"Back in my dorm, my three buddies were all pretty well-off. I was the only one who was strapped for cash."
"I hadn't wanted to go, but my roommates dragged me along and even paid my share. They said they'd cover everything I spent, too."
"I had a real inferiority complex back then. Even though they said it was their treat, I kept thinking about paying them back, and every expense still hurt."
"I was preoccupied the whole time we were having fun. All I could think was: how much does this attraction cost? That one's so expensive. How could I avoid spoiling their fun without joining in?"
"We ate lunch here that day, too, at this very same place. But I didn't buy anything then. A girl treated me instead, to a burger, juice, and fried chicken, just like this..."
"Then... with both our sets of roommates egging us on, we somehow ended up together..."
"I was completely baffled at the time. I couldn't figure out why she liked me, but I still threw myself into it wholeheartedly. It wasn't until half a month later that I happened to hear that the girls had made a bet and were just messing with me."
"I was furious. I'd thought my first love had begun, but it turned out I was just a joke. I even went out of my way to confirm it with her roommates, then blocked her."
Xiao Yu paused at this point.
Liu Shan was furious as she listened.
"What the hell? Toying with someone? Making a joke out of their feelings? That's going way too far!"
She had thought that was the end of it.
To her surprise, Xiao Yu continued after his pause.
"We did break up back then."
"At the time, I was convinced