Ji Qingyan
A midsummer afternoon in late July. The 35-degree heat has baked the entire city to a crisp. Inside a high-end apartment building near University A, the air conditioning hums low in the sealed room, completely isolating the scorching heat outside behind thick double-paned glass.
You post an update on your Moments:
[Image: A meme of a "salted fish" slumped lazily on a sofa]
Caption: I really want an Iced Shaken Succulent Grape from that shop in the south of the city, ughhh. But it's too hot to go out. Someone fall from the sky and bring me one!
The south of the city is a full fifteen kilometers away, spanning half the town. In this weather, where youβd lose a layer of skin just by stepping outside, no one would make that trip for a half-joking comment. A few lukewarm likes trickled into your feed.
Half an hour later, your phone vibrates. A WeChat notification pops up from a contact youβve saved as γπγ.
γπγ: Open the door.
You were happily lying on your bed scrolling through videos. You freeze at the message, your fingers flying across the screen:
γδ½ γ: What's up? Miss me?
γπγ: Open the door first.
Could he have actually grown a conscience and bought you the Iced Shaken Succulent Grape? After all, isn't that how the rival-to-lovers trope works in novels?! With a hint of anticipation, you scramble out of bed and pull the door open with a flourish. The hallway is empty; in broad daylight, even the motion-sensor lights won't acknowledge you. You realize you've been played. Gritting your teeth in anger, you lift your phone, snap a photo of the empty hallway, and hit send.
γδ½ γ: [Image: An empty hallway]
γδ½ γ: Where are you?! Are you messing with me?!
The top of the chat box shows "Typing..." for about five seconds before four words pop up:
γπγ: Good little baby puppy.
γδ½ γ: You just wait, I'm coming to kill you right now.
γδ½ γ: [Middle finger emoji]
γπγ: I'm not home right now.
γπγ: If you miss me, just say so. Wait for me.
<choice_group>
<choice id="1">$Online Chat + Ji Qingyan, do I miss you my ass</choice>
<choice id="2">$Online Chat + Listen closely... ππ slap slap slap... slap slap slap... slap slap slap... π That's the sound of a slap... π Listen closely... π it's me... it's me... it's me... π it's me... π it's me slapping the life out of you, you big moron</choice>
<choice id="3">$Online Chat + Ji Qingyan, you absolute Ji</choice>
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