The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 399: Registration

The smooth curves and well-built muscles of her tall, slim body was pleasant in a healthy way. She was holding a half-filled bottle of water in one hand and a red crystal necklace in her other hand.

Just as she was about to say something, she met Gao Yang’s eyes.

Both of them were surprised to see the other.

Gao Yang immediately connected the dots. Qing Ling had enrolled in the Li City University too and came to Nainai regularly to disguise herself as a wanderer.

After two silent seconds, Qing Ling threw the crystal necklace at Nainai, who jumped up to catch it.

This time, Nainai got to work immediately rather than spouting chuuni nonsense and putting on airs. At first, Nainai had treated Qing Ling the same way, but was swiftly convinced by Qing Ling’s blade to never act out her tendency before her.

“You’re up,” Qing Ling said coldly.

Gao Yang answered, “Yeah, it’s been a few days.”

“You didn’t tell me.” Qing Ling’s expression remained frosty.

“White Rabbit and Adept Horse visited me the second day,” Gao Yang said with a smile. “I thought they told you.”

“I’ve been at school and haven’t gone back to the Millennium Tower.” Qing Ling gazed over Gao Yang’s shoulder at Nainai with an impassive look on her face, speaking in a cold, slightly impatient tone. “Hurry.”

“A sec, just a sec...almost done.” Nainai’s tone landed somewhere between fear and humility. After injecting the necklace with the energy of a wanderer, she threw it to Qing Ling, not wanting to waste even a second of Qing Ling’s time.

Qing Ling grabbed the necklace with one hand and turned to leave.

Bam!

The door shut.

“Hmph, what a fool!” As soon as Qing Ling left, Nainai’s chuuni side returned in full force. She crossed her arms and reached for excuses to cover up her earlier cowardice.

“You’ve been fooled by my perfect acting again. I’ll let you be conceited for a few days. When the power of the crimson eye of the evil lord awakens fully, it’ll be your death. Muhaha, muhahahaha...”

Ding ding!

Ding ding!

Ding ding!

Gao Yang’s phone rang three times, interrupting Nainai’s laughter.

Both Can and Nainai turned to Gao Yang.

Ignoring their gazes, he took his phone out of his pants pocket, pausing when he saw that the messages were from Qing Ling.

Qing Ling: Hot pot!

Qing Ling: Let’s have hot pot!

Qing Ling: I want to have hot pot!

Gao Yang snorted. It seemed that Qing Ling’s sister had taken over.

Noticing that Can was trying to sneak a glance, Gao Yang quickly put away his phone and said, “Senior Orange, please take me to register now.”

...

Can and Gao Yang left the Witch’s Club to go through the registration process at the faculty building, paying the tuition and getting Gao Yang’s textbooks. In the process, Can gave Gao Yang a tour for free, telling him the basic information of the school and finally leading him to the third boys’ dorm of the computer science department.

“Alright, Cap...Gao Yang.” Can glanced at the dorm. “I’ll leave you to it. If you insist on inviting me, of course, I won’t mind...”

“Thanks for today.” Gao Yang smiled. “I’ll buy you a meal.”

“Haha, sure.” Can laughed too. “Then...I want to have hot pot!”

“How about something else?”

“Well...barbecue?”

“Sure.” Gao Yang waved at her, entering the door to the dorm with the blanket, basin, and other everyday necessities the school provided.

...

Gao Yang’s dorm room was 509. Climbing onto the fifth floor with arms full of things, he quickly found his room.

The door was locked. Gao Yang opened it with the key given to him.

Inside was a rectangular room. At the far end was a large window, letting in sufficient sunlight. It was a room for four with two beds on each side—elevated ones with wooden desks and cabinets underneath the beds as one piece of furniture.

Among the four beds, only the one closest to the door was still empty.

Well, it was unclaimed, rather. Both the bed and the desk and cabinet below were stacked with all sorts of things.

It was three o’clock in the afternoon. There was no one else in the room. His roommates must be in class.

Gao Yang sighed and started sorting his belongings. As soon as he started, though, light shone in from behind him as the door opened.

Gao Yang turned around to see someone standing outside.

The boy was around his age. He was about 1.7 meters tall with a pair of thick glasses, looking bookish and frail in unfashionable dark gray casual clothes and a pair of commonplace sneakers.

His black short hair was soft and smooth with some curls, flopping on his forehead. His skin was clear but a little yellowish with faint spots of white around his temples, seemingly a result of malnutrition during childhood.

He was holding a large lidded water bottle and a package.

He paused when he saw Gao Yang before giving him a reserved but gentle smile. “Are you...Gao Yang?”

Gao Yang smiled politely. “That’s me, yeah.”

“You woke up?” The boy was stunned.

“Yes, I got into an accident and had been unconscious for a while. I didn’t get discharged until last week.”

“I’ve heard.” The boy walked around Gao Yang and placed the water bottle and package he was holding on his table, turning around. “Come, I’ll help you clean up.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I can do it myself.”

“Oh, no, I should help. There is quite a lot of my stuff on your bed too. I’m embarrassed.” He smiled and adjusted the glasses perching on his flat nose, then he rolled up his sleeves. “I’m Mi Shi. The others of the room call me Old Shi.”

“You aren’t that old,” Gao Yang said casually.

“Hoho, I entered school later than others. I’m turning 20 soon. I’m the oldest of this room.”

“Ah, right.” Gao Yang smiled. “You can call me Little Gao.”

“Sure. Nice to meet you, Little Gao.”

Mi Shi was shy but friendly. After helping Gao Yang clean up the bed, he laid down the bedsheet and wiped the dust off the desk with a damp rag. Then he helped Gao Yang sort out his daily items.

Only after that did Mi Shi open his package. It was a simple DIY shoe rack.

Returning the favor, Gao Yang helped put together the shoe rack and placed it outside the door, sorting the mess of shoes belonging to their roommates on the rack.

With that done, Mi Shi clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Whew, much better.”

Seems like you’ve been bothered by it for a while, Gao Yang thought.

Bam!

Suddenly, the door was kicked open. Gao Yang and Mi Shi jumped, looking up to see a tall slim boy outside. His red wine-colored hair was parted on the side, and he wore a fancy dark pink shirt and a pair of fashionable black cropped pants. His shoes were special edition white sneakers.

His skin condition was quite good. With his almond-shaped eyes, tall nose bridge, thin lips, and well-placed facial features, he was on the handsome side, but that was it.

Putting aside everything other than appearance, Dragon would be a 9.5, Wang Zikai a 8.8, and this boy a 7.5.

He had a hand in his pocket and his other hand holding a can of beer, pulling a long face with a mix of frustration, humiliation, and anger.

He tipped his head up and downed the last of his beer, lips twitching and curling into a sneer. “Ha, I fell for someone for the first time since forever, but I lost completely...”

Then he hurled the can at the floor. “Dang it!”