I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 16 - 14: Being the Third Person for Love

Mia Grant turned and lifted her sun hat, looking at the guy who had suddenly appeared behind her.

He was wearing a volunteer’s vest, so he was probably an upperclassman helping with orientation.

"Hey there!"

He enthusiastically took her suitcase. "Let me take you to your dorm."

Mia wasn’t planning on living on campus, but she still needed to drop things off at the dorm for the military training period. That’s why she’d brought a suitcase.

"Oh, thank you."

Entering a university campus for the first time in two lifetimes, Mia decided not to act tough and obediently followed the volunteer.

"So, what’s your name? What’s your major? How come your family didn’t come with you?"

"Why don’t we add each other on WeChat? If you need anything, just hit me up. I know this place like the back of my hand, and I’m always available!"

"..."

’So that’s what he was after.’

’Seriously, buddy? Does he really think I’m some little girl fresh out of high school?’

’These are my old tricks...’

"I don’t use WeChat."

"QQ is fine, too."

"I don’t have a phone."

"..."

Downstairs at the dorm, Mia Grant took back her suitcase and waved at him. "Thanks for walking me over. I’m going to head up now!"

"Hey, hey, wait..." He couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t have gone through all that trouble for nothing.

Mia Grant turned and thoughtfully offered him a line: "You’re a really good person!"

"..."

The upperclassman watched reluctantly as her figure disappeared into the dorm building’s entrance.

"Dixon."

"Ian?" The upperclassman turned his head and met the young man’s probing gaze.

Not far away, Ian Sinclair was holding a basketball, the black headband on his forehead damp with sweat. It was obvious he’d just come back from playing.

"What are you looking at?" Dixon went over and slung an arm around his shoulder. The loose, red basketball jersey on the young man exposed a section of his collarbone, and a small mole there brushed against the collar.

Ian Sinclair just furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the dorm entrance, as if searching for something.

"Who did you just walk over here?"

"Oh, a new freshman girl."

"What’s her name?"

"Her name is... Hey, wait a minute. Since when do you care about girls?"

Ian Sinclair was also a freshman, his junior.

But the two of them knew each other from before and had always been on good terms. Now they were even in the same dorm, so he knew him very well.

Ian Sinclair had never lacked for female attention.

He’d been on the school basketball team since high school, and every time he played, the courts were surrounded by people cheering for him.

However, this Mr. Sinclair of the Sinclair Family was arrogant and cocky. He was single-mindedly focused on basketball and never paid any attention to girls.

There were probably enough girls who’d been rejected by him to circle the entire track.

"Her back looked familiar."

"Pfft." Dixon laughed at his words. "Young Master, you actually know any girls?"

"Cut the crap." Ian Sinclair jabbed him in the chest with his elbow, his patience wearing thin. "What’s her name."

Dixon spread his hands helplessly. "I don’t know. I don’t even know her major."

"You mean you actually struck out?" Ian Sinclair looked him up and down, trying to find a flaw in his story.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, the fact was he had been rejected. "She just friend-zoned me and left."

"Man, that girl was gorgeous, though. What a shame..."

"You’re giving up just like that?"

"Doesn’t seem like your style."

Ian Sinclair knew that Dixon had always been very confident in his own charm. For any girl he was interested in, even if he was rejected at first, he would sincerely pursue her for a while.

"She probably has a boyfriend."

"You didn’t even get her name, but you somehow know she has a boyfriend?"

"I figured it out myself." A veteran of countless battles, Dixon analyzed as they walked, "When she turned to leave, I saw a hickey on her neck."

At that, Ian Sinclair’s brow furrowed. "Are you sure it was a hickey? What if it was a mosquito bite?"

"...Do you think I’m you? A little prince of purity?" He wasn’t so inexperienced that he couldn’t tell the difference between a hickey and a mosquito bite.

"What? If you’re interested in her, I can help you ask around."

"Even though poaching someone’s girlfriend has a bad ring to it, love has never been about who comes first!"

"So what if you’re the other guy! Being the other man for love is a glorious calling, Mr. Sinclair!"

"Get lost!" ’Is he sick in the head?’ Ian Sinclair shoved him away in disgust. "Who the hell wants to be the other man! You’re a fucking idiot."

He might not have the best manners and would pick a fight with his own shadow, but that didn’t mean he had no morals.

Being a homewrecker was a morally corrupt act. What was all this "being the other man for love" nonsense?

’Pah, not even if I were dead!’

* * *

Meanwhile, upstairs, Mia Grant had quickly befriended her three roommates.

The next day, after military training ended, the four of them went to the cafeteria for lunch. While they were in line, a roommate poked Mia on the shoulder.

"Mia, Mia! Quick, look! Hot guy at two o’clock!"

"Holy crap, I can’t believe there’s a freshman that hot!"

"Ah, he’s bending over to tie his shoe! Those muscles on his arms... *hiss*..."

Mia Grant was busy trying to decide what to eat.

’Tomato and egg over rice, or shredded potato over rice? What a headache.’

She distractedly glanced in the direction her roommate was pointing.

All she could see was a sea of camouflage uniforms, a dizzying sight. How was she supposed to know who her roommate was talking about?

’Whatever. I’ll just nod along.’

"He’s so tall! He must be a student athlete!"

"Isn’t he gorgeous!"

"Mhm, yeah." By comparison, she felt that the tomato and egg over rice was the superior choice.

’I’ll go with that today, then.’

"I want to go ask for his WeChat!"

"Go for it."

"I don’t dare! Why don’t you guys come with me?"

Mia Grant was starving, her mind completely focused on chowing down. "I’ll save your spots in line. You guys should hurry up and go."

She cheered her roommates on, "Don’t let him get away! You can do it!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Mia thought it would take them a while to come back. After all, with youngsters experiencing the first stirrings of love, they should have a good chat, right?

But before she’d even gotten to the front of the line for her rice dish, they had already trudged back dejectedly.

"That was fast?! Did you get it?"

Her roommate buried her head against her chest. "He said he doesn’t have WeChat! WAAAH!"

"Then add him on QQ."

’What’s the big deal?’

"He said he doesn’t have a phone."

"..."

"He also said I was a good person."

’Hm... Huh?’

’Why does this painfully awkward conversation sound so familiar?’

Mia Grant narrowed her eyes, searching through the crowd.

’It couldn’t be that enthusiastic upperclassman from yesterday, could it?’

’But what did that guy even look like...?’

’Right, I have no memory of him at all.’

Mia gave up. As she retracted her gaze, it unintentionally met with a pair of dark, gloomy eyes.

Her eyelashes trembled. When she realized who it was, her breath hitched. She whipped her head away, slamming the hat in her hands onto her head.

’Fucking hell, what have I done to deserve this?’

’I must be delirious from hunger. Otherwise, how could I be seeing that little tyrant here...’

’Ian Sinclair...’

’Wasn’t he supposed to be studying abroad...?’

’Did he sneak back into the country?’

Mia Grant lost her appetite completely. She made an excuse and quickly slipped away.

She took the fire escape and pushed open the door to the ground floor.

Before she could even draw a breath of fresh air into her lungs, a hand reached out from around the corner like a demon’s tentacle, blocking her path.

Mia Grant closed her eyes, her heart sinking like a stone.

"Excuse me, you dropped something."

’Huh? Wait, that voice... isn’t Ian Sinclair’s?!’

Mia Grant looked up.