Chapter Thirty-Six: Dormitory Social Gathering

Watching Zhao Wanyi’s lovestruck expression, Sun Junyao knew she had already fallen hard, so she teased, “Oh no, oh no, Wanyi, you’re beyond saving! You’ve only met him once and you’re already swooning like this. Oh heavens, is this really our aloof goddess? Is this still the legendary Zhao, who never spared a glance at any of her countless admirers?”

“Stop it, you’re the one who’s lovesick!” Flustered by the teasing, Zhao Wanyi shyly hit Sun Junyao a few times with her delicate hand.

“Wow, you’re really ruthless! You’d even hit me for the sake of your future brother-in-law. And you say you’re not lovesick? Ha!”

Just as the two of them were messing around and laughing, a melodious piano ringtone sounded from the bedside.

“I’m willing to become the angel you love in a fairytale, spreading my wings to protect you…”

“Wanyi, your phone’s ringing. Want me to answer it for you? Looks like some guy named Liu Fan is calling. If he’s just another annoying guy, I’ll just hang up.” As soon as she heard the ringtone, Sun Junyao quickly grabbed the phone from the bed behind her, glanced at the screen, and teased with a mischievous expression.

“Liu Fan?” At the mention of Liu Fan, Zhao Wanyi’s spirits immediately lifted. She snatched the phone from Sun Junyao’s hand and called out loudly, “Don’t hang up! Maybe he really needs to talk to me.” She turned her head shyly, and upon confirming that it really was Liu Fan calling, her heart leapt with joy.

“Seriously? It’s just a guy calling, and you’re guarding it like a treasure.” Sun Junyao pouted in dissatisfaction at Zhao Wanyi’s uncharacteristic behavior, muttering under her breath. She grew even more curious about Liu Fan—what kind of guy could make Wanyi, who had always been indifferent to boys, act like this? He must be remarkable.

Just as Zhao Wanyi answered the call, before she could speak, Liu Fan’s voice came through.

“Senior Zhao, is that you?”

“It’s me. Are you Fan? What took you so long to call?” Zhao Wanyi sounded both delighted and a little aggrieved.

“Uh, well... Senior Zhao, I just finished military training, you know they don’t let us have our phones during training.” Liu Fan was at a loss for words at first, but quickly pulled himself together and answered honestly.

“Hmph! I’ll let you off this time. But didn’t I tell you last time to call me... Wanyi? Are you asking for a scolding?” Her words carried the tone of an elder sister admonishing a younger brother, though her confidence was a little shaky.

“Oh, oh, uh... Wanyi, I was wondering if you’re free tonight?” For someone as pure-hearted as Liu Fan, this was already a big step. Although he already had a girlfriend, their relationship was just budding and still innocent—the only time they’d kissed, he had been the one kissed, which was quite something.

“Fan, I’m usually free in the evenings. Is there something you’d like?” The moment Liu Fan asked if she was free that night, Zhao Wanyi’s heart began to race wildly, thumping uncontrollably like a frightened deer.

“Oh, well, I heard the school has a tradition of joint gatherings between the boys’ and girls’ dorms, so my roommates wanted to organize one to get to know each other better. But I don’t really know any other girls on campus, so I thought... hehe.” Behind Liu Fan, his three “wolf” roommates were urging him to get to the point, and with no way out, he braced himself and said it.

“A joint gathering?” This time it was Zhao Wanyi’s turn to be surprised. As a sophomore, she certainly knew what such gatherings entailed. They were initially meant to foster interaction and friendship among students, but had since become a popular way for boys and girls to find dating prospects.

Hearing Liu Fan’s words, happiness came so suddenly she could hardly believe it, leaving her at a loss. Her mind was spinning: “Does he really like me? If not, why would he want to pair up for a joint gathering? Yes, it must be that. But if he confesses to me, should I say yes?” A thousand thoughts whirled through her mind, leaving her dizzy.

