Chapter 92: More Than Friends
On the eighth day of the lunar new year, Ruan Yu and Teng Yi left Sanmenxia.
When Ruan Heping saw them off, he remained silent the entire time. Ruan Yu could sense her grandfather’s reluctance to part with her but didn’t know how to comfort him. In the end, it was Teng Yi who promised to visit again during the holidays, which finally eased the old man’s furrowed brows.
Not long after they returned to Liaocheng, Teng Hao also came back.
Having relaxed abroad for some time, the young boy had regained his lively and cheerful demeanor. Youth had its advantages—no matter how deep the wounds, they could heal without medicine.
After the holidays ended, everyone gradually returned—except for Han Zuo. It was said that his mother had fallen seriously ill, and he had taken an extended leave to stay by her side.
Xi You Dance Studio resumed classes, and the number of applicants continued to grow. Moreover, the studio welcomed two young members—a boy named Yan Xuyang, seven years old, and a girl named He Susu, six.
These two children, as it turned out, both had connections to Teng Yi.
Yan Xuyang was the little boy Teng Yi had encountered on the highway years ago, while He Susu was the girl with a cleft lip he had met at the sweet potato stall on his birthday.
Compared to Xuyang, Susu’s arrival was even more surprising.
Susu’s mother explained that they had recognized Teng Yi during Xi You’s opening event, "Bringing Street Dance Back to the Streets." From that day on, Susu had been fascinated by how cool and confident the older brother looked while dancing, and she developed a desire to learn street dance. However, their family’s financial situation wasn’t ideal, and Susu, being sensible, never voiced her wish. Her mother, noticing her daughter’s longing, quietly saved up money and finally managed to enroll her in Xi You. She hoped Susu could learn street dance here and grow to be as confident and happy as all the dancers they had seen on the streets that day.
Touched by Susu and her mother’s story, Teng Yi quietly refunded the tuition fees and decided to personally mentor both Susu and Xuyang. The two children were overjoyed and vowed to work hard in their training.
With everything at Xi You gradually falling into place, Teng Yi was exhausted but happy.
The same went for Ruan Yu.
She had successfully passed the National Mandarin Proficiency Test with top marks and received the National Scholarship and an official certificate of recognition for the previous academic year. These honors would all be recorded in her academic file.
On the day she received the scholarship, Ruan Yu treated her roommates to hot pot.
It was a newly opened hot pot restaurant near the university’s west gate. Jian Xiangxiang had been there once before and highly recommended it, praising its delicious dipping sauces and great value for money. Under her enthusiastic endorsement, everyone quickly agreed.
The restaurant was more crowded than expected, with no available seats in the main hall, so Ruan Yu booked a private room.
It was their first gathering after the New Year, and the atmosphere was lively. Chen Manbai suggested having some drinks, and the motion was unanimously approved.
After the beer arrived, they chatted while eating, and somehow, the topic shifted to Teng Yi spending the New Year at Ruan Yu’s home.
"Did you do it? Did you do it?" Jian Xiangxiang, as always, was at the forefront of gossip.
"Of course not."
"Ugh, what a wasted opportunity! If it were me and Teng Yi showed up at my doorstep, I’d have devoured him that very night."
The steam from the hot pot rose, tinting Ruan Yu’s face a deep red.
She lowered her head, poking at the beef ball in her bowl with her chopsticks, feeling a little embarrassed.During those days at home, Grandpa Ruan Heping was almost always with them. Forget sharing a room, they rarely even had a chance to hug or kiss.
"Xiangxiang, that's enough! You think Ruan Ruan is like you?" Xia Qiaofeng came to Ruan Yu's defense.
"What about me? What did I say wrong? When you like someone, of course you want to monopolize all of them. Otherwise, why do you think those budget hotels near campus have such good business? You think those young couples are really renting rooms just to chat under the covers?"
Xia Qiaofeng and Ruan Yu exchanged glances and fell silent awkwardly.
Chen Manbai laughed until her stomach hurt.
"Oh god, I can't take it! Xiangxiang, you keep driving these two kindergarten babies at high speed. I'm going to the restroom first!" With that, she stood up and left the private room.
--?--
Not long after Chen Manbai left, noisy commotion suddenly erupted in the hallway outside.
Just as Ruan Yu and the others were wondering what was happening, a waiter rushed in anxiously.
"Trouble! Your friend is fighting with another customer outside!"
Hearing this, the three in the room immediately stood up and ran out.
