University life slowly settled into a routine.
Classes in the morning.
Lunch together.
Library in the afternoon.
Walking across campus in the evening.
Group chat messages late at night.
If someone looked at them from the outside, they would think nothing ever changed.
But small changes were always happening.
Small ones that only the people inside the story could notice.
---
The Group Project
One morning, Su Ran walked into the cafeteria looking tired and dropped her bag on the chair.
"I hate group projects," she said immediately.
Zhao Ming looked up.
"You just started the project yesterday."
"Yes, and I already hate it," she replied.
Lin Yue asked,
"What happened?"
"One guy in our group keeps messaging me about the project," Su Ran said.
"Morning, afternoon, night. He keeps asking if I finished my part."
"That means he is responsible," Lin Yue said.
"That means he is annoying," Su Ran replied.
Jiang Chen, who was sitting quietly, asked,
"What's his name?"
"Li Wei," she said, opening her drink.
Jiang Chen nodded slowly and didn't say anything else.
Zhao Ming noticed immediately.
He looked at Jiang Chen, then at Su Ran, then back at Jiang Chen.
Then he smiled slowly.
---
Zhao Ming Starts Trouble
That afternoon in the library, Zhao Ming leaned toward Jiang Chen and whispered,
"So… Li Wei."
Jiang Chen didn't look up from his book.
"What about him?"
"He messages Su Ran a lot," Zhao Ming said.
"That's for the project," Jiang Chen replied.
"Yes," Zhao Ming said,
"But what if he likes her?"
Jiang Chen finally looked up.
Zhao Ming immediately grinned.
"I am just saying," Zhao Ming continued,
"Group projects are very romantic. Many love stories start with group projects."
"That's not true," Jiang Chen said.
"That is very true," Zhao Ming replied confidently.
Lin Yue looked up from her notes.
"Stop bothering him."
"I am not bothering him," Zhao Ming said.
"I am observing emotional reactions."
Jiang Chen went back to his book.
But he was definitely thinking now.
---
The Message
That evening, Su Ran was sitting next to Jiang Chen on a bench while waiting for Zhao Ming and Lin Yue.
Her phone buzzed.
She looked at it and sighed.
"Group project again?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Yes," she said.
"He sent another message."
She showed him the phone without thinking.
Li Wei:
Did you eat? Don't forget to send me the document tonight.
Jiang Chen looked at the screen for a second.
Then he said calmly,
"He asks a lot of questions."
"I told you," she said.
"He's annoying."
Jiang Chen nodded.
Then after a small pause, he asked,
"Do you talk to him a lot?"
She looked at him, then smiled slowly.
"Are you jealous?" she asked.
"I didn't say that," he replied.
"That means yes," she said.
"I'm not jealous," he said calmly.
She leaned slightly closer and said quietly,
"You are a little jealous."
He didn't reply.
Which was basically confirmation.
---
Zhao Ming Makes It Worse
When Zhao Ming and Lin Yue arrived, Su Ran immediately said,
"Zhao Ming, Jiang Chen is jealous."
"I AM NOT," Jiang Chen said immediately.
Zhao Ming's eyes widened like he had just found treasure.
"Jealous? Jiang Chen? This is historic."
Lin Yue sighed.
"You're going to make this worse."
"Yes," Zhao Ming said.
"I am."
He looked at Jiang Chen.
"So, how does it feel?" he asked.
"I am not jealous," Jiang Chen repeated.
Zhao Ming nodded seriously.
"Yes. Of course. You are very calm. Very mature. Very not jealous."
Su Ran started laughing.
Jiang Chen looked at all of them and shook his head slightly.
"You're all very annoying," he said.
---
The Honest Moment
Later that night, Jiang Chen walked Su Ran to her dorm.
It was quiet, and the campus lights were already on.
Before she went inside, she turned to him.
"You're really not jealous?" she asked.
He looked at her for a moment, then said honestly,
"A little."
She smiled.
"Why?"
He thought for a moment before answering.
"Because I don't like the idea of someone else texting you all the time."
She stepped a little closer.
"But I only like you," she said.
"I know," he replied.
"Then why jealous?"
He thought again, then said quietly,
"Because even if I know that, I still don't like it."
She looked at him for a second, then suddenly hugged him.
"You're cute when you're jealous," she said.
"I'm not cute," he replied.
"You are," she said.
He sighed quietly but hugged her back anyway.
---
The Last Message That Night
Later that night, Su Ran sent a message in their group chat:
Su Ran: Jiang Chen gets jealous.
Zhao Ming: I KNEW IT
Lin Yue: Stop exposing him
Jiang Chen: I regret telling all of you anything
Zhao Ming: This is the best day of my life
Su Ran looked at the chat and laughed.
Then Jiang Chen sent another message privately to her:
Jiang Chen:
I'm not really jealous.
I just like you a lot.
She stared at the message for a long time before replying.
Su Ran:
I like you a lot too.
---
And somewhere between group projects, cafeteria lunches, library evenings, and quiet walks back to the dorms,
their story kept moving forward.
Not with big dramatic moments.
But with small ones.
Jealousy.
Laughing.
Holding hands.
Walking slowly.
Text messages at night.
Small moments.
But small moments,
were what their whole story had always been made of.