Yao Yunqi glanced at her dormitory building: "That's great, we're so close together, it'll be convenient for us to go out and play."
Chai Shuqing walked side by side with her.
Their dormitory building is located on a relatively high hill. Turning over the small hill from the steps, there is a commercial street with milk tea shops, breakfast shops, convenience stores, etc. A little further to the side is one of the canteens of University A.
When they arrived at a crowded place, Yao Yunqi took her arm and walked with her.
The commercial street has been infused with the vitality of new life and has become very lively, with senior students setting up stalls and offering big discounts.
"Your boyfriend goes to C University? Why didn't you apply to the same school?"
“He only confessed to me after the admission results were all out.” Yao Yunqi shrugged and said thoughtfully, “Didn’t I tell you when I was in my senior year of high school that I wanted to go to C University?”
Chai Shuqing nodded: "Yes, I remember you told me this many times."
"He probably heard it, so he quietly applied to C University."
"So why did you still choose University A?"
"My parents don't want me to go to university too far away."
Chai Shuqing looked at the dark blue sky ahead: "That was a twist of fate. Long-distance relationships are really tough."
The two walked and talked, then went into the supermarket and bought all their daily necessities in one stop.
After returning the items to the dormitory, the two went down to the shopping street to get something to eat.
On the first day of school, I was naturally curious about the school environment.
The two strolled around the campus at night and ended up getting lost.
Although Chai Shuqing had been here before, she was not entirely familiar with the route.
As they walked, they came to a large school playground. Some people were running, and others were singing with guitars. The two of them went over to join in the fun, but unexpectedly ran into Xia Jin.
Chai Shuqing, who was holding Yao Yunqi's arm, wasn't paying much attention to where she was going and bumped into Xia Jin's back.
Xia Jin turned around and saw it was her. She crossed her arms and said with a hint of amusement, "Junior, it's a bad habit not to watch where you're going when you walk."
Chai Shuqing touched her head.
Xia Jin's gaze shifted to Yao Yunqi, paused, and then returned to her: "You bumped into me and didn't even apologize?"
Driven by some inexplicable rebellious streak, Chai Shuqing was even less inclined to apologize after hearing Xia Jin's words. However, she suppressed her rebellious feelings and patiently and politely apologized.
"You owe me two meals." Xia Jin's lips curled into a slight smile.
Chai Shuqing: "?"
I should have just let my rebellious side run its course. What's with all the politeness?!
"You're trying to extort me!" Chai Shuqing said through gritted teeth, each word distinct.
Xia Jin leaned closer to her face and whispered, "This is compensation for emotional distress."
What did you lose?
"I was drinking water just now, and when you bumped into me, I almost choked."
Excuses, all excuses.
Chai Shuqing suppressed her anger.
Yao Yunqi stood there, somewhat stunned. She secretly tugged at Chai Shuqing's arm, then pulled her aside and whispered, "That person looks kind of familiar to me."
"It's Xia Jin, do you remember Xia Jin?"
Chai Shuqing and Yao Yunqi have known each other since elementary school, and they went to the same middle and high schools. They are very good friends.
Yao Yunqi naturally knew Xia Jin. Xia Jin was "famous for being arrogant" in their junior high school. She was always on the list of people who violated discipline and was a regular at criticism rallies.
She covered her mouth: "I remember! But why...why does she call you 'junior'? Isn't she in the same year as us?"
Chai Shuqing glanced up and saw Xia Jin wearing a loose white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, leaning against the playground fence with one leg bent. Her long hair was swaying gently in the breeze, and the ends of her hair fell onto her arms. She was wearing a baseball cap backwards and chatting and laughing with a few friends next to her.
"She took me to the registration office today."
Yao Yunqi exclaimed in surprise, "She's a sophomore?"
"Can freshmen volunteer to help other freshmen?" Chai Shuqing asked.
Yao Yunqi shook her head: "I don't know, but freshmen probably aren't very familiar with the environment when they first arrive here."
"I think she's quite familiar with this area."
"So she skipped a grade in high school?"
Chai Shuqing: "You guessed exactly the same thing as me."
Yao Yunqi was extremely surprised and nudged her shoulder: "In that case, why don't we ask her how to get back to the freshman girls' dormitory?"
"I'm not going to ask. I'm afraid she'll try to extort money from me again." Chai Shuqing raised her chin slightly. "Why don't you go ask her?"
Yao Yunqi said awkwardly, "I'm a little afraid to talk to her."
"She won't eat people."
Yao Yunqi shook her head again.
Chai Shuqing glanced in Xia Jin's direction out of the corner of her eye.
Under the night sky above the playground, Xia Jin's face looked as beautiful as the bright moon. Standing next to her was a tall, thin boy who would steal glances at her from time to time.
