Shi Jing stared blankly for a while.
Thinking about it, it really wasn’t strange that so many people liked Jiang Yu.
Bang!
A loud crash suddenly exploded through the air, followed immediately by the sound of shattering glass.
Shi Jing’s thoughts were instantly yanked back to reality.
He looked toward the window not far away.
The curtains had been left open, and a clear impact mark from a soccer ball was visible.
The surprisingly clean soccer ball rolled across the floor and came to a stop beside his bed.
The chattering voices of several children drifted up from downstairs.
“What do we do? The soccer ball is gone.”
“Waaah… are we going to get arrested by the police? I don’t want to go to prison…”
“What are you crying for? We need to stay tough!”
A vein bulged on Shi Jing’s forehead.
Climbing out of bed, he picked up the soccer ball with one hand.
The window was completely wrecked.
Left with no choice, he headed downstairs.
Fortunately, he lived on the third floor, so it only took a few moments to get down.
The little troublemakers were still standing where they had been, blaming each other.
With a dark expression, Shi Jing strode over.
The children stared at him blankly.
They were so frightened that their hair practically stood on end.
Like a flock of scared chickens, none of them dared to speak.
Shi Jing sneered.
“Weren’t you all talking pretty well just now? Why are you suddenly quiet?”
“…”
The children exchanged glances.
Finally, a little girl wearing a princess dress stepped forward.
Pouting, with tears glistening in her large eyes, she said in a trembling voice,
“Sorry, Brother Little Jing. We didn’t mean to.”
Shi Jing took several deep breaths.
For some reason, he felt as though he were the one who had done something wrong.
Something especially terrible.
Hands on his hips, he thought bitterly that today was cursed.
He had run into his archenemy Jiang Yu in the morning.
His mother got married at noon.
And in the afternoon, his window had been smashed.
Still, he couldn’t actually get angry at a bunch of kids.
Returning the soccer ball, he warned them,
“Don’t play here next time. Go play around the buildings behind this one.”
The children happily took the ball and ran off.
Shi Jing never considered himself a particularly good-tempered person.
His personality was almost obsessive at times.
Over the years, apart from Qin Yu, he had practically no friends.
With half a month left before school started, he spent his days doing absolutely nothing except playing video games.
On the first day of university registration, Shi Jing was still sleeping when Qin Yu’s phone call woke him up.
It was ten in the morning.
Shi Jing had only been asleep for two hours.
When Qin Yu called the first time, Shi Jing heard nothing at all.
After staying up all night gaming, he was sleeping soundly.
One of Qin Yu’s greatest qualities was persistence.
He tirelessly called ten times in a row.
Finally, Shi Jing lifted an eyelid, glanced at the caller ID, and mercifully answered.
“You’d better have a reason.”
Hearing the coldness in his voice, Qin Yu cautiously asked,
“What reason?”
Shi Jing replied,
“A reason not to kill you.”
Qin Yu: “…”
After clearing his throat, he said,
“I just wanted to ask when you’re planning to register.”
“Get lost.”
Shi Jing hung up immediately.
Lan University’s registration period lasted five days.
Shi Jing chose to arrive on the very last day.
Dorm assignments had been selected online.
Building Two, Room 216, Bed Three.
Room 216 was in a newly built dormitory.
A standard four-person room.
After collecting his key, he dragged his luggage toward Room 216.
Located at the very end of the hallway, Room 216 was impossible to miss.
The sound of his suitcase wheels rolling across the floor wasn’t even as loud as the wailing coming from inside.
“I went to check out the third floor! It’s seriously rich—like ridiculously rich! Two separate rooms, with a living room and even a kitchen in the middle!”
Another voice immediately agreed.
“I know, right? Why is the school treating people so differently? It’s literally the same building!”
The first voice instantly burst into exaggerated sobs.
“It’s not fair! It’s not fair! Waaaah!”
Finally unable to take it anymore, Shi Jing shoved the door open.
The noise came to an abrupt halt.
Tao Qi’an was lying spread-eagle on the floor, dramatically crying his heart out.
The interruption cut off his fake sobs instantly.
