Shen Monong had an excellent routine. If there were no special tasks to handle, she usually went to bed at 10 PM and woke up at 6 AM. Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er, on the other hand, didn't share this discipline. They stayed up late playing games every night. Tang Guo, determined to enhance her bust, also committed to doing half an hour of bust-enhancing yoga every morning. Unfortunately, while her bust didn't grow, her figure became increasingly slender. Lin Bao'er had no such concerns and lazed in bed like a little pig every morning. If Shen Monong didn't personally wake her up, she wouldn't get out of bed at all.
Today was the first day of classes for the new semester, and neither Tang Guo nor Lin Bao'er dared to stay in bed. Shen Monong had already prepared breakfast. After quickly downing a couple of slices of bread and a glass of milk, Ye Qiu followed Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er to Tsinghua University. As usual, they walked part of the way before catching a taxi. Ye Qiu didn't mind, but Lin Bao'er found it exhausting and suggested they buy a cheap car for commuting, with Ye Qiu as the driver. After all, some students at the university drove themselves, and as long as they didn't show up in a sports car, it wouldn't draw too much attention.
Thanks to Ye Qiu's impressive performance the night before, the two girls surprisingly refrained from teasing him on the way. Instead, they excitedly recounted the events of the previous evening. However, just before the taxi reached the entrance of Tsinghua University, Ye Qiu was once again politely asked to get out.
As Tang Guo put it, "We can't let him scare away our chances for romance. With his fierce looks, no cute guys would dare approach us!"
In Tang Guo's world of aesthetics, Ye Qiu belonged to the "fierce and menacing" category. The guy who looked very much like Fei Xiang last night was directly insulted as a gorilla by her. Ye Qiu was genuinely curious about what kind of handsome man would meet her standards.
Ye Qiu didn't mind. If he wasn't needed, he preferred not to be seen around campus with Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er. They attracted too much attention, and if he caught the eye of anyone with ulterior motives, it would be detrimental to his future plans.
It's not the fear of a thief stealing from you, but the fear of a thief eyeing you. If someone was determined to dig into your background, no matter how cautious you were, they could still find clues. Moreover, Ye Qiu knew he was carrying too many things that couldn't see the light of day for the time being.
Before leaving, the old man had reminded him to keep a low profile, but it seemed that things didn't always go as planned. If he hadn't intervened last night, he might have ended up getting beaten up. People need dignity, just like trees need bark—sometimes, pride is very important.
Ye Qiu wasn't sure what classes were scheduled for today, and since he had left his textbooks in the dormitory, he decided to head there first.
Compared to some apartment complexes, the campus boasted the highest amount of green space. Walking along the tree-lined paths of this century-old university, breathing in the fresh morning air, and seeing small groups of students sitting on stone benches on either side of the path, reading their English textbooks aloud, Ye Qiu's steps grew lighter and more youthful.
Having lived with an old man for so many years, Ye Qiu's maturity was far beyond his peers, and he had thought of himself as old. But on this clear and bright morning, he realized that he was still young.
When he pushed open the door to the dormitory, he found Yang Le sitting on the lower bunk, tying his shoelaces. Li Dazhuang and Wu Zhengjing were not in the dorm. Seeing Ye Qiu enter, Yang Le smiled and said, "Hey, Ye Qiu, first day of school, and you didn't come back last night. Where did you sneak off to for some fun?"
"I stayed at a relative's place," Ye Qiu replied as he walked over to the wall and checked the new class schedule. There were only two classes in the morning, "Research and Appreciation of Ancient Texts." It seemed like this was a basic required course for archaeology. Otherwise, if you had a treasure and didn't know which dynasty it was from, it would be a laughingstock.
"Last night, Professor Chen came by to check the dorms. I told him you were staying at a relative's place. Professor Chen thinks it would be best if you moved back to the dorm for a while. The school has stricter requirements for freshmen, and there will be frequent checks. Besides, as the class monitor, you need to set a good example. If any student in the class has an issue, you should be there to handle it."
Ye Qiu was Tang Guo's bodyguard, so it wasn't feasible for him to live in the dormitory. It seemed he would need to discuss this issue with Professor Chen Hailiang. However, he could keep a bed in the dormitory to deal with inspections, and it might come in handy if he ever needed to spend the night there.
