The Thirty-Second Chapter

After the two talked in the canteen, Xue Lan and Xu Anze seemed to show signs of reconciliation. They started eating together and occasionally went on dates. However, she returned to the dormitory earlier and earlier, and wasn't as happy as before.

In the past few days, Wei Xue told them not to mention Xu Anze in front of Xue Lan. When Qian Xiaomeng asked why, she said cryptically, "If you always speak ill of Xu Anze to Lanlan, it will provoke her rebellious streak. After all, he was quite good before. Anyway, I've said what needs to be said. A little guidance at the right time is enough."

After speaking, she looked at Liu Mumu.

Liu Mumu nodded in agreement, "Our master usually does things like this."

How could feeding someone like a child show the demeanor of a master?

The champion of the Debate Competition also had a way of thinking. Champions always pinpointed the key issues precisely, striking with one blow and not wasting words.

Looking at her two inscrutable friends, Qian Xiaomeng fell into thought. Should she also learn some magical professional skills? She always felt like she was holding the two of them back.

Friday only had morning classes. As soon as the bell rang, everyone scattered in all directions like birds released from a cage.

The fixed activity for Dormitory 413 was eating.

Even if the sky fell, it wouldn't affect their digestive systems.

At the Second Canteen on Friday, there was no braised fish that smelled like stinky socks. The master chef had returned to his usual level, which was very reassuring.

Xue Lan ate her meal, somewhat absent-minded.

Tomorrow was her birthday. Mumu said she would make a decision on her birthday, but... she still hadn't decided yet.

"Why is she coming over?" Qian Xiaomeng suddenly whispered.

Xue Lan looked up and saw Zhuo Ran walking towards them.

Although it had only been a little over a month since they started university, many people recognized Zhuo Ran. Besides students from the same year, seniors and upperclassmen in the canteen also greeted her.

Zhuo Ran responded with a smile, polite and courteous to everyone.

"She's really wearing a human skin. Any demon or monster can be a person." Seeing her smug look, Qian Xiaomeng couldn't help but recall that day at the hospital and felt a surge of anger.

Wei Xue gently patted her arm, "Be polite. What did demons and monsters ever do wrong?"

Liu Mumu propped her chin with one hand, listening to their complaints. Her gaze followed Zhuo Ran as she walked towards them.

"Is there something you need?" Xue Lan only looked at Zhuo Ran when she reached them.

Zhuo Ran smiled, "I heard from Xu Anze that tomorrow is your birthday?"

"Yes, is there a problem?" Hearing Xu Anze's name from her lips made Xue Lan feel very uncomfortable.

Zhuo Ran seemed completely oblivious to Xue Lan's subtle rejection and continued, "What a coincidence, tomorrow is my birthday too. I'm having a birthday banquet at Yuehua Hotel tomorrow. I hope you can come."

"Tomorrow I might..." Xue Lan was a gentle girl, even her refusals were tactful.

However, before she could finish, Zhuo Ran interrupted her.

Zhuo Ran said, "Xu Anze will also be there tomorrow. I know you might misunderstand my relationship with him. If you're willing to listen, I can explain."

"No need, he already explained."

"Alright, I truly don't want any misunderstandings, and I sincerely invite you to celebrate my birthday with me."

"If I have time," Xue Lan replied very formally.

Zhuo Ran was about to leave when she saw the other three looking at her. She smiled and said to them, "You are also welcome to attend my birthday banquet."

Only Liu Mumu smiled and replied, "We will."

"You're actually planning to go?" After Zhuo Ran left, Qian Xiaomeng looked at Liu Mumu.

"I was just saying it casually. My nose won't grow longer if I lie. Look at Lanlan, if she goes, we'll naturally follow."

Xue Lan shook her head, "I'm not going."

"Exactly! Tomorrow is also Lanlan's birthday. Why should we go to her birthday banquet? This person clearly has ill intentions," Qian Xiaomeng said.

