014. Dormitory Feast
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By the time class ended, it was already past eight in the evening.
Lin Nan bid farewell to a few roommates who intended to return to the dormitory together and wandered over to the school’s Grand Playground.
Thanks to the teacher’s dormitory on campus, the Grand Playground was alive with college students working up a sweat and children running around and playing.
As soon as Lin Nan stepped onto the playground, he glanced over at the kids. After a quick scan, he noticed that most of them had parents keeping a watchful eye on them, and most were over five or six years old. If he were a girl, it wouldn’t be a problem to coo “Oh, your child is so cute!” and then scoop one up for a smothering cuddle. The nearby parents probably wouldn’t care. But he was a guy.
If he did that… he might as well be walking into a police station as a suspect.
Even if the parents didn’t mind, such behavior was definitely a bit odd for a guy.
Being a first-timer, Lin Nan hadn’t committed to anything just yet. Besides, his roommates were already rushing to the student street by the back gate for a feast. After a bit of internal turmoil, he sighed and turned back toward the dorm.
As he got to the dorm, his roommates were already all prepped up and ready to go.
Chen Yao and Xiong Da were empty-handed; they’d only brought themselves. Meanwhile, Tu Junhui was lugging two bottles of fancy-looking liquor: one was the previously mentioned rum, and the other was a milk beer he’d brought back from his summer trip to the Grassland.
“Xiong Da, you better drink less tonight. If we all get drunk, you’re responsible for helping us climb over the wall,” Tu Junhui declared as he swaggered toward the door, bumping into Lin Nan on the way. He immediately hooked an arm around him, “Lin Nan, you have to try these two bottles tonight! They are unbelievably good!”
Xiong Da rolled his eyes; he was allergic to alcohol and turned beet red after one sip, which meant he usually stuck to drinks like soda during gatherings.
“Sure, sure…” Lin Nan replied, his tone as nonchalant as possible.
Although he didn’t mind drinking, Lin Nan thought it best to skip it if there was no need. After all, drinking was about as productive as smoking: bad for both the mind and the body.
But…
On his way to the student street, a bizarre thought suddenly bubbled up in Lin Nan’s head.
What if he had a few drinks, pretended to be hilariously tipsy, and then in a flash, kissed someone? …Nah, nah, that would definitely land him in the “closet” category.
“What are you shaking your head for?” Chen Yao shot a curious glance at Lin Nan, who had been sporting an emotionally confused expression since they left. His eyebrows were furrowed one moment and then suddenly straightened with glee the next, as if he was a weather vane in a storm.
The four roommates were on good terms but had varying levels of closeness; Lin Nan and Chen Yao were junior high school classmates, and their bond was naturally tighter. They usually walked side by side.
Lin Nan froze for a moment, realizing his mind’s musings were uncomfortably written all over his face.
d*mn it, this is all Lilith’s fault!
He cursed under his breath, frustrated, and decided it was better to keep his head down and bury himself in his phone instead.
The student street was right behind the school, filled with all sorts of restaurants, food stalls, and little inns hidden away in the corners. Lin Nan rarely came here since the bus stop was at the front gate; besides, he could always get takeout delivered straight to the dorm.
He had only been here three times in total: once for a class gathering, once for Tu Junhui’s birthday, and now for this dormitory feast.
Inside a well-known Sichuan restaurant, they settled into a private room. Lin Nan sat at the back, twiddling his thumbs.
His mind was consumed with thoughts about how to unlock magic. Given his current course schedule, he couldn’t think of any weekend part-time jobs to pursue, so he was left hoping for a gaming tournament.
However, the conditions for unlocking magic were downright absurd.
“Hey, Nan Nan, that girl from the class next door asked me for your WeChat today,” Tu Junhui suddenly perked up, teasingly. “That girl must have a crush on you.”
As soon as he said that, Chen Yao and Xiong Da’s gazes snapped to Lin Nan.
Lin Nan shrugged it off dismissively, “She’s just after my looks. Women can’t compete with games in fun!”
“Check if anyone added you on WeChat,” Chen Yao leaned in to peek at Lin Nan’s phone screen. “Hey, someone really did?”
Xiong Da looked equally surprised: “Tu Junhui isn’t just spouting nonsense for once?”
“I’m not that kind of person, okay?!”
Though Lin Nan felt a tinge of excitement, he maintained a calm facade as he clicked to add the friend. Then he set his phone aside and declared grandly, “Don’t worry; I will never be the first to betray the team!”
At the end of the day, it all came down to being broke. The idea of having a girlfriend meant he’d probably be living off instant noodles and hot dogs.
Of course, if that girl happened to be a wealthy heiress who could save him half a lifetime of work, then he wouldn’t mind…
The restaurant didn’t dilly-dally; dishes like fish-flavored shredded pork and water-boiled fish quickly filled their table. Although it was Sichuan cuisine, the tastes were enhanced with loads of spicy kick, which surprisingly suited Lin Nan’s sweet-and-sour palate just fine—probably adjusted for local taste.
Once the food arrived, they also got a two-liter bottle of cola and a large bottle of coconut juice, with the liquor being Tu Junhui’s responsibility.
“Nan Nan, ready for some rum?”
He poured himself a glass and began coaxing everyone else to join in. Curious about the rum’s flavor, Lin Nan didn’t hesitate to jump in, and though Xiong Da wasn’t keen on alcohol, Chen Yao was decent at drinking too, so he joined in as well.
Lin Nan carefully sipped at his drink, feeling the sharpness hit his throat. He puckered his face like someone had just shown him a lemon. This alcohol was a bit like the baijiu he had tried at his grandfather’s house, but thankfully, it was a bit smoother.
After managing to swallow the first sip, he ate a piece of fish and chased it down with the rum, making it much easier to handle.
The four started discussing the upcoming gaming tournament, which was set to be a major event that the whole school would take part in. It was said that nearly every three boys’ dorm had a five-man team, and those who didn’t participate were basically relegated to being cheerleaders. Despite Xiong Da and Tu Junhui’s lack of skill, they held their own at the platinum rank, making them decent players among their peers.
“I say, I’ll just play Captain and hold the fort while Xiong Da helps out in the jungle. If I mess up, at least you guys can still stick it out. As for Lin Nan… well, just try not to d*e, alright?”
Tu Junhui nonchalantly discussed their strategies while munching away on dishes and sipping his drink.
“What do you mean ‘just try not to d*e’?” Lin Nan shot back, feeling offended. If it weren’t for a recent string of bad luck, he could easily have been carrying Tu Junhui to victory, even as support!
“At the internet cafe last time, I jumped in with the apocalypse hero and had no idea who’s Bard turned the entire enemy team invulnerable,” Xiong Da said, stifling a smirk.
“I took out six!” Lin Nan shot back defiantly, “If I had played with the harp girl, we would’ve totally won!”
Chen Yao had gotten used to Lin Nan’s series of cringe-worthy gaming maneuvers. He fiddled with his phone, not bothering to join the conversation.
After a few rounds of drinks, Lin Nan had only had two cups of rum from flimsy paper cups, yet he felt a bit tipsy.
He startled, realizing Tu Junhui was about to pour him another round, and he hurried to stop him, but the bizarre thoughts crept back into his mind.
Pretend to be drunk, and unlock magic while he’s at it!
