Wang Qiqi set down a moderately sized package in the hallway and knocked on Shi Man's door. "Manman, are you ready?"

Julina remained on the sofa, continuing to review her materials. She knew Shi Man was probably taking her time getting ready; before entering, she had already mentioned that walking to school from here would be very quick, telling Shi Man not to rush.

"Almost, almost, I'm packing my bags," Shi Man hurriedly opened the door, said those words, and then retreated back into her room.

What? Packing her bags? Wang Qiqi smacked her forehead. Oh my goodness, today was registration day, and someone was still packing? "Manman, didn't you pack yesterday?" Glancing over, Wang Qiqi saw that Shi Man's suitcase was indeed half-empty, and her clothes were strewn across the bed. If Shi Man weren't in the room, Wang Qiqi would have assumed a burglar had struck. "How did it get this messy?"

Julina also found it strange when Shi Man said she was still packing. Even though they needed to bring clothes for the trip, it was because they wouldn't likely return during the military training period, so they needed extra outfits. Thinking about it, packing shouldn't take long; why was Manman still at it? When she walked into Shi Man's room and saw the state of it, she tapped her forehead. "Good heavens, Shi Man, we only need enough clothes for half a month. We won't be staying on campus for too long after this. You aren't planning to bring every single pretty outfit you own, are you?"

"We have to wear military uniforms during the training," Wang Qiqi stated coolly. "I'll give you five minutes, or we're leaving without you." She was completely fed up with Shi Man. "You used to be such an ice queen; how did you suddenly turn into this?"

Wang Qiqi intensely missed the high school version of Shi Man. Although the former Shi Man had high standards regarding clothing, Wang Qiqi never imagined those standards would reach this extreme level.

"I just want to make a good first impression on the new classmates, Qiqi. You know, my cousin said that university students nowadays are very pragmatic. If you dress poorly, they won't befriend you." Shi Man thought her high school experience had been bad enough. Of course, having more close friends was always better, and she felt fortunate to have Qiqi and Julina as confidantes. But the problem was her circle of 'frenemies' felt too small. The old Shi Man despised having such acquaintances, but after the intense coaching sessions from her cousin and others over the summer, coupled with events involving Qiqi, Shi Man realized that sometimes having superficial friends was quite necessary.

Upon hearing Shi Man, Wang Qiqi understood her sudden change in perspective. She patted Shi Man's shoulder. "Girl, if you can offer them benefits, they will certainly be your friends. If you can’t offer them anything, even relatives won’t help you." Although the words were harsh, they were painfully true in this era where economic interest took precedence, causing people's moral baseline to sink lower and lower.

"Making friends with girls always feels a bit difficult, especially when you're beautiful and come from a good family background—it invites a lot of jealousy," Julina remarked with deep feeling. She had once had two friends who were closer to her than Wang Qiqi or Shi Man were now, friends she had known since primary school. But what happened? They acted perfectly sweet to her face, yet privately gossiped about her—how high-maintenance she was, how terrible her temper was, and how she ate like a pig without exercising. Julina couldn't bear it, as these statements were blatant fabrications. After that painful experience, Julina maintained good relations with many people, but she knew some things could never return to how they were. It was only as her relationship with Shi Man and Wang Qiqi deepened that she found true ease, even though they still teased each other. But any secrets shared among the three of them never saw the light of day outside their circle.

Shi Man understood that earning a genuine confidante was hard; she felt the same way. "Alright, let's go." Shi Man quickly stuffed a few items haphazardly into her suitcase, then tossed the rest toward the wardrobe. In the end, Wang Qiqi and Julina couldn't stand watching and went in to help hang the clothes.

"If you cram the clothes in like that, I predict they'll be completely wrinkled by the time we get back after military training," Julina commented, even though the clothes were mostly easy-to-care-for cotton. "Just fold them slightly; it only takes a moment."

"Didn't you only give me five minutes?" Shi Man retorted, wishing she could hang them neatly, but time was too short.

The three hurried to C University, only to find the registration area packed shoulder-to-shoulder, especially the entrances for each major, swarmed by students and their parents.

"How lucky! Their parents are helping them register," Shi Man sighed, noticing several people her own age sitting under the shade of a tree, guarding luggage. The registration line was completely gridlocked, and who knew when it would be their turn. More importantly, even though it was September, the sun was still fiercely powerful, and the registration area was wide open with absolutely no shelter nearby.

