Yun Qing lay on the bed, his fists clenched so tightly that they creaked. He would avenge the Original Host’s grudge himself. As for the male and female protagonists, they could meet however they pleased—just stay the hell away from him! Even a Cannon Fodder’s life was still a life.
The current point in time was just after the exams. The Original Host had already booked a train ticket back to Shen City for the day after tomorrow and planned to buy local specialties for his parents tomorrow.
Yun Qing decided not to buy those specialties after all. Given how much his parents cherished the Original Host, he himself was the best gift. Why would they need any local specialties?
He glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed. It was only a little past one in the morning.
Yun Qing quietly got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Their dormitory was in a newer building—a four-person room with a balcony and a bathroom, already very close to the dormitory layout of later generations.
It happened to be 2004. The new millennium had just begun, and this was a time of vigorous development.
After locking the bathroom door, Yun Qing entered the Space. He drank a cup of Spirit Spring Water and underwent Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Tempering. Once was painful, twice was familiar; that familiar agony was still every bit as soul-searing.
After showering, he took another Strength Pill. Unless he raised his combat ability, he would have no sense of security. Who knew whether the plot might suddenly go haywire? If it insisted on forcing things back onto their original track, he needed at least enough strength to protect himself.
After finishing all this, Yun Qing quietly climbed back into bed.
He thought, Once junior year begins, I’m definitely hanging up a curtain. That’ll make it convenient to cultivate at night. Boys need to protect themselves too, and they deserve privacy.
The sky had only just begun to lighten when someone got up. These were students preparing to return home today. Once vacation began, the first thing they did was go home.
None of the four people in the dormitory were locals. Yun Qing’s family was from the northern city of Shen City.
The Eldest, Zhang Qiang, was from Hubei Province.
Second Brother, Liu Gang, was from Guangdong Province.
Old Third, Zhao Luo, was from Yunnan Province.
The Original Host was the youngest, ranking as Fourth Brother. They really were brothers from all corners of the country.
The four dorm mates got along well. They were all from out of town, so there were not that many conflicts.
The first to get up was Old Third, Zhao Luo. His home was far away, and there was only one bus a day. He supposedly even had to transfer buses and walk dozens of li along mountain roads before reaching home.
“Old Third, I’ll see you off.” The Eldest, Zhang Qiang, opened his eyes groggily and continued rubbing them.
“No need. I can go myself. Sleep a little longer; you have to take a bus this afternoon too,” Zhao Luo replied softly.
“Eldest, go back to sleep. I’ll see Old Third off. My bus is only an hour later than his, so we can leave together.” Second Brother, Liu Gang, had also woken up. He was always excited about going home and was full of energy.
Hearing them talk, Yun Qing also leaned over the bed rail to look down.
“Second Brother, Old Third, have a safe journey, and be careful on the way!” Yun Qing said.
“Thanks. You too.” Zhao Luo answered with a simple, honest smile.
“Don’t worry. I’m a boy—could I really get kidnapped?” Liu Gang said with a laugh.
“What does being a boy have to do with it? Boys need to protect themselves when they’re out too. What if someone takes a fancy to your kidneys? What would you do if they dragged you into a dark room and harvested them? We study medicine, you know.”
Yun Qing reminded them while also trying to scare them. They should not think they were safe simply because they were boys.
“Damn it! Fourth Brother, don’t scare me. Now I don’t even dare go home.” Zhang Qiang spoke loudly, his expression exaggerated.
The other two did not look too good either.
Liu Gang patted his thin chest and said, “We’d better all be more careful. It’s not impossible.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“See you when school starts!”
“See you when school starts!”
Watching Second Brother and Old Third leave, Zhang Qiang asked, “Fourth Brother, your train is tomorrow, right? Do you have anything to do today?”
“What are you planning?” Yun Qing asked.
“How about we go to an internet café? We finally finished our exams. Let’s relax a little.” Zhang Qiang gave a sly chuckle.
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen into an online romance?” Yun Qing guessed, looking at his lecherous smile.
“It’s not certain yet. We’re just talking for now.” A trace of tenderness flashed across Zhang Qiang’s face.
