Although Wang Qiqi didn't join their gathering, her bright smile and the occasional mention of scenic spots quickly helped her strike up a lively conversation with them. Wang Qiqi also learned about the remaining roommates.

Feng Yanjie was a girl from the Northeast, whose family had worked on farms for generations. Her attire suggested her family was well-off, perhaps even very comfortable (as it should be; if a family had been in the Northeast farming business for generations and got lucky enough to stumble upon a few wild ginseng roots, their lives would immediately flourish—provided, of course, the higher-ups never found out about the ginseng).

Wang Qiqi looked at Feng Yanjie. If it weren't for her strong Northeastern accent, she truly wouldn't have pegged her as being from the Northeast. If she stood still, one might even believe she was from the Jiangnan region. But on closer inspection, it was clear she wasn't a typical Jiangnan beauty—why? Because the skin on her face lacked that particular delicacy. "Your height isn't typical for a northerner." Northerners were defined by their imposing stature; even the women tended to be tall.

Feng Yanjie wasn't surprised by Wang Qiqi's curiosity. "My mother was an educated youth sent down from the South, and my older brother takes after my father—tall with good skin. I’m petite, but my skin isn't as fine." Feng Yanjie had spent her life looking different from other northern girls and had explained this many times before.

Wang Qiqi understood. "There's an advantage to being petite; you can look delicate and lovely." At least, in future office settings, a little flirtatiousness would be easier to pull off. If it were a woman built like a sturdy oak, even if she intended to act demure, she'd probably just scare everyone.

Feng Yanjie chuckled. "That’s true; my father especially adores me."

Gong Yiying always had a gentle smile plastered on her face, appearing like a pampered, perhaps overly naive girl on the surface. However, a discerning eye would catch the probing, measuring quality in her gaze, which would instantly sharpen if you turned to look at her directly. Wang Qiqi noticed this once and paid closer attention, realizing Gong Yiying always seemed lost in thought. Wang Qiqi wondered if this was a trait common among people from Shencheng. If so, why hadn't she attended Shencheng University? Even though it was slightly less prestigious than C University, it was much closer to home.

"It seems we’re half-hometown folks now. We can travel back together later," Gong Yiying said with a sweet smile.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "We can, but I plan to travel around during the summer break."

Everyone found this strange. Why wouldn't Wang Qiqi go home for the summer? Bai Ge directly asked, "If you're not going back for the summer, don't your parents have any objections?"

Regarding her parents, Wang Qiqi knew that if she didn't mention it, it wouldn't remain a secret for long, so there was no point in hiding it. "My parents passed away when I was in my second year of high school."

The moment Wang Qiqi finished speaking, everyone present gasped. Recalling how Wang Qiqi had registered alone and cleaned the room by herself, their imaginations ran wild. "We're so sorry," Han Meina said, realizing this was why. A large part of her reason for mocking Wang Qiqi earlier stemmed from Wang Qiqi's polite greetings to everyone upon entering, followed by single-handedly completing all the manual labor. Han Meina’s mother had been whispering nearby about her own difficulties, which was something the usually proud Han Meina could hardly tolerate.

Although Han Meina didn't utter a direct apology, a hint of remorse could be detected in her next words. "I'm used to it. I just grew up early."

"What about your relatives?" Feng Yanjie thought, surely even if the parents were gone, there must be uncles, aunts, or cousins.

"They all have jobs. Besides, I’ve been to the Capital before and visited C University, so I know my way around. Moreover, I have money, and I can handle these things myself." Wang Qiqi understood that for Northerners, if a father passed away, his brother would certainly escort his niece to college registration. At that time, registering for university was a significant event for any family, even a decade later. Yet, not a single representative from her family showed up. The underlying reason was likely that they didn't want to raise an orphaned girl, considering that marriage after university required money. But looking at Wang Qiqi’s clothing and listening to her words, everyone quickly surmised that Wang Qiqi’s parents might have left behind an inheritance, and perhaps she had fallen out with her relatives over the money.

The thought that this young woman, barely out of her second year of high school last year, managed to secure her family assets, regardless of the size of the inheritance, suggested Wang Qiqi was quite formidable. Their understanding of her deepened considerably.

Zhang Yan sat up on her bed, glanced at Wang Qiqi, then picked up a book from her nightstand and began reading. Why should she concern herself so much with other people's family affairs?

"I'm done showering. You all should get some rest too; I have military training tomorrow." Wang Qiqi checked the time and realized it was getting late. She muttered to herself, wondering why Shi Man hadn't started the 'performance' she'd mentioned. She wasn't planning to wait until midnight, was she?

