The small dorm room immediately became lively. Sang Zhi roughly sorted things out. The chubby guy was called Qian Fei, and the one who used foul language was named Chen Junwen. They were all easy-going and talkative people.
Sang Yan seemed to have a good relationship with them. He chatted with them while playing with his phone, occasionally chiming in a few words.
As they continued chatting, they suddenly decided to go out for a barbecue for dinner outside the campus.
They invited Sang Zhi to join them.
Not long after, Duan Jiaxu came out of the restroom. He changed his shirt, returned to his spot, and didn’t join their conversation. Instead, he opened the drawer and took out his wallet.
Chen Junwen looked at him playfully, “Lao Xu, you just moved in. Let’s go for hot pot later.”
”Tonight?” Duan Jiaxu shook his head, “You guys go ahead, I have something to do.”
Sang Zhi immediately glanced at him.
Qian Fei said, “What are you up to? Do you already have a girlfriend? Absolutely not! Our dormitory is a united front! If you want to find a girlfriend, you must help me find one first!”
Chen Junwen argued with him, “No, help me find one first.”
Qian Fei replied, “I don’t have many requirements, just that she shouldn’t have a bad temper.”
Chen Junwen: “As long as it’s a girl.”
Qian Fei: “A boy is also fine.”
”…”
Sang Zhi stared at them and suddenly blurted out, “Aren’t you two chasing after my brother?”
Sang Yan: “…”
Chen Junwen looked horrified. “Little Sister, you can’t eat things randomly, and you can’t speak randomly either!”
Qian Fei sat up on the bed and looked thoughtfully at Sang Yan, rubbing his chin. “Now that you mention it, Sang Yan does seem quite good-looking.”
Sang Yan’s forehead twitched. “Both of you, get out of here.”
Duan Jiaxu silently laughed on the side, put on his all-black backpack, and walked out while saying, “I’m leaving first. You guys chat.” Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something, stopped, and ruffled Sang Zhi’s hair. “If you want that doll, take it yourself.”
After saying that, he left the dorm room.
Chen Junwen sighed: “Then let’s go out too.”
Qian Fei: “Sure, I’m hungry too.”
Sang Yan looked at Sang Zhi. “Little Devil, do you want to eat hot pot?”
Sang Zhi remained silent for a few seconds and shook her head. “I’m going home.”
”How about eating something else?” Sang Yan furrowed his eyebrows. “Afterward, I’ll take you back.”
Sang Zhi shook her head again.
Sang Yan lost patience, stood up, and said, “Think it over yourself. I’ll go to the restroom.”
Sang Zhi also silently stood up, moving Duan Jiaxu’s chair back to its original place. Then, she noticed the doll on his desk and hesitated before picking it up, feeling a bit upset.
Qian Fei put on his shoes and happened to see Sang Zhi’s action. He subconsciously said, “Hasn’t Duan Jiaxu thrown away this thing yet? Is he toxic or what?”
(In this context, “toxic” refers to a person who is not good for a romantic relationship.)
Hearing this, Chen Junwen also took a look and said, “He seems to use it as decoration on his bed.”
Qian Fei remarked, “Isn’t it creepy to have this thing next to you while sleeping?”
Sang Zhi’s grip on the doll tightened. Gathering her courage, she pretended to be curious and asked, “Did Jiaxu-gege’s girlfriend give him this doll?”
Chen Junwen immediately replied, “Girlfriend? He doesn’t have time for a girlfriend.”
Qian Fei added, “Yeah, he’s as busy as a dog.”
Chen Junwen chimed in, “And why don’t I have a girlfriend even though I’m not busy?”
”Why is that indeed? Because you’re ugly,” Qian Fei looked at the doll in Sang Zhi’s hand and thought for a moment. “This doll seems like a prize that Duan Jiaxu received at some competition, if I remember correctly.”
Chen Junwen confirmed, “Yeah, it was during the last semester.”
