Genshin Impact: Please don’t bully me, fellow stragglers

For Nan Ke, the Beginning of Winter is a special day.

Especially in the past two years.

Even if she managed to get through it safely, it would be like an endless nightmare, with huge and terrifying wings fluttering around, playing out over and over again in her mind.

A warm hand gently stroked Nan Ke's nose from behind.

A low, hoarse laugh fell behind Nan Ke's head.

Nan Ke was like a stone, motionless, listening to the other person's breath falling on her ear, and his concerned exhortations -

"Nan Ke, you can't do this."

"Except here."

"You can't go anywhere."

……

Nan Ke held his breath and said numbly: "Yes..."

As soon as the sound came out of his lips, Nan Ke woke up.

The quilt was warm, wrapping her from head to toe securely.

Nan Ke realized that what had just happened was just a dream.

She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the quilt off her face.

This is a special dormitory for only two people.

The faint light of day passed through the gap in the curtains at the foot of the bed, and reflected the extremely dim computer screen across the corridor. A thin figure with long hair huddled in front of the screen with his knees hugged, without making a sound.

Nan Ke's lower abdomen was aching dully. After a while, he took out his cell phone from under his pillow to check the time.

Half past four in the afternoon.

...I'm late.

Nan Ke pressed his hand between his brows and sighed.

How come she forgot to set the alarm?

Now that things have come to this, there is nothing I can do but ask my counselor for make-up leave and then hurry up to attend the last class in the evening.

Nan Ke got out of bed to wash up. When he passed behind his roommate, the quiet girl suddenly raised her hand and said, "Nan Ke, I found this."

What was dangling in front of Nan Ke was a small paper bag with the name of the pharmacy printed on it.

Nan Ke's pupils suddenly shrank, and he snatched it away reflexively: "You...!"

Nan Ke realized that he had lost his composure and suddenly stopped, hiding the paper bag behind his back. He lowered his trembling voice and said, "...Where did you pick it up? The prayer bird?"

"On the dormitory floor." Qi Niao kept his hands suspended in the air and looked back at Nan Ke.

Nan Ke took a deep breath: "The things inside..."

"I'm not interested," Qi Niao interrupted Nan Ke, stared at her and asked, "Do you want to go to the big class in the evening?"

Nan Ke pursed her lips: "... Yeah."

"I'll ask for leave for you," Qi Niao said without questioning, "Nan Ke, accompany me to the gym."

This was not a threat based on evidence, but a conversation that often occurred between Nan Ke and Qi Niao. It didn't matter if he agreed or refused.

But the cold light of the computer reflected in Qi Niao's pupils, that cold and dark color made Nan Ke inexplicably nervous.

Who asked Qi Niao to ask now?

Nan Ke didn't see what she was thinking.

"Okay." Five seconds later, Nan Ke reluctantly agreed, "Wait for me for a moment."

Qi Niao's eyes suddenly lit up: "Then hurry up and help me tie my hair later!"

You can't go any faster.

Nan Ke reeked of alcohol, and even if Qi Niao didn't understand what it meant, Nan Ke didn't want anyone else to smell it.

While taking a shower, the bathroom door was slammed loudly several times. Nan Ke ignored the urging, washed up and went out. He saw Qi Niao sitting back in front of the computer, frowning, and his eyes seemed to stare through the spinning dancer on the screen.

"You don't want to go with me." Qi Niao said coldly.

Nan Ke did not deny it. He hooked a few rubber bands from the storage box on the corner of Qi Niao's desk and stood behind Qi Niao: "Have you asked for leave from the counselor?"

Qi Niao suddenly raised his phone, almost taking a picture of Nan Ke's face.

Nan Ke narrowed his eyes and saw the message Qi Niao sent to the counselor - "Qi Niao and Nan Ke would like to ask for leave for evening classes. Please approve it, thank you."

The counselor has read it but has not replied.

"Before going to the gym, I want to go to the cafeteria first." Nan Ke turned his face away and gathered Qi Niao's hair to tie it into a high bun.

