Chapter 18

The dorm now held only Yi Zhen and Ming Yang. Zhen Lin said it must have been Da Hei causing the commotion—there was some basis, but not much. Ming Yang easily detected the source’s origin, yet he merely stared strangely at Yi Zhen’s direction, saying nothing.

He didn’t know why he was so certain, perhaps because he’d been quietly observing all along—he’d noticed even Yi Zhen’s slight tremors. But his main concern wasn’t these details, so there was no need to expose it. Unless one day he truly decided to sever ties completely—then this could become leverage, or a spark. It all came down to how he chose to weigh it.

Still, even if unspoken, the smell was truly beyond words. He quickly pulled out Hualu Water from his backpack and sprayed it repeatedly, hoping to mask the odor, so he wouldn’t have to stay trapped in this suffocating hell.

Yi Zhen’s treatment continued. His phone, turned off, lay beside him, still charging. Unlike the others, he was precisely in the center, where the stench hit his nostrils directly. Fortunately, his breath-holding foundation was decent—he could still hold on a little longer. As soon as he could stand, he wouldn’t care if the treatment was unfinished—he’d rush straight to the shower. The smell was unbearable!

Suddenly, he moved his hand, shifted his foot—both worked fine. He immediately pushed himself up and headed for the bathroom. Though his body still needed a few seconds to shake off fatigue, there was no time to waste—he was about to burst. What if he got nauseous? He’d have to run to the toilet and vomit. Next time he used this thing, he’d remember the details. Right now, it felt like a minor social death.

“Puke~ Zhen Lin, come back! Help me grab some clothes.”

Yi Zhen, acting with lightning speed, immediately gagged in front of the pit. When he couldn’t vomit anything else, he called out to Zhen Lin, who had gone next door to confront someone. Ming Yang was useless—sitting on the bed like an idiot, looking like a bullied little girl. Yi Zhen glanced at him once and had no intention of asking for help.

Unfortunately, fate didn’t seem to be on his side. He called out several times with no response. Meanwhile, he’d already turned on the shower and soaked himself—there was no way out.

Plus, his white uniform had turned black. How could he explain that? If he said he fell into a pit, it should’ve been yellow—why was it black and reeking?

These clothes and pants had to be destroyed. Hopefully, the garbage collector, Uncle, is okay.

The bedsheet… hmm… whose was it again? Oh, Yun Hen’s. This might be a bit serious now—troublesome. But first, he needed to change clothes.

“Zhen Lin! Zhen Lin!”

Yi Zhen’s voice drowned out the water noise and passed straight through the ventilation shaft above, successfully reaching the other side.

“Zhen Lin isn’t here!”

A voice with a childish lilt shouted back. If you listened closely, you’d realize the speaker was also under the shower. It was night—bathing was perfectly normal.

“You’re? Da Hei?”

Yi Zhen judged from the voice alone. Just now, he’d heard Zhen Lin complain about going to cause trouble. Well, it was all bluff—no mistake. The neighbor’s dorm had two guys. If one wasn’t here, he might’ve dared to barge in and demand answers. But when the person was present, he cowered faster than anyone.

Of course, Yi Zhen didn’t believe in all that. At school, if you’re a dragon, you coil up. If you’re a tiger, you lie down. Unless you’re school administration, don’t even think about stirring up trouble. On this point, he strongly agreed.

He’d never had any desire to curry favor with big brothers.

After all, they’d just haul you in later. Play the gangster game? It’s funny, sure—but only as a joke.

“Yeah, Yi Zhen, what’s up? Why keep yelling for Zhen Lin? Did he teach you some dirty trick again? Tsk. Listen to me—don’t believe him. His mind’s full of schemes. This place is deep water. Honestly, I’d rather you came to our dorm. We’re honest, trustworthy—that’s our first rule for friendship.”

Da Hei only responded after Yi Zhen called multiple times—he couldn’t ignore it. Seeing how frantic Yi Zhen sounded, he clearly had a problem. Since Yi Zhen was someone he liked, helping out a bit was only natural.

“It’s nothing. Keep washing. My problem’s solved.”

Just as Yi Zhen was about to ask Da Hei to hand him clothes, a garment was shoved through the ventilation shaft by a clothes hanger. Along with it came Ming Yang’s soft voice—trying to mimic Zhen Lin’s tone but failing to project loudly enough. It was bizarre beyond words—impossible not to recognize him.

After all, Ming Yang wasn’t a professional. This was his first time impersonating a voice. Not mastering it was perfectly normal. As they say, practice makes perfect—but how can you practice something you’ve never done?

“Your clothes!”

“Thanks! Ming… Yang!”

After ending his conversation with Da Hei, Yi Zhen simply reached out and took the clothes Ming Yang sent down. A light push told him it was time to retract it.

“No, no thanks.”

Ming Yang had instantly transformed from a chatterbox into a silent man. Who would’ve guessed he had this side—if not for that unusual situation?

“Heh!”

Yi Zhen smiled knowingly. Their minor conflict was half-resolved. The other half clearly lay with Zhen Lin—and had little to do with Yi Zhen.

“Alright, since it’s settled, I’ll keep washing. Oh, by the way—I sneaked in some alcohol tonight. Want a sip?”

Da Hei, delayed for a moment, finally replied. But his words were explosive—alcohol! That was contraband. Who’d have thought he’d smuggled it in? If they did a dorm inspection, it’d be dangerous!

“No thanks. You guys enjoy it. I’m exhausted today. Next time, I’ll definitely drink till I pass out!”

Yi Zhen firmly declined—and accepted the pants Ming Yang sent down. Now he only needed underwear. After scrubbing a bit more, he’d be fully revived. Would he look refreshed? His face had lost quite a bit of oil—luckily, the bathroom had shower gel and such, saving him trouble.

As for drinking in the dorm—he always followed school rules. He’d never break them unless the supervisor himself was wrong. Then he’d show him what true correctness meant.

“Alright, next time then. Gotta go—they’re calling me.”

Da Hei gave a simple reply. Of course, dormmates were closer. Inviting Yi Zhen was just out of camaraderie—they got along well, joked around, and never crossed lines. No one would fly off the handle for nothing.

“Mm!”

As they spoke, the last item—the long-awaited underwear—was delivered. But before that, he needed a towel.

“Ming Yang, towel too!”

After reminding him, Yi Zhen piled the underwear with the clean clothes.

Most of the grime on his skin was gone. He estimated another three minutes would rinse him clean. With a towel, he could clean faster and avoid skin peeling from prolonged soaking.

His skin was slightly sensitive yet oily—not quite sensitive or oily, just definitely not dry or neutral. A real headache.

“Done.”

This time, Ming Yang moved much faster. After handing over the towel, he naturally left. The bathroom had everything else—no need to worry. But this relationship… it was probably mended.