Wei Xue said meaningfully, "Compromise only happens zero times or countless times. Lanlan, you need to think carefully."

Xue Lan looked confused, not understanding what she meant.

Wei Xue smiled without saying anything. Zhuo Ran actually said Xu Anze would be there.

She wondered what Xu Anze planned to do next.

Would he stay to spend his birthday with his girlfriend, or go to his childhood sweetheart's birthday banquet? This choice, although not decisive, was enough to reveal many things.

On Saturday, Liu Mumu got up early to pick up the birthday cake that the three of them in the dormitory had ordered for Xue Lan yesterday.

On the way back, her phone rang.

She took it out and glanced at it. Yan Xiu's name was flashing on the screen.

Liu Mumu's first thought was: Did he call the wrong number?

After staring at the screen for a while, she pressed the answer button.

"Hello, is this Yan Xiu?"

"It's me." The man's voice was as deep and pleasant as always.

Hearing his reply, Liu Mumu's eyes curved into a smile, "Consultant Yan, why are you looking for me? No need to answer, I know you must miss me."

She asked and answered herself in one smooth flow.

Yan Xiu: "...Fang Chuan wants to treat you to a meal."

Liu Mumu didn't want to eat, she just wanted Yan Xiu: "Then do you miss me?"

"No." Yan Xiu's tone was indifferent.

"Then I'm not eating!"

There was silence on the other end of the phone again.

Liu Mumu pressed on: "Just think about it for a bit."

"...At noon today, I'll pick you up later."

"Fine." It's fine if he doesn't answer, she'll assume he's shy.

"My schedule is very full. After lunch, I have to attend a birthday banquet in the afternoon. Don't delay my important business."

Lanlan hadn't made a decision yet, but she would probably decide whether to go in the afternoon.

The main event was at night, and she was looking forward to it.

Important business? Yan Xiu raised an eyebrow.

Yan Xiu hung up the phone. Fang Chuan, who was beside him, asked, "How is it? Did she agree?"

"She agreed."

"Then why do you have that expression?"

"What expression?" Yan Xiu was confused.

"It's like when the cat at home refuses to eat fish and insists on eating mice, and you want to hit it but are afraid of breaking it."

Yan Xiu glanced at him sideways: "You need to see an eye doctor, and besides, I don't like cats."

Fang Chuan shook his head: "A man without compassion."

Yan Xiu walked out of the office. Yan Ling then said in a small voice, "My brother likes rabbits. He raised a lot of rabbits at home when he was little."

"How is Liu Mumu like a rabbit?" Fang Chuan muttered.

"Does she look like one?" Yan Ling thought back to Liu Mumu, whom she had met that day, and felt that the young girl was indeed quite cute.

Fang Chuan's expression was deep: "I think she looks like a missile."

Yan Ling was full of question marks: "What the heck?"

Were her ears malfunctioning? Who looks like a missile?

Fang Chuan continued to elaborate: "The kind with a wide range of destructive power and its own death BGM."

He continued to fantasize. If they air-dropped Liu Mumu during a war, how much trouble could that solve?

When the enemy was defeated, they could say during negotiations, "We promise not to be the first to use a weapon of mass destruction like Liu Mumu."

Tsk tsk tsk, that would be quite the display of power.

"What on earth are you thinking about, smiling like that?" Yan Ling looked at Fang Chuan and asked curiously.

Fang Chuan's expression was slightly awkward: "Just thinking."

He couldn't say it out loud, otherwise, Liu Master, whose heart was as small as a needle point, would definitely make him pay.

Liu Mumu returned the birthday cake to the dormitory and found that Xue Lan was no longer there.

She asked Wei Xue, who was combing her hair, with some surprise: "Where's Lanlan?"

"Xu Anze was looking for her downstairs just now, and they went out," Wei Xue said calmly. After speaking, she glanced at Liu Mumu, "What about you? Do you have plans later?"

"Yes, I have a date," Liu Mumu replied happily.

