Chapter 135
On September 2nd, Monday, the weather was clear with not a cloud in sight.
Today was the official first day of school at Enhua. There were no scheduled classes because of military training.
As usual, Xiao Qi woke up at six o'clock. It was already bright outside, and when she pulled back the curtains, it felt like the sky was just a little bit above the window, as if she could reach it by going up a few more floors.
She thought she was the earliest to wake up, but to her surprise, Wei Cheng had already finished getting ready and changed into the military training uniform they received along with their textbooks yesterday.
Wei Cheng was tall with long legs and slightly broad shoulders. Wearing the camouflage pants and uniform for military training, she looked even better than when she wore her own clothes yesterday.
Xiao Qi remembered she wore jeans and a floral shirt yesterday. The shirt had puffy sleeves, making her look somewhat sturdy.
But the military training uniform was unisex. With her tall stature, Wei Cheng looked even more impressive in it. Her short hair, reaching her ears, resembled the popular hairstyle of female soldiers in that era.
"You look great in the military training uniform," Xiao Qi whispered, complimenting her.
Wei Cheng immediately blushed and sat awkwardly at her desk under the bed, not knowing what to do. In fact, she wanted to say that Xiao Qi looked even better, that she looked good in anything she wore. But she was tongue-tied and couldn't bring herself to say it.
Xiao Qi went to freshen up and changed into the military training clothes in the bathroom. She was 165 centimeters tall now and chose size M, but because she had been exercising regularly and had firm muscles, the clothes seemed a bit loose on her. This outfit suited Xiao Qi very well. Her current body proportions were excellent, with long legs and arms. If Wei Cheng looked like a female warrior in her attire, Xiao Qi, in this outfit, had a delicate and graceful feeling. The belt around her waist was tied quite loosely, but it still accentuated her slender waist.
The colorful camouflage pattern of the uniform contrasted with her fair skin, making her look even paler. Her neck, ankles, arms, and face all displayed an unusually fair complexion.
At this point, Gu Yunshu also woke up. She usually didn't like getting up early, but she was a light sleeper. When Wei Cheng got up just now, she was already half-awake. Now that Xiao Qi was also awake, she couldn't lie in bed anymore. She yawned and sat up, seeing her two roommates dressed in military training uniforms. She greeted them with a smile, saying, "Good morning."
When Gu Yunshu finished putting on the military training uniform, Chen Mier was still sound asleep, unaffected by anything. Her sleep quality was excellent.
Gu Yunshu, in the military training uniform, also looked delicate and fragile. She was less than 1.6 meters tall, around 1.58 meters, and seemed a bit absent-minded. She was also a dainty young girl, but her eyebrows and eyes were slightly wider, giving her a less refined look.
After Xiao Qi finished dressing, she sat down to practice calligraphy. She made use of any spare time she had. Her calligraphy had progressed from a beginner level to an advanced level, thanks to this habit.
Xiao Qi became even more concerned and curious because it now takes 1000 hours to level up. Her calligraphy skills have reached the specialized level, and when she looks at her work, she already feels that it is quite impressive. The characters she writes have a special quality to them, as if she were looking at her own handwriting from a long time ago but couldn't recognize it. However, now, as long as it's her own writing, she can definitely recognize it.
Because these characters are different from others, they have a certain charm. Xiao Qi can't explain it clearly, but she can instantly recognize them.
If specialized-level characters can achieve this state, what would it be like to level up to the master level?
Xiao Qi yearned for it herself.
Although the time required has greatly increased, it is still achievable with effort. So whenever there is a spare moment, Xiao Qi tries to make use of it.
And it's best to practice calligraphy in the morning when she is most energized.
She feels very comfortable in her whole being.
Xiao Qi practices calligraphy quietly and wholeheartedly. She uses the headphones that came with her Apple computer as a gift. When she puts them on, the whole world is filled with gentle music. She sits upright, fully engrossed in her practice.
At this moment, Chen Mier finally wakes up in a flurry. Her movements are quite loud, with the sound of basins and buckets clattering.
"Oh no, we won't be late on our first day, will we?"
When she is told it's only half past six, she looks utterly disappointed and even considers climbing back into bed to continue sleeping.
"What kind of creatures are my roommates? Why are they waking up so early??"
But going back to sleep is out of the question. Today is military training, the first day of school, and they can't be late. In the end, she washes up and changes into camouflage clothes.
Chen Mier is 163 centimeters tall with a well-endowed chest. She has a delicate appearance, short hair, and sharp little canine teeth. When she smiles, it's particularly charming and gives the impression of liveliness and attractiveness. Her features are more refined, but her personality is carefree and versatile.
Her skin is wheat-colored and healthy, but as a result, she always feels she is too dark and pays particular attention to sun protection.
She pours out half a bottle of sunscreen and starts applying it to her face, arms, and legs. When she sees that Wei Cheng doesn't have any, she generously squeezes out a large dollop for Wei Cheng.
Xiao Qi stops writing after half an hour. She wants to get up and stretch. Morning time is precious, and having half an hour is already quite good. Previously, when she was in her aunt's dormitory, she had to make breakfast.
Now she turns around and realizes that her roommates are frantically applying sunscreen.
Gu Yunshu obediently raises her head, and Chen Mier helps her apply sunscreen.
Seeing that Xiao Qi has finally stopped writing, she smiles and says, "Quick, you too. You must apply sunscreen. Otherwise, you're so fair-skinned, it would be a waste."
Xiao Qi's skin is naturally fair, and it seems like she doesn't easily get tanned. But it's hard to say. She washes her hands and uses her own sunscreen.
It's a bit greasy, and she doesn't really like it.
