We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

Lin Wanqing, a freshman at East China Normal University who had just finished military training, walked in chatting and laughing with her three new roommates.

The two universities are only two streets apart, and they took advantage of the break after military training to go shopping and relax.

After getting tired of shopping, we found this dessert shop, which is quite famous near the university town.

Lin Wanqing was turning her head to chat with her roommate, who had her hair in a ponytail, about which skincare products had good sun protection when her gaze inadvertently swept around the store, preparing to find an empty seat to rest.

Her gaze had just swept over the booth by the window when she froze in the middle of the aisle, as if her feet were nailed to the ground.

The foot that was about to step forward abruptly stopped in mid-air.

He was just talking to his roommate with his mouth half open, but the words that followed seemed to be stuck in his throat and he completely lost his voice.

That figure looked so familiar.

Even if you only see those broad, upright shoulders from a few meters away, even if you only see a quarter of that cold, handsome profile.

She can also piece together a complete picture of a person the moment she sees them.

That was Ye Chen, who appeared around her every day for three years of high school and whose gaze was always fixed on her.

She was also Ye Chen, who treated her coldly after the college entrance examination, completely cutting her out of his life as if she were a stranger.

Lin Wanqing almost instinctively wanted to take two steps forward to say hello, even if it was just to catch up as an ordinary old classmate.

But before she could even take a step, her gaze uncontrollably drifted past Ye Chen's shoulder and landed squarely on the face of the girl opposite him.

The moment Lin Wanqing saw Gu Yuxuan's appearance, the strap of the canvas bag she was holding slid down her shoulder to her forearm.

Gu Yuxuan, who was sitting opposite Ye Chen, was absolutely stunning.

Whether it's her delicate and three-dimensional facial features, or her tall and slender figure that you can tell even when she's sitting down.

Or perhaps it's that natural, unadorned aura of cool intelligence that shines through, which is in no way inferior to Lin Wanqing, the newly crowned campus belle of East China Normal University.

"Wow, look at that guy by the window, he's so handsome! And the girl across from him is so elegant, they're both gorgeous!"

The roommate next to her, who had her hair in a ponytail, couldn't help but nudge Lin Wanqing's waist with her elbow and exclaim in a low voice, sharing her discovery.

These words were like an invisible dagger, piercing Lin Wanqing's heart squarely and shattering her already faltering mental defenses.

She suddenly felt an unprecedented panic, her fingers instinctively tightening around the bag strap that had slipped down her arm, and she turned around, wanting to pull her roommate towards the door.

"It's too crowded and noisy here, shall we go somewhere else to eat?"

Lin Wanqing's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"Why bother changing? I heard this dessert shop is pretty good. Since we're already here, let's try it. Look, there's a four-person seat that's just become available over there. Let's go grab it quickly."

The other slightly chubby roommate grabbed Lin Wanqing's wrist and walked straight inside without saying a word.

As luck would have it, the empty booth was located diagonally behind Ye Chen and his group.

There was a half-person-high wooden partition and several pots of lush green ivy in the middle.

For the person sitting here, it creates a visual blind spot that provides a great sense of security.

Lin Wanqing was pressed down on the sofa by her roommate. Through the leaves of the pothos, she could clearly see Ye Chen's profile, and unless he deliberately turned around, he would never notice her presence.

Sitting diagonally behind, Lin Wanqing didn't even glance at the menu handed to her by the waiter. She casually asked her roommate to order a glass of juice and then pressed her hands firmly onto her thighs.

Her entire attention had pierced through the green ivy, locking onto the movement at the table in front of her like a radar. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, and she didn't even dare to breathe too hard.

In the booths in front, waiters served exquisite desserts and smoothies.

"Wanqing, why aren't you saying anything? Look at the menu, their mango pomelo sago is their signature dish, lots of people recommend it."

Lin Wanqing's slightly chubby roommate pushed the menu in front of her and enthusiastically marked the desserts she wanted to eat.

Lin Wanqing's fingertips were icy cold. She nodded haphazardly, but her gaze was as if drawn by a magnet, passing through the gaps in the pothos leaves and fixed firmly on the booth diagonally in front of her.

Her ears were ringing, and the chattering of her roommates seemed to be shut out from her into another world.

Only the soft laughter coming from that table felt like needles piercing her eardrums.

"I thought someone like you wouldn't like such a sweet and cloying place."

Gu Yuxuan gently scraped the mango smoothie off the glass with a small spoon, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity that she herself was unaware of.

Ye Chen leaned back on the soft sofa, his posture relaxed, and chuckled softly upon hearing this.

"Whether I like it or not is not important; what's important is that the girl likes it."

He picked up the tiramisu on the table, scooped out a small piece with a spoon, and naturally offered it to Gu Yuxuan's lips with a teasing smile on his face.

"Just like you, you seem aloof and cold, but I never expected you to like desserts so much."

Gu Yuxuan's cheeks flushed red instantly.

She didn't expect Ye Chen to suddenly make such an intimate gesture.

My instinct was to back away.

But looking into Ye Chen's smiling eyes, her body seemed to move on its own.

As if possessed, he leaned forward slightly, opened his mouth, and took the piece of cake from the tip of the spoon into his mouth.

The delicate cream and slightly bitter cocoa powder melt on the tongue.

It was sweet, sweet all the way to the bottom of my heart.

She lowered her eyelashes, not daring to look into Ye Chen's eyes anymore, feeling her heart pounding so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

"you……"

She tried to say something to cover up her panic, but couldn't form a complete sentence for a long time.

Ye Chen withdrew his hand, and looking at her embarrassed and ashamed appearance, the smile in his eyes deepened.

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"no."

Gu Yuxuan's voice was barely audible. She picked up the shaved ice in front of her and took a big gulp, trying to use the cool temperature to suppress the heat on her face.

This scene was witnessed in its entirety by Lin Wanqing, who was positioned diagonally behind her.

Unconsciously, her fingers had tightly gripped the hem of her skirt, deforming the soft fabric and turning her knuckles pale from the force.

There was a time when this boy only had eyes for her.

Ye Chen, who was in high school, would blush every time he talked to her, and he was awkward and clumsy, like a silly boy just beginning to experience love, even when he handed her a bottle of water.

But now, he can sit so effortlessly in front of another girl, speaking the most flirtatious words in the most natural tone and making the most intimate gestures.

And that girl, who was in no way inferior to him in terms of looks and temperament, actually showed a shy, girlish demeanor in front of him.

Intense jealousy and resentment entwined Lin Wanqing's heart like vines, suffocating her.