It was the height of summer, and the afternoon sun was scorching. A gentle breeze provided some relief, but the heat still enveloped everything. The lake along the way shimmered and reflected the clear blue sky, with green trees providing a comforting shade.
The path leading to the lecture hall was crowded with groups of students, their colorful umbrellas shielding them from the blazing sun.
Despite the UV barrier protecting her skin, Lin Xichi still felt a slight tingling sensation. She squinted lazily, listening to her three roommates chatting beside her.
“Which classroom are we going to?”
“Um, let me check… It’s Room 302 in East Building Two.”
Because of the hot weather, they unintentionally quickened their pace, and it didn’t take long for them to reach the classroom.
Inside the spacious classroom, there were air conditioners at the front, middle, and back, dispersing the stuffy air and bringing instant comfort. Perhaps due to the early hour, there were only a few scattered students, creating a serene atmosphere.
Lin Xichi and her roommates casually took seats near the middle on the right side.
A few minutes later, some male classmates from the same class arrived, their voices lively and filled with laughter, creating a lively atmosphere. Spotting them, a few of the guys sat directly in front of them, striking up friendly conversations.
Lin Xichi wasn’t very adept at socializing with unfamiliar people, so she pretended to be engrossed in her desk, opened WeChat, and sent a message to a chat named “??” (Pi Pi):
——?The sky is so blue today, and the sun is so bright. Xichi thinks it’s a perfect day for gaming.?
She waited for a while.
No response.
Lin Xichi pursed her lips, feeling uninterested, and closed WeChat.
When she looked up again, the classroom was nearly full. The department head was standing at the front, talking to the other teachers, then he cleared his throat and said with the microphone, “Alright, let’s quiet down.”
The whole room fell silent.
Lin Xichi propped her chin on her hand, watching the department head with a serious expression, about to drift off in thought about how to pass the time.
Then, she received a message on WeChat.
??: ?Are you sick??
Lin Xichi ground her teeth, too lazy to argue with him, and asked: ?So, are we gaming or not??
??: ?Not gaming.?
Lin Xichi: ?What are you doing then??
??: ?In a meeting.?
Lin Xichi: ?Then chat with me.?
??: ?I’m not chatting with someone who’s a moron.?
Lin Xichi: ?If I’m a moron, then aren’t you sick??
No response again.
While waiting for his reply, Lin Xichi took a screenshot of their chat and sent it to her high school classmate, Jiang Zhengxu, feeling somewhat like a worried mother: ?Do you think someone with Xu Fang’s temperament can ever find a girlfriend??
Jiang Zhengxu replied quickly and sent a screenshot of their chat as well:
Jiang Zhengxu: ?Fang, bro, I’m coming to your school this Sunday to hang out with you. How about that??
Xu Fang: ?Get lost.?
“…”
“…………”
Jiang Zhengxu: ?Don’t even talk about a girlfriend.?
Jiang Zhengxu: ?I think he’s on the verge of losing even friends.?
Upon seeing that message, Lin Xichi suddenly stopped being upset and sent a “candle” emoji to Xu Fang.
Just as she pressed the power button, she heard a commotion around her.
Lin Xichi raised her head, puzzled, and looked towards the lectern.
The department head had a distressed expression as he said, “So, you all must study hard. Even when you relax by playing games, you should do so in moderation. The purpose of your twelve years of education was not to come here and play games!”
Seeing this, Lin Xichi turned to her roommate, Nie Yue, and asked, “What’s going on?”
Nie Yue took a sip of water and patiently explained, “The department head just mentioned that there’s a senior student, a top scorer from the province, who got admitted to our university. He ranked first in our department in the first semester of the freshman year, but last semester, he failed all nine subjects.”
“Why did he fail?” Lin Xichi asked.
Nie Yue chuckled, “Because he played games in the dormitory and skipped all nine exams.”
“Ah? Why?”
“He got too engrossed in playing and didn’t earn enough credits, so he had to repeat the year. He’s now a freshman, just like us.”
