Chapter 19: Meeting the New Roommates

Chen Yuchen had always been independent. While he wasn't averse to making friends, he knew that as a mature man of thirty, it would be hard to find common ground with these twenty-year-old boys just starting college. He couldn't exactly talk to them about the high-end clubs in Jinling, could he?

In his mind, his roommates were still boys, while he had long since become a man.

Finally, all four roommates had arrived. Zhang Yi, one of them, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and eagerly handed them around.

"Hey, these are nice smokes!" Zhang Ben, another roommate, said in surprise when he saw the brand.

Zhang Yi grinned proudly. "Eh, nothing special, just the usual. Want one, Wang Yishu?" he offered to the quietest of the group.

Wang Yishu hesitated, about to decline, when Zhang Ben snatched one up, laughing. "Don't corrupt the kid—I'll take his."

Zhang Yi chuckled and lit up a cigarette. As Zhang Ben puffed away, he said, "I'm the oldest here, so I'll look after you guys. Zhang Yi, you're the second oldest. Chen Yuchen, you're third, and we'll all have to take care of Wang Yishu!"

Zhang Yi exhaled a cloud of smoke and shook his head, laughing. "Isn't that from some old TV show?"

"Yeah, isn't that how it always goes on TV?" Zhang Ben laughed in return.

Wang Yishu, the quietest of the four, continued to sit off to the side, absorbed in his phone. Chen Yuchen, uninterested in this banter, busied himself with unpacking his clothes and organizing his space.

Out of all his roommates, Chen Yuchen was most intrigued by Zhang Yi. The reason was simple—Zhang Yi's appearance mirrored his own, with expensive clothes and a high-end watch. It was clear that Zhang Yi didn't come from an ordinary family. In contrast, Zhang Ben and Wang Yishu dressed plainly, and Zhang Ben, in particular, seemed unfamiliar with luxury goods.

Zhang Yi noticed the watch on Chen Yuchen's wrist and couldn't help but comment. "Hey, Chen, that's a Longines, isn't it?"

Chen Yuchen nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah, bought it yesterday."

Zhang Yi leaned in for a closer look, impressed. "Nice! My dad's got a Longines too—those go for over ten grand. How much was yours, eight or nine thousand?"

"Not that much. It was on sale, just under six thousand," Chen Yuchen replied casually.

Zhang Ben's eyes widened in disbelief. "Six thousand for a watch? That's more than my whole year's living expenses!"

Zhang Yi smirked, clearly enjoying the attention. "That's nothing—my uncle's watch cost over a hundred thousand."

"For real?" Zhang Ben's surprise only grew.

Without engaging further, Chen Yuchen stood up. "I didn't bring any bedding. I'm going to the campus store to buy some."

Hearing this, Zhang Yi quickly jumped to his feet. "I'll go with you. I need to grab some water."

Zhang Ben, not wanting to be left out, added, "I'll come too!"

Wang Yishu, who had been quietly sitting on his bed with his phone, hesitated. Though he was shy, he didn't want to miss the chance to bond with his roommates.

Noticing his hesitation, Chen Yuchen asked, "You want to come too?"

"Sure," Wang Yishu nodded and quietly followed along.

And so, the four of them formed an impromptu group and headed out of the dormitory together. The September heat still lingered, and the campus was full of youthful energy. Students in all kinds of outfits, especially the girls, caught the eyes of many passing boys.

Liu Zhu, a friend of Zhang Yi's from Beijing, grinned foolishly as he stared at the girls on campus. "Wow, I've only been in Jinling a few days, and I've already seen more beautiful girls than I did in all three years of high school!"

Zhang Yi shook his head with a smug smile. "You haven't seen anything yet. Beijing girls are way more common."

Chen Yuchen smirked and asked, "If there are so many beautiful girls in Beijing, why'd you come all the way to Jinling for college?"

"Don't ask," Zhang Yi sighed dramatically. "My girlfriend's here."

"No way, Zhang Yi—you've got a girlfriend?" Liu Zhu said excitedly.

"Why are you so hyped up?" Zhang Yi laughed, taking another drag from his cigarette.

Liu Zhu scratched his head sheepishly. "My high school banned dating. Now it looks like you're the only one in our dorm with a girlfriend. That's amazing!"

Zhang Yi smiled even more smugly, glancing at Chen Yuchen. "What about you, Chen? Got a girlfriend?"

Chen Yuchen shook his head. "Nah, nothing special about me. No one's interested."

Liu Zhu burst out laughing. "Come on, you're wearing a five-thousand-yuan watch. How could no one be interested?"

Zhang Yi chuckled at that, but didn't push the subject. Instead, he suggested, "Since I'm the only one with a girlfriend, maybe we could set up a group hangout sometime. I'll have her bring some of her friends along from her dorm."

Chen Yuchen smirked, saying nothing, and continued walking. For now, university life was just beginning, but for him, it felt like revisiting a chapter he had already lived.