In the hallway, Chen Manbai was being held back by two hotpot restaurant staff, while on the other side, the girl she was clashing with was also restrained by two employees.
That girl was none other than You Lexuan.
Chen Manbai had a cheerful and straightforward personality, making her extremely popular. In the entire school, You Lexuan was the only one who didn't get along with her—and of all places, they had to run into each other here. As the saying goes, "Enemies are bound to meet." This was exactly the scene before them.
"Manman, what happened?" Ruan Yu asked.
"She eavesdropped on my phone call!" Before Chen Manbai could answer, You Lexuan shouted over.
"Who's eavesdropping? You were talking on the phone in a public place. I just happened to pass by and hear it."
"Stop lying!"
"Pfft, you're the one feeling guilty and now trying to turn it around on me."
Chen Manbai really had just been passing by. She had originally been heading to the restroom, but as soon as she turned into the hallway, she overheard You Lexuan on the phone.
The person on the other end was likely another girl, and You Lexuan was talking about her boyfriend, Lin Shan.
"Lin Shan and I are out having hotpot. Hah, of course I don’t actually like Lin Shan. The guy’s as dull as a block of wood—you could say three or five sentences to him, and he might not even reply with one. If it weren’t for his connections in the Western dance circle, I wouldn’t even bother with him... Yeah, I just think having a boyfriend who can breakdance is cool. You’ve seen it before—that girlfriend of Teng Yi in our class. Doesn’t she act all high and mighty just because her boyfriend dances well? Tch..."
Hearing You Lexuan talk about Ruan Yu like that, Chen Manbai couldn’t let it slide.
She let out an annoyed "Hey!" which startled You Lexuan so badly she nearly dropped her phone. When You Lexuan turned around and saw it was Chen Manbai, she flew into a rage.
She accused Chen Manbai of eavesdropping, while Chen Manbai berated her for talking behind people’s backs. Neither would back down, and they almost came to blows—fortunately, the restaurant staff intervened in time.
Amid the commotion, Lin Shan, who had come with You Lexuan, heard the disturbance and hurried over from the main dining area.
Seeing Lin Shan, You Lexuan immediately panicked, afraid Chen Manbai would repeat what she’d overheard. She quickly grabbed Lin Shan, trying to leave.
"Hey!" Chen Manbai chased after them and grabbed Lin Shan’s arm.Lin Shan stood frozen, his gaze flickering from Chen Manbai's hand to her face.
"What are you trying to do, Chen Manbai?" You Lexuan glared.
Ignoring You Lexuan, Chen Manbai looked at Lin Shan and softened her tone. "Hey, give me two minutes. I need to talk to you."
"Talk about what? I won't allow it!" You Lexuan shrieked.
"Say whatever you have to say here," Lin Shan replied flatly.
Chen Manbai glanced at the crowd around them and smirked. "You sure about that?"
"Positive."
"Alright, I'll say it then." Chen Manbai pointed at You Lexuan, the words on the tip of her tongue, but she decided to spare Lin Shan some dignity. Instead, she rose onto her tiptoes, leaning close to his ear so only he could hear: "You Lexuan's playing you. She said she doesn’t like you at all. You should break up with her now. If you stay with her, you’ll just be a fool."
With that, Chen Manbai clutched her stomach and bolted for the restroom.
As she ran, she yelled, "Damn it, I’m about to explode! And I still have to deal with your nonsense!"
Everyone: "..."
Lin Shan watched Chen Manbai’s retreating figure in silence for a moment.
You Lexuan’s eyes reddened with panic. "What did she say to you?"
Lin Shan didn’t answer. "Let’s go," was all he said.
A chaotic, senseless farce ended just as abruptly as it began.
Ruan Yu and the others returned to their private room to continue their hotpot meal. When Chen Manbai came back from the restroom, Jian Xiangxiang immediately pestered her for details about what had happened. Chen Manbai recounted everything, including what You Lexuan had said.
"Wow, she’s two-faced. No wonder her character’s rotten," Jian Xiangxiang remarked.
"Yeah, getting involved with her is just bad luck."
After finishing their meal, the four of them took a leisurely walk back to their dorm to digest.
When they reached the girls' dormitory, they spotted a tall figure standing at the entrance.
It was Lin Shan.
Noticing them, Lin Shan walked over.
"Lin Shan, who are you looking for?" Ruan Yu asked.
Lin Shan’s gaze settled on Chen Manbai.
Surprised, Chen Manbai pointed at herself. "Me?"
Lin Shan nodded.
