Chapter Twelve
With midterm exams approaching, the atmosphere of studying on campus is becoming increasingly intense.
Lu Nan and the others in Cheng Xiangbei's dormitory took turns reserving seats, and the group squeezed together to study.
"Speaking of which, Lu Nan has become the fifth element in our dormitory," Li Weide joked during break.
“That’s right!” Luo Ming nodded. “Dezi, why don’t you switch places with Lu Nan? That way, the boss and Lu Nan won’t have to miss each other so much.”
"Damn it! I knew you didn't like me!" Li Weide snapped.
Liu Fei chuckled to himself; his smile had noticeably increased since his last tutoring session. Lu Nan and Cheng Xiangbei, noticing the change in him, were also happy for him.
"Huh? A text message?" Lu Nan took out his phone, which vibrated in his pocket. "That's strange, it's from Yu Mufeng."
[Lu Nan, do you have a seat over there? I don't have a place to study right now.]
Lu Nan showed the text message to Cheng Xiangbei. "Did you tell him about your family?"
Cheng Xiangbei shook his head. "Why would I talk to him about this? Besides, my dad is very strict about this kind of thing. Haven't you seen that Uncle Li is the one who borrows the car?"
"Then how will he find me?"
Cheng shrugged towards the north.
"Let him come over?" There was another seat next to Lu Nan, piled with their clothes and schoolbags.
"Whatever." Cheng Xiangbei took Lu Nan's cup and poured him some water, completely ignoring Yu Mufeng's actions.
Lu Nan texted Yu Mufeng back, saying as she replied, "Hey, Tiger, who's the higher-ranking official, your dad or his dad?"
Cheng paused in his act of pouring water to the north, his lips twitching.
Gradually, Yu Mufeng began to study with them.
Lu Nan didn't care. Since they were roommates, it was good to get to know each other better.
The problem is, Yu Mufeng is clearly not in their social class. Even if they force themselves to sit together, there's always an awkward feeling. For example, when it comes to water, everyone else carries a large thermos and big cups, gulping down whatever they want—tea, coffee, or plain water—with great gusto. But Yu Mufeng is different; he brings French mineral water, a whole bottle at a time, which he throws away if he doesn't finish it. Another example is food. After studying until 9:30 and drinking so much water, they're usually hungry, so they often go out for late-night snacks. They don't care how shabby or unhygienic the place is; they eat heartily and happily. But Yu Mufeng strongly dislikes this kind of dining. Even if he reluctantly sits with them, he only takes a couple of bites.
Over time, the comrades began to have opinions.
"Lu Nan, this guy surnamed Yu in your dorm is quite the young master!" Li Weide mocked.
"What's wrong with him?" Lu Nan asked curiously, having not paid any attention to what Yu Mufeng was doing all day.
"Hey, Lu Nan, you need to be more careful. Haven't you seen Yu Mufeng constantly chasing after the boss with questions?" Luo Ming reminded him from the side.
"Huh? I solved all his problems for him." It was just advanced mathematics, very simple.
Li and Luo exchanged a glance. They thought Lu Nan was a bit slow on the uptake, but he wouldn't admit it. They also found Yu Mufeng strange. He was in the same class as Lu Nan, so why did he always have to ask Cheng Xiangbei about his problems, bypassing Lu Nan? Fortunately, their boss always sat with Lu Nan. If you wanted to ask their boss a question, you had to go through Lu Nan first. But Lu Nan was usually a bit absent-minded, yet he excelled in every subject. Before Yu Mufeng could reach their boss, Lu Nan had already solved all his problems.
So, is this a case of fools having good fortune?
"Anyway, I don't like him," Liu Fei chimed in. His family wasn't well-off, and although he didn't deliberately hide it, he was too embarrassed to let others know too much. So he was very frugal with his clothes and food, and his dorm mates were very understanding. They always considered his spending power when it came to meals, like eating late-night snacks at street stalls. But Yu Mufeng was simply from a different world; his showy attitude really made Liu Fei uncomfortable.
As the group was talking, Cheng Xiangbei returned, followed by Yu Mufeng.
"Tiger, does it take you this long to go to the toilet?" Lu Nan pinched him.
Cheng Xiangbei smiled but didn't say anything more.
After the exam, I can go home.
The school has already booked train tickets for everyone, but Cheng Xiangbei and Lu Nan were not included.
When the headcount was first taken, Lu Nan excitedly dragged Cheng Xiangbei to sign up, but after Cheng Xiangbei patiently persuaded her, she finally agreed to fly home with him.
"I told you I should have taken the train home, it's so much cheaper!" Lu Nan couldn't help but complain on the plane.
"Nannan, not counting going out to play when you were little, how many times have you taken the train?" Cheng Xiangbei helped him wrap a blanket around himself and patted his head. "During the Spring Festival travel rush, train capacity is tight. Wouldn't it be better to give the opportunity to those who need it most?"
"I've never experienced the Spring Festival travel rush before! If my mom finds out that you bought the ticket, she'll definitely scold me when I get back."
“Just say I dragged you onto the plane, what can she do?” Cheng Xiangbei pinched him. “Anyway, we’re always tied together, your mom’s long since given up on it.”
"I hope so. Come to think of it, we've been living too comfortably. I wonder where A-Fei is now," Lu Nan sighed. Li Weide, a local, grabbed a small bag and ran off. Luo Ming's family lived in another city, and he traveled with fellow villagers. Liu Fei's journey home was the longest; he told her he had to take a train, then a bus, then a tricycle, and finally walk for half an hour to get home.
"What? Why don't we donate the money for the plane tickets and walk together?" Cheng Xiangbei joked.
