Chapter 02

Not long after the incident of scolding someone, one evening before the dormitory lights went out, Bai Zining returned from visiting the dorm next door, only to run into Zhu Shizhou, who was fully dressed and about to leave.

“Are you going out?” Bai Zining took the initiative to ask. It wasn’t that he wanted to know the reason, but rather because he was the dorm leader, the one primarily responsible for the dormitory.

“Is there a problem?” Zhu Shizhou asked in return.

Bai Zining just wanted to give a kind reminder. After all, the student code of conduct clearly stated that without approval, students were not allowed to stay out overnight. Violators would be dealt with in accordance with the 《Disciplinary Measures for A University Students.》 “It’s already 11 o’clock. Leaving campus at night during weekdays without permission violates school regulations.”

Zhu Shizhou glanced at him, turned slightly, and moved his mouth. Bai Zining thought he was about to explain himself, so he leaned in to listen carefully. The next second, he heard him say, “You’re in my way.”

Bai Zining was so annoyed he laughed out of frustration. He scoffed, “Do you think I want to bother with you? If your advisor checks the dorm, don’t expect me to cover for you.”

“No need to trouble yourself,” Zhu Shizhou said as he bypassed him and walked straight out the door.

Bai Zining was so angry he almost stomped his feet, and when Cai Yu came over to comfort him, it only made Bai Zining feel even more humiliated.

The basic courses for the Computer Science Department and the Environmental Science Department didn’t overlap, which meant that Bai Zining rarely saw Zhu Shizhou outside the dormitory. But as luck would have it, the two of them ended up choosing the same PE class, that’s volleyball.

To make matters worse, the teacher who was supposed to teach Bai Zining’s volleyball class unfortunately broke a bone in the third week of the semester. With no teacher available to take over, the class had to be merged with another class scheduled at the same time.

And that class happened to be Zhu Shizhou’s.

Before each training session, the PE teacher would require them to run two laps around the West Dormitory area near the volleyball court, roughly 2,000 meters in total.

Bai Zining had no athletic talent and disliked exercise. Running just 1,500 meters left him gasping for breath, needing a long time to recover. Sometimes, when he reached a spot where the teacher couldn’t see him, he would stop, wait until the main group came around on their second lap, and quietly blend back in.

This time was no different. As he slipped out of the group, looking for a place to sit, Zhu Shizhou, who had been running further back, immediately stopped and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong with you?”

Caught red-handed, Bai Zining felt a bit awkward and mumbled a response. “Nothing. Don’t worry about me.”

Zhu Shizhou then gave a slight laugh and asked him, “Can’t run anymore?”

The smile was full of mockery, just short of pointing at Bai Zining’s nose and outright saying, “You’re useless at sports.”

Unwilling to let himself be looked down on, Bai Zining shot him a glance without responding, then caught up with the group ahead. As he ran, he silently cursed Zhu Shizhou for meddling in his business.

When the teacher instructed them to begin practicing bump passes in pairs, Bai Zining saw the familiar face of his assigned partner and was left speechless.

On the other hand, Zhu Shizhou was just as unenthusiastic. He said a simple, “Let’s start,” and didn’t speak another word.

Throughout the practice, Zhu Shizhou looked visibly impatient. Unlike his usual indifferent expression, he furrowed his brows and pressed his lips tightly together, clearly displeased with Bai Zining as a partner.

Bai Zining thought to himself, My bump passing skills aren’t that bad, right? I catch every ball and return it steadily. What’s there for Zhu Shizhou to be dissatisfied with?

When practice ended, Zhu Shizhou immediately walked over to the teacher, said a few words, and then left the volleyball court.

Bai Zining stared at his back. Is he… skipping class just to avoid partnering with me?

In the second class, the teacher specifically assigned Bai Zining a new partner, another male student, with whom he cooperated smoothly. The two got along well, chatting and laughing as they practiced. However, Bai Zining was still seething with anger inside, though he had no way to express it.

