On Monday, after the old professor on the podium announced that class was over, their morning courses were finally done for the day.
A cacophony of scraping chairs followed, and the students filtered out of the classroom in small groups, chatting idly as they went.
Although he had told his roommates in advance that he had something to do and they didn’t need to wait for him, Zhong Taihong and the others had just waved him off impatiently, too lazy to hear his explanation before heading out.
For some reason, the number of times they came to call him along had been dwindling lately.
Sigh, friendships fade in the end, he thought with a pang of regret.
“I’m heading to the Entrepreneurship Incubation Base. Want to come along?” Mo Xiangwen asked casually.
Yan Nuoya paused for a moment, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, then shook her head. “Sorry, I need to stop by the office. The counselor wants to see me.”
Mo Xiangwen looked puzzled. “What’s it about? Want me to go with you first?”
“No need. The counselor only asked for me,” Yan Nuoya replied softly, gently turning down his offer.
It was odd—the counselor usually summoned them both together lately, but this time it was just Yan Nuoya alone.
This probably had nothing to do with Bai Shishi; it was likely something personal for Yan Nuoya.
In that instant, a memory flashed in his mind: back when the counselor had asked if they were willing to help out, she had casually mentioned something about Yan Nuoya.
It was about Yan Nuoya’s “application.”
He had noticed it at the time but hadn’t followed up afterward.
Considering that Yan Nuoya was Pigeon… and given her dislike for staying in the dorm, it was probably an off-campus housing request.
Off-campus applications weren’t uncommon.
College students in love burned with passion at the slightest spark, after all.
Expecting them to stay cooped up in school dorms meant they’d sneak off to hotels every few days.
It was a hassle, not to mention how quickly it drained their wallets.
A few trips to a hotel could cover a full month’s rent.
So, plenty of couples applied to live off-campus.
But the approval rate for off-campus requests was pretty low.
Teachers and administrators weren’t fools; they knew exactly what students were up to.
Sure, students were adults who should take responsibility for their choices.
But if something went wrong and parents were in the dark, they’d come storming to the school anyway.
That was why, even though off-campus approval technically just needed the student’s signature, it was safer—and more likely to pass—with parental consent on paper.
The school couldn’t fully dodge liability, but they could minimize it.
Of course, if the application got rejected, students often just rented places on the sly anyway.
The school couldn’t check dorms every day.
They were college students, not kids—there was no reason for that.
If issues arose, the school could always claim the students had sneaked out on their own.
Mo Xiangwen pondered for a moment, then decided to ask directly.
Given Yan Nuoya’s personality and their relationship, it shouldn’t bother her.
“Is that off-campus housing application of yours?”
Yan Nuoya blinked in surprise, looking up at him with a faint trace of astonishment on her face.
But she quickly realized how he’d guessed.
“Yeah, that’s right,” she said with a soft nod. “I submitted an off-campus housing application.”
As expected. He knew Yan Nuoya didn’t get along with her roommates—or really anyone else, for that matter—but he hadn’t realized things had escalated to the point of rushing an off-campus application.
“Then let me go with you,” Mo Xiangwen said, checking the time on his phone. “We’ve got enough time.”
“No need.” Yan Nuoya smiled. “I’m not a kid. You should head to the Entrepreneurship Incubation Center first. What if the teacher isn’t there again? That’d be a pain.”
Mo Xiangwen hesitated briefly but didn’t push.
“Alright, see you later.”
“See you.”
After bidding Yan Nuoya farewell, he grabbed the transparent file folder from his desk and hurried toward the Entrepreneurship Incubation Center.
The center was in a remote corner of campus; the further he went, the fewer students he encountered.
Halfway there, he spotted two familiar figures ahead.
Beauties like Su Mengli and Su Mengyao—top-tier looks combined with an air of refined elegance—were rare on campus.
They almost always dressed identically, too, which made them stand out from the crowd wherever they went, like a pair of stunning sisters blooming amid the ordinary.
Perhaps noticing his obvious gaze from behind, Su Mengli and Su Mengyao stopped and turned toward him.
When they saw it was him, Su Mengyao’s eyes curved into happy crescents, her lips lifting into a bright smile.
Su Mengli’s eyes widened slightly, her long lashes fluttering as a gentle, soft smile graced her delicate features.
Mo Xiangwen smiled back and waved before jogging over to them.
Su Mengyao, who had looked every bit the poised beauty from behind just like her sister, transformed in an instant. With a grin full of childlike excitement, she skipped lightly to his side.
“What a coincidence, Xiangwen! Just got out of class?” Su Mengyao asked cheerfully.
“Yeah, class just ended, so I rushed right over,” Mo Xiangwen replied with a smile. “Hoping the entrepreneurship advisor’s in this time so I can pitch him directly.”
Su Mengli chuckled softly to reassure him. “It’s still morning—no lunch break yet. He should be there.”
“Hope you’re right.” Mo Xiangwen nodded, then eyed them curiously. “What brings you two out here, though?”
“Ahem.” Su Mengyao cleared her throat dramatically, putting on a mysterious air. “Guess.”
Even as she told him to guess, her eyes kept darting to Su Mengli’s hand.
Following her gaze, Mo Xiangwen noticed a classic brown file folder perched atop the books Su Mengli was holding.
They weren’t near the Dean’s Office or Finance Office; the only place around here that dealt with files was the Entrepreneurship Incubation Center.
Hesitating a bit, he ventured, “Don’t tell me… you’re applying for entrepreneurship too?”
The logic checked out, but having a file folder didn’t mean they were submitting it right now.
“Exactly.” Su Mengli gave a faint smile. “Mengyao wanted to surprise you, but we ran into you on the way.”
“Surprise?” Mo Xiangwen frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Heh heh.” Su Mengyao chuckled mysteriously. “Simply put, it’s like this… with the plan.”
