BTMDY Chapter 85

It was the start of the school year, and new students were arriving at Ningchang University.

 

The weather in early September hadn’t completely let go of summer’s heat yet. The southern university town, on the outskirts of Ningchang City, had almost all its schools starting in the past few days. Streets that were usually empty were now packed with traffic, bustling and a little congested, just like a busy market.

 

The university officially started registration on September 4th, lasting four days.

 

To avoid the peak crowds, Lin Wangye and his friends deliberately waited until the 6th to show up.

 

Even so, the campus was still crowded. Cars lined up at the entrance, carrying families and their luggage. Freshmen and parents bustled back and forth, and volunteers were everywhere. The whole scene looked like a lively fair.

 

Dorm assignments had been made in advance. Dragging luggage around would be too much of a hassle, so the three of them went to check in first, standing in line to get their keys from the dorm supervisors.

 

In his previous life, Lin Wangye hadn’t really cared much about university.

 

To him, college was no different from high school. You went to school, learned what you needed to learn, and then, when you’d learned enough, you’d intern at the Lin Group, eventually taking over the empire his father would leave him.

 

In the end, his life was predictable, laid out like a map he could see from start to finish.

 

His father didn’t ask much of him, and while he didn’t have time to spend with him, he also didn’t smother him with rules. Lin Wangye could play when he wanted, and when it was time to take over, he would.

 

Last time, he hadn’t lived to see the school year begin. This time, being a freshman felt… different.

 

Though he couldn’t attend college with someone he liked, studying alongside his dad was an oddly fresh experience.

 

And then there was Lu Chengxuan—the legendary figure himself.

 

Dragging his suitcase toward the dorm, Lin Wangye glanced at his dad and Lu Chengxuan walking ahead. Suddenly, he remembered the New Year gathering at the Lu family, joking with Dr. Bai about his role.

 

‘Accompanying the Crown Prince to school.’

 

At the time, he had thought the joke was fitting. Now, it seemed even more accurate.

 

As a top-tier national university, Ningchang University was the largest in the entire university town and also the most well-equipped. Just the student dormitories were divided into Areas A, B, C, and D to make it easier for students in each department to get to their classes.

 

Lu Chengxuan had used some connections to get the three of them assigned to the same dorm room on the second floor of Building 2, Area B.

 

Seeing the sign outside the dorm, Lin Shen couldn’t hold back his laughter.

 

“2B… So this is the ‘great dorm’ you set up for us, huh? How did I never realize you curse so much, Lu Chengxuan?”

 

“You only said you wanted the same room. Nothing else,” Lu Chengxuan replied calmly.

 

“Yeah, but you still can’t—”

 

“Ah, ah!” Lin Wangye hurried to cut him off before his dad could say something sharp. “2B is 2B, whatever! Look at the view around here! Look at the flowers and the grass. That’s an apricot tree, right? I’ve heard Ningchang University is famous for its sea of flowers. Imagine when all these bloom—this whole place is going to look amazing!”

 

Hearing this, Lin Shen glanced at the apricot grove not far away.

 

“Can we pick and eat the fruit already?”

 

Lin Wangye felt his vision go dark for a moment. His dad really had no sense of subtlety—completely hopeless.

 

Most of the building was filled with freshman dorms. By the time the three of them arrived, many students were already lined up on the first floor to check in with the dorm supervisors. After getting their keys, Lin Wangye hoisted his suitcase and headed to the second floor, waiting for Lu Chengxuan, who was walking ahead, to open the door.

 

When the dorm room door swung open, Lin Wangye stepped in right behind him and took a quick look. The setup was exactly what he expected: a standard four-person room with bunk beds, desks underneath, a private bathroom, and a small balcony.

 

What surprised him a little was that one of the four beds was already made with sheets and blankets, and the desk below it was neatly arranged with books and miscellaneous items.

 

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow. “Huh, someone got here before us?”