“What’s his name?”
“I don’t know, the department head just said ‘one of your senior students.’”
Lin Xichi nodded and couldn’t help but think about the phrase “failed all nine subjects.” She contemplated, slowly realizing that she had asked Xu Fang to play games earlier.
Xu Fang had poor self-control, low grades, and a bad temper. What if he got addicted to games because she kept asking him to play and ended up failing like that senior student?
He would definitely blame her for it.
And then he would be furious with her.
Although she thought that even if he took the exams, there was no guarantee he would pass.
With this in mind, Lin Xichi shivered and quickly sent Xu Fang a WeChat message.
Lin Xichi: ?Let’s not play games together in the future.?
On the other side.
Xu Fang chewed his gum lazily and glanced at his phone. When he saw the message, his cheek muscles tightened, and he paused in his chewing. He made a slow “hmm” and then threw his phone into the drawer.
“…” This person is an idiot.
Who asked whom to play?
After two seconds, he took out his phone again, sneering as he replied.
——?I’m not looking for anyone.?
The meeting lasted for about an hour and a half.
After the meeting, it was time for dinner.
Lin Xichi and her three roommates discussed and decided to go to a nearby restaurant for grilled fish.
On the way, Nie Yue suddenly remembered the incident of filling out the registration form earlier and asked, “By the way, do you guys have any departments you want to join?”
Chen Han, munching on the street food she just bought, mumbled, “The Department of Student Affairs, maybe.”
Xin Zidan made an exclamation and, in her small voice, replied, “I want to join the Student Union’s New Media Department.”
“I’ve applied for the Student Union!” Nie Yue said excitedly, “Are there any handsome guys in the Student Union?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Xichi replied, “but I saw a handsome senior who was manning the booth earlier. He was talking to…”
Before Nie Yue could finish her sentence, she suddenly nudged the others and changed her tone, “Look over there! At one o’clock!”
Chen Han was pushed forward and stumbled a bit. She asked, puzzled, “What’s going on?”
“Just look! At the entrance of the bubble tea shop!” Nie Yue exclaimed.
The four of them had unknowingly walked to a bubble tea shop near the grilled fish restaurant. At that moment, Lin Xichi, even with her nearsightedness, could clearly see the appearance of the young man Nie Yue was referring to.
The young man’s features were so refined that they seemed to have been carefully sculpted like a work of art. His eyes were deep, his nose straight, his lower lip plump but with a straight curve, exuding a faint charm. He wore a plain black short-sleeved shirt and knee-length light blue jeans. He leaned against the front counter of the bubble tea shop, his left elbow on the counter, his other hand holding a phone.
His expression seemed nonchalant and relaxed.
Beside him stood several tall and spirited young men, all seemingly sweaty as if they had just finished exercising. They were chatting happily.
The young man stood on the edge, and even though he was slightly hunched, he still stood out.
It seemed like he heard something, as he raised his head and glanced in Lin Xichi’s direction for a moment, his gaze lingering for a few seconds. He quickly averted his eyes, and his lips curled up slightly, as if he had just chuckled.
Lin Xichi couldn’t help but think, “He’s just pretending to be cool.”
Stimulated by his expression, Lin Xichi turned to Nie Yue and asked, “Which one are you talking about?”
“Don’t you need to lower your voice?”
But he didn’t react at all, redirecting his attention back to his phone. It was as if he hadn’t heard or didn’t care.
Nie Yue sighed in relief, pinching Lin Xichi’s face, “You startled me…”
Lin Xichi felt extremely pleased. She had scolded him in front of Xu Fang, and he hadn’t even noticed. She let Nie Yue tease her and smiled mischievously, “I was just kidding.”
The four of them continued walking, intending to go further ahead. However, the phone in Lin Xichi’s hand suddenly rang.
With a smile still on her face, she glanced at her phone.
Pi Pi: ?Come here.?
Pi Pi: ?Who did you say was ugly??
“…”
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