Section 2

Emily also regained some consciousness in the gusts of cold wind. As she drowsily opened her eyes, she was startled to find an octopus leaning over her, staring at her with a focused gaze. She screamed in fright and instinctively swung her fist at it. A cry of pain followed, causing the driver to jerk his hand and the vehicle to swerve on the road.

Mingmei sat in the corner of the last row, and from her position, she could see three-quarters of Song Yinzhan's profile. He appeared younger than in the photographs, not particularly handsome, but exuding an air of scholarly refinement and elegance typical of a scientist.

Emily, lying on the octopus's tentacles, restlessly turned over, mumbling that it was hot. The octopus opened the window halfway, and a cold breeze blew in, causing him to shiver involuntarily

By the time they got home, it was nearly twelve o'clock. The two of them barely managed to wash up with sheer willpower. After such a hassle, it was already quite late. Mingmei had always been an early riser, and at this moment, she was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. The combination of alcohol and the cold wind made her head feel heavy. Yet, Emily insisted on asking her if the octopus had taken advantage of her while she was drunk. Mingmei grumbled irritably, "He was hugging you and nibbling and touching... is that enough?"

Stop the car! Emily sat up abruptly, grabbing the driver's shirt and shouting.

Emily gazed at her for a moment, forcing out a weary smile, as the bottle clinked against hers, and she sighed: "Those who understand me, shine brightly."

"Hey, Zhang Xiaoyu." Mingmei suddenly walked to the counter and called out to him, a wave of alcohol scent wafting over; she was already slightly drunk, her cheeks flushed, yet her eyes were particularly bright. "Emily is drunk, you should take her home."

The source of all disputes began here, and from then on, it escalated increasingly.

7:50 ... ... Goodness, it's almost 8 o'clock! Mingmei suddenly jumped out of bed, tossed the alarm clock in her hand, and nudged the still-sleeping Emily, "Get up, we are going to be late!" Damn it, I forgot to set the alarm last night.

Emily was completely slumped over the table, her right hand dangling and still holding an empty bottle of wine. If you leaned in a little closer, you could hear her murmuring: "Baby, let's keep drinking, we won't go home until we're drunk!"

After the car came to a stop, Emily pushed and kicked the octopus off the vehicle, allowing Mingmei to sit in the back. The driver was so furious that he threatened to leave them on the roadside, but the octopus managed to persuade the taxi to continue its journey

Emily nonchalantly bit into the pumpkin pie and said, "So what if I'm late? It's no big deal."

I am leaving now. Mingmei waved her hand, jumped out of the car, and while running wildly, she looked at her watch. Oh no, it was two minutes to nine. From the school gate to the lecture hall, it would take at least ten minutes even if she ran.

In fact, Mingmei noticed something was off with her mood as soon as she entered the door, because whenever she had something on her mind, she liked to shout loudly, order a lot of food, and pretend to laugh.

BINGO! Did you know that he is actually serving as the lead lecturer in our department this year? I was overjoyed when I received the class schedule! He is such a busy person! I thought I would never have the chance to attend his lectures in these four years!

"You haven't eaten all day, don't drink on an empty stomach, have some food first." Just then, the waiter brought the first dish, and Mingmei placed a garlic scallop into Emily's bowl

How can you still say that? You clearly remembered the class was in the afternoon, yet you kicked it out of your mind. Breathing in a large amount of car exhaust early in the morning is truly shortening your lifespan

Emily lived for eighteen years, with her first love and first kiss still intact. The greatest trouble of her adolescence was the pair of parents at home who would have minor quarrels every three days and major fights every five days

"You like him so much, should I help you connect the dots?" Emily took a sip of beer and let out a laugh.

Do you know who the first class is today

Professor Song Yinzhang. Mentioning this name brings a sparkle to the eyes. Moreover, this is his first class of the semester, how could I possibly be late

"Zhang Xiaoyu, are your eyes alright?" Mingmei asked while glaring at Emily.

