After the 99th Confession, The Cold School Beauty’s Personality Collapsed - Chapter 115:

Chapter 115: Let’s Chat in the Group:

Compared to the liveliness of the day, the university at night was peaceful and serene.

With the school term just beginning, most freshmen were completely drained by the rigors of military training. Their initial excitement about college life was quickly overshadowed by exhaustion. After a day of relentless drills, they had no energy left for exploration or socializing and would collapse in their dorms, barely able to move.

As for the older students, they had long grown accustomed to the monotony of campus life. Some lazed in their dorm rooms, chatting or playing games, while the more studious ones buried themselves in books. This created an overall quiet atmosphere on campus.

Under the warm glow of streetlights lining the corridors, Shi Yulu and Hao Meng strolled toward their dormitory building.

Hao Meng, as usual, couldn’t stop talking. She complained about Qin Luo’s evasive answers earlier, then segued into praising his myriad talents, including his surprising computer skills. She eventually drifted to their earlier encounter in the restaurant, alternating between fear over what could have happened and gratitude that Qin Luo had stepped in to save them.

“Can you imagine if he hadn’t helped us?” Hao Meng said, shuddering. “That awful woman would have scammed us! But thanks to him, not only did we avoid being cheated, we also got the bad guy arrested and even received a pennant and 500 yuan. What a day!”

Despite her enthusiastic recounting, Shi Yulu remained unusually quiet, her gaze fixed on the ground.

“Yulu, why aren’t you saying anything?” Hao Meng asked, leaning closer to her friend’s ear. “What’s on your mind?”

“Ah?” Shi Yulu jolted out of her thoughts, quickly waving her hands. “It’s nothing! I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

Hao Meng narrowed her eyes, studying her friend. “You’re acting suspicious. Something’s up.”

“Am I? Really?” Shi Yulu said nervously, her expression betraying her guilt.

“Yes! You’ve always been an open book, Yulu. Whatever’s on your mind, it shows on your face. And right now, you look guilty! Spill it—what were you thinking about?”

“It’s nothing!” Shi Yulu insisted, though her flustered demeanor said otherwise.

“Don’t lie,” Hao Meng pressed. “You’ve been quiet and distracted ever since we got in the car. Do you expect me to believe you were just zoning out?”

“Alright, alright! Stop asking already!” Shi Yulu exclaimed, clearly cornered.

Her evasiveness only made Hao Meng more suspicious. After a moment of contemplation, she squinted at her friend and asked, “You’re not… thinking about Qin Luo, are you?”

“I’m not! I’m not! Don’t say such nonsense!” Shi Yulu’s denial came quickly, too quickly.

“If you’re not, then why are you overreacting when I mention him?” Hao Meng countered, her eyebrows arching knowingly.

“Did I overreact? Haha, it’s just your imagination…” Shi Yulu laughed awkwardly, but her facade crumbled under Hao Meng’s piercing gaze. Finally, she sighed in defeat. “Fine… I was thinking about him.”

Hao Meng’s eyes widened in shock. Though she had suspected it, hearing Shi Yulu admit it still left her stunned.

“Yulu, have you lost your mind? You don’t… like him, do you?”

Shi Yulu’s cheeks turned pink, and she stammered, “No! Of course not! I just feel…”

“Feel what?” Hao Meng urged.

Shi Yulu hesitated before admitting, “I just think he’s a good person. You don’t know how panicked I was at the restaurant earlier, but when he stepped in, everything felt okay.

“And when I almost fell by the roadside, he caught me so quickly. At that moment, I was completely stunned, but I also felt this overwhelming sense of safety in his arms.

“I don’t know if it was just fear, but my heart was racing, and I couldn’t even look him in the eye. It was so confusing…”

Hao Meng gasped dramatically. “Oh no, this is bad! You’ve definitely fallen for him! Don’t do this, Yulu! If you join this mess, our dorm is doomed. Qin Luo will wipe out our entire friend group!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shi Yulu said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like that. I think it’s just the gratitude of being helped in a vulnerable moment. That’s all. It’s definitely not love.”

