Chapter 5

Li Zhe watched Xiao Qing return with a guitar, and curiously asked her: "Are you really coming? There might be thousands of people in the auditorium, and if you embarrass yourself, it would be a huge deal."

Gu Xiaoqing said: "You are doing well, you haven't turned into a fat person."

Gu Xiaoqing understood what Tang Guo meant. Since childhood, they have shared everything good, and Tang Guo regarded the matter of going to university as something that could also be shared.

During the time when Gu Xiaoqing was in high school, Tang Guo had a crush on Xie Tingfeng for a while. At that time, reports said that Xie Tingfeng specifically went to Japan to learn guitar and played exceptionally well. She insisted on buying one for herself to learn as well. Tang Guo's family was strict with her, so she didn't dare to bring the guitar home and left it at Gu Xiaoqing's place, buying a few books to practice guitar on her own. During that period, Gu Xiaoqing found it novel and practiced along with Tang Guo, but neither of them ended up mastering much. Gu Xiaoqing was slightly better than Tang Guo, able to play in tune, but she could only manage one song well. During that time, Gu Xiaoqing found it novel and practiced along with Tang Guo, but neither of them ended up mastering much. Gu Xiaoqing was slightly better than Tang Guo, able to play in tune, but she could only manage one song well. When she was in a bad mood, she would take it out and play and sing, repeating that one song over and over. So now, if asked to play and sing that song, she could still manage to fool people.

Gu Xiaoqing's mother was a bit surprised to see her return and asked her: "Isn't the holiday for the 11th coming up soon? Why are you back today?"

Gu Xiaoqing walked to the table, took a sip of water, and replied: "Oh, I understand."

In this dormitory, Zou Jing is elusive, only appearing just before lights out and leaving for class early in the morning, resulting in minimal interaction with the others. As for Chen Chunhui, it is likely due to her own poverty that she feels quite self-conscious, always approaching tasks with caution and maintaining a certain distance from others. In contrast, Li Zhe and Gu Xiaoqing are the closest, and when Gu Xiaoqing decides to take a job, Li Zhe follows her.

Finally, Gu Xiaoqing found a job as a promoter in a supermarket over the weekend, while Chen Chunhui secured a tutoring position. Gu Xiaoqing was aware that Chen Chunhui's family was not just facing ordinary difficulties; her tuition fees were funded through a government loan for impoverished students. Usually, she was extremely frugal, using a single bar of soap for washing clothes, as well as for washing her face and bathing.

Tang Guo smiled cheerfully as she allowed her to pull her forward, watching the two people in front who kept murmuring to each other, occasionally bursting into laughter. The scene was quite harmonious, though Li Zhe's laughter was somewhat frightening. Gu Xiaoqing thought to herself that this familiarity was developing too quickly.

Gu Xiaoqing replied to Tang Gu with a hint of gloom: "Yes, it's all the same." She understood in her heart that not everything could be shared just because she wanted to. Moreover, even if it could be shared, what was shared might not necessarily be something good.

"I will come back to get something, and I need to return shortly," Gu Xiaoqing explained

Gu Xiaoqing raised the thermos box in front of her. Immediately, Li Zhe's eyes lit up, and he fell silent.

Looking at them, Gu Xiaoqing thought: "There are certain people in this world who possess kindness in their hearts, always filled with enthusiasm for life. Though their minds may be simple, they live happily."

Tang Guo pouted and said with a sense of grievance: "Xiao Qing, how long has it been since you last returned?"

Gu Xiaoqing was scheduled to perform right after that comedic program. After the announcer introduced her act, she took a chair, walked onto the stage, adjusted the microphone, sat down, tuned the strings of her instrument, and without any unnecessary words, began to sing. She performed "Red Bean," a song that was immensely popular when sung by Faye Wong.

As soon as Gu Xiaoqing returned to the backstage, Li Zhe rushed in front of her, clasping his hands together with a look of admiration on his face: "Xiaoqing, my admiration for you is like the endless flow of the Yangtze River, ceaseless and unbroken"

Because of this person, Gu Xiaoqing deliberately stayed after finishing her performance. She wanted to see what kind of performance someone dressed like this would present at a university welcome party.

