Chen Wan, a sophomore, still appeared a bit green. She wore a plain white T-shirt paired with jeans and a red volunteer vest over it. After her junior year, she successfully became the president of the student council.
In her past life, it was Chen Wan who had enthusiastically helped Zhou Yuwen to his dormitory.
It was Zhou Yuwen's first time in the big city, and he felt quite fond of this amiable senior.
Then she asked him if he had a cellphone plan?
Zhou Yuwen replied, "I have a cellphone plan."
"But it's not the same, you have one from your hometown. You're going to live in Jinling now, you definitely need a local plan. Also, do you have enough data on your phone?" Chen Wan persuaded him gently.
Indeed, Zhou Yuwen needed one, and not just him—his dorm mates, upon hearing there were broadband incentives, felt it was a necessity. Three of them ended up getting plans, although in reality, only one plan per dorm was necessary.
Later on, when Zhou Yuwen joined the student council and got to know Chen Wan better, she found an opportunity to bring up the matter, feeling quite embarrassed for having taken advantage of him.
By then, it was already their second year, and Zhou Yuwen certainly didn't mind.
However, he later found out that getting a campus card cost 150 yuan, from which Chen Wan, as a secondary agent, could earn a commission of twenty yuan, while primary dealers could make as much as fifty yuan.
He remembered that a senior had managed to buy a Volkswagen Passat after dealing with campus cards throughout his university years.
As a senior, Chen Wan was still responsible. She reached out to take the luggage, intending to escort Zhou Yuwen to his dormitory.
This time, Zhou Yuwen did not hesitate and handed his suitcase over to Chen Wan.
This took Chen Wan by surprise for a moment.
Normally, guys would often say shyly, "No need, senior, I can handle it myself."
Instead, Zhou Yuwen handed the suitcase to Chen Wan and walked ahead, undisturbed by the thought that she might run off with his luggage.
"???"
Zhou Yuwen looked back, saw Chen Wan standing still, and curiously asked, "What's wrong? Senior, aren't you supposed to take me back to the dorm?"
"Oh, you've been here before?"
"Not at all," Zhou Yuwen said.
"Are you a local from Jinling?" Chen Wan asked again.
"Yeah, sort of." Zhou Yuwen had also registered a Jinling residence, especially with a 220 square meter flat.
"So, your cellphone plan is from Jinling?" Chen Wan was somewhat disappointed.
She was still a university student after all, unable to hide the disappointment on her face. Noticing Chen Wan holding campus card flyers, Zhou Yuwen belatedly said, "Ah, yes, senior, it seems like you provide cellphone plans here."
"Um, no, it's just a part-time job I picked up randomly, it really doesn't matter whether you get one or not," Chen Wan quickly recovered after hearing Zhou Yuwen speak.
Chen Wan told Zhou Yuwen that actually, getting a campus card was quite a good deal, with 30GB of data per month, unlimited broadband, and even a new smartphone thrown in.
Zhou Yuwen nodded, agreeing that it was quite a good deal.
"So, junior, would you like to get one from me!?" Chen Wan flirtatiously winked.
"I really don't need to get a plan," Zhou Yuwen said.
Chen Wan's face turned awkward.
"In that case, senior, maybe I should take my luggage. It's embarrassing to make you carry it when I'm not getting a plan," Zhou Yuwen gestured to take the suitcase.
"No worries, no worries, it's just part-time, and helping with luggage for newcomers is perfectly fine." Chen Wan quickly waved her hand off.
"That's too much trouble for you, senior sister,"
"No trouble at all,"
"In that case, how about this? You give me some more flyers, and when I get to the dorm, I'll help you promote them."
Chen Wan had initially been quite unhappy, but hearing Zhou Yuwen say this made her happy immediately, so she handed over half of the flyers to her to help promote.
Chen Wan told Zhou Yuwen that the building up ahead was the boys' dormitory.
"I won't walk you there, I need to help other freshmen!"
Zhou Yuwen pouted, thinking to herself that in the past life, you had walked me right into the dorm.
But it didn't matter, Zhou Yuwen, dragging her suitcase, entered the dormitory she had lived in for four years.
First thing in the dormitory was to check in with the dorm manager.
Get the key.
Pay a 20 yuan deposit.
Fill out a form.
The dorm manager said to keep the form safe because you could get your 20 yuan back at graduation.
At that time, a classmate queuing there scoffed, "Just 20 yuan, who would remember that!"
Someone else mentioned that when they ran out of money for internet, they could use the key to get 20 yuan for internet access.
This caused a round of laughter below.
It was the day before the start of school, and in front of the dorm manager's office, a dense crowd was waiting to exchange their keys. Most of these kids were leaving their parents for the first time; they were not yet aware of their own growth. They only felt the exhilarating thrill of escaping parental control, standing in groups with their roommates, speaking a mix of their local dialects and Mandarin, excitedly chatting with newly met friends.
"You got it wrong! Since the battle with Cell, Gohan's power already surpassed Sun Wukong!"
"How could that be! Sun Wukong is always the ultimate fighter!"
Zhou Yuwen paid 20 yuan, took the dormitory key, and followed the route in her memory, dragging her suitcase to the dormitory door. She had maintained a rather steady composure since getting off the train.
However, as she approached the door of the dormitory, Zhou Yuwen suddenly felt a complex emotion, a kind of nervousness from nearing home. She hadn't imagined that she, a single man in his thirties, could come back here.
Nor had she thought that she could once again live with her dorm mates.
Recalling the old days with her roommates.
Zhou Yuwen pushed open the door of the dormitory.
The sunlight streaming in from the balcony brightened the room.
Four people in one dormitory, bunk beds with desks underneath.
Zhou Yuwen was the last to arrive; when the door opened, the three roommates simultaneously turned their gaze toward Zhou Yuwen.
On the balcony, a young man, casually dressed, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, complained on the phone, "You can die, man. If it weren't for my poor exam, why would I come to this crappy school?"
Next to the door, a tall figure, dressed simply, with a buzz cut, wearing a slightly tattered black tank top, a bulging canvas bag lying on the floor.
And the last one, near the balcony bed, a fair-skinned and somewhat scrawny boy, quietly lying on his bed playing with his phone.
Looking at everything in front of him.
"Zhou Yuwen?" The guy talking on the phone recognized her first, there were four people in their dorm, and the other three had arrived, so the last one had to be Zhou Yuwen.