517. Boys’ Dormitory
“Got it, got it! So annoying!”
Click!
Zhang Shaoqing impatiently hung up the phone, kicked the balcony door open, and stormed back into the room.
He glanced at Wang Jie, who was hunched over his desk, gaming like there was no tomorrow, yanked a chair out, and plopped down, nervously shaking his leg.
The room was filled only with the cacophony of Wang Jie’s game—pinging keys, mouse clicks, and the obnoxious background music that could drive anyone insane.
“Turn that down! Are you deaf or what?”
“……”
As the chaotic noise suddenly ceased, the dorm felt eerily quiet, with only the distant footsteps of students passing by in the hallway echoing. Zhang Shaoqing began to think maybe a little noise wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
He sighed in frustration, turned to check out the game icons on the computer screen, but felt zero impulse to click anything.
The pressure of his mother demanding he break up with Qian Qian, the panic of leaving school to face the real world, and Wang Jie’s perpetual post-breakup gloom… Normally carefree, Zhang Shaoqing now felt like he had a brick sitting on his chest.
Especially with that overbearing mother of his.
“d*mn, Ning Chu was so good…”
Zhang Shaoqing mumbled as he laid his head on the desk.
Even though that girl was always b*tt-in-skiing into things and was ridiculously awkward when trying to comfort someone, at least she was someone he could pour his heart out to—not like Wang Jie, the human cactus.
Too bad Ning Chu was already taken, no longer that little guy who used to live in the dorm.
Just then, a gentle knock came at the door.
“What’s the point of knocking? Just kick it down!”
“What if they’re inside without clothes?”
“Not like we haven’t seen it before~”
Zhang Shaoqing rolled his eyes at the door and glanced down at himself, now clad in nothing but underwear, half-bare like a poorly-dressed mannequin.
“Wait a second! What the hell! What’s a girl doing in the boys’ dorm?!”
“I can come and go as I please! I’m coming in!”
“Hold on two minutes!”
The dorm, which had been as depressing as a graveyard a moment ago, suddenly buzzed with energy.
In a flurry, he opened the wardrobe, randomly pulled on a shirt, while Wang Jie hurriedly slipped on some pants and turned off the half-watched smut.
In less than a minute, the door cracked open, and Ning Chu’s little head peeked in, her expression a mix of curiosity and judgment: “Censorship squad!”
“Censorship my b*tt!”
Fortunately, it was summer, and they both managed to throw on some clothes in no time.
The door swung wide, revealing Wen Yang lugging in a huge box of beer, with Ning Chu curiously trailing behind him, her big eyes scanning the once-familiar dorm room.
“It’s so cold~ Turn the AC up a bit!”
Feeling right at home, Ning Chu expertly located the remote and cranked the air conditioner from a chilling sixteen degrees to a balmy twenty-six.
“Whoa! You’re picky! I’m dying of heat! Don’t mess with the AC!”
“I’ve got cramps, so leaving it on is already a big favor.”
Zhang Shaoqing shot off a series of colorful curses, while his eyes wandered to the beer Wen Yang had brought: “Are we crashing the rich guy party again? Barbecue or what?”
“Grilled fish!”
“Who asked you? Wang Jie, what do you want to eat?”
“I’m not eating.”
Wang Jie grumbled half-heartedly but was suddenly yanked up by Wen Yang’s arm, pulling him from the chair.
Ning Chu was already setting up a folding table and tiny stools in the middle of the room, cheerfully calling out, “Hurry up, hurry up! We brought some cold cuts to snack on!”
“I already ate.”
“Then just drink with us.” Wen Yang pushed down on Wang Jie’s shoulder, forcing him into a seat at the small table.
Zhang Shaoqing, acting all too eager, scooted over with a cheeky grin, opened the food box, and chomped down while asking, “Look at you, bringing gifts, good job!”
“Hey, don’t you have to bring something nice to see your son?”
Ning Chu leaned against the metal bed frame, crossing her arms and watching them.
“Not eating?”
“Not eating, I said I’ve got cramps.”
She rubbed her sore belly, feeling queasy after Aunt Flo paid a visit, so there was no way she was drinking beer or soda.
Wen Yang opened up some beers for his roommates and casually explained, “She’s feeling under the weather today. I almost didn’t let her come, but she insisted on crashing the party.”
“Right? What’s a girl doing in the boys’ dorm?”
“I’m worried you’ll get drunk and no one will clean up the mess!”
“Pfft~ If you’re feeling sick, just go back to sleep! Why crash the fun?”
“Mind your business?!”
As Ning Chu and Zhang Shaoqing squabbled again, Wen Yang shook his head in exasperation and turned to the still-silent wallflower.
He picked up a beer bottle and clinked it against Wang Jie’s: “Come on, take a drink.”
Wang Jie seemed drained, taking a measly sip of the beer.
His tolerance wasn’t great, and after just one bottle, a flush crept into his cheeks, and his eyes took on a glazed look.
Wen Yang finally asked, “What’s got you guys fighting? Spill it.”
The usually shy Wang Jie, now slightly tipsy, finally opened up, “It’s not really a fight; her family is insisting on a dowry, and they won’t budge on it…”
“Dowry? How much?” Zhang Shaoqing perked up, intrigued, “Are you two getting serious or what?”
“Not really, but after so many years, it’s about time we discuss this stuff.”
“And what’s your girlfriend’s take on it?”
Wang Jie grimaced, “She’s done all she can, but her parents just won’t give in…”
Zhang Shaoqing, the cheeky instigator, turned to Ning Chu with a knowing grin: “Hey, how much is your dowry? Can Wen Yang afford it?”
Ning Chu hadn’t thought about that before but pondered for a moment: “I think my side wants something like a hundred grand…”
Wen Yang hadn’t expected to be dragged into the conversation while trying to console Wang Jie. Hearing that figure made him turn pale.
Buying a house, a car, and don’t forget that hefty dowry…
Just thinking about it made his head ache.
Meanwhile, Wang Jie, who had been looking miserable, slapped Wen Yang on the shoulder: “Chill, just take your time earning it.”
There was something vaguely schadenfreude in his tone.
Though his own situation was painful, seeing someone else’s was like a little silver lining in a raincloud.
“You’ve got your parents to back you up; Wen Yang’s in real trouble~” Zhang Shaoqing added, then curiously asked, “Ning Chu, you’re from the provincial capital, right? I thought the dowry there is usually equal to how much bride price is given?”
Ning Chu nodded with a smile: “Yep, my family’s pretty broke, so they can’t return any dowry. Just a little token means a lot to us.”
“Your mom wouldn’t have an issue with it, right?”
“What issues would she have? Back when she got married, she probably had to pay to get rid of me.”
Wen Yang recalled future mommy-in-law’s wedding and finally felt relieved.
Now, poor Wang Jie had transformed into a picture of gloom, sipping his beer in silence, his brief sense of schadenfreude evaporating like mist.
How come he didn’t get any of this good luck…
