Zeng Keqin didn't respond. She pressed her lips together, took a thin jacket from the closet, and put it on, trying to minimize her presence.
Wang Chunyue stood up from her chair and smiled to smooth things over. "She's a top law student after all. It's normal for her to like reading!"
Liu Ying blew on her nails, her tone sour. "Of course. With so many people in the law school, you get the scholarship every year. Leave some room for others, will you?"
Zeng Keqin gripped her book tightly. A surge of impulse rose in her—she wanted to tell them that Bai Run'er had invited her for an interview.
But the words caught in her throat.
What if she didn't get through?
Wouldn't she become a laughingstock?
She lowered her eyes, silently opened her book, and started reciting the regulations, as if that could block out the noise.
Her phone vibrated.
It was her mother—Lyu Qian.
She stood up and walked out.
As the door closed, Wang Chunyue's voice came faintly through the crack: "Why do you have to talk about her like that?"
"Don't you think she's pretentious? She makes it seem like we're isolating her, but it's her who doesn't fit in! She never says a word, doesn't chat, and never has time to hang out! Does she really think she's some unearthly fairy?"
"I'm with Liu Ying on this!"
A third voice chimed in, from Fang Yu, who had been lying in bed playing on her phone. "When Zeng Keqin first came to our dorm, Liu Ying was the warmest to her, right? Last time for her birthday, she invited her so enthusiastically, but she went to the cafeteria alone. She just looks down on us..."
Zeng Keqin didn't listen to the rest.
On the other end of the line, Lyu Qian was still rambling—
"How's your job search going?"
"I've been sending out resumes."
"You've been sending them for so long with no response? Maybe you should come back and take the civil service exam! Your cousin's department still has openings—they can help—"
"Mom, I haven't graduated yet."
"That's only a matter of time!" Lyu Qian's tone grew more impatient. "I told you to study medicine, but you had to change your preference and go so far away. Now look, our family has no connections in law firms. A girl like you..."
Zeng Keqin moved the phone away from her ear, tilted her head, and looked at the sky outside the corridor.
So tired.
A weariness that seeped from the marrow of her bones.
She had thought that by coming to a new city, she could escape her parents' control and start fresh.
But she forgot.
Habits couldn't be changed.
She didn't know when it started, but she had gotten used to being alone, hated being noticed, and feared being expected of.
And silence became a wall, isolating her from the outside world.
She thought she was protecting herself, not realizing that outside the wall was where she truly wanted to be.
The phone screen dimmed and lit up, lit up and dimmed.
Finally, a message popped up—a WeChat from Wang Chunyue—
[Don't take what happened to heart. Liu Ying just has a sharp tongue, no bad intent. It's almost mealtime. Want to go eat together?]
Zeng Keqin stared at the line for a long time, typed and deleted, over and over, and finally replied: [No thanks.]
She went to the cafeteria, habitually sat in the corner, and mechanically picked at the scrambled eggs with tomatoes on her plate.
Just as she was about to take a second bite, a shadow fell over her, and a cheerful voice came from above—
"Ah, we came just in time!"
Zeng Keqin looked up, faced three smiling faces, paused for a second, and stammered, "Why are you here?"
"To have dinner, of course!"
Wang Chunyue matter-of-factly placed her tray on the table and plopped down beside her.
Liu Ying's expression was a bit awkward. "What, is the cafeteria your property? Only you can come and not us?"
Fang Yu was the last to sit, carrying four cups of milk tea, and placed one in front of each person.
"I don't—"
"No nonsense." Fang Yu directly poked the straw in and shoved it into her hand.
Zeng Keqin held the milk tea, her lips moved, and she whispered, "Thank you."
"This milk tea isn't free," Wang Chunyue winked. "Dorm rule: everyone takes turns treating. Tomorrow's your turn!"
Zeng Keqin met their sparkling eyes and nodded gently. "Okay."
Wang Chunyue beamed. "Eat up! I'm so hungry my stomach's growling!"
Liu Ying was already shoveling food into her mouth, mumbling, "Tomorrow I want the most expensive one."