The Meeting of Three Fools

“Mingyue... hehehe, hello, hello! And Xiao Ma, come on, come on, let’s go eat.” Chen Zhixuan’s smile was like spring itself, so wide that saliva almost dribbled out.

The group then entered what was said to be the liveliest restaurant on the entire Garbage Street—Sour Milk and Fish.

“Order whatever you like, don’t be polite with me.”

“Alright, I promise I won’t hold back—I’ll eat you out of house and home, hahaha!” Mingyue and Xiao Ma laughed uproariously, which made Chen Zhixuan’s heart bloom with joy.

“By the way, have your roommates all arrived? Are you really in the Media department? I feel like you’re lying.”

“Hahaha, I’m actually in Information and Electrical Engineering, the ‘Monk’s Temple.’ My roommates haven’t come yet, it’s just me. I don’t know if we’ll get along.”

“With your lively spirit, how could you not get along with people? Hahaha.” Mingyue said as she ate, looking at Chen Zhixuan.

“Aren’t you curious about my real name? You don’t really think my name is Mingyue, do you...”

“Isn’t it?” Mingyue’s mind raced wildly, a deep sense of disbelief crossing her face, thinking, “Is Xiaoxuan really that oblivious?”

“My real name is Cheng Yuxin; Mingyue is just a random online handle.”

“Cheng Yuxin? Then I’ll call you Xiao Xin. My full name is Chen Zhixuan.”

“Finished eating? Shall we take a walk?” Chen Zhixuan smiled brightly at the two girls, but they declined, saying they wanted to visit their roommates and hang out their bedding in the sun. Chen Zhixuan felt a twinge of failure—was he not their type? Or had he become ugly lately? As he pondered, he glanced at his reflection on his phone and quietly headed back to the dorm.

“Come on, brother, grab a cigarette! What game are you playing? Let’s join,” a lively voice called out before he even reached the dorm door.

Upon entering, he saw a bare-chested guy hunched over in a chair, one hand holding a phone, the other a cigarette dangling from his lips.

“Damn, this guy’s a total little rogue,” Chen Zhixuan thought anxiously about his upcoming college life.

On the other side sat a quiet young man with black-rimmed glasses, silently playing on his phone. As Chen Zhixuan entered, the young man glanced up and then stood to greet him. “Hello, are you in room 220 too? I’m Chen Yan—like the wild goose. I’m a local from Hangzhou.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Chen Zhixuan, from Yucheng. Not far from you,” Chen Zhixuan replied.

Hearing the introduction, the bare-chested man suddenly jumped up, took a deep drag, exhaled a smoke ring, and said, “Brothers, I’m Chen Feng—like a mountain peak. I’m from Songcheng. When holidays come, come visit us. The seafood’s on me.” He then pulled out a pack of Seven Wolves cigarettes and offered one to Chen Zhixuan, who waved it off, saying he didn’t smoke.

September in Hangzhou was still quite muggy. The group lay scattered on their beds, chatting casually. Suddenly, Chen Feng sat up and turned to Chen Zhixuan and Chen Yan.

“Hey brothers, how about we go out to eat tonight? I just met a girl in the freshmen group chat during the break. She invited me out, so I figured I’d bring my roommates along to break the ice. She’s a nursing student, so it should be fine, right?” On Chen Feng’s face, Chen Zhixuan saw for the first time what slyness really looked like—especially the way his eyes and mouth twisted into a lecherous grin. Still, at least they shared an interest in talking about girls.

Before Chen Yan could respond, Chen Zhixuan had already jumped off his bed and climbed onto Chen Feng’s, the two of them scrolling through chat messages. Meanwhile, Chen Yan’s head buzzed with disbelief—these roommates seemed like they had never seen a girl before.