Chapter 7: An Unexpected Encounter
1538 Words
The woman tossed back her wavy, voluminous hair and smiled with perfectly painted red lips. "I was also a student at B University. My name is Shannon Ming. I was in the Class of 2012, so I graduated years ago—you probably wouldn't know me."
Lily nodded politely, though she was still puzzled. If I don't know her, how does she know me? But she figured asking would be impolite, so she let it slide.
Shannon glanced at the group and grinned. "You're all heading for lunch, right? What do you feel like eating? It's my treat—I don't often get the chance to meet such adorable underclassmen!"
The four roommates exchanged knowing looks. When someone is overly generous for no reason, there's always a catch.
Mindy Chen, their self-assured class representative, took charge. "If there's something you need from us, feel free to say it directly. We're all from the same school—if we can help, we won't refuse."
But Shannon seemed unfazed by her skepticism. Instead, she casually grabbed Lily's arm and led her toward a Western-style restaurant. "Oh, come on. Even if you don't want to eat, I do! Eating alone is boring, and I always order too much. Just keep me company."
Once seated in a private dining room, Shannon excused herself to the restroom and told them to order whatever they liked.
Seeing that she'd left her designer handbag and phone on the seat, Lily's suspicions eased slightly. She wouldn't have left her valuables behind if she were planning anything shady. She leaned in to check what her roommates were ordering and picked out some of her favorite dishes.
As the waiter left with their orders, Caitlin Zeng suddenly propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought. Then, out of nowhere, she smacked the table. "Oh my God, I remember now!"
Lily jumped, nearly dropping her spoon into her tea. "Remember what?!"
"Shannon Ming! She was the campus beauty of the music department—the same girl your freshman-year boyfriend insulted!"
Lily: "..."
Can I ever catch a break?!
Mindy seemed to grasp the situation and patted Lily's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't overthink it. Maybe she really just wants to have lunch."
Lily nodded, not wanting her friends to worry.
But let's be real—this is not 'just lunch.' Her gut told her something was off. She briefly thought about Wendy Jiang but couldn't recall any significant mention of someone named Shannon in the storyline. Could she be unrelated to all of that?
After all, most of the major players in the story—the ones tangled in those million-word-long messy romances—were from the elite circles of society. They were heirs to billion-dollar conglomerates involved in dramatic power struggles far beyond what Lily and her regular college-student friends could ever reach.
That was precisely why Lily stayed close to her roommates. As long as she kept her distance from the novel's protagonists, her life could go on peacefully.
With that in mind, she asked casually, "What do you do for work now, Shannon?"
At that moment, Shannon was in the restroom, pulling a Huawei phone from the inner pocket of her coat. She opened her WeChat and sent a few photos to a contact named "Star."
"Is this good enough?" she typed.
About two minutes later, a reply popped up.
"Do you have a clear front-facing shot?"
Shannon smirked.
"I'll get one. I'll send it after lunch."
She slipped the phone back into her coat pocket, washed her hands, and returned to the private room.
As she stepped inside, she overheard Lily and the others discussing her job. Smiling, she responded, "Oh, I work as a singer in a small independent studio. Just a rookie—still waiting for my big break."
Lily immediately replied, "With a voice like yours, I'm sure you'll be famous in no time!"
Shannon chuckled. "I'll take that as a good omen." Then, shifting the conversation, she asked, "So, how's your boyfriend? Back when you first entered university, you were quite the sensation."
Lily froze slightly. And there it is.
She had known this topic would come up eventually. Thankfully, it's been long enough since the breakup that I don't care anymore.
Shannon, however, looked genuinely surprised. "You broke up? I can't believe you actually let him go..."
Lily sensed something cryptic in her words but chose to smile without elaborating. Ever since she learned Wendy Jiang had returned, she'd told herself to stay cautious, avoid gossip, and never speak too much about the male lead.
Shannon didn't push further. Instead, their food arrived, and she cheerfully encouraged them to eat.
---
After lunch, the roommates watched Shannon leave, exchanging skeptical glances.
