Chapter 1: Idealism is Full, Reality is Bony

In the midsummer of September, the south was still as hot as an outdoor steam room during the day, while the north already had hints of autumn. Inside the bustling Beijing station, people came and went in a hurry. Zhang Wanyuan dragged a large suitcase, with an oversized travel bag strapped to her back, filled entirely with luggage she had brought from her hometown in the south. Squeezing onto the subway with all these things had nearly suffocated her, and by the time she struggled back to her school dormitory, she collapsed onto the floor, completely drained.

Before she could catch her breath, the dormitory door was pushed open again. Her roommates, Yan Qian and Zhang Siyu, walked in arm-in-arm, chatting and laughing while carrying their own things, nearly tripping over Zhang Wanyuan’s luggage.

Yan Qian’s eyes widened. With a lollipop in her mouth, she asked vaguely, "You stinky girl, did you move your entire house into our dorm?"

Zhang Siyu took a rough look at the items on the floor and clicked her tongue. "Usually, seniors are moving things out, but you—you’re doing the opposite. Are you trying to make our dorm even more cramped?"

Facing the teasing from her two roommates, Zhang Wanyuan begged for mercy with a shy, coquettish smile. "Oh, please, just let me keep them here for two days. As soon as I find a suitable place, I’ll move out. I promise I won't be a burden to you guys, I swear!"

Yan Qian raised an eyebrow, stopped eating her lollipop, and sat down beside Zhang Wanyuan to gossip. "Confess honestly, are you planning to go live in a two-person world with that guy of yours? Not bad! Zhang Wanyuan, I never expected that the most reserved girl in our dorm would be the first to 'break her fast'! You better not forget us sisters when you get your marriage certificate and hold the wedding banquet. When Yihan, Zuxin, and Yiman get back, I’m going to tell them all about it—we’re definitely going to make you bleed your wallet dry!"

Yan Qian kept chattering away, getting more and more excited. Zhang Wanyuan’s face turned bright red, and she begged for mercy repeatedly. Finally, under Yan Qian’s relentless pestering, Zhang Wanyuan agreed to treat them to milk tea.

Milk tea shops were everywhere on the student street outside the school. Because they were located in a university town, the prices weren't too high, and Zhang Wanyuan could still afford a few cups.

The three of them left the dorm and headed straight for the student street. It was filled with students and visiting tourists, many of whom were dragging large bags and suitcases just like Zhang Wanyuan. However, most of them were freshmen; there were very few upperclassmen as eccentric as her.

Although they had agreed to "slaughter" Zhang Wanyuan, they had been classmates for three years and knew each other well. They knew Zhang Wanyuan’s family background was ordinary, even somewhat poor, so they didn't pick the expensive options when ordering milk tea. The three of them ordered three cups and found a quiet corner by the window to sit.

Yan Qian asked with some dissatisfaction, "Are you really planning to abandon us to go live with Cao Ji'an?"

Zhang Wanyuan looked apologetic. "I want to be with you guys too, but you know we developed that project together. Ji'an said that if we live together, we can save a lot of time. Plus, we’ve already decided that as soon as we get our diplomas, we’re getting married, so..."

Zhang Siyu frowned and glared at Yan Qian, trying to smooth things over for Zhang Wanyuan. "Alright, this is a good thing. Since Wanyuan has already decided, stop nagging and ruining the mood! What are you going to do if Wanyuan gets annoyed with you?"

"I..." Yan Qian was choked with anger. Holding back her frustration, she stubbornly retorted, "If that Cao Ji'an is really so great, why haven't we seen him yet? Today is the first day of registration. Look at that pile of luggage Wanyuan had—it’s obvious this silly girl dragged it all back by herself. This kind of boyfriend is completely irresponsible. Wanyuan, let me give you a piece of advice: don't let that man take advantage of you before you get that marriage certificate. Let me tell you..."

"Yan Qian! Are you done yet?" Zhang Siyu roared, lunging at her. The two women began to scuffle.

Zhang Wanyuan, sitting across from them, had already changed expression. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier. An hour and a half before she got off the train, she had called Cao Ji'an to ask him to pick her up at the station. His voice on the phone had sounded hesitant. Zhang Wanyuan, always sensitive, sensed his reluctance and, being understanding, said it was fine, ending up dragging all her things back by herself.

For a moment, Zhang Wanyuan had suspected that Cao Ji'an’s heart had changed and he didn't love her anymore. But just as she returned to the dorm, Cao Ji'an had called to check on her and said he was finished with his work and could come pick her up. Zhang Wanyuan began to blame herself, feeling she shouldn't doubt his sincerity. She had been struggling with these conflicting thoughts until Yan Qian and the others returned. She hadn't expected Yan Qian to be so blunt, digging up the insecurity in her heart and laying it out before her, raw and bloody.

Perhaps because of Zhang Wanyuan’s silence, Yan Qian and Zhang Siyu stopped their scuffling after a while, feeling it was pointless and secretly worried about her. They all fell silent.

Yan Qian was usually carefree and couldn't stand this heavy atmosphere. She turned her head away, ignoring her two roommates—out of sight, out of mind. It was better to look at the handsome guys passing by outside.

Zhang Siyu knew Yan Qian’s temper, so she pursed her lips and stirred her milk tea, taking several aggressive sips as if venting.

"Ah! Look!"

With a gasp, Zhang Siyu sprayed the milk tea in her mouth everywhere. Zhang Wanyuan, sitting across from her, inevitably bore the brunt of it.

"Wanyuan, I'm sorry! Let me wipe it off for you..." Zhang Siyu scrambled up, leaning over to grab tissues and frantically dabbing at Zhang Wanyuan. After a moment, she sensed something was wrong. Seeing Zhang Wanyuan staring out the window as if she had lost her soul, and with the instigator Yan Qian also falling silent, she instinctively turned her head. The scene outside made her pupils shrink, and her mouth formed an "O."

"Wanyuan... Wanyuan... that... that isn't... I'm not seeing things, am I?"

Zhang Siyu blinked hard. Once she confirmed her eyes weren't deceiving her, rage surged within her. She threw the tissues down and roared aggressively, "I’m going to tear that scumbag and that bitch apart!"

Yan Qian snapped out of it and immediately echoed Zhang Siyu. Before Zhang Wanyuan could recover, the two of them had already rushed out. Perhaps because it was all too sudden, or perhaps due to the deep-seated inferiority complex within her, Zhang Wanyuan suddenly felt timid. She didn't dare to go out and face it all, just sitting there blankly with hollow eyes.

Outside, a commotion had already broken out.

Zhang Siyu, who had rushed out in a fury, immediately splashed her milk tea all over Cao Ji'an. The girl standing next to him was caught in the crossfire, shrieking in shock and anger. The scene descended into chaos.

Cao Ji'an regained his composure and cursed angrily, "What are you two crazy women trying to do?"

"Cao Ji'an, open your dog eyes and look! If I don't vent this anger for our Wanyuan today and tear you, a two-timing piece of trash, to shreds, my name isn't Zhang!" Zhang Siyu stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks flushed red with rage.

Yan Qian shouted from the side, "Everyone, come and see! This is Cao Ji'an, a senior from the School of Information. He already has a proper girlfriend but is still messing around with other women! He plays with women, has terrible character, and is morally bankrupt! I am ashamed to be in the same department as him. I’m going to beat you to death, you shameless scumbag!"