Chapter 1 — Miss Empty Cup

My roommate was recognized by the whole school as a "beautiful rich lady from Beijing's upper class". In the nine-panel photo gallery on her personal page, there is always a Starbucks cup, accompanied by identical status lines such as: "The simple life of a prestigious lady", "Water saved lives today". People pursued her endlessly, everyone said her family was incredibly rich. But only I know, all of those cups were the ones I drank from and then threw on the table. Every day, it's like she finds treasures, washes them, poses, takes photos and posts them on her personal page. I was lazy to expose it, until one day, until she started saying behind her back that I was "homely, not worthy of being in the same class as her". When I carried the eye-catching red lemonade back to the dorm, her whole body stiffened in place. "Today... aren't you buying coffee today?" I slowly took a sip of lemonade. "I'm out of money. I'll drink this later."01 The first day Ha Tinh moved into the dorm, she pushed her suitcase to the brightest spot next to the window. She didn't make the bed first. I took out a white tablecloth and covered my desk. Perfume, small mirrors, silk scarves and books with foreign covers were laid out one by one by her. Dieu Kha looked dumbfounded. "Your family is very rich, right?" Ha Tinh smiled. "It's normal. The family doesn't want me to be too ostentatious when I go out." She said she didn't want to show off, but the next day she posted a set of nine photos. Glass door close to the ground. English menu. A Starbucks cup. The status line is: "The simple life of a prestigious lady." That post quickly spread throughout the department. Some say she comes from Beijing's upper class. Someone said her father worked in investment banking. Some people also say that she hasn't even entered her first year yet, and her family has already bought her an apartment next to the school. Ha Tinh never explained. Another person asked, she just smiled. The first time I saw that cup was on her personal page. The label on the body of the cup is not fully captured. But I just took a look and realized it was my cup. Because there is a small scratch on the bottom of the cup. That day I had to study at eight o'clock in the morning. After drinking, I immediately brought the cup back to the dormitory and conveniently placed it on the corner of the table. When I returned that night, the cup was gone. I thought the cleaning lady had moved out. Unexpectedly, it appeared on Ha Tinh's personal page. I stared at the photo for two seconds then turned the phone face down. Dieu Kha stopped by. "Look, Ha Tinh went to drink Starbucks again. He's really rich." I said "yeah". Say no more. Just an empty cup. I don't like turning against others because of this little matter. After tasting the benefits, Ha Tinh started regularly collecting cups every evening. The cups I finished drinking and brought back to the dorm, she would take advantage of the time I took a shower or went to the library to take them away. The next day, wash it, change it to a different angle and place it on the windowsill, next to a book or next to a makeup brush. The status lines on her personal page became more and more skillful. "Water saved lives today." "Conveniently bought before class." "Don't like coffee, but can't do without this flavor." There are many people at school who like to chat. No one thought about why her cup was empty every time. Ha Tinh began to have people pursuing her. Every day someone comes to the dormitory building to give flowers. A male student bought her breakfast. Someone also invited her to a new Western restaurant that opened outside the school. She took it all. Come back and take photos to post on your personal page. The bouquet of roses was only half exposed. The car key is only exposed at one corner. clock's

The opponent only took the strap part. She really understands how to make others speculate. The more people guess, the more real she looks. Dieu Kha also believed. "Ha Tinh, the person you will marry in the future is definitely not an ordinary person." Ha Tinh sat on the nail polish chair. "You still have to consider fate. People in that world are quite picky." When she said the words "that world", she glanced at me. I'm opening the food delivery box. A portion of rice costs twelve yuan. She smiled slightly. "There are people who don't even understand the quality of life. It's really difficult to talk to each other." Dieu Kha didn't understand the meaning. But I heard it. I separated the pair of disposable chopsticks and did not respond. From that day on, Ha Tinh used my things more conveniently. My cup, she took it. The unopened tissue was on my desk, she pulled it out. I hung the cloth bag behind the chair. She said it blocked the light from taking photos and then conveniently pushed it to the ground. "Don't be so petty." She didn't even raise her head. "The dormitory is a shared space." I looked at her phone screen. In the photo, she placed my empty cup next to the window. Next to it is the bracelet she just bought. The price tag on the bracelet has not been cut yet. But she wrote four words. "It's just everyday." At eleven o'clock at night, the lights turned off in the dormitory. She was still under the blanket answering the message. The light from the phone shined on her face. She lowered her voice, but still not low enough. "We have a very rustic girl in our dorm, who eats delivered food every day and drinks drinks that cost more than ten yuan." "If you're not from the same class, you really can't be friends." I lay on the bed and opened my eyes. Dieu Kha turned over but did not wake up. Ha Tinh smiled softly. "She still likes to buy Starbucks, she's probably just trying to push herself." I slowly sat up. The bed board made a noise. Ha Tinh's voice immediately stopped. She pulled back the bed curtain and saw me sitting in the dark. "Are you not asleep yet?" I looked at her. "No." Her smile stiffened a bit.02 I asked her: "Who did you say was pretending just now?" Ha Tinh tucked the phone into the blanket. "You heard wrong." Her voice calmed down a bit. "I was talking to a friend, just a few words." I got out of bed, my feet stepping on the cold floor. It's very dark in the dormitory. Only her phone screen was still lit, above it was an unfinished text message. I don't look. I just picked up the cup lid on the table. That's the lid of the Starbucks cup I brought home today. The stem of the cup has disappeared. I put the lid in my palm and turned it around. "Where's the cup?" The smile on Ha Tinh's face was completely unbearable. "Which cup?" "The cup on my table." "After you drink it, isn't it trash?" Her voice rose a little, then immediately lowered. "If I help you throw it away, you should thank me." I nodded. "Where to throw it away?" She didn't say. Dieu Kha was woken up and poked his head out. "What's going on?" Ha Tinh immediately looked sorry. "Nothing. He insisted that I take his trash." Dieu Kha rubbed his eyes. "It's just an empty cup, don't argue anymore. You have to go to school tomorrow." Ha Tinh seemed to have found the stairs to step down. "That's right, it's just an empty cup, is it necessary?" She said this very fluently. It's so smooth that it feels like you've practiced it many times. I looked at her. "It's not necessary." Ha Tinh breathed a sigh of relief. I threw the cup lid into the trash. "Then don't touch my things from now on." Her face darkened. "Things left in the common area of the dormitory will naturally be touched by others." "My table is not a common area." She laughed coldly. "There are so many boxes of cheap food piled up on your table, affecting the image of the whole dormitory, have I said anything yet?" Dieu Kha was completely complete.