After returning to the dorm, he spent two hours playing a venting mini-game, imagining the stick figure as Zhu Shizhou and beating it up mercilessly to relieve his frustration.

As the midterm exam for their core course approached, Bai Zining began to review.

When Bai Zining reviewed his notes, he had a habit of softly reading them out loud. However, he was careful to control his volume so as not to disturb anyone else.

As he read, he suddenly felt a burning gaze fixed on him. Turning his head, he saw that it was indeed Zhu Shizhou staring at him.

After being caught, Zhu Shizhou showed no sign of guilt and simply looked away.

After a short while, Bai Zining felt that same gaze on him again. As before, when he turned to look, Zhu Shizhou averted his eyes. This happened twice more, and by then, all the theories Bai Zining had just memorized were completely forgotten.

“Why do you keep staring at me?” he asked.

“Am I bothering you? Sorry about that,” Zhu Shizhou replied, his tone surprisingly polite.

“Of course you’re bothering me! If you think I’m being too loud while studying, just say it outright. Don’t play these petty tricks to disgust people.” Bai Zining’s tone was sharp, as he had endured this for long enough.

Even though Zhu Shizhou had ignored and disrespected him before, Bai Zining could force himself to let it go. But this blatant targeting was something he couldn’t swallow.

Bai Zining prided himself on being courteous and polite to others. He never intentionally caused trouble, respected his teachers, and cared for his classmates. Yet Zhu Shizhou always seemed intent on pushing his limits.

This was the last straw.

“I didn’t,” Zhu Shizhou said calmly.

“You better not have,” Bai Zining retorted.

Suddenly, Zhu Shizhou turned around and stared directly at Bai Zining. “Do you really think I’m that petty?”

“How could you not?” Bai Zining wanted to say, You just don’t like me, so no matter what I do, it gets on your nerves, right? But he stopped himself. Saying that out loud felt like inviting humiliation. If Zhu Shizhou responded with, “Glad you realize it,” Bai Zining wasn’t sure how to deliver a clever comeback.

“The dorm is a shared space. What, does the dorm leader even have to control where his dormmates look now?” Zhu Shizhou shot back.

“Alright, alright, everyone, let’s calm down and say less. Let’s keep things peaceful,” Cai Yu tried to mediate. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He went to open it. “Xie Cheng, you’re here.”

Xie Cheng was a good friend of Zhu Shizhou, living in the neighboring dorm and majoring in the same subject. He is a cheerful guy with a great personality.

Although everyone knew that he and Zhu Shizhou didn’t get along, Xie Cheng had strong mental resilience and would occasionally come over to chat with Bai Zining.

Bai Zining treated him normally; no matter how dissatisfied he was with Zhu Shizhou, he wouldn’t take it out on someone else’s friend.

Over time, Xie Cheng became familiar with everyone in their dorm.

With Xie Cheng’s interruption, Bai Zining simmered down, turning his head away, unwilling to argue further with Zhu Shizhou. Xie Cheng wandered around to everyone’s desk and, when he got to Bai Zining’s, noticed the open books on it and exclaimed, “Whoa, Xiao Bai, studying?”

Xie Cheng always called him “Xiao Bai,” which sounded like he was addressing a puppy. And because he started it, many of their mutual acquaintances began calling him that too.

Bai Zining responded with a simple “Mm,” still working on calming himself down.

“Let me see if the key points your professors highlight are the same as ours,” Xie Cheng said, leaning against the railing and reaching out to pick up Bai Zining’s book.

“Xie Cheng,” Zhu Shizhou called out, his tone cold, “don’t interrupt someone’s studying.”

There was nothing wrong with Zhu Shizhou’s words on the surface, but to Bai Zining, they sounded entirely different—wasn’t this just a passive-aggressive jab about how easily he got distracted while studying?

Bai Zining closed his eyes and pretended not to hear, silently commending himself for his high level of tolerance.

With Zhu Shizhou’s arrogant and self-centered attitude, not nominating him for the Most Bizarre Dormmate Award was the last bit of mercy Bai Zining could muster.