Dragon Lake University is celebrating the 100th year commemoration which every staffs and students in the university is to join in on the celebrations that are held all over the campus for the whole week. Each department will also held open house activities for high school students from all over the country to visit in order to get to know the university and the departments better.
Now every department is in the preparation phase and there are 2 days remaining before everything starts. The Engineering department is nearly finish as they have lots of people especially strong guys to get their constructions and decorations done pretty fast. So other departments are requesting for their help.
"Hey Bai Yu, are you almost done?" 3rd year student, Gao WeiGuang, asks as he checks the overall progress and allocating the available students to the other departments that are asking for help.
"Almost. Do you need something from me, Gao-ge?"
"Yeah, the guys over the Medical department needs more hands. Think you can head over there after you're done here?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a bit."
"Great, thanks. After you're done there, you can go home. We're already finished here."
"Gotcha."
Bai Yu is a 2nd year mechanical engineering student who is quite well-known for his rough handsome feature. Even though he has beard and mustache along with his messy hair, a lot of people still notice the handsomeness hidden under them and being attracted to it. So he kind of looks like a bad boy but one could also feel that he's one with a good and kind heart. Such a contradicting combination. Other than his looks, his skills are also talk of the town both on and off campus. Even if his grades are not top tier but he can build robots and stuffs. Moreover, he can also fix a lot of things to make it work again.
When Bai Yu finishes, he leisurely walks over to the Medical department located several blocks away from the Engineering department. His fellow friends are helping out with the lifting and moving of things in front of the department building.
"Yo, Bai Yu!" One of the guys call out to him.
"Needed more help?" Bai Yu asks while observing around to see what he could help with.
"Yeah, but not here though. There's a guy inside that's hanging the signs in the corridors. You go help him out."
"Got it." Then Bai Yu makes his way inside the building walking along the main corridor passing the smaller ones on the sides. As he passes the one of the left, he stops and takes a few steps back then pokes his head into the small corridor. There's someone on the step ladder hanging up the wooden sign in the middle of the corridor.
'This must be the guy they mentioned' Bai Yu thinks inwardly. So he walks over and greets the guy.
"Hey!"
But that simple words somehow startles the guy causing him to wobble on the step ladder and loses his balance. Bai Yu reflects immediately and catches him into his arms just in time as the guy falls backward off the ladder.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to surprise you like that." Bai Yu quickly apologizes for his mistake to the guy that's currently in his arms.
The guy peeks one of his eyes open and just notice that he didn't hit the ground but in someone's strong arms. So he fully opens his eyes and perk his head up from under his arms to meet with a rough looking guy.
"Are you okay?" Bai Yu asks when their eyes finally meet.
"Y-yeah, thank you for catching me in time." The guy replies back.
"Well, I was the cause of your fall so this is the least I can do." Bai Yu states and gently place the guy down on his feet. "Are you eating properly?"
The guy somehow looks at Bai Yu with a rather confuse look on his face.
"I just think that you're too light. Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you in any way." Bai Yu clarifies the reason behind his question. "Let's forget about that. I'm here to help hang the signs." He quickly changes the topic as the other guy seems a little uncomfortable at the question.
"Oh, I just finished the 1st floor. Next are the ones on the 2nd floor." The guy updates on the current progress.
"I see."
Then Bai Yu carries the step ladder and gesture his hand forward for the guy, "Lead the way my friend, I'm not very familiar with the Medical department."
The guy nods and gives him a small smile before leading the way up the stairs.
While Bai Yu is hanging the sign, a girl approaches the guy who's holding the ladder for more stability for the one on it.
"YiLong, are you done after this?" The girl name Yang Rong asks him.
"Yeah, you need me for something else?" The guy whose name is YiLong answers.
"I was hoping that you could help teach the girls how to make the burgers for our food stand. I went by earlier and I couldn't eat any of what they made. So I want you to teach them the correct way before they poison the visitors."
"Ha ha, okay. I'll drop by once I'm done." YiLong agrees to the request.
All the signs are neatly hang in about 10 minutes time, and Bai Yu is about to leave when YiLong stops him. "Excuse me, I'll be teaching the girls how to make burgers, would you like to join me?"
"I'll think I'll have to pass. I don't know how to cook and I might blow up your kitchen." He jokes.
YiLong blinks a few times and realizes that he might have ask the question wrongly. "I'm sorry, I meant to ask whether you would like to have some burgers? I'll be cooking them for you, don't worry. You did came all the way here to help, I should at least feed you before you go back."
"Oh, I thought you wanted to teach me how to cook! Ha ha."
"So ....?"
"Yeah, sure."
So they both head for the cooking area that's temporary set up near the Medical department. Bai Yu is to sit and wait at one of the available tables. Without nothing to do while waiting, he pulls out his phone to play some games as YiLong goes to teach the girls making burgers. Every now and then, Bai Yu would catch some girls staring at him who would scurry away after meeting his eyes.
