Love Me in Another Universe

Chapter 82. Mid-Autumn Festival Gala

September 24, 1999, Friday. In Room 608, Building 170, North Campus of Yixian University. After showering, the boys pulled on their camouflage T-shirts and pants. But they weren't getting ready for the evening military training session—they were heading to the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala hosted by the School of Foreign Languages (SFL) for the freshmen of the 1999 cohort.

"Phew, those evening training sessions were exhausting. Finally, we can chill out tonight," Shan Kai said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Evening training isn't that bad, right?" Ying Congyun chuckled in reply. "It's not like we have to go for long runs every night. Last Sunday night we got to watch a movie, remember?"

"A dusty old flick like Women at West Point doesn't count." Shan Kai pouted, then wore a playful smirk, "I'd much rather check out the female cadets in our class."

"Shan Kai, you little lecher," Wen Yuwei mocked him with a laugh, then strummed a chord on his guitar.

"Wen Yuwei, the head teacher and the counselor personally picked you to perform—you better shine out there," Ying Congyun teased.

Wen Yuwei plucked the strings again, sounding a bit resigned. "If I'd known the head teacher and the counselor were dropping by the dorm for an inspection that day, I would've hidden the guitar. Honestly, I haven't had much time to practice lately."

"So what song are you gonna play?" Guan Xuchen asked, curious.

"You'll see soon enough." Wen Yuwei smiled mysteriously.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it—you're a pro," Shan Kai said, his tone tinged with jealousy. He checked his watch and said to the others, "It's 6:50, guys. Let's head out."

"Isn't the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala starting at 7:30? Why go so early?" Ying Congyun asked, confused.

"To get there early and bag a good spot!" Shan Kai grinned mischievously.

A dozen minutes later, the eight boys arrived at Conference Room 308 of the SFL building, where the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala would be held. The room was decked out with festive lanterns and streamers hanging from the ceiling, filling it with a cheerful vibe. The original podium had been turned into a small stage, with a long red banner above it reading "Mid-Autumn Festival Gala for Freshmen of 1999 Cohort in Military Training". Below, the tables were loaded with mooncakes, fruits, candies, and other snacks.

It was still early, so not many teachers or students had arrived yet. Shan Kai scanned the room with eyes as sharp as an eagle's, then pointed to the front right and said briskly, "Let's sit there."

With that, he hurried toward the front right, and Guan Xuchen and the other roommates had no choice but to follow.

Several girls were sitting in the fourth row on the right side of the room. Shan Kai walked up to the third row, greeted them with a big smile, and said, "Good evening, beauties."

The girls greeted him politely in return. One of them—a girl with delicate features and an impressive figure—smiled and asked, "Shan Kai, why are you alone? Where are the rest of your roommates?"

"They're here too." Shan Kai pointed to the back of the room, then put on a pathetic look, "Oh, Tu Jingli (pron.: too jing lee), why only ask about the others in my dorm? It's breaking my heart."

The girls all burst into giggles at that.

"We should get to know all the new classmates, right?" Tu Jingli smiled and said, "You already know all the girls in our dorm, so it's only fair we get to know the boys in yours, isn't it?"

"No problem at all," Shan Kai replied heartily.

By then, Guan Xuchen and the others had reached the third row. Shan Kai pointed to the boys and said to the girls, "Well, you already know Lv Runfa (pron.: lyu run far) and Dai Changshuai (pron.: dye chang sh-why), right? The other handsome guys are Ying Congyun, He Dianzu, Huang Lihong, Guan Xuchen, and Wen Yuwei."