Awkwardly, he sat up and rubbed the corners of his eyes.
Not a single tear could be found.
Shi Jing exchanged a glance with him before shifting his gaze toward the other person standing nearby.
The young man was fairly tall, easily over six feet.
He wore a simple T-shirt and shorts.
When his eyes landed on Shi Jing, he blinked in disbelief before asking,
“Shi Jing?”
Shi Jing thought the guy looked familiar.
He frowned and thought for a while.
Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
“Holy crap. We’re roommates again.”
The young man seemed genuinely excited.
The moment Shi Jing heard the word “roommates,” realization dawned.
This was probably one of his high school roommates.
Most students at Canghe First High School commuted from home.
Boarding students were relatively rare.
The dormitory building was connected to the faculty apartments, and most rooms housed only two students.
Shi Jing clearly remembered his roommate being rather short.
Looking at the tall young man in front of him, he asked in surprise,
“How did you grow so much over one summer vacation?”
The young man froze.
Tao Qi’an also looked up at him before asking,
“How tall was he before summer vacation?”
“…About five foot three, maybe?”
Shi Jing estimated.
Tao Qi’an whistled.
“Wow.”
The young man’s smile stiffened.
“I was already five foot nine in ninth grade. And we were roommates during the academic competition camp in our second year. We haven’t seen each other for over a year.”
Shi Jing: “…”
“My name is Gao Lang.”
The young man tried to phrase it tactfully, though there wasn’t really a tactful way to say it.
“You seem to have… maybe… possibly remembered the wrong person.”
Tao Qi’an: “…”
Shi Jing coughed awkwardly.
“Sorry. I’m a little face-blind. I thought you were my high school roommate.”
Gao Lang waved dismissively.
“It’s fine.”
Turning around, he returned to his seat.
Watching his back, Tao Qi’an suddenly felt that Gao Lang had endured far too much in life.
Then he asked,
“How many years did you live with your high school roommate?”
“Three.”
Shi Jing looked at him.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
Tao Qi’an waved his hand.
Compared to Gao Lang, he suddenly felt much worse for Shi Jing’s actual high school roommate.
Three years together, and Shi Jing could still mistake someone else for him.
That level of nonexistent presence was truly tragic.
Bed Three was next to the balcony.
Since Shi Jing had lived alone for years, organizing his belongings was effortless.
Everything quickly became neat and orderly.
Besides Tao Qi’an and Gao Lang, there was also a second roommate.
His bed was on the same side as Shi Jing’s, sharing the same ladder.
The second roommate had obviously already checked in.
His bedding was neatly arranged.
He was probably out at the moment.
After a brief glance, Shi Jing continued unpacking.
Sitting on a small stool, Tao Qi’an watched him put on his duvet cover.
The name “Shi Jing” lingered on his lips for quite a while before he finally forced himself to speak.
“Shi… Shi Jing, let’s add each other on WeChat. I’ll invite you to the dorm group chat.”
Tao Qi’an was a little afraid of him.
Although Shi Jing had a baby-faced appearance, he somehow looked difficult to approach.
Like a hedgehog covered in spikes.
Anyone who got too close would get stabbed, and he wouldn’t stop until the other person was dead.
After thinking for a moment, Shi Jing nodded.
Letting go of the duvet he had just finished arranging, he sat on the ladder.
One leg was bent slightly while the other hung naturally.
Then he opened his QR code.
Tao Qi’an had excellent eyesight.
Even from a distance, he could see it clearly.
Especially because Shi Jing’s profile picture was impossible to miss.
White background.
Black text.
A single Song-style Chinese character:
“滚” — “Get Lost.”
His WeChat nickname was:
Don’t Come Bothering Me.
“…”
Tao Qi’an was naturally talkative.
But at that moment, he realized that if he wanted to survive in this dormitory, he needed to speak less.
Much less.
Quiet as a chicken, he silently added Shi Jing on WeChat.
The moment Shi Jing accepted, Tao Qi’an immediately pulled him into a newly created group chat.
Gao Lang instantly sent a sticker.
[Throwing confetti! Welcome, new roommate!]
Shi Jing didn’t react.
His gaze froze on the group name.