A little later, a freshly made burger is place in front of him and the tasty smell drifts into his nose making his mouth waters. "Wow, this looks and smells really great." Bai Yu compliments before taking a very big bite and faintly moans. "Mmmmm.... are you sure you're a doctor and not a chef? This taste really really good."
YiLong couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction. "Thank you for the compliment but I guarantee that I'm still a doctor."
The whole burger was devoured in just a blink of an eye. "Thanks for the food. I gotta get going, see ya later."
Once Bai Yu leaves the area, YiLong finds himself being surrounded by the girls who are looking at him suspiciously.
"Zhu YiLong." Yang Rong calls him in a creepy tone which gives him goosebumps. "Why didn't you tell me that you're friends with Bai Yu?"
"Bai Yu? Who's that?" YiLong questions his friend back since he doesn't know who she's talking about. But this actually caused all the girls to gasp at the same time.
"Don't play dumb with me Zhu YiLong!" Yang Rong exclaims at him.
"Bai Yu is the guy that you made the burger for." One of the girls explains to him. "You didn't know that he's Bai Yu?"
"No, not at all. I just know that he was here to help hang up the signs." He innocently admits. "By the way, who's he?"
"Bai Yu is a 2nd year about to turn 3rd year mechanical engineering student. He has great personality, very handsome, and hot as f....." Some other girl explain.
"They say that he tries to hide his handsomeness behind those beard and mustache." Another girl continue to say.
"Anyway, he's quite popular and everyone wants to date him. Hell, even some guys want to date him as well. But rumors says that he declines every confession." Yang Rong concludes.
"I even thought that he doesn't like girls but turns out that he also declines the guys that confess to him as well." Yet another random girl says.
YiLong stealthily slips out of there as the girls are still lost in their conversation of the famous Bai Yu.
'Bai Yu .... someone popular like him can't possibly be a friend to a nobody like me. It's just pure coincident that we met' YiLong thinks to himself as he leaves the campus for his part-time job.
YiLong is able to obtain the scholarship to cover for his tuition but it doesn't include the other related expense such as textbooks or equipment cost. So he has to work hard to cover the additional cost along with his own living expense. Currently he works at the city library mostly responsible for arranging and lifting books around the library. Since being a Medical student requires a lot of time and efforts which already drains most of his energy. So he couldn't do much outside work. He couldn't risk anything that may pull his grade down otherwise he'll lose his scholarship and he might not be able to get into top hospitals after graduating.
Upon arriving at his apartment that evening, the landlord - Mrs. Jang - is waiting to meet him which he feels that it's probably not something good. "Good evening, Mrs. Jang."
"Hello there YiLong. I hope that you're doing well." Mrs. Jang greets him.
He tries to smile back unsure of the objective of this conversation but his stomach is also starting to twist uncomfortably.
"You know, I haven't received any of your rents from either you or your roommate for the past 3 months." Mrs. Jang informs making the young man shocked at the information.
"WHAT!?!" He shouts. "I'm s-sorry. I ... I gave my share to my roommate because he said that he'll add his share and pay you as a whole."
"Well, unfortunately it never reached me for the past months. I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you sooner but I just got back from out of town and my husband told me to handle your case myself seeing that I adore you a lot. But he only give you 1 week to clear the rent for the past months. If you can't pay, then I'm afraid that you've got to leave."
YiLong is dumbstruck at the situation. His roommate cheated his money for the past months, no wonder he hasn't seem him lately. And he has to pay 3 months worth of rent within 1 week, which is impossible for him. The lump in his throat is preventing him to respond anything to Mrs. Jang who seems to understand what's going through his head at the moment.
"I'm so sorry YiLong but I hope that you understand." Mrs. Jang feels sorry for him and pats him on the shoulder before leaving him there.
YiLong doesn't even know how he came up to his apartment but once inside, his legs give out and slide down onto the floor. After a long while, he decides that he'll try to save and find more money. He just paid for the textbook for the new semester and paid for this month rent to his former roommate, so he doesn't have much money left. And at the same time, he'll look for some place to stay. But everywhere is more expensive which is the exact reason why he choose this apartment in the first place. And if he's going to share, he'd better have better judgement of people as he doesn't want to repeat his mistake.
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After 3 days have passes by real fast, YiLong isn't getting any more income but he tries to save by not eating anything other than what he has left in his house which is a few crackers and water. To be honest, he's starving to the point that he can eat a whole cow.
Currently he's going around the campus during his break from the open house activities. Originally he was going to ask for some food from the department's cooking area but it's chaotic and they don't let anyone in. So he wander to some other place in hopes of finding something to eat. However, the blazing sun over his head is making him dizzy and his feet unsteady which cause him to bump into someone before passing out.
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A/N
I drafted this for quite a while and finally decided to publish this.
Let me know how you think, like it or don't like it?? 😊🙏❤🎉