Chapter 122: An Awkward Encounter

After an endless stream of nonsense from the teachers, the student assembly finally concluded. I walked back to my dormitory with Long Xin and the others after dinner, yet I felt incredibly uneasy throughout the entire journey.

The reason was simple: I was surrounded by strange gazes, much like before, and I felt as though someone was watching me from the shadows—a feeling that if I were to let my guard down for even a second, I would be assassinated. "Sigh," I let out a breath as I reached Building 5. I picked up my luggage from the duty office and headed upstairs.

Upon arriving at the floor, I found the hallway to be truly luxurious, much like that of a high-end hotel. There were doors on both sides, each with a room number, and they were clearly reinforced security doors. I couldn't help but wonder if this was a dormitory or a hotel! I arrived at Room 205 and pulled out the magnetic card I had been given after paying my housing fees; they told me it was the key. It felt more like a hotel with every passing moment.

I swiped the card and entered. Behind the door, I found that this was no dormitory—it was a full hotel suite. There was a bathroom, a kitchenette, a wardrobe, a shoe rack, and so on. I wondered if there might be a television inside as well, so I walked further in. My suspicions were confirmed: there was a television, a computer, a DVD player, and every appliance one could imagine. But what caught my attention most was the bed—pristine white sheets, soft pillows, and a comfortable quilt. I never would have imagined this to be a student dormitory.

I dropped my luggage and collapsed onto the large bed, feeling incredibly comfortable; it was far better than the one at my own home. There were two beds, suggesting it was a shared room. I wondered who my roommate was, but then I noticed a cute gray bear plushie on the pillow of the other bed. Could it be a girl? I immediately shook my head; that was impossible.

Suddenly, a female voice called out: "Is someone outside?"

This... no... it couldn't be. Was my roommate actually a girl? And was the owner of that voice...

"Ah, are you my roommate? Please take care of me for the next six years."

What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? I was at a complete loss, pacing the room in a panic, even considering jumping out the window. But by the sound of it, she had already walked up behind me. "Sorry, I was in the shower and didn't realize you had come in. My apologies for being dressed like this..." I turned around mechanically and was left dumbfounded by the intense scene before me. This was just too surreal! A girl was standing right in front of me wrapped only in a bath towel. Most importantly, she was drying her hair with a towel, the bath towel only covering her lower body while her upper body was completely exposed. The problem was that she didn't seem to realize she had stepped so close that she was pressed against me. Her soft, fair, and rising breasts were flush against my chest, and we could even clearly hear each other's heartbeats.

...Both of us froze, staring at each other, our faces flushed to the point of turning bright red. This was... awkward, awkward, incredibly awkward... Why did I have to run into something like this? The air in the room grew heavy. "Long... Long... Long Ling!?"

"Oh."

"Ah! Don't look!" We both immediately spun around, backs to each other. I said awkwardly, "Huan Yue, I... I'm so sorry."

The girl I had seen was none other than Huan Yue, Tian Xueyue. I felt utterly ashamed of my rudeness. Having arrived at such a high-end dorm for the first time, I should have realized it was a shared room and not a single, yet I had forgotten the basic courtesy of knocking. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up in such an embarrassing situation.

"Long Ling... can you close the door?" Huan Yue asked. Seeing her half-naked must have made her feel incredibly embarrassed; she was one step away from screaming or attacking me.

"Ah, the door, of course, I..." I was already babbling incoherently.

"Why are you here?" Huan Yue asked.

With a flushed face, I said, "Ah, as it turns out, I'm staying in this room too... Wait, don't tell me you're my roommate?"

"Ah!" Huan Yue shrieked.

"Huan Yue, why don't you go change? I think it's better if I step out for a moment. I'll come back later." I scrambled past Huan Yue and retreated out the door. The sight from moments ago had been far too stimulating. Even now, those snow-white breasts remained etched in my mind, and I didn't dare look in her direction.

I squeezed through the door and immediately shut it, leaning against it while gasping for air.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"Ha! Long Ling, isn't that Long Ling?"

Several voices rang out, all of them female. I turned to see Xia Tian standing beside me, holding a large bag of fruit, accompanied by another beautiful girl. Xia Tian laughed, "I never expected you to be assigned here, and in this room, no less."

"So you're the most promising candidate for Xueyue's boyfriend, huh? I didn't think you'd end up here, and sharing a room with... truly, lovers destined to be together, haha," the girl beside Xia Tian teased.

I asked, "Tell me, what is going on? Is this the girls' dormitory?"

Xia Tian laughed, "What do you mean, girls' dormitory? There’s no such rule here. Both regular admissions and expanded admissions are in the same dorms. These dorms are exclusive to Student Council members; both men and women stay together."

I said, "Men and women together?! Is... is there any other boy here besides me?"

Xia Tian replied, "Yes, there is, our President."

Hearing that, I felt relieved—at least there was someone else like me. But then Xia Tian added, "However, he doesn't live here. You're the first male to actually move in."

As soon as Xia Tian said that, I felt like I had been cast into an abyss. Oh, heavens...

The girl beside Xia Tian looked at her watch and said, "It's this time of day. Every day at this hour, Xueyue is showering, and she's just about finished. You waiting at the door... could it be..." She gave a strange, knowing smile.

Xia Tian added mischievously, "Is Huan Yue's figure nice?"

I answered instinctively, and only after I had spoken did I realize I had fallen into their trap. If I tried to explain, they wouldn't believe me; in this situation, explaining is just covering up, and covering up is the truth.

I continued, "How many people are here in total?"

Xia Tian said, "Including you, there are seven people in total—six women and you. And two of those women have a grudge against you. If they knew you were here, they’d be absolutely delighted."

I asked, confused, "Who has a grudge against me? I don't remember offending anyone. And two of them, at that?"

Xia Tian replied, "Just because you haven't met in reality doesn't mean you haven't met in the game. Those two have been hunting for you with blood in their eyes."

I forced a smile and said, "The people you're talking about couldn't be..."

Xia Tian said, "I wish you the best of luck."

With that, she and the other girl headed back to their rooms—Xia Tian was actually my neighbor. Just as I was about to enter, the girl beside Xia Tian called out, "Xueyue, once you've changed, let your excellent candidate in!" She closed the door, leaving me alone in the hallway.

The door behind me opened. I turned to see Huan Yue, now dressed in gray casual wear. "Come in," she said.

I walked in, still feeling incredibly awkward, and closed the door. "Just now... I am truly sorry."

"So, you're my roommate?" Huan Yue asked.

"Oh, it seems that way," I replied.

A trace of a blush appeared on Huan Yue's face, and she stammered, "I... I... I see."

"See? See what?"

"Did... did you ask for this? To be in the same room as me?" Huan Yue asked a strange question.

"How could that be possible?" I replied matter-of-factly.

The next second, Huan Yue stood before me, her cute, pretty face less than a foot from mine. Her eyes held a strange light. "Wow! Xueyue, you're so bold."

"Long Ling, no cheating!" Xia Tian and the other girl suddenly pushed the door open, but Huan Yue quickly ran to the door. "Nosy!" she snapped, closing and locking it.

"Long Ling."

"Yes?"

"Since we're roommates, we need to set some ground rules," Huan Yue declared.

"What kind of rules?"

"It's... it's just that you aren't allowed to use the shower between 7:00 and 8:00," Huan Yue said.

I asked, "Why is that?"

Huan Yue replied confidently, "Because that's my time. As for anything else, there's nothing. Long Ling, please take care of me for the next six years."

"Understood!"