Yan's first day at Bin University was on Christmas Eve.
After having dinner brought back by Ding Ling, the five roommates discussed bathroom and dorm cleaning duties, as well as their daily habits.
Of course, it was mainly Yan who raised questions, addressed them to everyone, and, after reaching an agreement, compiled a list and pinned it in the group chat announcements.
Even though it was only her first day, Yan had already come to the grim realization that in this bizarre dorm, she seemed to be the only one who thought about these things, while her "spotlight-loving" roommates didn't seem to care at all.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming impact of her new roommates on the first day, but after casually teasing her childhood friend with a "Goodnight, sleep tight," she drifted off to sleep.
September 7th and 8th were both days for freshmen registration, and since there was nothing urgent the next day, everyone could sleep in until noon without worry.
But Yan's sweet dreams were interrupted.
At 5 a.m., Yi Zhi quietly got up and went out for a workout. Yan was awakened by the sound of the door opening but only opened her eyes briefly before rolling over and going back to sleep.
However, at 8 a.m., the door of Room 320 suddenly echoed with a series of loud knocks.
"Hmm—who is it?" Chu Bingbing yawned groggily from her bed.
"Did Yi Zhi forget her keys?" Yan poked her head out from behind her bed curtain.
Ding Ling, who had already gotten out of bed, unlocked and opened the door. With her long, jet-black hair, pale complexion, and a simple white nightgown, she gave the person at the door quite a fright.
Ding Ling tilted her head slightly and said to the room, "It's not Yi Zhi. Someone I don't know."
Yan leaned over the edge of her bed to get a better look.
Standing at the door was a young girl with a round face, her eyes curved into a smile that instantly made her likable—a true sweetheart.
That face... it looked familiar.
She had just seen it on her phone yesterday.
Lu Jianian, the nation's darling and the younger sister of her roommate, Gu Jiasui!
Yan, who had been half-asleep, instantly woke up.
It felt like something was about to happen.
"Sorry to disturb you. Is my sister, Gu Jiasui, in this dorm?"
Lu Jianian smiled sweetly, and behind her, Yan noticed several phones raised in the air.
It was unclear whether these were people Lu Jianian had brought with her or just curious onlookers from the hallway.
"Gu Jiasui lives here?"
"The young miss isn't staying in a single dorm?"
"That's Lu Jianian!"
"Ding Ling, close the door."
Yan heard Gu Jiasui's icy voice and raised an eyebrow.
Since it was someone she didn't know, Ding Ling blinked and promptly shut the door, leaving everyone outside.
It took only two or three minutes for Gu Jiasui to get dressed and tidy up her bed before she opened the door again.
When she did, Yan could clearly see the awkward smile on Lu Jianian's face.
"Ah, sis, when you suddenly closed the door, I thought I had the wrong room," Lu Jianian said in a coquettish tone, her words laced with a hint of grievance.
Gu Jiasui's expression remained cold. She glanced at the watch on her left wrist. "It's 8 a.m."
"My roommates haven't gotten up or changed yet," she said, her gaze icy as she looked at the phones raised behind Lu Jianian.
"What, should I leave the door open and let all these people invade the privacy of girls?"
"Is there something so urgent that you couldn't text me and had to come barging into the dorm this early?"
Gu Jiasui's tone was sharp and unyielding. Her cheap sister's personality and acting skills were better suited for a palace drama.
Such petty tricks were truly beneath her.
"Sis, I just wanted to surprise you," Lu Jianian said, pouting slightly, her smile never wavering.
"Besides, why didn't you tell the family about what happened yesterday? And that kind girl who saved you—Mom and Dad said we should thank her properly, so they sent me over with a gift today."
Lu Jianian tilted her head, her smile unwavering.
Such a good opportunity—if she didn't take advantage of it to show some concern for her "useless" sister and ride the wave of yesterday's buzz, wouldn't it be a waste?
"A surprise where you show up unannounced, banging on the door early in the morning?" Gu Jiasui shot back coldly.
"How can you talk to your sister like that? Jianian just came to show her concern. Gu Jiasui, why are you so ungrateful?"
Immediately, a fan behind Lu Jianian stepped forward, indignant on her behalf.
By now, Chu Bingbing had gotten out of bed, holding a cup of water as she clicked her tongue.
"Such heartfelt concern, coming empty-handed without even breakfast. Gu Jiasui registered herself yesterday, and I didn't see her parents or this sister anywhere. Just because you're a celebrity, you think you can disturb people's sleep this early?"
Yan silently applauded from behind her bed curtain, thinking that Chu Bingbing was clearly enjoying the drama.
She considered the situation: Gu Jiasui was the main character here, and with Ding Ling and Chu Bingbing already downstairs, the three "spotlight-loving" roommates were handling it. There was no need for her to get involved. She decided to stay in bed, avoiding the crossfire, and started messaging her childhood friend.
However, to get a closer listen to the gossip, she wrapped herself in her blanket and quietly moved to the side of the bed closest to Ding Ling, where she could hear better. The bed curtain provided a sense of security, shielding her from view.
Chu Bingbing, still groggy from being woken up, was clearly annoyed. Showing up unannounced early in the morning, claiming it was out of concern—she wasn't stupid.
At that moment, Chu Bingbing felt nothing but pity for Gu Jiasui.