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t look very surprised and casually said, “They said roommates are assigned randomly. The three of us ending up together is just a low-probability event.”

 

Lin Shen stepped closer, glancing around, and murmured to himself.

 

“Intimate relationships… the silent majority… the unattainable Gatsby… taste’s not bad, kind of like mine. If he really read these books, he’s got some eye for it.”

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes caught the other three desks. On each was a box of cherry tomatoes, clearly prepared by the new roommates. His face lit up. “Hey, look! He even washed the fruit for us.”

 

“This guy’s thoughtful… I can work with him,” Lin Shen said, picking up the box and shaking it lightly before opening it to eat. He looked at Lin Wangye. “You pick first.”

 

“Got it!”

 

The dorm room had two beds along each wall on either side of the door. The earlier roommate had picked the one on the left by the balcony.

 

Lin Wangye walked to the bed by the window and patted the desk below it. “I’ll take this one!”

 

Lin Shen didn’t care which bed he got. Once Lin Wangye made his choice, he just pulled out a chair and sat at the desk closest to him.

 

“Then I’ll sleep here.”

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t have a choice—he got the remaining bed.

 

Once the beds were settled, Lin Wangye busied himself with making his bed. Then he suddenly realized he might have made the wrong choice.

 

At first, he had only seen the apricot grove outside and thought being by the window would give him a nice view. He hadn’t realized that this meant Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan were left on opposite sides of the aisle.

 

He’d messed up.

 

He should have chosen the bed on the same side as the new roommates, near the door. That way, his dad and Lu Chengxuan would be side by side.

 

Every night, their heads would be next to each other, and who knew—maybe sparks would fly.

 

Now, the beds were already made. Too late to regret it.

 

Watching Lu Chengxuan arrange the sheets, the Crown Prince’s Study Buddy hugged his pillow and sat cross-legged on his bed, wincing in frustration. He thought to himself: if he were head-to-head with the Crown Prince, he’d probably never breathe loudly at night.

 

But Lu Chengxuan’s next move eased his worries.

 

After making his bed, Lu Chengxuan casually tossed his pillow to the other side.

 

Lin Wangye’s mind lit up with inspiration. He immediately placed his pillow in the opposite direction, putting himself as far away from Lu Chengxuan as possible—ten thousand miles apart, with no risk of bumping into each other even if the sky fell.

 

Once the beds were settled, the three of them didn’t rush to unpack their suitcases. Instead, they headed straight to register.

 

Three handsome guys walking together like that couldn’t help but stand out anywhere.

 

From the dorm to the library, Lin Wangye, Lin Shen, and Lu Chengxuan were stopped countless times by classmates asking for contact info and by various clubs trying to recruit new members.

 

The most popular by far was Lin Wangye.

 

It wasn’t hard to guess why. Among the three, Lu Chengxuan naturally exuded a ‘keep out’ aura, practically screaming ‘strangers stay away.’

 

Lin Shen was flashy and untamed, clearly not someone easy to handle. On the dating scene, he was even more intimidating than the cold and aloof Lu Chengxuan. The culprit? Those deep, emotional eyes that seemed to radiate affection even at a dog, paired with a playful, worldly demeanor that made it look like he was juggling ten relationships at once—basically screaming ‘player’ without saying a word.

 

By contrast, Lin Wangye looked completely harmless. He had the kind of classic, well-behaved boy-next-door appearance: the type who looks like he’d cry for half a day if someone punched him.

 

Anyone with eyes could tell the three of them were really close.

 

Meeting one of them was basically like meeting all three.

 

So when nearly 80% of people wanted to exchange contact info, Lin Wangye was the first choice.

 

Through him, they could find out more about Lin Shen, get to know Lu Chengxuan, and at the very least make friends with a cute younger guy.

 

Why not?

 

The enthusiasm of the crowd reminded Lin Wangye of six great sects attacking Bright Summit, and it left him stunned.