On the other hand, Chen Mier has given up on her own sunscreen and switched to Gu Yunshu's. She doesn't know why Gu Yunshu's sunscreen is so effective. It goes on smoothly, leaving her face feeling moist and not at all greasy.
Gu Yunshu has a very easygoing temperament and doesn't mind at all.
After everyone finishes applying sunscreen and tidying up a bit, it's almost seven o'clock.
They all go out together to have breakfast.
Xiao Qi went to the largest Chinese restaurant by the lake. Perhaps because they arrived early, there weren't many people yet, but the dishes were already prepared. It was like a high-end buffet where you could take your own plate and pay at the cashier after selecting your food.
Xiao Qi was amazed by the wide variety of dishes available. There were various types of congee, youtiao (Chinese fried dough), soy milk, milk, boiled vegetables, steamed eggs, mantou (steamed buns), baozi (steamed stuffed buns), xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), and scallion pancakes...
Since they had military training later, Xiao Qi didn't choose congee because it wasn't filling enough. Instead, they picked a bowl of soy milk, a youtiao, two large mantou, and also tried something new called mianxianhu. It was a bowl of porridge-like soup with finely chopped ingredients. The fragrance was enticing, and it seemed popular as many people in front of Xiao Qi had taken it. Xiao Qi decided to give it a try. They also took a portion of boiled vegetables, which looked fresh and green.
Carrying their food, Xiao Qi went to the cashier to pay. They were informed that they needed to use their student ID card to top up their account. Xiao Qi added 500 yuan and then swiped their student ID card. The breakfast cost them 18 yuan, leaving a balance of 482 yuan.
It felt alright, neither expensive nor cheap.
Chen Mier, who was quick-witted, spotted Xiao Qi from afar and waved, "We're over here."
The four of them sat at a table by the window, enjoying the pleasant view of the lake, the bridges, the red running track, and the green sports field.
The other three were surprised to see Xiao Qi with so much food. Gu Yunshu had a small cup of milk and a small croissant-sized pastry.
Chen Mier also took a bowl of mianxianhu and two deep-fried pastries resembling doughnuts.
Wei Cheng had a large mantou, a bowl of congee, and a plate of pickled vegetables.
But it felt like their combined food was still less than what Xiao Qi had.
"I have a high level of physical activity, so I have a big appetite," Xiao Qi explained.
During the dinner last night, they didn't reveal that they ate more than others.
They calmly started their breakfast. Xiao Qi took a sip of the mianxianhu first. It had a savory and fragrant taste, and it paired well with the mantou. Then they took a bite of the boiled vegetables, which also tasted good. Although it wasn't as delicious as the vegetables at home, compared to those in restaurants outside, they were fresh and crispy.
After finishing the mianxianhu with the mantou and vegetables, Xiao Qi moved on to the youtiao and soy milk, finishing them neatly without leaving any leftovers.
At this point, Gu Yunshu still had half a cup of milk and more than half of the small croissant left.
"Military training consumes a lot of energy, so you should eat more," Xiao Qi reminded.
Gu Yunshu smiled shyly and said, "I don't have much appetite for breakfast."
Wei Cheng also finished their food cleanly, while Chen Mier finished the mianxianhu but left half of the fried pastries uneaten.
Chen Mier exclaimed, "This mianxianhu is delicious. It's my first time trying it, and I've decided to have it every morning from now on."
Xiao Qi also thought it was good. It was a large bowl with not only finely cooked noodles but also other minced ingredients, which added a pleasant freshness to the dish.
After witnessing Xiao Qi's enormous appetite and petite figure, the other three members of Hua Shan 606 felt that their roommate was quite extraordinary.
The military training required them to gather at Puxian Playground at eight o'clock.
It was conveniently located across from the cafeteria, so they headed there after finishing their meal.
The four of them walked together, already sitting in pairs at the same table. Chen Mier and Xiao Qi sat together, while Gu Yunshu and Wei Cheng sat together, one in front and one behind, so as not to block the way.
When they arrived at the playground together, they found their designated area for their class. A sign was placed there, indicating "Information Management Class 1." Many people had already arrived, and their class had over seventy students, so it was quite crowded on the grass.
As Xiao Qi and the others approached, they noticed that the boys and girls in their class were all looking towards the right side.
The right side was the area for the English majors, where the female students outnumbered the male students by a large margin.
Chen Mier, always eager to join in the fun, stood on tiptoe and asked everyone what they were looking at.
"The English major goddess, the one with long hair. Have you seen her? Her hair is incredibly long, reaching her waist," Chen Mier said, pulling Xiao Qi along as she squeezed to the front.
Sure enough, they saw a girl in the neighboring area not far away. She was engaged in conversation with someone, wearing a bright smile and flipping her dark and beautiful hair, as if she were in a Pantene commercial.
Her simple action elicited cheers from a group of boys.
"Tsk, she's wearing so much makeup on her face, and her chin and nose look unnatural. It's obvious she had plastic surgery. I don't know what these boys are so excited about," Chen Mier whispered.
Looking back at her new desk mate, who had a fair and clean face with a colorful hair tie, Xiao Qi thought she looked much prettier than the English major goddess. Were these boys blind?
"Wu Xinyue isn't just the English major goddess, she's also a TikTok internet celebrity. Don't you know?" a nearby boy enlightened them, his face filled with admiration, as if he were looking at a celebrity.
Upon hearing this boy's words, Xiao Qi remembered Liang Jiajia, who loved playing TikTok. She had promised to make videos for her when they got to university. Taking advantage of the fact that military training hadn't started yet, Xiao Qi took out her phone and filmed a video for her, panning around the playground and introducing herself before sending her greetings.