Returning to the familiar campus of Haida University, life seemed to have been fast-forwarded. Everyone quickly settled into their own routines, busy yet fulfilling.
The snowy encounter in the Alps was like a pebble dropped into a lake. Though ripples remained, the surface of the lake gradually returned to calm.
For three consecutive days, everything was peaceful.
In the dormitory, Tong Hua, the little friend who had just turned eighteen, was engaged in what outsiders might consider a rather hardcore pastime—preparing for the senior engineer certification exam.
Her hair was tied up in a slightly messy bun, and she wore a cute, fresh-looking tank top and shorts pajamas printed with cartoon cats. She sat cross-legged, sinking into a soft beanbag chair, with a thick professional book resting on her knees. Her fingers danced across the keyboard of her laptop, and from time to time, she would gaze thoughtfully at the circuit diagrams or code on the screen.
“Little Tong Hua,” Su Qingyu said lazily, leaning against the headboard of her bed with a face mask on, her voice slightly muffled. “This senior engineer certification… it’s not something you take just for fun. I heard the pass rate is terrifyingly low.”
Without looking up, Tong Hua waved her small hand dismissively, her tone carrying the natural confidence of a genius. “Relax, relax~ I’ve skimmed through the key points, and the logic is pretty clear. It’s not that hard. Watch this little genius in action—I’ll definitely crush them all!”
Her confident demeanor made it seem as though she wasn’t tackling a highly valuable professional certification but rather playing a slightly more complex video game.
“Alright, you’re the expert,” Jiang Mo said with a smile, giving a thumbs-up. “I’m more practical. I’ll just stick to my part-time job at the hotpot restaurant to earn some pocket money.”
Thanks to her handsome looks and cheerful personality, Jiang Mo was extremely popular at the hotpot restaurant where she worked. She attracted many young female customers, and the boss practically treated her like a lucky charm, paying her far more than the average summer job wage.
“Go get ’em, money magnet~” Tong Hua looked up from her books and made a cheering gesture toward Jiang Mo, who was about to head out.
Xia Lingxi had recently been focusing all her efforts on preparing for the mathematics teacher certification exam. She spent most of her time in the library or study rooms, so the dormitory was often left with just Su Qingyu and Tong Hua.
“Huahua~ come here~” Su Qingyu finally finished her face mask and looked over at the small, focused figure, her eyes lighting up.
Finally, with the two guardians away, she could enjoy the pleasure of doting on her little kitten all to herself!
Hearing this, Tong Hua closed her laptop and, like a nimble little animal, crawled out of the beanbag chair on all fours. She then clambered up onto Su Qingyu’s bed, her small face filled with curiosity. “What’s up? What’s up?”
“Come here and let your big sister give you a good cuddle~” Su Qingyu immediately extended her mischievous hands, pulling Tong Hua into her arms. First, she ruffled the girl’s delightfully soft bun, then lovingly pinched her chubby, baby-faced cheeks. Finally, she buried her face in Tong Hua’s neck and took a deep breath.
Tong Hua always carried a sweet, sun-dried orange fragrance mixed with a hint of laundry detergent—fresh and pleasant, almost intoxicating.
Usually, all three of her older dorm sisters loved to cuddle with her, but when all three were together, it often led to chaos and competition. That’s why they cherished these moments of one-on-one time, savoring the satisfaction of having a cute and clever little pet to dote on.
“Let me go… I can’t breathe!” Tong Hua struggled in her embrace, her voice muffled, carrying a hint of suffocation.
Su Qingyu released her contentedly, gently poking her incredibly elastic cheek with a finger, unable to get enough of it. “What do you want to eat? Big sister is in a good mood today, my treat!”
Tong Hua sighed, her little face falling. This was a worldwide dilemma that troubled her every day: “I don’t know…”
Undoubtedly a terminal case of decision paralysis.
“Then how about we go for barbecue? The new place behind the school gate, I heard it’s pretty good.”
