An invitation to tour the campus

"I think those short videos have poisoned your brain. Looks like your dad made the right call locking you up."

"Hey-! Enough, don't bring that up!"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Looks like it really traumatized you."

Seeing Zhang Zeyang react just like a startled kitten, Lin Yu dropped the subject.

"Of course it did! You haven't been through it, so you wouldn't understand how hard it was. At one point, I reached a state of having no desires whatsoever. I thought I was about to ascend to immortality!"

Zhang Zeyang kept pouring out his woes between mouthfuls of beer and skewers of barbecue.

Looks like his dad really went hard on him this time.

"All right, you've learned everything you need to anyway. All that's left in senior year is an internship, unless you want to go to grad school."

"Burp~ True. Thinking about it that way really does make me feel better."

"Speaking of internships, why not come intern at my place? It's right in your field, and you can start working there directly after graduation!"

"Sure. In that case, I'll gladly take you up on it."

Lin Yu agreed without hesitation. Zhang Zeyang's suggestion saved him the trouble of searching, and his major was computer science, so just as Zhang Zeyang had said, it was right in his field.

"Burp~ Then it's settled. Come straight to the company in a few days!"

"Huh? Don't I need an interview?"

Zhang Zeyang slung his arm around Lin Yu's shoulders again, still hiccupping away. His face was quite red too; he seemed drunk.

"Burp~ You were the runner-up in the national computer competition, and you've won so many scholarships and honors. Your abilities speak for themselves. What do you need an interview for...?"

"That won't do. I'll apply myself. Besides, I probably can't come that soon. I want to rest for a while first. Would that be okay?"

He was already pretty busy, and with Firefly to look after, he would only get busier, so he needed some time to plan what came next. Of course, he was genuinely tired too. Once he finished getting Firefly's livestream sorted out, he needed a good rest!

"Sure. Burp~ It was thoughtless of me to ask you to start working right when the semester begins. I remember the company's hiring in October. I'll let you know once I have the exact dates."

"Okay. Sorry for the trouble."

Lin Yu raised his beer bottle and clinked it against Zhang Zeyang's in thanks.

"Hey, what trouble? It's nothing. Burp~ Besides, if I get you into the company, I can take credit for it with my dad. Two birds with one stone! Hehehe..."

In his drunken state, Zhang Zeyang accidentally let his true thoughts slip.

"Well, well. No wonder you're so eager to recruit me. You're using me to rack up achievements?!"

Feigning anger, Lin Yu lightly knocked him on the head.

"Ow! You can't blame me for that. My dad told me to find a way to get you into our company. He said if I succeeded, he'd stop pressuring me and give me loads of rewards!"

"I think I'll find a job myself after all."

Hearing that Lin Yu no longer wanted to come even sobered Zhang Zeyang up. This was his only chance to escape his terrifying father, and he would never let it slip away!

"Don't! Shouldn't you lend a hand when your buddy's in trouble?!"

Zhang Zeyang clung to Lin Yu, bawling with tears and snot streaming down his face. No matter how Lin Yu tried, he couldn't shake him off.

Two grown men hugging each other really spoiled the scenery, and the people around them were giving them very strange looks.

Their stares made Lin Yu uncomfortable all over.

"All right, all right! I was just teasing you. I'll go, so let go of me already!"

"That's a relief. You really are my best buddy."

Once Lin Yu agreed, he immediately released him and went back to eating barbecue and drinking beer as though nothing had happened.

Lin Yu was dumbfounded by how effortlessly he switched expressions.

"It's a waste that you're not an actor. You change faces faster than turning a page."

With a bamboo skewer between his teeth, Zhang Zeyang looked proud of himself.

"Would you have agreed if I hadn't used a little trick? Don't blame me for being heartless. Consider this your first lesson in society: you've got to be thick-skinned! You'll lose out if you always agree to other people's requests~"

"Yes, yes, you're the thickest-skinned of all. I can't compete."

Lin Yu responded to Zhang Zeyang very halfheartedly.

Zhang Zeyang kept feeling that something was off.

"Hiss~ Why does it feel like you're insulting me?"

"How could I be? I'm complimenting you."

"Really? Looks like I'm pretty smart after all. Hahaha, burp~"

Looking at Zhang Zeyang's foolish expression, Lin Yu shook his head speechlessly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Too much booze really does lower your IQ."

