Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 611 The Dormitory After Lights Out

"Mengyan, where did you find?" Zhan Yue interrupted Zhan Mengyan, putting down her backpack and walking up to her. "This is my dorm, my bunk. I'm in charge here. I came back to sleep, not to kick my sister out." She turned to her other roommates. "Classmates, sisters, thank you so much for taking care of my sister while I was gone. Thank you for helping me and persuading her to stay. We'll have to squeeze into this bed, and I apologize for the trouble."

Li Linlin immediately laughed and said, "Zhan Yue, you've finally spoken a fair word. In our 'big family,' how can we let someone else leave when our own family member comes back?"

Zhang Xiaowen picked up an apple and shoved it into Zhan Mengyan's hand: "Did you hear that? Your sister and we all spoke up. Your 'temporary resident' status has been unilaterally changed to 'permanent resident' by our collective vote. Protests are invalid!"

Other female classmates also gathered around, chatting amongst themselves. They suggested that they could put two small tables together for Zhan Mengyan to use as a temporary desk that night, that some of her luggage could be stuffed into the top shelf of the communal lockers, and that they could work together over the weekend to rearrange Zhan Mengyan's belongings and squeeze out more space. Their words and eyes didn't contain any polite attempts to persuade her to stay, but rather a sense of natural acceptance, as if Zhan Mengyan was an integral part of this dormitory.

Looking at Zhan Mengyan, her tired eyes softened with a warm smile. She reached out and ruffled Zhan Mengyan's hair, saying, "Don't bother tidying up. Quickly spread out my blankets too. Let's chat tonight. I have a lot of study plans to share with you."

Holding the apple, Zhan Mengyan felt the smooth, cool skin on her fingertips, while her heart was filled with a deep warmth. The dormitory was not brightly lit, and in the simply furnished dormitory, on this closely connected large communal bed, Zhan Mengyan felt not the distress of being adrift, but a rough yet solid sense of belonging. It came from the bond of blood, and even more so from the group of companions who shared a room with each other, understanding and caring for one another in the small space, showing the most sincere desire to stay in the most direct way.

Zhan Mengyan put down her bedding roll. She said softly, "Okay, then I won't leave yet."

In the end, Zhan Mengyan decided to stay a few more days, and Zhan Yue also accepted everyone's arrangement. The classmates crowded together and talked about the hardships of studying and their dreams for the future. At that moment, Zhan Mengyan deeply felt that love is not only personal sacrifice, but also positive tolerance and persuasion.

In the rainy night, the lights in the dormitory suddenly seemed exceptionally bright, illuminating everyone's smiling faces.

The dormitory's large communal sleeping area stretched out under the lights, with blankets and pillows tightly arranged on the wooden planks.

Zhan Mengyan and her cousin Zhan Yue were in the same bunk, and they could clearly hear the faint sound of each other turning the pages of their books.

After the lights were turned off, the dormitory did not immediately fall silent. Occasionally, hushed laughter and the creaking of wooden planks as people turned over could be heard in the distance, but these sounds seemed to be filtered by the night, becoming only the background of the whispers among the students in the dormitory.

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yue faced each other side by side, talking in hushed tones under the covers.

My cousin Zhan Yue was overjoyed to learn that she had ranked second in her entire department in the monthly exam before she took leave. Zhan Yue whispered to Zhan Mengyan about her future life, saying that after she was admitted to Xiong Yue University, she would visit the library of her dream university—she said that the bookshelves there reached the ceiling, the lights were warm, and the air was filled with the tranquil scent of old paper and ink.