Recreational activities in the dorm were limited, especially after 10 p.m. when the main door closed, leaving us to do activities in our rooms only.
Huang Haibao, whose family was well off, had his parents buy him an Alienware laptop, under the pretense of needing it for studies.
Luckily, his parents didn't understand laptop models; if they had known it was for gaming, they would never have bought it.
Usually at this time, Huang Haibao was either playing games on his Alienware or organizing an internal tea party in room 503.
But because of the class belle's issue added to the recent provocation by Li Zhanpeng, he had no interest and kept sighing deeply.
"Old Huang, can't you just shut up?"
Shen Yuan just wanted to sleep soundly, but Old Huang kept sighing incessantly, anyone unaware would think something had happened in his family.
"Old Third, I can't sleep, I bet you can't either. Let's chat."
"Not chatting! I can sleep!" Shen Yuan couldn't be bothered with him.
"Old Huang, if you're not using the computer, lend it to me for a couple of rounds of 'League of Legends,' I'm up for promotion." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelꞁire.net
Cao Shunjin walked up to Huang Haibao, carefree as he spoke.
Huang Haibao snapped, "I just got dumped, and you still feel like playing games?"
"Crap, you're the one who got dumped, not me."
The sleepiness Shen Yuan felt was completely chased away by these two; he sighed, sat up from his bed, and said, "Old Huang, want to chat? Let's chat."
Huang Haibao thought for a moment, then meaningfully said, "Actually, I don't really have anything specific I want to talk about, but these past few days, I can't stop thinking about women."
"Your filthy mind, always filled with games and women, can't you think about something else?"
Shen Yuan looked down on him somewhat.
Huang Haibao spat at him, "Cut the act, Old Third, we're in the same boat."
The usually silent Cao Shunjin suddenly spoke up, "To be honest, aside from Old Third, both of us haven't touched a woman. Old Third, you tell us, what does it feel like?"
The after-light-out tea party was always something Cao Shunjin looked forward to, especially discussing female anatomy.
He swallowed, somewhat expectant.
This question suddenly roused Old Huang's emotions too; he originally wanted to retort, but since he had only been to those foot massage parlors, he couldn't claim to have truly touched a woman.
So, he too wanted to hear Shen Yuan's real feelings, about what the experience was truly like?
Shen Yuan pondered for a while; it was really difficult to describe this matter.
"Old Third, just spit it out!"
Huang Haibao, his curiosity peeked to the extreme, couldn't help but urge him.
"Old Third, just say it, it's just the three of us who know, won't tell anyone else."
Cao Shunjin, feeling itchy with curiosity, added on.
"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
"Damn, you're asking for divine retribution, believe it or not, Old Cao will bust your ass!"
Old Huang clearly lost some control of his emotions.
Shen Yuan initially thought they were just joking, and didn't expect Cao Shunjin to actually make a move.
"Damn, Old Cao, you're serious?"
"For leaving us hanging!"
Of course, things like busting weren't going to happen; in Shen Yuan's desperate resistance, neither Old Cao nor Old Huang succeeded.
After the skirmish subsided, Huang Haibao was still feeling unfulfilled, his eyes sparkling in the dark, "So, Old Cao, didn't you set up a website last time? Send me the link."
"Sure, but you have to let me use the computer for a whole day tomorrow."
"Crap, you really know how to do business!"
That brief chat ignited the restlessness in Huang Haibao, but as he put on the headphones, his sleazy eyes fixated on the undulating computer screen, room 503 finally returned to tranquility.
All right, I can finally have a good night's sleep!
Shen Yuan's lips curved into a smile as he slowly drifted into dreamland.
It was Friday the next day, and there was a class on "International Business Communication and Negotiation" in the morning.
However, the teacher for this course was an old man who lectured very dryly, and since going would mean just dozing off in class, Shen Yuan decided to simply sleep through it.
Initially, Cao Shunjin had planned to attend the class, but when he got up at 8 am and saw that Shen Yuan and Old Huang were still curled up in their blankets, he cursed them as lazy bones and continued to sleep soundly.
After getting up, Shen Yuan checked his phone and received three WeChat messages.
There were two from Fang Minhui.
"Good morning" "Why didn't you come to class?"
