Chapter 78: You shut up too!

Since we are now a joint dormitory, we should have joint activities. How can we connect without moving?

Discarding all lies, stripping away all pretense and the need to save face, it ultimately comes down to men approaching women to connect.

"I suggest we go boating in the park."

"What's so fun about boating? We should go to the Pearl Tower. I've been here for so long and haven't even visited it. How embarrassing."

"When can we not visit the tower? Why don't we form a team and travel to other cities? How about going to the capital, which is a century-old ancient city?"

He Na glanced at Liang Tao and said, "Next week, our school has a five-day holiday. Why don't we go hiking? There's a mountain called Yvnü Mountain not far from Pearl City. They say the scenery is very beautiful, and it hasn't been developed by humans. We can take the train there, eat wild vegetables, and stay in a rural home. It will definitely be a great experience."

Everyone expressed their agreement.

Qiu Yihan was clearly moved and looked at Tang Zhong, who was sitting opposite her, and asked, "Tang Zhong, are you going?"

Tang Zhong hesitated.

He didn't know if Bai Su would find him those days. If there was an emergency, it would be inconvenient for him to leave the mountains.

Tang Zhong didn't answer, and Qiu Yihan's expression became somewhat disappointed. She said, "You're not going? If you're not going, I won't go either."

Due to her upbringing, Qiu Yihan had a strong sense of self-protection. She had just mended her relationships with her roommates, but it wasn't realistic to say they were deeply bonded. Besides Tang Zhong, she was even less familiar with the other three in the dormitory.

If Tang Zhong didn't go, how could she dare to go?

Subconsciously, she already considered Tang Zhong someone she could trust.

Thus, Tang Zhong clearly felt several hostile gazes directed at him.

Seeing Hu Ming and Liang Tao making faces and pleading, Tang Zhong had no choice but to say, "I don't want to ruin everyone's fun. I'm just worried that something might happen and I won't be able to return in time."

"It's fine," He Na said with a smile. "There's a train between Yvnü Mountain and Pearl City. We can take the train there and back."

"Alright then," Tang Zhong nodded. "Let's go hiking together."

Everyone cheered, and the drinking spree reached a new high.

After a satisfying meal, Qiu Yihan, the little rich girl, went to pay the bill.

The group wobbled their way back to the school. As they approached the main gate, they saw Qiao Lei walking out with a canvas bag.

He wore a baseball cap with the brim pulled low, but his outstanding figure made him easily recognizable.

Qiao Lei inadvertently looked up and clearly didn't expect to run into Tang Zhong.

His face showed a pained expression, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes. Then, he clenched his fists and strode toward Tang Zhong.

"This guy is still haunting me," Hu Ming said angrily, thinking Qiao Lei was coming to cause trouble. He pulled out his belt and charged at Qiao Lei, knowing he was no match for him in a fistfight. "If you dare to die, I'll dare to bury you."

Liang Tao, worried about Hu Ming, also pulled out his LV belt and quickly followed.

The girls also sensed the tension and kept a slight distance to avoid any accidental injuries.

"Hu Ming, Liang Tao, come back," Tang Zhong called out.

Hu Ming turned to look at Tang Zhong, grumbling as he retreated.

With no obstacles, Qiao Lei easily reached Tang Zhong.

"I didn't expect to run into you," Qiao Lei said.

"Nanjing University is so big, we're bound to meet," Tang Zhong said with a smile. He could tell Qiao Lei had no intention of fighting. If he did, his body wouldn't be so relaxed.

"It won't happen again," Qiao Lei said. "No matter how big Nanjing University is, you won't see me here. I won't be coming back to Nanjing University."

Tang Zhong didn't respond.

He had carried Qiao Lei into the toilet and thrown him into the urinal to make it difficult for him to stay at Nanjing University. This outcome was largely due to his actions.

Qiao Lei smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. "Your methods were brutal and effective. I am a very prideful person. This way, I really can't stay at Nanjing University. Everywhere I go, it feels like many people are watching me. Even after washing myself multiple times, I still feel the stench of urine. I've dropped out. I'm leaving now."

"Even if you say that, I won't feel guilty," Tang Zhong said, squinting his eyes. "Our relationship deteriorated to this point, and I really don't understand why. We had no prior conflicts, and it was just over a chair. I'm like this. I can't tolerate any injustice. If someone insults me, I want to hit back. If someone hits me, I'll hit back twice as hard. I won't put myself in a corner, and I won't let anyone put me in a corner. So, before a bigger danger comes, I prefer to eliminate it at the root."

