The next day, Yan and her group of six had a buffet breakfast at the luxurious hotel where they were still staying. Their attire made them stand out in the dining area. Though the hotel was no stranger to guests in suits, a group of impeccably dressed young n gathered during the holiday season inevitably drew attention.
"Are we going anywhere today?" Chu Shen asked.
The mont he spoke, the others looked up in unison, even Uncle Xiao couldn’t help but respond, "Are you serious?"
It was the May Day holiday, and Bin City was always crowded with tourists, not to ntion locals looking to unwind—families, friends, office workers, and students like them.
"I was just asking for suggestions. As a local, I usually avoid going out during holidays," Chu Shen muttered, taking a bite of the pickled cucumber from his plate. The Chinese-style breakfast at this hotel’s buffet was excellent, and the side dishes were particularly tasty.
"If we go out dressed like this, people might think we’re part of so event," Ye Ping'an said, his lips twitching.
Even though they were wearing their own clothes, a group of young n in suits walking together during the holidays would definitely turn heads.
"Then let’s just go back—I an, back to school," Chu Shen corrected himself, smacking his lips.
Yuan Ye chid in with a dry tone, "Your restaurant took a few days off."
Since the start of the sester, "Boss Chu" had restructured his eatery’s operations to open every other day. The catch? He had to attend classes five days a week, leaving only weekends to alternate between opening and closing. As a result, the now-rarely-open Chu’s Little Eatery drove its custors into a frenzy.
Occasionally, catching a glimpse of Chu Shen’s phone revealed a staggering 9999 unread ssages—enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.
"Calling it ‘taking ti off’ is ridiculous!" Chu Shen declared indignantly.
"This is a normal holiday break! Isn’t Labor Day about not laboring? Everyone does it!"
"And I have a legitimate reason. Yesterday, we officially beca godparents, and we were groomsn—these are major life events!" he argued righteously.
Yan burst into laughter, while Zhu Jue watched him with amused eyes, teasing,
"Only employees need ‘legitimate reasons’ to take ti off."
Chu Shen had an epiphany. "Right, I’m the boss. I don’t need a reason—if I don’t want to open, I won’t."
These days, Chu’s Little Eatery had expanded its nu compared to last year, but Chu Shen himself had grown lazier.
After deciding to lighten his workload this sester, he streamlined operations—each opening now featured only one dish: either fried rice, Yangzhou fried rice, braised pork with potatoes, or Dongpo pork.
Custor complaints didn’t faze him. With just one chef (himself) and a self-service system where diners cleared their own plates, service was practically nonexistent.
After finishing breakfast and chatting idly, they returned to their rooms to pack and check out.
Taking the subway with six people—and luggage—would have been a hassle, so they hired a shuttle van back to campus. Uncle Xiao was in a hurry to give the kitten Pengpeng her acupuncture session.
When Yan returned to her dorm with her bridesmaid gift box, she found she was the only one left.
After washing her hands in the bathroom, she poked at the small potted plant Yi Zhi had placed there to absorb odors. The plant’s leaves imdiately clung to her fingers, only returning to their usual stillness when she pulled away.
Having this little thing in the bathroom was like having a tiny pet, though Yan had observed that its interactivity ended there—it just had a habit of sticking to people.
Still, considering its purpose was to neutralize bathroom slls, she silently washed her hands again. With Yi Zhi around, she wasn’t worried about any issues, though she wondered if her other roommates had noticed it.
Back in her room, Yan changed into pajamas and turned on her computer and phone.
During the May Day holiday, students who lived nearby had gone ho, while those from farther away either stayed on campus or traveled. Scrolling through social dia revealed a flood of location tags and photos of crowded tourist spots.
Yan dutifully perford her daily social dia courtesy, liking every post. Since she and Jue often went out on weekends, staying in during the holidays felt oddly relaxing.
She caught up on TV shows she’d missed during her busy days until He Xing ssaged the group chat asking who was around. Yan imdiately responded, and twenty minutes later, a cup of lightly iced "Duck Shit" oolong tea and spicy fried potato skewers appeared on her desk.
"Done with practice, Senior?" Yan asked between bites of potato.
He Xing nodded as she packed her things. "Yeah, a friend sent so performance videos to review."
