LIKE A BOAT IT CIRCLES BACK TO THE START
Chapter Four
Strangers Again
"Guess I have a boyfriend again. Still the same guy, but I just really like him."
Zhao Fanzhou had a million things to do after coming back: re-enrolling in school, sorting out his dorm assignment, catching up on missed classes, getting back into student council work—and, of course, getting familiar with Zhou Xiao again.
Who knew that one offhanded comment—"We're not even familiar anymore"—would cause so much trouble?
Like right now, for example.
Zhou Xiao was standing outside the administration building, foolishly waiting for him to finish some dumb meeting. She used to be the clingy one, always popping up whenever he had free time—which wasn’t often, to be fair. And now? He was even busier. But thanks to this whole “getting familiar” excuse, she kept tagging along to everything: study sessions, paperwork runs, shopping trips, and yes… meetings.
It wasn’t the errands that annoyed her, it was the meetings. Everything else at least meant being with him. But meetings? She was just stuck outside, spacing out. Ugh, she’d much rather be back in her dorm watching silly Taiwanese variety shows.
She’d told herself a dozen times not to pick up his call, and even if she did, not to say yes. But somehow, by the time she hung up, she was already changing her clothes and getting ready to go with him.
When Zhao Fanzhou finally emerged from the building and saw her pouting like a duck, he felt a twinge of guilt. He really didn’t want to keep her waiting like this.
Ever since she’d said they weren’t "familiar" anymore, he’d felt this constant anxiety—wanting to know where she was at all times, wanting her to be within arm’s reach every time he turned around.
“All done. Let’s go eat.”
“Mm.”
She sounded totally disinterested.
“What do you feel like eating?”
“Whatever.”
Wait. Whatever? This girl took food seriously. If she said “whatever,” something was really off.
During the meal, Zhou Xiao just picked at her rice, poking at it every now and then. Even she couldn’t understand why she was in such a bad mood. She used to love sticking to him like glue, even waiting hours outside for him to finish meetings. Back then she thought it was sweet, even romantic.
Now? Just thirty minutes in and she was ready to explode.
Zhao Fanzhou ate quietly, sneaking glances at her now and then. Seeing her so absent-minded left him a little helpless. Lately, he couldn’t seem to find the right rhythm between them. It felt like something had changed. Or maybe… the sweetness they used to share had gotten lost somewhere.
Where had it all gone wrong?
They finished the meal mostly in silence. He walked her back to her dorm. As usual, the dorm entrance was swarming with couples saying goodbye—hugging, kissing, clinging like it was a farewell at the train station instead of just “see you tomorrow.”
“I’m going up.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded.
She practically bolted up the stairs. She just couldn’t take that atmosphere.
She’d already decided to forgive him. To try again. But somehow, something in her still couldn’t let it go.
Six months of silence.
How many people could endure that?
And during those six months—months she knew nothing about—there’d been another girl by his side. A pretty one.
She trusted his character, sure. But still… his grandma had passed. He must have been devastated. And in those vulnerable moments, isn’t that when people are most open to emotional... interference?
And worst of all—she hadn’t even been given the chance to be there for him.
Maybe that was what truly pissed her off. He’d handed over the right to stand by him—to be his girlfriend—to someone else.
Zhao Fanzhou lingered downstairs for a while, eyes fixed on the stairwell. She hadn’t even looked back. That’s not like her at all, he thought.
She used to drag her feet, making him nag her three times before she’d finally head upstairs, pouting the whole way.
“You should go up,” he’d say back then.
She wouldn’t move, just stood there with that pitiful face.
“What’s wrong? Something else?”
He really had been clueless back then.
“Nothing.”
Still standing there, looking all sad and pouty.
And then… after a full five minutes of standing around like idiots—
“Aren’t you even going to hug me?”
It was the first time she’d used that soft, whiny tone with him. He remembered being totally stunned.
Then he gave her a light hug. Just a little one.
They had only been dating for a short time back then. Zhao Fanzhou smiled bitterly at the memory. He still remembered how he stood in his dorm room afterward, zoning out for ages, convinced he could still feel the warmth of her in his arms.
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