Chapter 2 — The Bed of Your Own Choosing

After he left, Shen Nianchu did not leave immediately. "Have you known Gu Cheng before?" "Not familiar." "So it seems you have a bias against him." I looked at her. Eighteen-year-old Shen Nianchu is still not good at hiding things. When she asked this question, she wasn't protecting her boyfriend, but was just instinctively protecting someone who had grown up with her. "I just don't want to do things for him." "Maybe he's just convenient." "If he wants something, someone else ends up doing the tiring part." She choked a bit, bowed her head and adjusted the form: "Do you always talk like that?" "We only met today; there is no history to draw on yet." She pursed her lips, as if she wanted to laugh but held it back. Walking to the door, she suddenly turned around: "Tomorrow to receive books, there must be two people in each dormitory room. Room 407, don't be late." I nodded. After I returned to Room 407, Han Dongming peeled peanuts from Zhao Yue's house, while eating, he asked: "Who is that girl just standing outside the door?" "Classmate." "Really pretty." Du Hang tossed a book down from the top bunk. "You think everyone is pretty." The dorm manager asked how much the pot had cost, and Han Dongming blushed. I posted the textbook acceptance notice on the wall and did not participate in their discussion. The phone rang again. Gu Cheng texted: "Classmate Zhou, help me reserve a seat tomorrow morning, I might not be able to get up." I looked for two seconds and answered in one sentence. "If you can't get up, then stand." Less than half a minute later, a round of laughter and scolding rang out in the next room. Han Dongming tilted his head to listen: "Do you have a grudge against their room?" "No." I put the phone in the drawer. "Just don't plan on spoiling them anymore."

On the third day of military training, the asphalt track on the stadium was so hot that it could fry an egg. The coach made us stand at attention. Gu Cheng stood diagonally in front of me, his shoulders relaxed, and when the coach turned away, he used his toes to pick up a pebble on the ground. Shen Nianchu stood in the front row of the women's team, her hat brim pressed very low, her face pale. In my previous life, I knew she had hypoglycemia. Not because she told me, but because during our first practice, Gu Cheng stuffed me a bag of candy, said that Nianchu had fainted easily since she was young, and asked me to pay attention to her. He himself was called away by the seniors of the basketball club and did not return all afternoon. When she fell, I rushed over faster than anyone, carried her to the infirmary, and stayed until dark to watch. After that day, she remembered my name. This time, Gu Cheng did not give me any candy. He was not even watching Shen Nianchu; he was using the break to talk to members of the basketball club. When the training officer shouted, Shen Nianchu's body staggered. Instinctively I took half a step forward, then stopped. The female student next to her promptly caught her, and the coach immediately told someone to take her to a shaded place. The student union member in charge of training logistics ran over, a short-haired girl among them squatted down to check on Shen Nianchu's condition. "Do you hear me? Don't drink water too fast, take a sugar pill first." The girl acted quickly, taking a glucose pill from her bag. When she raised her head to call for help, she just saw me standing at the edge of the crowd. "Classmate, help me, move this bucket of water under the tree." I went to move the water. When Shen Nianchu opened her eyes, her first glance went toward the crowd and then fell on Gu Cheng. At this time, Gu Cheng ran from the basketball club and squatted in front of her: "What's wrong? Don't you have breakfast?" "Eat half a sandwich." "Is half a sandwich considered eating?" He said as if reproachful, but he took off his cap and used it to fan her. Shen Nianchu did not refute, just said in a low voice that it was okay. The short-haired girl stood up: "It's best for her to go to the medical room to have her blood pressure measured. Who should come with her?" Gu Cheng looked at the time: "Later I have to register for the basketball team." Shen Nianchu immediately said: "No need to come with me, I'll go by myself." I opened a bottle of water and gave it to the short-haired girl, without looking at them. She took it: "Are you in the same class as her?" "Yes." "So you come along for a bit?" "Not appropriate. Let her roommate go." She looked at me but did not press the matter. Instead, she turned and called to someone on the women's team. During lunch break, I met that short-haired girl again in the cafeteria. She held a tray of rice and sat next to the table of Room 407. Han Dongming very consciously moved in. "Thank you for moving the water just now. My name is Meng Lan, Academy of Journalism, second year, Student Association Propaganda Department." Han Dongming quickly introduced: "Han Dongming, the most handsome in Room 407." Du Hang raised his head: "You think everyone is pretty." Meng Lan smiled, her eyes turning to me: "Your name is Zhou Yanxuan, right?" I was a bit surprised: "You know me?" "You signed up for a startup talk for new students. I arranged the list." In my previous life, I did not attend that talk.