After waiting a while in the dorm with no one showing up, Yue Bai thought for a moment and pulled up the campus map she’d saved earlier. She compared it to her surroundings and pinpointed the location of the delivery station.
Just as Sang Wan had mentioned, the delivery station wasn’t crowded. Yue Bai quickly collected the large package containing her bedding.
Hauling it up to the fourth floor in one go left her standing at the stairwell entrance, weakly gripping the handrail as she panted, “I’m beat.”
The twine from the package had dug uneven red grooves into her fingers. Yue Bai blew on them in pain before dragging the parcel into the dorm.
Two suitcases now sat in the middle of the room. A girl was making up the upper bunk. Noticing the newcomer, she poked her head over the edge. “Hey, classmate, you in this dorm too? I’m Xu Nuo.”
It was a pretty standard icebreaker, perfect for a first encounter.
“Hello, I’m Yue Bai.” Yue Bai set down her package and replied politely.
The dorm was a standard four-person setup—beds over desks. Yue Bai had picked a spot toward the inside, safe from door slams and free from the chore of flicking the lights on and off near the switch. The only downside was its proximity to the balcony, which meant louder echoes from footsteps and running water during the day.
Once her bed was made, the room fell quiet again. Her new roommate had offered that initial greeting and then gone silent.
Half an hour later, the remaining two roommates arrived. They exchanged introductions before everyone busied themselves with their own tasks.
Knock knock knock. Someone rapped on the open door. Yue Bai glanced over instinctively and saw a girl in a white long-sleeved shirt, backpack slung over her shoulders, peering inside.
“Come in,” said Chen Han, who was closest to the door.
“Hi, juniors!” The girl burst in with an enthusiastic greeting. “I’m from the school business office, here to help you set up your campus cards. Once that’s done, you can connect to the school network.”
Yue Bai was idly scrolling on her phone when the words “campus card” hit her like a warning bell. She perked up, listening intently to what came next.
“It’s just fifty yuan to sign up right now,” the girl announced.
Yue Bai sneered to herself. Still trying to scam people, huh?
“Sorry, I’ll pass,” Yue Bai said first.
The other three immediately recalled the warnings from the freshman group chat and turned her down as well.
The girl feigned reluctance, biting her lip. “Tell you what—since you’re all freshmen, I’ll hook you up for free. Deal?”
“Ah… uh,” Xu Nuo wavered, testing the waters. “If it’s free, it should be legit, right?”
Chen Han and the so-far-silent Zhao Yu hesitated too. After a beat, they chimed in, “Fine, we’ll do one each.”
Caught up in the moment, Yue Bai climbed down from her bunk. She fished out her ID and handed it over. “Okay, sign me up too.”
The girl grinned and took all four IDs, punching details into a handheld device she carried. Less than ten minutes later, she produced four SIM cards, distributed them one by one, said “See ya,” and was gone.
Yue Bai turned the tiny SIM card over in her fingers, inspecting it closely. Something felt off, but with her roommates still strangers, she held her tongue.
She sat quietly at her desk.
Ding dong. A WeChat notification. Yue Bai tapped it open.
“Which dorm? Coming to check on you.” It was Sang Wan.
“Senior Sister, Dorm 421,” Yue Bai typed back. She glanced at the little card again and decided to wait until Sang Wan arrived before bringing it up.
Five minutes later, Sang Wan knocked on Dorm 421’s door.
Yue Bai jumped up to let her in. “Senior Sister.” She turned to her roommates. “This is Senior Sister Sang.”
“Hello, Senior Sister,” the three greeted in unison.
“Hi, everyone,” Sang Wan replied with a smile.
“Everything sorted?” Her eyes followed Yue Bai’s gaze to the neatly made bed, quilt folded just so atop it.
“All set.” Yue Bai stepped aside and pointed. “That’s my spot.”
Sang Wan nodded slightly, surveying the four girls. They all seemed pleasant enough.
“Senior Sister… is the free campus card thing okay?” Yue Bai whispered.
Sang Wan got it immediately. “Don’t tell me you went for it?”
Yue Bai nodded, her face full of indignation. “Yeah… she came right to the dorm to do it.”
Sang Wan’s elegant brows knitted together. She held back a sigh before saying helplessly, “Those are usually off-campus SIMs that won’t connect to the school Wi-Fi. Where’s the card?”
Yue Bai picked up the card from the desk, hanging her head like a kid caught red-handed.
“You,” Sang Wan said fondly, tapping her forehead. “Hand it over. I’ll get it canceled for you.”
“Mm…” Yue Bai mumbled, shuffling back a step.
“Um, Senior Sister, we got them too…” Xu Nuo edged closer, sheepish.
Sang Wan caught her drift. “No problem, give ’em here. Next time, head to the official school office for campus cards. Don’t let anyone lead you on.”
“Got it, Senior Sister.”
Sang Wan pocketed the four cards and smiled warmly, gently steering Yue Bai away from the desk. “Lunchtime’s coming up. Want me to take you to the cafeteria?”
