The bustle of the small restaurant suddenly faded, leaving a hush. A dozen eyes darted to the boy. He was clearly unprepared, his face flushing crimson. Stunned, he couldn't believe Su Ya would say such a thing to him. He stammered, "What did you say?"
Su Ya sneered, "I told you to get out! Do I need me to say it a third time?"
"You..." The boy chuckled in anger. "Fine! If you've got the guts, remember this..."
He was about to curse again to save face, but when he looked up, he saw Qin Yue standing before him with a stern expression, glaring at him fiercely. He recognized Qin Yue as a female instructor from the medical school. He swallowed his curse words, stamped his foot, and, unable to vent his anger, he slammed his two suitcases to the ground and walked out angrily. Outside the restaurant, several boys he knew laughed out loud. They had come to witness his masculine charm.
Su Ya was picked up from the train station by them, under the guise of welcoming the new students to Nanjiang Medical College. They'd used this tactic before to woo new girls. The boy, assuming she was new and inexperienced, boasted to his companions that he was sure to win her over. He flattered her the entire way, buying her drinks, hailing a taxi, and carrying her suitcases. Su Ya was unfamiliar with the area, and was happy to let him feel good about escorting her to the medical school. In reality, how could she possibly be attracted to such a slicked-back, powdered-faced boy? He buzzed around beautiful women like a fly, his smile a familiar, hypocritical, and disgusting sight. Now that she was at the medical school and had already registered with her homeroom teacher, his usefulness was gone. She hated seeing that smug look flash before her eyes, and there was no point in putting herself down any further. If she didn't chase him away now, when would she?
The diners in the restaurant burst into laughter at the dramatic scene of her humiliation, and some young people whistled in her praise.
Su Ya, however, showed no smile, her face still stern, not taking the incident seriously at all. She found an empty table, sat alone, and called the waiter to take her order.
Qin Yue frowned, thought for a moment, then walked over and said kindly, "Su Ya, come on, I'll treat you to dinner. Don't embarrass me, or I'll be laughed at by the others."
Su Ya hesitated, "Then..."
Qin Yue, without giving her any explanation, grabbed her hand and dragged her over. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Su Ya couldn't refuse, so she reluctantly agreed.
Fang Yuan and Xu Zhaodi helped her carry her suitcase over, and the four of them sat together. Qin Yue continued to order a few more vegetarian dishes. After a waft of the aroma of stir-fried food, the restaurant owner personally brought the dishes to the table.
"What would you like to drink? Beer?" Qin Yue asked, half-jokingly.
The three of them looked at each other, but no one responded.
"Then let's have some drinks. Orange Juice? Pepsi? Wanglaoji Herbal Tea? I think Suya should have Wanglaoji Herbal Tea to cool down."
"No, thank you, Teacher Qin. I'll just have some plain water. I never drink those stimulating drinks." Suya said solemnly, not joking.
"Okay, then Orange Juice, let's have some." Qin Yue didn't want to force her. She thought to herself, this girl is too smart and too sensitive. She might not fit in. She seems to care nothing about what others think. She goes her own way, unwilling to interact with others, preferring to keep her inner world closed. How could such a beautiful and intelligent girl have such a personality?
What happened next proved Qin Yue's judgment correct. Suya refused to use the restaurant's tableware. She ate with her own bowl and chopsticks. As for the plain water poured into the restaurant's cup, she didn't even take a sip. From beginning to end, she never uttered a word. Even when someone deliberately spoke to her, she seemed reluctant to respond. Perhaps she was only being perfunctory because Qin Yue was her homeroom teacher.
After dinner, Qin Yue helped Su Ya complete her enrollment paperwork, and she became the third girl to move into dormitory 441. At the time, no one could have imagined that this beautiful, eccentric girl like Su Ya would experience so many incredible events. Her existence has lent dormitory 441 a wealth of mysterious legends.
At 1:40 p.m., the three girls returned to dormitory 441 and made their own beds. The beds were numbered 1 to 8, following the order of arrival. Xu Zhaodi chose bed 1, the lower bunk on the left side of the entrance. Bed 1 must be occupied, for easy access, and everyone is responsible for locking the door at night. Su Ya chose bed 8, the upper bunk near the window, in a quiet corner of the dormitory. Fang Yuan chose bed 7, Su Ya's lower bunk.
As Fang Yuan placed the bedding on bed number 7, she noticed a flicker of displeasure cross Su Ya's face. She hesitated for a moment, suspecting that Su Ya might not like being near others. However, as roommates, spending five years of school together, they could certainly become close friends. With this in mind, Fang Yuan decided to take bed number 7.
Su Ya's expression was merely a hint of displeasure, but she didn't say anything. She had been quite quiet since Su Ya's arrival. Although the two of them had cleaned the dorm that morning, she took it upon herself to wipe bed number 8 again with dishwashing liquid. Then, she opened her suitcase and took out the sheets, mattress pad, blanket, and quilt, and laid them out. As for the bedding provided by the school, she tossed it into the dorm closet without even glancing at it.
As the three of them were making their beds, a flurry of footsteps echoed outside the bedroom. It sounded like at least three or four people were there. Why were so many people in dorm 441 at this hour?
The bedroom door flung open, and a spirited old woman rushed in. She found bed number 6 in the middle and shouted, "Room 441, this is the bed I choose!"
The three of them were startled by the old woman's loud voice. Although the college entrance examination reforms now allow for no age restriction, and newspapers and television have featured elderly students from other schools, they hadn't seen her in person. Could the old woman also be a freshman at Nanjiang Medical College? She was a bit too old.
Just as she was wondering, a white-haired, rosy-faced old man flashed in from outside. He took the old woman's hand, walked around bed number 6, and praised her. "Not bad, not bad, you have good taste. This bed is great. It's well-ventilated, clean, and comfortable. It's neither too cold nor too hot."
Following closely behind the old man was a middle-aged woman, elegant and graceful. She was carrying a large pile of things, which she tossed on bed number 6. She said, "Dad, Mom, please stop interfering."
"What do you mean by meddlesome? This is the first time our precious granddaughter is going away. She'll be living away for five years. How can we feel at ease if you don't come to see her?"
"That's right, you, as a mother, don't know how to love your daughter. She's so young, used to living at home. Suddenly, she's out in the dorms. She won't adapt to the new environment. How much hardship will she have to endure?"
The middle-aged woman smiled wryly, unwilling to contradict her elders. At that moment, her daughter, a petite and delicate girl, walked in with a sad face, holding only a bottle of Pepsi. Behind her, her father was sweating profusely as he carried a full backpack.