No response

A word that does not resonate is too much to say

Aunt Ai rented a garage in the community, set up several automatic mahjong machines, and opened a teahouse. Initially, she intended to earn some living expenses, but instead, she found herself on the path of "being immersed in mahjong and losing her way." At her most frenzied, Aunt Ai could sit at the mahjong table all night long, completely neglecting cooking and household chores.

The taxis coming and going on Muyu Road were particularly numerous. In a moment, they managed to hail an empty cab. Since Mingmei and Emily lived in the same direction, Octopus decided to drop off Mingmei first before taking Emily.

The light above flickered to life in the midst of a profound silence, and Song Yinzhuang, who had been standing in the left corner, slowly walked up to the podium and began to speak in a clear voice: "Each of you seated here should be passionate about the ocean and geology, yet the land and sea sometimes betray our love..."

A bright kick landed on her backside, "Pig! You can keep sleeping, I'm leaving first." This move was truly tried and tested, as Emily yelled and sat up, "Disturbing someone's sweet dreams is also a crime, you know!"

"Those without classes, get lost." Mingmei said irritably

Once, Ai's father was driving all night, and Emily was away on a school trip, leaving ten-year-old Ai's younger brother alone at home. As a result, he woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty and went to boil some water to drink. In his dazed state, he accidentally burned the top of his foot with the hot water, crying for a long time. Eventually, he was found by a neighbor who had been awakened by the noise, and they located Ai's mother at the mahjong table.

"No, no, no, everyone knows who he likes." Mingmei mischievously winked at her, but Emily did not scold her playfully as usual; instead, she took a large gulp of wine in silence.

If you were to ask Emily what she hates the most in this world, she would surely respond with a grimace, gritting her teeth, saying: Mahjong, mahjong, mahjong, and once again, mahjong

"It’s nothing." The octopus gasped in pain but could only endure it.

She has never been very good at comforting others, and some sadness and troubles are beyond the reach of any consolation, as they can only be consumed by oneself. In this world, there is very little true empathy. As a good friend, the only thing one can do is to offer a quiet ear and a silent embrace when she wishes to express herself.

Again pushing, Emily turned over and buried her head in the blanket

Of course. Mingmei patted her on the head

The octopus furrowed its brow, hoisted her onto its back, and signaled to Mingmei to take good care of Emily's bag as they walked together. Mingmei's steps were somewhat unsteady; upon stepping outside, the night breeze blew, and she immediately felt a bit more alert, her flushed cheeks no longer felt as hot.

Today, the first class starts at 9:00 AM. It takes forty minutes to get to the university town from Mingmei's home by bus, assuming there is no traffic. Today is Monday, the most abnormal start of the week. Mingmei gazes out the window at the long line of cars, feeling quite anxious. If it weren't for the distance, she would have already gotten off the bus and run to school.

Who is it? Could it be a super handsome guy, which is why you are so excited? That can't be true; the professors at your college are basically all old-timers. Emily is the number one infatuated girl, she has a crush on all handsome men and beautiful women.

"Hey! What on earth are you doing!" the driver shouted angrily as he turned around. The bright and cheerful Mingmei, who had been dozing with her eyes closed, was also startled awake

Bright and carefree, she couldn't be bothered with her. Changing clothes, brushing her teeth, washing her face, and applying moisturizer, she completed a series of actions in one go within five minutes. She glanced at her watch and then looked up at Emily: "Five minutes, no waiting past the deadline"

"Hey, there's no need to be polite with me. If you ever want to eat seafood, just come over anytime." He spoke with genuine sincerity, without a hint of formality.