Qi Niao moved his head, took out half a box of glucose and threw it on the keyboard: "Here you go."

Nanke:......

When going out, Nan Ke tore the paper bag into pieces and stuffed them into the trash can, then packed them together and carried them in his hand.

They went downstairs just in time for the class they had skipped to end. Just after throwing away the garbage, they ran into their classmates returning home at the dormitory door.

The girl walking in front bumped into them and said "Hi" awkwardly. Nan Ke was about to speak when Qi Niao quickly dragged her away.

There were whispers from behind.

"They don't come to class, so the counselors don't care?"

"Shh, keep your voice down."

"What's wrong with saying a few words?"

"Didn't your dorm head remind you..."

"Hateful!" Qi Niao said angrily until he could no longer hear those voices.

Nan Ke rubbed his red wrist, lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Qi Niao turned around and looked at her coldly. After a moment, he raised his head expressionlessly and looked up at the shadow of the tree above his head.

Nan Ke’s dormitory is special.

When returning to school, the counselor tactfully instructed Nan Ke.

Don't worry about getting along well with your roommates.

If anything happens - even if it's a small matter, be sure to contact a counselor first.

Perhaps because he had a thick pile of medical records in his hand, he did not speak frankly, but Nan Ke understood that what he meant was that he wanted them not to cause trouble for others.

Qi Niao should have heard the same thing.

Because they are all the same, they are students diagnosed with serious mental illness.

When we arrived at the gymnasium, the school team and students from the Sports College were still training.

Nan Ke was waiting for Qi Niao outside the locker room. A senior from the External Relations Department passed by and saw her. She turned back in surprise and said, "Nan Ke, you're here too!"

"Hello, senior sister. I am here with my roommate." Nan Ke saw her carrying a camera. "Does the department have any plans today?"

"Is that so?" The senior student grabbed her hair in disappointment. "You and Baijing went to the airport to pick up people but didn't. In order not to delay the schedule, the director suggested that we send the video over and let them do an audition first. So I even borrowed a camera."

The senior student patted her heavy camera bag.

Facing the senior's pleading gaze, Nan Ke shook his head: "I don't know how to use it either. Mu Baijing should know how to use it."

"He's gone with the minister to solicit sponsorship." The senior student sighed and waved her hand, "Then I'll get busy now. Bye."

After saying goodbye to her senior, Nan Ke turned around and saw Qi Niao, who had changed his clothes, leaning against the door and staring at her.

Qi Niao was a small person, and because he seldom ate well, he was so thin that he was almost unrecognizable. He stood there in his skating suit, looking like a little child.

"Why do you always talk to others?" Qi Niao said angrily.

"Because I joined a club," Nan Ke answered as he and her walked toward the ice rink, "If you want to try it, you can ask the counselor for a recommendation."

"I hate them." Qi Niao frowned.

Qi Niao hates everyone indiscriminately.

This probably includes Nan Ke.

Nan Ke didn't answer, parted ways with Qi Niao, and picked a seat in the empty auditorium and sat down.

On the other side, Qi Niao was leaning against the corner of the ice rink, bending over to put on his skates, his expression solemn, completely different from just now.

Ice skating is Qi Niao's only hobby.

Unfortunately, Qi Niao was timid. Before she found out that her new roommate was willing to accompany her to the ice rink, she just stayed in her dorm room and watched videos for an entire semester.

And before that, they hadn't even introduced themselves to each other.

Nan Ke was still a little sleepy and lay on the back of the front seat. Qi Niao looked back from afar and only after confirming that she was there did he skate into the ice rink and start practicing.

In the same field, the senior schoolmate I met just now was setting up a tripod and adjusting the camera towards the school team members walking on the field.

Many figures came and went, and in Nan Ke's perspective, they looked like a group of busy ants.

The temperature in the ice rink was lower than outside. Nan Ke exhaled a puff of white mist, looked at them through the mist, and began to think about the night before the winter solstice.

