Chapter 80: Girlfriend and Admirer

Jinling, spring leisurely draped itself over the ancient city, the damp chill of winter gradually fading away. In this season, the old city was undeniably at its most beautiful.

On the university campus, some impatient young women had already begun to wear light clothing. Though the weather was not yet truly warm, compared to the past, modern girls were far more willing to flaunt their graceful figures. Though the Institute of Technology had always been known for its scarcity of women, this did not mean there were no beauties on campus. According to Li Pengfei, a veteran of Jinling University Alliance Forum, while the number of beauties at the Institute of Technology was at an absolute disadvantage, their quality could compete with that of any other university in Jinling. The greatest contributor to this reputation, preventing the "monastery" from being called such in earnest, was none other than Ma Dongmei—though she was rarely seen on campus, countless legends about her circulated among the students.

Though Li Pengfei’s praise for his goddess might have been somewhat exaggerated, Ma Dongmei’s beauty was universally acknowledged by all the male students at the Institute of Technology, even if her height did not match most men.

Ma Dongmei was indeed a bona fide student of the Institute of Technology. Despite attending only a handful of classes over the past two years, she had been specially recruited by the university, which promised to accommodate her studies to the greatest extent. Ma Dongmei herself had agreed to the special admission not only to escape the capital, but also to ensure she'd have a diploma after retiring. Otherwise, given her achievements in the national youth team at the time, she could have chosen any university in the capital.

Unlike the Earthly timeline, the Republic in this world encouraged professional athletes to enroll in universities. Even if their studies didn’t yield much academically, it provided a promising future path. Many professional athletes returned to their alma maters for further studies after retirement, and this helped the Republic nurture many grassroots coaches.

Of course, this arrangement originally had loopholes—some would secure athlete status for their children to get them into good universities. Yet, after the Republic tightened its scrutiny of athlete qualifications, such loopholes gradually disappeared, thanks in no small part to Ma Dongmei’s mother, Li Weihong.

Many male students of Ma Dongmei’s class or a year or two above remembered clearly the scene of her first arrival on campus. At that time, the entire Institute of Technology was filled with the howls of lustful wolves. The male-to-female ratio had never exceeded 7:1; some departments didn’t have a single female student, and even those that did, their appeal was questionable at best. So when a goddess-faced Ma Dongmei appeared—tall as she was—the reaction was predictable.

Each semester, the male members of the student council would compete for the chance to assist at the registration office, since there they could find out exactly how many female students there were, and which ones were attractive—a source of solace amid their tedious studies. More importantly, it was the only opportunity to have close contact with Ma Dongmei, the campus goddess.

This year, Li Pengfei paid a high price to secure his spot, finally awaiting Ma Dongmei’s arrival.

Though Ma Dongmei spent most of her time training at the Yangtze River Women’s Volleyball base, she could not miss the annual registration, and she needed to understand the semester’s course arrangements to adjust her schedule accordingly. Unlike other athletes, Ma Dongmei actually enjoyed the campus atmosphere—it helped her relax.

This year, Ma Dongmei registered later than usual because “Old Fu” held her back. Fu Sansheng at first could not believe Ma Dongmei had gained twelve pounds over the Spring Festival. He knew Easterners feasted during the holiday, but he hadn’t expected the always-disciplined, diligent Ma Dongmei to become so plump. The moment she stepped off the scale, Fu Sansheng blurted, “Are you pregnant?”

Ma Dongmei blushed with embarrassment but didn’t dare argue. It was certainly not due to pregnancy, but it was somewhat related. Affairs between men and women are captivating for those passionately in love; for most couples, it’s routine, but between Wang Lei and Ma Dongmei, it was simply “daily life.”

With more “daily life,” came more hunger, and more eating. To be fair, Wang Lei was in great shape, and Ma Dongmei’s family meals were superb.

Though not confined, Ma Dongmei was strictly monitored by Fu Sansheng and underwent a half-month regimen of weight loss, which delayed her registration.

Having shed five kilograms through intensive exercise, Ma Dongmei was in good spirits—not just because she’d lost weight, but because Wang Lei’s song had finally been chosen as the theme for the National Games.

She’d heard the news from Old Zhang: the National Games had decided, though expert opinions had never been unified. But someone high up in the Republic made a call—promoting emancipation of thought and comprehensive development. That settled the matter, and despite lingering rumors, none mattered anymore.

With a joyful heart, Ma Dongmei returned to the Institute of Technology to register.

As soon as she entered campus, her tall, striking figure drew a wave of attention. Though bare-faced, Ma Dongmei’s upright posture and pretty features were enough to capture every male gaze.

Unfazed by the myriad glances—some furtive, some bold—Ma Dongmei strode into the central building.

Li Pengfei was nearly in despair; he’d been on duty at the registration office for over half a month and was starting to think Ma Dongmei wouldn’t show up. Just as he was wondering how to escape this drudgery, his goddess walked in while he was napping.

“Mei... Mei?” At the sound of the door, Li Pengfei looked up and blurted out her nickname as he would in private.

“Hey, how do you know my nickname?”

Well, she wasn’t exactly the most sharp-witted.

“Ah, I’m a fan. We all call you that, haha. Hello, Ma Dongmei, you’re here to register, right? Here, this is the registration form. You’re a bit late.”

After his initial surprise, Li Pengfei returned to his usual self—he was indeed quite eloquent.

“Oh, thank you. Some things held me up, sorry.”

“May I ask something, if I may?”

“What is it?”

“Has Wang Lei updated yet? Damn, it’s been nearly half a month since his last post. What’s he doing? Did the Pandaren win or not? What happened to Shaohao in the end?”

Li Pengfei grew more animated as he spoke, his eagerness plain to see. Clearly, he too had fallen into the pit of World of Warcraft.