The welcome party is scheduled before the National Day holiday. The day before the party, Gu Xiaoqing returned home to retrieve her guitar

The two weeks of military training, aside from making Gu Xiaoqing a bit darker, did not leave her with many memorable experiences. After everyone happily took off the camouflage uniforms that had already changed color somewhat, they officially began their university academic journey

I have inherited my father's physique; he can eat a lot and still not gain weight

Gu Xiaoqing put the guitar into the case and turned to her, saying: "Since you admire so much, you should treat us to tonight's late-night snack."

After sending Tang Guo away, Gu Xiaoqing returned to the dormitory feeling somewhat downcast. When she entered, Li Zhe was playing on the computer. Seeing her come back, he lazily turned around and said to her: "The promoter just came to inform us that the department will hold a welcome party next week. Each dormitory is required to present a program."

Gu Xiaoqing threw a towel at her face and shouted, "Get the hell out of here!"

The dormitory was empty; at this time, Zou Jing was definitely not around, and Chen Chunhui was probably out tutoring. Li Zhe, being quite sociable, entered the room and pulled Tang Guo to sit on his bed, even taking out his snacks to share with her. The two girls huddled together, chattering about some topics that Gu Xiaoqing found rather silly. Their atmosphere was lively, leaving Gu Xiaoqing somewhat sidelined.

Speaking of which, Li Zhe is indeed an extraordinary person; Gu Xiaoqing has never seen a girl who can eat as much as she does, and in fact, she has never seen a man like that either

When they reached the school gate, Tang Guo suddenly turned to Gu Xiaoqing and said: "Xiaoqing, it's really nice. Since we were young, you would always share half of your good things with me. Now that you are in university, does that mean I am also going with you?"

Gu Xiaoqing watched as the frail girls turned pale under the scorching sun, with a few even fainting outright. She could not understand why the school insisted on making them undergo military training. Did they really believe that a couple of weeks of so-called military life would elevate their physical fitness and ideological quality to a new level? However, this was not something she needed to worry about; since they were being asked to do it, there must be a reason behind it.

Tang Guo was not shy at all, smiling brightly as she said to Li Zhe: "I am Tang Guo, a friend of Xiao Qing"

Li Zhe lowered her head and murmured to herself, "Anyway, it's not someone like you." Then she suddenly raised her head and playfully teased Gu Xiaoqing, "Come on, girl, sing a song for me to listen to. If you sing well, I will reward you handsomely."

Gu Xiaoqing felt a sense of schadenfreude in her words. She turned to look at her, and Li Zhe was grinning at her with a playful expression, looking quite spirited. Seeing her lively demeanor, Gu Xiaoqing thought to herself: "This person truly has not wasted all the food she has consumed."

At this moment, Li Zhe, who was nearby, approached, resting his hands and stroking his chin as he looked up and down at Tang Guo, saying: "Who is this beautiful sister? Could you introduce her to me?" He had a lecherous expression on his face

During their first meal together, both ordered a box lunch. Just as Gu Xiaoqing sat down and was about to eat, she suddenly noticed that Li Zhe was missing. As she turned her head to look for him, she saw Li Zhe approaching with four large steamed buns skewered on his chopsticks. Since they were not very familiar at the beginning, Gu Xiaoqing felt too shy to ask. She watched in astonishment as he managed to consume both a box lunch and four large steamed buns. The buns cost one yuan for two, and usually, she could only eat a maximum of two.

Today, Gu Xiaoqing arrived at the backstage and noticed a peculiar individual in a relatively quiet corner. This person was dressed in a formal black suit, and even someone as inexperienced as Gu Xiaoqing could tell from the craftsmanship and fabric that it was expensive. The individual sat quietly in the corner with their head bowed, possessing a refined appearance and meticulous attire. Their posture was composed and reserved, yet they emanated an aura of "please do not disturb." In this bustling environment filled with people and an array of eccentric outfits, this person stood out as an incongruous presence. The individual sat quietly in the corner with their head bowed, possessing a refined appearance and meticulous attire. Their posture was composed and reserved, yet they emanated an aura of "please do not disturb." In this bustling environment filled with people and an array of eccentric outfits, this person stood out as an incongruous presence

Li Zhe wiped his mouth and said with a somewhat embarrassed smile: "Hehe, I have been able to eat a lot since I was young. When I was a child in the countryside, my grandmother took care of me, and I could never get enough to eat. As a result, when my mother brought me back home, I would stuff food into my mouth as soon as I saw it, unable to stop myself."

