exchanged looks with Su Cang, unsure how to respond to this talkative middle-aged man with a rotund figure.Su Licheng arrived at the store right as work was ending and entered while holding his teacu...Chapter Twelve - Canteen Auntie

In the clean and tidy teaching buildings, on the balcony of the girls' dormitory, Ru Siou held her phone tightly as she looked out at the neatly arranged shops and houses below. Due to holding it for too long, the phone felt warm in her hand. On the other end of the line were her friends.

"Hello, Ru Siou, is the girl who played the piano at the party Tang Wu She's in your dormitory right Can you arrange a time for us to meet so we can get to know each other better It would be great if everyone could make new friends. I'm sure Liang Yu and those guys will be really excited about this too. And I love the piece she played."

"The moment you all entered university, it was hard to find any of you. Thankfully we're still in the same university; otherwise, we might not even have been able to make a phone call. How unprincipled, Ru Siou," she pouted and huffed softly as below her on the dormitory grounds, people were bustling about.

Ru Siou thought of how polite Tang Wu was when speaking but always seemed distant. She also recalled Tang Wu's performance at the welcoming party. She felt that this girl was the type who was talented in various ways and had a rich inner world, someone who was pampered since childhood. Although she didn't have an attitude like an aristocrat, she never made any effort to get along well with those around her.

Getting her to integrate into their circle would be quite difficult; she had her own social circle and life. Being too insistent wouldn’t work either.

The girl on the other end said, "What are you upset about Listen, listen, I have some good news for you. The guy we met when entering school at the orientation, I’ve pretty much found out everything about him. He’s in the management department and lives in Block 13, his name is Su Can. I say Si Si, your stance isn’t very firm, right You were saying that seeing him makes you think of your father earlier on, but now you’re so excited. Are you really set on pursuing him As far as I know, there’s no shortage of people asking about him recently. But honestly, apart from his good looks, he doesn’t have anything special. To be honest, compared to my ex-boyfriend, his looks are even a bit worse. If it weren’t for the flowers he presented Tang Wu at the welcoming party, his score would be higher. His actions have cost him points."

"I’m a little disappointed; I thought we’d meet someone who stood out. It turns out he’s just as mediocre. He’s like those guys who flock to girls who look a bit prettier than others. Presenting flowers right there and then is too cliché, Si Si, you need to think this through."

"Alright, are you done ranting I was just asking if you could get some information; did I say it’s him for sure Stop daydreaming." Ru Siou felt rather disorganized. Su Can's appearance was unexpected for her, but this kind of chance had disrupted the peaceful university life she had planned to spend with her best friends.

She added one more thing, "But I do want to talk to him; my father’s shadow over me is completely gone."

The guy from the orientation meeting spoke in a bright and calm manner. Under such light, there should be no shadows left at all.

Hanging up the call, Ru Siou knew that her words would likely cause quite a stir among their small circle of friends.

In fact, her friends back there were also left speechless, wondering what had gotten into Ru Sio. They guessed it was probably a period of emotional disturbance caused by physiological reasons that happened once or twice a month.

When Ru Sio returned to the dormitory from the balcony and saw Tong Tong continuously changing clothes in front of the dressing mirror, she smiled and said, "Quite enchanting."

The dormitory with the cold Tang Wu and the more flamboyant Cheng Congcong was not very harmonious for now. At least Ru Sio and Tong Tong were not girls who could bond well together. Everyone had their own social circles, and every member of the dormitory was excellent in their own way, so naturally there was a distance between them. There was some competition among them, making their relationship more complex than that of ordinary freshmen.

Of course, there were also situations where everyone got along well without any conflicts within one room. But in Dorm 8, such harmony did not exist yet.

Ru Sio found it particularly annoying to see Tong Tong’s exaggerated and deliberate closeness with Cheng Congcong, thinking the girl was somewhat snobbish. Because from every perspective, the foreign language literature major Cheng Congcong from Overseas Studies College was undoubtedly the most promising female in their dormitory.

Not only did she come from a family with outstanding conditions; she also had connections all over the university and would eventually become someone who could support herself abroad for an extended period of time.

And everyone knew that Cheng Congcong’s aspirations went beyond Nan University. The most important reason for her to study foreign languages at Nan University was as a stepping stone, using the school's overseas study program to go directly to other countries for further education after spending little time there.

In addition, their family trusted this daughter immensely; how could such an intelligent daughter fail abroad When she returned with some international experience under her belt, it would bring even more glory to the family.

