A taxi headed for Lanjing University City. Chen Yuan sat in the front passenger seat, head down, playing with his phone. But it wasn’t Jiangg Yao’s ssages he was replying to.
Winter break was approaching, only about two weeks away.
Every year around this ti, schools would be busy preparing for the New Year’s Gala. This was true for everyone, from major universities down to elentary schools where kids would sit in a circle, cracking lon seeds and eating candy.
These major annual holidays were usually the busiest ti for mbers of the literature and arts departnt.
Liu Tingyue had already received the notice. She posted it in the school’s literature and arts departnt group chat, and using this as an excuse, she took the initiative to ssage Chen Yuan again.
Figuring it was too much trouble to type, she called him directly on Green Bubble. Her voice was gentle, calling him "junior" this and "junior" that, occasionally whining and cooing flirtatiously.
This made the driver keep turning to look, sizing Chen Yuan up with an envious gaze.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it, senior. I’ll be there on ti for the eting the day after tomorrow."
"So what are you doing now? Are you free?" A hint of anticipation crept into Liu Tingyue’s voice.
"I’m going to eat with my roommates. Is there sothing else?"
"No... I was just asking. It’s just so boring being in the dorm by myself. My friends all went clubbing."
"How co you didn’t go, senior?"
"Those kinds of places are too chaotic. I never go. I’d rather just stay quietly in my dorm. Maybe I’ll read a book or sothing later."
In a won’s dorm at Landa University.
Liu Tingyue was lying on her side on the bed, tracing circles on the sheet with her finger, telling a barefaced lie without so much as a blush. Down below, her three roommates, who were all putting on makeup, heard this and looked up in unison to roll their eyes.
’She’s so two-faced! Selling out her friends just to make herself look good, huh!?’
A feisty, short-haired girl exchanged a look with the roommate next to her. She took a deep breath and imdiately shouted, "Yueyue, can I borrow your annual pass for Haoyue Bar? Didn’t you put over three thousand on it last ti—"
"HISS!" Liu Tingyue shot up, flipping over. She covered the phone’s receiver, glared daggers at her roommate, and hissed in a rushed whisper, "Are you trying to get killed?!"
Her three roommates below covered their mouths and snickered.
"Alright then~ That’s all for now, junior. See you the day after tomorrow!"
After hanging up with Chen Yuan, Liu Tingyue tossed her phone aside and ruffled her hair. "I’m so pissed!"
"What’s wrong now? Who was that? So simp you were cooing at like a cam girl?"
"What ’cam girl’?! Can’t you tell I was just putting on a cutesy voice?" Liu Tingyue shot back. As she spoke, she grabbed a pair of nude stockings from the side and forcefully pulled them on, her expression indescribably foul. "Who else but that Chen Yuan! I’m practically *his* simp at this point, and he still won’t give any reaction!"
"Well, this lady isn’t waiting on him anymore." Climbing down the ladder from her bunk, Liu Tingyue flung her hands, all traces of her earlier gentle deanor gone. "Makeup on! We’re going out!"
...
After paying and getting out of the car, Chen Yuan zipped up his down jacket, squinting against a sudden blast of cold wind.
A shout reached him from a distance.
The street was bustling with college students. Most were young couples, hand in hand, holding bubble tea. In front of every shop, employees braved the cold wind, trying to attract custors.
The scene was incredibly lively.
"Yuan, we’re over here!" Quan Yafeng’s voice was booming as he waved.
"Did you book a table? It’s the weekend and it’s dinnerti, the place is packed. We’re not going to have to wait, are we?" Chen Yuan asked.
The guys were huddled together, necks shrunk into their collars. Wei Zhen, already munching on one himself, handed over a tanghulu with an amber-colored glaze. "Don’t worry, I booked our spot at four this afternoon. Got a discount package and a new custor coupon. Saved a ton of money."
"Aweso!" Chen Yuan gave him a thumbs-up.
In a way, if Chen Yuan was the "dad" of the group who never forgot his roommates when sothing good ca along, then Wei Zhen was undoubtedly the one who radiated a mother’s loving glow. He was always thoughtfully taking care of the little details no one else noticed, a natural worrier.
Not only could he knit scarves and darn socks, but he was also a master at haggling with Taobao vendors and calculating the best deals with all the coupons and reductions during the Double 11 sales.
Without him, Quan Yafeng and Liu Nan wouldn’t know how to survive.
In winter, if you didn’t have hot pot every few days, sothing just felt off.
The group walked toward the hot pot restaurant with Quan Yafeng leading the charge, his steps incredibly light. He must have gotten a recent haircut—a standard handso-guy style with the sides shaved and the top left long—and he looked to be in high spirits.
He seed to have completely erged from the shadow of his failed relationship, which made Chen Yuan click his tongue in amazent.
They chose the yuan-yang pot they usually got and sat around a small wooden table on comfortable little stools. The main hall was filled with over twenty tables, and waiters bustled back and forth.
The charcoal was lit, and steam began to rise from the hot pot as the exhaust fan whirred overhead.
Before long, the tallow-based soup in the pot was the first to boil, bubbling furiously and roiling with a vibrant red.
PSSSH—
Cracking open a pull-tab can of beer, Quan Yafeng was the first to tilt his head back and take a long gulp, the refreshing sensation making his scalp tingle.
"Man, how can this little thing be so satisfying?"
Chen Yuan picked up his favorite beef tripe, swished it back and forth in the pot a few tis, and popped it into his mouth to chew, enjoying the original flavor without any dipping sauce.
"Pass the ladle. I can’t find my beef rolls."
"Just cook more next ti. You only put a few slices in; they just vanished. You could fish around all day and not find them."
"First, a couple of drinks. My mouth is dry!"
"Alright, alright. I’ll join you."
Liu Nan picked up his glass and clinked it against Quan Yafeng’s. They both drained their cups.
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