Although Fang Chuan was the one who invited her to dinner, it was Yan Xiu who made the call! She unilaterally decided that this was their first date.

At ten-thirty, Yan Xiu, who was forcibly "dating," drove to pick her up.

Liu Mumu rushed over, opened the car door, and got in.

Then she found Fang Chuan and Yan Ling sitting side-by-side in the back seat. She silently turned her head away, two dazzling light bulbs.

"Hey, hey, don't be so obviously disgusted. I'm paying today," Fang Chuan couldn't help but say.

Liu Mumu said mischievously: "Are you implying that I can order two lobsters today?"

"...There are no lobsters. Please don't try to bankrupt me. It's not easy for me to earn a salary."

Liu Mumu chuckled: "Does Master Liu need me to calculate your fortune?"

"No, thank you. Please let me continue to be poor." Fang Chuan gratefully refused, terrified that she would calculate his fortune one second and then drag him to his death the next.

Who could afford a master whose fortune-telling came with a life-ending debuff!

When they arrived at the restaurant, she realized it was indeed just a casual meal.

However, Fang Chuan at least had the sense to request a private room, so it wasn't too casual.

While eating, Liu Mumu learned from their conversation that Master Ning, who had harmed the entire Zhan Family, had died of a sudden heart attack on his way to Jing City.

Although there was a slight snag at the end, Fang Chuan had managed to capture the person and received praise from headquarters. This was also the reason he was treating them; he wanted to thank Liu Mumu, who had helped him greatly.

"Doesn't Ning Yuan have someone pulling the strings behind him?" Liu Mumu asked curiously.

"How could there not be? It's a shame we only got limited information and couldn't get him to reveal the most important part," Fang Chuan still felt regret. Ning Yuan was probably counting on the person behind him to save him, but who knew he'd be silenced.

Yan Ling, however, offered comfort, "Solving this case has saved many people. Ning Yuan isn't the only one like him. Headquarters has been targeting some so-called overseas investment companies. Following their leads, they uncovered several companies, all of which were part of a setup."

Liu Mumu shuddered, "Like the Zhan family? There's more than one?"

"Exactly. Fortunately, we discovered it in time."

Liu Mumu thought that her rash involvement in this case hadn't resulted in a worse outcome than she'd imagined.

Stepping back from the event itself, many people survived because of it. It seemed like something worth celebrating.

"Come, come, let's toast to our shared case," Fang Chuan raised a glass of plain water.

Uncharacteristically, Liu Mumu clinked her glass against his without complaint.

After dinner, Liu Mumu went to the bathroom, and Fang Chuan went to pay the bill. Only the siblings, Yan Xiu and Yan Ling, were left in the private room.

Yan Ling sidled up to Yan Xiu, asking curiously, "Brother, why did you tell Mumu all that?"

Yan Xiu glanced at her. "She helped out. Isn't it normal for her to understand the subsequent impact of her actions?"

"But I think..." Before Yan Ling could finish, under her cousin's indifferent gaze, she changed her tune. "I think you're absolutely right."

Putting other things aside, someone who could figure out the murderer's whereabouts just by sitting in the police station was truly terrifying. If her brother wasn't here, she'd consider tricking Liu Mumu into coming to headquarters.

After dinner, Liu Mumu returned to school in a good mood.

When she got back to the dormitory, Wei Xue and Qian Xiaomeng were there. Xue Lan still hadn't returned.

In fact, after finishing dinner, Xue Lan and Xu Anze had planned to go back early and treat Liu Mumu and the others to dinner that evening.

Everything was planned perfectly, but when they reached the dormitory building, they had a disagreement about the evening's arrangements.

Xu Anze said to her, "Lanlan, I hope you can attend Zhuo Ran's birthday banquet with me tonight."

Xue Lan was still holding a bouquet of roses he had given her. Suddenly, she found the scent of the flowers a bit pungent.

"Why do I have to go?" Xue Lan looked up at him. Because of the heat, her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Her skin was already fair, and her current appearance made her look radiant.

