Chapter 21: College Registration

Even though Zhong Yuxiu had always considered herself thick-skinned, the teasing between the two left her face burning. Just as she was about to reach her limit, they finally finished their banter. Seizing the chance, Zhong Yuxiu claimed she had urgent business, grabbed the property deeds and the keys Uncle Wang had given her, and fled in haste.

Uncle Wang chuckled, pointing at the two, “Look at what you’ve done—scared the young lady off with your antics.”

“Oh, it’s only because Miss Zhong is truly a good person! Have you ever seen me take such a liking to anyone before? Never, right? So you really can’t blame me,” Sister Lian responded, beaming as she shot them a sidelong glance. “Alright then, enough chit-chat. I should get back to the hotel.”

“I’ll be heading off as well. Xiao Yu, thank you for today.”

The two left the neighborhood office together, and after a few steps, they spotted Zhong Yuxiu waiting not far off. Uncle Wang felt a surge of satisfaction—this young woman handled matters with admirable composure.

Sister Lian hurried over. “Miss Zhong, thank you for waiting for us.”

“We came together, so it’s only right we leave together,” Zhong Yuxiu replied, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. She turned to Uncle Wang. “You gave me the key, Uncle Wang, do you still have another?”

He nodded. “I’ve got a spare. I’ll be leaving tomorrow; once I’m gone, remember to change the lock on the main gate and toss out the old key.”

The three made their way back to the hotel before parting ways. Uncle Wang went off to pack his things. After thanking Sister Lian and bidding her farewell, Zhong Yuxiu went upstairs, tidied up briefly, and then set off to register at the university.

Today, Huada was teeming with life. Crowds gathered at the gates—some with family in tow, others brought by parents. The atmosphere was nothing short of raucous.

“Comrade, hello! Which department are you in?” A slender, upright woman with a weathered face approached, inquiring warmly.

Zhong Yuxiu returned the kindness with a gentle demeanor. “Hello, I’m here to enroll in the physics department.”

“You’re amazing! The physics department is so challenging, yet you’re brave enough to take it on. I’m from the English department. As luck would have it, their registration desk is right next to ours. Shall I take you over?”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.”

“No need to thank me. My name is Fang Hong. And yours?” Fang Hong asked enthusiastically. “By the way, why didn’t you bring any luggage?”

Zhong Yuxiu smiled. “My name is Zhong Yuxiu. I won’t be staying in the dorms, so I didn’t bring any.”

“You’re from the city, then?”

“Not exactly.” Her answer was deliberately vague; she couldn’t possibly tell a stranger her true circumstances.

Fang Hong’s eyes shone with envy. “It must be nice being local—living in such a big city, attending a top-notch university. You’re really lucky.”

Zhong Yuxiu made no comment. Happiness, after all, depends on one’s perspective. After this, Fang Hong’s words grew a little awkward, her initial warmth cooling, but Zhong Yuxiu paid it no mind.

Pointing ahead, Fang Hong said, “There’s your department’s registration desk. I’ll go greet other students now. Goodbye.”

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Several people, both men and women, were stationed at the physics registration point. Zhong Yuxiu approached and presented her admission notice. “Hello, I’m here to register.”

“Please wait a moment while I record your information.” The student who greeted her was a man in his early thirties, mature and steady. He quickly finished the registration as he spoke, then asked, “Will you be living on campus?”

“No, I won’t.”

He nodded with a smile. “If you’re not living on campus, you’ll need to watch your schedule.”

“My home isn’t far from here,” Zhong Yuxiu replied, shaking her head again.

“Alright.” He marked her as a non-resident and wrote out two stamped slips. “One is your temporary student ID—use this for now. Once the official IDs are issued, you’ll need it to enter and exit the campus. The other slip has your department’s classroom location and the time and place for tomorrow’s gathering. Take these to the school’s finance office to handle your grain and household registration.”

She took the slips and tucked them into her pocket. “Is there anything else scheduled for our department today?”

He shook his head. “Today is just for registration. Remember to come for the meeting tomorrow.”

“Thank you very much.” Zhong Yuxiu then went to the finance office to transfer her grain and household registrations to the university. For the next few years, she would eat at the campus cafeteria, free from the need to cook.

With everything settled, she stepped out of the campus, feeling as though a heavy weight had finally landed.

She wandered aimlessly along the street. After so many journeys across worlds, the system was now gone, leaving her truly alone. The original host’s parents and relatives hadn’t sought her out in two years. Her adoptive father and brother had sacrificed her for the sake of their real daughter and sister.

Now, she had carved a new path for herself, and the future looked promising.

Without realizing it, she found herself back at the hotel. Sister Lian spotted her immediately. “Miss Zhong, you’re back from registration. Wasn’t Huada especially lively today? What a pity I couldn’t go see for myself.”

“Sister Lian.” Zhong Yuxiu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled faintly. So what if she was alone? She would throw herself wholeheartedly into her work; her career would be her family, her everything. “There were so many people outside the gates, and everyone seemed so full of life. The students were brimming with energy—it was truly festive.”

“Education really does make a difference—just listen to how nicely you speak.” Sister Lian smiled with a hint of regret. “You’ve been running around all day; why don’t you go rest? I should find someone to watch the desk for me so I can see the excitement at the university.”

After a decade, the reopening of the university was bound to be a grand event.

Zhong Yuxiu chuckled. “If you want to go, Sister Lian, just go. I’ll watch the desk for you. I’m not busy now anyway.” She’d received so much help from Sister Lian—this was a small way she could repay her.

“That’s wonderful! Now I won’t have to look for anyone else.” Sister Lian was delighted. “Just keep an eye on things for a while, and I’ll bring you something tasty when I get back.”

“You don’t have to bribe me with food—I’d still help you regardless.”

Sister Lian quickly explained the basics and hurried off. Zhong Yuxiu glanced around and immediately understood the routine: just register guests and manage the room keys.

She sat at the front desk; not a single guest arrived. It was university registration time, after all. Once registration ended, there would surely be more guests, but by then Sister Lian would be back.

Sure enough, no one came until Sister Lian returned.

“Miss Zhong, thank you for watching the place for me—Huada was absolutely packed! There were so many people the gates were completely blocked, you couldn’t even squeeze in,” Sister Lian exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement.

Zhong Yuxiu rose from behind the desk. “There weren’t that many people when I went earlier. I suppose it’s even busier now.”

“Definitely.” Sister Lian’s eyes crinkled with delight. “Thank you for your trouble.”

“It was nothing, just sitting here. No one came while you were gone.”

“That’s normal. There’ll be more people soon. By the way, Uncle Wang is leaving tomorrow—are you moving in then, or staying here a few more days? If you’re staying, I’ll need to register you. There’ll be lots of guests over the next few days.”

Zhong Yuxiu thought for a moment. “I’ll leave tomorrow—it’ll be easy to move in at Uncle Wang’s place.”

“Good point. Go get some rest, then.”

“I’ll be off, Sister Lian. Take care.”

With that, she turned and headed upstairs.