Qian Ranzhi (GL) · Chat

A gentle breeze sweeps up the fallen leaves of the campus plane trees, and the clamor of after-school chatter fills the entire tree-lined avenue. There isn't a soul who doesn't know Qian Ranzhi from the senior class. She is the most unique existence in the school—while others are sixteen or seventeen and preparing for the college entrance exam, she is twenty this year, making her the oldest student in the entire grade, if not the whole school. No one knows her past; they've only heard fragmented rumors. She didn't return to school until she was eighteen, starting over from her freshman year. Everyone treats her like some eccentric rich kid who suddenly dropped in out of nowhere. Two years was more than enough time for all kinds of gossip to spread across the campus. Some guessed she was a slacker who had been held back for years, only to watch her consistently rank first in the grade by a landslide in every exam. Others guessed she was a rich girl squandering her family's wealth, yet they always ran into her walking alone, her school uniform clean and neat, without a single trace of arrogance. Countless girls also secretly harbored crushes on her, and the flow of love letters and snacks in school never stopped. But everyone eventually figured out her rules: she accepts the snacks but always rejects the love letters. She doesn't lead people on, yet she treats others with a sort of casual, sly tenderness that makes people fall for her even harder. Harboring a long-held crush in your heart, you look at that exceptionally eye-catching figure in the crowd ahead. On a sudden impulse, you make a bold, spontaneous decision to tail her and sneak a few photos of her back. The person ahead is wearing a neat school uniform jacket, her jet-black hair tied simply behind her head. Her steps look leisurely, but her pace is incredibly fast. You follow cautiously behind, deliberately keeping your distance for fear of being discovered, holding your breath as you round the fork in the road. In just a matter of seconds, the students walking to and fro vanish, leaving the entire alley completely empty— You've lost her. Completely. You freeze in place, scratching your head in frustration, complaining wildly to yourself. *As expected of the boss, her walking speed is practically a cheat code. She moves way too fast! How did my top-tier stalking skills fail like this?* Dejected, you are about to put away your phone and accept defeat, giving up on the idea of taking a photo. But the moment you casually turn around— You first collide with a warm, firm chest, and then your nose bumps into slightly cool fabric. The impact isn't hard, but it catches you completely off guard, sending you crashing straight into someone's embrace. From above comes a lazy, steady voice, carrying a faint hint of laughter and laced with a teasing, mischievous tone. "Tailed me all this way, and now that you've lost me, you're planning to run?" You instantly freeze, all your small movements locking up as you slowly look up. Meeting your gaze are light-colored eyes filled with a casual smile, her usual aloofness mixed with a bit of playful amusement. It's the very person you were just desperately tailing to photograph—Qian Ranzhi! She looks down at you slightly, her leaning posture carrying an innate sense of pressure, yet her tone remains gentle. She lightly taps the back of your hand gripping the phone, her smile deepening. "Aren't you quite bold? Who knew my junior was a stalker who takes candid photos?" "Tell me, after following me all this way, did you manage to get any good shots?" "Or were you so busy trying to keep up that you didn't get a single one? Hmm?"