The other girls had intended to chat a bit longer, but upon hearing Wang Qiqi, they groaned. "We still have military training; we haven't even properly met the classmates in our own cohort yet!"

"Exactly. Just thinking about military training makes me want to die."

Although everyone dreaded military training, there was little they could do but reluctantly head to the communal bathhouse. Just as they gathered their things, Zhu Lina rushed in, sweating profusely. "Qiqi, Shi Man is having terrible stomach cramps; she's almost rolling on the floor!"

When Wang Qiqi saw Zhu Lina burst in, she initially thought she was acting. She was still mentally noting how dramatic Shi Man was, never expecting Zhu Lina to be just as good. "Oh no, why is her stomach hurting so badly?" Wang Qiqi quickly scrambled off her bed, ready to leave.

Zhu Lina grabbed Wang Qiqi and sprinted upstairs. Wang Qiqi could barely keep up. If there hadn't been other people in the stairwell and hallway, Wang Qiqi would have begged Zhu Lina to slow down. Shi Man was supposedly faking it. But when she entered Zhu Lina's dorm room, Wang Qiqi realized something was genuinely wrong.

"Manmang, are you okay?" Wang Qiqi rushed to Shi Man’s side, hoping for a sign that she was just pretending.

Shi Man hadn't expected to need to pretend; the pain was too real, so agonizing she wished she could cut her own stomach out. "Qi, Qi, I, I, my stomach... it hurts so much."

Wang Qiqi thought, Of course, I know your stomach hurts, but there's no need to look this miserable. In the past, when Shi Man had her period cramps, they weren't even one-third this bad. "Lina, what's wrong with Manman?" When Shi Man clutched Wang Qiqi's arm, Wang Qiqi knew she wasn't faking it; she wouldn't be gripping so tightly and painfully if she weren't in severe distress. Could she really be in this much pain?

Zhu Lina shook her head. "I don't know. I already called 120." Zhu Lina had originally planned to follow their script, get Wang Qiqi, and take Shi Man to the campus clinic. But seeing Shi Man in such agony—and more importantly, that it wasn't an act—Zhu Lina couldn't risk the clinic so late at night. Who knew if anyone would be on duty? And even if someone was there, would they be a competent doctor?

"Called 120?" Wang Qiqi's mouth fell open. "That serious? Isn't it just period pain?" She said this quietly, though.

Zhu Lina shook her head. "I don't know, but Manman said it doesn't feel like regular period cramps."

"Could it be food poisoning?" Wang Qiqi considered this possibility, but it didn't fit. If it were food poisoning, why weren't Lina and the others affected?

Zhu Lina shook her head. "Impossible. We ate lunch and dinner together. There's no reason only Manman would be in pain."

Before the two could figure out the cause of Shi Man's agony, Shi Man's deskmate shouted, "The 120 ambulance is downstairs!"

Wang Qiqi felt a wave of relief upon hearing the ambulance had arrived. Although she sympathized with Shi Man, the grip on her arm was excruciating. Now that help was here, she could finally relax.

In no time, the paramedics ascended. Seeing Shi Man's condition, they expertly placed her onto the stretcher and prepared to rush downstairs. At that moment, Wang Qiqi remembered something. "Lina, do you have any money on you?"

Zhu Lina grabbed her wallet. "I have money. If it’s not enough, I'll get more."

Shi Man's roommates, hearing Zhu Lina's readiness, quickly pulled out cash from their wallets. "Get her medical attention first!"

Wang Qiqi took the money they offered, quickly counted it, and bolted downstairs. "Right, help me tell my dorm mates tonight not to wait up for me!" Wang Qiqi had no idea when she’d be back, but she figured she’d miss curfew. She quickly stated her dorm number and rushed out, jumping onto the ambulance just as it was pulling away.

After all the commotion, the final diagnosis was that Shi Man’s intense pain was caused by eating an excessive amount of chili peppers, compounded by her menstrual cycle, which aggravated the cramps.

The doctor's explanation left Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina somewhat bewildered. In their view, they couldn't see the connection between eating too many chilies and period pain. But since the doctor stated it, they could only accept it. In the end, Shi Man only needed a few bags of saline solution, and the doctor kindly prescribed three days' worth of medication.

Wang Qiqi and the others didn't return to the dorm until morning. Shi Man could stay resting in the dorm, while Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina could only manage about an hour of rest before heading to military training. "Who was it that suggested Sichuan cuisine yesterday?" Wang Qiqi asked for the ten-thousandth time.

"Me," Zhu Lina admitted, instantly regretting it. If she had known the power of Sichuan food, she never would have suggested it.

(To be continued)