Chapter 25

It was the first day of university. That night, there would be a class meeting for all the new students to get to know each other and elect the first class committee.

Zhen Bao sat with her three roommates, Fan Xuan and Qian Lele on the left in the front row, and she and Jia Xiao Yu behind them. The class advisor suggested they introduce themselves in seating order.

About five minutes later, it was Zhen Bao's turn. She hadn't been in front of so many classmates in a long time. As soon as she stood up, her face turned red. When she got to the front, she looked so innocent and shy that half the boys in the class listened to her introduction very attentively, some even sneakily taking pictures with their phones.

After she finished, Zhen Bao hurried back to her seat to listen attentively to the other new students' introductions. Some of the boys would occasionally glance at her before quickly looking away. Zhen Bao didn't notice until a girl who had just gone up kept looking at her several times. Zhen Bao became curious.

She heard the girl, Feng Yue, say she was from City C.

There was someone from the same province in their class!

Zhen Bao's eyes lit up and she couldn't help but smile. Feng Yue on stage also smiled back at her, looking excited.

During the class committee election, encouraged by her three roommates, Zhen Bao signed up to be the academic affairs chairperson. She had heard it could give her extra points when being considered for scholarships. Her competitor was a boy with several pimples on his face. After one round of voting, Zhen Bao won by a huge margin.

After the meeting ended, Zhen Bao had just stepped out of the classroom when Feng Yue came looking for her.

"Ah, we went to the same high school. How come I never saw you before?" Feng Yue asked in surprise.

Remembering Fu Ming Shi's instructions, Zhen Bao said softly, "I took a year off after 10th grade, then transferred schools and lived with my aunt here."

Feng Yue was even more surprised. Looking at Zhen Bao, she explained, "Then we were in the same grade. I didn't test well enough for college last year so I had to repeat senior year. Which class were you in 10th grade?"

Zhen Bao told her the class, trying hard to remember her 10th grade life, but she couldn't recall anyone named Feng Yue at all. Feng Yue was from the city while Zhen Bao was rural. One commuted while the other boarded at school, and they were in separate classes upstairs and downstairs, so it was normal that Zhen Bao didn't remember her.

In any case, meeting a high school classmate in the capital made both Zhen Bao and Feng Yue very happy. They exchanged phone numbers, and Feng Yue happened to live in the dorm next to Zhen Bao's, so they agreed to hang out together often in the future.

After the enrollment ceremony was two weeks of military training!

Fu Ming Shi had prepared a set of fairly high-end skincare products for Zhen Bao. She didn't want to use them at first, but early in the morning, when Jia Xiao Yu and the other two came out of the bathroom busy putting on sunscreen and kindly reminded her to put some on too, Zhen Bao decided to "do as the Romans do" and took out all the skincare products from her closet.

The set Fan Xuan used was the most expensive. Zhen Bao's set didn't stand out much in comparison.

"Is Zhen Bao here?" Feng Yue suddenly knocked on the door.

Zhen Bao went to open the door while still applying sunscreen to her neck. Feng Yue smiled and greeted Fan Xuan's trio, then asked Zhen Bao, "Shall we go together later?"

"Sure!" Zhen Bao started applying sunscreen to her hands.

Feng Yue stared at the bottles and jars on her desk, recognizing it was a rather pricey brand she didn't dare buy yet. She looked again at Zhen Bao's phone, also the latest model from a luxury brand.

Feng Yue felt a little envious. Her parents were just ordinary office workers. Among her high school classmates, her family was considered well-off, but compared to these local students in the capital, she was at the bottom all of a sudden. She had thought Zhen Bao dressed quite ordinarily last night and didn't expect her family was so wealthy too.

When Zhen Bao paid with her card at breakfast, those in the lines on either side who could see her card balance were shocked speechless.

"How did you put so much in there?" Feng Yue moved next to Zhen Bao's ear and asked softly.

Remembering Fu Ming Shi's conversation with the card-charging auntie yesterday, Zhen Bao brazenly lied, "My aunt let me charge it all at once so it'd be less hassle later."

"Your aunt sure is rich," Feng Yue said enviously.

Zhen Bao took her breakfast outside the line first.

"Over here!" Jia Xiao Yu, who had grabbed them seats earlier, stood waving at her.

Zhen Bao walked that way with Feng Yue. Only when they got closer did she see the dining hall had all four-person tables. She and Feng Yue sat at the table next to Jia Xiao Yu and the others. She couldn't make Feng Yue sit alone after all. Jia Xiao Yu glared at them and muttered something quietly. Qian Lele giggled softly, "Jealous?"

Jia Xiao Yu pouted. She just found Feng Yue annoying, sticking to them when she wasn't even roommates with them.

During the military training lineup, Jia Xiao Yu pulled Zhen Bao early to stand in the same row.

Only then did Feng Yue go find her own roommates.

~

After the first day of training ended, Fan Xuan and the others were too tired to move, but for Zhen Bao, who had farmed for two years back home, this level of activity was nothing. After dinner and a shower, it was only a bit past 8. Zhen Bao tidied up her desk, slowly brushing her hair while reading an original English novel she had brought from the villa.

"As expected of our academic chairperson. You're actually reading something fully in English!" Jia Xiao Yu suddenly moved closer. "I'll have to rely on you in the future for the CET 4 and 6 tests."

Zhen Bao smiled.