Lin Yu steadied Zhang Zeyang, who was already swaying precariously, while calling over a server.

"Could I get a large order of your signature Old Place fried noodles to go, and the bill, please?"

It was getting late, and he had to get up early to return to campus tomorrow.

Most importantly, he was a little worried about Firefly being home alone.

Although there was probably no one who could do anything to her, after spending these past few days together, he saw Firefly as nothing more than a cute, ordinary girl.

And who would leave a cute, "ordinary" girl at home all by herself?

"Hmm...? Are we going back?"

Hearing Lin Yu ask for the bill, the drunken Zhang Zeyang immediately pulled out his phone.

"Here! I'll pay. This one's on me!"

Watching him wave his phone around, Lin Yu sighed helplessly.

It was like this every time. He couldn't handle that much alcohol but drank it anyway, always thinking he could hold his liquor, though Lin Yu wasn't really in a position to talk either.

He reached over, took Zhang Zeyang's phone, and set it on the table.

"All right, I'll pay. We'll split it fifty-fifty. Pay me back once you've sobered up."

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

The waitress, who had watched the whole exchange from beside them, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"It's fine. Here's your bill. Please check if everything's correct. If it is, you can pay at the counter."

"Okay, thank you."

"All right, if that's everything, I'll leave you to it."

After the waitress left, Lin Yu propped Zhang Zeyang upright and went to pay. He came back and waited a while, then, once he had the fried noodles, helped the drunken Zhang Zeyang out.

As soon as they reached the roadside, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Uncle Li, you're here."

Standing before him was a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair and a face bearing traces of life's hardships, yet his posture was straight, and he didn't seem old at all.

He was Old Zhang's family driver, named Li Quan. When Zhang Zeyang had taken Lin Yu and their other two roommates out before, Uncle Li had driven them, so they were acquainted.

"Long time no see, Mr. Lin."

After exchanging pleasantries with Uncle Li, he handed Zhang Zeyang over to him.

Politely declining Uncle Li's kind offer to drive him home, Lin Yu hailed a taxi.

It was already eleven when he got home.

"You're back."

When Lin Yu opened the door, all he saw was darkness.

"Hmm? Why aren't the lights on?"

He felt along the wall for the switch, and the pitch-black living room instantly lit up.

"I'm watching a horror movie called Bunshinsaba. I saw online that other people turn off the lights when they watch it. They said something about it making the atmosphere scarier."

"So what do you think? Is it scary?"

Firefly shook her head.

"I don't really feel anything."

Lin Yu sat on the sofa beside her and put the fried noodles he had bought on the coffee table.

"If you don't find it scary, come eat first. It won't taste good once it gets cold."

Firefly, who had been watching the television intently just a moment ago, immediately shifted her gaze to the fried noodles on the table, practically drooling.

Seeing how eager Firefly was for the food, he smiled fondly.

"All right, dig in. I'm going to take a shower. I reek of alcohol."

After Lin Yu entered the bathroom, Firefly got a bowl and a little stool and started eating.

Her eyes lit up after a single slurp! She held one hand to her cheek, looking utterly satisfied.

"Sho yummy-!"

When Lin Yu came out of the shower and entered the living room, Firefly called to him.

"Lin Yu, come here, come here."

Lin Yu walked over and asked in confusion.

"What's wrong? Does it taste bad?"

These are that restaurant's signature fried noodles. All four of us in the dorm rated them highly. You could call them the best fried noodles we've ever had. Could they not suit Firefly's tastes?

"Oh, that's not it."

As she spoke, Firefly brought out the bowl she had prepared.

"Good food should be shared, of course. Besides, you're the one who bought it, so you should have some too."

Before Lin Yu could refuse, Firefly had already served him a bowl.

Although he was already full, Firefly would probably still give him a portion.

What else could he say? He could only quietly accept it.

And so the two of them ate noodles in the living room while the unfinished Bunshinsaba continued playing on the television.

As he ate, Lin Yu thought about the start of the semester tomorrow. He had already arranged time off from his part-time job. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of his final year at university, and he might rarely return to campus after that.

With that thought, he looked at the girl before him. Seemingly having decided something, he spoke.

"Firefly, would you be interested in taking a look around campus?"