The blazing sunlight scorched my fair skin, carefully pulling my jacket tighter around me, I dragged my suitcase slowly toward the road. Ahead lay a path flanked by dense rows of trees, their thick canopy shielding the pavement from the harsh sunlight.
The heat rising from the pavement flushed my cheeks a healthy pink. I picked up the pace, dragging my worn-out suitcase forward.
Eventually, I reached a large gate, the entrance for new students arriving for orientation. This was Shanghai General University, a well-known school that offered many majors, though it was most renowned for its Information Technology program. The IT department had a high number of male students, and word had it they were quite good-looking too.
As for me, I had only managed to get into one of the more ordinary majors the school offered. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing to admit, I got into Human Resource Management. This wasn't one of the university's strengths; it was a small program with the lowest entry score. Still, I figured that with a degree, I could land a decent job in a county-level city. With that thought, I submitted my application and was lucky enough to pass with the minimum score.
I had packed only a few faded clothes and belongings into the old suitcase, then boarded a train for over ten hours. After getting off, unwilling to spend extra money on a bus, I walked more than five kilometers. By the time I arrived at the school, it was already late afternoon.
Most freshmen had probably completed their registration in the morning. There were fewer students arriving in the afternoon, so by the time I stood in front of the gate at 2 p.m., the process was smooth. I successfully completed my enrollment and received my dorm room assignment.
The campus was vast, with tall buildings for each department clearly labeled out front. There were small parks and stone benches scattered around for students to relax and chat after long days of studying.
By the time I dragged my suitcase to the dormitory, the sky had darkened. There were two dorm buildings in total, each with ten floors, and male and female students were housed separately.
Holding the key to Room 509, I entered the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, a beautiful girl stepped in. Glancing at her, I noticed she was about my height, maybe around 165 cm, but she was wearing five-centimeter heels, which made her slightly taller. She wore an expensive light blue dress, and her straight, silky hair radiated a noble aura. I stood beside her without paying much attention but figured she was probably a rich young lady.
When the elevator doors opened, I quickly stepped out. She followed. When I stopped at Room 509, so did she. Her pretty lips parted in surprise as she asked: "You're in this room?"
I replied: "Yeah... I am. You too?"
She nodded and entered. I hurried in after her. The dorm had four beds, loft-style, with the bed on top and a desk underneath. Two other girls were already inside, cleaning their beds. They had chosen the beds further inside, so the girl in the blue dress and I naturally took the outer ones. The two girls greeted us with cheerful introductions.
"I'm Yue Ling, Foreign Languages Department," said the short-haired girl with glasses.
"And I'm Nguyen, Business and Trade Department," chimed in the tall girl, she had to be over 170 cm.
I was about to introduce myself when the girl in the blue dress spoke up: "I'm Yin Ying Diao, Foreign Languages too. Nice to meet you all."
Nguyen Qi's eyes lit up when she heard the name: "Oh, I remember now! There was a stunning beauty who enrolled this morning. Everyone was saying the campus belle of the freshman class had arrived, so it was you! I didn't recognize you until you said your name."
Yue Ling also came over, looked at Diao for a moment, then jumped up in excitement: "Haha, I can't believe our room landed the campus belle! We'll totally bask in your glory now."
The three of them chatted excitedly, completely forgetting that I was still standing there awkwardly behind them. Seeing the mood, I quickly chimed in.
"Hi everyone, I'm Man Man. I hope we'll get along, please forgive me if I make any mistakes."
As soon as I spoke, everyone's attention turned to me, Ying Diao smiled and asked: "Man Man? That sounds like a nickname."
"Ah… well, I'm from the countryside, and my grandma gave me that name."
The truth was, my mother had come up with that name while drunk and decided to keep it. She was a sex worker, and I was born because she had a careless night with some man and didn't use protection. At the time, she wanted to abort me, but her coworkers talked her out of it, they said she was getting older and might not have another chance. So, I ended up coming into this world.
She raised me until I was two, then returned to her old line of work. Every day, she brought different men home. My childhood was filled with the sights of lust and flirtation. I resented her a lot at times, but then again, how else could she make money to raise me?
Most sex workers are beautiful, and I inherited some of that from her.
Over time, I learned how to navigate life, how to flatter, how to please, and how to read the moods of the men who came to our home. I'd act pitiful and ask them for a bit of money. That's how the two of us survived, leaning on each other through it all.