Every year around May and June, graduating university students face the most pressing issue, finding a job.
Suming majored in biopharmaceuticals, which wasn't an easy field for job hunting. However, he had worked hard during college, had excellent grades, and even received several scholarships.
Logically speaking, landing a job as a technician in a pharmaceutical company shouldn't have been too difficult. Many of his classmates with poorer grades and abilities had found jobs.
But for some reason, despite sending out N number of resumes and interviewing with a few local pharmaceutical companies, he hadn't been accepted.
When he asked for a reason, they just fobbed him off by saying he wasn't suitable.
"Is this some kind of bad luck jinx, or is it just an unlucky year?" Suming loosened his collar and gulped down a big glass of cold water, hoping to dispel the frustration in his heart.
The heat at the end of June was unbearable, and the cicadas outside the dormitory cried from morning till night as if they had lost their father, driving people to irritation and distraction.
The school had a rule that all graduates must leave the campus and move out of the dorms by early July.
Seeing as the final deadline was only about ten days away and most of his classmates had already secured jobs, how could Suming not be worried about still having no commitment?
If he couldn't find a job by then, there would only be two options: return to his hometown or rent a place on his own.
The former was out of the question for Suming. His hometown was a small town surrounded by mountains with a population of less than thirty thousand. Going back meant an even slimmer chance of finding a suitable job.
Moreover, his family wasn't well-off; they had significant financial burdens. When Suming got admitted to Yangchuan University, it was big news for the small town. Everyone, not just his family, had high hopes for him. They scraped together money to support his studies, but upon graduation, if he were unable to find a job, not only would he not be able to give back to his family, but also returning home to rely on his parents was something he found utterly unacceptable.
After all, everyone cares about face, and sometimes one would rather struggle on their own than let their family know they were not doing well.
If push comes to shove, he'd just have to rent a place while continuing the job search.
"The rent's not cheap these days, a regular single room costs several hundred a month, and they usually require three months' deposit upfront. If it really comes down to it, can I lend you some money first?"
The speaker was a big fat guy, Suming's roommate, Wang Hao. Wang Hao wasn't as good as Suming in many aspects, but his father had connections and had long arranged a cushy government job for him.
Although he was 'an official's second generation,' Wang Hao didn't have many bad qualities. He was loyal, sociable, and after sharing a room with Suming for four years, they had developed a very good relationship, becoming close buddies.
Hearing Wang Hao's offer, Suming mentally calculated before smiling and saying, "I don't need it for now, I saved some money from work-study last semester, it should be enough for a while."
"I know how much you have; what is that enough for?" Wang Hao muttered.
Suming laughed, "I'll make do for now; if it really doesn't work, I'll come to you."
Wang Hao and Suming's relationship didn't require false politeness, and Wang Hao knew Suming well enough to understand that once Suming had spoken, he usually wouldn't change his mind. He nodded and said, "Up to you then. But if you really can't make it, just give me a shout, and I'll send you the money immediately. My old man keeps a tight leash on me, but I could still come up with a few thousand if needed."
Wang Hao, already prone to sweating due to his size, was sweltering; the electricity in the dorm had been cut off, and the fan had stopped working long ago. By the time he finished speaking to Suming, Mr. Wang was drenched in sweat.
He slung his packed luggage over his shoulder and said, "I'm heading home first, this dorm is like an oven."
"Have a smooth journey!"
"How about a hug?" Wang Hao laughed and spread his arms wide toward Suming.
"Cut it out, look at all the sweat on you; don't get it all over me," Suming teased with a laugh, then gave Wang Hao a robust bear hug.
"Take care!"
"Take care! Buddy!"
After Wang Hao left, Suming was the only one left in the dormitory, staring at three empty beds—it suddenly felt so desolate.
It wasn't just the dormitory, there were hardly any people left in the entire dormitory building. Graduates usually started job hunting from March or April. Over the months, those with connections, like Wang Hao, had already landed jobs, and most of the rest had secured internships; it was just a matter of the quality of the placement. There weren't many left in limbo like Suming.
The weather was too hot, and Suming was feeling restless again. He stripped to his tank top and underwear, perched on the wooden bed, took out his phone, and continued to submit resumes online through the school's local network.
"Hey, you're still here? Aren't you afraid of suffering a heatstroke?"
Suddenly, the door to the dorm was pushed open, and a girl barged in nonchalantly.
