Lin Xia took off, chasing after her, running into Building 5, but the girl had already disappeared. He immediately mobilized his connections, the dormitory supervisor.
“Aunt Wang, what is that girl’s name?”
Aunt Wang is not watching the latest drama; she’s just about to lead a repairman into the dorm building to fix a light. Hearing the question, she glanced at Lin Xia, “Little Lin? Which one just now? Why are you asking about that young lady?” +5
Aunt Wang knew Lin Xia, but didn’t immediately reveal the girl’s information.
Lin Xia hesitated, then told another white lie, “I…I like her, I want to know her name, her year level, and if she has a boyfriend or something.” Is her boyfriend Xiao Yu?
As soon as they entered the student dormitory area, Lin Xia said he had something to take care of. His original intention was for Meng Yun to head back to their dorm first since they lived in Building 6, which happened to be right in the middle.
But Meng Yun didn’t leave; he sat down in front of the flower bed by the dormitory building.
His spiritual sense followed along, and upon hearing this, he glanced sideways. He likes her?
Aunt Wang looked surprised, “You? You like that young lady from just now? The one in the tracksuit?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Lin Xia nodded excitedly.
Aunt Wang looked at him suspiciously, “Really?”
-5
Lin Xia initially thought she had told a lie that couldn’t be exposed. It was perfectly normal for college students to date. There were plenty of students asking for phone numbers in the cafeteria, on the playground, and in the library, and even more who would confess their love by lighting candles and sparklers1A cold sparkler (or cold spark machine) is an electronic special effects device that shoots a bright, fountain-like shower of sparkling light resembling traditional fireworks. on the sports field.
Especially since the start of spring, Lin Xia’s business selling small candles and cold sparklers had been booming.
But seeing Aunt Wang’s expression and the number that had been deducted, he was a little uncertain but could only continue, “What’s wrong?”
Aunt Wang gave Lin Xia a deep look. She knew that Lin Xia was a very diligent student. She could see him delivering breakfast every day to earn money. He is a very reliable young man.
She pulled out the list and pointed, “That girl from earlier is named Cong Xiao. She’s a sophomore this year. I really don’t know if she has a boyfriend. If you genuinely like her, you should get to know her better.”
+5.
After saying this, Aunt Wang shooed Lin Xia out, “You’re not allowed to follow girls into the dorm building unless you have business there!”
After shooing Lin Xia away, she called out to the repairman, “Hey, mister, don’t just wander around on your own. I’ll take you upstairs, okay! This building is full of young ladies!”
Aunt Wang rushed ahead of the repairman, clutching a bunch of keys as she headed upstairs, the numbers in her head constantly adding up: +1, +1, +1, +1, +1, +1…
Cong Xiao. Lin Xia remembered this name and also remembered the phone number that followed the name.
He quickly took out his phone to write it down, and before he even reached Building 6, he saw Meng Yun sitting by the flower bed waiting for him.
Two girls were trying to chat with him, “Excuse me, what year are you in? Can we add each other on WeChat?”
Lin Xia didn’t want to interrupt, so he was just about to slip away quietly when Meng Yun, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, stood up and walked toward him, “All done?”
The two girls who asked for his number had just thought Meng Yun was handsome, but also way too arrogant. He didn’t even look their way while they were talking to him. One was already signaling to the other to hurry up and leave. No matter how handsome a guy is, that kind of attitude is a major turn-off!
Upon seeing Lin Xia, the two suddenly realized what was going on. The girl who had asked Meng Yun for his phone number nodded awkwardly to Lin Xia, saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Sorry? What’s there to be sorry about?
Lin Xia was confused, but since they were being polite, he returned the courtesy, “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
There really wasn’t anything to it; he didn’t know what the fuss was about. He walked over to Meng Yun’s side. “Brother Meng, let’s head back to the dorm.”
The two girls went from awkwardness to excitement. One said to the other, “He called him ‘brother’!”
Lin Xia had a guess in his mind. He looked back, and sure enough, both were down by 1.
The two went back to 502 together, and as soon as Lin Xia walked in, he flopped down on his bed.
Big B asked curiously, “Where did you two go? It’s so late. You two haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Turning his head, he saw Meng Yun carrying two takeout bags from Magnolia Restaurant.
“Fourth Brother, you just got here, so why did you treat Third Brother to a meal? That’s not right. We should all chip in to treat you.”
Meng Yun explained, “He treated me.”
Big B nearly craned his neck, “Third treated you? And to Magnolia, no less? What did the two of you eat?”
If the two of them couldn’t finish it all and had to take leftovers home, it was definitely more than just a bowl of barbecue pork rice.
“Shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, taro with spare ribs…” Facing Big B’s stunned gaze, Meng Yun listed the dishes one by one, even keeping the exact order Lin Xia had ordered them in.
The simple pleasures of everyday life do have their own charm.
The more Meng Yun spoke, the more dramatic Big B’s expression became.
He turned and glared at Lin Xia, who was sprawled out on the bed, “Third Brother, what’s this all about? We’ve been together for a year now, and you’ve never treated me to such an expensive meal. Has Fourth, who’s only been with you for a day, already surpassed the bond between us?”
Meng Yun shot Big B a glance. It wasn’t just one day.
Lin Xia didn’t have time to deal with Big B; he was searching for Cong Xiao and Xiao Yu, and he actually found quite a few results.
Xiao Yu was the star of the Crescent Moon Drama Club, and Cong Xiao was the director and screenwriter; she appeared in all the club’s group photos. There were also plenty of photos of Xiao Yu and Cong Xiao together, most of them in casual, everyday settings.
There was also a photo in a popular post about Xiao Yu’s girlfriend, but it only showed her from behind.
Judging by the silhouette alone, the two looked like a perfect match.
When asked who the girl in the photo was, someone offered a detailed analysis, saying that Xiao Yu must like this girl, and that body language doesn’t lie—his body was leaning towards her, something not seen in other photos.
Someone posted a reply: “It’s just Cong Xiao, the theater drama club’s director. If you don’t know her, you’d better not look, or you’ll be disappointed.”
That post is gone now; it was likely removed after being reported to the moderator.
Cong Xiao’s appearance is, to put it mildly, quite ordinary.
Her eyebrows and eyes could be described as plain. Most girls in Jiangcheng have fair skin, but Cong Xiao didn’t even have that advantage.
She was neither fair nor dark-skinned, but standing next to Xiao Yu, who had a pale complexion, she appeared dull and lackluster.
Even though she has the most photos with Xiao Yu, no one suspects that they are in a romantic relationship.
Some people in the post criticize Cong Xiao’s script as poorly written. They say the drama club has been using her scripts all along, and they suspect it’s because she gave all the spotlight to Xiao Yu, which must be a conspiracy.
The comments section immediately erupted in protest: “Please be aware that the Crescent Moon Drama Club had not won any awards at the University Drama Festival for twelve consecutive years, until Cong Xiao, Xiao Yu, and Qiao Ying teamed up! The Three Musketeers won’t tolerate any stupid fans stirring things up!”
As soon as this comment appeared, others chimed in in agreement, and no one paid any attention to Xiao Yu and Cong Xiao appearing together anymore.
Lin Xia realized belatedly that it was no wonder that even the meticulous and conscientious Aunt Wang would receive a -5.
It wasn’t that Lin Xia had a high opinion of himself; he had been quite good-looking since he was a child. Aunt Wang was probably surprised because she found it unbelievable that he liked Cong Xiao.
Was Cong Xiao a creepy stalker of Xiao Yu? Or was Xiao Yu dissatisfied with the script Cong Xiao had written?
Lying in bed, Lin Xia’s imagination ran wild like a black hole.
Haven’t Western movies done this before? Like a reader kidnapping an author, locking them in a dark room, and forcing them to write, or an admirer finally snapping and killing a stalker who’s been obsessed with them?
Big B, seeing that Lin Xia was silent, assumed he was worried about the money, “Third brother, you too, if you’re saving money, why are you treating people? Anyway, we’ll be living in the same room, and we’ll all be family from now on, so I’ll be frank.”
“Fourth Brother, Third Brother grew up in an orphanage. He’s been saving up to pay for his little sister’s heart surgery.”
When he and Second Brother first found out, they wanted to donate money, but Third Brother refused, saying that there were charitable donations available and that they could raise the money themselves.
The little girl and Third Brother are not related by blood. What else could he be but a living Bodhisattva?
Meng Yun glanced at Lin Xia, who was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.
When the golden light within him dissipates, his lifespan will end, and he may not be able to save money for the little girl’s surgery.
But Meng Yun asked, “Is this your wish?”
“Huh?” Lin Xia was taken aback for a moment. He was about to say that this couldn’t really be called a wish, but rather it was more of a goal. However, the surgery did have a chance of success; otherwise, Grandma Dean wouldn’t burn incense every year to pray for Bodhisattva’s blessing.
So he said, “Saving money is my goal. As for a wish… I hope all the children at the orphanage stay healthy.”
The children left at the orphanage who weren’t adopted were almost all sick or disabled. If it was just a wish, why not wish for something big?
Meng Yun nodded after hearing this, “Got it.”
Lin Xia was taken aback for a moment. Brother Meng is a decent guy, but the way he speaks is always a bit odd.