Just like the first time she saw her, a lively and cheerful girl whose eyes seemed to speak.

Now, her eyes were filled with refusal.

Xu Anze could only ignore all of this. He said, "Zhuo Ran's uncle specifically came from Jing City to attend her birthday banquet. He heard that you and Zhuo Ran share the same birthday and insisted on inviting you to the banquet."

"What does that have to do with me?" Xue Lan found it amusing. Did she need to consider what Zhuo Ran's uncle thought?

Xu Anze lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "I accepted on your behalf."

"Xu Anze, why would you think I want to accompany you to Zhuo Ran's birthday banquet?" Xue Lan felt so angry for the first time. "You know I hate her, so why did you make the decision for me?"

"Lanlan, I can't refuse her elder."

"You owe the Zhuo family, so as your girlfriend, I have to compromise? But I don't owe her anything." Xue Lan was so angry her hands trembled. She didn't understand why Xu Anze had become like this.

Xu Anze tightly gripped her hand. "Lanlan, just this once. After she celebrates her twentieth birthday, my grudges with the Zhuo family will be settled. I won't have to listen to her anymore. I know you're unhappy. I'll celebrate your birthday from now on, and there will be no one else, okay?"

Xue Lan bit her lip, her eyes slightly reddened.

Just once...

She felt very tired. Since he knew she didn't like it, why did he agree for her? Just to make Zhuo Ran's uncle and Zhuo Ran happy?

Her birthday only came once a year. Why waste it on irrelevant people?

Wei Xue had told her that compromise only happened zero or countless times. She now understood what that meant.

When Zhuo Ran invited her to the birthday banquet, Wei Xue had already foreseen this situation, hadn't she?

Xu Anze was still the same Xu Anze. His complete devotion to her before was only because Zhuo Ran wasn't around.

Can things you're used to be cut off just like that?

Xue Lan thought Wei Xue was right. She really needed to think carefully about whether to continue this relationship. Otherwise, things like this would just keep happening.

"Lanlan?" Xu Anze looked at her expectantly.

Xue Lan pulled her hand out of his. "I understand. I'll go with my dorm mates tonight. You don't need to pick me up."

Let it be the final farewell.

After attending this birthday banquet, she could also say goodbye to her past self.

She walked into the dormitory building, carrying the flowers Xu Anze had given her, without looking back at him.

Back in the dormitory, she casually placed the flowers on the table and announced to the three people in the room, "I agreed to attend Zhuo Ran's birthday banquet."

No one showed any particular reaction.

Then Xue Lan continued, "I plan to break up with Aze after attending this birthday banquet."

The words were out, and for a fleeting moment, she froze, a faint ache blooming in her heart. She had always thought that she and Aze would smoothly get through four years of university, then work in the same city, naturally get married, and live together forever.

But all of that was about to be terminated by her own hand before it even had a chance to begin.

Xue Lan hadn't even had time to feel sad before Wei Xue and the others bombarded her with three "Congratulations."

"Congratulations," the three roommates said in unison, their joyous expressions as if they had won the lottery.

Such a scene made it difficult to continue feeling sad.

Forget it, Xue Lan thought, Xiaomeng was right. Having one person in a thousand mutually love you is just because you know too few people.

If the scope were broadened, there were at least millions of men in the world waiting to fall in love with her. She had only lost one boyfriend; there were still so many potential boyfriends lined up, waiting to get to know her.

Thinking about it this way... it actually seemed quite promising?

Xue Lan covered her face, feeling that ever since she moved into this dormitory, her way of thinking had been racing wildly in a strange direction.

At six in the evening, the four girls from Xue Lan's dormitory arrived outside Yuehua Hotel.

There were quite a few other students who had also been invited, some from the student union, and some they had seen at the Welcome Party.

Liu Mumu and the others overheard someone walking in front of them say to their companion, "I heard this hotel belongs to Zhuo Ran's family. They've closed it for a day specially for her birthday."

