Chapter 4 — Ha Ha, You're All I Want

The others quickly chimed in, stepping smoothly into the roles of peacemakers.

It was just borrowing a photo, after all, and since you have already broken up, it does not affect you in the least. We are all heading off to our internships soon and going our separate ways, so why not just let it go and spare each other the drama?

Exactly, stop acting so high and mighty. Ying Ying only used your picture because you are roommates, why do you have to be so petty and small-minded?

Bai Ying Ying immediately launched into her self-directed performance as the ultimate victim, her eye sockets flushing a vivid red as heavy tears welled up, threatening to spill over at any second. Do not scold Jian Xia like this, everyone; this whole mess was entirely my fault from the start. I was deeply engrossed in finalizing my professional portfolio and securing a job, entirely lacking the patience or time to bicker with these fools. Yet the three of them hovered around me like a swarm of buzzing flies, relentless and irritating. The noise was so deafening and persistent that I could not focus on a single productive task.

Bai Ying Ying, I truly yearn to live with the kind of unbridled, audacious courage you possess.

You stole my photographs to catfish strangers on the internet, so how on earth do you still manage to look so wronged and innocent?

Honestly, I cannot even tell if your dense stupidity is genuine or merely an act. You are the embodiment of those ostensibly naive hypocrites who carry an invisible, tasteless poison within them.

And the two of you, I added, shooting a sharp, disdainful glance at the remaining roommates, you two really ought to step outside and soak up some sunlight. Roast your skin until it turns pitch black, perhaps then nobody will mistake you for albino simpletons. To put it precisely and legally, Bai Ying Ying’s actions constitute a direct violation of my right to portraiture. To put it bluntly and without sugarcoating, she is nothing more than a common thief! And the two absolute idiots allowed yourselves to be used as tools by a thief, yet you still stand there running your mouths!

Ever since I made the acquaintance of all of you, my eyes have been opened to the truly grotesque depths to which human nature can sink.

I was once a gentle, highly reasonable young woman, but it seems that the kinder one is, the higher the statistical probability of encountering absolute trash.

Taking on three opponents single-handedly, I unleashed my full firepower. While my tongue lashed out with merciless precision, my hands flew, sweeping up my laptop, documents, and scattered notes, shoving them violently into my backpack as I prepared to retreat to the quiet sanctuary of the library to finish my portfolio. Delivering the final, fatal blow to their fragile psyches, I fixed Bai Ying Ying with a mocking, victorious smile. Oh, by the way, out of our four-person dormitory, there are actually three separate group chats, and I suppose you had no idea, did you? The moment I slammed the heavy dormitory door shut behind me, I began to count backward in a whisper.

Three, two, one.

A sharp, ear-splitting shriek of pure outrage erupted from within the room.

You two treacherous bitches, you actually colluded with her to form a private group chat behind my back!

Down the quiet hallway, someone angrily slammed their door shut with earth-shattering force.

Which absolute lunatic in this dorm refuses to sleep during the lunch hour and keeps barking like a rabid dog! Do not let me find out who you are!

I let out a long, heavy sigh of immense relief, the corners of my mouth curving upward into a genuine, cool smirk. Utterly satisfying!

Barely had I stepped outside the dormitory building when the translucent comment streams materialized once more in my vision.

Because you lot insisted on cursing incessantly in the chat streams, the system has arbitrarily slapped a three-hour mute penalty on everyone, innocent and guilty alike.

Though I must say, there is a distinct grading of punishments; those vile creatures who spewed the most toxic filth, dragging parents and internal organs into their petty curses, got slapped with a full twenty-four-hour silence.

Ah, look at our minor supporting character—no, wait, Lin Jian Xia! Watching her tear into those awful roommates is so deeply therapeutic! Her entire social circle is infested with toxic garbage! I suddenly want to live as fiercely and unapologetically as she does!

Taking notes, furiously taking notes right now...

Oh darling, oh darling, oh darling, I am so sorry, I simply could not resist singing out loud right there.

A young girl's innermost anxieties are rarely just about grand ambitions; they are largely about the utter failure to navigate suffocating dormitory politics. There is always this lingering sensation that everyone harbors quiet, malicious intent toward you. It is so terribly subtle—the deliberate slamming of doors, the soft sucking of teeth in annoyance, dramatic tossing and turning on the mattress at night, occasionally posting passive-aggressive status updates online, yet whenever you confront them directly, they play the absolute fool while maintaining a facade of sickening harmony. I am completely at a loss as to how to handle it all...

My dear girl in the comments above, have you never heard this old saying? When a child claims they desperately need to use the restroom, they have usually already wet their trousers. If you can physically sense their malice, it means their hostility has already overflowed the banks.

It is entirely not your fault, little one! There are only two ways to handle this: either you start a massive, roof-raising argument to settle everything once and for all, or you start a massive, roof-raising argument and immediately request a room change to permanently resolve it!

Just what is our fierce little supporting character up to right now?