When Gu Xiaoqing arrived in front of the teaching building with Tang Guo, she wanted to take Tang Guo inside to have a look. However, Tang Guo stopped in her tracks, unwilling to enter as she observed the students coming in and out in small groups. Gu Xiaoqing noticed the expression on her face and did not insist any further. Instead, she held her hand and walked towards the school gate. She understood that in front of those students, the innocent-minded Tang Guo felt a sense of inferiority.

Her mother did not ask her again and turned to go to the kitchen. What surprised Gu Xiaoqing was that the dinner table at their home today was exceptionally abundant in dishes. After she had eaten her fill, she even packed some to take away.

Gu Xiaoqing felt that the demeanor he exhibited was not on the same level as his performance skills, yet this individual played with great seriousness. Rather than performing for the audience below, it seemed he was completing a kind of ritual. From Gu Xiaoqing's vantage point, every expression on his face was clearly visible. At the beginning of his performance, he appeared to be immersed in memories, wearing a vague smile. He slightly tilted his head back, as if the music was conveying messages to someone dear to him. Gradually, as the piece approached its conclusion, the expression on his face transformed into one of melancholy. When he struck the final note, Gu Xiaoqing noticed a tear seemed to be on the verge of falling from the corner of his eye. At the end of the piece, a sorrowful expression finally settled on his face.

Gu Xiaoqing scolded with a smile: "Get lost!"

Gu Xiaoqing pushed Li Zhe aside and walked towards the bathroom: "Isn't it just singing? I'll go sing then"

As the National Day approached, one day after class, Gu Xiaoqing was pleasantly surprised to see Tang Guo downstairs in the dormitory. The moment Tang Guo spotted her, she rushed over like a fledgling swan diving into the forest, crashing into Gu Xiaoqing, whose momentum caused her to take two steps back before regaining her balance

She accompanied Tang Guo on a walk around the campus. When they passed the playground, Tang Guo deliberately walked to the center and paused to silently survey her surroundings. Observing Tang Guo in this manner, Gu Xiaoqing suddenly thought that in China, many young people may harbor a dream of attending university, but not everyone can cross this threshold.

At the beginning of the school year, when her coursework was not yet very demanding, after finishing her job as a supermarket promoter, Gu Xiaoqing took a job at McDonald's. Thus, her four years of university life truly began in a busy and fulfilling manner. As for the pink romantic atmosphere on campus, it did not extend to her at all. The reasons for this are twofold: first, when she first arrived, her appearance was rather dark, leaving a less than impressive first impression. Second, she herself had not entertained any thoughts in that regard. It seemed that since that afternoon last summer, a string had been tightened in her heart, compelling her to move forward and not allowing her to pause or divert her attention to other matters.

Gu Xiaoqing wore a pair of light blue jeans and a white long-sleeved T-shirt today. Her hair was kept in a short boyish style, with a strand of bangs falling down to cover half of her eye. Gu Xiaoqing was not exceptionally beautiful; at most, she could be described as delicate. She had been taking good care of herself lately, not spending much time in the sun, and her skin tone was now closer to a wheat color. Under the soft stage lights, there was a peculiar quality about her, which could not be described as beauty, but rather a certain charm. She had been taking good care of herself lately, not spending much time in the sun, and her skin tone was now closer to a wheat color. Under the soft stage lights, there was a peculiar quality about her, which could not be described as beauty, but rather a certain charm.

Gu Xiaoqing pulled Tang Guo down from herself by the back of her collar and said: "Stand properly and speak, everyone is watching."

Gu Xiaoqing found a job promoting coffee at a supermarket. She wore the outfit provided by the vendor and invited passing customers to taste the coffee at the entrance of the store. Li Zhe also joined in the fun, standing beside her to help attract attention. Dressed in casual clothes, she ran back and forth in front of Gu Xiaoqing's booth, enthusiastically inviting passersby to drink coffee. Most people, seeing her adorable appearance, would give her face, which saved Gu Xiaoqing a lot of trouble, as she only needed to brew the coffee.

With the start of the new semester, a vigorous military training session commenced, where a group of fresh first-year students donned oversized camouflage uniforms, creating a sea of green on the large playground as they practiced marching in formation under the scorching sun

Gu Xiaoqing was thinking when a muffled sound came from beside her. She turned her head to look, and lo and behold, it was a boy who had fallen down this time. As she watched the person being carried away, Li Zhe beside her let out a sigh: "Ah! People say we are the lost generation, and it seems there is some truth to it. With this physical condition, we are indeed falling apart."

