On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter
Chapter Summary
He noticed that Shen Xinghe had finished eating and was quietly looking out the window, seemingly waiting for everyone to finish. Chen Mo replied, then looked up at the group and said, "The girls have finished their meal and are shopping now, shouldn't we head over? Looking at the energetic figures of his friends ahead, then at the aloof but now familiar Shen Xinghe beside him, and thinking of Su Yuqing strolling not far away, a sense of peace and contentment welled up within Chen Mo.
"Stop talking nonsense!
" Everyone laughed and raised their glasses.
The topic quickly shifted elsewhere.
"We have half a day off this afternoon.
Have you decided what to do?
Go to the internet cafe to play games, or go play ball?
" Wang Lan urged while eating barbecue.
"No, no, I want to go back and lie here like a corpse.
""I've arranged to play basketball with some people, anyone want to join?
""I'd rather go to an internet cafe, it's cool there.
I don't have the energy to play ball after just finishing military training.
""I need to go back and tidy up; my dorm room feels like it's about to get moldy.
"Everyone started discussing the afternoon's plans.
The meat on the grill kept coming in batches, and several bottles of drinks were empty.
It wasn't just a meal; it was a release of pent-up emotions.
However, the past two weeks have been a fulfilling one, filled with both joy and sorrow.
Two weeks ago, they might have been strangers to each other, but now they can sit together without any burden, grabbing meat and teasing each other.
It wasn't a waste of the two weeks I spent socializing.
As the dinner party drew to a close, the table was a mess of cups and plates.
Wang Lan patted his round belly and let out a satisfied burp: "Awesome!
But it looks like I can't play ball in this condition.
I'll go to the internet cafe and play a few games before I play ball!
"Li Zhe had already started habitually calculating how much each person would need to split the bill for this meal.
Chen Mo looked at the group of vibrant faces before him and simply smiled faintly.
He noticed that Shen Xinghe had finished eating and was quietly looking out the window, seemingly waiting for everyone to finish.
Just then, Chen Mo's phone vibrated.
It was a message from Su Yuqing saying that they had finished eating and were planning to stroll around the commercial area.
Although the girls started earlier than the boys, they ate with great care and chatted while eating, so they finished their meal in about the same time as the boys.
Chen Mo replied, then looked up at the group and said, "The girls have finished their meal and are shopping now, shouldn't we head over?
"Everyone then got up, laughing and joking as they packed their things and left the restaurant.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the satisfaction after a hearty meal combined with the languid feeling of being relieved of a burden made one feel a little drowsy for a moment.
"I want to go back to sleep!
""Let's go to an internet cafe to digest our food!
""I can sleep even at an internet cafe, let's go to an internet cafe together!
"The group of people walked noisily toward the fairly large internet cafe on the street corner.
The other boys yawned and said goodbye to each other.
"I can't take it anymore, I need to go back and get some sleep.
""Me too, I feel like I could fall asleep standing up.
"They dragged their slightly tired steps toward the school dormitory.
Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe walked slightly behind.
"Back to the dorm?
" Chen Mo asked.
"Hmm.
" Shen Xinghe responded lightly, his gaze sweeping over the window of a music store across the street, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't say anything more.
Looking at the energetic figures of his friends ahead, then at the aloof but now familiar Shen Xinghe beside him, and thinking of Su Yuqing strolling not far away, a sense of peace and contentment welled up within Chen Mo.
The tough battle of military training was over, but their long eight-year clinical medicine program and its long university life still awaited them.
The two walked side by side on the tree-lined path back to school.
Without the pressure of the assembly or the urgency of training, their steps seemed much more relaxed.
There weren't many people on campus in the afternoon.
Most of the freshmen were probably like them, either having fun outside or already resting in their dormitories.
"What are your plans for this afternoon?
" Chen Mo asked casually, breaking the silence.
"Let's organize your recent work schedule.
" Shen Xinghe's voice remained calm.
"You models must be really busy," Chen Mo smiled and said nothing more.
This quietness wasn't awkward; instead, it created a comfortable sense of mutual understanding.
Just as they were about to reach the dormitory area, Chen Mo's phone vibrated again.
It was a message from Su Yuqing, along with a photo—a group of girls smiling brightly at a row of cute dolls in a boutique.
[Su Yuqing]: (*^▽^*) Found something cute!
We might be walking around for a while longer, have you gone back to your dorm yet?
Looking at Su Yuqing's bright smile in the photo, Chen Mo's lips unconsciously curled up, and he quickly replied.
Meanwhile, in that bright boutique on the commercial street, the girls' "post-battle relaxation" was in full swing.
"Yuqing, look at this hair clip, does it suit me?
" Lin Xiaoxiao picked up a hair clip with a small strawberry on it and held it up on her head.
Zhou Yue, on the other hand, was captivated by the row of stylish bracelets.
Zhao Ya followed quietly behind, her gaze lingering on the exquisite little objects, occasionally amused by the outrageous headdresses Lin Xiaoxiao was gesturing with.
She was still holding her phone, with a simple chat window between her and Shen Xinghe on the screen.
In the past two weeks, she had become much bolder and would sometimes chat with Shen Xinghe on the phone.
But each time it was very brief, with no sense of any development or connection.
It's even shorter than a chat with a regular friend.
Zhao Ya was already very happy just to receive a response to the message she sent.
She doesn't need to have a very lively conversation; as long as she gets a response to every word, that's enough to prove that the other person doesn't dislike her.
Wang Lan and his gaming team had already plunged into the cool, air-conditioned room of the internet cafe.
The sounds of keyboard and mouse clicks and excited shouts quickly replaced the fatigue of training.
Li Zhe was forcibly dragged along and played with him.
Those boys who chose to remain in bed returned to their dorm rooms and immediately went to bed to rest.
They quickly fell into a deep sleep, continuing to process the bittersweet experiences of the past two weeks in their dreams.
Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe also returned to their quiet dormitory.
Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, replying to Su Yuqing's messages and listening to her share her fun shopping experiences.
Shen Xinghe then opened his laptop to look at his schedule and start planning for the days to come.
The sunlight slowly shifted, casting warm dappled light through the window into the dormitory room; everything was so peaceful and beautiful.
This half-day of leisure was like a brief pause, washing away everyone's fatigue!
When the alarm clock rings the next morning, the real picture of university life slowly unfolds at a different pace.
The urgent whistles were gone, replaced by custom-set cell phone ringtones.
The dormitory was no longer in complete chaos, but rather everyone was washing up in an orderly fashion and stuffing their textbooks and notebooks for the day into their shoulder bags or canvas bags.
The academic pressure of the eight-year clinical medicine program has once again fallen on everyone's shoulders.
People are always so contradictory; during military training, they think about how easy classes are, but when their studies get heavier, they miss how simple military training was.
(End of Chapter)