Actually Quite Popular

Sun Yue had been Zhou Yuwen's class monitor in high school. They hadn't had much to do with each other. Her grades had always been excellent, but she was plain-looking, and her personality was rigid and dull.

He hadn't expected her to be interested in Zhou Yuwen.

That really was amusing.

Chen Rongrong made an even more sarcastic remark. Folding her arms over her ample chest, she chuckled and said, "I can't believe she actually likes men."

"Pfft!" Shi Zhenzhen chuckled at that. "Rongrong, you're so mean!"

Dong Xue suddenly asked Chen Rongrong, "By the way, have you been in touch with Zhou Yuwen since graduation?"

The question caught Chen Rongrong off guard, and for a moment she didn't know how to answer. Seeing the looks Shi Zhenzhen and Dong Xue gave her, she felt a little guilty, afraid they already knew she and Zhou Yuwen had been living together for over a month.

"Why... why are you asking?"

"I was just asking."

"I know!" Before Dong Xue could finish, Shi Zhenzhen turned to Chen Rongrong as if she had some juicy gossip to share. "Hey, Rongrong, let me tell you, Xue'er likes Zhou Yuwen! Let's help her out later!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Dong Xue was speechless.

Hadn't she just asked a casual question?

"Hee-hee, Rongrong, let me tell you!"

Shi Zhenzhen pulled Chen Rongrong aside to whisper to her, completely failing to notice that Chen Rongrong's expression had changed several times when she mentioned that Dong Xue liked Zhou Yuwen.

Shi Zhenzhen told Chen Rongrong that back in high school, Dong Xue had said Zhou Yuwen was good-looking.

"A few days ago, she even asked me whether Zhou Yuwen had a girlfriend!"

"What? A few days ago, I said Zhou Yuwen was studying in Nanjing too, and that we could keep in touch more." Shi Zhenzhen's words made Dong Xue blush a little.

Why does it feel like Shi Zhenzhen's an idiot...

But if she really can help me...

Dong Xue glanced at Chen Rongrong, only to see her frowning. When she saw Dong Xue looking at her, her brow relaxed, but she offered no opinion on the matter.

"I can't help you with that."

Dong Xue wasn't all that fond of Zhou Yuwen. But now that she had graduated from high school, she watched one person after another make their relationship official on their social media feeds, and she wanted to find a boyfriend too.

But there wasn't a single boy around her; Shen Ding was the only one she was close to.

And she certainly couldn't date Shen Ding.

After turning it over in her mind, she felt that Zhou Yuwen was the only suitable choice.

Especially during their last few interactions, Zhou Yuwen had always given off a faint sense of distance.

It was hard to describe.

In any case, he was very "cool."

She really did want to see how this "foolish woman" Shi Zhenzhen would bring her and Zhou Yuwen closer together.

The three girls sat in the milk tea shop for a while. At four o'clock, they said it was about time and headed to the KTV together.

By then, Shen Ding had already spent quite some time getting things ready at the KTV.

He had ordered two dozen beers and a fruit platter.

There was also the birthday cake he had ordered in advance.

When he saw the three girls arrive, Shen Ding immediately went over to greet them with a smile. "You're finally here! I've been waiting forever!"

Dong Xue looked around the room. "Didn't you say four o'clock? Why are you the only one here? Where's Zhou Yuwen?"

"He said he had something to do and would be a little late. We'll sing first, then eat the cake together when he gets here," Shen Ding replied.

The three girls sat down and began picking songs.

Shen Ding opened the beers and pushed the fruit platter to the spot closest to them.

Dong Xue and Shi Zhenzhen knew that Shen Ding liked Chen Rongrong.

So although they hadn't prepared presents for Shen Ding, they were willing to give him some time alone with Chen Rongrong.

They moved a little farther away from the two of them and said, "You don't need to look after us. Just go look after your goddess."

Shen Ding grinned and gave them a thumbs-up, thinking they were real bros.

Then he trotted eagerly over to Chen Rongrong, grinning. "Chen Rongrong."

"What do you want to sing? I'll queue it up for you."

Faced with Shen Ding acting like such a simp, Chen Rongrong felt a little awkward.

She hadn't had Zhou Yuwen before.

She could summon Shen Ding with a crook of her finger and send him away with a wave.

But now she had Zhou Yuwen, and he would be coming over later.

How was she supposed to tell Shen Ding about it?

"No need. I can pick my own songs..."

"Oh, okay. Do you want some fruit, then? Or take a look and see if you want to order anything else to eat?"

"Really, there's no need. It's your birthday today. You're the star..."

"What star? I just wanted everyone to get together. It doesn't matter whether it's my birthday or not."

Dong Xue and Shi Zhenzhen, meanwhile, were having a good time. They ate fruit as they picked out songs, choosing Fan Weiqi's "One Like Summer, One Like Autumn."

As soon as the music started, Chen Rongrong hurried over and said with a smile, "I know this one! Let me sing!"

The four of them sang and chatted like that. Shen Ding wanted to find a chance to talk to Chen Rongrong, but Chen Rongrong seemed to know every song, singing one after another.

Even Dong Xue couldn't stand watching anymore. "Hey, talk to him for a bit!"

"Exactly. It's his birthday, and you didn't bring him a present. You could at least talk to him," Shi Zhenzhen chimed in.

Chen Rongrong's face immediately showed her displeasure. "Then why don't you talk to him?"

Shi Zhenzhen opened her mouth to say that she wasn't the one he liked.

But before the words came out, Shen Ding waved his hand. "It's fine, it's fine. We came out to sing. What's there to talk about? Let's sing. Singing's better."

"Why isn't Zhou Yuwen here yet?" Dong Xue asked curiously.

"He should be here soon, right? I'll ask." Shen Ding took out his phone to check.

But just then, the door was pushed open, and the tall, straight-backed Zhou Yuwen walked in.

The KTV room was dimly lit. When Zhou Yuwen walked in, no one got a clear look at him at first; they only felt that he had a really nice figure.

Chen Rongrong was with Zhou Yuwen every day, so she hadn't noticed the changes in him.

But the others hadn't seen Zhou Yuwen since the college entrance exam.

It had been almost two months now, and Zhou Yuwen really had changed a lot. His shoulders were broad, his back straight, and his lines clean.

Regular morning runs had given him a well-proportioned physique.

Two months had been enough for him to shed the greenness of a high school student. He stood tall and steady.

Seeing his figure, Shi Zhenzhen wondered where this oppa had come from.

Only when her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw who it was did Shi Zhenzhen cry out in delight, "Zhou Yuwen!"

"Yeah."

Zhou Yuwen hadn't been sure he had found the right room either. Only after confirming that the people inside were familiar did he nod and answer.

"Whoa, bro, you're finally here! I'm the only guy here. It's so awkward!" Shen Ding went over to him too and smilingly slung an arm around Zhou Yuwen's shoulders.

"Wait, bro, you've changed so much?" As Shen Ding put his arm around Zhou Yuwen's shoulders, he could clearly feel how solidly built he was.

Zhou Yuwen handed Shen Ding a black box.

"What's this?" Shen Ding asked curiously.

"A present," Zhou Yuwen said.