But sometimes things happen by sheer coincidence.
Wang Yue had deliberately avoided Sheng Lan and her boyfriend.
Whether it was because they hadn't found a suitable restaurant, the two of them somehow doubled back and entered the same eatery.
Fortunately, Wang Yue was with his back to them, so he could overhear their conversation.
"I feel like the restaurants outside of school aren't even as good as the cafeteria. We should have just eaten in the cafeteria, it's cheaper too."
Sheng Lan's tone carried a hint of playful complaint.
"Hahaha, I know right? From now on, we'll just eat at school."
Sheng Lan's boyfriend chuckled.
As they spoke, they sat down at the table next to Wang Yue's.
Sheng Lan, who had been chatting and laughing with her boyfriend, immediately changed her expression when she turned her head and saw the side of Wang Yue's face.
She felt a pang of guilt, as if she were a thief.
She had said yesterday that she would wait for him for a very, very long time, and yet today she was with another guy.
Although Wang Yue had explicitly rejected her, she still felt a sense of unease.
It would inevitably make her seem like a fickle girl.
"Honey, I'm suddenly not very hungry. Let's go," Sheng Lan whispered into her boyfriend's ear.
"But I'm a bit hungry. If you're not, can we leave after I finish eating?" the boyfriend said.
"Let's just go back to the school cafeteria to eat. The food here is too expensive," Sheng Lan said.
"No, we compared them, didn't we? The food here is much more affordable than other places," the boyfriend reassured her. "It's okay, it's okay. I know you're a good girl, but don't worry about saving me money right now. I can afford this much."
Sheng Lan blushed.
It wasn't the price of the food that bothered her; it was the guilt.
What if Wang Yue saw her? How embarrassing would that be?
Little did she know, Wang Yue had already seen her.
Wang Yue kept his gaze forward, playing on his phone. The best course of action at that moment was to pretend not to see her.
Before long, Wang Yue's food arrived.
He finished his meal quickly, then stood up and left directly. Sheng Lan covered her face, only letting out a sigh of relief after Wang Yue had departed.
Thankfully, he hadn't seen her!
"What's wrong, honey?" the boyfriend asked then.
"Nothing, nothing. I'm just a bit dizzy," Sheng Lan replied.
...
Qiao Zixuan's experience today was nothing short of magical.
After a smooth and uneventful journey to campus, a short boy approached her.
This boy was actually a head shorter than her. Seeing him, Qiao Zixuan wondered if he was a primary school student.
However, the boy's voice, when he spoke, was surprisingly mature, dispelling her initial thought.
"Junior sister, you're a freshman, aren't you?" the short boy asked with a smile.
"Yes," Qiao Zixuan nodded.
"Perfect! I'm a senior here to welcome new students. Your luggage looks heavy, let me help you with it." The short boy smiled.
"No, no, thank you. I can manage it myself," Qiao Zixuan politely refused.
Firstly, she didn't want the boy touching her suitcase. Secondly, he looked so frail that Qiao Zixuan feared the suitcase might crush him.
"It's fine. You're a junior sister, and we seniors are supposed to look after freshmen," the short boy said with a smile.
As he spoke, he reached for Qiao Zixuan's suitcase.
His hand nearly brushed against hers.
Qiao Zixuan quickly withdrew her hand, already feeling displeased. This boy had no sense of personal space.
"See? It's not heavy at all," the short boy said, dragging Qiao Zixuan's suitcase. "Let me take you to register, junior sister."
"Okay," Qiao Zixuan forced a smile.
"By the way, junior sister, what's your name?" the short boy then asked.
"Qiao Zixuan," she replied.
"What a lovely name. My name is Ren Ming," the short boy said with a smile. "Usually, people really like my name when they hear it."
Qiao Zixuan didn't respond.
"Don't you wonder why?" Ren Ming asked curiously.
"Why?" Qiao Zixuan smiled again.
"Because my name is a homophone. Ren Ming equals r..."
"Then junior sister is truly a special person. It's rare to see someone who isn't interested in money these days," Ren Ming said with a smile.
This was an answer he had thought of after considerable deliberation.
Along the way, many people cast their gazes at them. This pairing was quite eye-catching.
On one hand, Qiao Zixuan's looks and figure placed her among the top beauties.
On the other hand, Ren Ming's looks and figure were at the extremely short end of the spectrum.
Ren Ming tried to impress Qiao Zixuan with his humor all the way, but unfortunately, Qiao Zixuan maintained a poker face throughout, leaving him feeling somewhat deflated.
Normally, at times like this, Ren Ming would ask, "Beautiful lady, do you have a boyfriend?"
But today, he didn't want to, nor did he dare.
If she answered yes, he wouldn't be able to pester her anymore, would he?
From the moment he first saw Qiao Zixuan, Ren Ming had fallen for her. He was determined to win her over.
Soon, they arrived at the freshman registration area, and Qiao Zixuan's beauty once again stunned everyone.
At this point, Ren Ming urged from the side, "Hurry up with the paperwork! I still need to take junior sister to the dormitory. Don't dawdle."
Ren Ming was afraid that some inconsiderate upstarts might emerge to compete with him for Qiao Zixuan.
After all, with her looks, she was easily a department or even a campus belle.
Just as Ren Ming feared, a tall and handsome guy stepped forward.
He flashed a bright, sunny smile. "Junior sister, I'm in the same department as you. Let me be your guide from now on."
He then looked at Ren Ming.
"Give me the suitcase," the guy said.
Ren Ming's expression changed before he retorted, "Are you crazy? Can't you see I've been carrying it for junior sister all along? Why are you showing up out of nowhere?"
The guy smiled. "There's a flight of stairs ahead, and I'm afraid you won't be able to carry it. So, just hand it over to me. If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job, alright?"
Ren Ming, unwilling to back down, said, "Don't judge me by my height. I'm very strong. It's just a few stairs! I can carry it up in minutes!"
"Stop boasting. With your physique, you expect to carry a suitcase up stairs? I bet you'd struggle just walking up them yourself," the guy said, rolling his eyes.