"That was just a coincidence... right?"
Meanwhile, Shannon took the elevator down to the parking garage. Once inside her car, she pulled out her phone again and messaged "Star."
"The first two photos are the ones I just took. The rest I got from a B University forum using an underclassman's account. They're all recent."
"Star" replied almost instantly. "Perfect. Thanks."
Shannon smirked, typing again. "By the way, Lily's dating history isn't as simple as just Mason Quinn. After they broke up, she had two other boyfriends. These are their photos—not great quality, but I'm sure you'll recognize them."
---
Lily, of course, knew none of this. To her, the encounter with Shannon was just a random and forgettable event.
That was until she got stopped on her way back to the dorm.
Standing in front of her was a woman—a stunning one, at that. Her long chestnut hair was tied in a sleek ponytail, the lower ends styled into soft waves. Her features were sharp and defined, exuding a cold, untouchable beauty. She had the kind of presence that demanded attention.
"Lily Su, do you have a moment?"
Lily's instincts immediately went on high alert. "Who are you?"
The woman smirked, and her expression showed a hint of mockery. "Relax. This is B University's campus. What are you so afraid of?"
Lily narrowed her eyes. "There are plenty of creeps even in broad daylight. I don't know you, so how do I know if you're one of them?"
There's no need to be polite if she's not the heroine.
The woman's smirk faltered slightly. Before she could react, a black business van stopped beside them.
Lily instinctively stepped aside, expecting it to pass, but instead, it turned off its engine.
Her mind clicked instantly. "Oh. So you're together."
"Excuse me, but you're blocking a fire lane," Lily said flatly. "If you're going to kidnap someone, at least park legally first."
No response.
Just as she was about to throw in another snide remark, a nearby security guard grabbed a megaphone.
"Vehicle CCCCC! Move immediately! This is a fire lane—no stopping!"
The woman's expression darkened. She grabbed Lily's wrist, trying to drag her toward the van.
Lily immediately yelled, "HELP! I don't know her!"
Four campus security officers rushed in, encircling them.
Then, the van's window rolled down slightly.
A familiar forehead came into view—followed by a pair of oversized sunglasses.
A voice commanded, "Stella, let her go."
Lily's heart stopped.
She knew that voice.
The next moment, Wendy Jiang removed her sunglasses.
The cold, stunning woman released Lily Su's wrist. She walked over to the car, opening the door with deferential respect.
Lily felt an odd sense of unease creeping up her spine. And then—like a sudden jolt of electricity—a realization struck her.
She knew who was in that car.
Sure enough, the moment the woman inside removed her sunglasses, Lily's suspicions were confirmed.
It was Wendy Jiang.
She did look incredibly similar to Lily—not just in facial features but even in body shape from behind. However, there were differences. Wendy was shorter and slimmer, but her curves seemed almost too perfectly proportioned.
Maybe when the author wrote this novel, exaggerated "baby-faced bombshell" heroines were trending.
And clearly, Wendy was the ultimate embodiment of that trope.
Wendy stepped out of the car, her gaze landing directly on Lily. Then, with a slow, deliberate smile, she tilted her head slightly—her expression a picture of innocence, almost angelic in its purity.
But Lily wasn't fooled.
Wendy then turned to the security guards, her voice carrying an apology laced with sincerity.
"I'm terribly sorry. This was completely our fault. We shouldn't have parked in a fire lane, and we certainly didn't mean to make Lily feel uncomfortable. It was all a misunderstanding."
The guards hesitated. They still weren't entirely convinced—but looking at Wendy's face, which bore such an uncanny resemblance to Lily's, they wavered.
After all, if two people look this alike, they must be family, right?
Meanwhile, Lily had already regained her composure.
She assessed the situation—a public setting with plenty of witnesses. Whatever Wendy's agenda was, she wasn't here to start a fight.
No, Wendy was here for something else.
And Lily had a strong feeling it had everything to do with the tangled, messy, never-ending drama of Wendy, Mason Quinn, and the rest of the elite's twisted love-hate relationships.
- Writer
