Striking Up a Conversation, We Are Classmates

Near noon, Leon Long suggested they all go out for lunch. Even though there'd been some unpleasantness with Eric Yi earlier, Leon figured they'd be sharing a dorm for the next four years, so it was better not to let things get too tense. So, he still invited Eric along.

He'd expected Eric to refuse, but to his surprise, Eric agreed to join them for lunch.

There were all kinds of restaurants near the university—cheap, mid-range, and upscale. Since this was their first meal together, Leon picked a fancy place and booked a private room.

"By the way, bro, what's your name?"

After they sat down, Leon looked at Eric and asked.

"Eric Yi," he replied curtly, barely saying more than necessary.

Leon didn't mind and went on, "I'm Leon Long, local to Flame City. This is Gavin Gan, he's from Northwest State. And this is Ian Song, from Tianhe State. So, where are you from?"

"Newsea," Eric replied blandly.

Seeing Eric still putting on airs, Gavin grew more annoyed and sneered, "So you're from Newsea. No wonder you look down on us."

Newsea was the biggest, richest city in the Yanhuang Republic—even more powerful than the capital, Flame City.

There was a saying: to Flame City folks, everyone outside their city was just a country bumpkin; to Newsea people, anyone not from Newsea was poor.

That pretty much said it all about how wealthy Newsea was.

"Let it go—after all, we're all roommates," Ian said, patting Gavin on the shoulder.

Gavin snorted, "We treat him like a roommate, but he probably doesn't see us the same way."

Hearing that, Eric's brow twitched slightly, but in the end he said nothing. Since Eric didn't respond, Gavin let the matter drop.

Soon, a waiter came in carrying a case of beer.

Leon opened four bottles and handed one to each of the others.

But when he offered one to Eric, Eric didn't take it and said flatly, "I don't drink."

The atmosphere instantly turned chilly again. Gavin's look grew even more unfriendly.

"At least have a little—it's our first time meeting," Leon urged.

"I'm allergic to alcohol!" Eric Yi frowned.

"Hell, I'm allergic to plain water!" Gavin Gan slammed the table and shouted at Eric, "If you won't drink, then get out! Quit acting like you're better than us just because you're from Newsea!"

People from the Northwest were known for being tough—sometimes they'd trade punches over just a few words.

Gavin was a straightforward guy. He'd disliked Eric from the start, so now he finally couldn't hold back and exploded.

This time, Ian didn't try to smooth things over. Eric really was too full of himself—everyone had let the bed incident go, but he was still acting aloof.

Faced with Gavin's outburst, Eric just gave him a cool look, stood up, and headed for the door.

"Hey, Eric, don't go! You don't have to drink beer—juice or soda is fine!" Leon called after him.

But Eric clearly had no intention of staying—he opened the door and left without looking back.

"Come on, Gavin, we're all in the same dorm—no need to go that far," Leon said, sitting back down with a helpless sigh.

"I just can't stand that kid—acting all high and mighty! Think he's hot stuff just because he's got some cash!" With that, Gavin grabbed a bottle and downed half of it in one go.

"It's fine if he left. The three of us can drink! Come on, Leon, Gavin—let's toast!" Ian said with a cheerful smile, raising his bottle.

"Cheers!"

Leon and Gavin could both hold their liquor, but since they planned to go shopping for supplies later, they stopped after finishing one case of beer.

After that round of drinks, the three of them felt a lot closer.

After lunch, the trio headed to a street near campus, packed with students from the surrounding universities. Since school had just started, the place was crowded—mostly with young men and women.

"Hey, check out those hotties."

Suddenly, Leon nudged Ian and Gavin, motioning toward a certain direction with his chin.

Ian followed his gaze and saw four girls shopping together at a stall.

All four girls were attractive, but the standout was a short-haired, bare-faced girl in a white dress.

"Wonder if they're from our school," Leon murmured. There were three other universities near Waterwood: Flame City University of Foreign Studies, Yanhuang University of Finance and Economics, and Capital City Normal University.

"So, you interested?" Ian asked with a grin.

Leon didn't even try to hide it—he gave a cheeky smile. "Of course! A gentleman loves a fair lady, right? Hey, do you guys have girlfriends?"

"I do," Ian admitted honestly.

"I don't," Gavin said. "How about we go ask for their numbers, so we can keep in touch?"

"Sure, then hurry up and go get their numbers!" Leon urged, giving Gavin a push.

"Why should I go alone? If we're going, we should all go together!" Gavin protested, a little nervous.

"Hey, it's not a fight—we'll scare them off if we all go at once!" Leon said, clearly experienced.

"Ian, why don't you go?"

Ian shot Gavin a look. "I already have a girlfriend."

"That's exactly why—you have nothing to lose, and you're better looking than us. Your odds are way higher," Gavin said, winking at him.

Leon nodded in agreement. "I'm with Gavin on this. Ian, our future happiness is in your hands."

"Alright, I'll go," Ian said, a bit helpless.

With a resigned nod, Ian headed straight for the four girls.

Girls were always quick to notice when they were being watched. Even though the four were busy picking out supplies, they realized three guys were staring at them from nearby.

As Ian walked over, the shortest girl—dressed in an oversized T-shirt—excitedly told her friends, "Look, a cute guy is coming our way! I bet he's coming to ask for our phone numbers."

The other three girls secretly sized Ian up, all admitting he really was handsome. One asked, "If he asks for our numbers, should we give them to him?"

"Definitely not that easy." The shortest girl gave a sly smile. "Aren't we looking for someone to help us move our stuff? If he's willing to help, then we'll give him our numbers."

"Wow, Kelsey, you're so sneaky!"

"That's called waste utilization!" Kelsey said proudly.

Ian's hearing was super sharp. He caught Kelsey calling him 'waste,' even if it was just a joke. He wasn't about to let her off that easy. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind—he strode over, put on a surprised look, and said to the shortest girl, "Kelsey, hi! Do you still recognize me?"

Hearing Ian call her by name, Kelsey Zhang froze, stunned. "You know me?"

Ian grinned to himself. "Aren't you Kelsey Zhang? We were classmates in middle school."

Hearing Ian claim to be her old classmate, Kelsey racked her brain trying to remember, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall who this ridiculously handsome 'old classmate' was.