“And besides,” she added after a pause, “he’s already been involved with Ji Yan and Jia Ting. Even though he and Jia Ting broke up, they’re still so close. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize our friendship by adding myself to that mess. You saw how tense things were between Ji Yan and Jia Ting in the dorm before. I don’t want any part of that battlefield.”

Hao Meng nodded solemnly. “That’s not just any battlefield—it’s a Shura Field,” she said, giving it a dramatic name.

Shi Yulu rolled her eyes again, brushing off her best friend’s antics.

Hao Meng caught up with her and said with relief, “Well, as long as you don’t have feelings for him, I’m not worried. Adding you to that chaos would make things way too complicated—even more intense than anything I’ve seen in anime!”

Then, her tone turned curious. “But seriously, what’s so great about Qin Luo? Ji Yan and Jia Ting are such amazing girls, and neither of them used to care about any guys. Now they’re delivering milk tea and breakfast to him like it’s second nature.”

She shook her head, baffled. “Why can’t they just move on? What’s so special about him? Is he secretly some kind of saint?”

Shi Yulu smiled faintly. “I think Qin Luo is a great guy. He’s a really good person.”

Hao Meng frowned, suddenly suspicious. “Why are you defending him like that?”

“Am I?” Shi Yulu deflected quickly. “I just think it’s not right to speak ill of him after he helped us.”

“Ah, well… that’s true,” Hao Meng admitted grudgingly. “But I still don’t get it. Ji Yan and Jia Ting are amazing in their own right. Why are they so obsessed with Qin Luo?”

Shi Yulu nodded in agreement. “I don’t understand it either. But maybe it’s like they say in books—love doesn’t need a reason.”

“Don’t start talking like Jia Ting,” Hao Meng said with a groan. “Her poetic way of speaking suits her, but it sounds so weird coming from you with your baby face and voice!”

“Shut up! Are you asking for a beating?” Shi Yulu huffed.

“Go ahead! I dare you! I like it when you’re mad but can’t actually do anything to me,” Hao Meng teased, sticking out her tongue.

“You—just wait!” Shi Yulu gave chase, their playful banter echoing in the night.

The two girls, full of youthful energy, entered the dormitory building and made their way back to Room 606, their shared sanctuary.

Before leaving their dormitory earlier, Hao Meng and Shi Yulu had planned to eat Japanese food together.

Jia Ting had declined, saying she needed to visit the library to study. Ji Yan, on the other hand, had told that her mother was hospitalized. While she hadn’t gone into details, she mentioned her mother would be staying in the hospital for some time. Ji Yan had left campus early, intending to work before visiting the hospital in the evening.

With just the two of them left, Hao Meng and Shi Yulu enjoyed their meal, but the events that unfolded made the evening unforgettable.

When they returned to their dorm room, they noticed the lights were already on—Jia Ting had returned. She was seated in her usual spot, a book in her hands, a cup of coffee on the table, exuding the serene vibe of a literary girl.

Hearing the door open, Jia Ting looked up and greeted them warmly.

Shi Yulu was about to respond when her eyes landed on the book Jia Ting was reading.

In the past, Jia Ting favored novels and prose with a light, youthful tone—books some might dismiss as “melodramatic fluff.” But today, the cover bore bold words: The Business World is a Battlefield.

Shi Yulu blinked in surprise. “Jia Ting, when did you start reading this kind of book?”

Jia Ting brushed a lock of hair from her face and replied lightly, “I had some free time, so I thought I’d take a look.”

Hao Meng leaned over to examine the book and exclaimed, “Wait, Yulu! Isn’t this written by your dad?”

Shi Yulu scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. “Not exactly. My dad didn’t write it himself. He found it annoying when reporters kept pestering him, so he had his secretary write it and put his name on it to keep them off his back.”

