As the old saying goes: After good food and drink comes… studying.

After nearly half an hour of battling endless traffic, Jiang Zixuan finally managed to drive through the main gate of Nanhu College.

Noticing that Jiang Zixuan was about to drive straight into campus without a word, Shu Yuxin quickly stopped him: “Just park here—I’ll walk in.”

“Now you’re being distant,” Jiang Zixuan said with a grin, showing no intention of stopping. He drove right past the gate.

Seeing the security guard didn’t even try to stop them, Shu Yuxin blinked in surprise. “Isn’t outside vehicles usually not allowed on campus?”

“Today’s an exception,” Jiang Zixuan explained with a laugh. “Loads of parents are coming in to help their kids set up dorms—they practically want to move their whole house in for their children. The school can’t stop them even if it wanted to.”

Shu Yuxin stayed quiet, lips pressed together.

Thinking he might have upset her, Jiang Zixuan added cheerfully, “Don’t worry! With your big bro here, consider me your stand-in dad—I’ll get everything sorted for you!”

“Get lost,” Shu Yuxin muttered, rolling her eyes. She leaned back against the seat. “You seem awfully familiar with our campus?”

Jiang Zixuan didn’t hesitate for a second when deciding which way to turn.  
“Of course! I scouted the place a month ago—way more familiar than you are. Honestly, your campus isn’t even half the size of mine.”

“You’re comparing a top-tier university to a second-tier one… what’s the point?” Shu Yuxin shot back.

Jiang Zixuan chuckled softly. He parked in an open spot at an outdoor lot and popped the trunk. “Do you even know which dorm you’re assigned to?”

“Of course I do. I’m not completely clueless about college,” Shu Yuxin replied, unbuckling her seatbelt and adjusting her clothes.

Watching her chest rise subtly as she moved, Jiang Zixuan swallowed discreetly. “Shu… Yuxin.”

“Hmm?” She paused with her hand on the door handle and turned to look at him.

After a brief hesitation, Jiang Zixuan reached into the console beside him and handed her two small black canisters. “Take these.”

“What is this?” Shu Yuxin took them automatically and examined them. Her expression quickly turned strange. “Pepper spray? What do I need this for?”

Jiang Zixuan sighed. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

“Of course I have.”

“Then you must realize exactly how you look now, right?” His tone turned serious. “I’m not joking. With your current build, I could knock you out and leave you defenseless in three seconds flat. Do you believe me?”

“…”

Seeing her conflicted expression, he pressed on: “You don’t have any self-defense skills. Even though our schools are close, I can’t be with you all the time. We’re both new here, and if anything ever happened to you… I wouldn’t be able to face your parents.”

Shu Yuxin shook the pepper spray in her hand, her voice hesitant. “I… probably won’t run into trouble. It’s on campus, after all.”

“How can you be sure? You’ll go out eventually, right? There are so many cases of assaults on female college students these days. Carrying this won’t hurt.”

Probably imagining herself being dragged into a dark alley by a creepy stranger for… unspeakable things, Shu Yuxin quickly gave in. “Alright, fine. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it—it wasn’t even expensive.” Relieved that he’d finally convinced her, Jiang Zixuan smiled again. He got out of the car and started unloading her luggage.

Shu Yuxin tucked the pepper spray into her travel bag. By then, Jiang Zixuan was already pulling her suitcase over. “Which dorm is yours?”

“West Zone, Building 8, Room 213,” Shu Yuxin replied—the room she’d selected online.

“West Zone? This way.” Jiang Zixuan paused for just a second to recall the layout, then headed off confidently in a specific direction.

Shu Yuxin slung her bag over her shoulder and followed.

The campus buzzed with excitement—new students swarmed everywhere, accompanied by cheerful volunteer seniors. Shu Yuxin had even been assigned a female volunteer, but Jiang Zixuan had eagerly taken over as her guide. Along the way, he pointed out everything useful—the dining halls, convenience stores, academic buildings—clearly demonstrating just how thoroughly he’d prepared beforehand.

At the West Zone plaza, a temporary marketplace had been set up, selling dorm-sized bedding, sheets, comforters, and other essentials. The area was packed so tightly it was nearly impassable. Jiang Zixuan took one look from a distance and steered Shu Yuxin around it. “Let’s get your dorm set up first. We can come back for anything you’re missing later.”

“Okay.” Shu Yuxin obediently trailed behind him like a little kid.

“By the way,” Jiang Zixuan suddenly remembered as they neared the dorm entrance, “what’s your major again?”

Shu Yuxin hesitated for two seconds before answering, “Software Engineering.”

“Software Engineering?” Jiang Zixuan’s eyes widened. “You?”

“What’s wrong with that? I didn’t exactly plan on turning into this!” Shu Yuxin snapped, clearly annoyed.

Jiang Zixuan stifled a laugh and waved his hands. “Hey, I didn’t say it’s wrong! It’s just… kind of a shame. You’d be perfect for drama school now.”

“No interest.”

They arrived at the dormitory entrance. Jiang Zixuan paused, taking in the scene of bustling young women moving in and out. “Wait a minute—I just realized… this is a girls’ dorm.”

Shu Yuxin stopped a step behind him. “So?”

He’d been about to say that boys probably weren’t allowed inside—until he noticed several men exiting the building, mostly fathers helping their daughters. Apparently, even the girls’ dorm had made special exceptions for move-in day. After a beat, he grinned. “So you’re going to be living with a bunch of girls. Excited?”

“Excited, my ass,” Shu Yuxin deadpanned, eyelids drooping. “None of them are as pretty as I am. They’re neither pleasant to look at nor dateable. Might as well just look at myself.”

Jiang Zixuan opened his mouth—then closed it again. He had no response.

The dorm building looked old from the outside, slightly run-down. But the interior seemed recently renovated and was at least decent. It had six floors and, predictably, no elevator—but luckily, Shu Yuxin’s room was on the second floor, Room 213, so the walk wasn’t too bad.

The room was larger than she’d expected, complete with a balcony and a private bathroom. The problem? It was a bit messy and unkempt. It was a standard four-person room with loft beds over desks—two on each side of the room. Shu Yuxin’s chosen bed was the one on the right, closest to the inner side of the balcony.

To her mild surprise, she was the last to arrive. The other three beds already had pastel, ultra-feminine bed curtains hung up, and their desks were cluttered with colorful trinkets and belongings. Only her space remained empty and bare.

Right now, only one roommate was present.

She sat in a gaming chair, wearing nothing but an oversized white T-shirt. The neckline sagged so wide it exposed one bare shoulder, and her long, pale legs were propped up on the desk in a pose that radiated casual allure. On her desk sat a desktop computer, next to a half-empty two-liter bottle of cola. She wore pink over-ear headphones and held a game controller, blissfully immersed in what appeared to be a racing game.

Shu Yuxin and Jiang Zixuan stood awkwardly at the doorway.

Both of them were silently wondering: Should we… say something?