University extra (7)
The university sports meet had just ended, and students at Capital University soon began their exam week.
A few weeks ago, they were competing in speed on the playground to win honor for their class. Now, they want to use that speed to grab seats in the library.
In room 305 of the boys' dormitory, Xiao Hai groggily opened his eyes, reached for his watch beside his pillow, and realized it was already 6:30. He immediately sprang out of bed. His mind was still not fully awake, but his hands were already getting dressed.
The library opens at 7 a.m., and there are already many people queuing at the entrance. With only half an hour left, if we dawdle any longer, there probably won't be a spot even in a corner of the corridor.
As I put on my shoes and prepared to leave, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Xu Jianing walked in carrying an enamel basin, his hair still wet and dripping water. When he saw Xiao Hai, who was staring in disbelief, he mouthed, "Wait for me."
Xiao Hai stood blankly at the door, staring at the person putting on shoes inside, wondering if he was still half asleep and hallucinating, or if the sun had risen in the west today.
This person never went to the library with them during their freshman year. He remembered clearly that every time everyone went to the library in groups to reserve seats, Xu Jianing would always say:
"The library is too crowded during finals week. The air is not fresh and there is not enough oxygen, which affects brain function."
Xiao Hai and the others agreed that it made sense, especially as winter approached and the library was heated, with nearly a hundred people crammed into one floor, it was indeed very stuffy. Sitting for a long time, it was easy to get sleepy while flipping through books.
As Xu Jianing picked up her schoolbag and left, Xiao Hai followed behind and asked, "Aning, didn't you never go to the library during finals week? You said it was too crowded."
“My partner is here,” Xu Jianing said casually.
"W-what?" Xiao Hai's voice changed. "When did you get a boyfriend? How come I didn't know?"
"It's been around for a while."
Xiao Hai stood there stunned, then slapped his forehead and suddenly remembered all the details of the semester, piecing together every clue.
For example, he was often not in the dormitory on weekends this semester because he was going out on dates with his girlfriend.
For example, his white shirt collar has been wrinkled all semester. It looks neat and tidy when he leaves in the morning, but when he comes back at night, the collar looks like it has been pulled or pinched. He also always deliberately doesn't button the top button.
For example, he doesn't lend them meal tickets anymore!
In the past, if anyone didn't have a meal ticket, they could just call out "A-Ning" and he would take it out and lend it to them. Occasionally, he would even take them to a small stir-fry restaurant outside the school to eat.
Now, upon hearing the words "meal ticket," he first checks his pockets, then smiles with narrowed eyes, and utters the cruelest words in the gentlest tone: "I have no money."
Xu Jianing turned around and saw Xiao Hai's appearance. She found it a bit funny and suddenly raised her hand to loosen the scarf around her neck.
"It's sunny today, and a bit hot."
As the scarf loosened, several light red marks on the fair skin of her neck were revealed, along with one or two bite marks. The marks varied in color and were distributed between the collar and the scarf. It was impossible to cover them up, but leaving them uncovered would be too conspicuous.
Xiao Hai stood behind, and although he couldn't see it up close, he could still see the red mark on the neck even though he was wearing glasses.
It's obvious this wasn't a mosquito bite. What kind of mosquito bites a person's neck every day, and specifically targets the area above the collarbone?
"You you you you you you you you!"
He pointed, then withdrew his hand, then pointed again, then withdrew it again. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time: "You you you you...you were...you were...you were...you let her...you even brought her out?!"
“I asked her to keep it.” Xu Jianing wrapped the scarf back around her neck and fastened the top button.
After saying that, he smiled at Xiao Hai and added in a low voice, "Don't tell anyone."
Xiao Hai jogged up to catch up and asked, "Is it from our school?"
Xu Jianing walked slowly toward the parking shed with his hands behind his back. The "I'm not telling you" smile on his face was driving Xiao Hai crazy. "Say something! I'm so anxious!"
"Want to ride my bicycle? It's a bit faster than walking," Xu Jianing asked.
Xiao Hai originally wanted to throw a tantrum and make the other party confess everything, but seeing that the other party was about to ride away, he had no choice but to "compromise" and jump onto the back seat of the bike.
Before he'd even settled into his seat, he yelled, "Tell me! Which department? Which class? Are you from the School of Foreign Languages?! Are you the girl you helped at the last sports meet?"
Xu Jianing ignored him, stepped on the pedal, and rode the bike along the school road.
When the two arrived at the library, it had just opened. The librarian at the entrance was still yawning, and every student who entered rushed upstairs to find a seat.
The first floor was already about 70-80% full, and the rows of seats near the heating under the large windows were long gone.
Although it was described as "occupied," there wasn't a single person in sight. There were only backpacks, books, water cups, and pencil cases lying haphazardly. Some people even hung their cotton hats on the back of their chairs and spread their cotton gloves on the table to reserve their spots.
Xu Jianing and Xiao Hai searched for empty seats one by one and found an open copy of "Modern Chinese" on a table. A pencil was tucked between the pages, and a sticky note was crookedly stuck next to it: "Already occupied, do not touch, thank you."
Xiao Hai muttered under his breath, "This works?"
Xu Jianing glanced at it indifferently, peeled off the sticky note, crumpled it into a ball, and pressed it under the book.
Xiao Hai continued looking for a seat when he caught a glimpse of Xu Jianing standing in front of a table. He went over to take a look and was so angry he laughed.
