The National Day holiday arrived just two days after the freshman welcoming party of the School of Business Administration.
Sophomores and juniors had long grown accustomed to university life, so not many students went home; a large number chose to travel nearby or stay in school playing games and reading.
However, freshmen were the most likely to go home, with the cost of laundry being the biggest motivator.
Freshmen, most prone to homesickness, being so far from home and living independently for the first time, had a belly full of words they wanted to tell their parents.
Guo Dewen's home was in Xiguang, furthest from Dongjiang, and the money he usually saved was all spent on plane tickets, so he hurried to catch his flight after class on the afternoon of the 30th.
Dong Tinghui asked Chen Pingjiang while packing his suitcase,
"Old Chen, are you really not going back for the National Day holiday?"
Chen Pingjiang shook his head,
"I've called my mom. It's not as relaxed and comfortable at home as it is at school."
He Siyu asked, puzzled, "Isn't it boring with no one at school?"
Chen Pingjiang spoke with the air of someone experienced:
"Boring is always better than getting scolded, right? On the first day home for the holiday, your mom will happily hug you and say, 'Mommy's good child, let Mommy see you.' On the second day home, your mom will buy you a bunch of your favorite foods.
On the third day, you'll be dragged out shopping. On the fourth day, maternal love will gradually fade, 'You're always running out, treating home like a hotel!'
Then you'll be scolded for going out to play, scolded for playing on the computer, scolded for playing on your phone, scolded for waking up late, scolded for sleeping late, scolded for a messy room, and scolded for not doing housework."
"Damn, that's so true, Old Chen, I feel like you're talking about my mom."
Dong Tinghui shivered, imagining his old mother scolding him with hands on her hips and pulling his ear.
"So, instead of getting scolded, it's better to stay at school and eat and drink as you please."
Chen Pingjiang bragged, though in reality, he had other important things to do at school.
Wang Lei chuckled,
"Brother Chen, you're right, but I have too many gifts for my mom."
Zhao Shaoyang glanced at Wang Lei,
"Are you giving your mom half a month's worth of unwashed clothes as a gift?"
This guy Wang Lei had become the most peculiar existence in dormitory 603; he wouldn't go to class, and while he might shower every two or three days, he'd spend every day holed up in his dorm bed reading novels, or he'd go out to surf the internet, even eating and drinking in internet cafes for two or three consecutive days.
Turning his head, Zhao Shaoyang said to Chen Pingjiang,
"If Brother Chen isn't going back, I'll take you to see some sights in Dongjiang later."
The Zhao Shaoyang in front of them no longer had the swagger of his previous energetic self; after enthusiastically taking his "white moonlight" out for a 1280 yuan fancy Western meal, there was nothing more.
According to Zhao Shaoyang, they had a great chat via text message, but his confession after dinner was still rejected.
Chen Pingjiang just patted his shoulder, it was already expected.
It must be said that Shen Menghan, being new to nightlife, hadn't yet been corrupted.
If she had truly encountered a high-level girl who kept stringing Zhao Shaoyang along, neither accepting nor rejecting him, and constantly getting him to buy things, then Zhao Shaoyang would have been ruined.
It was actually quite good that Shen Menghan clearly rejected him now.
Just as Chen Pingjiang said, there was no possibility between the two of them; not starting was much luckier than starting.
It was unrealistic for people from two different worlds to try and stay together.
Shen Menghan's experience and outlook would only grow higher, and compared to that, Zhao Shaoyang simply couldn't keep up.
This wasn't a matter of who was right or wrong, but rather meeting the wrong person at the wrong time.
Chen Pingjiang got dressed and went downstairs.
He had arranged to go online with Zhou Guanghan, who was also the only one in their dorm not going home, and had been hanging out with Chen Pingjiang these past few days.
"Why didn't you go up when I asked you to?"
Downstairs, Zhou Guanghan was already waiting with a bottle of Coke.
Zhou Guanghan shook his head,
"I just got here a little while ago."
The two walked slowly to the girls' dormitory building and saw many girls dragging suitcases towards the school gate.
"Chen Pingjiang!"
From a distance, Chen Pingjiang heard someone calling him.
He turned his head and searched for a while, seeing it was Ma Lingli, accompanied by Zhang Xinyue, who was laboriously dragging a suitcase.
"Zhang Xinyue's suitcase fell when she was coming downstairs and broke two wheels. Please be a gentleman and carry it down."
Ma Lingli breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Chen Pingjiang.
Zhang Xinyue's eyes lit up upon seeing Chen Pingjiang, her earlier frustration vanishing instantly.
Zhou Guanghan, very sensible, quickly ran over and hoisted Zhang Xinyue's suitcase onto his shoulder,
"Grand-aunt, I'll do it."
"What did you call Xinyue?"
Ma Lingli felt she hadn't heard correctly and asked again.
Zhou Guanghan had called out subconsciously, and after speaking, he secretly glanced at Chen Pingjiang, afraid of being scolded.
Zhang Xinyue's face flushed at being called that, but her eyes showed uncontrollable joy, and she happily glanced at Chen Pingjiang.
Chen Pingjiang almost stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Hey, aren't you going back?"
Zhang Xinyue asked curiously, seeing Chen Pingjiang with his hands in his pockets and carrying nothing.
Chen Pingjiang said,
"It's only been a month since I came out; I'll go back during winter break."
"Hey, Chen Pingjiang, I'm not at ease with Yue'er going back alone, and her suitcase is broken, which will be inconvenient at the station. Why don't you go back with her?"
Ma Lingli said mischievously.
Before Chen Pingjiang could speak, Zhang Xinyue refused for him:
"My dad will pick me up when I get to the station."
The pride of a white swan was on full display; if Chen Pingjiang had offered on his own, Zhang Xinyue would have been very happy, but if it was forced, Zhang Xinyue didn't want it.
"I'll see you off to the car,"
Chen Pingjiang said after thinking.
"Okay."
Chen Pingjiang's simple sentence immediately made Zhang Xinyue beam with joy, her heart filled with immense satisfaction and happiness.
As they walked and chatted, they unconsciously got onto the topic of the girls' dormitory.
Ma Lingli spoke indignantly,
"Some girls in your dorm are especially boring. Cong Nini and her clique always like to isolate our Yue'er. I've never seen such mean women."
Zhang Xinyue, afraid of making things difficult for Chen Pingjiang, quickly said casually,
"It's fine. I've already applied to the school to change dorms; I'll probably hear back after the National Day holiday."
After speaking, she paused, then cautiously and nervously asked,
"I feel like Cong Nini seems to like you. What about you?"
Chen Pingjiang just laughed.
That woman Cong Nini was truly a persistent nuisance, it was unbelievable:
"Someone else asked me that a couple of days ago. I told her she was dreaming."
Zhang Xinyue was delighted to hear this, dimples appearing, playful and cute:
"You're not allowed to talk about people like that."
Chen Pingjiang thought to himself, all women say one thing and mean another:
"So what do you mean? You want me to give in to her?"
"That's not allowed either."
"This isn't allowed, and that isn't allowed!"
"Anyway, you two can't be together."
...
The short ten-minute walk was the happiest time for Zhang Xinyue since she started school; she talked more with Chen Pingjiang today than she had in the past month.
(End of this chapter)
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