If it were him, and he wasn’t used to his new roommate—not to mention he had no need to stay in the dorm to queue up with his online gaming buddies—what would he do?
Mo Xiangwen glanced at the sky beyond the balcony. It was already starting to darken, and the lights from the dorm across the way shone especially bright in the night.
But it was nearly eight o’clock now. True to his personality, he might not even head out at this hour.
Besides, he’d never actually experienced the kind of discomfort with a new roommate that Pigeon had described.
Roommate relationships were, for him, a necessary part of social interaction.
After all, university lasted four or five years. Getting along poorly with your dorm mates could make life pretty miserable.
So he did put a little effort into handling things with his roommates.
That said, the atmosphere in guys’ dorms was usually decent enough. Everyone knew how to keep things cordial.
Even if there were gripes, they’d try to understand and tolerate where they could, and talk it out otherwise to see if the other guy could adjust.
It sounded a bit odd, but that’s how roommate dynamics worked. If you didn’t voice your issues and let them pile up, it was only a matter of time before a fight broke out.
…So maybe he and Pigeon weren’t all that alike after all?
The same went for Yan Nuoya. They’d even had a small disagreement today over helping the counselor.
Had his guess been off the mark?
Whatever. He’d just check the places he thought he might go first.
Mo Xiangwen stood up, slipped on his socks and sneakers, stretched his limbs, and asked casually, “I’m heading out for a bit. Anything you guys need me to grab?”
“What’re you heading out for, Lao Mo?” Xi Shaojie asked offhandedly.
“Just a walk. Bit of exercise.”
“Oh. In that case, mango juice from Yipin Tea for me.”
Qin Yongfeng chimed in, “I’ll take watermelon juice then.”
Zhong Taihong called out, “Latte for me.”
“Screw your coffee, man. Can’t you just order from the same place as them?”
“Fine, then boba mango.”
Memorizing their requests, he left the dorm.
He rarely ventured out in the evenings. The school had a little commercial street with plenty of options, but it paled in comparison to the bustling ones outside.
Even at home, he was too lazy to wander the city center’s shopping districts—let alone now at school.
His habit was to go out only with a purpose.
Either to an internet cafe to grind games with friends.
Or to a movie theater for a solo flick.
Or maybe just to grab some milk tea or juice to sip back at the dorm.
But if it wasn’t the commercial street, where else at this hour? Head to downtown for a movie? The campus strip didn’t have a theater, after all.
Sure, university life was pretty relaxed, but the dorms had a curfew. The dorm matron wouldn’t let students in late without a fuss.
Riding out to the city this late was out of the question.
He pulled up a ticketing app and checked the latest releases. Nothing caught his eye.
…The library it was, then? Hanging out there at this time wasn’t weird, but arriving now might be.
Still, he could picture Yan Nuoya there. In a galgame, she’d be the classic library heroine type.
He might not be able to face her head-on, but he could just avoid triggering the dialogue bubble. Confirming she was there would be enough.
Decision made, he left the dorm building and headed straight for the library.
The guys’ dorms were quite a bit farther from the library than the girls’. He wasn’t worried about overtaking her on the way.
He even deliberately slowed his pace to avoid going too fast.
The campus at dusk lacked the lingering daytime heat. A gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness, and the walkways bustled with groups of students chatting animatedly.
Since enrollment, this was his first time coming to the school library at night. He was surprised to find its lights even brighter and more dazzling than those in the academic buildings.
He’d heard it stayed open until after 11:30 p.m., lights blazing, but he wasn’t sure if that was true.
He swiped his card to enter. Inside, the illumination flooded every corner, bright as day.
He took the stairs slowly, methodically checking every floor. His gaze swept over row after row of bookshelves and study areas, scrutinizing each nook.
The study zones were fairly crowded. Some students pored silently over books, others scribbled furiously at their desks. Everyone observed the library’s quiet rule.
He lightened his steps instinctively. After several loops, he still hadn’t spotted the figure he’d expected.
Wrong guess? Fine. He’d check elsewhere.
As he turned to leave, his peripheral vision caught two unexpected people at a window seat.
Su Mengyao and Su Mengli sat side by side, a laptop on the table alongside a few open books and notebooks.
Su Mengyao was bent over her writing, while Su Mengli focused intently on the laptop screen.
Every so often, Su Mengli glanced sideways at her younger sister, tapping a passage in the book with her pen tip.
What a surprise. He hadn’t expected to run into the two of them here.
Su Mengyao and Su Mengli were both his senior sisters from different majors and years. With the campus so vast, they rarely crossed paths during classes.
He hesitated briefly, then decided to go say hello.
As Mo Xiangwen approached, both Su Mengyao and Su Mengli looked up at the same time.
Mindful of the library rules, they didn’t call out his name despite the clear delight on their faces.
Su Mengyao stood carefully and waved him over.
He nodded in response and quickened his pace to their table.
Relief and excitement lit up Su Mengyao’s face like she’d been pardoned. She took a few light steps to his side.
Rising slightly on tiptoe, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Xiao Yi, what brings you here?”
He caught a faint, fresh fragrance at the tip of his nose.
“Looking for someone, but no luck,” he murmured back, keeping his voice as low as possible.
Even so, in the library—where even page turns and keystrokes stood out—it drew some attention.
They hadn’t made much noise, though. Nearby patrons just glanced up once before ignoring them.
Su Mengli made a small “shh” gesture at the pair. Embarrassed, he and Su Mengyao fell instantly silent.
Su Mengyao pulled out her phone, her slender fingers dancing across the screen.
Mo Xiangwen saw it was a private message.
Pass One Charm: Still looking? Want help?
Human-Dragon Unity: Nah, if I can’t find them, no big deal. Not that important.
Xiao Huo: Wanna hit up a milk tea shop and chat?
