Chapter 43: The Price of a Dream

The two of them chatted lightly as they returned to their dorm room. Shen Jing’an eagerly switched on the air conditioning, but a slight frown creased his brow as he gazed at the blazing sun outside the window.

“Eating out in this weather will surely leave me drenched in sweat. I don’t want to shower three times a day; my skin would peel right off. Hmm, I suppose it’s better to contact Wang Linshu after all.”

“Hey, stop doing that!” Lin Duo reacted sharply, attempting to snatch the phone from Shen Jing’an’s hand. Yet, despite his slightly plump physique, Shen Jing’an moved with surprising agility, scampering about the confined space of their dorm room like a monkey, completely evading Lin Duo’s grasp.

Simultaneously, he dialed Wang Linshu’s number. “Hello… it’s me… Duo and I don’t want to go out to eat. Could you bring us some takeout?… Mmm, just like last time…”

Watching Shen Jing’an hang up the phone with a smug expression, Lin Duo sank onto his bed, feeling helpless. “Wang Linshu has his own things to do. How can you treat him like our personal delivery boy?”

“He’s perfectly willing, so what’s the harm?” No trace of remorse marred Shen Jing’an’s youthful face. “It’s rare for you to be so beautiful, so of course, we should make good use of your resources. But you seem so pure; how did you manage to get Wang Linshu so utterly smitten? I feel like he’d jump off a building without hesitation if you told him to!”

“How would I know?” Lin Duo mumbled, unable to help himself. “He always says it was love at first sight with me. I don’t even know what exactly he saw.”

With a hint of jealousy, Shen Jing’an pinched Lin Duo’s fair, delicate cheek. “You, you really don’t appreciate the good fortune you have. It’s thanks to your parents for giving you such excellent genes. Even Cai Jingyao, our class heartthrob, is quite interested in you.”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Lin Duo’s chest, and a hint of triumph finally appeared on his youthful face. “What a pity, what a shame, to be so pretty yet flat as an airfield. Hmph, a girl needs a bit of a chest to be considered mature!”

“Mind your own business!” Lin Duo glared at him fiercely.

He hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone to message Wang Linshu, telling him not to run such errands anymore.

Sure enough, just like last time, Wang Linshu selectively ignored Lin Duo’s message. A quarter of an hour later, he stood panting at the dorm building entrance, takeout in hand.

Lin Duo had no choice but to go down and receive the food himself, though he couldn’t help but admonish him. “Don’t indulge that little rascal’s antics anymore. It’s scorching hot; you need a good rest too.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! It’s good exercise for losing weight!” Wang Linshu wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, flashing a brilliant smile. “Are you still taking the bus home this Saturday morning? Shall we go together?”

Feeling obliged after accepting his help, Lin Duo couldn’t refuse. “Alright, but it’s only Monday. Let’s make plans closer to the time.”

****

Back in the air-conditioned dorm, Shen Jing’an quickly finished his boxed lunch, then stared at Lin Duo in boredom. “Hey, you eat too slowly! There are no boys here, so you don’t need to act like a lady!”

“I’ve always eaten slowly; if I eat too fast, I can’t digest it properly.” Lin Duo patiently explained once more, then pointed at Shen Jing’an’s meal box. “You should finish your food, though. It’s such a waste.”

“I paid for it, so how much I eat is my business.” Shen Jing’an, as expected, was unmoved by Lin Duo’s lecture and tossed his meal box, still containing a considerable amount of food, directly into the trash can.

After eating, Lin Duo proactively carried the now-full trash can to the door to empty it. He then went to the washroom to grab a mop and cleaned the dorm floor, muttering, “Honestly, Xiaojing, it’s a good thing you have a roommate like me, otherwise this room would have turned into a pigsty long ago!”

Shen Jing’an, unfazed, continued playing on his computer. “I know, I know! But at this rate, you’ll definitely be a virtuous wife and loving mother in the future.”

