"Hello everyone, I'm Sima Chu, and I come from a remote little place..." It was the first day of school. Sima Chu stood on the podium, introducing herself while writing her name on the blackboard. Sima Chu's chalk handwriting was beautiful, elegant and strong, almost unbelievable that it came from a female student. But after writing those few words, Sima Chu fell silent; she didn't know what else to say.
Sima Chu glanced at the students sitting below the podium. They were all dressed smartly and elegantly. Sima Chu then looked down at herself; her clothes were already the best she could afford, but they couldn't hide her shabby appearance and timidity. Sima Chu tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. Yes, everyone who got into this university was excellent. They probably had no interest in listening to a poor child recount her struggles.
"That's all." Sima Chu's cheeks flushed slightly. After saying these last words, she nodded to the whole class and then jogged back to her seat. Applause followed as usual, but after the applause, everyone's impression of Sima Chu was basically limited to "Oh, there is such a person."
Qi Huan's impression of Sima Chu was more profound than others. They had already met on the day of registration, as they were roommates. However, Sima Chu seemed to maintain her usual wariness towards strangers. Therefore, Qi Huan and Sima Chu's interaction was limited to only a few words.
Sima Chu was somewhat independent; she never went to get out of class or ate with the others. She also politely declined all invitations to parties. Qi Huan understood and could comprehend this. After all, some parents give their children the right to choose their lives from birth, while others teach their children to survive independently. Sima Chu came from a poor family and had an older brother. In those impoverished areas where boys were favored over girls, it was already a remarkable achievement for a girl to be able to study in a big city. Sima Chu's goal at university was simply to survive—to survive strongly—and then everything else.
Every time Sima Chu declined invitations to classmate gatherings, Qi Huan would help her fabricate various excuses if Qi Huan was present. Each time, Sima Chu would simply nod and smile silently in gratitude. However, not everyone was as perceptive as Qi Huan. Some more pretentious people would spread rumors behind Sima Chu's back, saying she never participated in group activities and was withdrawn. Gradually, all class-organized activities automatically excluded Sima Chu. Aside from class time, Sima Chu was rarely seen. In this school, she was like an isolated island shrouded in mist in a vast ocean, completely cut off from the world.
What terrified Sima Chu the most was the first information processing class. This class required the use of computers. After everyone arrived at the computer lab, the instructor came in and asked everyone to turn on their computers and open the corresponding software on the desktop. The instructor then explained and guided them through the process. One by one, all the computers in the lab lit up, except for the one in front of Sima Chu.
The teacher glanced at the monitoring information on the main unit in front of him and discovered that Sima Chu's computer was not powered on. The teacher then read out the corresponding serial number of Sima Chu's control panel.
"Student number 18, please turn on your computer," the teacher said into the microphone placed in front of the podium.
At first, Sima Chu didn't realize the teacher was talking about her. It wasn't until she felt all the class's eyes on her that she realized the teacher was referring to her. Sima Chu twisted her fingers, glanced at the computer screen in front of her, and didn't know what to do. She considered asking her classmates for help, but after looking around, she dismissed the idea. She didn't know anyone around her.
"Student number 18, please turn on your computer," the teacher repeated.
Sima Chu blushed, but helplessly, she could only silently lower her head. The teacher was puzzled, as were all the students in the class. At this moment, the teacher walked over to Sima Chu, looked at her, and asked, "Student, is your computer malfunctioning?"
Sima Chu was startled. He glanced at the teacher, nodded first, then shook his head. Seeing Sima Chu's reaction, the teacher bent down in confusion and pressed the power button on the computer. After pressing the power button, the screen lit up, and the computer successfully started.
"It's not broken." The teacher looked at the computer screen with a puzzled expression, then looked at Sima Chu with a puzzled expression. At this moment, Sima Chu had already buried his head in his chest.
"Teacher, she doesn't know how to turn it on!" a cheeky student suddenly shouted from his seat.
After that shout, everyone seemed to suddenly realize something, yet they couldn't believe it. In this day and age, who hadn't touched a computer? Then, intermittent laughter rippled through the computer lab. The laughter was jarring, each laugh piercing Sima Chu's heart, turning her face bright red. No one knows how Sima Chu endured that class. Gradually, however, Sima Chu earned the nickname "Eighteen." Her classmates used this to commemorate this unbelievable event.
Sima Chu's relationship with her roommates wasn't exactly harmonious. Her hometown suffered from a chronic water shortage; water was a rare commodity. This led to Sima Chu's lifestyle clashing with theirs. Especially in the summer, some of her more outspoken classmates would bluntly comment on Sima Chu's body odor. At these times, Sima Chu would just smile awkwardly, offering no response, and then silently go to the public bathhouse. Initially, Qi Huan felt sorry for Sima Chu and couldn't understand why she would endure such treatment. Later, Qi Huan came to understand. Those who have nothing to rely on can only face the world with a smile, and only then can they become stronger.
Qi Huan and Sima Chu's relationship remained lukewarm. It was slightly better than a typical classmate relationship because Qi Huan never teased Sima Chu about her limited knowledge. But that was all; Qi Huan never imagined Sima Chu would become such a close friend. Sima Chu, even more so, couldn't believe she could become best friends with someone as perfect and outstanding as Qi Huan. It all started at a gathering of Qi Huan's classmates.
"Qi Huan, it's rare to see you in the dorm. We're planning to go out for dinner today at a really popular hot pot restaurant; I heard it's delicious. Want to try it together?" one of Qi Huan's roommates invited her. Qi Huan is usually very busy, either studying in the library or participating in various club activities. Moreover, her family rented an apartment for her to make her more comfortable. Therefore, her roommates rarely see her.
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