Chapter 1

In the far corner of a booth, as blue-green lights swept across the bar, Ruan Xinyi instinctively closed her eyes.

Two seconds later, she reopened them slowly, stifling a yawn behind her hand as she idly stirred the milk in her glass with a straw, half-listening to her two roommates’ chatter.

“Xinyi.”

“Hmm?” Hearing her roommate Jiang Yun call her, Ruan Xinyi lazily sipped her milk and glanced up with a harmless smile. “What’s up?”

The warm-toned lighting fell perfectly on Ruan Xinyi’s face. Perhaps because she had just yawned, her eyes still held a faint drowsiness. Yet, her delicate features remained bright and clear, a blend of innocence and curiosity. Jiang Yun found herself momentarily entranced.

Snapping out of it with a pinch to her palm, Jiang Yun quickly took a large sip of her fruity cocktail to mask her awkwardness and mumbled, “You looked a bit sleepy. Shall we head back soon?”

A soft “mm” escaped Ruan Xinyi’s lips as she glanced at her watch. Smiling warmly at her roommates, she said in an understanding tone, “How about another thirty minutes? Let’s leave at 9:30.”

“Sure,” both roommates agreed without objection.

“Xinyi,” Jiang Yun teased, lightly pressing her glass to her lips, “this is your first time at a bar, isn’t it? What do you think? Aren’t there plenty of handsome guys and pretty girls here? Spotted anyone you like?”

Cheng Yue chimed in eagerly, “Exactly, Xinyi. If you have your eye on someone, Yun and I can help you get their contact info.”

Relaxing into her seat, Ruan Xinyi scanned the crowd with a calm expression. Curling her lips into a faint smile, she shook her head under her roommates’ expectant gazes. “Nope.”

Jiang Yun exaggerated a sigh, feigning disappointment. “Xinyi, your standards are way too high!”

Ruan Xinyi smiled but didn’t deny it. With a touch of longing, she added, “I want a proper relationship.”

Meeting someone at a bar didn’t feel right to her.

Though she didn’t voice this thought, both Jiang Yun and Cheng Yue understood her meaning.

Twirling a strand of hair that had fallen over her chest, Ruan Xinyi glanced toward the bar’s entrance almost absentmindedly. “But relationships… they’re all about fate.”

Neither roommate noticed the subtle pause in her tone or how her hand froze mid-motion.

“True, it’s all about fate sometimes…” Jiang Yun’s voice faded into the background as Ruan Xinyi focused entirely on the woman who had just entered the bar.

The woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Her features were refined and elegant—deep, striking eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly thin lips. Her sharp, aloof expression was softened by the gentle allure of her peach-blossom-shaped eyes.

As the woman approached, Ruan Xinyi couldn’t help but take in her entire figure.

Tall and slender, the woman’s physique was captivating even in a simple white shirt and casual pants. Her long, graceful neck and faintly visible collarbones beneath her open-collared shirt added to her effortless charm. The shirt tucked neatly into her pants accentuated her fair skin and slender waist. Further down…

By then, the woman was close, forcing Ruan Xinyi to rein in her gaze. She half-listened to Jiang Yun’s chatter, though her attention quickly waned.

Her restraint, however, lasted only a second before her eyes drifted back to the woman.

In that fleeting moment, their eyes met. The woman’s gaze was soft, yet her expression remained cool and distant.

The next second, she looked away as if nothing had happened and continued toward the bar counter.

“Xinyi? Xinyi?” Jiang Yun raised her voice to get her attention.

“Huh? What’s up?” Ruan Xinyi replied absently, her eyes still following the woman.

For some reason, when their eyes met earlier, her heart had betrayed her, racing uncontrollably. She wanted to look away but couldn’t bring herself to.

It was undeniable—this woman was stunning, perfectly aligned with her aesthetic preferences. From her face to her figure, even her demeanor, she was flawless and irresistibly captivating.

As the woman moved, her slightly wavy hair swayed gently at her waist, teasing Ruan Xinyi’s already unsettled heart and drawing gazes from others in the bar.

Her throat felt dry as she nervously fiddled with her straw, attempting to sip her milk but bumping the straw against her chin instead.

Noticing her odd behavior, Jiang Yun followed her gaze and asked curiously, “Xinyi, what are you staring at? You’re completely mesmerized.”

“I wasn’t looking at anything,” Ruan Xinyi said, narrowing her eyes slightly. After watching the woman take a seat in the corner of the bar, she reluctantly withdrew her gaze and mumbled, “I was just thinking about something.”

Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow, half-convinced, and teased, “What kind of thoughts have you so engrossed that you ended up feeding your straw to your chin?”

Cheng Yue said nothing, merely glancing thoughtfully in the direction where Ruan Xinyi had been staring moments ago.

Swallowing her milk unhurriedly, Ruan Xinyi bit her straw and said with a half-serious, half-joking tone, “I was wondering when my true love will finally find me.”

Jiang Yun choked slightly, assuming Ruan Xinyi was just talking for amusement again.