"Thank goodness we're studying in the North. If we were in the South, the sun would probably be even more brutal, and we’d risk fainting from the heat," Shi Man noted with relief.

"If we were going to university in Shencheng, your and Lina's parents would probably both drive you there. You'd likely be one of the people waiting under the tree," Wang Qiqi said, and as she finished speaking, she spotted the Finance Department registration line. "I've found my spot. Register, and then we'll meet by that tree up ahead."

Wang Qiqi pointed out a tree, then joined the back of the queue, inching forward slowly. While fanning herself vigorously with a folding fan, she overheard a girl behind her seemingly discussing her with her family, perhaps wondering if she was alone.

"I came alone to register," Wang Qiqi turned and replied. "My friends and I arrived early, so today we are all registering by ourselves."

"Mom, I told you I could register by myself! You insisted on escorting me. Okay, okay, you and Dad can go wait in the shade; I'm fine, I can handle it alone." The young girl spoke while simultaneously nudging her clearly worried parents away.

"Hello, I'm Jiang Xin, from Xi'an," Jiang Xin introduced herself first. "My parents just worry about me and insisted on seeing me off. Actually, after the college entrance exams, I traveled to several places with my classmates." Jiang Xin wrinkled her nose slightly.

Wang Qiqi found this girl rather amusing and outwardly cheerful. "Wang Qiqi, from Wucheng. Your parents worry about you too." Wang Qiqi mused that she also wished her parents were there to see her off, so she could act spoiled for a bit—perhaps standing in the shade, watching her father queue, and when they finally reached the dorm, her diligent parents would help unpack, treat her new roommates to a nice meal, ask them to look after her, and then turn away from the station with lingering reluctance at every step. Unfortunately, all of that only existed in dreams.

Jiang Xin smiled and nodded. "Yes, if I hadn't run into you, my parents would still be making me stand in the shade." While some students preferred to let their parents queue while they stayed sheltered, Jiang Xin disliked it; she felt she was going to university now and was an adult.

With Jiang Xin to keep her company, Wang Qiqi no longer felt bored. Chatting made the time fly by, and soon it was her and Jiang Xin's turn to register.

The registration clerk quickly processed the paperwork for Wang Qiqi and Jiang Xin. The next step was to go to the payment office to settle tuition and living fees to receive their dormitory numbers.

By the time everything was settled, it was noon. Shi Man patted her stomach. "I'm starving."

"No matter how hungry you are, you have to get your room sorted before coming down to eat," Julina said. She and Shi Man were in the same dorm building as Wang Qiqi, but they were on the fifth floor, while Qiqi was on the third. Thankfully, theirs wasn't the top floor, or Shi Man would have complained even more.

"The thought of climbing five flights of stairs makes me want to die." Five floors—in the eyes of a hungry Shi Man, it felt like climbing the Ladder to Heaven.

"We'll meet in an hour at the staircase on the third floor," Wang Qiqi said before grabbing her luggage and heading toward her dorm. She worried that if she stayed longer, Manman would start complaining about Qiqi's good luck.

Jiang Xin, carrying bags and packages with her parents, trailed behind Wang Qiqi, grumbling, "Why aren't we in the same dorm? This is just unfair." Due to the registration order, Jiang Xin and Wang Qiqi had been assigned to different rooms, which annoyed Jiang Xin immensely. She regretted not holding back a spot or two.

"It's fine; we're still neighbors." Wang Qiqi hesitated to add that even if they shared a room, they wouldn't see each other that often, as they’d primarily be in the dorms during military training anyway.

Wang Qiqi pushed open the door to her room and found several people already there. Some parents were already cleaning the space. The seven girls were gathered in the center, chatting or directing their parents on how to arrange their beds. Wang Qiqi’s solitary appearance startled them.

Wang Qiqi observed that only one bed remained—the one right next to the door. This spot was definitely not prime real estate; opening the door meant the first thing people saw was the bed. Wang Qiqi thought that even if she’d be sleeping there most nights, she might need to stay during midday sometimes. It looked like she needed to find time to get a curtain, otherwise, the moment someone walked in, they’d see her sprawling on the bed.

After estimating the required length of fabric, Wang Qiqi picked up her prepared towel and began wiping down the bed frame and slats. Next, she spread out her mat and pulled out her thin quilt. Her movements were quick and efficient. In less than fifteen minutes, Wang Qiqi had finished setting up her space. She then wiped down her suitcase. Once the inside was dry, she laid down newspaper, carefully arranging her clothes one by one. At this point, someone noticed an issue. (To be continued)