Chapter Sixteen
Su Louzhi tossed her phone aside, her cheeks still burning. The words from the forum swirled in her mind, refusing to leave. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally emptying her thoughts and calling out softly in her mind: System.
【Host, hello. I'm here.】The System's steady voice sounded.
Su Louzhi thought for a moment, carefully organizing her words: System, last time I guessed Shen Boyang was the male lead, and you said I was right. But now I know that Ji Kailan's background is just as impressive, maybe even more dazzling than Shen Boyang's... Why isn't he the male lead?
The System paused for a second. 【This world is vast, and there will be many people more dazzling than Shen Boyang. If we only took the most dazzling one as the male lead, then what about everyone else?】
Su Louzhi was stunned for a moment. She thought it over, then said a bit defiantly: But... in typical romance novels, isn't the male lead the most dazzling one?
【From a reader's perspective, yes. Because the author will inevitably write more about the male lead.】The System's tone was unhurried. 【But from a mother's perspective, her child is the most dazzling, even if he's utterly ordinary. From a lover's perspective, her beloved is also the most dazzling—otherwise, why would she love him?】
【Using the term 'most dazzling' to define a person is itself imprecise.】
Su Louzhi blinked. That... kind of made sense?
But she still had a question: Then when Senior Ji and Shen Boyang walk together, doesn't he overshadow Shen Boyang?
【Ji Kailan's role positioning is a bit like yours, host.】The System said. 【You are the female lead's roommate. In theory, the female lead sees you every day, but your appearances are few because your role in advancing their relationship is limited to a few specific times.】
【Ji Kailan is the same. His appearances in the book aren't many either. And...】The System paused. 【For those who hold each other in their hearts, no matter how dazzling others are, they can't compare to the one in their own heart.】
Su Louzhi understood. She was silent for a while, slowly digesting these words, and then she had a strange realization.
So...
Senior Ji and I are alike—both of us are just extras in the book?
For some reason, after coming to this conclusion, Su Louzhi actually felt like laughing.
Ji Kailan, that senior who was worshipped by all the girls in the school as the cold and aloof male god, the one who, according to legend, only had Shen Boyang by his side for three years—he was actually just an extra?
If the people on the forum knew...
As she thought about it, she really couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth. Then, as if possessed, she tapped on the chat pinned to the top of her WeChat. Speaking of that pin, she had to thank the third day of the National Day holiday.
That day in the library, Ji Kailan was tutoring her. They were sitting very close, so close that if she turned her head she could catch the clean scent of him. Su Louzhi's phone was lying openly on the desk, screen facing up.
Suddenly, the phone lit up.
Su Louzhi casually picked it up, not at all hiding it from Ji Kailan. She opened it and saw a message from Qin Qingyan: 【Call Me Qin Queen: Zhizhi, how's your National Day? Bored? I just got a breather. Want me to come keep you company?】
Su Louzhi quickly replied: 【Silent Little Tail: No need, no need. I'm in the library reviewing now. My schedule is packed every day!】
Qin Qingyan replied quickly: 【Call Me Qin Queen: Okay, then go for it, Zhizhi! I'm relieved.】
Su Louzhi sent a cute cat emoji over, then backed out to the message list. Just then, Ji Kailan's voice came from beside her.
“Zhizhi doesn't get many messages, does she?”
Su Louzhi was taken aback. She followed his gaze to her phone screen.
On the screen, the message list was clean, unlike that of a typical college student's WeChat. Excluding Ji Kailan, the top chats were her three roommates: Qin Qingyan, Liu Mengting, and Jiang Yi. Then there were a series of group chats: the dorm group, the class group, the college notice group. And below that... nothing else.
She nodded a little sheepishly, lowered her head, and typed: 【Mm, I'm quite introverted. Since I was little, I've only been familiar with my deskmate and roommates. I'm not close to anyone else in the class. I know few people, so I get few messages.】
Ji Kailan read the line, trailing his final syllable slightly: “I see—”
Then, suddenly, he leaned his face in closer.
They were already sitting close, but now they were even closer. So close that Su Louzhi felt she could count every one of his eyelashes.
Ji Kailan's eyes were smiling, his voice gentle as if coaxing a child: “Then Zhizhi, can I have the honor of becoming the person who chats with Zhizhi the most?”
Su Louzhi blinked. What did this mean?
“I want Zhizhi to pin my chat to the top.” Ji Kailan continued, his tone laced with anticipation. “From now on, I'll send Zhizhi messages every day, okay?”
Su Louzhi looked at those smiling eyes and, again as if possessed, nodded.
Ji Kailan's smile deepened. He said, “Then let me take care of this little ritual, shall I?”
Before Su Louzhi could react, he had already extended his hand toward her.
She blankly handed him her phone.
Ji Kailan took it, long-pressed on his own chat, and pinned it to the top.
Then he tapped on the notes section.
“Even though Zhizhi has always called me Senior Ji,” he said as he typed, “I've always hoped that Zhizhi might have the chance to call me Kailan in the future. So I took the liberty of changing the note.”
He handed the phone back. Su Louzhi looked down.
【Kailan】
She was stunned.
Ji Kailan also took out his own phone and, right in front of her, opened WeChat, pinned her chat to the top, and turned the screen to show her. In the notes section, her name was written neatly.
【Zhizhi】
Su Louzhi stared at those two characters. For some reason, her face felt a little hot.
Su Louzhi opened Ji Kailan's chat, her finger hovering over the keyboard.
She wanted to say something.
But what should she say?
She had just said goodnight not long ago. Would it be weird to send another message now?
She stared at the 【Kailan】 note, her brows practically knotting in hesitation.
Just then, a message suddenly popped up at the top of the screen.
【J: Zhizhi, is there something you want to say to me?】
Su Louzhi was startled. Her finger twitched, and the phone slipped, smacking her right in the face.
She covered her nose, tears nearly welling up from the pain. Luckily, she couldn't make a sound; otherwise, that cry of pain would definitely have woken her roommates.
Rubbing her nose, she typed with one hand: 【Silent Little Tail: How did Senior Ji know I was looking for you?】
The reply came quickly: 【J: Because Zhizhi's chat box has been showing 'typing...' the whole time.】
Su Louzhi: “...”
She stared at the line, her face slowly heating up.
So all that time she was hesitating, Ji Kailan had been watching that 'typing...' indicator... and received nothing?
She quickly typed an explanation: 【Silent Little Tail: It's just that my roommate just told me someone took our photo and posted it on the school forum. I was a bit worried, and I didn't want to cause any trouble for Senior Ji.】
Ji Kailan replied instantly: 【J: It won't. I rarely check the forum anyway. But Zhizhi, does it bother you?】
Su Louzhi thought for a moment and typed: 【Silent Little Tail: Same as Senior Ji. If my roommate hadn't told me, I wouldn't have even known there was a forum.】
【J: That's good.】Ji Kailan replied. 【J: Zhizhi doesn't need to check the forum anymore. Since neither of us looks at it, what's on there can't affect us.】
Su Louzhi looked at the line and felt inexplicably at ease.
Sleepiness finally crept up on her.
She rubbed her eyes and typed: 【Silent Little Tail: Okay, Senior Ji. I understand. I'll sleep now. I'm a little sleepy. Goodnight, Senior Ji.】
【J: Goodnight, Zhizhi.】Ji Kailan replied quickly. 【J: Sweet dreams.】
Su Louzhi stared at those two words for a couple of seconds, curved the corners of her mouth, put her phone by her pillow, and closed her eyes.