Chapter 1268: YU JIAO'S PLIGHT
Chapter 1268: YU JIAO'S PLIGHT
YU JIAO looked at the male avatar standing in front of her. He appeared completely ordinary, so much so that she had not even registered his presence in the busy shop. When he suddenly walked directly up to her, the unexpected approach genuinely startled her. Her first instinct was to step back and create some distance. But before she could move, he spoke, and she immediately recognized the voice.
"Jiao Jiao, it's me."
"Yan Yan?" she asked, recalling that Luo Yan had mentioned in his message that he would be wearing a mask.
She had thought it would be a simple mask, but clearly it was one with a special effect that made the wearer blend into the crowd. This made perfect sense given how famous he had become in the game.
Yu Jiao didn't waste any time and said, "Let's go up to my office."
They walked to the staircase and climbed up to the second floor. Yu Jiao led him down a short hallway and opened a door into a tidy office. She gestured for him to enter before closing the door behind them.
"Please have a seat," she said as she settled on the couch. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"
Luo Yan sat down and noticed Yu Jiao fidgeting. He wondered if it was related to why she had asked to meet. "No, thank you. I just came from Yuexing Pavilion and already ate there."
Yu Jiao nodded. He quickly noticed her biting her lip and looking around, clearly struggling with how to tell him why she had called him here. To make it easier for her, he decided to ask directly.
"Jiao Jiao, is everything alright? Did something happen?"
Yu Jiao was a little surprised by Luo Yan's question. Then a helpless smile touched her lips. Was it really that obvious she was worried about something? Since things had reached this point, she might as well be direct.
"It's about Brother Ren."
As she said this, she could not help but recall what had happened four days ago.
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Yu Jiao walked beside her three new roommates as they made their way back to their dorm after dinner. The evening air was warm, and the campus paths were still busy with students moving about. They had all just met that morning, but the four of them had already fallen into easy conversation over their meal. She felt truly thankful for how smoothly things were going.
Before arriving at F University to register and receive her dorm assignment, Yu Jiao had been deeply anxious about living with strangers. Her past experiences with making friends had often been difficult, leaving her expecting the worst. But her roommates had all turned out to be kind and easy to talk to. She wondered if spending so much time with Luo Yan and the others had slowly built up her confidence and social skills. Perhaps that was why she found it much easier to interact with her new roommates.
They were almost at their dormitory building when she received a WeChat message from Luo Ren.
[Ren]: I'm at the gate of F University. Would it be alright if we meet? If not, that's completely fine. I can come back tomorrow or another day that works better for you.
Yu Jiao's heart jumped when she read the message. Without thinking, she found herself replying;
[yujiao]: I can meet you now, Brother Ren. Please wait for me somewhere near the gate.
Yu Jiao quickly made up a believable excuse for her roommates, explaining that a relative had unexpectedly arrived at the campus gate and she needed to meet them. Her roommates accepted her explanation easily, allowing her to leave with no awkwardness or further questions.
As she hurried toward the gate, a sudden thought struck her. Luo Ren should have been in B City right now. If she remembered correctly, Luo Yan was also registering for university today, and his whole family had gone with him, including Luo Ren. So what was he doing here?
But even with that question in her mind, she still kept running toward the school gate.
She passed through the main gate and stepped onto the sidewalk, her eyes scanning the dimly lit area outside the university. Along the curb, a few cars were parked with their headlights off. Then she saw him. Under the glow of a streetlamp, a familiar figure leaned against the side of a sleek black car. It was Luo Ren, his posture relaxed but his gaze fixed in her direction as if he had been waiting for her to appear.
Her heart began to beat faster the moment she saw him, a reaction that seemed to happen every time she saw Luo Ren lately. He looked particularly handsome standing under the soft light, which only made her pulse quicken more. Without conscious thought, her feet started moving toward him. As she got closer, she could see what he was wearing. He had on a light gray short-sleeved polo shirt and dark, well-fitted trousers. The clothes looked comfortable and suitable for the warm evening weather, and they suited his lean frame perfectly.
Yu Jiao came to a stop in front of Luo Ren. She looked up and greeted him softly. "Brother Ren."
Luo Ren gave her a warm smile. "I hope I interrupted nothing important by calling you here."
Yu Jiao shook her head. "Not at all. I just finished dinner with my roommates and we were walking back to the dorm when I got your message."
Luo Ren looked relieved at her words. "That's good to hear." He then asked gently, "How did your registration go today? And have you been getting along well with your roommates?"
Yu Jiao nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "Everything went smoothly with the registration. And my roommates are all very nice."
Yu Jiao noticed the way Luo Ren's expression softened, his eyes warming with clear satisfaction. He looked genuinely pleased to hear that her roommates were kind, and that she was settling in well.