Upon hearing this, Sang Zhi loosened her grip on the doll and let out a soft sigh.
There were two restrooms in the dormitory. Perhaps because Sang Zhi was present, Chen Junwen and Qian Fei didn’t change their clothes in the dormitory. Instead, they took their clothes and squeezed into the other restroom together.
Sang Zhi stared at the doll in her hand and silently opened her backpack’s zipper, stuffing it inside. However, the doll was too big, so she took it out again and emptied her backpack, placing everything on Duan Jiaxu’s desk.
After freeing up half the space, she managed to fit the doll inside this time.
Sang Zhi curled her lips and zipped up her backpack.
The next moment, Sang Yan and the other two guys came out of the restroom together.
This time, Sang Zhi truly felt like a thief. She immediately turned away and walked back to Sang Yan’s spot, pretending to be calm.
Sang Yan grabbed a tissue to dry his hands and asked, “Have you made up your mind?”
Sang Zhi: “I’ll eat at home.”
Sang Yan nodded: “Sure, I’ll take you to the station.”
-
10:00 PM.
When Duan Jiaxu returned to the dormitory, Chen Junwen and Qian Fei were sitting in front of the computer, shouting and cheering while playing a game.
Sang Yan was lying on the bed, motionless. Hearing the sound of Duan Jiaxu’s return, he wearily raised his head, “Hey, Duan Jiaxu.”
Duan Jiaxu placed his backpack on the table. “What’s up?”
”My sister just called me,” Sang Yan handed him the phone, “She said you left something at her place, but when I asked what it was, she didn’t say anything. You should call her and ask.”
Duan Jiaxu opened the wardrobe but couldn’t find his clothes, “Call her back when you get through.”
Sang Yan was half-asleep, he lit up the screen, found Sang Zhi’s number, and dialed it before passing the phone back to Duan Jiaxu. Duan Jiaxu took the phone and put it to his ear as he walked to the balcony to retrieve his clothes.
On the other end, Sang Zhi picked up the call, “Gege?”
Duan Jiaxu replied lazily, “Hey Kiddo, did I leave something at your place?”
”…,” Sang Zhi became quiet and quickly said with a guilty tone, “Gege, it’s not that you left something at my place, it’s that I left something at your place.”
”What is it?”
Sang Zhi honestly said, “My homework.”
Duan Jiaxu didn’t pay much attention. “Should I ask your brother to bring it to you tomorrow morning?”
”But I haven’t done it…”
”…”
Duan Jiaxu’s action of retrieving his clothes paused, and after a few seconds of silence, he suddenly understood her intention.
”You want me to help you write it?”
Feeling like her request was unreasonable, Sang Zhi stumbled as she explained, “I could have done it myself. B-But there is a 500-word weekly journal that I have to write, and I won’t be able to finish it at school tomorrow morning.”
”…”
Duan Jiaxu’s smile took on a hint of absurdity. “Why don’t you ask your brother then?”
Sang Zhi: “He won’t help me write it.”
Duan Jiaxu: “So, you expect me to write it for you?”
As the words fell, both of them fell into silence.
After a while, Sang Zhi’s voice became tearful as she said, “Just help me write it a little bit… That teacher is so strict, I dare not skip other assignments, but I can’t bear not doing my Chinese homework…”
”…”
”Why are you crying?” Duan Jiaxu was speechless and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Kiddo, how about this? You get up early tomorrow and write it at school. I’ll also bring it to you early, okay?”
Sniffling, she cried, “No.”
Duan Jiaxu asked, “Why not?”
”I-I can’t get up… sniff-sniff…”
”…”
”…” Duan Jiaxu was left speechless.
The author has something to say:
Duan Jiaxu: How dare you sound so upright when you can’t even get up early?!
Sang Zhi: Woo-woo-wooo…
Duan Jiaxu: “Fine, I’ll write it.”

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