Based on Chai Shuqing's years of theoretical and practical experience in love, she felt that the boy next to her was infatuated and adoring towards Xia Jin.
However, perhaps because she had a preconceived notion that Xia Jin was a good-for-nothing in junior high school, she always felt that while Xia Jin's smile was beautiful, it also had a hint of wickedness about it.
A few minutes later, Chai Shuqing walked up to Xia Jin. Xia Jin raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw her.
Chai Shuqing glanced at the people around Xia Jin with a smile in her eyes, finally fixing her gaze on a blonde girl next to Xia Jin. The blonde girl was holding a third-year book, and Chai Shuqing guessed that she was a third-year student, so she ignored Xia Jin and asked the girl, "Senior, excuse me, how do I get back to the first-year girls' dormitory from here?"
When pretty girls ask for directions, the blonde girl is naturally happy to help, and even offers to lead the way.
Just then, another senior came over and whispered something in the blonde girl's ear. Then the blonde girl smiled and said to the senior, "Okay, I'll give you this opportunity."
The senior student walked up to Chai Shuqing and greeted her in a friendly manner: "Junior, I have a car, I can give you a ride back to the dormitory."
Walking back would be a long way, so a ride would be a welcome option. Chai Shuqing was about to agree when Xia Jin grabbed her shoulder. She turned to look at Xia Jin: "What are you doing?"
"Your partner seems to have said that you're not allowed to ride in a single man's car, right?" Xia Jin said casually.
Chai Shuqing's eyelids twitched: "??"
When did her boyfriend say that? Wait, how come she didn't know she had a boyfriend?
The senior student standing next to her was taken aback: "Junior, you... you have a boyfriend?"
Chai Shuqing: "..."
Chapter 55 Chai Shuqing & Xia Yan Extra 3
The evening wind blew across the playground, billowing out loose shirts.
In the end, neither she nor Yao Yunqi got into that senior's car.
Yao Yunqi ran into her roommate on the playground and went back with her, while Chai Shuqing was pulled away by Xia Jin.
After everyone left, Chai Shuqing finally spoke up: "Xia Jin, can you please stop talking nonsense? I don't have any boyfriend!"
She squatted by the roadside and wouldn't move.
Xia Jin stood beside her, the shadow cast by the streetlights falling on Chai Shuqing.
"Can't you tell that senior has ulterior motives towards you?"
Chai Shuqing's eyelashes trembled slightly under the light—of course she could see it.
If she had taken the senior's ride back, he would most likely have asked for her WeChat after they got to the dorm. It wouldn't have been very kind of her to refuse someone's contact information after they had helped her.
Thinking about it that way, it seems like Xia Jin is actually helping her.
But then she thought about it again, and realized that this person had just extorted money from her not long ago, so she didn't really want to publicly acknowledge his help.
She propped herself up on her knees to stand up, facing Xia Jin, her thin lips slightly parted: "But I originally had a car I could ride in."
Xia Jin crossed her arms and slightly raised her chin: "So?"
Chai Shuqing suddenly felt like teasing her, so she said matter-of-factly, "So, you have to carry me back."
The two stared at each other for several seconds.
Xia Jin blinked slowly, her curled eyelashes fluttering. Then she lowered her eyes and chuckled, a few strands of hair falling down her temples with her movement.
"Are you kidding me? I helped you, and now you want me to carry you back?"
Several senior students rode by on electric scooters, and Chai Shuqing recognized some of them as the senior students who had offered to help her carry her luggage at the school gate during the day.
One of the senior students stopped his electric scooter, gave her a bright smile, and said, "Junior, out for a stroll?"
"Mmm." Chai Shuqing gave a sweet smile, which startled the senior.
She leaned close to Xia Jin's ear and said, "Will you carry me? Even if you don't, I can find a way to get back without having to walk myself."
"You've learned to threaten people?" Xia Jin glanced over from the corner of her upturned eyes.
Chai Shuqing had a smug look on her face.
Xia Jin raised her hand and placed her fingers on Chai Shuqing's shoulder, tapping it lightly a few times: "Okay, I'll carry you."
Chai Shuqing turned to wave to her senior, "Senior, we're leaving now."
"Um, are you going back to your dorm? Do you want to...?"
"No need, thank you, senior."
When they reached the roadside, Chai Shuqing told Xia Jin to squat down. Xia Jin did so, and she climbed onto Xia Jin's back, wrapping her arms around her neck. Xia Jin then stood up while carrying her.
There was a large green trash can on the sidewalk. Xia Jin gestured towards it and said, "Do you think it would fit you if I threw you in that trash can?"
Upon hearing this, Chai Shuqing took off her baseball cap and put it on her own head: "If you dare to throw it at me, your hat will suffer too."
Xia Jin chuckled softly a few times, her body trembling slightly.
It seems that they found it quite amusing that Chai Shuqing compared herself to the hat.