“Senior—oh, no, Wanyi, are you still there?” Liu Fan waited a long time without hearing a word from Zhao Wanyi and called out. He almost called her “senior” again, but corrected himself.

“Yes, I’m here. Go ahead.” Liu Fan’s words brought Zhao Wanyi back to her senses.

“So, about the gathering...”

“Oh, that’s fine with me. How do you want to do it?” She agreed without a second thought.

“Well, we were thinking of finding a time to have dinner together and get to know each other. If there are any future activities, we can discuss them then. What do you think?” Actually, this idea was cooked up by his three “wolf” roommates, who believed in first assessing the situation before making any moves, following Zhang Yi’s “Thirty-Six Stratagems of Wooing Women”—know your enemy and yourself, and you’ll never lose.

“Alright, you pick the time. Evening is best.” At this point, Zhao Wanyi’s voice was trembling, and she nearly dropped her phone.

Liu Fan had given her quite the wrong impression, though he was oblivious. He was just relieved to have fulfilled his roommates’ request, and his mood improved, even his voice sounded different.

“Great, how about tonight? Let’s book a private room at the Fenghai Grand Hotel, have dinner, and maybe sing some songs. We went there last time, and it was nice. What do you think?” In truth, Liu Fan had just arrived in Shanghai and only knew about the Fenghai Grand Hotel.

Caught up in her happiness, Zhao Wanyi could hardly refuse. She quickly replied, “Alright, you decide. I don’t have an opinion. Once everything’s set, give me a call tonight.”

“It’s settled then! I’ll come pick you up tonight.” Relieved to have completed his mission, Liu Fan finally relaxed. Things had gone surprisingly smoothly—he’d heard that boys usually get rejected when inviting girls out, but he didn’t dwell on it.

“Alright, see you tonight. Bye.” With that, Zhao Wanyi hung up, her face flushed a deep red from nervousness.

“Well, he’s the one inviting you now—proves he’s interested. So you’re not just pining away by yourself anymore, ha!” Sun Junyao, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, seized the chance to tease her again after hearing the conversation.

“Nonsense, he’s not just inviting me—you’re going too.” Embarrassed by the teasing, Zhao Wanyi wished she could disappear.

“Oh! I never thought our goddess could get shy—what a rare sight! Once Xiaoyu and Yazhi come back, I’ve got to tell them about someone’s—” Before Sun Junyao could finish, Zhao Wanyi covered her mouth.

“Junyao, keep it down. Do you want the whole world to know?” Zhao Wanyi said bashfully. With her mouth covered, Sun Junyao could barely breathe or speak, so she just nodded.

“Ha, Wanyi, are you trying to smother me? I could barely breathe! Fine, I won’t say anything. But have you decided what to wear tonight? First dates are all about first impressions. Come on, we’ve got plenty of time—this afternoon I’ll help you shop and get you looking like a fairy, so you can win over your future brother-in-law.”

At this, Zhao Wanyi grumbled, “Nonsense, what do you mean ‘win over’? That sounds awful. You’re too old to be so silly. If you keep acting like this, you’ll never get married.”

“That’s fine with me! Then I’ll just be your future sister-in-law’s sidekick. We’ll serve one husband together, just like the two legendary sisters, and we’ll still be together. Ha!” This girl was truly outrageous—if Fan heard this, who knows what his expression would be, but it would certainly be interesting.

“You’re impossible! If Uncle Sun finds out, he’ll give you a good scolding.” Zhao Wanyi was startled by her words but still stroked Sun Junyao’s hair gently.

Then, Sun Junyao dragged Zhao Wanyi out for a day of shopping.

Meanwhile, a few wolfish howls erupted from Liu Fan’s dorm, startling the students next door, who thought they were hearing lunatics. The three “wolves,” delighted by their success in arranging the gathering, cheered and started preparing for the evening—borrowing clothes, styling their hair, each one preening to look their best. Only Liu Fan sat there, helpless and bewildered.