University Life Simulator · Chat

--- On that late August morning, you dragged your suitcase and stood before the stone-arched gate of Qingjin Academy Town. Your luggage was heavy, and your palms were slightly sweaty. You looked up at the old archway covered in withered vines. The four characters in clerical script on the lintel were somewhat weathered by wind and rain—but you recognized them; it was the same font as the school emblem you’d seen countless times on your admission notice. Ginkgo. Two rows of ginkgo trees were planted on either side of the school gate. The leaves hadn’t turned yellow yet; they were a vibrant, shiny green, rustling in the morning breeze. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering broken gold across the ground. You took a deep breath, tightened your grip on the suitcase handle, and took your first step. The wheels rumbled on the stone path, the sound blending into the boisterous clamor at the school entrance until it was almost inaudible. People were everywhere—volunteers in red vests held signs for various departments, parents dragged suitcases and asked for directions, and freshmen held up their phones to take photos everywhere. Banners fluttered in the wind, reading: "Qingjin has you; this academy is home." "Excuse me, which department are you in?" A senior girl in a red hat squeezed through the crowd and looked at you with a beaming smile. Her volunteer badge read "Orientation Guide," and she held a sign for the "Luggage Storage Area." There was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her voice was a bit raspy, but her eyes were bright. You stated your department. She looked down at the booklet in her hand, then pointed to the right: "The registration for the School of Liberal Arts is in the lobby of Mingde Building. Go straight down this tree-lined path until the end, then turn left. It's past those two flower beds. You can pick up your dormitory keys there too." You thanked her and dragged your suitcase in the direction she pointed. The tree-lined path was long. Towering London planes lined both sides, their trunks so thick they would take two people to embrace. Their branches and leaves interlaced above to form a green dome. Sunlight leaked from overhead, falling on your shoulders, your suitcase, and the cracks in the brick path beneath your feet. Cyclists sped past you, their bells jingling. A few people hurried along clutching books, not even bothering to adjust their slipping backpack straps. In the distance, the muffled sound of a basketball hitting the ground and a burst of laughter drifted over, mixed with the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves, a female voice reciting poetry over the broadcast, and the echoes of the end of summer and the prelude to autumn. You didn't walk fast. In fact, you walked very slowly. Because you were looking—looking at the Boston ivy covering the red-brick building, looking at the orange cat crouching on the edge of the flower bed licking its paws, and looking at the messy posters stuck to the bulletin board. One said "Debate Team Recruitment," another said "Three-day countdown to the Club Fair," and another was half-torn, revealing only the words "Echo Lake Night—Dare you come?" You stopped to glance at that half-torn poster. Before you had time to think, a voice suddenly sounded behind you: "Freshman?" You turned around. A tall boy in a white shirt stood two steps behind you, hands in his pockets, with a Student Union badge pinned to his chest. Sunlight shone from behind him, gilding his shoulders with a pale gold outline. He glanced down at your suitcase and smiled. "The luggage is heavy, isn't it? The registration desk is just ahead. I'll take you there," he said, naturally reaching out and accurately gripping the handle of your rolling suitcase with a calm ease, as if he had done it countless times. His name tag had three characters: Gu Yanzhou. You opened your mouth to say it was no trouble, but he was already walking ahead with your suitcase. You had no choice but to follow. His pace wasn't fast, perfectly matching yours. The shadows of the plane tree leaves flickered across the shoulders of his white shirt. "First time in Qingjin?" he asked, glancing sideways. Before you could answer, he continued on his own, "It's okay; everyone gets lost. But there's one rule to remember—all roads eventually lead to Echo Lake." "Echo Lake?" you repeated the name. "Mm-hmm." He didn't explain, just looked at you with a smile. "You'll understand later." We reached Mingde Building quickly. It was an old red-brick building with a high-ceilinged lobby and hanging chandeliers that cast a dim, gentle light. There were long queues at the registration desks, and a window had just opened up when you arrived. Gu Yanzhou leaned the suitcase against the wall and took a step back. He said the words you would remember for a long time: "If you have any problems, come find me at the Student Union. Second floor, second room on the right." Then he turned and left. The back of his white shirt disappeared around the corner of the tree-lined path. You stood in the lobby of Mingde Building for a few seconds, clutching your newly acquired campus card, dorm keys, and a thin "Freshman Survival Manual." Then you looked down and flipped through the manual. The first page had only one line of text: "The ginkgo leaves of Qingjin Academy Town are golden when they fall. But you have to wait until autumn to see them." You closed the manual, picked up your suitcase, walked out of Mingde Building, and headed toward the dormitory area. The dormitory was called Lanyuan, Building B, third floor, Room 312. By the time you hauled the suitcase up the stairs, you were drenched in sweat. There was a half-open window in the hallway, and the wind blew in, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass from the lawn below. You stood at the door for a few seconds and heard people laughing inside. Someone was saying loudly, "You put that mattress on upside down!", then someone knocked on the door and shouted, "Delivery's at the door—!" You pushed the door open. Three girls turned their heads to look at you in unison. The one by the window was sitting on the edge of the top bunk, swinging her legs while unboxing a package. She grinned when she saw you: "You're finally here! We've been waiting for you! I'm Tang Ruoshi from the Foreign Languages Department, you can call me Tangtang!" The girl on the opposite bed was struggling to put a duvet cover on her comforter. Hearing the noise, she turned and nodded to you: "Lin Shutong, Chinese Department." Her voice was very soft, but the lenses of the round-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose were bright. The third person was sitting cross-legged on the desk—yes, sitting on the desk—holding a cup of steaming milk tea. She tilted her head and looked at you for two seconds, then lifted her chin: "Su Waxi. Business Management. There's ice water in the fridge, help yourself." You pushed your suitcase into the corner and stood in the middle of the room. Sunlight spilled in through the window, illuminating the tiny dust motes floating in the air, the textbooks and chargers scattered on the desks, and the faces of the three girls. The sound of a broadcast came from outside the window, someone was shouting, "Don't forget the freshman assembly at 2 p.m.!", and there was the sound of the wind blowing through the ginkgo treetops. Standing in that small dormitory room, you suddenly felt all your luggage become lighter. You smiled. They smiled too. Then Tang Ruoshi jumped down from the bed, her slippers pitter-pattering as she ran over and grabbed your arm: "Let's go! Spicy hot pot on the second floor of the cafeteria! A senior said we get a 20% discount with our freshman cards today!" Before you could answer, Su Waxi had already jumped off the desk and slipped on her flip-flops, and Lin Shutong silently closed the book she was halfway through and stood up. Four pairs of slippers stepped on the dormitory hallway floor, pitter-patter, pitter-patter. The sunlight chased your footsteps, spreading from one end of the hallway to the other. Someone downstairs shouted: "Hurry up! The freshman assembly for the first-years starts at two!" Then someone laughed and hollered back: "We know—!" As you walked out of the dormitory building entrance, a gust of wind blew against your face. Autumn hadn't arrived yet. The ginkgo trees were still green. And so, your university life begins.