September arrived with blazing sun and oppressive heat.

The summer swelter hung over the Higher Education Park of Binhe City. Shallow ponds still held half their water, shimmering with ripples of light. Amid clusters of emerald lotus leaves stood slender lotus flowers, just beginning to blush red, with only a few dragonflies perched atop them, an unmistakable scene of midsummer heat.

The Higher Education Park lay on the outskirts of Binhe City, tucked away in a quieter corner. As a result, it suffered less from the urban heat island effect. Coupled with decent greenery, the environment was tranquil and fairly pleasant.

It was once again the season for new student registration, and the entire campus zone erupted into activity. Vast waves of freshmen, some alone and others accompanied by parents, streamed in from all directions. Even by evening, the once spacious two lane asphalt road remained jammed with private cars.

The greenery lining both sides of the road gradually leaned with the setting sun, soon blanketing the entire roadway in shade. Bus No. 762 crawled forward through the traffic like a faithful old ox. When the car ahead slammed on its brakes, the bus was forced to stop dead.

Restlessness brewed in the air as horns blared incessantly.

Another sudden stop finally snapped already frayed nerves.

“Driver, I want to get off!”

A gentle yet resolute voice sounded near the rear door of the bus. It belonged to a male student, reasonably handsome, with slightly long hair and delicate features, now wearing an unmistakably impatient expression.

“There are still a few hundred meters to the stop. Just wait a bit,” the driver replied calmly, unfazed by the traffic jam. Glancing at the surveillance monitor, he could not help but admire the boy’s good looks, but that did not earn him any special treatment.

Su Yuan looked at the unmoving scenery outside the window, irritation rising in his chest. He said firmly, “I am getting off here.”

Silence fell over the bus as passengers turned their gaze toward him. The driver said nothing, reached out, and pressed a button.

Bang! The door opened, and a wave of scorching heat rushed in, instantly invading the bus.

“Watch out for cars when you get off.”

The driver shook his head.

Heeding the reminder, Su Yuan dragged his suitcase off the bus, silently labeling the driver an “aloof tsundere uncle.”

Su Yuan was a sophomore at Binhe Institute of Technology. His hometown was a neighboring city not far from Binhe. After a year of college life, he was no longer a green freshman. His mannerisms had shed their youthful naivete, and when faced with things that clashed with his personality or crossed his tolerance, he had enough nerve to argue his case head on.

“Hey, thanks a lot, man!”

Turning back, he saw four students who had gotten off with him, both male and female. One of the boys smiled at him. Su Yuan quickly understood what had happened. Unintentionally, he had helped them out as well.

“You are welcome.” He smiled faintly, dragged his suitcase through the traffic, and soon left them behind.

After entering the campus gate, he looked up at the rows of silent dormitory buildings. The balconies were empty, devoid of any sign of life.

The dorms were divided into north and south sections, separated by a wide road lined with shops on both sides. Like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, they were close yet rarely met.

The north section was mostly male dormitories, with the occasional female dorm mixed in, but always separated by a river and green belts, forming a true mixed use zone. The south section, however, was a completely different world, lively and vibrant, filled entirely with female dorms. Faculty housing was also arranged there.

At times, Su Yuan could not help but entertain impure thoughts, was the school accommodating some unmarried young teachers with this setup? Of course, it was only a fleeting thought. Teachers were such noble professionals, too busy nurturing the flowers of the nation to harbor such vulgar ideas. Even entertaining such borderline notions would surely bring days of self reproach. Only someone a bit “indecent” like Su Yuan would enjoy judging a gentleman’s heart with a petty mind.

Su Yuan’s dormitory building resembled a lobby style apartment complex. Two buildings shared a central lobby staffed by several dorm supervisors, with spiral staircases on both sides leading to the rooms.

“I wonder if those guys in the dorm are back yet?”

As the thought crossed his mind, a burly student, shirtless and wearing loose shorts, spotted him.

“Su Yuan, you are back so early?”

“Yeah.” Su Yuan smiled. This was Wang Ping, an officer from the university’s sports department. With a build like a gorilla, he was immensely strong. Su Yuan had crossed paths with him in many matters, and they got along well.

“Catch.” Wang Ping tossed him an apple. Su Yuan caught it and replied without ceremony, “Thanks!”

