At the start of the semester, the days always seemed to drag, but in the blink of an eye, the end-of-term revelry swept across the entire campus.
Taut nerves finally relaxed, and a weary sense of release washed over everyone like a tide, only to be swept clean away by the joy of going home soon. All of Jiangzhou University was steeped in a restless yet lazy atmosphere. Aside from the passionately in-love couples who wished they could cling to each other twenty-four hours a day, most students had already started packing and counting down the days until they went home.
On the last Saturday before the break, Jiang University finally lifted its long-standing campus lockdown.
The gates opened wide, and the students, cooped up for so long, flooded into every corner beyond campus like birds released from their cages.
At noon, it was time for Wang Xiaoliang and Tian Jiayi's lunch date.
First, he went to Bugbug Internet Cafe to pick up Luo Bisheng, who had arrived early and was waiting eagerly at the entrance.
Jiangzhou was especially cold that day, with the damp chill unique to the south. Invisible moisture filled the air like countless tiny needles of ice, finding every opening to burrow into the gaps between their bones. When the wind blew, that chill pressed against their faces and bodies, making them uncomfortable inside and out.
"Holy shit, it's fucking cold." Luo Bisheng hunched his neck and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Wang Xiaoliang zipped his down jacket all the way up too.
The two headed toward Hongbin Little Tower against the cold wind.
Before they reached the entrance, they spotted a fairly long line from a distance. Business at Hongbin Little Tower was as booming as ever, especially during the weekend lunch rush.
Wang