Chapter 20: The Warmth and Coldness of Human Relations, the Complexity of Human Nature

Dormitory 404.

When Wang Donglai returned to the dormitory, the lights had not yet been turned off.

"Wang Donglai, you're back! My family just fried some crispy pork today, come have some!"

As Dang Caizhi spoke, he pulled a bag from his locker, which was filled with golden-brown crispy pork. Even before the bag was opened, an aroma wafted out.

"It just so happens that everyone in our dorm is here. Come and eat!" Dang Caizhi said with a smile, warmly inviting the others.

Seeing this, Song Yi's eyes flickered. He reached into his own locker and pulled out several bottles of fruit beer. He placed the caps on the edge of the table and, with a series of rapid palm strikes, popped them all open.

"I have five bottles of fruit beer here, so let's all have a drink. Donglai is focusing on his studies right now, so I won't invite everyone to drink alcohol, lest it affect Donglai's studying tomorrow. Once the Gaokao is over, we'll have a proper session."

As the class monitor, Song Yi came from a good background. He had a mature appearance, a strong physique, and his parents were civil servants. Because of his decent family circumstances, he had always conducted himself with propriety.

At this moment, following the lead of Dang Caizhi and Song Yi, Huang Cheng and Liu Jun reacted quickly.

"Wait here, I'll head downstairs to buy some beef jerky and stuff. I'll be right back," Liu Jun said before running out of the dorm.

"I still have some melon seeds and peanuts here. Let's eat them all together tonight." Huang Cheng also fished several pounds of melon seeds and peanuts out of his locker.

In the blink of an eye, three stools were pushed together, topped with melon seeds, peanuts, crispy pork, fruit beer, and other snacks.

Liu Jun returned extremely quickly, clutching a pile of beef jerky and other snacks.

Watching this scene, although Wang Donglai felt inclined to refuse, he didn't know how to voice it. After a moment of thought, he decided not to say no. Instead, he opened his own locker and took out the snacks that Cao Shuxian had given him earlier.

A large spread of snacks was laid out: braised chicken feet, melon seeds, peanuts, cooked chicken legs, beef jerky, crispy pork, and more. It looked quite enticing.

"Come, come, everyone sit down. Tonight, in Dorm 404, let's just sit together and enjoy some food." Song Yi took charge, gesturing for everyone to sit.

No one declined, and they all sat down.

Once seated, Song Yi immediately raised his glass. "No speeches needed. We'll use fruit beer instead of wine. Let's have a toast first."

"Cheers!"

"Next time, let's go to Huiwei Restaurant. They have several excellent dishes there."

"No problem."

"Deal."

Since the fruit beer contained no alcohol, Wang Donglai did not refuse. He picked up his glass and downed the liquid in one gulp.

"Everyone, help yourselves to these snacks. It's fate that our dorm is gathered together like this. As the saying goes, life has three great bonds: being classmates, serving in the military together, and being in the same 'cell.' We've fulfilled one of those, so it's worth another toast."

Song Yi maintained perfect control of the rhythm. After speaking, he raised his glass, exuding the charisma of a natural leader.

"The monitor is right! Another toast!" Liu Jun, who always stayed close to Song Yi, was the first to chime in.

"Exactly, another toast!"

The five of them were eighteen or nineteen years old, at the height of their youthful vigor. On one hand, they were full of vitality; on the other, they were clumsily imitating adult behavior.

Drinking is the ultimate stimulant for this age group. Although they were only drinking fruit beer, the adult-like social atmosphere was unmistakable, and they all became immersed in it.

Watching this, Wang Donglai found the scene quite amusing.

Earlier, Meng Fang had tentatively asked him if he wanted to change dormitories, mainly because Huang Cheng and the other three were somewhat difficult to get along with.

Liu Jun and Song Yi came from families of working professionals; their parents were quite prominent figures in this small county. As for Dang Caizhi, his family held middle-management positions in the coal mines, and Huang Cheng was a local with deep connections.

Schools are never truly simple; it's just that the complexities aren't always obvious.

As someone from a rural background, Wang Donglai actually couldn't truly bond with the four of them. In the past, they had only managed to hang out due to being roommates. Once they left school, they would each go their own ways.

This specific scene had never happened in his previous life. Before the Gaokao, the four of them had returned to their respective homes, leaving Wang Donglai alone in the dormitory. After the exams, they didn't say a word—no goodbyes, no reminiscing—they simply drifted apart.

However, Wang Donglai knew that the four of them had remained in contact; he had never been part of their circle.

Just as these thoughts flashed through Wang Donglai's mind, Song Yi raised his glass again and said: "At home, you rely on your parents; away from home, you rely on your friends. We are classmates and roommates, so our relationship is naturally close, and we're even from the same county. After the Gaokao, everyone will scatter to the four corners of the earth, making it hard to meet again. So, we should make the most of our time in this dorm and build these relationships. After all, more friends mean more opportunities, don't you think?"

As those words fell, the eyes of the other four simultaneously turned toward Wang Donglai.

"The monitor is right. Rely on parents at home, rely on friends abroad. More friends, more paths. It's fate that we share a dorm."

With that, Wang Donglai raised his glass and joined them in drinking the third round of fruit beer.

Once the three rounds were finished, everyone began to eat.

"Teenagers can eat a father into poverty." This saying was meant for adolescents, and for high school seniors like Wang Donglai and his peers, who studied all day long, their energy consumption was immense. It could be said that if they missed even one meal, they would feel faint from hunger. Furthermore, every meal consisted of large bowls; anything less simply wouldn't fill them up.

Thus, they did not stand on ceremony with the abundance of food before them and began to eat heartily.

As they ate, they chatted. They gossiped about other students in class, then moved on to other classes—topics ranging from who got into a fight and why, to who got caught dating by a teacher, or even some embarrassing stories about the school faculty.

While Song Yi and the others talked and ate, Wang Donglai sat quietly by the side, eating without much conversation.

When they were nearly finished, Song Yi looked at Wang Donglai and said, "Donglai, we're in the same dorm, we're all on the same side. If anything comes up in the future, make sure to lend a hand."

Hearing this, Wang Donglai's heart stirred.

In fact, from the moment he stepped into the dormitory, Wang Donglai had been waiting for this sentence. Now that he had heard it, his mind felt at ease. A smile appeared on his face as he said brightly, "Sure, if it's something I can help with, I definitely will."

However, Wang Donglai hid a second half of that sentence in his heart: *And if it's something I cannot help with, I certainly won't.*

Upon receiving Wang Donglai's promise, a smile spread across Song Yi's face, as did the others. The atmosphere became even more harmonious, as if the previous exclusion of Wang Donglai by the four of them had never happened.

*The later parts will be even more exciting, please stay tuned.*

(End of Chapter)