Chapter 16: Move Out

People often try to present their best selves when they first meet, hoping to leave a good impression and gain others’ approval. But over time, the truth comes out—flaws, habits, and tensions all slowly surface, leaving nowhere to hide.

At first, everyone in the dorm thought Hui Qian was just a pampered girl, spoiled by doting parents. No big deal. But no one expected that her habits and attitude would become so unbearable.

Every time exams rolled around, Hui Qian’s parents—far away in another city—would go online to buy an entire set of textbooks that matched her course exactly. They’d mark key points and call her to walk her through how to review.
In the dorm, if a fly landed on her wardrobe, she’d forbid others from swatting it, fearing the wardrobe would be dirtied.
Her underwear would sit soaking in a basin next to the sink for over a month, turning the water yellow and foul-smelling, yet she never washed it.
Her bed sheets had not been changed once since freshman year.
She never cleaned the dorm, never took out the trash. Her desk and chair were cluttered with stuff, and even worse—half-eaten snacks were mixed in with piles of garbage.
One problem after another was exposed until finally, everyone had had enough.

One night, Hui Qian came back drunk and crawled straight into bed.
In the middle of the night, she suddenly leaned over the edge and vomited.
The vomit poured down from the upper bunk, instantly filling the room with a revolting stench.
Sheng Han, who lived across from her, had her jacket draped over the chair beneath her bed—it was splattered all over.
Even more outrageous, Hui Qian only cleaned up the mess under her own bed. She didn’t bother with Sheng Han’s side, and she didn’t even apologize.

Sheng Han gritted her teeth and quietly cleaned up her own space.
The jacket was ruined. She sighed, reluctant, and threw it away.

From the moment she entered university, Sheng Han had always believed that avoiding conflict was better than creating it.
She’d seen too many stories in the news of dorm drama turning into tragedy, and she knew how important harmony was.

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That day, Sheng Han, Tian Yu, and Ling Fei were walking to the dining hall.

“Let’s ask Hui Qian to move out,” Ling Fei suggested. “I seriously can’t take it anymore.”

“Exactly! Her side is such a mess, it’s messing with our whole dorm’s air quality,” Tian Yu added.

“Do you really want to say something? How do you plan to do it?” Sheng Han asked.

Ling Fei thought for a moment.

“Tonight, let’s all talk to her together. Tell her it’s time to move to another dorm.”

---

That evening, Hui Qian once again left her unwashed underwear soaking in the sink.
When Sheng Han went to freshen up, she saw a dead spider floating in the basin.
Disgusted, she suddenly recalled the vomit incident—and her patience snapped.

She walked straight over and said coldly:

“Hui Qian, maybe it’s time for you to move out.”

Silence. The dorm went deathly quiet.
Ling Fei and Tian Yu, who had been so vocal earlier, now sat motionless, not daring to say a word.

Hui Qian exploded with rage.

“Who do you think you are?! If someone’s moving, it should be you! Live here or don’t—I don’t care!”

Sheng Han glanced at Tian Yu and Ling Fei.
They kept their heads down, silent.

And just like that, Sheng Han realized—once again, she’d been made the scapegoat.

She said nothing more. She shook her head, sat down, and let the conversation die.

---

The following days were filled with tension and silence.
Sheng Han and Hui Qian didn’t speak a single word to each other.
The dorm entered a cold war.

---

That weekend, the student council had a planned event.
Sheng Han and Tian You had agreed to meet at 3:00 PM to go look for sponsorships together.

Tian Yu and Ling Fei were out. Only Sheng Han and Hui Qian were in the dorm.
Sheng Han was on the balcony washing up, preparing to head out—when she discovered she was locked in.

The balcony door had been locked by Hui Qian.
No matter how loudly Sheng Han knocked, Hui Qian ignored her.

It was clearly intentional.

Time dragged on. Finally, Sheng Han couldn’t take it anymore.
She lifted her leg and kicked the door with all her strength.

This was the first time Sheng Han had ever lost her temper like that.

Hui Qian, knowing she was in the wrong, grew nervous.
Not wanting to escalate the situation, she sneered and finally opened the door.

Sheng Han burst out, screaming:

“What is wrong with you?!”

At that moment, she couldn’t stay another second in that room.
She grabbed her bag and left.

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When she saw Tian You, all her bottled-up emotions came pouring out.
She threw herself into his arms and cried her heart out.

After hearing everything, Tian You was furious and heartbroken for her.

“Sheng Han, move out.
That dorm is no place for you.
I’ll find a place for you—leave it to me!”

“But… the school strictly forbids students from living off-campus.”

“That’s okay. You won’t be living there full-time.
Just hang out off-campus during the day,
and I’ll bring you back before curfew.
The less you have to see her, the better.
Don’t let someone like her ruin your peace.”

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A week later, Sheng Han packed a few essentials and moved out.
She finally had a quiet little space outside the university.

She and Tian You bought the cheapest set of cooking gear from the supermarket during a sale.
Each day after class, they’d go grocery shopping and cook simple meals together—far cheaper than eating out.

Before the nightly dorm check, Tian You would escort Sheng Han back to her room.
Every morning, he’d pick her up and walk her to class.

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It wasn’t easy, but Sheng Han felt lighter—happier.
Each day, she lived more freely.
And finally, she could breathe again.