Zeng Keqin quickly explained, "You misunderstood. Someone used my photos. The person you had an online relationship with wasn't me."
Ke Rui froze for a second, as if automatically filtering out her words, and rambled, "I know you're saying this because of the 20,000 yuan. Don't worry, I transferred that willingly. You don't have to pay me back."
Someone actually made excuses for the scammer after being scammed?
This was beyond Zeng Keqin's comprehension. She turned incredulously.
Jiang Shiyu stood nearby with one hand in his pocket, his stern face showing an expression that said "He's an idiot."
Zeng Keqin licked her lips and composed herself. "If you don't believe me, look at this."
She took out her phone, walked to the bed, and opened her digital student ID.
Ke Rui's attention was entirely drawn to her fair, obedient face. Seeing his dream girl in person—how could he not be excited? Besides, the real person was ten thousand times prettier than the photos!
Zeng Keqin felt uncomfortable under his burning gaze and moved back slightly.
Ke Rui finally focused on the screen. Then, the rekindled hope in his eyes died once more.
"No, impossible." He muttered to himself, then abruptly turned to glare at Jiang Shiyu. "He must have threatened you to say this, right?"
Jiang Shiyu frowned even harder. Should he consider finding a new buddy?
Zeng Keqin's head ached too.
Now she understood why he got scammed—he was not only stubborn but also impervious to reason!
Zeng Keqin put away her phone. "No one threatened me. I came today just to clarify the truth. Believe it or not, but I have the right to protect my interests. Even if you don't call the police, I will."
Ke Rui's lips trembled as he made a last-ditch effort. "Then how do you explain those photos?"
Indeed, those photos, from the angles and clarity, didn't look like they were taken secretly. More like… selfies. But she had never taken such photos.
"Could they be AI-generated?"
Ke Rui shook his head. "I'm a design major. There's no trace of AI."
Not candid shots, not AI—then the only answer was that someone close to her had done it.
That was even more chilling than being secretly photographed.
Zeng Keqin felt a chill run down her spine, as if a pair of eyes lurked in the shadows, monitoring her every move.
She suppressed her panic and spoke calmly, "Give me half a month. I'll find out who it is."
With that last glimmer of hope shattered,
Ke Rui's straightened back slumped, and his whole body seemed drained of strength. "Fine… I'll listen to you."
Even though she wasn't the perpetrator, seeing someone fall into such despair over it made her feel a bit sorry for him. She kindly reminded him, "I hope you can pull yourself together soon."
Unexpectedly, Ke Rui perked up as if injected with adrenaline, straightened his back, and grabbed Zeng Keqin's hand. "I knew it! You still care about me!"
Zeng Keqin was startled. She tried to pull her hand back but couldn't. Her face flushed red. "Let go! Let go!"
Ke Rui thought she was shy and tried to move closer, but a pair of strong hands intervened.
"Are you deaf? She told you to let go."
Jiang Shiyu separated them, his voice cold.
Ke Rui reluctantly released his grip, rubbed his nose, and apologized. "Sorry, I got too excited. Um, Classmate Zeng, can we exchange contact info?"
Zeng Keqin was very good at refusing people. "Sorry, I'm not interested."
With that, she left the room expressionlessly, leaving Ke Rui frozen on the bed.
Jiang Shiyu watched her retreating figure, hesitated, then followed.
Not far out, Zeng Keqin pulled out her phone, tapped the screen, and stopped the recording.
She had started the recording before entering the room. A stranger who could fantasize about being her lover because of a photo—his mental state was clearly unstable. If he had done something extreme or denied everything to smear her, this complete record would prove her innocence.
She saved the recording and was about to lock the screen when a hand with well-defined knuckles snatched the phone away.
"What are you doing!"
Jiang Shiyu slid his slender fingers across the screen. Soon, he returned the phone to Zeng Keqin.
"Although I promised not to show up, that doesn't mean I won't contact you."
Zeng Keqin looked down at the screen. A new contact had been added—Jiang Shiyu.
When she looked up again, he was already far away.
She bit her lip and silently changed the contact name to: The Arrogant Redhead.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shiyu stopped at the door of the ward, leaning against the wall. He had seen the recording but didn't say anything. Instead, he found her quite interesting—not as timid as he had imagined.
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth. Looking at the string of numbers in his call log, he typed three words—Little Quail.
*
As soon as Zeng Keqin returned to the dorm, Wang Chunyue rushed over gossipily. "Spill it! How did you meet that handsome guy?"
If it were before, Zeng Keqin would have put on headphones and stayed silent, but this time she hesitated and answered seriously, "We don't really know each other. He found my student ID in the library and kindly returned it."
"Why don't I have such luck? Last time, it was the cafeteria auntie who found mine! I bet he came specially because you're pretty!" Wang Chunyue winked mischievously. "So, what were you two up to just now?"
"Just chatted a bit."
"About what?"
Zeng Keqin pretended to be casual. "He has a friend who got scammed in an online relationship recently."
Liu Ying, who was watching a drama, immediately turned sideways with a gossipy look. "How did he get scammed?"
Wang Chunyue tore open a bag of chips and urged, "Yeah! Tell us!"
Even Fang Yu, who had been glued to her phone, stopped and pricked up her ears.
"His friend met a girl in a game. They hit it off and added each other on WeChat. During their chats, they found they had similar personalities and interests, so they quickly started an online relationship. The friend often ordered takeout and gifts for the girl. Then he accidentally discovered…"
Zeng Keqin paused deliberately, secretly observing their reactions.
Wang Chunyue stopped eating chips and pressed, "Go on! What did he discover?"
Zeng Keqin said slowly, "He discovered that the girl was actually a guy in disguise."
"Holy moly!"
Wang Chunyue exclaimed. "I know this one! I've seen similar news online!"
Liu Ying frowned. "What, did his friend never video-call to verify? Or even voice call? That's too fake!"
Wang Chunyue got interested, wagging her finger. "You don't get it! Guys nowadays are amazing—they can fake their voices and sound more girly than we do!"
Liu Ying pursed her lips in disgust. "I can't stand it. My secondhand embarrassment is kicking in."
Then she turned to Fang Yu, who hadn't spoken. "Xiaoyu, why do you look so pale?"
Author's Note: Zeng Keqin muttered: The arrogant blonde, the supercilious redhead… Jiang Shiyu: .