"Such a grand gesture? It's just her twentieth birthday, is it really that exaggerated?" another girl asked, puzzled.

"Who knows."

As soon as they entered the hotel doors, they saw Zhuo Ran, dressed in a formal dress and wearing a delicate diamond crown tiara.

She stood beside a middle-aged man, with Xu Anze standing not far from them.

Seeing Xue Lan and the others arrive, Zhuo Ran's face broke into a smile, and she personally came forward, saying to her, "Thank you for coming to my birthday banquet."

After speaking, she turned to the middle-aged man beside her and introduced, "Uncle, this is Xue Lan, Anze's girlfriend. We share the same birthday, isn't that a coincidence?"

The middle-aged man grunted and looked at Xue Lan with a scrutinizing gaze.

His gaze made her feel like she was being stared at by a cold-blooded animal.

Xue Lan felt uncomfortable and moved closer to Liu Mumu. Only then did the man withdraw his gaze.

"Please come in," he said, gesturing for them to enter, and then turned back to Zhuo Ran to receive the next guest.

Xu Anze stepped forward at this moment, "Lanlan, you..."

Xue Lan dodged his outstretched hand and said softly, "Let's talk after the banquet."

Xu Anze knew she was still angry and didn't press further.

She had thought that with elders present at Zhuo Ran's birthday banquet, everyone would be reserved. Who knew that after the banquet began, her uncle left, leaving only a group of young people to revel in the hotel lobby.

Some danced to the music, some sang on stage, and a few found a table to play cards.

Zhuo Ran seemed very interested in the card game. Not only did she participate, but she also had someone bring down a pile of exquisitely wrapped gift boxes from the second floor.

The gift boxes, large and small, were piled up like a small mountain. She said to those around her, "These are all gifts from relatives and friends. I don't know what's inside. Let's use them as stakes. Whoever loses gets to take a gift from here. It'll let everyone share in the birthday person's good luck, what do you say?"

Since she had put it that way, no one refused.

The card game was the simplest game of Ghost Card. Players could discard pairs of cards they drew, then draw again in turn until the Ghost Card fell into someone's hand, and that person lost.

Zhuo Ran said that the person who got the Ghost Card last could take a gift, and everyone began to eagerly compete for a single Ghost Card.

Liu Mumu and the others were also in the crowd of onlookers, watching with great interest. The game progressed quickly. After three rounds, three people had already picked out gifts from Zhuo Ran.

One of them had picked out a watch worth tens of thousands. The person wanted to return the watch to Zhuo Ran, but she just smiled and didn't take it back.

In the end, everyone was drawn to the Ghost Card game on their side. People squeezed together, quickly pushing Xue Lan and the others to the very front.

There were still over twenty gift boxes that Zhuo Ran had people bring down. Someone opened a gemstone brooch, and someone else opened a high-end skincare product. The items were diverse.

Xue Lan was just watching the fun and didn't want to participate.

Unexpectedly, after seeing her, Zhuo Ran suddenly stood up and said to the others by the table, "Everyone, listen to me. Today is my birthday, and it's also Xue Lan's birthday. I hope for a showdown between the birthday girls."

After speaking, she smiled at Xue Lan and asked, "What do you think?"

It was just a game, and Xue Lan wasn't one to refuse a challenge. She gracefully sat down, "Okay, let's begin then."

"Don't rush. I've asked someone to get a new deck of cards. Let's switch decks."

Xue Lan had no objections. She sat in her chair and waited. Soon, someone brought Zhuo Ran a new deck of playing cards. The cards were in an exquisite wooden box. This deck seemed to be special. The last card, the Joker, didn't look like the other cards. Instead, it was a girl in an elaborate princess dress.

Her face was painted with a mask, and her lips were curved into an exaggerated smile, giving it a rather eerie feel, fitting for a Ghost Card.

Playing with one deck between two people was inevitably a bit slow.

Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The cards in both their hands were decreasing. She still had three cards left, and Zhuo Ran had four.