“I heard from Qingyan you’re no good with directions. I’ll show you around the routes, okay?” Spotting Yue Bai’s flicker of reluctance, she added, “The other two are there too.”
“Senior Sister Zhou and Senior Sister Wen?” Yue Bai hesitated, as expected. She hadn’t seen much of them since Gaokao. She’d made A University her goal and achieved it, texting them the good news the moment results dropped—but they hadn’t caught up properly yet.
“Mm.” Sang Wan’s gentle gaze settled on Yue Bai. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, jet-black and perfectly smooth, with soft bangs framing her forehead. “Don’t keep them waiting.”
“Alright then.” Yue Bai gave in. After a quick wave to her roommates, she and Sang Wan headed out of the dorm building side by side.
“Settling into the dorm okay?” Sang Wan tilted her head. Yue Bai was tall for a girl; she had to crane her neck just a bit to meet her eyes.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Yue Bai answered straightforwardly but didn’t push for more conversation.
Along the way, lest Yue Bai have questions she was too shy to voice, Sang Wan offered, “Music College and Art College dorms aren’t far apart. Hit me up anytime you need something—no need to stand on ceremony. We’re all from Home City, after all.”
“Got it, Senior Sister.” Yue Bai replied obediently.
They headed to the closest spot: the East District Cafeteria.
The place had three floors. The first two were standard setups, while the third let you pick and choose—ideal for groups.
The moment they stepped onto the third floor, Yue Bai scanned for Zhou Qingyan and the others. Spotting two familiar silhouettes from behind, she grabbed Sang Wan’s arm excitedly. “Senior Sister Sang, is that Senior Sister Zhou and Senior Sister Wen?”
Sang Wan shifted her arm ever so slightly, a soft chuckle escaping her. “Yeah. Careful—it’s getting crowded.”
Mealtime was approaching, and the place was filling up fast.
Zhou Qingyan, seated at a table, spotted them and stood to wave. Wen Mo turned with a smile. “Over here.”
“We picked out some dishes already. Check if anything catches your eye and grab more if you want.” Once Yue Bai and Sang Wan sat, Wen Mo slid the menu their way.
“I’m good with anything. What about you, little junior?” Sang Wan smiled lightly and passed it to Yue Bai.
“Me too.” Facing the trio of senior sisters felt overwhelming. She knew Zhou Qingyan best. Wen Mo chatted more during tutoring sessions, while Sang Wan had only subbed in once when Zhou Qingyan was out.
“That work?” Wen Mo reclaimed the menu, ticking off a few extras. “Yan Yan, go place the order.”
Zhou Qingyan grabbed it and headed to the counter, selecting per the marks. From afar, Yue Bai saw her juggling the tray. After a moment’s thought, she stood to lend a hand.
“Senior Sister Zhou, let me take some.” Yue Bai grabbed a fresh tray and transferred a few items onto it.
Zhou Qingyan glanced over. “Sure. Beverages are right there—help yourself. They’re free for now with all the new students.”
“Okay.” Yue Bai acknowledged but skipped them.
Back at the table, she carefully arranged the colorful dishes across the surface.
Sang Wan rested her chin on one hand, watching with an amused smile.
“Soup goes to the side,” Sang Wan prompted helpfully. She reached over, her slender fingers grazing the bowl’s rim as she nudged it outward.
With everything in place, the four dug in.
“Yue Bai, getting the lay of the campus yet?” Zhou Qingyan ladled soup for Wen Mo.
“Not really gone exploring,” Yue Bai said, picking up a slice of lettuce and chewing thoughtfully.
“No campus card yet? Go to the official office. Tons of folks are hawking them now, but they ghost you later when issues pop up,” Zhou Qingyan advised.
Sang Wan’s chopsticks paused mid-reach at that. Amusement danced in her eyes as she withdrew them and sipped her soup.
Yue Bai dropped her chopsticks with a defeated sigh, her expression pure woe. “Senior Sister, I already got roped into one.”
Wen Mo shot her a knowing glance before resuming her meal at a leisurely pace.
Zhou Qingyan frowned. “You got one already?”
Yue Bai pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
“I forgot to warn her,” Sang Wan said with a mild laugh. “Lucky no money changed hands. We’ll just cancel them.”
Zhou Qingyan’s face grew a touch graver, but she simply reminded her to watch out next time.
After dinner, Zhou Qingyan and Wen Mo left first. Before leaving, Zhou Qingyan said, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask your Senior Sister Sang more; she’ll tell you everything she knows.”
Yue Bai agreed.
“We’re heading out first.” Zhou Qingyan waved, taking Wen Mo with her.
Once again, only the two of them were left. Sang Wan crossed her arms in front of her chest, her eyes rippling with waves of emotion. Perhaps noticing Yue Bai’s unease, she leaned in closer, her warm fragrance wafting all around Yue Bai. “What’s wrong, still shy?”
So close, so fragrant. Yue Bai’s mind went blank. She moved her lips: “I’m not afraid.”
Sang Wan smiled but didn’t call her out on it: “Hurry back and get some rest. Military training was moved up a few days this year, so if nothing unexpected happens, it’ll officially start tomorrow~”
