Summer confidently chose a seat between advisor Hayes and Ethan, her posture calm.
The other girls gradually loosened up. Some chose to sit next to their close friends, while others, with a hint of excitement, glanced at the empty seat next to a guy who looked attractive or handsome.
Soon, the long table was filled with people, guys and girls sitting mixed together, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.
It was Nora's turn.
She lowered her head, looking for the most inconspicuous corner, eyeing the empty seat next to Tyler, who sat at the edge and looked a bit straightforward.
She had just carefully moved over, about to sit down.
"Ah!!"
Tyler looked up and came face-to-face with Nora's deliberately disguised appearance, which looked especially dull and rough, along with that conspicuous "large mole." Caught off guard, he cried out in fright and threw himself back as if pricked by needles!
"Bang!" He collapsed onto the ground along with his chair, looking utterly disheveled.
This sudden turn of events and the piercing noise instantly drew everyone's attention at the table!
Everyone looked at Nora frozen in place and Tyler sprawled on the ground.
Nora's face suddenly turned deathly pale, her body trembling slightly, and the overwhelming embarrassment made her wish she could disappear immediately.
She could feel dozens of gazes falling on her—surprise, curiosity, sympathy, and perhaps even undisguised disdain.
She stood there like a stone statue, at a loss for what to do, not knowing where to sit. A wave of overwhelming loneliness instantly overwhelmed her.
Advisor Mr. Hayes frowned and was about to stand up and call for Nora to sit in the empty seat between himself and Summer to help ease the situation.
Just then—
"Nora!"
Ethan's clear and calm voice rang out, breaking the suffocating awkwardness. He beckoned to her and patted the empty seat next to him: "Don't just stand there, sit on my side—it's more spacious here."
Nora suddenly raised her head and looked at Ethan.
In those clear eyes, a complex mix of emotions surged instantly—gratitude, grievance, and above all, an unbelievable warmth.
She gave a low "mm," as if clutching at a lifeline, quickly walked over to Ethan, sat down in the spot he'd indicated, and bowed her head deeply.
On Ethan's other side sat Marcus, who was chatting enthusiastically with the girl Taylor beside him.
Marcus just glanced at Nora, showed no particular reaction, and turned to focus on the "friendly exchange" with the girl sitting next to him.
Ethan glanced at the long table and chuckled inwardly: These guys really move fast. In just a short while, several guys were already chatting animatedly with the girls beside them.
Before the BBQ was served, the scent of hormones mixed with the smoke from the charcoal was already filling the air.
Once everyone was seated, Ethan stood up and clapped his hands crisply, drawing everyone's attention.
With a relaxed smile on his face, he called out loudly, "Everyone! Although today's mixer was a spur-of-the-moment decision, seeing everyone respond so enthusiastically and in such a coordinated manner shows that our class is a disciplined and well-organized group! That's great, a good sign!"
He changed the subject, turning his gaze to Mr. Hayes: "Now, according to tradition, let's ask Mr. Hayes to say a few words to us first! Everyone give a round of applause!"
"Whoosh—!" Thunderous applause erupted instantly, mixed with the excited whistles of the guys.
Mr. Hayes stood up with a beaming smile, pressing his hands down to signal silence.
After the morning class meeting, he didn't have much to say—mostly encouragement and expectations for the start of the semester: hoping everyone would quickly adapt to university life, help each other out, cherish their time and study hard, and so on.
Finally, he raised his glass and smiled, "Anyway, let's all eat and drink well tonight and have a great time socializing! But be careful not to actually get drunk and pass out! Come on, let's have a drink together!"
"Cheers!"
The cold beer went down their throats, bringing a refreshing coolness amid the summer night's heat, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the gathering.
Soon, the owner led the staff to start serving the dishes.
The sizzling, steaming five platters of grilled fish were brought to the table, with the small burners at the bottom bubbling and filling the air with aroma.
Next up were the tempting fried rice, fragrant grilled chicken wings, and various other skewers... The long table was instantly filled with delicious food, making everyone's mouths water and their eyes light up.
With the grilled fish and fried rice served first, everyone's eyes lit up...
Good food is the best social catalyst.
The guys instantly transformed into "gentlemen," eagerly asking the girls around them what they wanted to eat and proactively helping to serve food.
The floodgates of communication were opened, and things spiraled out of control.
The guy with good emotional intelligence started talking about future plans: "Hey, what are your plans for your four years at university? Grad school? Work? Or something else?" The topic was lighthearted yet somewhat meaningful.
There were also those who were a bit straightforward, saying, "Hey, what was your SAT score? Did you date in high school?" This made the girls nearby either cover their mouths and giggle, or roll their eyes.
Ethan mainly accompanied advisor Mr. Hayes in casual conversation, chatting and laughing with ease.
Sitting between the two, Summer occasionally joined in to toast, sipping beer in small sips.
At the long table, the whispers between the guys and girls gradually merged into a buzzing background noise, and the atmosphere steadily improved.
After several rounds of drinks and downing the cold beer, the guys' voices grew much louder, and a faint flush appeared on their faces.
Summer had just finished toasting Mr. Hayes, then refilled her glass and turned to Ethan with a hint of challenge: "Ethan, come on, let's do one!"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, showing a mischievous grin: "Just one? That would be so boring. Deep feelings, one gulp! I think we need to do three glasses in a row to be truly satisfying!" He deliberately raised his voice.
"Huh?" Summer was stunned on the spot, a trace of panic flashing across her face.
What she feared most was this kind of 'all-or-nothing' style of drinking, so she quickly waved her hand: "No, no! Drinking should be done slowly and steadily—chugging is uncivilized! You can't bully us girls!"
Ethan teased her on purpose, saying seriously, "There are no guys or girls at this table! I never saw you as a girl at all!"
"Pfft!" A few guys nearby who overheard almost spat out their drinks.
Summer rolled her eyes elegantly in annoyance, immediately stood up, raised her glass, and appealed to all the students present: "Class! Did you all hear that? Ethan said I'm not a girl! Everyone, please judge—am I, Summer, a girl or not?"
"Of course you are!"
"Definitely!"
"Summer, you're the prettiest in our class!"
With Ryan leading the charge, a few guys who had been a bit tipsy immediately joined in, their shouts rising one after another.
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