"Pfft—cough cough cough!!" Marcus, brushing his teeth by the balcony sink, choked on a mouthful of toothpaste foam, coughing violently, tears and snot streaming down his face, foam covering half his face.
"Damn!"
Just as Kevin was about to climb out of bed, his legs went weak from the sudden "cool awakening declaration." He staggered perfectly and with a loud thud, fell straight down the bed ladder.
When he landed on his bean bag, he even said, "Amazing, it has to be Ethan after all!"
Got it! That's just how Kevin was—if things were good, he was bro; if not, he was just Ethan.
Tyler, handing out camouflage uniforms nearby, also looked on with admiration: "Bro, how do you always have these crazy sayings!"
"Crazy sayings?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, just like last night when you said smashed cucumber. I lay in bed thinking about it for a long time, and only after a flash of inspiration did I figure out what it meant! Absolutely incredible! Ethan, why do you have so many weird and quirky phrases in your head? How did you come up with all these ideas?"
Upon hearing this, Ethan just smiled mysteriously and didn't answer.
Hidden merit and fame—could this be said?
It was all "cultural heritage" from online surfing in a past life!
He could still throw out a whole bunch of similar 'memes.'
At that moment, Ryan from the neighboring dorm also wandered in, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and happened to catch the latter half.
His eyes lit up as he immediately leaned in close to Ethan, his face full of admiration: "Bro! Speaking of last night, your alcohol tolerance was like godly! The person I admire most in my life is a real man who can hold his liquor better than me!"
He suddenly straightened up, patted his chest, and his tone carried a strange passion and seriousness: "How about... why don't you take me as your little brother? I guarantee I'll always follow your lead!"
Ethan looked at Ryan's excited expression, as if he'd found his calling, and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
This guy... not only was he a seasoned white knight, but his way of thinking was as bizarre as a maze! Take him as a follower?
Ethan wouldn't dare take on such a subordinate.
In the afternoon, Ethan drove to the company.
The atmosphere in the office remained intense. Alex led his team in the meeting room, buried in heated work, the sound of keyboard typing pouring down like rain.
Ethan spent the whole afternoon in Diana's spacious and bright office, spending most of his time curled up on the comfortable sofa scrolling on his phone.
Diana buried her head in the pile of documents, occasionally looking up to exchange a helpless yet understanding glance before returning to work.
His main purpose for coming to the company was actually quite clear—to have dinner with Diana.
During this period, she was so busy she barely had time to talk.
The main reason for coming to the company today was to accompany Diana for a meal.
Once Diana finally finished her urgent matters, Ethan immediately pulled her up: "Come on, let's go eat, I'm starving!"
The two of them found a quiet restaurant near the company and enjoyed a rare moment of leisure.
After dinner, Ethan dropped the slightly tired Diana back at the office building, then drove back to campus himself.
The car drove into the bustling food strip not far from campus, just as evening was starting to get crowded.
Ethan slowed down, his gaze casually sweeping over the noisy vendors and hurried students along the roadside.
Suddenly, a familiar yet unusually thin figure appeared in his sight—it was Nora looking for a part-time job. Because the school's work-study program hadn't been settled that quickly yet.
She was asking from shop to shop on the street, and Ethan could see her struggling to straighten her back, trying to appear more reliable and capable.
She walked to the entrance of a bubble tea shop and said something to the busy staff, her face full of hope; soon, the employee waved her hand, and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed. She silently turned and walked toward the next shop.
The owner of a small restaurant sized her up and down, but before she could finish speaking, he shook his head and refused, his disdain almost undisguised.
Ethan slowed down and approached, rolling down the window.
Walking from campus to here takes some time.
Plus, with inquiries from shop after shop... Ethan estimated the time; he figured that after distributing the orientation training uniforms at noon, she must have rushed out without delay.
The sun was still very strong today.
Even though it was already evening, it was still unbearably hot.
It was getting a bit late. Nora turned to head back to campus, gazing at the end of the street gradually shrouded in night, her little face full of confusion and helplessness.
She wanted to find a part-time job sooner.
But now, she couldn't find one...
If she couldn't find a part-time job, what should she do next? She clenched her shirt tightly, silently telling herself, "Orientation training is tomorrow... I can only wait until after orientation training to find another opportunity."
"Nora!"
At that moment, a clear voice pierced through the noisy street.
Nora instinctively turned around and saw the sleek black Audi by the roadside, with Ethan waving at her from the driver's seat.
"Come here." Ethan's voice carried an undeniable casualness.
Nora's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
She hesitated for a few seconds, but finally moved over to the car, leaned in slightly, and whispered through the window, "Ethan? Is there something you need?"
"Get in the car," Ethan said succinctly. "I'll drop you off on the way."
"No, no need to trouble yourself."
Nora quickly shook her head: "I can walk back by myself, it's quick."
Ethan said softly, "Look at what time it is now. By the time you walk back, the dining hall will have already closed. You want to stay up all night hungry, then go to orientation training tomorrow under the sun?"
"I..." Nora was at a loss for words.
Her phone was an old flip phone with unknown usage history, its battery severely degraded, and it would shut down automatically at random. She had no idea exactly what time it was.
Ethan's words hit her weak spot—missing the cheapest meal of white rice and vegetables in the dining hall would leave her hungry tonight, and tomorrow's intense orientation training... she didn't dare imagine the consequences.
Ethan couldn't be bothered to argue further: "I'm heading back to campus too, just on the way. Hurry up and get in, I can't stay here long. When the traffic cop arrives, a ticket for illegal parking costs two hundred bucks."
"Two hundred dollars?" These three words seemed magical, instantly making Nora panic.
She didn't hesitate and hurried to open the rear door.
"Click." The car door didn't budge an inch.
Ethan's voice came from the front: "Sit in front. The back door lock is broken and won't open."
"O~ okay!"
Nora was momentarily stunned and had to carefully open the passenger door.
The clean, tidy, and high-end feel inside the car made her instantly feel uneasy.
Beige leather seats, a smooth dashboard, a subtle blend of leather and air freshener scents... all of this was completely out of place for her.
She stood outside the car door, looking at the clean, shiny seat, a bit hesitant to sit down.
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