It was a crisp, clear morning.
The campus was slowly stirring to life. Students filtered through the gates, laughter and footsteps echoing as clubs and activity groups began to populate the once-empty buildings.
Lin Wei sat beside Li Xueyin on a quiet bench just outside the clubroom. He handed her a cold can of juice, which he'd grabbed from a nearby vending machine.
"Here. Something to drink," he said casually, leaving a polite distance between them on the bench.
Xueyin accepted it with both hands, her fingers brushing the metal absently. "You look… different today," she said, attempting to ease the growing tension. Her eyes lingered on him—his sharp jawline, the clear eyes no longer hidden behind thick glasses.
It was strange. Last night, she had been tipsy—no, drunk. She barely remembered how they ended up in that motel room. This was the first time she was seeing Lin Wei with a clear head, and the difference was noticeable. He wasn't the quiet, overlooked guy who used to sit silently in the corner during club meetings. There was something composed—even quietly confident—about him now.
Lin Wei gave a small, sheepish smile. "I just stopped wearing glasses. That's all."
"Hmm," she murmured, as if trying to convince herself that made sense. People don't change overnight... right?
Silence hung between them for a moment. Not heavy—but expectant. Then, she spoke again, her voice softer.
"About last night... I..." She trailed off, fingers tightening slightly around the can.
Lin Wei turned slightly, listening. His face was neutral, but there was a subtle note of guilt in his eyes.
"I remember," he said quietly. "You said you had a boyfriend... It must be Wang Hao or Kevin."
Xueyin nodded slowly. "It's... Wang Hao."
Her voice was barely above a whisper now. "We only started dating last month. I thought I'd wait... take things slowly. And yet... last night just happened. I don't even know how to explain it."
Lin Wei didn't press her. He just sat there, letting her speak, his eyes fixed ahead.
"I don't regret it, exactly," she added, her voice trembling slightly. "But I didn't mean to cheat either. It just—felt like I wasn't myself."
"I understand," he said. His tone was steady, respectful. "I won't make things difficult for you. Whatever you want to do next... I'll respect it."
"Okay, then... Let's say it's in the past," Lin Wei said softly, watching her anxious expression. "I won't trouble you about it. Or... maybe I can just be someone who helps you out—as a friend. Would that be alright?"
He smiled gently, the words smooth, but behind them was a quiet resolve. He wanted her—but he wasn't going to rush. Not yet.
Xueyin looked up at him, relief visibly softening her face. "Really? Thank you. Then... let's be friends. That way, I think I can talk to you more comfortably."
The tension between them eased like a slow breath. For her, being "just friends" meant safety, a shield from scrutiny—and a chance to pretend nothing had happened. For Lin Wei, it was the perfect cover.
They reached out and shook hands lightly.
"Yeah," he said with a calm nod.
Her smile bloomed gently at the corners of her lips. For a moment, under the rising sun, she looked almost too perfect—too radiant. Yeah, Lin Wei thought, It's worth it. But the moment didn't last. From the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching.
Wang Hao.
"Xueyin! There you are. I was worried about you last night." His voice was casual, but the way his eyes locked onto Lin Wei told a different story.
Possessive.
Suspicious.
Even though he was speaking to Xueyin, he was practically sizing Lin Wei up like a threat.
Then he stepped forward and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close in front of Lin Wei.
"Who's he?" Wang Hao asked, his tone dipped in passive-aggression. But Xueyin frowned, pinching his hand off her waist and stepping back a little with an embarrassed blush.
"I told you not to get clingy in public. I hate that," she said, her voice firm and annoyed. Wang Hao winced slightly, rubbing the spot where she'd pinched him. "Right, right... I just wanted to show him that you're my girlfriend."
He glanced at Lin Wei again, eyes narrowed.
But Xueyin remained calm.
"He's my friend," she said clearly. "And he knows we're dating."
Her voice was confident—measured—but it carried enough weight to make Wang Hao hesitate.
He exhaled slowly, tension loosening just a bit. After all, he had been chasing her since high school. He knew better than anyone how difficult she was to win over.
And she had chosen him.
As Lin Wei took a step back from the pair's awkward tension, another figure caught his attention.