Big B casually chimed in while gathering materials, “Third Brother, your wish is definitely going to come true, and mine will too. My wish is a bit smaller than yours: to quickly gather all the materials Xiaoxue needs.”
Lin Xia rolled his eyes, “Then hurry up. How many days has it been since you showered?” Luckily, it’s not hot yet; otherwise the dorm would stink.
As soon as he finished speaking, the numbers on Big B’s head dropped by 500, and at the same time, the boss dropped a pile of rare materials right where it stood.
Big B hadn’t even landed 66 hits yet. He jumped to his feet and flung his mouse aside, “Holy shit! I finally got lucky!”
-500? Lin Xia’s eyes widened. Why did it suddenly drop by 500?
Big B was completely unaware that the number above his head had decreased. He took out his phone and sent a voice message in a high-pitched voice to boast, “Honey~ I’ve gathered all the materials you wanted.”
After sending the message, he saw Lin Xia glaring at him and assumed he thought he was a love-struck fool. He grinned at him and said, “Third brother, a life that only focuses on making money is incomplete. You’ll know how wonderful love is once you experience it.”
Lin Xia didn’t listen to what Big B was saying at all. Big B had been working on materials day and night in the dormitory throughout the entire holiday. What bad things could he have done?
Is being love-struck really such a heinous crime? Does a single slip-up warrant a 500 deduction?
Meng Yun fell deep in thought.
The Heaven and Earth Stele records all the good and evil in the world, and much of that good and evil stems from the seven emotions and six desires. Could it be that the Stele Spirit descended not only to experience the joys of mortal life but also to understand human romance?
By the time he found Lin Xia, the situation was already irreversible. Aside from accepting the natural course of cause and effect, he could not interfere.
Was the speck of light that had burrowed into the female corpse’s chest intentionally left there by the Stele Spirit?
He probed with his divine sense and saw that Lin Xia was adding Cong Xiao as a friend.
Lin Xia sent a text message: [Hello, are you Senior Cong Xiao?]
There was no response from the other end.
Lin Xia waited patiently, rolled over, and began listing a distribution plan for his money and belongings in his phone’s notes. He didn’t know why he was still alive, but just in case he died with a sudden “crack,” the money and belongings needed to go somewhere.
He had a total of 38,000 yuan in savings, which he had saved since high school, and he’d leave it for Grandma Dean.
The laptop and phone are still relatively new, so he’ll leave them to Sister Chengcheng.
The unsold items in the cabinet are left for his roommates to eat as they please.
As for the other items, apart from a pair of shoes that Sister Chengcheng just bought for him with her salary, which can be sold for a little money, the rest of the clothes and shoes together can be sold for about fifty yuan.
Lin Xia thought about it some more. Although he had only known Brother Meng for half a day, Brother Meng seemed like a decent guy, so he decided to leave the unopened toothbrush, towel, and that bottle of 13-in-1 hair care product for him.
Who would’ve thought? It took him just a minute to finish his “death inventory.”
Lin Xia let out a soft sigh.
When Meng Yun heard Lin Xia sigh, he assumed that Lin Xia really wanted to be in a relationship. If that were the case, Cong Xiao would indeed be a good choice.
Her only chance of survival is Lin Xia; once Lin Xia dies, she will die as well.
To die together, to live together, to die together again, and then all cause and effect will be eliminated.
So Meng Yun cleared his throat, “That girl’s not bad.”
Before Lin Xia could react, Big B caught on first, “What girl? Which girl? Fourth Brother, you’ve only been at school half a day, and you’ve already met a girl?”
Big B felt resentful; if it weren’t for online dating, he wouldn’t even have a chance at a relationship! Sure, his initial looks were a bit lacking, but other than that, he wasn’t lacking in any way.
“You saw everything?” Lin Xia was a little embarrassed. He had followed the girl straight into Building 5, so Brother Meng must have seen it.
Now, Big B was even more excited than before, “It’s the third brother! What’s that girl’s name? What year is she in? What’s her major? I’ll go find out for you!”
“No!” Lin Xia quickly stopped him. “Don’t tip her off!”
“Tip her off? You’re chasing a girl, not a criminal.”
Big B rolled his eyes, thinking that when it came to the third brother’s love life, he, the only guy in the dorm with a girlfriend, should be the strategist.
Lin Xia thought to himself, Isn’t this exactly like chasing a criminal?
Cong Xiao didn’t reply to the message, so Lin Xia thought for a moment and sent another one.
[I’m the Food Delivery Hero.]
———– End of Chapter ————-
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
– Marcus Aurelius
TN: I’ll be editing the published chapters over the weekends, so I won’t be able to post a new chapter on Saturday. But I’ll double update next Thursday 😉