"What is it? Something wrong?"
"Thank you," Lin Shan said.
"For what?"
He didn’t answer, turning and walking away without another word.
Lin Shan had broken up with You Lexuan—he was the one who ended it.
Truthfully, he hadn’t known what had happened at the hotpot restaurant earlier. After they left, You Lexuan had been visibly tense, as if waiting for him to confront her or lose his temper. But as they walked in silence, Lin Shan remained unreadable, and You Lexuan finally snapped.
"What did Chen Manbai tell you?"
"Nothing," Lin Shan said.
"Nothing? Who are you kidding?" You Lexuan shoved his arm away. "Stop pretending! I know you’re angry! Fine! It’s all true—I don’t like you. I was just using you to feed my own vanity!"
Lin Shan hesitated for a few seconds, a pang of hurt striking him.
He had genuinely liked You Lexuan. Though he’d initially resisted the blind date set up by their hometown connections, meeting her had felt right. Her lively, outgoing nature had complemented his quiet demeanor. After they got together, he had always indulged her—letting her do whatever she wanted, eat whatever she craved. He’d thought they were doing well. He never expected it to end like this.
She didn’t like him. She had used him.She confessed just like that. In truth, if You Lexuan hadn’t admitted it herself, he wouldn’t have dug deeper into the words Chen Manbai had whispered in his ear. Of course, he would rather believe in the person who had always been by his side.
But she admitted it.
"Then let’s break up."
And so, they broke up.
You Lexuan didn’t show any signs of sadness; instead, she seemed utterly relieved.
Her attitude chilled Lin Shan to the bone, yet at the same time, he felt fortunate to have cut his losses in time. He didn’t dare imagine how deeply he might have sunk into this relationship if it had continued.
So, he thought, he should thank Chen Manbai.
She had accelerated their breakup.
Watching Lin Shan’s lonely figure retreat into the distance, Chen Manbai felt a pang of heartache.
The pain of misplaced devotion in a relationship was something outsiders could never truly understand. If both parties had genuinely loved each other, even an inconclusive ending wouldn’t leave regrets. But for someone like him, who had been purely used, the pain was likely doubled.
"He must really be thanking me, not being sarcastic, right?" Chen Manbai murmured.
"Of course. Lin Shan isn’t the type to speak in veiled sarcasm," Ruan Yu replied.
"Suddenly, I feel so cruel."
"You’re not wrong. You did a good thing."
--?--
Chen Manbai did a good thing, but she didn’t get a good outcome.
Two days later, malicious posts slandering her flooded the school forum.
The poster vividly described how Chen Manbai livestreamed herself flaunting her looks online, received extravagant tips, and then showed off designer bags and cosmetics. She was even accused of being kept by a sugar daddy and staying out all night.
The moment the post went up, it sparked heated discussions among the gossip-loving students. Chen Manbai’s good reputation was instantly ruined. Those girls who had secretly envied her all along now revealed their true colors.
"No wonder she’s always wearing Gucci and Chanel—she doesn’t look like a college student at all."
"And La Mer, SK-II? That’s practically celebrity-level. If she’s not being kept, then her family must be loaded."
"Hah, her family’s not loaded. Her parents are just ordinary workers."
"Staying out all night is true too. I heard she was warned by the dorm supervisor and almost got disciplinary action."
"..."
When the wall starts to crumble, everyone pushes it; when the drum is broken, everyone beats it.
Chen Manbai became the target of public criticism. Every day, she endured scrutinizing gazes, and even going to and from class became torture.
"Who could be so vile?" Jian Xiangxiang spent every day in the dorm arguing with anonymous accounts online, but by the end, even she was on the verge of breaking down.
"Who else? I don’t even need to think—it’s definitely You Lexuan," Chen Manbai clenched her fists in anger. "Hand me my dragon-slaying knife. I’m going to kill her!"
"Manman, calm down," everyone tried to hold her back.
Even someone as strong as Chen Manbai couldn’t hold it in anymore after enduring so much.
She crouched on the floor and burst into loud sobs.
"What right do they have to say these things about me? What right? I wake up early and work late—while they’re playing, I’m livestreaming; while they’re sleeping, I’m still livestreaming! My face and lips are raw from testing makeup! Who sees how much effort I put in? The money I earn is through my own hard work! Can’t I enjoy it? With just a keyboard, they dismiss all my efforts. Why? Just why?!"Yes, why? Just because she possessed things others her age couldn't have, she had to be subjected to malicious speculation?