 

In his previous life, he had been overprotected. The social circles he could interact with were always polite and restrained; even if someone wanted to get to know him, they would do so gently.

 

Since coming to this era, he no longer had that background, but most of his time was spent studying. He hadn’t really met this many people in such a friendly, outgoing way.

 

He had never experienced such an enthusiastic social atmosphere before.

 

Along the way, in a haze of interactions, he quickly lost count of how many QR codes for social apps he had scanned.

 

A girl from his year skipped away happily with her phone, and Lin Wangye let out a long sigh. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his dad holding up a phone, filming him.

 

He couldn’t resist grabbing Lin Shen’s phone. “What are you doing?”

 

Lin Shen, laughing without a care, dodged his hands while hitting save. “I’m recording the whole process of you getting hit on to send to Xu Suinian. That kid will freak out when he sees it!”

 

Lin Wangye panicked. “You’re not allowed to send it!”

 

“But I already did.”

 

Lin Shen turned the phone toward Lin Wangye. The screen showed the chat with Shi Yuan, and several videos had already been sent—but no replies yet.

 

Before Lin Wangye could react, Lin Shen pulled his hand back, grinning mischievously. “It’s still early morning in Sigwell. When he wakes up, I’m going to give him a surprise.”

 

“Withdraw them, now!”

 

“Too late! You can’t retract it after two minutes.”

 

“Ugh! You’re so annoying!”

 

The registration for Ningchang University was set up on the playground in front of the library. The place was packed, noisy, and chaotic—so crowded that both Lin Wangye and Lin Shen felt a bit overwhelmed.

 

Luckily, senior students from each department had divided themselves into small volunteer groups. Lu Chengxuan quickly spotted the banner for the School of Economics and Management and led Lin Shen and Lin Wangye over to ask where to register.

 

The Business Administration major had its standards—not everyone was suited for it. To really make a name for yourself, you either had to be a capable entrepreneur or come from a family with the right connections and financial resources.

 

Classmates could become future partners or competitors. Alumni networks were a shortcut to expanding one’s circle.

 

The senior volunteers were enthusiastic, guiding the three of them through the sea of people to the registration area for the School of Economics and Management, where they completed their freshman registration, collected their campus cards, and picked up their military training uniforms.

 

On the way back to the dorm, Lin Shen opened his camouflage jacket and tried it on, sighing with satisfaction. “Finally, Ningchang University doesn’t force us into a uniform. No more ugly, stiff clothes! This time, I’ll work hard to spread my charm. All the top-quality single students in Ningchang University won’t be able to resist me!”

 

“When’s the military training?” Lin Wangye shielded his eyes from the bright sun and frowned. “It’s still so hot. I hate getting sunburned…”

 

Just as he spoke, his phone rang.

 

He pulled it out and saw it was Shi Yuan calling. Instantly, his mood brightened. “Hey! Why are you calling me at this time?”

 

Shi Yuan’s voice came through clear and gentle, laced with a soft, lingering warmth.

 

“How’s the freshman registration going today?”

 

“Yeah, it’s going well!” Lin Wangye nodded vigorously where Shi Yuan couldn’t see him, smiling. “It’s just really crowded and super hot. Isn’t it late there? You already said good night two hours ago. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep,” Shi Yuan replied. “I saw that Lin Shen sent me a ton of videos. Looks like you’re pretty popular at school, babe.”

 

“No, no, don’t overthink it!”

 

Lin Wangye immediately went on alert. He pressed speakerphone and scrolled through WeChat to show the long line of unread messages as proof of innocence.

 

“Most people’s first message to me is like, ‘Hey little brother, can you introduce me to that blond guy beside you?’ I’ll screenshot it for you right now!”

 

Before he could finish, Lin Shen looked up at the sky and gave an exasperated expression, completely done with this world obsessed with looks. He took a deep breath and pulled his military uniform over his head.

 

Even Lu Chengxuan couldn’t help but glance at him.

 

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