Chapter 35: Chu Liunian's Inner Turmoil

Here it comes, the main event!

Yao Yanyan, who had been lounging on her bed while playing on her phone, silently shifted from a reclining position to a propped-up one. She was dying to hear what Chu Sijin would say next and how Xu Ke would react.

After all, when she had spent just a single day with Qin Luo, Xu Ke had immediately picked a fight with her. Although she didn't believe there would be any intimate interaction between Chu Sijin and Qin Luo—and given Chu Sijin’s personality, she wouldn't start a fight with Xu Ke either—who could really guess how Xu Ke, with her unique way of thinking, would respond?

Tang Yu, who had been hunched over her desk working on the school anniversary celebration proposal, instinctively straightened her back, ready to intervene if Xu Ke started acting up. With her delicate personality and cute appearance, Chu Sijin was treated like a mascot whenever they went out, and she was naturally doted on in the dorm as well. Aside from Chu Liunian occasionally teasing her, everyone else treated her like a precious little sister. As the "dorm mom," Tang Yu felt a surge of maternal instinct whenever she looked at Chu Sijin. She was determined to prevent Xu Ke from falling into the same state she had shown toward her and Yao Yanyan; if even a hint of that surfaced, she would nip it in the bud to preserve the harmony of Dorm 606.

Even Chu Liunian pressed pause on her anime. She picked up a crudely shaped figure from her desk—it was hard to tell what character it was supposed to be—and fiddled with it while fixing her gaze on her twin sister.

Chu Sijin wasn't surprised by Xu Ke’s question; after all, her approach to Qin Luo this time had been purposeful. Although the encounter itself could be called an accident—when she first received the request from Xu Ke, she and Liunian had argued several times over who would go first, and after agonizing over it for a long time, she had lacked the courage to actively seek out Qin Luo. However, her sudden illness today had created an intersection between them, which turned out to be the perfect opportunity.

Chu Sijin felt quite satisfied with this wonderful coincidence, as she had firmly grasped the chance and completed her task. Proudly, she answered, "It doesn't matter anymore!"

Those four simple words silenced the other four people in the room.

Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu looked puzzled, unsure if she was answering Xu Ke’s question or if there was some other meaning behind it. Chu Liunian blinked, her large eyes filled with confusion.

It was Xu Ke who surprisingly grasped the meaning behind Chu Sijin’s words. After two seconds of silence, she asked, "After you asked him, was that the reply he gave you?"

"Uh-huh!" Chu Sijin nodded.

Xu Ke pressed further: "Like is like, and dislike is dislike. What does he mean by 'it doesn't matter anymore'?"

"I don't know," Chu Sijin replied straightforwardly. After all, her task was simply to ask Qin Luo that question; she only needed to relay his answer to Xu Ke. As for what the answer meant, that wasn't within her scope of concern.

Listening to their conversation, Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu suddenly realized what had happened. They finally understood: Chu Sijin had actually asked Qin Luo that question today, and the answer she received was "It doesn't matter anymore."

Once they understood this, their expressions became rather strange. Qin Luo’s answer this time seemed ambiguous, and it was different from what he had told Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu previously. He had clearly given a definitive "I don't like you anymore" before, so why had it changed to "It doesn't matter anymore" with Chu Sijin? Was it because he was dealing with a different person, or did Qin Luo have something else on his mind?

Yao Yanyan couldn't quite figure it out, while Tang Yu recalled the scene when she had asked Qin Luo the same question. At the time, Qin Luo had indeed said, "I don't like you anymore." Reflecting on the details, she realized that Qin Luo had seemed somewhat hesitant when he said it. At this thought, Tang Yu grew pensive.

As for Chu Liunian, she looked at her twin sister in shock. She hadn't expected her sister to be so bold as to actually go find Qin Luo! Although their meeting was a bit of a coincidence, a question was a question, and the fact that Chu Sijin had brought back an answer meant her task was complete.

And what about Chu Liunian? She had never imagined her sister would have the courage to do this, so she had been perfectly relaxed and confident, never dreaming that the task would eventually fall on her! *Oh no, oh no. Sijin is definitely going to make me go find Qin Luo next. But I’m completely helpless when it comes to 3D men. What should I do? Should I just play dead?* Her little head began to brainstorm, weighing the feasibility of "playing dead."