Someone placed a pack of tissues across the space between two tables, with another piece of paper underneath: "These two seats are taken, thank you."
Xiao Hai shook his head: Everyone was scrambling for seats during finals week, and using backpacks and water bottles was understandable, but this pack of tissues... was just too outrageous.
Xu Jianing, with a cold expression, didn't even lift his eyelids. He reached into his bag, put the tissue in his bag, tore it into pieces, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash can. After doing all this, he raised his chin slightly and gestured to Xiao Hai indifferently, "Come here, sit here."
Xiao Hai was stunned by this move. He silently gave it a thumbs up in his mind, chuckled, and quickly sat down.
"Well done, Aning. You usually seem so gentle and mild-mannered, but you're quite tough when it really matters."
Xu Jianing expressionlessly pulled out a book: "Saving seats is fine, but you have to follow the rules."
"What rules?"
"It has to be something decent at least. If a pack of tissues sits in two places, I'll just consider it a gift to me."
As she spoke, Xu Jianing took out the pack of tissues from her schoolbag, tore open the packaging, pulled out a few sheets, and handed them to Xiao Hai: "Here. You can use them when you go to the toilet."
Xiao Hai took the tissue, winked, and lowered his voice, "By the way, I'm sitting here, where's your boyfriend sitting?"
Xu Jianing paused, then glanced at him: "Who said she was coming?"
"Huh? Then why are you at the library today? I thought you were saving a seat for her." Xiao Hai was completely confused.
Xu Jianing turned a page of her book and said indifferently, "I'm not telling you."
Xiao Hai: "......"
He sighed. Oh well, trying to understand Xu Jianing's thoughts was harder and more mentally taxing than studying probability theory.
Honestly, a man's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea!
*
When Wen Sheng and her roommates arrived at the library, there were no empty seats on any floor. Almost all the tables and chairs on both sides of the aisle were occupied.
"Is final exam week at university really this terrifying? I always had a seat before." Gu Yanhong held her books, her eyes scanning the rows of seats with disbelief.
Wen Sheng was also stunned.
She had imagined a quiet and studious setting, but instead found it to be incredibly crowded.
She turned to the side and asked softly, "Shall we go back to the dorm?"
Gu Yanhong nodded: "He Sang said she booked a room at a coffee shop outside the school and said we can go to see her."
He Sang is the richest person in their dormitory, with a monthly allowance of 3,000 yuan. She likes to go to the hair salon outside the school for 20 yuan to get her hair washed, and she also chooses brand-name clothes. Wen Sheng and her friends, on the other hand, have a monthly allowance of around 300 yuan.
But He Sang didn't have the airs of a spoiled princess, nor did she look down on students from the countryside just because she was a local. On the contrary, she loved taking her roommates out to eat, sing karaoke, and go shopping, and was very generous.
Wen Sheng lowered her head and thought about it. She had indeed made a mistake today. She hadn’t expected the library to be so crowded during the final week.
She smiled helplessly. "There's no other way. Let's go to the coffee shop."
Gu Yanhong took her arm and said with a smile, "It's a good way to change your mood. He Sang said that the coffee shop has a great atmosphere and the seats are very comfortable."
Did she mention what the cheapest thing in the coffee shop is? Can I afford it?
"No... the cheapest option should be our time."
After Gu Yanhong finished speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.
*
Evening, at the entrance of the first canteen.
Xu Jianing stood at the edge of the steps, his hands in his coat pockets, waiting for someone.
Seeing Wen Sheng arrive, he reached out and pulled the scarf around her neck tighter, covering her wind-reddened cheeks. Then he took her cold hand, lowered his head slightly, and gently breathed warm air onto her face: "Warm yourself up."
"Why are you coming from the direction of the school gate? Didn't you come out of the dormitory?" he asked.
"How could you think I was in the dorm?" Wen Sheng's voice came from inside the scarf.
"Because I didn't see you in the library today."
"You actually went out of your way to look for it?"
More and more people came to eat, and some classmates squeezed past her. Xu Jianing pulled her closer and escorted her into the cafeteria: "Let's go, let's eat first."
The two of them, carrying their trays, finally managed to find a seat in the corner.
Wen Sheng picked up a slice of lotus root and chewed it fiercely: "I got up so early today, but when I got to the library, there wasn't a single seat available!"
Xu Jianing said, "I went there this morning, and there was no one there, and there were no seats available either."
"What's the meaning?"
He took a leisurely sip of soup, then looked up at her: "The table is covered with backpacks and water bottles, even tissues can take up seats. Even if no one is on the floor, don't expect to find a seat."
Wen Sheng put down her chopsticks, looking distressed, and rested her chin on her hand, saying, "What am I going to do? I went to a coffee shop with my roommate to study today, and even the cheapest drink cost five yuan. I can't go there every day..."
Xu Jianing picked up a piece of meat for her and said gently, "I know a place that's perfect for studying."
"where?"
"I'll take you there after we finish eating."
Wen Sheng blinked and tentatively asked, "Is it similar to your secret base in the warehouse?"
“It’s not quite the same, you’ll see soon enough,” Xu Jianing said.
"Okay..." Wen Sheng felt a little expectant and ate faster.
"Eat slowly, don't choke." Xu Jianing frowned as she watched her wolf down her food, and casually pushed a glass of warm water to her side.
Wen Sheng took the cup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "I can't help it, you've whetted my appetite, I'm very hungry now."
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