Chapter 2: The College Life That’s About to Begin

Midnight.

In the skies above the Huayuan Federation, tens of thousands of feet high, inside a private jet.

Outside the porthole, it was pitch black.

A pale, sickly young man sat in his chair, but he wasn’t asleep; instead, he was quietly gazing at the night scenery outside.

The night was as dark as ink, the stars like a masterpiece.

With no clouds to obstruct the view, the dense constellations glittered like pieces on a chessboard, as brilliant and beautiful as the Milky Way.

The young man’s ice-blue pupils reflected this dreamlike scene.

He stared for a very, very long time.

The blinking red light on the wing illuminated the clouds below, the red glow like splashed blood, making the young man’s face look exceptionally weak and feeble.

Qin Liang figured he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Although his private doctor had suggested he follow a normal daily routine to perhaps live a few more days, for a ‘mayfly’ like him, the difference between living a few more days and dying on schedule wasn’t significant.

He opened the backpack he carried with him and took out a thick photo album.

As his ice-blue eyes looked at the lewd photos inside, the corners of the young man’s lips curled up slightly, and even his gaze softened a little.

‘Since a mayfly’s life is destined to be short, I might as well do a few more interesting things before the sun sets.’

‘Don’t let waiting become a regret.’

Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring.

In the early morning, Tang Yunle awoke naturally from a long sleep.

His stomach rumbled, but he loved the warmth of his blanket.

He rolled over and burrowed deeper inside.

Just as he was about to drift back to sleep, his phone suddenly rang, disturbing his sweet dream.

–Hello, who is this?

Tang Yunle rubbed his eyes and sat up, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

–Bro, it’s me.

The male voice from the other end of the phone lacked the vigorous tone a man should have; instead, it was timid and frail, giving off the impression of someone utterly useless.

–Go on, what is it this time?

–Is there trouble at home again?

Tang Yunle wasn’t surprised; on the contrary, he was used to it and even let out a yawn.

The caller was none other than Tang Mingnuo, his younger brother, who was currently a first-year in high school.

His personality was very introverted and shy, not at all competitive, and he had been that way since childhood.

However, he’d heard that his brother had recently gotten a beautiful girlfriend, the school belle no less, which had finally earned the old Tang family some bragging rights.

–It’s nothing major, same as usual…

Tang Mingnuo held the phone, glanced at the middle-aged man reeking of alcohol on the sofa, and lowered his voice.

–Bro, Dad and Mom were fighting about divorce and splitting the family assets again last night.

–Mom just ran off, and Dad drank a lot of alcohol.

–Short on money again, right?

–What were they fighting about this time?

–Mom wanted a new fridge, but Dad wouldn’t allow it, calling her a spendthrift.

–One thing led to another, and they were arguing about divorce and splitting assets.

–Mom said she was going to find her first love, and Dad cursed her for being unfaithful.

–If I hadn’t stepped in, they nearly would have started hitting each other.

Hearing this, Tang Yunle felt a headache coming on.

He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out, ultimately turning into a sigh.

–Alright, let’s do it the old way.

–I’ll pay for a new fridge for the house, just tell them to stop fighting.

Tang Mingnuo agreed but didn’t hang up the phone.

Knowing his brother better than anyone, Tang Yunle could tell at a glance that he had something else on his mind and told him to stop being so wishy-washy and just say what was on his mind.

–Bro, can you give me some more money?

Tang Mingnuo rubbed his hands together sheepishly.

–You know, I have a girlfriend now, and the expenses are a bit high.

Tang Yunle’s brows furrowed slightly.

–I just gave you two thousand last time.

–You spent it all so quickly?

–C’mon, bro, you know how it is.

–Girlfriends are expensive.

–Last time, she and her best friend dragged me to Disneyland.

–Hmm… I’ll send you another two thousand.

–Spend it wisely.

–Also, it’s true you should spend money when you’re dating, but you have to make sure the money you invest yields the proper returns!

Tang Mingnuo repeatedly agreed, though who knew if he’d actually taken it to heart.

Two consecutive payments—no, three—were transferred out, and his WeChat balance plummeted instantly.

Not only did Tang Yunle have an alcoholic father and a mother dreaming of her first love, but he also had a brother dating the school belle and a sister on Xiaohongshu.

Not long ago, his sister had a falling out with the family and had apparently gone to live with her best friend.

She talked a big game about being independent, but she still reached out for living expenses every month.

And because she had pointed at their father at the dinner table, calling him her “biological dad,” and cursed their mother for serving such a man instead of fighting for her own freedom, the family had cut her off completely.

But the eldest brother is like a father.

If their father wouldn’t give her money, and their mother wouldn’t, then it naturally fell to Tang Yunle, the older brother, to provide.

After several transfers, Tang Yunle looked at his WeChat balance and muttered, “This should be enough for tuition, right? If not, I’ll have to find another way.”

A few days later, at Nanchang Jiaoyuan College.

Welcoming new students to a university should have been a very festive and lively affair.

Especially as a freshman, he should have been greeted by a line of college volunteers.

But alas, the heavens are unpredictable; the day he arrived on campus, it started to pour rain.

The sky had been clear when he got on the bus, but it was a downpour when he got off.

Without an umbrella, Tang Yunle truly experienced what it was like to be on the verge of becoming a drowned rat.

Carrying his suitcase and following the directions of a volunteer, he finally found his dormitory building.

Tang Yunle arrived at the dorm room the college had assigned him.

812.

The dorm was a four-person suite, about fifty square meters, and came with its own desks, chairs, washing machine, air conditioner, and bathroom.

It was several times more luxurious than the old, small, and dilapidated rental unit Tang Yunle had off-campus.

His desperate struggle during the college entrance exams, studying day after day, had not been in vain.

He had finally made it to this top-tier university.

Two people were already in the dorm, one tall and thin, the other short and stout.

They had both already set up their beds and were either lying down or sitting, playing games on their phones.

Tang Yunle said hello, and the two replied in kind, a simple acknowledgment serving as their introduction.

Making the bed, putting away clothes, arranging toiletries, joining the dorm group chat—the whole process took a good half hour.

He turned on his computer, glanced at the game the other two were playing, and integrated himself into the 812 dorm with extreme naturalness and speed.

College was a semi-society, and social skills were naturally required.

After a few rounds of the game, Tang Yunle became friendly with the two.

The tall, thin one was named Lin Haiyu, and the short, stout one was Li Wei.

Both had arrived the day before and already knew each other.

“Bros, what do you think, when will the fourth person in our dorm arrive?” Lin Haiyu asked, crossing his legs and chewing on a spicy gluten stick.

“Who knows? We have a three-day window to get to campus. This is only the second day, so there’s still one more,” Li Wei said, holding a bag of potato chips and eating while playing his game, his words muffled.

“Of course, there’s also the possibility that there will only be the three of us in this dorm. Tsk, then we’ll have one less person to split the electricity bill with.”

Tang Yunle didn’t join the discussion about when or if the fourth roommate would arrive.

He scratched his head and asked another, extremely important question: “You two, how’s the braised chicken rice with lemonade at our school?”

“Why don’t we go try it later?”

When it came to what to eat for lunch, both of them nodded in agreement.