The other three roommates frowned, equally upset, but faced with the overwhelming online slander, they had no evidence and didn't know what to do. They could only comfort each other, believing that the truth would prevail in time.
However, after a week of escalating drama, there was a sudden turn of events.
The account that had spread the rumors suddenly posted an apology on the forum, admitting to maliciously slandering Chen Manbai out of jealousy, expressing remorse, and formally apologizing before deleting the post.
The reversal came too quickly—this rollercoaster of events left everyone stunned.
Chen Manbai was equally bewildered.
Why did this happen? Who had helped her behind the scenes?
The answer soon surfaced.
On Saturday evening, when Chen Manbai returned from the studio, Lin Shan was waiting for her again at the dormitory entrance.
"Waiting for me again?"
Lin Shan nodded.
"What do you want to say this time?"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
This time, Lin Shan didn’t walk away immediately.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this because of me."
Chen Manbai understood—he was referring to the malicious posts on the school forum.
"How do you know I was dragged into this because of you? Maybe I really am the kind of person they described."
"You're not."
"You know that?"
"I do." His tone was firm.
Chen Manbai suddenly laughed. "If you're so good at reading people, how could you have fallen for You Lexuan before?"
"I was blind."
It was through this incident that Lin Shan truly understood You Lexuan’s character. He had always believed her inner self matched her innocent appearance. When the forum posts surfaced, he tried hard to convince himself to trust her. But when he confronted her, she admitted it outright.
She said, "Yes, Lin Shan, I orchestrated the whole thing. I hate Chen Manbai—I despise her! I just want to make her life miserable! So what if I told you? You have no proof. Who would believe you?"
You Lexuan never expected that Lin Shan, usually so guileless, would record her words on his phone.
When Lin Shan played the recording back in front of her, You Lexuan was stunned.
She begged him tearfully not to expose her, nearly falling to her knees.
Lin Shan, kind-hearted, didn’t press her further or want to ruin her. He simply proposed a solution: delete the posts and apologize.
You Lexuan agreed immediately, hoping Lin Shan would delete the recording. But he refused, telling her he would keep it until graduation. If she harmed Chen Manbai again during that time, he would release it.
Though the matter was resolved, Lin Shan still felt guilty. He believed he owed Chen Manbai an apology, so he sought her out again.
"Being blind once is fine. Just keep your eyes open in the future—don’t go digging for girlfriends in the trash."
"Okay."
From then on, Lin Shan and Chen Manbai grew closer, becoming good friends.Lin Shan admired Chen Manbai for her vivacious and cheerful personality, her kindness and sincerity, and her thoughtful consideration for others. Chen Manbai, in turn, understood Lin Shan well. She knew that beneath his seemingly dull and taciturn exterior lay a wisdom that belied his appearance. Of course, what she admired most was Lin Shan in his element on the dance floor—the "Street Dance Robot," a title well-earned. When Lin Shan danced, his commanding presence was no less impressive than Teng Yi's.
A guy's admiration, rounded off, is pretty much the same as liking someone.
A girl's admiration, rounded off, is also pretty much the same as liking someone.
Anyone with eyes could see that Lin Shan and Chen Manbai had reached the stage of "more than friends, but not quite lovers." The only thing left was to break through that thin barrier between them.
With Valentine's Day approaching, Jian Xiangxiang had repeatedly brought up Chen Manbai in their dorm, eager to play matchmaker for the pair.
"Manman, why not go on a date with Lin Shan for Valentine's Day?"
Chen Manbai rolled her eyes. "Are you Lin Shan? Why are you worrying on his behalf?"
"I’m just afraid Brother Lin Shan is too shy to ask!"
"Mind your own business. You should focus on being lovey-dovey with your Zhou Xihe on Valentine's Day."
Jian Xiangxiang sighed. "Ugh, don’t even mention that jerk. Lately, he’s been slow to reply to my messages. I’ve decided to give him the cold shoulder—Valentine’s Day can go to hell!"
Xia Qiaofeng also sighed. "As a single dog, I have even less to look forward to on Valentine’s Day."
At that, all three turned their gazes to Ruan Yu.
"Ruan Ruan, you’re the last hope in our dorm. What are you and Teng Yi planning for Valentine’s Day?"
Ruan Yu’s face flushed slightly.
"We haven’t discussed it yet."
"Ah, I’m so jealous of Ruan Ruan, having a boyfriend as considerate, gentle, and emotionally intelligent as Teng Yi. I bet he’s going to surprise her again."
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