Volume One, Chapter Six: First Steps into Campus

Inside the school auditorium, a giant banner hung overhead, bearing a clichéd slogan: "Mountains and rivers may change, but the bond of gathering at Jiangda lasts a lifetime." Below it, a line of smaller text read: "A Warm Welcome to Our Freshmen."

On stage, a student representative was delivering a passionate speech. Ying Yuwei ducked through the doorway, her eyes scanning the room for an empty seat. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she spotted two vacant spots at the very edge of the auditorium. Just as she moved to head over, a blue-and-white blur flashed before her.

An Yu had beaten her to it, plopping down into the seat she had been eyeing. He curled his lips, a look of irrepressible craftiness in his brow.

Ying Yuwei wasn't annoyed. She glanced at the empty seat beside him, leaned in close while crouching, and lowered her voice: "Excuse me, classmate, could you let me through?"

An Yu had originally intended to use this opportunity to give her a hard time and probe into her relationship with his uncle. However, the girl's sudden proximity brought with it a clean, crisp scent uniquely her own. Because she was stooped low, a few stray locks of hair brushed against his arm, tickling his skin. With her delicate, fair face so close, An Yu felt a sudden urge to clear his throat, and he instinctively moved aside to let her pass.

What was going on? An Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, yet his gaze still drifted involuntarily toward the girl beside him.

At that same moment, a girl stepped down from the podium, her eyes fixed on Ying Yuwei and An Yu, having witnessed everything that just transpired.

"Hmph, homewrecker! Relying on a bit of beauty to try and seduce Brother An Yu."

Of course, Ying Yuwei was oblivious to all of this. She was busy checking the freshman guide on the school’s academic system. Having arrived in such a rush, she still didn't know her dorm assignment and needed to buy toiletries later, so she was currently preoccupied with comparing prices on an online supermarket.

South District, Dorm 25.

Ying Yuwei struggled to push open the dormitory door, her arms laden with the pile of toiletries she had just snapped up from the supermarket: "Hello, everyone!"

The roommates who had been busy unpacking looked up and turned toward the doorway. "Hi, I'm Xia Yu!"

"I'm Qi Qi."

"I'm Fang Zhizhi."

Ying Yuwei’s room was a quad. Through brief introductions, she learned about the other three. Fang Zhizhi was a local from City A, and her home was only a half-hour bus ride away. Qi Qi was quiet and reserved, the quintessential "good girl." Xia Yu was like an extroverted, cheerful puppy, delighted to meet everyone, and her bright, hearty laughter soon filled the room.

***

Freshmen were required to undergo a month of military training. The training was organized into companies, and Ying Yuwei’s class was merged with another to form "Company 30." Their instructor was a stern woman, and after just one morning, the entire company was filled with complaints.

"If we keep training like this, I don't think I'll last a month."

"Exactly! I don't think university life is wonderful at all anymore."

"..."

During a break, Xia Yu and Fang Zhizhi collapsed onto the ground, chattering away with complaints. Qi Qi remained silent but kept kneading her aching legs. Ying Yuwei, however, held up well; as a practitioner of the mystic arts, a high level of physical stamina was a necessity.

Just as Ying Yuwei was about to tease them, a boy not wearing camouflage gear, carrying a camera, walked over. "Hello, I’m the head of the school’s publicity department. I’d like to take a few photos of you as illustrations for the school’s military training feature on our official account. Would that be alright?"

Ying Yuwei was about to decline, but Xia Yu had already jumped up from the ground. "Yes, yes, of course!" She pulled out a small comb to help Ying Yuwei fix the bangs that had been flattened by her training cap. "My girl is finally getting some recognition! Dorm 204 is about to produce a campus beauty."

Fang Zhizhi chimed in, pulling out an oil-blotting sheet. "The first time I saw Yuwei, I thought she was stunning. Being named the campus beauty is a sure thing."

Like a doll, Ying Yuwei was fussed over by the two of them and then nudged in front of the camera. After training, when they returned to the dorm, Xia Yu bounced over to her. "I saw the photos on the senior’s camera—they’re absolutely breathtaking! I guarantee the boys in this school will blow up your WeChat."

"Xiao Wei, once you start dating, make sure to pass the other handsome guys to us! Don't let the good stock go to waste!"

Ying Yuwei felt embarrassed, her cheeks flushing a light crimson. She had never been this close to anyone other than her master.

The feature article about the military training was published on the fifth day. After training, while browsing the school forum, Fang Zhizhi let out a sharp cry: "Ah!"

Xia Yu immediately leaned in, curious. "What is it? What did you see?" Fang Zhizhi’s expression turned subtle as she glanced toward Ying Yuwei. When Xia Yu saw the screen, she fell silent as well.

Ying Yuwei instinctively sensed that whatever they were looking at concerned her, so she leaned in and asked, "What's wrong?"

The article had started with nothing but harmonious comments, but an hour after it was posted, the sentiment had shifted entirely, all directed at Ying Yuwei.

***

"How did Jiangda end up admitting such a low-character student? Isn't this Ying Yuwei from the Computer Science department someone's mistress?"

"Exactly, she looks like a total seductress."

"Can just anyone get into Jiangda now? The school should investigate if she got in through the back door."

"..."

Such comments appeared one after another. Someone had even inserted a link to a post on the school’s bulletin board. Clicking it revealed the title: "Pure College Girl Takes Shortcuts; Gets Picked Up by Luxury Cars, Corrupting Campus Morals."

The post was filled with photos of Ying Yuwei and Lin Dali from that day—Lin Dali opening the car door for her, Lin Dali handing her money, and Lin Dali grabbing her hand at the gate while profusely thanking her... The angles were malicious, deliberately creating a sense of scandal. The comments below were even more vile.

"Can't deny she’s pretty for a college student. Can someone ask for me how much she charges for a night?"

"Only big bosses get to enjoy young, pretty college girls. I’m broke, so I’ll just stick to fantasizing over the photos."

"..."

Xia Yu watched Ying Yuwei’s reaction, speaking tentatively: "I’m so sorry, Xiao Wei! If I hadn't insisted on you taking those photos, none of this would have happened." After a few days of living together, Xia Yu wouldn't claim to know everything about Ying Yuwei, but she didn't believe a single word of that post.

Ying Yuwei pondered the situation. She hadn't offended anyone in this school—she barely knew anyone at all yet.