Chapter 9 — Dorm Inspections

Luo Zhiyu lowers his head and sniffs at the collar of his shirt — there really is a lingering smell of oranges there.

This is probably what the Class 3 teacher meant by being a pervert.

After “liking” his Wechat Moment, Xiao Yan sends him a message.

[Second Year Excellent Student Representative]: Fairy scrunching eyebrows.jpg, first time washing clothes?

[Not Zhiliao]: ✔

[Second Year Excellent Student Representative]: My honour.

[Not Zhiliao]: ?

[Second Year Excellent Student Representative]: Just got off class.

[Not Zhiliao]: Good for you, no need to report to me.

[Second Year Excellent Student Representative]: Fairy scrunching eyebrows.jpg, Luo Zhiyu, I think your school uniform is about 80% done for.

[Not Zhiliao]: Throw it out tonight once you get back, Covering my face crying.jpg.

Luo Zhiyu bids goodbye to his raggedy uniform in his heart before heading to the shower with his towel. Warm water cascades over his entire body, flowing against his neck, filling the entire shower with the faint smell of fruits.

“Do I still smell like a fruit salad?” Luo Zhiyu sticks his head out from the bathroom in his pyjamas.

Jing Ximing holds the fruit salad he just picked up from outside the dorms: “Better.”

The orange pheromones really stick to a person. It took some time to wash off; no wonder teachers warn against sharing personal belongings. Luo Zhiyu is not sure if it is just him imagining things, but the nape of his neck still feels kind of numb, slightly warm to the touch.

He takes out a new pheromone blocker, haphazardly doodling a wild pig head on top, and sticks it on his pulse.

In effort to discourage student cliques, even the distributed scent blockers are standardized and boring.

“Just heard people saying that there’s going to be an impromptu dorm inspection tomorrow.” Jing Ximing scrolls through his QQ However, First Metropolitan also considers that the main thing a student should be doing is studying. Because of this, there are still bans on certain appliances in the dorms.

At 8pm in the evening, as Luo Zhiyu doodles and scribbles on his drawing stand, a knock suddenly sounds from the dorm entrance.

Luo Zhiyu: “?”

“Shh.” Jing Ximing says, “Hide the pot.”

“Open the door.” A voice very familiar to Luo Zhiyu sounds from outside, “You guys can’t be trying to hide a pot or something, right?”

This voice, Luo Zhiyu had just heard the day before.

Just as the two of them freeze in the middle of hiding away the pot, they hear the sound of a key in the lock.

“Shit, they have keys.”

“Stuff it in your bed, quick, get on there.”

Luo Zhiyu: “No people allowed in bed, did you forget?”

Luo Zhiyu: “No can do, it doesn’t fit.”

Luo Zhiyu: “The Students’ Association people are pretty chill, no worries. This is just a formality.”

The door opens from the outside, and Mr Xu, from the health class lecture at Class 3 yesterday, stands at the doorway.

From behind Mr. Xu meanders out another person. Xiao Yan, wearing the blue and white uniform, leans against the doorframe, and pushes a pair of newly-added, zero prescription glasses further up his nose: “Good evening, fellow students. I am Xiao Yan from the Students’ Association, and I am in charge of inspecting your dorm for this impromptu inspection.”