“Sounds good!” Tong Hua’s eyes lit up, but then she thought of a question and tilted her head. “But, why doesn’t your family’s huge Alpine estate buffet have barbecue? Barbecue after skiing would be amazing!”
Su Qingyu laughed at the sudden shift in thought. “Good question. I’ll bring it up with my dad later; we really should improve the variety of food. Come on, get changed, let’s go!”
“Roger that!” Tong Hua immediately became full of energy, hopping off the bed and starting to change clothes efficiently.
Simple denim shorts paired with ankle-length sports socks, a cropped white shirt with a Peter Pan collar on top, and clean white sneakers on her feet—she looked fresh and lively, eagerly rushing toward the dormitory door.
…
Meanwhile, at the bustling barbecue stall behind the school gate.
“Delicious!! This is what life is all about!” Xiao Yu held a sizzling lamb skewer in one hand and a chilled beer in the other, taking a big bite and squinting with satisfaction, his lips glistening with oil and seasoning.
“Exactly! That guy He Sui, does he really have to be so obsessive about cleanliness? He’s missing out on this heavenly delight!” Nan Chao chimed in between bites, his words muffled, expressing strong disapproval of He Sui’s absence.
Si Jin took a sip of his chilled beer and let out a contented sigh. “Ah, he really doesn’t know how to enjoy life. A proper college life should be filled with this kind of lively atmosphere. But him? He’s been back for three days, and aside from necessary classes, he’s either holed up in the dorm or the library. Who knows what he’s up to.”
“Apparently, he’s preparing for some financial modeling certification exam. Tsk, what an overachiever,” Nan Chao added.
“If he doesn’t come out and enjoy life with us, he’ll regret it!” Xiao Yu declared confidently.
Just as they were talking, the wind chime at the entrance of the barbecue stall jingled, and two familiar figures walked in.
“You find a seat and order first. I’m going to buy a milk tea next door; I’ll be right back,” Su Qingyu said to Tong Hua.
Tong Hua nodded, carrying her backpack as she scanned the slightly noisy shop. She found a relatively quiet corner seat and sat down.
She seemed completely unaware of the acquaintances nearby, naturally taking out her laptop from her bag, opening it, and starting to type rapidly with her slender fingers. Her expression was focused, as if she were rushing to finish some paper or code.
“Hey! Isn’t that Tong Hua?” Nan Chao, with the sharpest eyes, immediately spotted the familiar little figure with a bun hairstyle and a Peter Pan collar shirt.
Xiao Yu followed his gaze and immediately brightened up, lowering his voice with barely contained excitement: “Hey! It really is her! He Sui tried bumping into her for three days without success, and here we are, running into her instead! Hahaha! I told him he’d regret not coming!”
Si Jin looked at Tong Hua’s profile, so earnestly studying and utterly out of place amid the smoky barbecue atmosphere, and found the scene rather amusing. He nudged Xiao Yu with his elbow, grinning: “So? Should we notify a certain He right now?”
Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up with mischief. He pulled out his phone, secretly snapped a photo of Tong Hua’s direction—making sure not to capture her face, only a blurry, studious profile against the background—then put his phone away with a sly smile: “What’s the rush? Let’s send it to him when they’re almost done eating or about to leave. Let him experience what it means to be so close yet worlds apart—coming here would be pointless anyway! Hah, just thinking about his sour face makes me happy!”
Nan Chao and Si Jin exchanged a glance, both giving Xiao Yu a thumbs-up, though their eyes were filled with sympathy and anticipation: “You’ve got guts, we’ll give you that—daring to pluck hairs from a tiger’s mouth.”
They were already silently praying for Xiao Yu, hoping he’d make it out of the dormitory in one piece after pulling this prank on He Sui tonight.
Meanwhile, Tong Hua, completely unaware of all this, was fully immersed in her world of code. Occasionally, she’d look up and take a sip of the milk tea Su Qingyu had just bought, her small face earnest and focused, completely oblivious to the carefully orchestrated “chance encounter” quietly brewing around her.