Lin Fei's efficiency was astonishing; that very evening, a WeChat group named [Youth Never Ends] was created.
The group instantly exploded. Zhou Ye, Li Mo, and Su Zhe, the three lively characters, were like beasts let out of a cage, beginning their "mating display."
Zhou Ye was the first to throw out a dozen of his treasured "spiritual young man" meme stickers, followed by a proud photo of his muscles at the gym.
In the photo, his biceps bulged high, but the doorframe of the locker next to him was Photoshopped into an S-shape.
Li Mo disdained such a low-level display. He chose a profound route, copying and pasting a famous quote from Nietzsche, then adding a discussion by Schopenhauer about the suffering of life, attempting to create a persona of a melancholic and profound intellectual.
Meanwhile, Su Zhe silently shared a song by Old Xue, the title direct and to the point— "I Think I've Seen You Somewhere."
When Chen Ming was added to the group, he glanced at the group name and, without expression, tapped the "Do Not Disturb" icon in the upper right corner.
These show-offs' antics were simply an eyesore.
In another girls' dormitory, the atmosphere was equally tense.
Xiao Qingyue held her phone, nervously lurking in the group chat under Lin Fei's "remote guidance."
She watched Chen Ming's avatar light up in the group member list, yet he remained silent.
In her heart, one half was an empty sense of loss, while the other held a faint, indescribable relief.
He hadn't left the group; could this be a good sign?
Late at night, the dormitory was only filled with the sounds of Zhou Ye grinding his teeth and Li Mo talking in his sleep.
Chen Ming tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so he simply pulled out his phone to scroll through Moments.
His fingertip unconsciously slid, and by some strange impulse, he tapped on that familiar avatar.
Xiao Qingyue's Moments, the latest post was visible for three days, and it was empty.
He subconsciously continued to scroll down, and a post without permission settings suddenly appeared on the screen, still from their high school days.
It was a campus scenery photo at sunset, the shadows of the plane trees stretched long, covering the entire path.
That was the path they often walked together.
His heart inexplicably skipped a beat, his finger slipped, and his thumb pressed heavily on the heart icon at the bottom of the screen.
The moment that small red heart lit up, Chen Ming's sleepiness instantly vanished.
Damn it!
He cursed inwardly, unliking it at the fastest speed of his life.
The entire process was smooth and fluid, taking less than a second.
He threw his phone aside, annoyedly scratching his hair. "She… didn't see it, right?"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xiao Qingyue, who had been ready to sleep, saw her phone screen by her bed suddenly light up.
A like notification—that avatar etched in her heart appeared in the list, then vanished without a trace the next second.
Her heart skipped a beat in that instant, and her breathing even stopped.
In the darkness, the girl suddenly sat up, ignoring her wildly beating heart. Relying on muscle memory, she quickly unlocked her phone, opened the notification bar, and took a screenshot of that fleeting record.
After doing all this, she belatedly covered her chest, gasping for air.
The name in the screenshot was like a small flame, igniting a prairie fire in her long-dormant world…
The get-together was finally scheduled for a KTV on the weekend.
To show off his singing in front of the campus belle, Zhou Ye specifically practiced a deeply emotional love song from Douyin.
However, as soon as he opened his mouth, his earth-shattering off-key singing almost sent the expensive speakers to their grave, causing everyone in the private room to burst into laughter.
Lin Fei cleverly arranged the seating, using the excuse of "making it easier to play games."
When everyone sat down, there was exactly one empty seat between Chen Ming and Xiao Qingyue, no more, no less.
A subtle yet awkward "safe distance."
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became lively, and someone suggested playing Truth or Dare.
The empty beer bottle spun rapidly on the glass table, finally, its mouth pointed squarely at Xiao Qingyue, who was quietly drinking juice in the corner.
The muscular Zhou Ye immediately cheered, "campus belle, campus belle, truth! Tell us, what's your ideal type?"
Everyone's gaze gathered on her.
Xiao Qingyue's cheeks flushed a light red, looking like a ripe peach under the lights.
Her gaze subconsciously darted quickly towards Chen Ming, then, as if burned, retracted, and she lowered her eyes, looking at the cup in front of her.
"Someone who likes to smile," her voice was very soft, but in the pauses of the noisy music, it was exceptionally clear, "looks a bit cynical, but actually… is very caring."
Zhou Ye and Li Mo exchanged glances, then simultaneously cast ambiguous looks at Chen Ming.
This description, wasn't it a true portrayal of their Brother Ming?
Chen Ming picked up the beer on the table and took a sip, pretending not to hear.
But the bobbing of his Adam's apple still betrayed the ripples in his heart.
The game continued.
The bottle spun again, and this time, the mouth of fate pointed at Chen Ming.
Zhou Ye, eager for chaos, slapped his thigh and shouted, "Brother Ming! It's your turn! Truth! Honestly confess, how many girlfriends did you have before university? Let us younger brothers open our eyes!"
Instantly, all the gossip radars in the private room activated, all pointing at Chen Ming.
He could clearly feel that the gaze beside him, which had originally carried a hint of warmth, became colder inch by inch, even taking on a sharp, scrutinizing edge.
Chen Ming leaned lazily on the sofa, a smirk playing on his lips, and answered irrelevantly, "I can't remember, but definitely a few more than your future girlfriends combined."
"Hahahahaha!"
A burst of laughter erupted, and Zhou Ye clutched his chest, looking heartbroken as if he had been subtly ridiculed.
Chen Ming successfully avoided the minefield with a joke, but he also caused the light in the gaze beside him to completely dim.
The bottle spun a third time.
No one expected it to spin a full circle and then stop steadily in front of Xiao Qingyue again.
"Dare! Dare!" Lin Fei led the cheering.
Zhou Ye's eyes darted around, coming up with a brilliant idea: "I've got it! You're punished to… choose any opposite-sex person present and stare into their eyes for one minute! No laughing or looking away during that time!"
This suggestion immediately passed unanimously.
Zhou Ye and Li Mo's eyes darted back and forth between Chen Ming and Su Zhe, filled with anticipation for the unfolding drama.
Lin Fei, on the other side, desperately cheered on Xiao Qingyue with her eyes.
The air in the private room seemed to solidify.
Under everyone's gaze, Xiao Qingyue sat upright, her fair fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her skirt.
She took a deep breath, as if making a huge decision.
Then, she looked up.
Her clear, almond-shaped eyes passed over everyone, over that awkward empty seat, and landed directly on Chen Ming.
Her voice was not loud, but it carried a desperate resolve, clearly reaching everyone's ears in the noisy private room.
"I choose him."