Edited by Elv
To put on a show
When freshmen first arrived at college, they were full of curiosity about their new school. They’d heard about the BBS, a large on-campus entertainment phone application, from various sources, but as newcomers, they were still clueless about its allure. Just as they were trying to figure out why this BBS had everyone so obsessed, a post suddenly went viral and completely took over the forum.
Netizens, always eager for juicy gossip, devoured the post with relish. The freshmen, caught up in the frenzy, finally got a taste of the BBS’s irresistible charm. The figures at the centre of this viral sensation were none other than Wen Le and Zhou Kao, the campus celebrities hailed as the most reliable “gossip farmers” in the history of the BBS.
Experienced upperclassmen could immediately tell the post was from a newbie.
—
#Today I Attended a Competition and Met Two Stunningly Beautiful People
[Photo]
The attached photo was a group picture taken at the end of a speech competition.
1st Comment: Ahhh~! OMG! So handsome! So beautiful! What kind of divine looks are these? Is the quality of guys and girls at A University this high? This is amazing!
2nd Comment: Ahhh! Can someone tell me who this handsome guy is?!
9th Comment: I know the guy; I think he’s the president of our student council~ But I don’t know the girl. She’s so gorgeous though!
…
13th Comment: The girl is the president of our social union.
14th Comment: Do the student council and social union only recruit based on looks? Are unattractive people not allowed to join?
15th Comment: Clearly, you don’t know that their looks are just a small part of it. Their awards and certificates could bury you. Do you really think a school like A University selects its leaders based on looks alone?
…
21st Comment: Here he comes, bringing the gossip with him~
22nd Comment: Tsk tsk, the OP must be a newbie. Don’t you know these two are not to be mentioned on the BBS? Because once you do, the BBS will explode! Hahaha.
23rd Comment: The best gossip farmers in BBS history. Their speed and quality of gossip never disappoint us.
24th Comment: Sitting at home, and the gossip just comes rolling in. Hands off our president, we don’t want any drama!
25th Comment: No drama, hands off our president.
26th Comment: Newbie here, just asking—what’s the deal with these two? They seem really mysterious…
…
56th Comment: Who tf needs publicity? If the student union and student council plastered these two’s photos everywhere, they’d be swamped with eager freshmen.
57th Comment: Just asking, is this handsome guy single?
58th Comment: To the comment above – don’t even think about it, these two are a couple.
59th Comment: Wow, two such outstanding people end up with each other? I guess only the best can match with the best.
60th Comment: Can someone share the love story between the student council president and the social union president? They seem so shippable!
…
89th Comment: Those two… probably broke up a while ago…? Haven’t seen them together in ages.
90th Comment: Never saw them showing any PDA. They rarely appear together on campus, and even if they do, they don’t interact much. Is this how a couple behaves? They probably broke up already.
91st Comment: They both seem really strong-willed. I doubt they could last long.
92nd Comment: Definitely split up. Saw them at an event last time, no interaction at all, not even eye contact. Totally ignored each other. That’s a confirmed breakup.
…
It’s no wonder these two were the BBS’s top topics. As soon as they appeared on the BBS, the forum’s traffic skyrocketed. This newbie’s post quickly became the hottest topic, and the discussion shifted from appreciating good looks to debating whether Zhou Kao and Wen Le had broken up.
Unbeknownst to Wen Le and Zhou Kao, the BBS was buzzing with news of their supposed breakup. Freshmen on the BBS went through a rollercoaster of emotions—first astonished by the stunning campus prince and princess, then disappointed to learn they were a couple, and finally excited to hear rumours of their breakup.
When these freshmen eventually became upperclassmen, they’d reminisce about that wild night of gossip during the new student orientation, and the legendary gossip farmers of A University’s BBS. But that’s a story for another time.
While the BBS was in a frenzy, Wen Le was at her dorm room desk, handling social union business with a face mask on, oblivious to the online storm.
The dorm still housed the four of them together.
Cheng Hui was sprawled on her bed playing with her phone, and Bao Xiaofan was sweet-talking endlessly with her male junior over the phone. Man Qingxuan was diligently working on a spreadsheet, having been recommended for a job by the parents of a child she used to tutor. She was told that if she performed well, she might receive an offer from the company in her senior year. Hence Man Qingxuan was very focused on making a good impression.
The four roommates were each occupied with their own tasks, creating a harmonious atmosphere in the dorm.
Just then, the dorm door opened, and in walked Sun Youmei. She looked completely different from her freshman and sophomore years. Once round-faced and doe-eyed, sweet and adorable, she now had double eyelids and a sharp chin—a total transformation.