After speaking her piece, she yawned and headed to the bathroom to wash up, completely ignoring Lu Jianian's expression.
"I didn't mean to," Lu Jianian said, her smile earnest.
"I'm really sorry for disturbing you all."
"Sis, let's go out and talk? I've never been to Bin University before. Why don't you show me around? That way, we won't disturb your roommates."
"And that girl who saved you yesterday—do you know which dorm she's in? Let's go thank her together."
Just then, Gu Jiasui suddenly asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
Lu Jianian paused. "I had a little, but I can eat more with you."
"No wonder you're so nosy—you must be bored with nothing better to do."
Gu Jiasui had long since lost her patience. Her voice was cold.
If this had happened in her past life, someone daring to pester her like this would have been dragged away and slapped. She couldn't stand such nonsense.
"Sis... did I upset you again?"
Lu Jianian's expression immediately fell, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.
"Then, sis, I... I won't bother you anymore." She seemed to suppress her emotions, lowering her head and quickly walking away down the hallway, gift in hand.
Gu Jiasui closed the door and let out a long sigh, unsure whether it was out of anger or relief.
By then, Chu Bingbing had come out of the bathroom with her electric toothbrush, and Yan peeked out from her bed. "She's gone?"
Gu Jiasui nodded, a hint of apology on her face.
"Sorry for waking you all."
"It's fine. We should be getting up anyway," Chu Bingbing said nonchalantly.
Ding Ling, who had been sitting quietly in her chair the whole time, listened to the entire exchange between Gu Jiasui and her sister, her delicate face thoughtful.
Yan was in the middle of getting dressed when she heard the door open again. She peeked out, still buttoning her skirt, and saw that it was Yi Zhi returning.
Yi Zhi was carrying several plastic bags in her left hand. Seeing that her roommates were already up, she called out, "You're all awake? Go brush your teeth and get ready to eat. I bought a variety of things—there's enough for everyone."
She set up the folding table they had bought the day before, casually chatting as she arranged the food.
"When I came back just now, there were a lot of people downstairs, and someone was chasing after someone else. I heard there was a celebrity around or something."
"Not sure if they're here to film or what."
Gu Jiasui, who had just washed her hands, walked over and chuckled. "They were definitely here to act, all right."
Yan quickly brushed her teeth and joined the others for breakfast. There were meat buns, spicy soup, tofu pudding, fried dough sticks, egg pancakes, soy milk, and steamed buns—Yi Zhi had really gone all out.
"You all eat first. I'm sweaty from my workout, so I'll go shower. I'll finish whatever's left," Yi Zhi said as the four gathered around the table, and she headed into the bathroom.
The bathroom in the apartment had a glass door and a shower curtain, neatly separating the shower area from the sink, allowing one person to shower while two others could use the sink simultaneously. However, Yi Zhi had made it clear to her roommates that when she was showering, she preferred to be alone in the bathroom.
Although her roommates appeared to be ordinary, harmless individuals, Yi Zhi remained cautious and alert. She felt particularly vulnerable while showering, and even with the glass door as a barrier, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being exposed. It was far too unsettling for her!
Breakfast was steaming hot, and just as Yan and the other three roommates were halfway through their meal, Yi Zhi emerged from her shower and joined the breakfast crew.
"Yi Zhi, you always spend so long exercising in the mornings," Chu Bingbing remarked curiously.
Yi Zhi gave a casual "Mm," and added, "It's a habit. Running and stretching—if I don’t do it, I feel off."
What she didn’t mention was that, as a wood-element ability user, absorbing the morning sunlight was crucial. The spiritual energy in this world wasn’t particularly dense, but that small amount in the early hours was enough to replenish her daily energy.
After breakfast, Yi Zhi retreated to her personal space to tend to her plants. She checked on the growth of the local flora she had planted and nurtured a purification grass, planning to bring it back to the dorm in a few days along with some other plants to help with pests and freshen the air.
By the time Yan and her roommates finished their morning routines, it was already past nine. Yan pondered whether to revisit the library. Yesterday, she had walked there with her childhood friend Zhu Jue but hadn’t gone inside because they ran into Gu Jiasui. Maybe today was the day to finally check it out.
She also thought about Zhu Jue’s roommates. She needed to meet them to put her mind at ease.
With that in mind, Yan sent a message on her phone.
【Yan】: Jue Jue~ Let’s go to the library later. I want to check it out (*^▽^*)
【Zhu Jue】: Get ready, I’ll pick you up.
Yan paused, staring at the words "get ready." A sudden sense of foreboding washed over her.
Zhu Jue followed up with two Weibo links. When Yan clicked on them, she felt her soul leave her body.
【Lu Jianian】: Dropped by Bin University today! The autumn scenery here is stunning. Though I’m a little disappointed, I met some warm-hearted Bin University students! Does anyone know this heroine? I’d like to thank her on behalf of my sister. Photo.jpg
Lu Jianian had posted two photos: one of Yan smiling in the sunlight on the Bin University campus, and the other a screenshot of the incident from yesterday where Gu Jiasui had been splashed with water. The screenshot clearly showed Yan in the midst of the chaos, her posture and expression slightly distorted from her heroic intervention.
Yan: ......
Wait, what? How did I end up in this mess?
Can celebrities just go around exposing people like this without a care? Isn’t this basically putting a bounty on my head?
Help me! Someone, please help me!
