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墨書 Inktalez
After entering university, the freshmen in their first year can generally be divided into two groups. One group has clear goals and works hard, aiming for further studies or graduate school; the other group is determined to relax, taking a laid-back approach to compensate for their previous struggles.
Of course, this isn't absolute. There is also a subset of students from well-off families who have had their futures planned out for them by their parents.
That evening, Jie Bing returned to the dormitory after an afternoon without classes, a wound on his forehead and one side of his face appearing swollen.
Lao Liu and Jie Bing are not very tall, around five feet seven inches, but they have a lean build. Jie Bing has an oval face that tapers to a rounded chin, softening the feminine contours of her face. Her facial structure is nearly perfect, with full temples and narrow cheekbones. Her double eyelids are straight, and her lower eyelids have a gentle curve; her elongated eyes give off a cool and aloof impression when she isn’t smiling.
Additionally, coming from a well-off family, she wears a fitted blazer that is simple yet stylish, paired with casual ankle-length jeans that exude youthful energy.
She reminds one of later figures like Wu ××.
One of her dorm mates, Hu Ruoyun, wouldn’t say that Jie Bing was “laying flat” or “slacking off,” but ever since he lost the class election, he has lacked motivation for everything.
He usually doesn’t hang out much with the guys anymore; instead, he spends time with the campus beauty from the Business School. She seems to come from Magic City, likely from a privileged background as well, known for her fashionable attire and cosmopolitan demeanor.
Regarding the injury on Jie Bing's face, she has been quite secretive about it, considering it personal privacy. No one has pressed her for details. However, since May Day, Jie Bing has started dining with her friends in the same cafeteria.
One afternoon at lunch, they unexpectedly ran into Jie Bing and her ex-girlfriend at the third cafeteria. Neither acknowledged the other; they passed by like strangers. It was then that the guys realized that Jie Bing's injury might be related to her ex-girlfriend.
In matters of love, sometimes it’s hard to determine who is right or wrong.
By mid-May, Hu Ruoyun had sold over half of his thirty-thousand yuan worth of Phone Cards. He reconciled accounts with Cui Shuigen, following their previous agreement: an eight percent discount on wholesale prices and a nine percent discount for classmates selling them. How they sold them was not their concern. Nearly a month had passed, and both made over a thousand yuan each. With money in hand, Cui Shuigen’s spirits improved; he became more talkative and upgraded his wardrobe. Perhaps due to better nutrition, he appeared more robust and imposing.
His girlfriend is named Feng Yun, hailing from a poor rural area in Guizheng Province, likely in similar circumstances as Cui Shuigen. Following Hu Ruoyun’s lead in “entrepreneurship,” she initially obtained Shoe Insoles from him through introductions by fellow villagers and made some profit. Later on, she acquired some Postcards from him as well and earned over a hundred yuan. Eventually, their business partnership blossomed into a romantic relationship. Cui Shuigen often took advantage of this by selling to her at cost price, giving up his profits entirely.
On June 5th, which fell on a Sunday, the leader suggested they have a group outing at People's Park. The leader, along with his friends and their girlfriends, joined in.
The six of them decided to split costs (the ones with girlfriends voluntarily paying double), taking bus 105 to People's Park. They rented a simple camera inside and bought batteries and film.
The leader’s girlfriend from the physics department is named Qian Yingying, who isn’t very talkative but complements the laid-back leader well. The second-in-command’s girlfriend is named Chen Hong, an upperclassman from his department who is lively and cheerful.
The six boys took a group photo together; adding the three girls made for another picture. The “single dogs” among them willingly played photographers for the couples.
They strolled from the rose garden to the tulip garden, rented two boats for half an hour on the water, rode on the Ferris wheel and roller coaster... Around noon, they headed to a restaurant called “Sunshine Bistro” across from the park where they unexpectedly encountered Jie Bing’s ex-girlfriend again.
There were about seven or eight boys along with four girls including her—over ten people crammed around two tables inside. By the time everyone noticed that “Fate Has Brought Us Together,” they had already placed their orders.
What’s done is done; they might as well eat separately now.
However, it was clear that Jie Bing felt uncomfortable—almost fearful.
Eventually, her ex-girlfriend’s group noticed them too. Hu Ruoyun observed that as they finished eating and left, one tall guy deliberately bumped into Jie Bing, glaring at him fiercely afterward.
Jie Bing didn’t dare say anything; when Cui Shuigen stood up to confront them, he was stopped by Jie Bing.
Cui Shuigen was indignant. "The Physical Education Department has no manners at all!"
After finishing their meal, the group stepped outside only to find their adversaries waiting for them, minus a few girls. The boy who had deliberately bumped into Jie Bing beckoned him over with a finger. "Come here!" he called out, flanked by six or seven others who coldly stared in their direction.
Jie Bing hesitated, glancing nervously at his roommates beside him.
Cui Shuigen stepped forward, and Hu Ruoyun followed suit, turning to signal the others to wait. Jie Bing stood about five foot seven, but he seemed much shorter next to the boy, who disdainfully spat at Hu Ruoyun and Cui Shuigen before jabbing a finger at Jie Bing's timid chest. "You little brat, every time I see you outside from now on, I’ll teach you a lesson!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand to slap Jie Bing's face. In a flash, Cui Shuigen lunged to intervene, but the six or seven boys moved in front of him to block his way. They clearly did not see the petite Hu Ruoyun as a threat.
Unexpectedly, Hu Ruoyun stepped forward and executed a swift grappling move, catching the descending wrist of the Big Guy. With a firm grip, the Big Guy yelped in pain, his tall frame bending like a bow.
The others attempted to rush past Cui Shuigen but were halted by Hu Ruoyun's icy glare. Looking back at the Big Guy, they noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
The group hesitated to make any further moves. One of them, presumably an acquaintance of Cui Shuigen, pulled him aside and whispered something. Afterward, Cui Shuigen approached Hu Ruoyun and said, "Brother San, let them go. Jie Bing will be fine from now on."
Hu Ruoyun warned the Big Guy, "If you cause any more trouble, I’ll have Ding Jiaqi from the Student Affairs Office talk to your counselor and department head!"
With that, he loosened his grip. The Big Guy rubbed his wrist with his left hand and gasped for breath, unable to utter a word.
Later that night in the dormitory, Cui Shuigen patted Jie Bing on the shoulder. "Don't worry; they won't bother you again!"
Relieved yet still hesitant to fully disclose everything, Jie Bing recounted the situation: his so-called ex-girlfriend had long since taken a liking to the Big Guy from Guang Province. Recently, after a spat between them, she had pretended to be close with Jie Bing to provoke the Big Guy... who then took out his anger on Jie Bing.
The Big Guy was part of the Physical Education Department, where the boys tended to stick together and had a strong sense of camaraderie. The six or seven boys with him were also from that department; upon hearing that their leader's girlfriend had been stolen away, they were all fired up and vowed to help their leader deal with his "rival."
Jie Bing’s previous injuries had been inflicted by the Big Guy himself. For years accustomed to a life of privilege, Jie Bing felt humiliated after being beaten up without daring to report it or even mention it to his roommates. Meanwhile, his so-called girlfriend had reconciled with her boyfriend.
If it hadn't been for Cui Shuigen and Hu Ruoyun stepping in—some of whom often played basketball with Cui Shuigen—Jie Bing would have suffered again.
What a mess this was!
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