the envious looks from passersby.
"So this is Ji Yu? From fashion design? Even if you didn't know her personality, just look at that cold, chic style. Love it."
"Bro, you've been single too long. You'd call a dog good-looking at this point."
"Hahahaha…"
As they walked, Tang Li kept sneaking glances at Ji Yu, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
"If you've got something to ask, then ask. Don't go all distant just because I'm a girl now."
Her lashes fluttered behind the frameless glasses, catching the sunlight with a soft shimmer, making her look almost unbearably cute.
"Why are you dressed like this today? It's not really your style."
Ji Yu sighed dramatically. "Ugh, it's my sister. Ever since she found out about… well, about me, she's been ridiculously happy. Way too happy. She woke me up early just to make me wear this." She complained, but the sunlight lit her face in a way that betrayed her hidden joy.
"No wonder you missed the meeting yesterday—you were busy coming clean to your family. By the way, when did you even move into the student council's executive team? I never heard a word about it."
"Don't get me started. Mo Yachen said the executive office has mandatory noon meetings every day. Mandatory! What kind of free-spirited college still has that kind of strict rule?"
She pouted, clearly annoyed, and even the blazing noon sun seemed to hide behind a cloud to cool her temper.
"See how the work is first. If it's too much, just quit and rejoin the publicity department next year."
"Hey, what do you think of this outfit? Pretty good, right?"
Ji Yu skipped a step ahead, spreading her arms like a model to show off the look. Backlit by the sun, Tang Li caught something in her eyes…
A seriousness that made his heart skip.
He forced a laugh, pretending to be an art critic with his chin in hand, and finally said after making her wait just long enough:
"It looks good. But honestly, it's a little too eye-catching for campus."
"Right? Right! I think it looks amazing too. I even had a bunch of juniors ask for my WeChat on the way here. First time that's ever happened!"
Her lips curved into a smile as sweet as spring sunshine. Tang Li felt his heart stir.
"Being a girl is great. Pretty clothes every day. And most importantly… the person in them looks the best~~"
She giggled, then blushed as if realizing what she'd just said.
"That's only because you never cared about fashion before. You'd have been happy wearing the same two outfits forever."
"Oh, right. The money you gave me? I spent all of it on clothes. I'll wear them for you to see in a few days."
For me to see…?
Tang Li froze. In his inexperienced mind, a girl buying new clothes just to show a guy almost always meant one thing.
Girl dresses up for the one she likes.
But the thought flickered away just as quickly. He knew Ji Yu probably didn't mean it like that. Even if she did, he didn't mind. After all, her old guitar—the one she loved most—was something he had sold to her at a loss just so she could have it.
"Fine. Let me see if your taste has improved. A good-looking face ruined by bad fashion would be a waste."
"Ugh, can't you just say something nice? Don't people say it's the person who makes the clothes look good? You think I'm too ugly to pull them off?"
Ji Yu pouted unconsciously. She didn't even know why, but it felt natural to show her dissatisfaction like that.
Tang Li stared at her. The pout clashed hilariously with her mature, stylish outfit, but that contrast made her even cuter.
This was the same girl who had broken down crying in his arms just a few days ago. And now, she was discovering her own charms and starting a second life. Maybe he should stop thinking about the "old Ji Yu" and just be happy for this bright, emotional girl in front of him.
"Alright, alright. Our Miss Ji looks gorgeous in anything~~"
A faint darkness flickered in Ji Yu's eyes, but the glasses hid it. Soon, she gave a little huff.
"Hmph. At least you know."