"I'm fine with not being the class monitor. You and Dazhuang practically forced me into it," Ye Qiu said with a wry smile.
"Heh, heh, it's because we trust you. If someone else were the class monitor, I'd have a problem with that," Yang Le said with a laugh, heading into the bathroom.
Just then, Li Dazhuang walked in, carrying a large bag of food. Seeing Ye Qiu in the dorm, he smiled and said, "Good thing I'm smart and bought an extra steamer of buns. I've heard the buns from the Third Canteen are a specialty of Tsinghua. Come, have a taste."
By the time the three of them arrived at the classroom, most of the students were already there. Lan Kexin, sitting near the window, waved to Ye Qiu, having saved a seat for him. Ye Qiu walked over without hesitation, with Yang Le and Li Dazhuang following. After all, there was only one national treasure-level beauty in the class. Even if she wasn't their type, just looking at her was a treat, wasn't it?
"You got here early," Ye Qiu said with a smile as he took the seat next to Lan Kexin. It was evident that she had wiped the desk and chair clean beforehand—a very thoughtful girl.
"Yes, I was afraid of being late," Lan Kexin said, blushing. Since she already knew Ye Qiu in the class, it was natural for her to stick close to him. She wasn't sure if her actions would be misunderstood.
"It's okay. University isn't as strict as high school," Ye Qiu reassured her with a smile. He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Lan Kexin. With her being the only girl in the archaeology department, she was practically isolated.
Professor Chen Hailiang came in, checked the attendance, nodded at Ye Qiu, and then left. After the class bell rang, an old man wearing a Zhongshan suit and thick glasses—so thick they were like the bottom of a beer bottle—struggled onto the podium. It was a difficult climb for him.
Ye Qiu couldn't help but wonder if this elderly man was their teacher for "Research and Appreciation of Ancient Texts." He certainly looked ancient.
The old man simply introduced himself as Professor Sun and then began his lecture. As he opened the textbook, he seemed to become twenty years younger. His face flushed with color, and his once-cloudy eyes behind the thick lenses suddenly sparkled. His references were vast, and his words eloquent—yet, nobody could understand him. He quoted too much from ancient texts, and how many young people today have a deep understanding of classical literature?
Lan Kexin took diligent notes, but from her frequently furrowed brows, it was clear she was struggling to understand. Ye Qiu glanced back and saw that Li Dazhuang had already fallen asleep, a small pool of drool accumulating on his desk. Yang Le, on the other hand, smiled at Ye Qiu and spread out his notebook, which was neatly written. Ye Qiu found himself increasingly intrigued by this roommate.
After muddling through the two classes, Ye Qiu, Lan Kexin, Yang Le, and Li Dazhuang gathered their books and headed downstairs.
"This old man is even older than my grandpa, and he spoke entirely in ancient texts. I got so confused that I fell asleep," Yang Le teased Li Dazhuang about his heroic feat of sleeping through both classes, making Li Dazhuang blush with embarrassment.
"It was hard to understand. I got confused too," Lan Kexin said with some concern. It was one thing to not understand a single class, but if it continued for an entire year, this course might become a lost cause.
"How about you?" Ye Qiu asked, looking at Yang Le deliberately.
"I struggled too but managed to understand a bit," Yang Le said, laughing it off.
Just as the four of them walked out of the classroom building, they noticed a large group of students excitedly running towards the east side. Their expressions were like middle-aged women finding a massive sale at a department store.
"What's going on?" Li Dazhuang asked, puzzled.
Ye Qiu shook his head, and Yang Le and Lan Kexin were equally confused.
Yang Le stopped a passing female student and politely asked, "Exc
use me, can you tell me what's happening?"
The girl was annoyed at being stopped suddenly but softened when she saw it was a cute guy. "Don't you know? Dong'er is at our school's shallow water lake shooting a commercial."
"Who's Dong'er?" Yang Le asked. But as soon as he asked, he regretted it because the girl's expression made him feel like an idiot.
"Oh my god, you don't even know Dong'er? It's Ran Dongye from the Film Academy! Hurry up, or you'll miss it!" The girl hadn't even finished her sentence before she dashed off. It was impressive how quickly she could move despite her heavy frame.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8