After all, in the four years they had been roommates, Jiang Yun had heard similar remarks from Ruan Xinyi countless times. Yet, it was always just talk. She had never taken any action, and her rejections of those who pursued her only grew more decisive, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yun sighed and joked, “Xinyi, if love doesn’t come to find you, you can always go looking for it!”

As she spoke, she nudged Cheng Yue with her elbow. “Right, Cheng Yue?”

Cheng Yue, focused on her phone, replied perfunctorily, “Yeah.” Then, changing the subject, she added, “It’s almost 9:30. We should probably head back.”

“Let’s go, then.” Jiang Yun downed the rest of her fruit cocktail, stood up, checked their booth to ensure they hadn’t left anything behind, and hooked her arm through Ruan Xinyi’s as they left the bar.

Once outside, Jiang Yun couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s so much quieter out here. Even the air feels fresher.”

Ruan Xinyi smiled lightly without agreeing or disagreeing. She raised her hand to hail a taxi and said, “Jiang Yun, you and Cheng Yue text me when you get back to the dorm. I’m heading to my new apartment tonight—I still have some unpacking to do.”

“Want us to help?” Cheng Yue offered.

“No need,” Ruan Xinyi replied gently. “It’s not much, just some clothes and a few odds and ends. Once I’m done in a few days, I’ll invite you both over.”

“Sounds good,” Jiang Yun said as she opened the taxi door. “Xinyi, let us know when you get home, and try to rest early.”

“Got it,” Ruan Xinyi replied with a soft smile.

She watched the taxi disappear into the distance until it was completely out of sight. Exhaling lightly, she tugged at the collar of her shirt, unbuttoning the second button with a flick of her fingers to reveal most of her delicate collarbones.

Her sharp eyes, carrying a hint of warning, swept over a man loitering nearby with dubious intentions. Ignoring him, she retrieved a lipstick from her bag, turned on her heel, and casually walked back into the bar.

After quickly applying the lipstick, she brushed her long hair back, tied the hem of her shirt into a neat knot at her waist, and walked purposefully to the single seat beside the corner booth.

“Two ‘True Love,’ please,” Ruan Xinyi said with a charming smile, leaning slightly against the glass bar counter as she spoke to the bartender.

The bartender blinked in confusion and asked politely, “I’m sorry, what did you order?”

Ruan Xinyi glanced at the woman silently sipping her drink in the corner. With a pointed smile, she repeated, “Two ‘True Love.’”

“Got it. Please wait a moment.”

Ruan Xinyi took the seat next to the woman naturally. While she appeared to be watching the bartender’s flamboyant cocktail-making, her attention was entirely on the woman.

Her gaze was subtle, almost imperceptible. Unless someone deliberately observed her, they would assume she was merely interested in the bartender’s performance.

Perhaps the heat of her occasional glances was too strong, as the woman eventually looked up at her, raising a slender brow. Her peach-blossom eyes carried a hint of warmth mixed with intrigue.

Ruan Xinyi’s breath hitched slightly. She returned the gaze with a faint smile, quickly evaluating the woman in her mind. Elegant and commanding, she exuded an air of distant coolness beneath her soft appearance—someone clearly hard to approach. Yet, that made her all the more irresistible.

“Miss, your ‘True Love’ are ready,” the bartender announced, placing the drinks in front of Ruan Xinyi.

With a graceful gesture, Ruan Xinyi slid one of the cocktails toward the woman. Smiling sweetly, she asked in a coy tone, “Miss, may I get to know you? Or at least... can you give me a chance?”

The woman didn’t reply immediately. Her long lashes cast soft shadows on her cheeks, fluttering as she blinked. The sight made Ruan Xinyi’s heart pound even harder.

A few seconds later, the woman reached out, picked up the extra cocktail, and looked directly at Ruan Xinyi. Her voice was cool yet melodious, carrying an unplaceable sense of distance.

“Are you of age?”

“Huh?” Ruan Xinyi blinked before quickly recovering with a playful laugh. “Miss, I’m graduating from university at the end of this month.”

The woman took a sip of her drink, her fair chin tilting slightly as she casually asked, “Do you come here often?”

“Occasionally,” Ruan Xinyi said, daring to lean a little closer, trying to bridge the gap between them.

The woman chuckled softly, a sound laced with amusement and skepticism. “Then how do you know about ‘True Love’?”

The cocktail wasn’t on the menu. Only veteran patrons or friends of the bar’s owner knew of its existence.

“Because I created it,” Ruan Xinyi quipped, half-serious, half-teasing. As she spoke, she leaned even closer, her gaze brimming with intensity that bordered on overflowing.

The woman, perfect from every angle, was everything she could have dreamed of. If only she would smile...

Perhaps noticing—or misunderstanding—Ruan Xinyi’s intentions, the woman furrowed her brows slightly before relaxing her expression. Maintaining her composure, she asked evenly, “Do you go on dates often?”

Ruan Xinyi: "???"

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