Ru Sio thought that Tong Tong was deliberately seeking favor and sometimes went too far.

Perhaps feeling a bit provoked by this comment, "Well, you'd need to have the qualifications."

"Alright, I’ve got several sets of clothes in my closet that I’m not wearing anymore. If you want them, they’re yours. Try them on." Ru Sio pointed at her own wardrobe.

"I have many clothes too. I can just wear this one for now; anyway, I won't want to wear it after a short while, and that would be wasteful, isn't waste shameful"

The exchanges between them were laced with sharp barbs, hinting at an underlying tension.

Tong Tong glanced at Tang Wu again. "Tang Wu, don’t you want to see what clothes you have You’re skinny; any outfit will look good on you."

“I won't go,” Tang Wu shook her head and said.

"Why not Why can't you" Ruan Sio asked, raising her head.

"I have another activity. Moreover, I don’t know the people you know."

“Oh, well.” Considering the slightly tense atmosphere between Tong Tong and Ruan Sio in their dorm room, the two girls did not continue to invite Tang Wu. After all, they were at university, and it wasn't like high school where one might often nag or plead with friends to attend a gathering.

And besides, these tactics might not work on Tang Wu; since day one, she had given off an aloof impression. If not for knowing her personality, one might have thought she was extremely arrogant.

Hearing that Tang Wu wouldn't be attending the event due to Tong Tong's refusal, Cheng Congcong clearly wasn’t happy and said, "If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. She has her own reasons."

After pretending not to care in front of Tong Tong and Ruan Sio, she smiled at them and said, "I’ve checked it out; the one organizing this gathering is someone from our freshman class. Some people have even reserved a second-floor hall at a high-end restaurant outside Nan University for a dormitory banquet. They invited upperclassmen and some student union members too. Quite impressive, isn’t it I told you there are quite a few clever ones in our year; they might not stand out, but when they act, others take notice."

Cheng Congcong emphasized the term "banquet," further implying that attending this gathering would mean joining the core of freshmen. What was at the heart of Freshman College besides academic studies and connections within the school system

Cheng Congcong didn’t mind exaggerating, so that Tang Wu’s pride would make her feel isolated if she missed out on what she considered to be a central gathering in Freshman College.

Although school systems and student unions have little influence among the competitive students, there are those who seek recognition from the school administration, for whom these institutions can be quite useful in bridging gaps.

Adept individuals can leverage these school mechanisms to secure various benefits and advantages.

This is crucial for any student at Nan Da University with aspirations.

"聯誼 is something single young adults do. And clearly, I don’t fall into that category. You guys go ahead tonight, but I won't be joining."

When Su Cen said this to the three in his dorm room, Xiao Xue, who was munching on a bread roll at the desk below, looked up with surprise evident in his eyes, like a groundhog startled by sudden daylight. "Boss, what did you say Do we have a Miss Boss now"

Zhang Xiaqiao put down the book he was reading on his pillow and Li Han, who had been looking at a basketball magazine, peeked out from the side of it. Both fixed their gaze squarely on Su Cen.

Li Han then abruptly leaped up without regard for bumping his head against the ceiling as he scrambled onto Su Cen's bed. "Boss, that’s not nice! Do you already have a girlfriend Is she back home in your hometown Oh no, long-distance relationships are so troublesome; it breaks both heart and spirit."

Zhang Xiaqiao got up with an embarrassed smile and turned to reach for the ladder to climb down. "How do you think about it She must have graduated high school at the same time as you and gone on to college. I reckon she’s probably far away in some corner somewhere, like everyone else who has to be apart after graduation."

Whenever Zhang Xiaqiao spoke, the atmosphere turned eerie and cold; yet everyone remained calm. This kid was perpetually in a state of depression and continuously spread it around.

Su Cen chuckled at Li Han's astonished expression. "That girl I mentioned, you might have seen her. Remember when I brought flowers to the freshmen party"

Zhang Xiaqiao slipped on his way down from the bunk bed, rolling off in a tangle of limbs and landing with a thump on the floor below.

It's getting late now; this is all for today. We’ll continue tomorrow. I feel guilty towards all my readers who are still waiting at their computers and those fast asleep dreaming sweet dreams tonight.consent. There isn't much to say about it." Su Cun felt somewhat embarrassed. A girl demanding that he declare his love history wasn't something he felt comfortable with.Mu Kaidi looked at Su Cun care...