After a pause, she added, “His secretary’s been with him for years, so the book is probably well-written, but I don’t understand any of it.”

“It’s actually a good read,” Jia Ting said, nodding. “Your father’s achievements are extraordinary. His secretary, having worked closely with him, must have absorbed a lot of knowledge. Naturally, the book reflects that.”

“Have you learned anything from it?” Hao Meng asked curiously.

Jia Ting shook her head. “It’s my first time reading this type of book, so I haven’t grasped much yet.”

Hao Meng patted her shoulder. “No big deal. You’re just reading to pass the time anyway. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand.”

As she glanced at Jia Ting’s desk, another book caught her eye. The title made her blink in disbelief: One Hundred Tips for Competing for Men.

Beneath the title was an even more striking subtitle: What to Do If You Encounter a Rival in Love? Fight for It! Love Is War. If You Can’t Fight for Love, You Don’t Deserve to Call It Love!

Hao Meng gulped, her gaze darting to Jia Ting.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Meng?” Jia Ting asked, noticing her expression.

Hao Meng didn’t respond, her eyes still fixed on the book. Jia Ting followed her gaze and, realizing what Hao Meng had seen, sprang into action.

With lightning speed, she snatched the book from the desk and tossed it onto her bed.

The swift, almost choreographed movement left Hao Meng and Shi Yulu stunned.

Hao Meng, regaining her composure, asked delicately, “Jia Ting… is that book also just for passing the time?”

Jia Ting’s expression didn’t falter. Maintaining her calm demeanor, she replied, “Oh, that? A friend left it here, and I haven’t had the chance to return it. I’m not interested in that kind of book myself.”

Her tone was casual, but the slight twitch at the corners of her mouth hinted otherwise.

Hao Meng resisted the urge to call her out, ‘Ting’er, has anyone ever told you that you’re terrible at lying?’

While Hao Meng often spoke her mind, she decided against pressing further. Jia Ting’s strained expression said enough, and the implications of the book were too obvious to ignore.

It was clearly a guide on how to “win” a man. And Jia Ting was reading it to prepare for her ongoing rivalry with Ji Yan over Qin Luo.

The realization that her disciplined, self-sufficient friend had resorted to such a book left Hao Meng with mixed feelings. She wanted to say something but ultimately kept her thoughts to herself.

Instead, she changed the subject. “By the way, we ran into Qin Luo during dinner…”

The words were barely out of her mouth when she felt a sharp, piercing gaze.

Jia Ting, who had been trying to appear unaffected, suddenly radiated intensity. Her calm demeanor remained, but her presence felt charged.

“Really?” she asked, her tone deceptively casual. “How did you meet him?”

Before Hao Meng could answer, the dormitory alarm clock went off, signaling that it was 10:30 p.m.—lights out time.

Shi Yulu quickly spoke up, “It’s time to turn off the lights.”

Jia Ting nodded. “Yes, it’s getting late. We should rest. Let’s chat in the group instead.”

Chat in the group? Hao Meng thought, her heart sinking.

The group chat included Ji Yan, and discussing Qin Luo there would inevitably spark conflict. Building a separate chat just to avoid Ji Yan would be risky—if she found out, it would strain their friendship further.

But talking about Qin Luo in the group with both Jia Ting and Ji Yan? 

That was a recipe for disaster.

Hao Meng’s mind flashed back to the book Jia Ting had just thrown onto her bed. Her teeth clenched involuntarily, as if her wisdom teeth and molars were waging war. She regretted ever mentioning Qin Luo.

Realizing she couldn’t backtrack now, she shot a warning glance at Shi Yulu, silently urging her to avoid saying anything unnecessary.

But when she looked, she found Shi Yulu zoning out again, her mind seemingly miles away.

Hao Meng’s expression twisted into a mix of frustration and disbelief. Yulu! Of all times, why now?!