Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

An eerie silence hung in the air of room 302.

Two huge insulated boxes were placed on the table, with the name "Tingtaoxuan" printed on them in gold lettering.

Chen Mo, a know-it-all, knew very well what those three words represented in Linjiang City: a money pit where the average per capita consumption started at four figures.

"Old Li."

Wang Qiang swallowed hard, his beady eyes fixed on the two boxes. "Tell me the truth, did you sell our dorm room?"

"Or is it that your rich female senior finally made her move on you? Is this money to buy your life?"

Although Zhao Zixuan's family was wealthy, he was still a little stunned when he saw the packaging: "Tingtao Xuan takeout?"

"Even if you have money, you can't necessarily book this; you have to be a regular customer."

Li Chen ignored their nonsense and reached out to open one of the boxes.

Steaming hot.

A giant Australian lobster, as thick as an arm, lay quietly inside, its bright red shell glistening with oil. The aroma of garlic and cheese instantly filled the entire dormitory room, obliterating the previous smells of instant noodles and foot odor.

Holy crap!

Three exclamations rang out simultaneously.

This time, Wang Qiang really couldn't hold back anymore; his chubby hands trembled as he stretched out his hand: "How much... how much does one bite cost?"

"Eat yours."

Li Chen pushed the box to the middle, "This one is yours."

After saying that, he picked up another unopened box and turned to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where are you going?"

Wang Qiang, with a piece of shrimp already stuffed in his mouth, mumbled, "This one isn't enough! It's so big, are you going to take it all with you?"

Zhao Zixuan, who was frantically taking photos and posting them on WeChat Moments, looked up when he heard this and said, "Yeah, Lao Li, everyone gets a share. Aren't you afraid of stuffing yourself to death by yourself?"

Li Chen stopped and looked back at his three roommates who were practically reincarnated from starving ghosts, then confidently waved the box in his hand.

"Who said I ate it?"

"This is for Senior Yan Xi."

The dormitory was silent for a second.

Immediately afterwards, three middle fingers stood up in unison.

I despise you!

"You scoundrel who values ​​women over friends!"

"Godfather, I take back what I just said. You are a complete traitor!"

Li Chen smiled nonchalantly and opened the door: "Go ahead and curse. Anyway, I have lobsters to give to my girlfriend. You three grown men will have to sit at a table and eat shrimp shells."

"Bang."

The door closed, shutting out the angry roars of the three single guys behind him.

……

There is a distance between the boys' dormitory and the activity center.

It was already getting dark, and the streetlights weren't fully on yet, so the campus was shrouded in a gray haze.

Li Chen carried the heavy insulated box, walking quickly. Although he had acted calmly in front of Yan Zhen, he was actually reviewing the situation in his mind.

That old man is indeed quite something.

When that elbow struck Old Zhang, Li Chen clearly saw the change in Yan Zhen's eyes.

From initial scrutiny and disdain to later surprise and appreciation.

That hurdle is cleared.

But this lobster...

Li Chen looked down at the box in his hand.

Yan Zhen insisted that he take it away, saying that Yan Xi liked to eat it.

Although the old man looks fierce, he truly loves his daughter.

Upon arriving at the activity center, Li Chen easily found his way up to the third floor.

The doors to the multi-purpose hall were tightly closed, and faint sounds of arguing could be heard coming from inside.

"The sponsors for this year's welcome party wanted to add their logo to the backdrop, but it's too ugly, no way."

"But President, if we don't add more funding, what about the budget...?"

"I'll figure out the funding, but the design drawings can't be changed."

"That logo is like a leech; sticking it on is an insult to the eyes of the audience."

Yan Xi's voice.

Cold, assertive, and leaving no room for argument.

Li Chen stood at the door and listened for a while, but did not push the door open.

Going in now would be like walking into the line of fire.

When Yan Xi is at work, she doesn't care about anyone, even her family. He didn't want to be scolded by her in front of so many people.

He turned and walked to the terrace at the end of the corridor.

The view here is expansive, offering views of the playground below and the city lights in the distance.

Li Chen placed the insulated box on the stone platform next to him and patted his pockets.

My craving for cigarettes has returned.

Today's "Hongmen Banquet" with Yan Zhen, although only half an hour long, took as much mental effort as playing basketball all afternoon.

That constant state of being on edge, always ready to deal with unexpected situations, is incredibly taxing on your brain cells.

It's been a month, and I still don't know what the old man is doing now.

"Smack."

The flames flickered.

A cigarette was lit.

Li Chen took a deep breath, the smoke swirling in his lungs before he slowly exhaled.

The slight dizziness from the nicotine relaxed his tense shoulders.

He leaned against the railing, watching the students walking by in twos and threes below, but his mind was filled with Yan Zhen's last words.

"As long as she's happy."

This father and daughter are truly cut from the same cloth.

They all like to use a strong exterior to wrap up their softness.

I smoked half a cigarette.

I heard the sound of a door opening behind me, followed by a series of slightly tired footsteps.

Li Chen didn't turn around. He rested his hand, which was holding a cigarette, on the outside of the railing, not wanting the smell of smoke to bother anyone.

"Why don't you go in?"

The voice came from behind me.

Li Chen turned around.

Yan Xi stood there, holding that familiar folder in her hand.

She looked a little tired, with a lingering restlessness between her brows, clearly indicating that the meeting hadn't gone well.

But the moment she saw Li Chen, the coldness in her eyes melted considerably.

"I heard you cursing inside, so I didn't dare go in."

Li Chen smiled and said, "I'm afraid of being caught in the crossfire."

Yan Xi didn't respond.

Her gaze fell on Li Chen's hand, where a small, scarlet flame flickered in the night.

His brows furrowed instantly.

The next second, she walked right over.

Before Li Chen could react, Yan Xi reached out and snatched the half-smoked cigarette from his fingers.

The movements were swift, precise, and ruthless, just like when someone was grabbing a meal card.

"Why……"

Li Chen instinctively wanted to stop him, but he withdrew his hand halfway through.

Yan Xi didn't even glance at the cigarette, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it mercilessly with her high heels, extinguishing it.

"What did I say?"

She raised her head, her cat-like eyes fixed on Li Chen, her tone unfriendly.

Smoke less.

Li Chen touched his nose somewhat guiltily, "I just smoked one to perk myself up."

"To boost energy?"

Yan Xi sneered, took a step forward, and approached him. "There are many ways to refresh yourself. Why use something that damages your lungs?"

The distance is too close.

The cool fragrance emanating from her, mixed with the faint smell of ink from the meeting, wafted straight into Li Chen's nose.

Li Chen looked at her face so close to his own, and that familiar sense of oppression returned.

"Wrong."

He readily admitted defeat, raising his hands in surrender, "I'll definitely be more careful next time."

There will be no next time.

Yan Xi glared at him and patted his clothes as if to shake off the smell of smoke.

"You smell terrible, it's awful."

Despite her complaints, her hands didn't stop; she helped him straighten his collar, which had been ruffled by the wind.