wake up. "Oh, don't argue anymore, don't argue anymore." But the more Ha Tinh spoke, the more enthusiastic he became. She sat up from the bed, put on her nightgown, her voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be thrown straight at someone else's face. "I really don't understand. There are people who live carelessly, and don't allow others to pay a little attention." "If you really care about that cup, don't drink it and then throw it away." "If you can't afford it, don't pretend like you drink often." I laughed. "I'm pretending?" Her eyes suddenly stirred. "I didn't tell you." "So what are you talking about?" Whose cup is on your profile?” The dormitory was silent. Dieu Kha also said nothing. Ha Tinh stared at me, her lips pursed tightly. A moment later, she suddenly laughed. "You wouldn't think that everyone is like you, having to drink a cup of coffee all morning, right?" "I bought it myself, so what's the problem with taking a photo?" "What proof do you have that it's yours?" I didn't say anything. Because I really don't keep anything back. After drinking it, I just put it on the table. She took it away and washed it. Cups of the same type are everywhere. I'm the only one who remembers that scratch. But if she doesn't admit it, others will just feel like I'm making a big deal out of it. Seeing my silence, Ha Tinh regained his confidence. "Don't project your miserable poverty onto others." "I post my personal page that is my life." "If it doesn't please your eyes, you can block it." Dieu Kha said in a low voice: "Okay, don't talk anymore." Ha Tinh rolled her eyes and pulled back the bed curtain. "That's really unlucky." I stood there and heard her start typing again behind the curtain. The sound of fingers tapping on the screen is very soft. The next morning, Ha Tinh woke up earlier than anyone. She changed into a cream-colored dress and stood in front of the mirror curling her hair. On the table sat a clean, empty Starbucks cup. The cup body is rotated to the side without scratches. The mouth of the cup also has a new straw inserted. She stood next to the window and took more than ten pictures continuously. Dieu Kha came back brushing his teeth, his eyes lit up. "Are you buying again?" Ha Tinh smiled gently. "You brought it to me last night, I haven't finished drinking it yet." She looked at me. "There are things you can't just spend money on." I zipped up my school bag. "For example, the thickness of the skin on your face?" Her hand trembled, the hair curler almost touched her forehead. Dieu Kha spat out the water from his mouth and quickly covered his mouth. Ha Tinh's face was very unsightly. But at this moment, someone knocked on the door outside. A female student in the next room poked her head in. "Ha Tinh, there's a boy downstairs looking for you, bringing flowers." Ha Tinh immediately regained her expression. She held her phone and bag, and as she passed by, I lowered my voice and said, "It's useless for you to be jealous." I didn't answer. I just looked at the phone screen on her desk. The status line just posted was: "Morning favoritism." And in the middle of the photo was the cup I lost last night. As soon as she came downstairs, my phone rang. Someone sent me a screenshot of that post. There's also a sentence below: "He said this cup is something suitors have to line up to buy. You guys in the dorm are really happy." I looked at the photo and slowly curled my lips. Happy? Then I will let her be happy for a few more days.03 Ha Tinh's image of a prestigious lady was truly built from that bouquet of flowers. The male student giving flowers is named Phuong Du. Vice President of the Finance Club. Family conditions are good, appearance is not bad. He pursued Ha Tinh very aggressively. Every day if you don't give flowers, give sweets. Sometimes I even wait for her in the dormitory building. At first, Ha Tinh said there was no need. But every time I received it very quickly. Roses are placed in a vase.