Yun Qing helplessly shook his head. “I’m not going. What am I supposed to do while you pursue your online romance? These past few days have left my head spinning. I’m practically roasted. I’m going to have an intimate relationship with my bed all day and stay right here!”
He had made up his mind to stay holed up in the dormitory all day and be a shut-in. He refused to believe the female protagonist could come running to their dormitory.
“What a bore. Fourth Brother, you’ll never find a girlfriend like this. What a waste of your height and handsome face.” As he spoke, Zhang Qiang got out of bed and prepared to head to the internet café.
As a Northeastern man, the Original Host was 185 centimeters tall. The other three were all southerners. The Eldest, Zhang Qiang, was only 175 centimeters, while Second Brother and Old Third were barely over 170. They were all thin and looked like children.
“I’m not looking for a partner. I’m going to enjoy being single!” Yun Qing lay on the bed and traded verbal jabs with Zhang Qiang.
“Tch, as if I believe you!” Zhang Qiang washed up disdainfully.
After Zhang Qiang left, Yun Qing quickly jumped out of bed, locked the door from inside, left behind a trace of divine sense, and entered the eastern wing room of the small courtyard in the Space. The Time Flow Rate was fastest there.
Sitting cross-legged, he began practicing internal energy 《Primordial Qi Formula》. Mastering internal energy would not only increase his combat ability but also benefit him immensely when performing surgery in the future.
He was majoring in clinical medicine. Without a strong body, he would never last through several-hour surgeries.
Sensing his divine sense being touched, Yun Qing hurried out of the Space. Sure enough, he heard knocking at the door.
When he opened the door, he saw Zhang Qiang carrying lunch.
“Why did you lock the door? Here, lunch.” Zhang Qiang handed him the food container.
Yun Qing accepted it happily. “I’m sleeping alone in the dormitory. Of course I need to protect myself. What if a female hooligan breaks in?”
Zhang Qiang stared at Yun Qing speechlessly, sighed, and said, “Fourth Brother, you’re getting more shameless by the day. I’m impressed!”
As he spoke, he even clasped his fists in a suitably formal salute.
Yun Qing lifted his chin, completely unconcerned by the teasing. He was not bragging—the Original Host’s looks were absolutely on the level of a campus heartthrob. Combined with his own bearing, calling him a male idol would not be an exaggeration.
There really had been quite a few girls pursuing the Original Host, especially those in the nursing department, who often gathered around to watch him.
His personality was excellent too: cheerful and magnanimous, the very picture of a sunny, outgoing young man.
It was just that studying medicine was too exhausting. The books he had to memorize alone, stacked together, could almost match his height. Where would he have time for romance? The Original Host was a good student who loved studying.
“Eldest, how much was it? I’ll pay you now.” As he spoke, Yun Qing took out his wallet to give him the money for the meal. There were no electronic payments yet; everything was paid for in cash.
“Forget it. I can still afford one meal. When school starts, just bring me some local specialties from your hometown.” Zhang Qiang waved it off.
“No problem. Easy peasy.” Yun Qing replied.
For brothers from all corners of the country, learning one another’s dialects was an essential skill. Unfortunately, the other three were currently racing down the road of being influenced by the Original Host. The Original Host had barely learned a few southern dialect phrases, while their Northeastern accent was growing increasingly pronounced.
Zhang Qiang cheerfully packed his suitcase. He would be leaving soon too. With only Yun Qing left in the dormitory, things would certainly be freer.
“Do you want me to see you off?” Yun Qing asked after finishing his meal.
“I’m not a little girl. Why would I need you to see me off? You’d better stay a shut-in. Don’t forget to eat dinner. I’m leaving.”
As he spoke, Zhang Qiang slung on his backpack, pulled his suitcase, and left.
“I’ll see you downstairs.” Yun Qing took the suitcase from his hand, grabbed his keys, and headed downstairs with him.
Only after watching Zhang Qiang walk away did Yun Qing return to the dormitory, lock the door, enter the Space, and continue cultivating.
He did not leave campus for the entire day. The Original Host’s Deadly calamity should have passed. Early the next morning, Yun Qing washed up in the Space before coming out. Feeling the power within his dantian, he happily clenched his fists, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and prepared to head to the railway station.