Me, I'll Catch You Too

Arriving at the dormitory door, Hu Yuying gently knocked.

"Come in," a voice replied.

Hearing this, Hu Yuying pushed the door open and peeked inside.

"Yuying?" Li Qingxue's eyes first flashed with surprise upon seeing her, then gradually dimmed.

"Qingxue," Hu Yuying smiled softly as she stepped into the dorm, nodding at Qingxue's roommates. "Hello."

"Hi, hi!"

They had often heard Li Qingxue mention Hu Yuying—her hometown friend and close confidante.

Now that they heard Qingxue call out "Yuying," they greeted her warmly.

Li Qingxue quickly got up from her bed. "Yuying, what brings you here?"

Hu Yuying walked further in, waving the items in her hand. "Qingxue, I brought you something."

It was a square cake, an electric kettle, a bag of brown sugar, and some ginger slices she had bought on the way back.

The cake was expected—she had mentioned bringing one back over QQ earlier.

But seeing the kettle, brown sugar, and ginger, Li Qingxue couldn’t help but chuckle. Yuying seemed to have misunderstood something.

Still, the care behind the gesture moved her deeply.

"Brother Long asked me to bring these for you. Let me make you some ginger brown sugar water first. You can have the cake later, okay?"

As she spoke, she began filling the kettle from the water dispenser to prepare the drink.

Li Qingxue froze at Hu Yuying’s words, her gaze fixed on the kettle. "W-wait, Long Aotian told you to bring this?"

Hu Yuying nodded, a sweet, almost dreamy smile playing on her lips. "I went to see Brother Long today..."

Li Qingxue bit her lip, emotions clashing inside her. Long Aotian had noticed she wasn’t feeling well and immediately bought these things for her.

She trusted Hu Yuying wouldn’t lie to her, and Long Aotian’s concern felt genuine.

He really was a good person, and Hu Yuying was a friend she could rely on.

Watching Hu Yuying fuss over her, Li Qingxue suddenly understood how she must have felt back then.

Torn between her feelings for Brother Long and her friendship with Hu Yuying...

And yet, she had said such thoughtless things to Yuying. If she could turn back time, she’d take those words back.

But time only moved forward.

"Qingxue, what’s on your mind? Don’t space out—be careful, it’s hot." After the water boiled, Hu Yuying poured a cup and handed it over, laughing at Li Qingxue’s dazed expression.

Staring at Hu Yuying, Li Qingxue almost called her a fool, an idiot.

Even after she’d confessed her feelings for Long Aotian, Yuying didn’t push her away or grow distant. Instead, she came to care for her, even if it was based on a misunderstanding...

"Thank you, Yuying." Li Qingxue took the cup carefully, beaming.

Seeing her smile, Hu Yuying smiled too.

Li Qingxue’s smile was beautiful, and Hu Yuying loved seeing it.

To her, Li Qingxue was simply a wonderful friend—no strings attached.

"Don’t mention it."

Brother Long was the first big brother figure she’d made friends with, and Qingxue was her second close friend.

Hu Yuying could feel Li Qingxue’s kindness, and she wanted to return it—not just with words.

Hearing this, Li Qingxue set the cup down, pouting playfully as she spread her arms.

Hu Yuying couldn’t help but laugh at the adorable sight before stepping forward for a hug.

Unlike Brother Long’s firmness, Qingxue’s body was soft. Despite looking just as slender, there was a plush, almost baby-like roundness to her—so comfortable.

Li Qingxue, too, loved hugging Hu Yuying, whose petite frame was just as supple...

"Qingxue?" Hu Yuying trembled slightly, her face flushing as she whispered, squirming to escape the hand now groping her backside.

"Yuying, you’ve got quite the figure," Li Qingxue teased, her playful nature taking over. For now, she pushed aside her tangled emotions and focused on the moment.

Hu Yuying’s face reddened further. "Y-you... I’ll get you back!"

The two roommates still in the dorm couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. To them, Li Qingxue and Hu Yuying shared an enviable bond.

Li Qingxue scooted over, making space for Hu Yuying to lie down. They pulled out their phones and logged into their online store page.

Hu Yuying shared her ideas with Li Qingxue.

"I think you should design a fusion style for the shop—modern trends blended with classical elegance. And you’re practically a living mannequin!"

Li Qingxue then shared her own thoughts.

Her approach was straightforward: her outgoing personality made her perfect for shooting her own promotional content to post on QQ.

"Yuying, if you trust me, we can film together. I can help promote you," she offered confidently—her social circle was wide.

Just then, both their QQ notifications chimed.

It was their group chat, which only had three members.

A video call request popped up.

When Lin Wanning’s cool, composed face appeared on screen and saw Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue lying side by side, her expression faltered for a split second.

Noticing her reaction, both Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue covered their mouths, stifling giggles.

Realizing she’d jumped to conclusions, Lin Wanning quickly joined the conversation.

"Sounds good. There’s a performance coming up at my school soon. If I place well, I can help promote us too."

"Speaking of which, we’ve never even heard you sing," Li Qingxue pointed out.

Hu Yuying nodded in agreement.

"How about we meet up this afternoon?" Lin Wanning suggested.

"Deal."

The distance from A University to the music academy was only three kilometers—a short trip for youth like theirs...

[Yuying: "Hurry up and send us some energy, or Qingxue, Wanning, and I will come after you next!"]