She strode in from the side like a flame in motion—vivid red hair flowing with each step, her outfit minimal but stylish, designed to draw eyes and never let them go. Her curves were bold, her confidence louder. If Xueyin was a girl you'd treasure like a hidden gem, this woman was the kind you'd chase in dreams and wake up sweating.
Damn. A total knockout, Lin Wei thought, eyes narrowing in quiet observation. She's trouble—and probably the good kind.
She walked straight toward Wang Hao and Xueyin, clearly familiar with both. And based on the way Wang Hao's eyes flickered toward her, lips twitching in restrained panic, Lin Wei could already guess the relationship dynamic.
They're definitely involved. Maybe not official, but... there's something there.
He held back a grin. Another crack in the foundation. Another key for NTR.
Meanwhile, Xueyin's voice was rising—soft but strained.
"If not for you leaving me alone that night…" Her voice trembled with restrained hurt. She didn't say it directly, but Lin Wei could hear the unspoken accusation: You were with someone else. And she wasn't wrong.
Wang Hao's jaw tensed. He didn't deny it. He couldn't.
"He—Lin Wei—he was the one who took me back to my apartment. He stayed when you didn't." Her voice broke slightly at the end. "And now instead of thanking him, you're acting like he's the one in the wrong."
Wang Hao grimaced hard. The guilt hit like a slap—because it was true. He had ditched her for a drunk girl from the club, lured by temptation. And Lin Wei had swooped in and done what he hadn't.
Then, a silky voice cut through the air.
"What are you two talking about?"
All three turned.
The red-haired beauty had finally arrived beside them, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as her sharp, almond-shaped eyes landed on Wang Hao.
Stella.
Even her name sounded dangerous.
Wang Hao stiffened as if caught red-handed. Xueyin's eyes narrowed—not in surprise, but in confirmation. She had seen them together that night, though the memory was still blurry.
And Lin Wei?
He just smiled quietly.
Stella already knew about Wang Hao and Xueyin.
What happened last night was a mistake—one she wasn't proud of. She hadn't intended to cross any lines, and she definitely had no plans of getting into anything serious with a guy like Wang Hao. Not now, not ever.
She had come today to make that clear.
But seeing him locked in a tense conversation with his girlfriend... she quickly reassessed. From the looks of it, Xueyin didn't seem fully aware of who Stella was to Wang Hao—or what had gone down the night before. That meant there was still a window to back out gracefully and save herself the trouble.
So, when the awkward silence stretched between the couple, Lin Wei stepped in.
"So," he said casually, "is Wang Hao joining the club trip? The social work activity?"
Xueyin turned her head, blinking at the sudden shift in conversation. Lin Wei just smiled. He remembered clearly—this "social work" was something the club did often. Light part-time labor for small pay, branded as a bonding experience. Back then, he was always the one picking up the slack because of how broke he used to be.
"Hm... the social work," Xueyin murmured, as if recalling the schedule. Earlier, she had offered to help Lin Wei out with his share of the work, since they were now 'friends.' And this moment—Lin Wei could tell—was his opening.
Wang Hao, clearly still uneasy but wanting to mend things, perked up.
"I can gather a few classmates for it," he offered, glancing at Xueyin. "If we work together... it might be good for us."
Just then, Stella took a step forward and slipped seamlessly into the conversation.
"With four of us," she said, "we'd have enough for a core group. That's probably the minimum. I'm in."
Her voice was cool and composed. She wasn't here to flirt anymore. She was here to manage the aftermath. And if joining this trip meant distancing herself from Wang Hao without drama, she'd take it.
Besides, she thought, casting a side glance at Wang Hao, with what little he had to offer, dating him was never on the table anyway. He's not built to satisfy a woman like me.
"Sure! Let's do it," Lin Wei grinned, deliberately nudging the mood upward. He shot a wink at Wang Hao. "What do you say, Brother Wang? You in?"
Wang Hao, catching the cue and desperate to seem like the cool, cooperative guy, smiled back.
"Yeah, that's right. I'll join. I can bring some people along too. Plus, since it's at the beach... maybe we can enjoy a little vacation after the work's done."
He gave Lin Wei a thankful look, mistaking his setup as a helpful gesture.
Lin Wei returned the smile—but said nothing.
What an idiot, he thought. You're digging your own grave, and I'm handing you the shovel.