"Do you think it's being overly dramatic of me to worry about him like this?" Lu Nan frowned.
Cheng Xiangbei smiled and said, "Nannan, Liu Fei's family is very poor, but that can't be improved by your efforts alone. The government, society, and individuals are all working hard to improve things. You should just focus on living your life with me."
"I just feel a little guilty." Lu Nan leaned on his shoulder.
“Too much sympathy isn’t good either.” Cheng Xiangbei helped him adjust the angle to make him more comfortable. “The Cheng family donates a large sum of money to charity every year. You have to trust the capabilities of our professional team.”
"I see..." Lu Nan muttered, slowly closing her eyes.
The nearest airport to the small town is a two-hour drive away.
As the two stepped out of the lobby, they were surprised to find that Cheng's mother had also arrived, in addition to the car that had picked them up.
"Mom, what brings you here?" Cheng Xiangbei stepped forward and put his arm around his mother's shoulder.
"Mom missed you, and since she was bored at home anyway, she came out with Xiao Zhang." After saying that, she pointed to the driver next to her.
"Where's Uncle Li?" Cheng Xiangbei put the luggage in the car and pulled Lu Nan to sit down.
"Uncle Li and your dad are together, we don't know when they'll be back." Cheng's mother turned to look at her son, her joy growing with each glance. Cheng Xiangbei felt a chill run down his spine from his mother's gaze. "Mom, please control yourself, I'm perfectly fine, I'm not missing any limbs."
"Pah, pah, pah! Children say whatever comes to mind! It's the New Year, don't say such unlucky things!"
"Yes, yes, Mother is right!" Cheng Xiangbei quickly bowed and admitted his mistake, while Lu Nan grinned from the side.
Seeing Lu Nan smiling happily, Cheng's mother asked, "Nan Nan, are you getting used to it over there? Has Hu Zi bullied you?"
"No, Tiger is very good to me," Lu Nan said with a smile.
"He dares to treat you badly!" Cheng's mother said, "If Tiger does anything wrong, tell Auntie, and Auntie will beat him up for you!"
Cheng Xiangbei covered his face and groaned. "Mom..."
The car sped along and finally arrived at Cheng's house in the evening. Lu's mother and grandmother were waiting at the door.
"Grandma!" Lu Nan jumped out of the car and gave his grandma a big hug. "Mom!" He then hugged his mother.
"Nannan's finally back! We've been waiting for you all afternoon!" Grandma Lu smiled broadly, holding her grandson's hand and looking him over. Mom Lu patted her son's shoulder and laughed, "It's good you're back. You must have troubled Hu Zi again, right?"
"What are you saying? Nan Nan's affairs are my affairs!" Cheng Xiangbei patted his chest.
Cheng's mother laughed and said, "These two kids have been together since they were little, why are they distinguishing between you and me!"
Lu's mother nodded in agreement and was about to take Lu Nan home.
"Let Xiao Zhang take you! And there's Nan Nan's luggage!" Cheng's mother hurriedly said.
"Let Tiger pack the luggage!" Lu Nan waved her hand. "We have everything we need at home."
Cheng Xiangbei nodded with a grin and secretly made a hand gesture. Lu Nan blushed and helped her grandmother to her house.
The holiday was very relaxing.
Besides helping with housework, I either stay home to read books or go out to see friends.
"Tiger, you're living a pretty comfortable life," Cheng Xiangdong joked in the video.
"I'm only a freshman, can't I relax for a couple of days?" Cheng Xiangbei sat in a chair, munching on a bowl of fruit. The afternoon sun streamed down from the top of the attic, making the whole room bright and airy.
"It's not impossible, but...aren't you planning to come here for a study tour during the summer vacation?"
"Study abroad? With Nan Nan?" Cheng Xiangbei's eyes lit up.
Cheng Xiangdong shook his head and chuckled. "Can you and him be apart for 24 hours? Don't be so clingy; it's not good for your relationship."
"You know everything!" Cheng Xiangbei pouted. "Brother, don't forget, your dating experience is far less than mine!"
"My extensive social experience is enough," Cheng Xiangdong said with a smile.
Cheng Xiangbei was speechless, about to retort, when Lu Nan opened the door and came in. "Tiger, what are you doing?"
"N-nothing..." He quickly covered the screen.
"Hey? Brother Dongdong!" Lu Nan, with her sharp eyes, spotted the man waving at her from the other side of the screen. "You're chatting with Brother Dongdong? Go away, go away, I'll chat with Brother Dongdong for a while!" With that, she pushed Cheng Xiangbei aside.
"Nannan, what's there to talk about with my brother!" Cheng Xiangbei protested, grinning at the smug man on the other end of the screen. Lu Nan ignored him, put on her headphones, and sat up straight. "Dongdong, how have you been lately?"
"Nan Nan..." Cheng Xiangbei placed the fruit bowl in front of Lu Nan with a mournful expression. "I just brought it up from the kitchen. It's all your favorite food. I didn't put any salad dressing on it, just sprinkled some sugar on it."
Lu Nan glanced up at him, forked a piece of apple, and put it in her mouth. It tasted good, and Lu Nan gave Cheng Xiangbei a thumbs up. Cheng Xiangbei's face lit up with joy, hoping that Lu Nan would turn her attention to him. But things didn't go as planned. Lu Nan ate her fruit while chatting with Cheng Xiangbei in a garbled manner.
Watching the two chatting happily, Cheng Xiangbei squatted down at Lu Nan's feet, feeling annoyed.
Damn it, I must unplug the network cable beforehand next time!
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