"Slept through it. Helpless.JPG" Shen Yuan replied.
There was also one from Zhou Wanting, it seemed she had removed him from her blacklist.
"Didn't your family go bankrupt, where did you get the money?"
Zhou Wanting was still hung up on this, and Shen Yuan didn't bother to reply, reversing the action by adding her to his blacklist too.
After brushing his teeth and washing up, Shen Yuan saw that Huang Haibao and Cao Shunjin were still deeply asleep; he didn't have the heart to wake them, especially since they had watched Dongying movies for so long last night and must have been exhausted.
He planned to go to the cafeteria downstairs himself, but then he thought it was Friday, and since there were no classes in the afternoon, he decided to just go home to eat.
As usual, Shen Yuan pushed open the door to his home and was just about to greet everyone when he noticed a relative sitting on the sofa.
It was his uncle, Shen Yaode.
Shen Yuan had a deep impression of this uncle because he often visited their home during holidays, always bringing lots of gifts.
It was said that Old Shen had helped this uncle a lot in the past.
At that time, Shen Yaode had no money but wanted to start a car wash. Old Shen had lent him three hundred thousand yuan.
Lately, Shen Yaode's car wash business had been doing fairly well, and over two years, he managed to repay the loan gradually.
Later, using profits from the car wash, he bought an apartment in Star City and even got a BMW 5 series, which dramatically changed his life.
Later still, when Old Shen's travel agency was close to bankruptcy, he borrowed two hundred thousand yuan from Shen Yaode, who lent it to him promptly.
So, Shen Yuan had a good impression of this uncle, at least he was a relative who remembered kindness and repaid his debts.
Unlike some other relatives who frequented the house when times were good.
Now, after the bankruptcy, they all kept their distance, fearing they might be asked for a loan.
Shen Yaode greeted him warmly.
"Hello, Uncle." Shen Yuan responded politely.
"Shen Yuan, go to your sister's bedroom for a while, we need to discuss something with your uncle." Shen Heping said.
Shen Yuan didn't know what secretive big issue they needed to discuss that he had to leave the room, but he listened to Old Shen's words and walked straight to Shen Xuan's bedroom.
Just as he was about to enter, he heard his uncle speak earnestly, "Brother, I know you are having difficulties now, but the current economic situation is tough on everyone. If I weren't having cash flow problems myself, I wouldn't be asking you for money."
Shen Yuan turned his head unintentionally and saw Li Hongjuan frowning, her expression looking quite displeased.
While Old Shen's expression didn't show much change, he said cheerfully, "Brother, I understand your difficulties, but give me some more time. I have some stock coming in that will be sold soon, and I'll repay you part of the money first."
"Brother, a part definitely isn't enough, my car wash needs more cash flow now....."
Shen Yuan realized then that they were talking about a debt. He had thought it was something else; evidently, this uncle had come to collect a debt, and judging by Ms. Li's temper, it must have been at least the fourth or fifth time.
Otherwise, his mother's face wouldn't look so displeased.
This Shen Yaode indeed was somewhat unreasonable. When Old Shen had lent him that three hundred thousand, it took him two years to repay, and during that period, Old Shen never once pressed him for payment.
Now, it had only been a few months since Old Shen had borrowed from him, and he was already impatient to reclaim his money.
Shen Yuan's previous good impression was clearly misplaced.
"Shen Yaode, that's not how you should behave. When you had no money to start your car wash, who lent you three hundred thousand, do you remember?"
Li Hongjuan suddenly stood up, reprimanding him angrily, "Now we've only borrowed two hundred thousand from you, and here you are repeatedly coming to demand it back. What do you mean by this? After all, it's not like we aren't going to repay you."
Li Hongjuan was emotionally upset and spoke without restraint.
Normally, facing a creditor, no matter what, they shouldn't have reacted this way.
But this Shen Yaode was just an ordinary worker back in the day. If not for Old Shen's help, how could he have achieved his current success? She simply couldn't suppress her anger.
Shen Heping pulled on Li Hongjuan's arm, trying to calm her, "Alright, alright, say less. Our cousin has his difficulties too."
"Does he even acknowledge his difficulties!"
Li Hongjuan turned and walked into the room, slamming the door shut with a "bang".