With the other roommates gone, it was just the two of them—a rare chance for a private conversation.
After a pause, He Xing spoke up. "Yan."
"Yeah?" Yan sipped her lemon tea.
"Is there anything you want?" He Xing asked.
"Eh?" Yan blinked in confusion. Why was her senior asking this?
Now that He Xing had settled her grudges, reunited with her parents in dreams, and regained her health, life had returned to normal.
If there was one thing still weighing on her, it was how to repay Yan.
Whether it was vengeance or eting her parents in dreams, Yan had been the bridge.
This debt couldn’t go unanswered.
He Xing imdiately regretted her phrasing. She was convinced Yan was a "Fate Master"—was this too blunt?
Seeing Yan’s puzzled expression, she quickly added, "Never mind. I’m flying abroad during the short sester to watch performances, so I can bring back stuff for you all."
Yan sensed there was more to it but played along. "I can’t think of anything I need right now."
"Ugh, the short sester—I haven’t even decided if I’ll sign up for it yet," she groaned, stretching.
The short sester system was unique to many universities in Xia Country, tacked onto the end of the spring term between July and September to fulfill the academic year’s requirents. It offered elective courses, lectures, and social activities.
But to students with simple values, it was just stealing their sumr vacation!
Bin University required students to complete one short sester during their four years, aning even if Yan skipped it this year, she’d have to do it next year or the year after.
Different departnts handled the short sester differently. Notices had gone out before May Day, but course selection wouldn’t open until June.
"The short sester will probably have off-campus activities or sumr social practices. The campus is gonna be packed," Yan grumbled.
Worst of all, Bin City in sumr was stifling—hot and humid. Her hotown Ning City wasn’t much better, but at least the heat there was dry, not sticky!
Bin University is quite generous when it cos to holidays. The academic calendar for the sester had been distributed early, and even the unluckiest students with the latest exams would finish their final test by June 24th, with the next term not starting until September 9th. Those who finished exams earlier could enjoy a vacation of up to eighty days.
However, a short sumr session lood ahead, and Yan wasn’t sure how many days of her extended break would remain.
……
In the end, Yan and Zhu Jue chose to participate in the sumr session.
As the saying goes, a sharp knife cuts through tangled hemp, and a short pain is better than a long one.
Completing this unavoidable obligation early ant they wouldn’t have to worry about it later.
At the beginning of June, after selecting their sumr session courses and practical arrangents, the spring finals week began, and the entire dormitory fell into a synchronized routine.
Eat, study, sleep.
With Yi Zhi supplying fruits, Yan felt her efficiency doubled. Though she couldn’t match Gu Jiasui’s astonishing mory—Gu Jiasui could morize anything at a single glance—Yan found that eating fruit significantly improved her ability to retain information.
Still, she and Zhu Jue tacitly agreed to study outside the dorm, heading to the library or cafés. Surrounded by other students buried in their books, they felt a sense of camaraderie.
Studying in the dorm with such high-achievers had its own atmosphere, but the pressure of comparison was undeniable.
Even though the two of them had grown accustod to the pressure from their talented peers, there were just too many of them around!
While the whole dorm was grinding through exams, He Xing had already finished all of hers. With a casual wave, she bid farewell to her juniors, packed her bags, and flew abroad to attend a performance.
He Xing didn’t leave in a hurry, but Yan, who spent her days outside the dorm, didn’t get the chance to say goodbye before her senior rushed off to catch her flight.
When Yan returned to the dorm, she found a USB drive left on her desk.
[He Xing]: Junior Yan, you’ve helped so much. After much thought, this is the only thing I have that might be of use to you.
[He Xing]: Keep it if you find it helpful, or pass it on to soone who can use it.
He Xing had left too quickly, and by the ti Yan sent a reply, her ssages were t with flight mode—only her own texts remained.
Baffled, Yan opened the USB drive and saw the sole folder inside—
Yan: ?!
Huh?
"North Star Guiding thod," "Key Points for Practicing the First Three Levels of the Guiding thod," "Breakthrough Techniques for the North Star Guiding thod"...
What is this? Did He Xing get scamd into buying so kind of martial arts manual?!
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