In the midst of summer, during the oscillating transition between day and night, a mist blankets the horizon, resembling drifting clouds that shroud the faint light. It is only when the initial rays of the rising sun pierce through the clouds that the mist quietly dissipates.
This northern city seldom experiences fog, particularly during the summer season.
Regrettably, Lin Wu was unable to relish this uncommon beauty as he was abruptly roused at 7 o’clock in the morning. While this was a routine morning for him, in the summer when daylight arrives before 5 a.m., the external world had already bathed in radiant sunlight.
The cacophony of new classmates reporting downstairs, old classmates dragging their suitcases through the corridor, the 7 a.m. broadcast playing the “Morning Suite” across the entire school, and the incessant “ding dong” of messages near his pillow stirred Lin Wu from his sleep.
Today being August 31st, the official commencement of the school year awaited tomorrow.
Lin Wu didn’t hurry to rise; he lingered on the upper bunk, rubbing his drowsy eyes and yawning. His phone, positioned beside his head, became a source of continual “ding dong” notifications.
The persistent alerts weren’t confined to a single WeChat group; they emanated from multiple groups. Even with the “Do Not Disturb” mode activated, it succumbed to the collective force –
【Environmental College Group】
Teacher Li: Attention to the new students tasked with welcoming. While introducing the school and college, and sharing university life, aim to convey positive energy. Those wanting to discuss negative emotions can approach the college office and seek Teacher Chen. All members
Teacher Chen: [Wearing a smile like a spring breeze.jpg]
【Environmental Engineering Department Group】
Counselor Teacher Gao: Roll call will occur later. Assemble in front of the Environmental Building at 5 p.m. All members
【Environmental Engineering Class 1 Group】
Dominating Xu Zhenlong: Did you catch the message in the college group? Hilarious, hahaha. All members
Admired Liu Mu: Surely guiding some freshmen, and in the midst, things will become interesting.
Food lover Shang Haitao: I’m more intrigued by the emojis Old Chen sent.
Food lover Shang Haitao: [Wearing a smile like a spring breeze.jpg]
Rapid Descender Pang Dongdong: Society is progressing too rapidly; even Old Chen has picked up internet slang [sighs]
Short-tempered Zou Kai: If you guys persist with these incomprehensible abbreviations, I’ll block all of you!
I’m the class monitor Deng Chacha: “tm” is also an abbreviation. Short-tempered Zou Kai.
Short-tempered Zou Kai: …
Lin Wu was amused, fully awake now. Just as he was about to present his “Lin Wu, the blooming mist” for roll call, another message arrived from the fourth WeChat group –
[Book Mountain 2# Owners Group]
Blazing Fire: Whose blanket is this downstairs? All members
Blazing Fire: [Photo]
Blazing Fire: It’s been hanging for days; if it’s not taken in soon, it might turn into a door panel.
“Book Mountain” is the official designation given by the school to the male dormitory area, while the female dormitory area is called “Sea of Learning.” Hence, “Book Mountain 2#” refers to the male dormitory building #2.
Though the residents of building #2 only spend four years there, they boldly named their group “Owners Group” to experience a taste of property ownership in advance.
“Hey, holding a phone ready to smash your face early in the morning.” Room 333’s door swung open, and Lin Wu’s roommate, Xia Yang, with a Tianjin accent, returned with his suitcase.
The scorching summer break left no trace on Xia Yang’s body. From his face to his arms and legs, everything remained fair. His slightly curled hair, which was black last semester, was now dyed chestnut, enhancing his already handsome features.
“Pretty early,” Lin Wu sat up on the upper bunk, “I thought you’d be back in the afternoon.”
Xia Yang, a native of Tianjin, arrived in Shenyang yesterday. However, as he has relatives in the area who take care of him, he typically visits them for dinner, stays overnight, and then heads to school.
“Bro missed you guys,” Xia Yang squatted down to open his suitcase, revealing several large bags filled with local specialties. He enthusiastically placed them on the table while recounting his experiences, “The high-speed train yesterday was something else. I don’t know if the air conditioning went mad or what, but it froze my brain. I told the conductor three times to adjust the temperature, explaining that this is a high-speed train, not a freezer. Can you guess what she said? She was helpless, stating that the train’s air conditioning is just like that, and suggested I use the curtain to cover myself if I couldn’t stand it…”
Whether Xia Yang’s brain was buzzing from the freezing or not, Lin Wu couldn’t tell. However, his brain was certainly buzzing now, listening to Xia Yang’s animated chatter.
