After dinner, everyone except the usually quiet Qin Mengdie gathered in the living room to chat.
However, it seemed like I was being singled out. Sister Lin and Tang Shuyao kept giving me a hard time, perfectly embodying the saying, “Women and petty men are the hardest to deal with.”
The bonfire party was set to start at 7:30 PM, and since it was almost time, I spoke up, “It’s about to begin. Let’s head over!”
“Do you even know where it’s being held?” Tang Shuyao teased, looking at me with amusement.
That question stumped me—I actually had no idea where this so-called bonfire party was taking place.
Xu Xin smiled and said, “The message said it’s near the small woods behind the university. It’s getting late; we should get going.”
“I can’t wait any longer! Let’s see if I can pick up a cute junior!” Sister Lin exclaimed excitedly, jumping up from the sofa.
Honestly, whether it was a junior or a senior, any guy would probably be put off by her flat-chested, Chun Ge-like figure.
“Wasn’t this event for freshmen? You’re way past that age, grandma. Still trying to pass as a newbie?” I said, giving Sister Lin a deadpan look.
Sister Lin snorted proudly, “Once they see my underdeveloped chest, they’ll totally think I’m a freshman!”
“You’re unbelievable!” I had no words left for her and could only toss her that sarcastic compliment.
As we all got ready to leave, Qin Mengdie remained seated on the sofa, reading a book.
“Aren’t you coming out with us?” I asked her curiously.
She glanced up at me and replied calmly, “No…”
If Qin Mengdie stayed home, then I couldn’t leave either. There was no telling when the SR organization might strike. At the end of the day, protecting her was my top priority.
Just as I was about to try persuading her, Tang Shuyao beat me to it. She walked over, closed the book in Qin Mengdie’s hands, and said, “Mengdie, don’t stay cooped up inside. It’ll be fun!”
“Yeah, Mengdie, come with us! Maybe we’ll find some cute guys to flirt with!” Sister Lin chimed in.
Her words were enough to make anyone facepalm. Qin Mengdie was the top-ranked beauty among the freshmen—she already had more suitors than she could shake a stick at!
After a moment of thought, Qin Mengdie finally said, “Alright.”
Hearing her agree to come along, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as we reached the door, we saw Wang Ziyan trudging back, looking exhausted.
Spotting us all dressed up, she paused and asked, “Where are you guys going?”
“The university’s hosting a bonfire party. Wanna come?” Xu Xin asked with a smile.
Wang Ziyan, who had been listless just moments ago, immediately perked up. “Wait for me! Let me change real quick!”
In the end, everyone from the apartment headed out together toward the university’s back campus.
Shenghua University covered a vast area—so large that I didn’t even know its full extent.
Rumor had it that the current students only occupied the front campus. The back campus had been left unused since the university’s founding, though it remained just as grand—just devoid of activity.
Holding the bonfire party there was actually a pretty good idea.
Sister Lin’s car couldn’t fit everyone, so Wang Ziyan brought hers as well.
We arrived at the event site before long. Quite a few people had already gathered, with the most noticeable group being the international freshmen.
A decent number of Shenghua freshmen had shown up, though not many.
But that didn’t surprise me. Most of them were rich, handsome guys—why would they waste time at some bonfire party in the middle of nowhere? Hitting up a club would be way more their style.
“Hey! Sun Jing!” I spotted her and called out.
Sun Jing, who had been chatting with classmates, turned at the sound of my voice and smiled. “Xia Tian, you came too!”
I grinned. “Yeah!”
Sister Lin leaned over and asked, “Who’s this little cutie?”
“Let me introduce you—Sun Jing, my only female deskmate in high university, and also my last one!” I said, introducing her to the group.
“Hi, I’m Tang Shuyao!”
“I’m Lin Mengxin, Xia Tian’s sister and landlord!”
“I’m Mei’er!”
“I’m Wang Ziyan!”
Mei’er, Sister Lin, and Tang Shuyao were all friendly, while Qin Mengdie remained aloof.
Qin Mengdie was always cold. She seemed especially distant with strangers, and even with acquaintances, she rarely warmed up.
Suddenly, Xu Xin stepped forward and hugged Sun Jing. “Jing, long time no see!”
“Xu Xin! You got into Shenghua too?” Sun Jing was visibly excited to see her.
Though they hadn’t been close before, they had at least shared a meal together and were both from No. 3 High university.
After their reunion, Sun Jing glanced at Qin Mengdie and asked, “And this is…?”
“Qin Mengdie…” I was about to answer for her, but she spoke up herself.
I smiled. “Alright, now that everyone’s acquainted, let’s sit down!”
The bonfire party soon kicked off, hosted by a freshman whose name I didn’t know. Rumor had it he was the one who proposed the event to the university and was also a member of the student council.
Very few freshmen made it into the student council, so this guy must’ve had some skills.
After a brief, uninspiring speech, the event officially began.
I didn’t find the bonfire party particularly interesting, but the barbecue buffet was another story.
They even had beer—something I hadn’t had in a while.
I grabbed a bottle, took a few sips, and found it pretty good, especially paired with some grilled skewers.
“Cheers! Cheers!” Tang Shuyao, already a little tipsy, clinked her bottle with everyone else’s, her face flushed red.
We weren’t mingling much with the other freshmen, almost like we were just there for the free food and drinks. Watching the silly performances, we laughed our heads off.
“I’m stepping out for a bit,” Qin Mengdie said after only a few sips of her drink, not having touched any barbecue.
Without waiting for a response, she got up and left.
Worried she might be in danger, I pretended I needed the bathroom and followed her.
She seemed to just want some fresh air, away from the party’s noise.
Relieved, I turned to head back—only to bump into a girl after just a few steps.
“Sorry! Sorry!” I quickly apologized, helping her up. To my surprise, it was the Korean freshman representative—I think her name was Song Kexin.
“It’s fine…” she replied in fluent Mandarin, dusting herself off.
I smiled. “Glad to hear it.”
Song Kexin smiled back before walking away.
I continued back toward the party, but halfway there, a sudden sense of unease gripped me.
I rushed back to where Qin Mengdie had been standing—only to find her gone!