Chapter 304 Gathering

It's past midnight.

Zhou Heng placed the bookmark on the first page of the new book, closed it, and turned off the desk lamp.

With a "click," the warm light around the table disappeared, and the room went completely dark, leaving only the light from the streetlamp shining through the gap in the curtains, drawing a thin line on the ceiling.

He stood up, climbed the ladder silently, and got into bed. The blanket was pulled back very softly, the pillow patted twice, and then everything fell silent.

Xiao Jue sat in the darkness for a while. He heard the faint sound of Zhou Heng turning over above him.

He picked up his phone, and the screen suddenly lit up, making him squint. He turned the brightness down to the lowest setting, glanced at the time—12:17. Then he plugged his phone in, stood up, and gently pushed his chair under the table.

She silently turned and got into bed.

Xiao Jue lay on his side, facing the direction of Zhou Heng's bed. The distance between the two beds was only a little over a meter, separated by air and darkness.

The end of September was soaked by an autumn rain, and the temperature dropped overnight.

The class monitor sent a notice in the group chat, saying that a team-building dinner for freshmen would be organized this Friday night. The location would be "Juxianzhuang," a restaurant serving Hangzhou cuisine outside the south gate of the school. The prices were reasonable, the environment was decent, and it was said that the non-spicy dishes were especially good.

On Friday evening, the sky was overcast with low-hanging clouds, as if it were about to rain again.

Cheng Yue started urging people from five o'clock, pacing around the dormitory, asking Xiao Jue which clothes looked good on him, and asking Fang Yuzhou if his hair was sticking up, making Fang Yuzhou want to lock him out.

Xiao Jue, on the other hand, was in a leisurely mood, leaning back in his chair and scrolling through his phone. He was wearing a dark-colored light jacket over a white crew-neck T-shirt, looking both casual and well-dressed.

He glanced at Zhou Heng, who was sitting motionless at his desk, then stood up and draped a coat over his arm.

"Let's go, it's about time."

Zhou Heng turned off the desk lamp, closed the book and put it away, then stood up and grabbed his coat. It was a light, dark gray jacket; he zipped it up, and the collar was neatly turned up.

When the four of them set off from the dormitory, it hadn't rained yet, but the air was very humid, and the wind carried a scent of earth and fallen leaves.

The leaves of the sycamore tree were swirled up and down by the wind, making a rustling sound, like an impatient whisper.

When we got to the school gate, we ran into the class monitor and a few other classmates. The group of us walked towards the south gate in a big group.

Zhou Heng walked at the very back of the crowd, silent, his pace neither fast nor slow, always maintaining a distance of two or three steps from the people in front of him.

Xiao Jue was walking ahead talking to the class monitor, but at some point he slowed down, stepped back, and walked to Zhou Heng's left.

The private room at "Juxianzhuang" was on the second floor. It had a large round table that could seat sixteen or seventeen people, and the thirty students in the class were divided into two tables.

Fang Yuzhou and Cheng Yue were assigned to another table. When Cheng Yue left, he turned back and made a gesture to Xiao Jue that said, "Come over for a drink later." Xiao Jue smiled and waved him away.

Zhou Heng glanced at the tableware and the place card with his name on it. His seat was in the corner by the window, almost the least conspicuous place on the whole table.

He didn't know who arranged the seats, but he was very satisfied with the arrangement.

Xiao Jue's seat was on the side near the door, which should have been several seats away from Zhou Heng. But Xiao Jue glanced at the seat card, moved his seat, and sat down next to Zhou Heng.

"You're sitting here?" The class monitor glanced at him, somewhat surprised.

Xiao Jue laughed matter-of-factly, "We just like sitting in the corner; the feng shui is better in the corner."

The class monitor smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more.

People gradually arrived, and dishes were served one by one.

Hangzhou cuisine tends to be sweet, with dishes like sweet and sour pork ribs, Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, West Lake vinegar fish, several stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a dish of pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly. The dishes are beautifully presented and have bright colors, and they do indeed look neither spicy nor oily, which is a flavor that Zhou Heng can accept.

The turntable in the center of the table was slowly spinning, and everyone was putting food into their plates. The clinking of chopsticks against the porcelain plates rose and fell, mixed with the sounds of conversation. The entire private room was like a container being heated, with the temperature and noise getting louder and louder.

The class monitor stood up first, raised a glass of wine, and said a few polite words, such as "Fate brought us together" and "Let's take care of each other for the next four years." Everyone raised their glasses in response, and the glass clinked together with a crisp sound.

Then the vice class monitor raised his glass, then the Youth League secretary raised his glass, and then several active members spontaneously raised their glasses.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, Zhou Heng remained seated.

He sat in the corner, quietly eating the small bowl of rice in front of him, occasionally picking up a piece of the dish closest to him with his chopsticks, not participating in any toasts, and not taking the initiative to speak to anyone.

Someone noticed him.

A girl with a ponytail walked over with a drink cup, smiling at him. "Zhou Heng, right? I'm in the same class as you, the one who sits two rows behind you. You probably haven't noticed me."

Zhou Heng looked up at her.

"I remember, hello," he said, his voice soft, polite but distant.

The girl clearly wanted to say more, so she took another half step forward. "Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you bored sitting here all by yourself?"

"No," Zhou Heng said.

The girl's smile froze for less than half a second before returning to normal. "Alright then, take your time eating."

She turned and left, her steps much faster than when she came.

Similar conversations occurred intermittently three or four times during the middle of the meal.

Each time, Zhou Heng completed the necessary social interactions in the most concise way possible.