The two of them walked up to the door. Tang Li glanced down at a WeChat message, then raised his head to look at the nameplate of the private room—
Qiao Zhi Garden.
Trust the Xi'an Hotel to even give a simple dining room such a pretentiously sweet name.
The moment the door swung open, warm rose-gold light poured onto their faces. Startled by the sudden brightness, Ji Yu instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.
When she opened them again, the first thing that entered her sight was a long dining table surrounded by a room full of people. Even someone as simple-minded as Ji Yu immediately realized the true purpose of this dinner—
It wasn't just a meal. It was a campus mixer.
She turned toward Tang Li in confusion, only to find him already looking back at her with a painfully stiff, awkward smile.
Yes, that kind of awkward smile—the kind that looked like it was about to break his face.
The room was crowded, voices overlapping with flirty greetings, heavy perfume hanging in the air. Ji Yu felt overwhelmed, so she quietly slipped to the edge of the crowd and made her way toward the window.
Tang Li was exactly the type of boy who left a good impression at first sight. He hadn't even been in the room for two minutes before several girls were already surrounding him to chat. By the time he managed to politely wriggle out of their attention, he realized that the little "white puffball" who'd been at his side was nowhere to be found.
The room was warm, the air conditioner fixed at 24°C. Warm enough for everyone to shed their bulky coats, and for the girls to show off their carefully chosen outfits.
Ji Yu nudged the window open a crack and leaned in greedily to breathe the cool night air. The stifling heat of the room mixed with the patter of rain against the glass. A stray draft brushed her neck, making her shiver and hug her arms tight.
It had started raining.
Her gaze drifted back across the crowd—she could see Tang Li, hemmed in by three girls, and couldn't help feeling a little sour inside. She also spotted the one who had organized this whole "banquet"—Yu Yuan.
Their eyes met across the room, holding for a few seconds, before both turned away without another move.
Just then, the door to the private room opened again.
"Boss Mo, you're finally here! Come, sit over here."
A round table. Eighteen chairs.
At that moment, the only two without seats were Mo Yachen, still by the door, and Ji Yu, standing by the window. As if by fate, the last two open seats placed them directly across from each other.
The dinner began. After some casual chatting, the group moved on to self-introductions.
Of everyone present, Ji Yu only recognized Tang Li, his three roommates, and the last one to arrive—Mo Yachen.
Ji Yu smiled politely, a little shy, her soft aura wrapped in the gentle "girl-next-door" charm her sister Ji Yu (elder sister) had worked so hard to shape for her.
The boys sitting nearby occasionally tried to strike up conversation with her. Thankfully, they weren't pushy, only asking questions now and then while talking among themselves.
By chance—or maybe not—Ji Yu and Mo Yachen's eyes met across the table. Caught, she quickly looked away, flustered. He frowned faintly, giving her a look of disbelief, before leaning toward Yu Yuan to mutter something under his breath.
Working in the student council, Ji Yu had expected heavy responsibilities, but in reality most of her tasks were minor secretarial duties—reading applications, processing forms. Big schoolwide events never fell on her.
In truth, she was practically Mo Yachen's assistant. He was stricter, more professional, especially in music theory, while Ji Yu was more casual, more hobbyist.
They saw each other almost every day. Their relationship was no longer unfamiliar. Which was exactly why tonight felt so painfully awkward—Tang Li had said it was a dorm dinner, she'd tagged along for a free meal, and then walked right into her "boss."
Social death. Absolute social death.
Across the table, Mo Yachen looked at the girl hiding her face, lips twitching in amusement. "The 'special guest' you mentioned was Ji Yu?"
"Of course," Yu Yuan grinned. "I saw you've been taking your sweet time with her. Thought I'd give you a little push."
"By throwing her into a mixer?"
"Hey, big young master, if you just sit back, some other guy will steal her away. Don't come crying to me then."
The atmosphere grew more lively with each introduction. Eventually, it was Ji Yu's turn.
Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward her, expectant, amused. She smiled nervously, her fingers fidgeting in her lap.
"I…"
Her mind went blank. The friendlier they looked, the more awkward she felt. Especially under Mo Yachen's calm, unreadable gaze across the table.
Silence stretched. Even the rain outside seemed louder than the voices in the room. Ji Yu's smile froze in place.
"…I'm just here for the free food."
The words tumbled out before she could stop herself. Mo Yachen immediately bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud.
Across the table, Tang Li's face twisted in dismay.
Thankfully, before the rest could react, Ji Yu hastily waved her hands, cheeks burning. "Kidding! Just kidding."
Awkwardly patching things up, she hurried through a stiff, overly detailed self-introduction—almost blurting out her home address before she caught herself.
After introductions, the food was finally served.
Ji Yu barely remembered anyone's name. True to her words, she really had come just for the meal.
But her looks and her fresh, innocent aura drew attention nonetheless. Soon, several boys had clustered around her with questions.
Zhang Jun shot a glare at Tang Li across the table, the meaning obvious.
In Zhang Jun and Chen Haoting's eyes, Ji Yu and Tang Li were basically one step away from confessing. Yet here they were, surrounded by other people. How could a pair of CP-shippers bear it?
"Ji Yu, don't you think I'm right? Guys in college aren't serious anymore. Girls really shouldn't date while in school."
Ji Yu, never having been in a relationship, could only stammer through awkward answers. Finally, after a while, she managed to find her footing.
"Relationships are about fate, I think. As long as you don't end up with someone terrible, that's already a win."
Her gaze flicked toward Tang Li, just in time to see Yu Yuan clinking glasses with him. Panic stirred in her chest, though she quickly forced a smile.
The meal was miserable. Every movement of her chopsticks felt magnified under the boys' eyes.
Uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, Tang Li and his roommates drank freely, unbothered, as if this weren't a mixer at all.
Mo Yachen, as always, refused every girl's advances with polite elegance, quietly sipping the wine Yu Yuan kept refilling.
The steady sound of rain against the window seemed even clearer to Ji Yu than before.
…
At last, the dinner wound down. Boys and girls drifted off in pairs, no longer wasting energy chasing those who hadn't shown interest.
Ji Yu stayed put, waiting quietly. Her eyes slid to Tang Li—already drunk, his face slack.
Her mouth twitched. I barely ate anything all night, and you went and drank yourself stupid?
Yu Yuan got to Tang Li first, slinging an arm over his shoulder and steering him toward the door. As they passed Mo Yachen, he shot him a sly smile.
Then Yu Yuan turned back toward Ji Yu, swaying slightly. "Junior girl… where do you live? We'll… we'll walk you back, yeah?"
His words slurred, his steps unsteady. Ji Yu's worry wasn't for herself, but for these drunken fools threatening to collapse on the street.
"…Better not. You guys should head back before the dorms lock. I'd hate to see you end up sleeping on the curb."