Tang Zhong stared at Qiao Lei's somewhat gloomy face under the baseball cap and said, "If my skills weren't good, I would have been the one injured and humiliated that night. So, I won't feel guilty about anyone who tries to harm me. What I did to him is what he wanted to do to me. The difference is that I succeeded, and you failed."

"I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty," Qiao Lei said. "If you really felt guilty, it would only make me feel more ashamed of myself. I'm just stating a fact."

"I understand," Tang Zhong said. "I can't say anything to bless you."

"I came here to make you remember me," Qiao Lei said. "I thought all night about why I lost so badly. Finally, I figured it out."

"What's the answer?" Tang Zhong asked.

"Because I treated it like a young person's game," Qiao Lei said. "Fights, jealousy, such things are not uncommon in school. Why did I end up like this? Later, I realized that your countermeasures were too adult. I played a young person's game, and you used adult methods. So, I lost. I couldn't match you."

Tang Zhong nodded and said, "I won't deny that. I've been exposed to all these things. Sometimes, I wish I could be more innocent."

"I won't leave Pearl City," Qiao Lei said. "From the moment I step out of the school gate, I'm no longer a student. In the future, we'll play a game as adults."

"Alright. I'll wait for you," Tang Zhong said.

Qiao Lei took off his baseball cap and said to Tang Zhong, "Remember my face. Don't forget it."

Tang Zhong laughed and said, "Does this sound like a couple's farewell?"

Qiao Lei didn't laugh.

He put the baseball cap back on and walked toward a white BMW waiting at the school gate.

Tang Zhong watched Qiao Lei's back, and the smile on his face gradually faded.

He finally grew up.

And it was because of him.

If things had gone normally, it would have taken at least two years to experience all this after entering society.

"What did he mean by an adult's game?" Hu Ming asked.

"You'll understand when you become an adult," Tang Zhong said.

Hu Ming's expression turned lecherous, and he said, "You're not talking about playing with women, are you?"

"..."

Qiao Lei dropped out, and there was no news from Youmu. Tang Zhong hadn't seen Su Shan either, so the past two days had been peaceful.

Classes, reading, and writing notes as instructed by Dean Jiao Yuheng. Life was peaceful and fulfilling.

He liked this kind of life.

When he ran to the large playground as usual at six in the morning, he saw a white figure already running slowly on the field.

"Someone is even earlier than us," Li Yu said in surprise.

Li Yu couldn't run many laps, but he still got up every morning to exercise with Tang Zhong. He might have realized how poor his health was.

"Let's go," Tang Zhong led the way, running down the steps and along the edge of the playground.

He quickly caught up with the white figure.

Without looking at the face, just by the hairstyle and the legs moving back and forth, he could identify her.

Tang Zhong originally wanted to run past her, but since they were classmates and she was Dean Jiao Yuheng's granddaughter, he felt he should show some concern.

"Is your leg better?" Tang Zhong asked. "Why not rest a bit longer?"

Mentioning the leg injury was worse. It reminded Jiao Nanxin of the humiliation of being punched in the eye by Tang Zhong.

"None of your business."

Jiao Nanxin had no intention of communicating with Tang Zhong. After a brief response, she tried to speed up and run ahead of him.

From a psychological perspective, when a woman says "None of your business" to a man, it means "Come and take care of me, come and take care of me, I can't stand it if you don't, it's too late if you don't."

If she really didn't want you to care, she would say "Get lost" directly.

Although she hinted so clearly, Tang Zhong didn't plan to care for her.

If Jiao Nanxin knew what Tang Zhong was thinking, she would cry and say, "I didn't mean it that way."

It must be said that staying in prison for a long time can easily lead to all sorts of beautiful illusions.

One person intentionally sped up, and the other deliberately fell behind, making the distance between them grow wider.

Crack.

Jiao Nanxin, running fast, tripped over something and fell forward.

Fortunately, she was smart and very agile. As she was about to hit the ground, she shifted to one side and landed on the grass.

Tang Zhong smiled bitterly. Now he couldn't ignore it.

He ran over and asked, "Are you okay? Did you hurt anywhere?"

Jiao Nanxin buried her face in the grass and didn't answer.

Seeing her not responding, Tang Zhong ran to check her foot.

There was a purplish-red mark on her ankle, and it was the same spot that had been injured before.

Tang Zhong frowned and said, "We need to apply hot water immediately."

Saying that, he squatted down and picked Jiao Nanxin up in his arms.

"Let me go. I'm fine, don't touch me," Jiao Nanxin wriggled. If he carried her back to the dormitory, everyone would think they had an abnormal relationship.

"You shut up too," Tang Zhong growled.