Chapter 3: The Fourth Roommate

Cafeteria, second floor.

The braised chicken rice was served, the chicken pieces coated in a thick sauce, the mushrooms and potatoes glistening with oil after absorbing the broth. They were so tender they fell apart at the touch of a chopstick. Mixed with the distinct grains of rice, the savory and slightly spicy flavor exploded on the tongue.

Then, a sip of ice-cold lemonade, the sweet and sour bubbles instantly cutting through the grease, the fruity aroma bouncing with the meaty flavor in the mouth. A bite of food, a sip of the drink—the wonderful taste practically danced on the tongue, making the three of them exclaim how delicious it was. Tang Yunle, in particular, felt the urge to order another serving!

Fifteen-yuan braised chicken rice paired with three-yuan lemonade—it was cheap, affordable, and came with unlimited rice refills. It absolutely crushed the garbage takeout he had been eating for the past few months!

He had made the right choice coming to this top-tier university!

Getting carried away with the meal, Tang Yunle pulled out his phone, switched accounts, and started playing on it while burying his head in his food.

It’s Kele, Not Leke: –[Aaaaah, big brother, big brother, the braised chicken rice at my university is so delicious! If you ever come to my university, I’ll definitely treat you to some!!]

GentleAsAGem: –[If I have the chance, I’ll come back and try it. mysterioussmile.jpg]

GentleAsAGem: –[By the way, guess where I am now?]

It’s Kele, Not Leke: –[Doesn’t your family live in Wanqing City, big brother?]

GentleAsAGem: –[I just got off the car now. slysmile.jpg]

Tang Yunle: [???]

‘What does he mean by that?’

‘Just got off the car?’

‘Off the car?’

‘Car…’

‘Is this old perv trying to hint at me to send some lewd pictures?’

Lin Haiyu noticed Tang Yunle suddenly freeze, raised an eyebrow, and teased, “Ah Le, are you chatting with your girlfriend?”

Before the words had even left his mouth, Li Wei nudged him with his elbow. He winked at Tang Yunle with an “I get it” expression. “Can’t you see Ah Le is deep in a chat with his girlfriend? What’s a single dog like you butting in for? Tsk~ But then again, a single dog like me is so envious of people with girlfriends.”

Tang Yunle broke into a cold sweat.

“Haha, what girlfriend? Just a regular online friend. I was just teasing them.”

He laughed it off, closed the phone screen, and changed the subject.

“By the way, the rain has stopped now. How about we take a stroll in the college park after we finish our braised chicken? And also, when does the military training for us freshmen start?”

“I’ve been really looking forward to this top-tier university.”

In the evening, the sun was setting in the west.

In front of the male dormitory building, the puddles from the recent downpour still shimmered.

A delicate, frail young man in a white shirt stood before the damp entrance of the male dorm, tilting his head up to gaze at the eight-story building.

He was wearing a white shirt, with a slender frame and a gentle, refined demeanor. To his left was a white suitcase and two shoulder bags, and in his right hand, he held a phone.

The young man looked down at his phone screen. When he saw the dorm number the college had assigned him, Qin Liang fell silent.

8th floor.

He first glanced at his own slender arms, which lacked any muscle definition and had a sickly pallor, then paused for a few seconds before decisively opening the campus wall page and scrolling.

A gentleman is not born different, but is good at making use of external things.

‘Someone should take the job of carrying my suitcase.’

‘I just have to pay.’

“Hey, are you waiting for someone?”

A youthful, energetic male voice, mixed with the smell of barbecue and alcohol, rushed towards him. Qin Liang instinctively stepped back next to his suitcase, causing his shoulder bag to sway. He looked up to see three figures:

A tall, thin boy with a grilled sausage hanging from his mouth, a short, stout one wiping grease from the corner of his lips, and the most conspicuous one, a young man in a black t-shirt, his hair still flecked with beer foam, revealing a canine tooth when he smiled.

“Yes, I’m waiting for someone to help with my luggage,” he replied softly, his fingers unconsciously fiddling with the cuff of his shirt.

After wandering around the college park with his two roommates for over half an hour, Tang Yunle, who had worked up an appetite, was dragged by them to have beer and barbecue. Now, he reeked of alcohol.

He curiously sized up the frail young man before him—white shirt, thin arms, plaid pants, ice-blue eyes, and that pale, sickly face. Boys of this type either existed in idol dramas where pretty boys were popular, or in the intensive care units of hospitals.

Suddenly, Lin Haiyu caught sight of the number on Qin Liang’s phone and said with some surprise, “Are you from 812?”

Qin Liang nodded, not understanding why this boy was so excited.

He, of course, wouldn’t know what it meant for a college student to have one more person to split the utility bills with.

“What a coincidence, we’re from 812 too,” Tang Yunle strode forward and, with a familiar air, patted Qin Liang on the shoulder. “Since we’re in the same dorm, please take care of us for the next four years of college.”

“We’ll help you with your luggage, no need to thank us.”

Saying that, Tang Yunle bent down to pick up the suitcase first, only to be surprised by how ridiculously light it was. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at Qin Liang.

And so, a strange scene unfolded in the twilight: three boys, reeking of earthly pleasures, carried the luggage up with great strides, while the boy in the white shirt followed behind, clutching his shoulder bags, his shoe tips occasionally stepping into puddles, splashing tiny droplets of water.

Tang Yunle walked at the front, the wheels of the suitcase clattering against the steps, mixed with Li Wei’s grumbling about “barbecue is delicious, but it’s too expensive,” echoing in the quiet corridor.

At the end of the eighth-floor hallway, as the rusty dorm door creaked open, the twilight just happened to spill over the windowsill.

Tang Yunle set the suitcase down with a thud.

“The three of us cleaned the dorm before, but the water heater is a bit old. You have to let the water run for a while to get it hot. I don’t know if the school did that on purpose. By the way, there’s only a top bunk left, which is Ah Le’s top bunk,” Li Wei explained.

“Oh, and we take turns with the dorm chores, one person a day. But since there are only four of us, we just need to take out the trash daily and mop the floor from time to time.”

“Bro, don’t be so reserved. We’re going to be living together for the next four years,” Lin Haiyu, sitting at his computer desk, laughed heartily.

Qin Liang stood in the shadow cast by the doorframe, watching the busy silhouettes of the three in the light. He suddenly felt that this noisy atmosphere, filled with the smell of beer and barbecue, was somehow more reassuring than the scent of disinfectant in a hospital.

He took out the mints he had in his bag, originally for motion sickness. The crisp “crinkle” of the foil being unwrapped made him look up, and his eyes met Tang Yunle’s curious gaze.

“Want one?” he offered the box of mints, his fingertips glowing like pearls in the light.

The boy in the black shirt paused for a moment, then suddenly broke into a wide grin, his canine tooth flashing in the twilight. “Thanks, bro.”

“My name is Tang Yunle.”

“My name is Qin Liang.”

Outside the window, the last ray of sunset was falling into the clouds, like someone had accidentally spilled a glass of lemonade.