Xia Yang is silent beauty, but as soon as he speaks, he transforms into a Guo Degang, a famous Chinese comedian, with his authentic Tianjin accent shattering the refined atmosphere.
When Xia Yang finally caught his breath, Lin Wu interjected, “I’m puzzled. They say having one person from the Northeast in the dorm can influence the whole dormitory, but we have three Northeasterners in our room, and somehow, we couldn’t change your accent.”
Xia Yang looked up, gave Lin Wu a charming wink, and said, “Is that so? Can’t accept it?”
Lin Wu: “… Your mixed vibe is something else.”
“I have to tell you, when it comes to accents, I was actually tempted at first. I considered giving up resistance and following the flow with you guys,” Xia Yang stood up, distributing the snacks, all Tianjin specialties, on the tables beneath the other two bunk beds. “But then I thought, changing from a Tianjin accent to a Northeastern accent is meaningless. Whether it’s ‘Sister, what are you busy with?’ or ‘Hey, little sister, what are you up to?’ – you tell me with your sincere chest muscles, is there any substantial difference in the impact on temperament?”
Lin Wu skillfully caught a pack of Eighteenth Street sesame twists and a bag of deep-fried ear-shaped cakes, “My bad.”
In a dorm with three Northeasterners and one Tianjin native, discussing “temperament” was indeed overthinking it.
“Where’s Li Junchi?” Xia Yang noticed Li Junchi’s luggage but his absence in the dorm.
Lin Wu said, “He’s gone to work.”
Xia Yang looked at his phone, “It’s only 7 a.m.”
Lin Wu said, “He’s filling in for a senior to pick up his sister at the train station.”
Li Junchi, the resident of dorm 333, was known for being the top part-time job performer at their school. He would accept any task within human capability and not against the law. Currently, he was helping a senior by picking up his sister from the train station.
“Hiring someone to pick up a girlfriend?” Xia Yang expressed indignation upon hearing the job description. “Can a guy like that find a girlfriend?”
Lin Wu said, “Not a girlfriend.”
Xia Yang said, “Then it’s fine. You can earn money and meet girls.”
Lin Wu said, “His younger sister, so the senior pays an extra hundred. Li Junchi is strictly forbidden from asking for any private information and contact details from his sister, including but not limited to the department, grade, Weibo, WeChat, QQ, and game account.”
Xia Yang: “…”
As they discussed, a new message appeared in the group, seemingly like a summons for whoever was mentioned.
Please give me a koi fish: Harbin is experiencing heavy rain, and the high-speed train is suspended [crying][crying][crying] Lin Wu, Li Junchi, Xia Xiaoye
Lin Wu and Xia Yang exchanged glances.
The former shrugged, “Not surprised at all.”
The latter raised an eyebrow, “As expected.”
Every time Any Feiyu returned home and came back, it was never smooth. In winter break, there was a blizzard, and in summer break, there was heavy rain. His train ticket seemed to have the power to control the weather.
This was just the tip of the iceberg of Any Feiyu’s unfortunate constitution. His time on campus was also bitter and full of hardships, making it painful to reminisce.
After comforting Any Feiyu, Lin Wu jumped off the bed to brush his teeth and wash up. When he returned, he found Xia Yang, who had just changed into a new T-shirt, already asleep under the slowly rotating fan in the dorm. He slept like a child who had spent several nights in an internet cafe, finding solace from the freezing experiences at his relatives’ house.
Classes didn’t start until tomorrow, and there was nothing much to do today. Lin Wu, while nibbling on the sesame twists, scrolled through his phone and opened an app called “Book Mountain Hut.”
This app, initially created by a senior in Book Mountain several years ago, was a simplified version of an anonymous forum mainly used for internal venting. Now considered a semi-official mobile campus forum, it still maintained the anonymous mode and a relaxed atmosphere.
The most popular posts today were not outrageous emotions or confusing gossip, but a few landscape photos:
Topic: The fog this morning is so beautiful!
Posted by: Samantha who loves morning jogging
Content: [Picture][Picture][Picture][Picture]…
Lin Wu clicked on the post and scrolled down to see a series of large high-definition pictures capturing the beauty of the morning fog.