Back when her nose job failed and she sought compensation from the cosmetic clinic, the doctor refused to pay but offered her another procedure as a compromise. Sun Youmei eventually chose to get a free double eyelid surgery. Plastic surgery can indeed become addictive; she went on to get work done on her nose, eyes, chin, and forehead. Most of the money she earned as an internet celebrity was spent on these procedures. Her roommates advised her that she was already beautiful and didn’t need any more surgeries, but Sun Youmei admitted that she couldn’t stop herself. She always wanted to be even more perfect, though she still preferred her natural face before any surgeries, and even advised the rest against plastic surgery if they could.
Sun Youmei had grown a lot through her experiences—breaking up with her boyfriend, dealing with failed surgeries, and becoming an internet celebrity. Now, she got along well with her roommates. As she pushed open the dorm door, still looking at her phone, she casually asked, “Wen Le, did you and Zhou Kao break up?”
Wen Le’s hand shook, causing her to mistype a word. With a face mask on, she turned her head slowly and stiffly towards Sun Youmei, trying not to move her facial muscles too much. “No,” she said.
Sun Youmei nodded. “I thought so. You never take off that ring.”
Wen Le instinctively touched the ring on her finger, a soft look in her eyes. Then she said something that shocked everyone in the dorm: “I’m about to take it off soon.”
The room fell silent. Cheng Hui put down her phone, Man Qingxuan turned away from her computer, and even Bao Xiaofan was so surprised she cut off her phone call with her boyfriend. They all stared at Wen Le with complex expressions.
Cheng Hui cautiously asked, “Are you…having relationship problems?”
Seeing their shocked faces, Wen Le quickly clarified, “No, no, we’ve decided to get engaged. Our families will be meeting soon, so I might need to change my ring.”
‘Thud!’
Cheng Hui’s phone slipped and hit her face. The others looked even more stunned.
A moment later, the dorm erupted in exclamations, “Engaged!” “Holy crap!”
All four of them shouted in unison.
Rubbing her face where the phone had hit, Cheng Hui found it hard to comprehend. “But you’re only in your third year of university. Isn’t it a bit too soon?”
The other three looked at Wen Le with the same curiosity and eagerness for answers.
Wen Le smiled, “It just feels right. It’s a natural progression. Besides, engagement isn’t marriage. In our families, early engagements are quite common. Our families are long-time friends. My father and Zhou Kao’s father grew up together, so we know each other well. This engagement is also beneficial for both families.”
The roommates were still in shock.
Just then, Bao Xiaofan stammered, “What… what kind of family do you come from?”
Wen Le suddenly remembered that although she had once told her roommates that her family was wealthy, she hadn’t detailed their background. She had simply forgotten to mention it…
Wen Le replied, “Tianyin Group is our family business.”
…
Bao Xiaofan’s eyes widened, “You mean that super prestigious family? The old money? The incredibly powerful Wen family?”
Man Qingxuan was also wide-eyed, “The Wen family whose big boss gave that lecture at our school?”
Wen Le cleared her throat, “That’s my dad…”
“Oh my gosh!”
Bao Xiaofan and Man Qingxuan exclaimed simultaneously, looking at each other in disbelief before both screaming.
#How does it feel when your supposedly poor roommate turns out to be the heiress of an old money family?
It felt like an illusion of the world had collapsed. And now they can finally experience what it’s like to cling to a rich friend.
After the initial shock, the dorm slowly returned to normal.
Sun Youmei took a sip of water to calm herself, recalling her past disdain for Wen Le and feeling a stinging embarrassment. Fortunately, Wen Le never used her background to mock her.
Wen Le turned back to her computer to continue her work, but after a while, she remembered something and turned to Sun Youmei, who was removing her makeup, “What were you going to tell me earlier?”
Sun Youmei, using a cotton pad soaked with makeup remover, wiped her eye makeup and said, “Oh right, have you checked the BBS?”
Cheng Hui asked casually, “What’s up?”
Sun Youmei replied, “The BBS says Wen Le and Zhou Kao broke up.”
‘Plop.’
Wen Le’s face mask fell to the floor.
Wen Le: ……
Wen Le blinked in confusion. She and Zhou Kao broke up? How come she didn’t know about it?
Cheng Hui burst into laughter, “Hahaha! I’ve got to check the forum. What kind of nonsense are they imagining now?”
Bao Xiaofan also laughed uncontrollably, “When Wen Le changes her engagement ring, will they say she found someone new? Hahaha, this is hilarious.”
“The couple just about to get engaged is suddenly broken up by the forum, hahaha, they are so imaginative.”
Wen Le picked up the face mask, wiped the wet spot on the floor with a tissue, and then logged into her BBS account. She intended to see how exactly she and Zhou Kao had broken up.
Reading the comments about their apparent coldness, indifference, and lack of interaction, she felt speechless. She simply didn’t like to show affection in front of others.
Wen Le thought for a moment and then took screenshots of the comments, sending them to Zhou Kao.
Zhou Kao quickly replied.
Zhou Kao: Got it.
Zhou Kao: Let’s put on a show tomorrow.
