001. Xiao Xian (The Little Fairy)
He Jin ordered a sweet and sour pork ribs and cabbage meat paste from the second cafetaria, and then walked leisurely to the dormitory building while holding his lunch box at his side.
On the path to the dormitory building, there were a land of ginkgos and fallen leaves everywhere, yellow-brown in color and shaped like golden fan, which created a slight crunching sound when stepped on.
Around him, a group of beautiful and nicely dressed girls passed, bustling around with gentle laughter. In their hands, they were carrying multi colored ball-shaped props which were usually used for cheers. Their conversation revealed the words "tennis" and "school idol". Such keywords were said with deep enthusiasm, which dip slightly in the cold chill of late autumn. Just watching them exposing their long legs in this season, He Jin couldn't help but let out a shudder.
The road ahead lead to the school's tennis court, which seemed to hold some big competition this afternoon. Moreover, the "school idol" the girls had been talking about was also rumored to be participating in said competition.
However, none of these were a concern for He Jin – having spent two and a half years in this campus, the things that had to be experienced, he had already experienced them all.
Junior was the busiest year of major courses, especially after the second half of the semester began. The relaxed and brilliant university life seemed to have gone away, and the feeling of anxiety as well as a sense of hesitation for the future began to spread gradually.
He Jin sighed, recalling last night's phone call from home. The woman in the phone said that his father had arranged a good job for him in his hometown. It was in a well-known institution, a recommended place for civil servants, with high pay and many good benefits. Once he graduated, he could just go right to work...
Thinking about this somehow made He Jin feel a little tired.
As he arrived at the dormitory building, at the same time a few figures suddenly rushed out of the building, recklessly running in his direction. They colided with He Jin who was standing there in a trance, still holding onto his lunchbox like a fool. He Jin tried to dodge, but was finally hit full force by one of the men.
A "bang "sound was soon heard. He Jin staggered, and his lunch box fell on the ground.
"I'm sorry...", the man pulled him, then stopped to pick up the box for him, "Did it break?"
"It's okay. " He Jin took the box. This was a lunchbox with a lock made out of an plexiglass, so it had good sealing, and would not be broken even when smashed. Count this boy lucky, there was no need to compensate on his part.
He Jin raised his eyes, and saw a man wearing a blue and white polo shirt, combined with Nike's casual jacket. The man was tall, with long arms, a neat short hair, slightly narrowed eyes, and pursed lips, which made him give off a bit of a stern look.
It's a member of the tennis team, were they rushing to the competition?
He Jin waved a hand to indicate that it was really alright. Then, without saying anything, he grabbed his lunch box and walked away.
A few years ago, the National Association of Colleges and Universities called on universities to improve their living environment, to make it similar to those of foreign prestigious schools. The government then grant funds to some key institutions for rebuilding old school buildings.
His university was included in the area of funds allocation. The old school dormitory, which countless alumnis used to call "pigsty dormitory", was abandoned and changed into a new two-person sharing room, with every two or four people had to share a discussion and dining room. There was a refrigerator, a microwave, and even air-conditioning and heating. The conditions after the transformation were so good that even many private school's students felt envious.