Two people, while drinking, chatted about interesting stories from their respective departments. As the conversation became more animated, they leaned their heads together, clinking their bottles, and burst into hearty laughter

Mingmei breathlessly pushed open the door to the lecture hall. As it was a public class, the large auditorium, which could accommodate two hundred people, was nearly full, with a sea of heads filling the space. The lights in the classroom were off, creating a slightly dim atmosphere, with all the light focused on the large projection screen at the front of the stage. The screen displayed a series of breathtakingly beautiful photographs, each depicting the ocean at different times: sunrise, dawn, noon, sunset, and under the night sky. Each moment captured the vivid expressions of the ocean. Red-billed gulls perched on the water's surface, frolicking, and gliding low over the waves, harmoniously coexisting with the sea. Another set of photos came entirely from the depths of the ocean, showcasing underwater plants, seaweed, schools of fish, shrimp, shells, and clusters of stones, all dazzling to the eye. However, the final set of photos abruptly transported viewers from the beautiful illusion of the ocean to a harsh, dark reality. Torrential storms swept through the ruins, with corpses floating like white debris on the water's surface, and grieving relatives... The disasters brought by tsunamis are not merely the pain of losing one's home...

Mingmei suddenly realized, with a look of surprise, that she had no classes at all that morning only after they got on the bus, and couldn't help but laugh again. It was also because she had been in a daze from sleep that she forgot they were no longer in the same class in high school. Although they were still at the same university, Mingmei was studying Marine Geology, while Emily was in the Foreign Language Institute

What is there to be fascinated by? It's just an old pedant.

Emily, feeling unsatisfied, ordered another half dozen beers. The empty bottles piled up, and before they knew it, it was past 9 o'clock. The guests had gradually left, and the late-night snacks had yet to begin, causing their laughter in the hall to become particularly loud. Octopus stood at the cash register, focused on sorting the change, glancing over with a smile and shaking her head.

I have already lost my virtue, how can I still sleep soundly!

"Thank you for tonight, Zhang Xiaoyu," Mingmei said, leaning against the back of the chair and slightly tilting her head to speak to the octopus in the back seat

Mingmei paused for a moment before gently speaking: "Have they started fighting again?"

Emily did not respond, as she was busy forcing herself to recall whether that stinky octopus had taken the opportunity to take advantage of her during the time she was dozing off

The aftereffects of a hangover are sleeping in the next day

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah! In the middle of the night, it is truly a cacophony of wailing and howling

Mingmei turned over, burying her head entirely in the quilt, too lazy to pay her any mind. After a moment, she drowsily recalled something and murmured, "Hmm, in a couple of days I plan to move to the school dormitory."

Emily furrowed her brow and thought for a moment, "Oh, that idol of yours, Song Yinzhan, who successfully discovered a large amount of crude oil on the seabed while researching marine geography?"

Go to sleep, go to sleep

"Come, let's drink, tonight you not only cannot persuade me but also must accompany me!" Emily opened another bottle, and only two bottles of the half dozen beers were left. Mingmei had only managed to finish one bottle intermittently, while the dishes on the table remained largely untouched. In truth, Mingmei did not particularly like beer; the bubbles filled her stomach, and her digestion was not very good, making her feel uncomfortable if she drank too much. Yet at this moment, she still accepted the bottle that Emily handed over. After all, friends are like that; knowing there are tigers in the mountains, she still chose to accompany her into the tiger's den.

The traffic has finally begun to ease, and the bus is diverted onto another road that leads to the university town. With fewer vehicles passing by, the driver accelerates swiftly and soon arrives at the ocean university

"Are you in a hurry to be reborn!" Emily wailed as she rushed into the bathroom at lightning speed

Emily's parents are both laid-off workers. Her father partnered with someone to operate a taxi, with one driving during the day and the other at night. Although it is hard work, it at least ensures that the family of four has enough to eat and covers the tuition fees for Emily and her brother.

"I didn't do it on purpose... Who told him to stare at me with those big fish eyes, it scared me to death!" Emily murmured softly, then playfully hugged Mingmei's arm, tilting her flushed cheeks up, "Darling, can I sleep at your house tonight?" Her pitiful appearance resembled that of a drunken stray cat.