My Online Boyfriend Has Been Plotting Against Me for a Long Time

Chapter 6

The next day, everyone boarded the bus to return to school. I stole a glance at the indifferent guy sitting a few rows ahead and then pulled out my phone. Ever since yesterday's truth-or-dare game, Qi Yan hadn’t messaged me again. It seemed like he was waiting for my response.

He was like a patient predator, while I was the timid prey, struggling helplessly in his grasp. He knew that I had figured things out, and I knew that he knew too. This subtle probing was turning my embarrassment into frustration and eventually into the desire to punch him. But for some reason, I just couldn’t bring myself to block him.

Right before getting off the bus, I angrily sent Qi Yan a WeChat message: 
“Hubby, I think the $50,000 shoes that the campus sports star is wearing are fake.”

Without waiting for a reply, I quickly grabbed my roommate and got off the bus. 
Guys who love collecting shoes would probably go crazy over this, I thought. My irritation dissipated almost instantly.

As my roommate went to grab some food from the cafeteria, I dragged my suitcase toward the dorm. Just a few steps away from the building, I was cornered by someone in a secluded spot.

A familiar voice, gritting through clenched teeth, said, 
“Come take a closer look at your hubby’s shoes. Real or not?”

Qi Yan towered over me, half a head taller and with a wider build. His looming presence immediately sent a shiver down my spine. As another guy, I could sense the pressure. I tried to push him away, but before I could even attempt it, he straightened up and created a respectful distance. He stared at me intently. I couldn’t help but glare back at him.

“What do you want, Qi Yan?”

“To chase after you.”

I flushed with anger. 
“I don’t think there’s any need for that.”

“So you're agreeing to take our online relationship to the real world?” he asked, looking genuinely surprised.

“Who said that?”

Qi Yan’s gaze softened as his brows furrowed slightly. 
“Meng Ran, can I just pursue you on my own?”

This usually laid-back guy suddenly became serious, and it was oddly captivating. I nervously looked away, dragging my suitcase behind me. But after a few steps, I stopped, turned back, and looked at him still standing there. 
“...Sure.”

As soon as I said that, I saw the sadness that had flickered across his face vanish, replaced by a bright smile.

Later, when my roommate came back with food, he excitedly told me, 
“I just saw Qi Yan standing outside our dorm building, smiling all softly. Wonder who he was waiting for—maybe his ‘white moonlight’?”

I paused, feeling a bit embarrassed. 
“Do you know much about his ‘white moonlight’ story?”

“Of course! Right after freshman military training, Qi Yan mentioned he had a ‘white moonlight.’ A lot of people either didn’t believe him or just assumed it was a girl. Turns out it’s a guy.”

He leaned closer and whispered, 
“Ran Ran, his sexual orientation has probably blown up on every school forum and gossip group by now, especially with that whole online relationship.”

Suddenly, my roommate remembered something. 
“Hey, Ran Ran, haven’t you been in an online relationship too?”

I stuffed a bite of rice in my mouth, muttering under my breath, 
“Uh, yeah… turns out I’m Qi Yan’s ‘white moonlight.’”

That day, under the relentless questioning of my roommate, I briefly recounted the dramatic story of my online relationship with Qi Yan. My roommate just gave me a teasing pat on the shoulder and left me with a cryptic comment, 
“Guys who plan things like this for so long are usually a bit dangerous.”

I lowered my head even more. 
I’m not clueless. I knew what I was agreeing to when I told him he could pursue me. 
After all, I didn’t dislike Qi Yan.

When I found out Y was Qi Yan, I felt embarrassed, sure, but more than that, there was a tiny, unexplainable joy in my heart. If it’s Qi Yan, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

*Ding* 

“Meng Ran, are you coming to watch me play basketball tomorrow?”

I slowly replied with one word, 
“Okay.”

The next day, after class, I bought two bottles of water and headed to the basketball court. I couldn’t help but feel a bit insecure looking at my scrawny arms compared to Qi Yan’s strong build. I remembered all the times he played basketball during our online relationship. Meanwhile, I was still soft and not in great shape.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Qi Yan, who had just made a three-pointer, suddenly looked up and scanned the crowd until his eyes landed on me. Some girls nearby started waving excitedly, but Qi Yan only looked at me. I waved back a bit awkwardly, and he smirked before continuing the game.

As the game came to an end and Qi Yan’s team won, the players celebrated by hugging each other excitedly. Qi Yan casually brushed off a few congratulations and then, amidst the crowd’s curious stares, headed straight for me. 
Determined. Focused.

He stopped in front of me, the warmth of his body from playing radiating outward. Oddly enough, it didn’t smell unpleasant.

“Meng Ran, where’s my water?”

“Oh,” I mumbled, quickly pulling out a bottle from my bag and handing it to him, trying my best to ignore the stunned gazes of everyone around us.

Qi Yan’s smile widened even more.

And just like that, Qi Yan and I entered a state of mutual relationship.