Chapter 131: Reunion of Best Friends

Zhang Mingyang paid no heed to the gazes of those around him and found an empty seat.

"Grandpa! Your grandson just sent you a text!"

Senior Brother Lin had messaged Zhang Mingyang, writing: "Mingyang, I'm in a meeting. I might not arrive until this afternoon."

"Huh?"

Zhang Mingyang stared at the message. Had he known, he wouldn't have rushed over in such a hurry. Since his senior brother wouldn't arrive until the afternoon, Zhang Mingyang thought it best to head back to the dormitory first to check on the guys.

He updated his destination and prepared to head toward the dorms. Watching the familiar buildings pass by outside the window, he realized he had been away for several months. Returning to school now stirred up old memories. There were still many of the five major scenic spots he hadn't visited yet; he decided to take this opportunity to properly explore his alma mater.

"Energy Department dormitories, we have arrived. Students getting off, please exit through the rear door."

"That was fast?"

Hearing the announcement, Zhang Mingyang hurried off the bus.

"I'm back!"

Looking at the familiar dormitory building before him, Zhang Mingyang stretched and let out a loud shout: "I'm back!"

"I wonder if those rascals are in the room?"

Zhang Mingyang checked the time; it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. Those animals were likely still in class. Walking into the dormitory building, climbing the familiar stairs, and seeing the familiar slogans on both sides, Zhang Mingyang suddenly felt as if he had returned to the moment he first arrived—full of excitement, curiosity, and longing.

It was currently the second period of the morning, and the hallway was empty. Standing outside room 201, Zhang Mingyang looked at the familiar door number. The identification system began to scan automatically, and with a "pop," the door unlocked.

Zhang Mingyang took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Damn it! Are these rascals still the same?"

Seeing the living room in such a mess, Zhang Mingyang couldn't help but curse. Unidentifiable food scraps were scattered on the floor, the table was covered in empty meal boxes, and underwear and throw pillows were piled together on the sofa, emitting a familiar scent.

He walked into the living room, stepping carefully over the food on the floor, and headed toward his own room.

"Pop!"

He pushed the door open, and the familiar scent and sight greeted him.

"I'm back!"

He jumped onto his bed; the soft mattress and familiar smell brought him a sense of peace.

"Nothing beats my own bed."

He rolled over and looked at the desk beside him. It was clean and tidy, as if someone had cleaned it for him. Zhang Mingyang figured those animals must have tidied it up. He pulled open the drawer to check his belongings; his student ID and access card were there, and even that envelope remained.

Sitting in the empty room, Zhang Mingyang soon grew bored. With over an hour to kill, he needed something to do.

"Oh, right!"

Zhang Mingyang took his computer out of the drawer and opened the school website, intending to see what interesting things had happened since he left.

"Damn! Someone actually got caught doing 'field maneuvers' on the mountain by our lab?"

"No way! The vegetables planted by the Department of Agriculture were eaten by the sheep from the Animal Husbandry Department?"

"Haha! Which big idiot got rejected while confessing in the grand plaza?"

Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was eleven o'clock.

"Pop!"

The sound of the door opening came from outside.

"Did you guys understand what the mentor was talking about today? It was so random."

"No!"

"Did he have another episode today? He turned an Energy lecture into a Biology lecture!"

His roommates' voices drifted in.

"Class is over?"

Zhang Mingyang checked the time. "Whoa! I was so busy reading gossip that it's already eleven!"

He stood up on tiptoe and walked to the door, pressing his ear against it to hear what they were saying.

"Hey, what are we having for lunch?"

"Don't know. Should we order delivery?"

"Forget it. We've been eating delivery for almost a month. If we keep this up, I won't even remember where the cafeteria is."

"In that case, shall we go to the cafeteria?"

"Sure!"

"Okay!"

Hearing they were going to the cafeteria, Zhang Mingyang shouted, "Take me with you, I'm going too!"

Lin Ruofu replied, "Then hurry up and go."

"Wait? That's not right! Who called out just now?"

The other four looked at each other, confused. None of them had heard anything.

"That's strange."

Seeing that the others hadn't heard it, Lin Ruofu said, "Is our dorm haunted?"

When Lin Ruofu said this, the others laughed.

"Monkey, have you gone soft in the head from class? Did you hear it wrong?"

"That can't be."

Lin Ruofu scratched his head. "I clearly heard someone shout 'take me with you' just now."

Behind the door, Zhang Mingyang covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. These guys were still the same—idiots!

"Take me with you, I'm going too!"

Zhang Mingyang shouted again.

"Did you hear that?"

Lin Ruofu pointed at the others and asked, "Did you hear that shout just now?"

"Hey! You know, I actually did hear someone speak just now."

The others nodded, indicating they had heard it too.

Lin Ruofu looked around the room, but didn't see anyone else. He pushed the dormitory door open and looked outside, but there was no one there.

"Strange."

"Could it be that we're all experiencing auditory hallucinations?"

Zhang Mingyang covered his mouth, unable to hold it in any longer. These guys were just too silly.

"I'm here!"

Zhang Mingyang shouted again.

"Over there!"

Lin Ruofu pointed toward Zhang Mingyang's room. "It sounded like it came from 'Two-Mouse's' room."

There were six people in the dorm, and they had given themselves nicknames based on the Chinese zodiac of their birth years. If two people shared the same zodiac sign, they were ranked by birth month. Zhang Mingyang was one of two people born in the Year of the Mouse, but because he was born in an earlier month, he was nicknamed "Two-Mouse."

"Two-Mouse isn't back, is he?"

The others shook their heads. "That's impossible. The department said he had to go to the capital for a year; he couldn't have come back."

Lin Ruofu gestured for silence and pointed toward Zhang Mingyang's room, signaling everyone to walk over quietly. The others nodded, tiptoeing to the door and pressing their ears against it to listen for movement.

"Huh? Why is it quiet now?"

Seeing that the noise outside had stopped, Zhang Mingyang assumed they had left.

"Man! Did they just leave? No, I've got to catch up with them."

He pulled the door open, just as Lin Ruofu and the others rushed in.

"Ah!"

Everyone screamed, both sides startled by the other.

"Two-Mouse?"

Lin Ruofu and the others regained their composure, staring in shock when they saw it was indeed Zhang Mingyang.

"Two-Mouse? When... when did you get back?"

Amidst their surprise, all six of them hugged each other in joy.

"Two-Mouse, you son of a gun, when did you get back?"

Zhang Mingyang hugged Lin Ruofu and laughed, "I just got back. Your reactions are way too slow."

Reunited, the five of them surrounded Zhang Mingyang, jumping with excitement.