Li Zhe leaned against the door frame and looked at Gu Xiaoqing, who was washing her face, and said: "You sing? I must be hearing things. You don't seem like the type who would sing."

I did not expect that this person's performance would be the finale. When he took the stage, someone even helped him push a piano up. He walked onto the stage, bowed formally to the audience below, and then calmly sat down in front of the piano to begin playing. He played Chopin's Waltz in C minor. Gu Xiaoqing did not understand classical music, but even she could tell that he was not playing very well; the connections between several scales were rushed, clearly indicating a lack of solid fundamentals.

"Come on! Since Xiao Qing's friend is my friend, let's go upstairs." After saying this, she went up and took Tang Guo's hand, leading her upstairs

Gu Xiaoqing was amused by her, she dried the water marks on her face with a tissue, and then asked her: "What does a person who can sing look like?"

Li Zhe stood up and walked over to her, looking at her in amazement: "Is this your reaction? You are the dormitory leader. Look at the few of us in this dormitory, who among us seems to have any artistic talent? Zou Jing, don't hold out any hope. As for me, you shouldn't expect anything either; I can sing so off-key that it could reach Wuzhishan."

Gu Xiaoqing's voice is slightly hoarse, contrasting with Wang Fei's ethereal and clear timbre. Her voice is direct and pure, flowing out like fine sand under the smooth accompaniment of the guitar. As soon as she begins to sing, it almost reduces the volume in the auditorium by half, and with her slowly unfolding melody, the auditorium falls silent for the first time tonight

Tang Guo did not stay here for long. In the evening, the three of them went to a restaurant at the school gate for dinner. Gu Xiaoqing sent Li Zhe back first and accompanied Tang Guo for a walk on campus.

Gu Xiaoqing said enviously: "What a blessing!"

Gu Xiaoqing knew that this was a person with a story

After officially starting her classes, Gu Xiaoqing began to look for some part-time job opportunities. Although she had agreed with her father to drive a taxi, she did not want to remain idle. The 50,000 yuan she borrowed from the first high school weighed heavily on her mind. She felt that this was a debt she owed her parents and that she must repay it in the future.

After she finished her performance, she slightly bent at the waist, as a gesture of bowing to the audience. She picked up her chair and returned to the backstage. The audience, at first, did not immediately react to her clean and swift movements; after she left the stage, the applause began as a sparse sound, gradually growing louder. Some boys, having not paid close attention to the announcer's introduction at the beginning, were now inquiring about who this girl was. It can be said that Gu Xiaoqing became inexplicably popular for a period of time due to a single song. Some boys, having not paid close attention to the announcer's introduction at the beginning, were now inquiring about who this girl was. It can be said that Gu Xiaoqing became inexplicably popular for a period of time due to a single song

By the time dinner came around, Li Zhe was even more exaggerated. Gu Xiaoqing watched in astonishment as she devoured a large serving of noodles, 4 dumplings, and 4 steamed buns. She looked down to check Li Zhe's stomach, which was surprisingly still flat.

On the day of Gu Xiaoqing's performance, it was not as exaggerated as Li Zhe described; there were not thousands of people in the auditorium, but it seemed there were about seven to eight hundred attendees. Given that this was a welcome event for university students, it is easy to imagine that the entire scene was quite lively. The performers at the front did not reach any climactic moments, and the audience below was even more boisterous than the performance above. Later, a male student from one of the dormitories performed a very hilarious song and dance, executing all sorts of comedic actions. This finally stirred the emotions of the audience below. The atmosphere became chaotic with excitement both on stage and in the audience. Later, a male student from one of the dormitories performed a very hilarious song and dance, executing all sorts of comedic actions. This finally stirred the emotions of the audience below. The atmosphere became chaotic with excitement both on stage and in the audience

No problem, let's order two portions of fried rice noodles from the restaurant next to Cuihua Building at the school gate

Gu Xiaoqing originally wanted to have Tang Gu stay for the night, but Tang Gu insisted on going back because she had to work the next day. Gu Xiaoqing had no choice but to take her to the school gate, planning to hail a taxi to send her home

Gu Xiaoqing finally realized that she had not returned to school for more than a month since she left. This was the first time she and Tang Guo had been apart for such a long time since childhood.