He counted on his fingers, trying to teach Ethan the correct sense of beauty: "Like Summer from our class, that's the standard beauty, right? And that Ashley from the neighboring department—she has such a great presence! And that Taylor, her smile is so sweet! On the forum, the top three spots in the campus beauty vote are posted! That's true beauty!"
Ethan's thoughts drifted to Ashley and Taylor!
Seeing that Ethan didn't argue, Tyler thought he'd been convinced and became even more enthusiastic: "Bro, I'm serious. I don't think Nora is good enough for you. Summer, or those two from the neighboring department, are on the same level as you! If you want to pursue Summer, bro, I... I'll help you!"
"..."
Ethan looked at Tyler's serious expression and felt both touched and amused: Tyler is a good comrade!
After a long while, Ethan asked, "Why are you helping me?"
Tyler laughed and said, "First, I think you're a really good person, and you're also outstanding—a great match for Summer. Second, I just can't stand those guys Jake and Ryan! They kept trying to please Summer, like peacocks spreading their feathers! Back in the dorm, they still keep showing off—it's so annoying!"
Ethan looked utterly stunned! So that's what it really is.
Seeing Ethan remain silent, Tyler continued, "Bro, you probably can't tell, but Summer doesn't even take those two seriously! All night she was just being polite! But these two idiots didn't notice at all and kept fawning... it gave me goosebumps just watching! Total disgrace to us guys! That was the most uncomfortable part. I'll have to talk to those two fools later."
Ethan looked at Tyler's indignant expression and couldn't help but smile.
Unexpectedly, this straightforward guy who only knew about studying and playing games was actually quite sharp when it came to observing "white knight behavior," and his commentary was spot on.
He smiled and nodded, his tone a bit teasing yet serious: "Alright, go ahead and talk about it. But stick to the facts and keep it friendly. It's fine to joke and liven things up, but don't let it turn into a personal attack or hurt the brotherhood. The dorm atmosphere is the most important, got it?"
At that moment, Ethan's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
He walked to a relatively quiet balcony and answered, "Hello, Mr. Hayes?"
Mr. Hayes's energetic voice came from the other end: "Ethan, do you have time now? Bring a guy to the Student Services Center. All the students' orientation training uniforms have arrived. Come over and count the quantities, then be responsible for collecting and distributing the guys' portions."
Orientation training was about to begin.
Ethan readily agreed, "Alright, Mr. Hayes, I'll be right there."
He answered very enthusiastically, since he didn't need to participate in orientation training...
After hanging up, Ethan glanced around the dorm.
The three drunkards were still passed out, and the only sober "laborer" left was Tyler.
"Tyler, let's go, time to work!" he called out.
Braving the still scorching morning sun, the two arrived at the Student Services Center.
As soon as they entered, they saw Summer and Nora already waiting, clearly in charge of receiving the girls' orientation training uniforms.
As soon as Nora saw Ethan's figure, her eyes immediately darted away like a startled deer. She lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. She wished she could disappear into a crack in the wall, not daring to meet Ethan's gaze.
Ethan looked at her like this, unable to hide a playful smile at the corner of his mouth.
This girl's reaction was just too cute.
Seeing that both the male and female representatives had arrived, Mr. Hayes immediately directed everyone to start counting.
The four of them worked together, taking apart each bag of camouflage uniforms for inspection, counting, and recording.
After more than half an hour of work, they finally checked all the sizes and quantities for the whole class.
Just as Ethan was about to leave, Nora came over and quietly said, "Thank you."
He deliberately frowned, pretending not to hear clearly, leaned in closer, and his voice was a bit teasing: "Hmm? What did you say? Too soft, didn't hear clearly. Say it again?"
Nora's cheeks instantly flushed red, so embarrassed she seemed ready to vanish on the spot.
She spoke quickly, in a slightly louder yet still muffled voice than before, "I said... last night... thank you!"
After saying that, she quickly ran off, not caring whether Ethan heard or not.
Watching the fleeing figure in panic, the smile on Ethan's face deepened. Hearing that word of thanks made him feel refreshed.
Tyler came over with another stack of clothes, curious and gossipy: "Bro, what did that ugly girl say to you again? Is she interested in you and wants to pursue you?"
He still couldn't help asking with his simple "logic."
Damn!
Should Tyler, this straightforward guy, keep calling the future peerless beauty 'ugly girl'?
Absolutely not! It must be corrected!
He raised his hand and gave Tyler a light but firm tap on the back of his head, put on a stern face, and started lecturing seriously: "What nonsense are you talking about? The girl is so innocent! Also, from now on, don't use those harsh words to describe her! You hear me?"
He paused, lowered his voice, and his expression was frighteningly serious: "Think about it—if this word accidentally reaches her ears, and the girl is sensitive and can't let it go... and does something drastic, like jumping off a building... what should we do then? Can you bear that responsibility?"
This serious consequence shocked Tyler greatly!
He suddenly shrank his neck, his eyes wide open, his face full of terror: "Huh? No... no way? Jump... jump off a building? Is it really that serious?"
He looked at Ethan's extremely serious expression and quickly nodded like a pecking chicken: "Then... alright then! I promise I'll never say it again! Now that you mention it... it really is pretty scary..."
He scratched the back of his head, still shaken.
Ethan looked at his intimidated expression and rolled his eyes speechlessly. This guy really had terminal straight-guy syndrome, with no sense of nuance or subtext at all.
Ethan and Tyler carried the guys' camouflage uniforms back to the dorm. Coincidentally, the guys who'd been passed out drunk last night were now struggling to get out of bed, each rubbing their swollen heads from the hangover, their eyes vacant, clearly not fully recovered yet.
Ethan asked Tyler to divide up the dozen or so sets of camouflage uniforms.
Although Ethan had the privilege of being exempt from training, the school still gave him a uniform from the order.
He picked up his own outfit, looked at the brand-new camouflage, and suddenly felt a surge of playful energy. He decisively took off his T-shirt, put on his camouflage jacket, and looked left and right at the full-length mirror behind the dorm door.
The young man in the mirror stood tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The tough lines unique to camouflage made him look heroic.
Ethan raised his eyebrows at his reflection in the mirror with great satisfaction, a very narcissistic smile curling at the corner of his mouth. In a voice that was just right for the whole dorm to hear, he sighed, "Tsk, so handsome! With my looks, tsk tsk tsk, I wake up every day feeling blessed!"
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