“I heard you are getting promoted this semester?” Wang Ping asked casually.

“How do you know?” Su Yuan was surprised. He had indeed heard rumors. After serving a year as a secretary in the student union’s secretariat, he was on the verge of taking a step forward, a rare opportunity.

Wang Ping said, “It spread in our department at the end of last semester. So tell me, what position? Any chance you are coming to the sports department? If you do, do not forget to help me out.”

Shaking his head, Su Yuan smiled. “I am afraid I will disappoint you. I am not going to the sports department.”

“Then you…”

“Probably vice minister of the External Relations Department.”

“Oh, that is not bad either. Vice minister already.” Though disappointed that Su Yuan would not be joining the sports department, Wang Ping still looked genuinely happy for him.

“It is just a nomination for now, not finalized. Even if it is, so what? You know the External Relations Department, pulling connections and sponsorships, thankless work. If I had a choice, I would rather be a vice minister in your sports department!”

Wang Ping nodded. “That is true.”

“Alright, I am off to put my luggage away.” Su Yuan waved goodbye.

Building 17, Room 330.

He removed the seal, inserted the key, and pushed the door open. A wave of decay and stagnation hit him. After months without occupants, it felt like stepping into a decades old house. He waved his hand in front of his nose to dispel the stale air.

Thick dust covered the desk. One swipe of his finger left a gray white trail.

“Looks like there is plenty to do.” He shook his head, set his suitcase in the middle of the room, opened the windows to ventilate, filled a plastic bucket with water from the bathroom, and started cleaning.

Room 330 housed four people. The layout consisted of one bathroom, one main room, and one balcony. Inside were four bunk beds, with integrated desks, bookshelves, and wardrobes underneath. A stack of books sat on the shelves, also blanketed in dust.

Discarded paper and bottles littered the floor. Tossing them all into the trash, Su Yuan dampened a rag and crouched down to wipe the desks.

The four beds were assigned as follows: Bed No. 1 was his, by convention, making him the dorm leader. Bed No. 2 belonged to Ji Yehan, a tall, handsome guy with a good temperament. In a year of living together, Su Yuan had never seen him lose his temper. No obvious flaws, except a slight germophobia.

And as the saying went, having no flaws was the biggest flaw. With his sharp eye, Su Yuan was convinced Ji Yehan was no simple character.

Bed No. 3 was perpetually vacant. If not for a classmate named Yang Xiaowei occasionally returning to assert ownership, the dorm might as well have housed only three people.

Bed No. 4 belonged to a chubby guy named Gao Jun. Strictly speaking, Gao Jun was not that fat, only about 140 pounds, but compared to Su Yuan and Ji Yehan, he counted as “chubby.” He spent his days tinkering with electrical components. Long ago, he had sworn to become a top tier tech geek, but a mishap during college applications, checking “accept major adjustment,” landed him in the same bioengineering major as Su Yuan, dragging him further from his tech dreams.

“That damn fat guy, did not even clean before leaving. All my high opinion of him, wasted!” Compared to Ji Yehan’s handsomeness, Gao Jun came across as downright simple minded. More than once, Su Yuan had handed him a metaphorical “nice guy card.”

Cursing under his breath, Su Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. Looking at the freshly renewed dorm, he felt very satisfied. This was a place fit for people to live in.

If one cannot sweep a single room, how can one sweep the world? A true man should both conquer the world and keep his room tidy to welcome guests. Everything starts from small things, at least it made him feel comfortable.

The dorm was spotless now. The floor gleamed like a mirror, and the desks were neat and orderly, no longer like jade covered in dust. Su Yuan did not touch Gao Jun’s desk, it was far too cluttered.

A soldering iron, copper coils, voltage regulators, digital megohm meters, desktop multimeters, power frequency signal generators, and a pile of unidentifiable components. Just looking at them gave Su Yuan a headache. Who knew why a bioengineering student needed so many unrelated gadgets?

He did not dare wipe them with a wet cloth, fearing he would damage something. By the time he finished everything and made his bed, dusk had fallen.

On the ceiling, a 360 degree rotating fan spun lazily, like an oilfield pumpjack, moving in a fixed rhythm.

Gurgle… His stomach protested.

Su Yuan decided it was time to grab something to eat.