This casual compliment surprisingly stirred a small thrill in Lin Duo’s heart. A vision appeared in his mind: on a warm morning, within a spacious villa, a faceless man in a suit sat on the living room sofa, reading a newspaper. He, meanwhile, wrapped in an apron, patiently cooked breakfast in the adjacent kitchen.

Before long, a cute little girl ran up to him. ‘Mommy, mommy, when will breakfast be ready…’

Of course, this was ultimately just a fantasy, or rather, a vision. Lin Duo cast his gaze self-pityingly at his short skirt, wondering why he hadn’t been born a girl. If he had, he wouldn’t have had to experience so many bizarre things.

Shen Jing’an, of course, was oblivious to his roommate’s complex inner turmoil. Unable to stay still, he called out to Lin Duo, “Hey, come quick and look! Latest news, Li Jie is getting married! Wuwuwu, another one of my male gods is taken…”

Nanyi Affiliated High School had evening self-study sessions every day, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM. However, contrary to Lin Duo’s expectations, these sessions were quite free. The teacher on the podium was only responsible for taking attendance, while the remaining time was for students to manage themselves, primarily for homework and reviewing lessons.

These students were the top performers from various middle schools across the city, all quite self-disciplined in their studies. They used the shared time during evening self-study to discuss problems and confusions with each other, which proved quite effective.

Before long, a tall, handsome boy approached Lin Duo’s desk, flashing a sunny smile. “Classmate Lin, I don’t quite understand this English question. Would you mind explaining it?”

During evening self-study, students were allowed to move freely within the classroom, but they had to be mindful of their volume so as not to disturb others.

Lin Duo took the textbook, carefully read the question, and regretfully shook his head. “I’m sorry, Classmate Cai, I don’t know this one either.”

Cai Jingyao took his book back, his sunny smile still in place. “No problem, then I’ll go ask someone else.”

Lin Duo then returned to his solitary reading. Due to the new class having fewer students, each student had an individual desk, with enough space between them for someone to pass through. This meant there were no longer traditional deskmates.

Lin Duo was always quite focused when reviewing. Before he knew it, class was over. He regretfully closed the English textbook he hadn’t finished and left the classroom with the flow of students.

On the way back to the dorm, Shen Jing’an’s mouth was still busy chattering. “Speaking of which, the placement test is this Wednesday! I’m so nervous; I wonder what my ranking will be in the new school.”

Most students at Nanyi Affiliated High School had been top students in their previous middle schools. However, with so many top students gathered together, many were bound to no longer be at the very top.

“I heard that one-third of our school’s students get into national key universities every year,” Lin Duo said, still quite optimistic. “It shouldn’t be hard to get into the top third, right?”

Back in the dorm, Lin Duo finished washing up and changed into his pajamas. It was almost bedtime. The two of them then previewed their lessons for the next day at their respective desks before climbing back into bed.

Although the lights were out, Shen Jing’an didn’t seem very sleepy, so he tried to strike up a conversation with Lin Duo. “Hey, what do you think of Cai Jingyao?”

“He’s a handsome, sunny boy!” Lin Duo’s assessment was quite fair.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

A moment of silence passed from Shen Jing’an’s bed, followed by a sigh. “Honestly, why am I not as pretty as you, with so many boys chasing after me?”

“Actually, you’re quite adorably chubby. If I were a boy, I’d like your type.” Lin Duo was now identifying as a girl with increasing frequency.

From his bed, Shen Jing’an wholeheartedly agreed. “Exactly! Chubby girls are clearly cuter! It’s just that boys nowadays have distorted aesthetics; they prefer frail, delicate, ‘Lin Daiyu’ type girls like you.”

Lin Duo sighed softly, his expression dim. “I don’t want to be this thin and weak… Who wants to trip over flat ground just walking normally?… But this is the price I pay for my dream…”

“Hmm? What dream?” Shen Jing’an’s interest was piqued.

Lin Duo didn’t answer and quietly drifted off to sleep.