After finishing lunch with Xie Yinuo and Zheng Xiao at noon, Xiao Wenqiang leisurely strolled around Yunbei City First High School, getting a basic sense of its layout. This took up considerable time, and by the time she returned to the dormitory, it was already 3:30 PM.
Just as Xiao Wenqiang was about to slump into a chair to rest upon entering, she noticed that her desk under the bed was cluttered with belongings that weren't hers, and even the chair was occupied by a large bag. She looked at the other two girls in the dormitory, who were sitting together, headphones on, engrossed in a drama, pretending not to have seen her return.
As Xiao Wenqiang was about to voice a question, the bathroom door opened, and a girl, entirely clad in a certain brand name, emerged. This must be Bai Lu, the last roommate. She was wiping her hands with a tissue as she walked. Upon seeing Xiao Wenqiang, she lifted her chin and said, "You're back. I don't like staying near the bathroom; it gives me allergies. I'll switch with you!"
If she had spoken nicely, Xiao Wenqiang might have agreed to switch. However, she couldn't tolerate the current attitude. So, she retorted, "If you're so delicate, why live in a dormitory? Go home and live where you can be as far from the bathroom as possible! And, you should understand the basic principle of 'first come, first served,' shouldn't you?"
Seeing that the other girl wasn't giving her any face, Bai Lu's face turned red with anger. "Do you know who I am to speak to me like that? My dad is the dean of this school. Be careful, I'll have him kick you out!"
"Firstly, I don't know who your dad is. Secondly, even if he is the dean, he has no right to kick me out of school without reason. Thirdly, my attitude depends on yours. Lastly, even if your dad is the principal, he can't force me to give up my bed. 'First come, first served' is my virtue, but not giving it up is also my right. If you disagree, we can post it on the school forum for all teachers and students to judge." Xiao Wenqiang was polite and dignified, neither humble nor overbearing.
Bai Lu naturally wouldn't dare to expose the matter on the school forum, because she knew in her heart that her father wouldn't side with her in that situation. Previously, she had observed Wang Bingyan and Chen Xiaoyan, who were in the dormitory. Judging by their attire and makeup, they seemed to come from good families. They clearly knew each other and were a clique, suggesting they would be difficult to provoke. Thus, she had set her sights on Xiao Wenqiang, who was not present at the time.
She had also opened the wardrobe and observed that the other girl had no expensive cosmetics or skincare products, nor were the clothes in her wardrobe from any famous brands. She had thought this person would be easy to handle, but she didn't expect her to be such a tough nut to crack. Now, she had no choice but to retrieve her belongings, adding with a blustering threat, "I can't be bothered to argue with you!"
Xiao Wenqiang was somewhat speechless, wondering who had started the argument in the first place. Didn't she have any self-awareness! However, she wasn't the type to press her advantage when someone backed down. Seeing the other girl retreat, she said no more and quietly picked up her washbasin to go to the bathroom to wash her face.
When she came out of the bathroom, Xiao Wenqiang suddenly noticed an apple on her desk. Wang Bingyan, who had been observing the situation from the side, smiled and said, "This is for you."
Chen Xiaoyan also showed a friendly smile.
Xiao Wenqiang understood that they saw she wasn't a pushover and were now trying to make amends. She smiled slightly, gratefully accepted their kindness, and thanked them. Without any reservations, she took a bite, "Mmm! So sweet!"
Seeing that the other girl wasn't that difficult to get along with, Wang Bingyan followed up, "Your name is Mao Qingyan, right? Can I call you Qingyan? You can call me Bingyan, and that's Xiaoyan. By the way, I just saw your photo on the school forum. Are the two boys who came with you earlier your...?"
Yunbei City First High School was a key high school with good students and a relaxed academic atmosphere. The URL for the school forum was printed on the admission notice, so many first-year students had joined the forum early. It wasn't limited to academic discussions, so the fact that Mao Qingyan, Zheng Xiao, and Xie Yinuo, the two campus heartthrobs, were seen together at school quickly climbed to the "hot topic" list.
"Oh, one is my cousin, and the other is his friend. Did you see it on the school forum? I'll go take a look too." Since Xiao Wenqiang had inhabited the original owner's body only after receiving the admission notice, she knew about the forum but had never logged in.
Chen Xiaoyan enthusiastically guided Xiao Wenqiang to log into the forum's webpage on her phone.
Indeed, although the original owner's appearance wasn't as refined as the previous Xiao Wenqiang's, her basic features were good. Moreover, with the change of soul during this period, her temperament had undergone a huge transformation. Therefore, standing with the two campus heartthrobs now, she was not inferior. Even in the candid photos, despite the blurry pixels, they couldn't hide her youthful beauty.
Bai Lu also came over and, after glancing at the photos, said sarcastically, "Our First High School is a key school. Some people don't focus on studying but always hang around with so many boys. How can their grades be good!"
"Bai Lu, don't say that. Everyone in our class should be among the top students this year! I'm fourth, Xiaoyan is eighth. Qingyan, what's your rank?" Wang Bingyan asked.
Xiao Wenqiang, who was about to retort upon hearing Bai Lu's jab, was taken aback. She searched her memory and replied, "I'm seventh... I think?"
"That's still very impressive, better than me!" Chen Xiaoyan praised. "Bai Lu, what about you?"
Bai Lu smiled slightly and confidently replied, "I'm third in the entire grade!"
"Wow!" Everyone expressed surprise.
Xiao Wenqiang also felt envious and genuinely praised, "Then you're the best in our dormitory academically. Amazing!" She even gave her a thumbs-up.
Hearing this, Bai Lu nodded proudly and, fully satisfied, continued to tidy her bed.
Xiao Wenqiang returned to her seat, lost in thought. She suddenly thought of a problem: although the original owner's personality was a bit timid, her academic performance was solid. She hadn't attended any tutoring classes since childhood and had gotten into this key city high school solely through her own efforts. However, in her previous life, her academic performance wasn't great, especially in science, where classes felt like listening to heavenly scriptures. Her only redeeming quality was probably her good memory, which later helped her memorize lines.
But after all, everyone has their strengths. Playing the role of a top student according to a script is easy, but being a real top student in reality is beyond her. So now, Xiao Wenqiang realized that a more difficult task lay ahead: how to convincingly play the role of a top student in reality!
However, she wasn't the type to worry excessively. She believed in taking things as they came. After a few minutes of worry, she decided not to dwell on it and to think about more important matters. She looked up and asked the other girls in the dormitory, "Where are you planning to eat dinner? If it's the cafeteria, please take me along!"
Chen Xiaoyan glanced at Wang Bingyan before nodding and replying, "Okay, we're eating at the cafeteria tonight too. Let's go together."
Seeing the other three girls going together, Bai Lu also sheepishly joined, "Then I'll go too. Let's call it a dormitory dinner today, so people don't say I'm unsociable."
Xiao Wenqiang really couldn't bring herself to like Bai Lu's personality. Couldn't she just speak properly! However, seeing Wang Bingyan and Chen Xiaoyan exchange smiles without saying anything, she didn't say any more. After all, apart from her initial arrogance, Bai Lu hadn't been too unreasonable.
In fact, Xiao Wenqiang realized that as people grow older, they encounter more and more people, and one has to allow for all sorts of personalities to exist. Perhaps this is what is meant by "harmony in diversity"!