On the other side, after a long silence, Xu Ke slowly said, "Sijin, can you tell me in detail everything you said and did with Qin Luo today?"

"Ah? This... there was so much talk, I can't really remember it all..." Chu Sijin said, looking troubled.

"It's okay, just tell me whatever you can remember," Xu Ke said, her eyes burning with intensity.

Seeing this, Chu Sijin felt it was a bit difficult, but given her submissive nature and the temptation of the snack gift basket Xu Ke had promised, she honestly recounted the dialogue and events she could recall.

"I finished my snacks in class today, and I was planning to go buy more after class at noon, but I had an episode before I even left the building. I just collapsed on the floor and couldn't get up..."

Hearing her opening, the others looked at her with a mix of pity and helplessness. Having lived together for so long, they were well aware of Chu Sijin’s "illness." They couldn't understand why someone would develop acute gastritis just because they hadn't eaten snacks for a long time—Chu Liunian seemed to know, but she had never told anyone the reason. Fortunately, the symptoms vanished as soon as she was given snacks, so the others didn't pay it too much mind. But in truth, they knew that if she didn't get snacks in time during an episode, it was truly painful.

The way Chu Liunian had rushed out earlier was her reaction to suddenly finding this out. She rarely showed interest in anything outside of anime and games, so such a reaction was rare. They all knew that if Qin Luo hadn't stepped in to help, the situation could have been disastrous. Especially after reading posts on the forum, they learned that while many saw Chu Sijin collapse, no one else had offered help. Qin Luo had happened to pass by, taken her to the infirmary, and apparently even lost his temper and scolded people.

Having grown accustomed to Qin Luo’s usual easygoing and gentle demeanor, they couldn't imagine what he looked like when he was angry, and they were left wondering why he had been so upset. Was it out of concern for Chu Sijin? Was he angry at the bystanders for not helping? Or... was it because of something else?

Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu instinctively glanced at Xu Ke, who sat motionless in her chair, listening intently to every word.

Before long, Chu Sijin finished recounting the day’s events, providing about fifty percent of the truth. For a little cutie who only cared about eating and drinking, this was her best effort. However, she craftily hid the fact that she had told Qin Luo about Chu Liunian inviting her to the comic convention—not for any other reason than to let her silly sister experience the malice of the world!

Once she finished speaking, Chu Sijin asked cautiously, "Is this okay?"

Xu Ke didn't speak, falling into deep thought once more.

Yao Yanyan wore a playful expression; she had roughly guessed why Qin Luo’s answer today was "It doesn't matter anymore" rather than "I don't like you anymore." It was likely that what Chu Sijin said after asking the question had caused a ripple in Qin Luo's heart. According to Chu Sijin, she had told Qin Luo that Xu Ke’s recent state seemed off, as if she had been triggered by something, and that Qin Luo was the source of that trigger. After all, Qin Luo had liked Xu Ke so much; even if he truly didn't like her anymore, he might still soften his heart after hearing such things. When a man’s heart softens, his words naturally wouldn't be as cold. *Tsk, that dog of a man, so weak-willed...* Yao Yanyan curled her lip, silently cursing Qin Luo in her heart.

Tang Yu, on the other hand, noticed another detail: the conversation between Qin Luo and Chu Sijin in the infirmary. Chu Sijin said she wanted Qin Luo to accompany her to the Gourmet Club, but he had initially refused, saying Xu Ke had no classes in the afternoon and that her roommate should go with her instead.

So the question was: how did Qin Luo know Xu Ke didn't have class that afternoon? Was his memory just that good? Did he remember everything about her from back when he was pursuing her? Or was he still silently keeping tabs on her? Tang Yu couldn't give an answer immediately, but whichever possibility it was, it meant Qin Luo’s attitude toward Xu Ke was far from the finality of "I don't like you anymore." *Tsk, that brat, so weak-willed...* Tang Yu curled her lip, also silently cursing Qin Luo in her heart.

As for Chu Liunian, she no longer had the energy to care about other issues; her mind was completely occupied with how to bail on her plans. It wasn't that she disliked Qin Luo, but due to her personality, she wasn't interested in 3D men and didn't want to approach them, whether actively or passively. But thinking about how she had already promised Xu Ke, she hesitated. *Should I... go find him? Or should I not?* Chu Liunian sat there, clutching the crude figure, lost in her own internal struggle.

And just then, Xu Ke finally had a reaction.