Chapter 038: Lara vs. Glass

Zhuzhu seemed to be hearing the term "Sister Su's husband" for the first time. She cast a puzzled glance at the round-faced girl, and the two exchanged mysterious looks for a while. Then a look of understanding appeared on Zhuzhu's face.

"Let me introduce you!" Zhuzhu pulled Li Huan forward. "My cousin, Li Huan, the handsome guy from the Finance Department... And this is my brother's sidekick, what's his name again, Gong something—High Tide? A lecherous fatso!"

Li Huan broke out in a cold sweat. This wretched Zhuzhu, introducing Sister Tide like that—wasn't that just sabotaging her? Yet the fatso didn’t seem angry at all; instead, he blushed shyly, tugged at Zhuzhu’s sleeve, and said, "So mean, how can you say that about me!"

Zhuzhu shook off his hand and patted his head. "Be good, let me introduce you to a great beauty. This is the little fairy Yang Yang from the Design Academy, and our very own Su Su, the campus flower of the Design Academy!"

The fatso nibbled his fingers, looking bashful, and reached out to shake hands with the round-faced little fairy, but she seemed startled, then burst out laughing and pulled Zhuzhu to sit down beside her. "I remember you, right? The sniper from the Bluebird team?"

The fatso's face froze for several seconds. He probably never imagined he would be recognized, especially by such a cute, pretty girl, instantly inflating his vanity.

Actually, the fatso wasn't bad-looking—just a bit overweight. Years of being a homebody, steeped in anime and manga, had given him a distinctive aura of awkwardness that made him easy to spot.

The two quickly struck up a conversation, and after listening for a while, Li Huan realized that Yang Yang was also a devoted CF player, and a sniper as well, but she was from the Rotten Girls team.

Li Huan knew a bit about that team. At Zhonghai University, the two most famous teams were Bluebird and Rotten Girls. Bluebird was all male gods, some rumored to be professional gamers; Rotten Girls was all female goddesses, with the slogan: "Conquer Bluebird, make them part of our harem."

Li Huan had once been a Bluebird team member, but after he stopped playing so much, the captain dropped him. The fatso, however, was a veteran, his sniper skills legendary, giving the Rotten Girls plenty of trouble.

At one point, the fatso's photo was plastered all over the forum, with Rotten Girls members posting provocative and seductive replies. For a while, whenever the fatso stepped out of his dorm, people would recognize him, causing Li Huan to avoid walking with him.

Su Dieyi listened to the fatso and Yang Yang banter and couldn't help but laugh, stunning Li Huan. Though they had shared the same apartment, he rarely saw Su Dieyi smile so naturally. The gentle curve of her lips and the sparkle in her eyes made her seem breathtakingly beautiful.

"Hey, Li Huan, how did you manage to win our Su Su's heart? I've confessed to her countless times, always rejected—so sad!" Yang Yang suddenly looked up and lobbed a deep-water bomb at Li Huan.

"You're a lesbian?" The fatso stared in disbelief, his heart bleeding—woman confessing to woman, what was the world coming to?

"You’re glass!" Yang Yang shot back, glaring, then added, "Feelings among rotten girls are something you men can never understand!"

"......"

Fatso was utterly defeated for the first time, but Zhuzhu nodded in agreement, leaving Li Huan helpless. Of the three girls, perhaps only Su Dieyi was normal.

"Could you please stop being so rude?" Su Dieyi frowned angrily, suddenly realizing how true it was: best friends truly were terrifying creatures!

Zhuzhu shook her head and said to Yang Yang, "Su Su is right... But let me tell you, Yang Yang—they sleep together!"

"Stupid Zhuzhu, go to hell!" Su Dieyi finally couldn't take it anymore. These two women were too much, how could they slander her like this?

"I said sleep together as in sharing an apartment, not the same bed. Why are you so worked up?" Zhuzhu looked innocent—it was hard to imagine that beneath her sincere expression lurked such a wild beast.

"You two are so annoying, I'm not talking to you anymore!" Su Dieyi had run out of retorts. Facing one female hooligan was tough enough—now there were two. She decided to change the topic. "Why don't we continue talking? I think your sniping technique needs some improvement, I can teach you!"