The girl sported a neat, short fringe, her features were delicate, and she was clad in a pair of hot shorts that could be described as sizzling, revealing her two pale, slender legs without reservation. Paired with a tight-fitting crop top, her figure cut an S shape that made mouths water.
This girl had a rare compound surname: Nangong, her full name being Nangong Yan, a junior at Yangchuan University and Suming's underclassman, considered among the most attractive in her department.
Suming and Nangong Yan were quite familiar with each other, but they hadn't developed into boyfriend and girlfriend. When it came to matters of love, Suming could be quite dense at times.
"I'm dizzy, how did you get in here? This is the boys' dorm!" Suming got a shock, only wearing a pair of briefs—how could he expect Nangong Yan to pop up suddenly? In a rush, he grabbed a pair of boxers and pulled them on haphazardly.
"Pfft, what's so special about a boys' dormitory, it's not like I haven't been here before."
Nangong Yan wrinkled her nose and cockily tilted her chin at Suming.
However, seeing Suming nearly naked, Nangong Yan's pretty face blushed slightly and she turned her body to the side, letting Suming get dressed while explaining, "The dormitory is empty, the gatekeeper is sleeping, so I sneaked in."
After Suming pulled on his boxers and threw on a t-shirt, he asked somewhat blankly, "Why did you come here?"
"What do you think?" Nangong Yan was frustrated seeing Suming's clueless expression and said snappily, "Miss here is sleepwalking and just happened to sleepwalk into your dorm, okay?!"
Suming, who was always a bit crude in understanding romance, knew he had said something wrong after speaking. Seeing Nangong Yan's expression, he scratched his head embarrassedly, "Oh, oh, oh, you came to find me, right."
"Duh!" Nangong Yan glared at Suming cutely, "It's infuriating how there can be such dense people like you in the world!"
"Hehe..." Suming grinned and scratched his head.
It wasn't that he was really that dense; sometimes when facing Nangong Yan, who excelled him by far in both looks and family background, let alone other aspects, Suming felt something indescribable inside.
"Laughing? Humph, I specifically came to ask how your job search is going, and you're asking me what I'm doing here."
"Still no luck," Suming shook his head.
Nangong Yan's eyebrows lifted slightly, puzzled, "That's strange, you have such good grades, how can you not find anything?"
"Just taking it slow," Suming felt helpless about it too.
"With the dormitory about to kick you out, how can you take it slow? Are you planning to live on the streets when the time comes?"
Nangong Yan rolled her eyes playfully, then thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, "Should I ask my dad to see if he can help?"
"No need, there's still half a month left. If it really doesn't work out, I'll ask Uncle for help." Suming smiled. If he was willing to ask for help, he might as well go straight to Wang Hao's grandfather.
There's always a debt of gratitude to repay when you owe someone a favor, and Suming didn't want to owe anyone unless absolutely necessary.
"Hey, are you really that unwilling to let me help you? Pfft, pure male chauvinism! Stubborn pride over practical needs!" Nangong Yan huffed and glared at Suming.
"Alright, princess, if there's nothing else, I'm going to continue applying for jobs online. Take care, no need to escort you out." Suming grinned at Nangong Yan, then waved his hand, making a gesture as if to see her off.
"Hmph! You... Never mind, I'm leaving!" Nangong Yan huffed and left the dorm.
As she walked away, she fumed, thinking to herself, after knowing each other for so long, I've hinted more than once, it's practically an invitation for you to chase me. And yet you remain as unmoved as a rock, what does it take!
"Looks like it's time to change tactics!" Nangong Yan's eyes swirled about as she muttered to herself, "Should I find a guy to pretend to be my boyfriend, to provoke him?"
"Yes! Just like that. As long as he is a man, he's sure to get mad. Once we start fighting, won't he meekly reveal his true feelings for me? Hehehe, hahaha..."
After Nangong Yan left, Suming also revealed a wry smile.
He wasn't oblivious to Nangong Yan's intentions.
But in his view, if you truly liked someone, you should bring them happiness, not make them suffer with you, not to mention taking advantage of them. That's why for so long Suming seemed to play dumb.
"I need to find a job quickly!" Suming's top priority now was job hunting; only with financial stability could he consider other things.
This time, however, he broadened his horizons a bit, not necessarily looking for a pharmaceutical company that exactly matched his major. Any organization even slightly related to his field was worth trying.
With this in mind, there were more options for him, and Suming applied to several positions in succession.