When they arrived, the place was already quite full, with an estimated thirty-some people. The tables were rectangular, seemingly several tables pushed together, and there were three such long setups in total.
Senior Yang Xuhe spotted the newcomers and walked over. "Freshmen, let me lead you inside."
The two of them followed him to the very last table and found seats. "The others haven't arrived yet. Things kick off at seven, so just order whatever you'd like," Xuhe said, greeting those around him as he spoke.
"Senior, please go tend to your business. We'll figure out the menu ourselves," Shang Hui said, holding up the menu.
"Alright, freshmen, I'll head over there then." Xuhe walked straight toward another table.
"Yiyi, what would you like to eat?" Shang Hui slid the menu over toward Liu Yiyi.
"Anything's fine."
"Then I'll order some local Thai specialties for you to try." Shang Hui seemed exceptionally excited. By now, all the freshmen had arrived, numbering around fifty people in total.
At that moment, Senior Tan Qiuyan stood up and said, "Everyone, quiet down for a moment while I say a few words. Welcome, new students, to our school. It is fate that brings us all together here, and I hope all of you junior students will enjoy your college life here and spend four wonderful years. You may now start ordering." A wave of applause broke out from the crowd.
Basic meals and Thai dishes were served first. "Yiyi, what would you like to drink?" Shang Hui's voice came over.
"Water is fine for me."
"Then I'll order the same as what I'm having."
While they were talking, Senior Jisi stood up. "The food is mostly ordered now, so this should be the time for us to get to know one another. Let's start with our table and introduce ourselves in turn."
"My name is Jisi, from Economics B3. I love motorcycles. Any junior students facing difficulties are welcome to come to me."
"Xu Jie, Economics B2. Still single, so freshmen are welcome to add me on Chat..."
"The seniors have finished introducing themselves. Now the freshmen can start. Liu Yiyi, let's start with you." Hearing her name, Liu Yiyi stood up, getting ready to speak, when the restaurant door opened and three people walked in—among them was Sange, the one who had always looked at Liu Yiyi with displeasure.
Tan Qiuyan hurriedly greeted them. "Shao Qi, didn't you say you couldn't make it due to something?" With that, he had the person next to him shift over to make room.
"I finished what I was doing, so I came to see the freshmen," Shao Qi said as he sat down.
Tan Qiuyan cleared his throat, pointed at Shao Qi, and said, "Everyone knows this person, right?" A loud cry rang out from the crowd: "Senior Shao Qi!"
"Well, I won't introduce him too much then. This is Sange from Economics B3, and next to her is Cao Han, also from Economics B3."
"Liu Yiyi, you can continue with your introduction," Qiuyan said, taking a seat right beside Shao Qi.
Instantly, everyone's gaze converged on Liu Yiyi. Ignoring those eyes with their unclear intentions, she said, "Liu Yiyi, Literature Department Class E1," and sat back down. The heavy atmosphere in the air grew even deeper.
Shang Hui hesitated for a second before standing up. "My name is Shang Hui, Economics A1. I'm lively, cheerful, and love singing. Please take good care of me in the future, everyone, seniors included."
"Meng Xia, Economics A2. I love painting and I'm Senior Shao Qi's fan." The crowd started jeering playfully with a chorus of "Ooh!"
"Feng Ceyu, Economics A2..." "Yang Xuyu, Economics A1..." "He Zi, Literature Department..." The rest of the freshmen introduced themselves in turn.
The food had all been served when Tan Qiuyan stood up holding a wine glass. "Everyone, pour your drinks." Each person filled their own cup to the brim.
Liu Yiyi stopped Shang Hui from handing over the alcohol, picked up the bottle of mineral water in front of her, and poured half a cup. "Yiyi, you're not drinking alcohol?"
"I don't like the taste."
After pouring their drinks, everyone stood up. "Once again, welcome all freshmen to our school. Cheers!" Qiuyan drained his glass in one go, and everyone else followed suit, emptying their glasses as well. "Please sit down and eat everyone," Qiuyan said, turning to chat with the seniors around him.
The freshmen also mingled among themselves and even set up a new student group chat. Liu Yiyi simply sat to the side eating her meal, choosing not to join the chatter. "Yiyi, I've added you to the group chat."
"Mm." The chattering and noise from the people at the table made Liu Yiyi feel quite uncomfortable, so she found an excuse to get some fresh air. "I'm going to the restroom."
"Okay, hurry back, or I'll eat everything up." Liu Yiyi stood up and left her seat.
"Shang Hui, why doesn't the person sitting next to you say anything? Is her personality not very good?" Meng Xia whispered in Shang Hui's ear.
"No, Yiyi just doesn't like participating in these kinds of activities."
"Oh, right, I know about her. That business with Dan Qing getting beaten up was her, right?"
"It really was her. She looks so tiny and frail, yet she's so vicious," a nearby girl muttered softly. "We better not provoke her in the future."
"Shang Hui, you should stay away from her too. What if she's in a bad mood one day and beats you up?"
"Enough! Yiyi is really a good person. She only comes to these activities she hates because of me, and she always makes me walk on the inside of the sidewalk so I won't get hit by cars. You don't understand her at all. Besides, that incident was the seniors' fault to begin with. I'm so lucky to have met her, so stop talking about her like that. If you keep going, I'm going to fall out with you." Shang Hui despised these people gossiping behind backs without knowing the first thing about the situation.
"Hey, it's not like we don't understand. Relax, we're all classmates here," a boy across the table tried to smooth things over.
After coming out of the restroom, Liu Yiyi saw Shao Qi chatting with a staff member at the counter. Seeing that Shao Qi was about to head back to his seat, she hurried over to intercept him. "Senior Shao Qi, could I get your autograph?" As she spoke, she took a photo and a pen out of her bag, preparing to hand them over.
Seeing who had approached him, Shao Qi spoke in his magnetic voice, "Who are you getting this for this time?" He held out his hand, and Liu Yiyi passed the items to him. "My friend Zhang Lin."
Signing the photo, Shao Qi said, "Junior, I'm pretty sure I already signed one for her at the autograph session. Didn't you mail it to her?" He raised his head and looked at her with a gentle gaze.
"I already sent that one out, but she wanted a few more for her collection." Liu Yiyi ignored his clear eyes, knowing full well that Shao Qi had recognized her.
If she admitted she had lost the previous autograph, her chances would definitely be zero, so she quickly added, "You can understand how a fan feels, right? But I promise this is the last time."
Hearing Liu Yiyi's fabricated nonsense—knowing full well that her previous signed photo was actually right here with him, telling lies—Shao Qi nevertheless finished signing his name and handed it back to her.
The stone in Liu Yiyi's heart finally settled. Just as she reached out to take it, a slender hand snatched the photo away. She raised her eyes to see Sange standing there. What on earth was she trying to do?