"Sure, sounds good!" Yang Yang nodded, apparently not thinking too much about it.

The fatso was beside himself with excitement, flashed Li Huan a victory sign, then left with Yang Yang, seemingly heading to the nearby internet café.

Zhuzhu suddenly sighed, watching their retreating figures. "Even fatso has his springtime—Yang Yang is like a lamb entering the pig's mouth!"

"Don't be so mean. The fatso has a right to pursue love. Who are you to judge?" Li Huan rolled his eyes at Zhuzhu, who never felt guilty about mocking others, always acting as if it were the most natural thing.

"Fine, then you go pursue your love too! Su Su, good luck!" Zhuzhu made a cute face at Su Dieyi and ran off, wisely leaving the two behind.

After finishing their meal, the five left the restaurant together. The fatso immediately launched his campaign toward Yang Yang, signaled to Li Huan, and turned to her. "It's rare we have so many shared interests..."

Zhuzhu, having run off alone, left Li Huan and Su Dieyi facing each other. The two now felt less at ease than in their shared apartment, as if a small awkwardness lingered between them.

Although summer had passed, it was still quite hot at noon. The pair walked toward the school's Tinghu Garden, which was cooler and more pleasant.

Mingli Lake was Zhonghai University's largest artificial lake. A few years ago, it had been expanded outward by two meters. On both sides stood the dormitories for male and female students, each with a wooden corridor leading to a small island at the lake's center.

It was late summer, but the flower beds on the island were still ablaze with summer blooms. The wind carried the rich scent of mingled flowers, refreshing both body and mind.

Li Huan and Su Dieyi strolled along the wooden corridor. Because it was quite narrow, they walked side by side, their bodies occasionally brushing against each other, making both slightly uneasy.

Su Dieyi wore a chiffon blouse, her smooth, fair arms exposed. Li Huan was in a simple T-shirt. Their arms swung, naturally meeting in gentle contact. No longer separated by others, their intimacy allowed them to feel each other's warmth.

Though Li Huan was inexperienced, he had had physical contact with women before—in bars, those wealthy patrons sought not just a drink and conversation, but psychological comfort. To them, young, handsome men willing to listen and not judge were a balm for their weary hearts. Even knowing it was merely bought solace, it was enough to ease their spirits.

Yet no amount of luxury cosmetics or body maintenance could rival the youthful freshness of a maiden. In this moment, Li Huan felt the silky softness of Su Dieyi’s skin—tender as mutton fat jade, warm as water. That accidental friction sparked a sudden fire between them, stirring his heart.

Their canvas shoes creaked on the planks, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor, as if beating in time with their hearts, their pulses quickening with nervousness.

"Hey, could you two walk a bit faster? Or let us go ahead?" A man’s voice called from behind. Li Huan and Su Dieyi were startled; their nerves must have blinded them to the fact that someone was following.

They turned to see a couple, hand in hand, nestled close, only a meter behind. The corridor was too narrow, and Li Huan and Su Dieyi blocked their path.

"You go first..." Li Huan stepped aside, letting the couple pass.

The man glanced at Li Huan and nodded. But when his gaze fell on Su Dieyi, he froze, staring for a long moment. Only when his girlfriend pinched his arm did he snap out of it and hurriedly pulled her past.

In their rush, given the narrow corridor, the man bumped into Li Huan, causing him to lurch forward, pressing into Su Dieyi. She had been leaning against the railing with her hands behind her, not expecting this. In her panic, she forgot to dodge, watching as Li Huan’s body pressed against hers, her heart leaping as an indescribable emotion spread wildly.

A soft sensation pressed against her chest, the fullness making Li Huan inhale sharply. The subtle scent of her body drifted into his nose, and his whole being seemed to melt, overwhelmed by a feeling of comfort.

"Ah..." Su Dieyi gasped softly, her hot breath brushing Li Huan’s neck, making him feel as if a fire was burning inside him, his body suddenly hypersensitive.

"Uh... I didn’t mean to!" Li Huan arched his body, trying to hide his embarrassment from Su Dieyi, braced himself against the railing, and stepped aside, his face growing ever more awkward.