"The country collapsed."

She murmured softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the name.

No matter how you think about it, it seems like she was expecting it on her own.

How many years ago was that?

Apart from those dim beautiful eyes, Nan Ke can no longer remember anything.

She even almost mistook Miss Ying and A Liu when she met them because of her vague memory.

Even if Brother Guobeng from that year really appeared, Nan Ke would not be able to face that color.

but……

Nan Ke clenched his fingers and followed the bird on the ice rink with his eyes.

If I had caught up with him at that time, I would have looked into his eyes.

Want to meet him.

The one who was willing to give her shelter on that cold snowy night.

"The country is collapsing?" A voice suddenly sounded to Nan Ke's right.

Nan Ke was startled, pursed her lips and turned her head, and saw Mu Baijing bending over, staring at her with curiosity.

"It's you." Nan Ke sat up straight and asked, "When did you come?"

"I just arrived and called you several times, but you were in a daze." Mu Baijing sat down in the seat next to him.

"Sorry." Nan Ke said.

Mu Baijing looked at the ice rink below, frowned and sighed: "I just helped the minister to discuss the sponsorship, and the senior sister called me and urged me to come back to help with the video recording."

Nanke was startled.

"I don't know who told her that I can take pictures." Mu Baijing glanced at her with a complaining look, hinting at something.

Nan Ke coughed lightly: "I'm sorry."

Mu Baijing smiled and pointed at Qi Niao who was training alone in the ice rink: "Nan Ke, your roommate looks like a good skater, do you want to record one too?"

"You have to ask Qi Niao himself."

"The main reason is that several of our school team's seniors have graduated. With the level of the newcomers now..." Mu Baijing clicked his tongue in distress, "The other side will probably look down on us."

"You mean, that Ajax?"

"Yeah, weren't we stood up the last time we went to pick someone up at the airport?"

"Ah."

"Fortunately, we don't have to pick him up in the middle of the night. The coach there sent an email saying that Ajax changed his flight without my permission and that he has already landed. Once they get in touch with him, they will order him to report to A University."

What a willful person.

Nan Ke silently made a cross for himself as he was about to face the troublesome person.

Mu Baijing paused as he spoke, took out his vibrating cell phone and put it to his ear: "Hello, senior sister."

Nan Ke saw the senior schoolmate on the ice rink facing this side from afar, and didn't know what she said. Mu Baijing stood up with a wry smile: "Yeah, yes, we're here, coming right away..."

Nan Ke waved to Mu Baijing who was about to go to work. Mu Baijing sighed, hung up the phone, and took out two cups of milk tea from his coat: "Here, Nan Ke, I brought these for you."

The paper cup felt warm to the touch. Nan Ke looked up while holding the milk tea, but before he could say thank you, Mu Baijing had already jogged off to the ice rink.

Qi Bird was gliding on the ice. As soon as he noticed the appearance of Mu Baijing, he immediately stopped practicing, like a cat meeting its natural enemy. He retreated cautiously and quickly returned to Nan Ke.

"Why is he here again?" Qi Niao glared at Mu Baijing and sat down next to Nan Ke angrily.

For some reason, Qi Niao has a particular prejudice against Mu Baijing.

Glucose was not enough to satisfy her hunger. Nan Ke had already finished half a cup of milk tea with a straw in his mouth. Hearing this, he handed her another cup: "This is from Mu Baijing."

Qi Niao hummed softly, put in a straw and was about to drink, when he suddenly thought of something and blinked: "Huh? How did he fit two cups of milk tea in his pocket?"

Nan Ke paused, thinking and hesitating: "Maybe... his pockets are big?"

"So that's how it is." Qi Niao suddenly realized.

"When are we going back?" Nan Ke changed the subject.

"I haven't practiced enough yet," Qi Niao sipped his cheeks with milk tea, squinted his eyes and glanced at Mu Baijing who was busy on the ice rink, still in a bad mood, "Let's talk about it after he leaves."