I froze, slowly turning my head. Zhuang Xu’s expression matched his cold voice. The table instantly fell silent, the previous light-hearted atmosphere vanishing in an instant.

“It’s not…” After a while, I managed two words, wanting to explain that I wasn’t being picky, just repeating complaints I’d heard from senior employees during my internship. But that would sound like making excuses.

I closed my mouth.

“Why don’t you find work yourself? Don’t you feel ashamed being a parasite living off your parents?”

“…” After a long pause, I said, “No, I don’t.”

He didn’t continue, but his dark eyes seemed to write disappointment across my face.

I dejectedly unwrapped my chopsticks. My earlier thought that being ordinary friends would be fine was wishful thinking. Zhuang Xu probably couldn’t stand anything about me. Even as friends, we were worlds apart, unable to see eye to eye.

“Zhuang Xu,” Si Liang interrupted. “That’s unreasonable. Many people do this, not just Xiguang.”

“Really? She’s the only one I know,” he paused, his tone carrying its usual seriousness. “And that’s genuinely how I feel.”

“Dried tofu with twice-cooked pork!” The server called out loudly, bringing my dish. The others’ orders arrived one after another, and Si Liang changed the subject.

This meal taught me the true meaning of “eating without tasting.”

The next few days were a triangle between the library, dorm, and cafeteria. Once I started writing my thesis, I discovered it was far harder than imagined, completely different from the cobbled-together papers of previous years. A month and something wasn’t nearly enough time, especially for someone like me with no preparation and a mess of professional courses.

But regret was useless now; I could only diligently visit the library every day.

Before I knew it, the month’s end arrived.

That evening, only Xiao Feng and I were in the dorm. I lay on my bed studying materials while she hummed, writing her resume on my laptop.

After a while, I pushed aside the dizzying materials and chatted with her. “Didn’t you already get into graduate school? Why go to job fairs?”

“To see if there are better opportunities,” Xiao Feng replied while typing rapidly. “Plus, I can experience what job fairs are like. I’ll still need to find work in three years.”

Who knew that Xiao Feng, usually appearing scatter-brained and forgetful, actually planned so carefully? Then again, at this nationally renowned university, most people were ambitious and driven. Lazy ones like me were the minority.

After lying there a bit longer, I said, “I’ll go too.”

“Go where? The job fair?” Xiao Feng turned in surprise. “Watermelon, did something shock you?”

I ignored her and rolled over to face the ceiling, remembering Zhuang Xu’s disapproving look that day… Yeah, I was shocked into action.

But I quickly regretted it…

Because I discovered writing a resume wasn’t any easier than writing a thesis, especially when you have little to show for yourself.

Two days before the job fair, I chewed my pen for ages, finally stretching 100 words worth of content into five pages, then rushed out at 8 PM to print and add covers. The print shop near campus was expensive and always packed at this hour. By the time I finished, it was past 11 PM. Fortunately, I’d already spoken with the dorm aunt.

The next morning, my regret reached new heights. The job fair started at 8:30 AM, and since our campus was far from the venue, we had to wake up at 6 AM.

Six AM! Since leaving high school, this was my first time waking up at six!

Then at the bus stop, seeing people from Zhuang Xu’s dorm, my regret peaked.

Why didn’t anyone tell me Zhuang Xu was going too? Hadn’t he already found a job?

And would he think I was going because of what he said? Though that was true, but still…

I glumly climbed onto the bus.

Fortunately, drowsiness soon drowned my frustration. So sleepy! Hanging onto the handle, I couldn’t stop yawning.

So tired!

I vaguely noticed Zhuang Xu glancing at me several times.

I knew I looked undignified, but whatever. Even if I acted ladylike, he wouldn’t like me anyway.

An hour later, we arrived at the job fair.

At my first job fair, entering the hall truly scared me. People, people, people everywhere! I’d never seen anywhere with population density rivaling Nanjing’s public buses.

I realized Zhuang Xu was right—I was truly shameless finding work through Mom’s connections.

Because job hunting was tough.

People pressed against people, and since everyone had different goals and lingering times, our group quickly scattered.

After a few steps, I couldn’t take it anymore. Breathing became difficult, and movement nearly impossible. The not-so-spacious venue was packed with tens of thousands of graduates, bodies touching and pushing, several layers deep around every booth. Forget submitting resumes—just seeing which company was which proved challenging.

Emerging from the human sea, I nearly collapsed. I found a random place to sit and catch my breath.

Never having attended a large job fair before, I didn’t know they were so terrifying. I’d only managed to submit one resume before squeezing out to breathe fresh air, feeling like a survivor.

It took about an hour and a half before I saw Si Liang and the others emerge. I’d been napping against a tree—

“Watermelon, why are you out so early?”

I waved the resumes in my hand. “I only submitted one.”

Xiao Feng rolled her eyes, “Then why did you come?”

Before I could answer, someone suddenly snatched the remaining resumes from my hand. I jumped, and looked up—it was Zhuang Xu.

He flipped through them briefly: “What are you planning to do with these? Throw them away?”

“Uh…” I hadn’t thought about it. Probably toss them aside and throw them out at graduation. Thinking about it made me a bit reluctant. Though thirty-something yuan wasn’t much, converted to bowls of delicious beef noodles near campus, it seemed wasteful.

This thought made me regret not submitting them all regardless.

“But it’s too late to go back in now, they must be full.”

He frowned, looking back at the venue. Indeed, it was almost over. “My direct senior is handling recruitment for Sheng Yuan this year. I’ll take them over.”

Before I could refuse, he’d turned and entered the venue. I reflexively looked at Rong Rong, but she was chatting with Si Liang as if she hadn’t heard.

It took almost an hour before Zhuang Xu emerged, empty-handed. All the resumes were gone.

“Saw a few companies still there, submitted them along the way.”

“Which companies? Did they accept them?”

“Some Shanghai companies.” Zhuang Xu seemed unwilling to elaborate, so I didn’t ask further, assuming he’d just dropped the resumes on their tables. But why did it take so long?

Rong Rong smiled then, “Why didn’t you mention earlier you knew someone in recruitment?”

Zhuang Xu looked at her impassively, “Did you need connections?”

Rong Rong choked, snorted, and said nothing more.

I scratched my head, unsure what to say. Xiao Feng pulled at me, and I took the hint to walk ahead with her. She whispered, “Watermelon, do you think Zhuang Xu is deliberately annoying Rong Rong?”

I stayed silent.

Xiao Feng kept pulling, “Is he?”

“How would I know!” I said irritably, walking faster.

I hadn’t held much hope for those resumes. The papers constantly reported millions of graduates this year, with grim employment prospects. My grades weren’t great; those resumes would probably sink like stones.

But shortly after the May Day holiday, I received an interview call from Sheng Yuan, asking me to come in two days later.

Since I took the call in the dorm, everyone heard most of it. As soon as I hung up, Xiao Feng shouted: “Watermelon, you’ve made it! Sheng Yuan is super famous and rich!”

She seemed more excited than me, and after shouting for a while, she thoughtlessly asked Rong Rong, “Rong Rong, did you get a call?”

Rong Rong turned deathly pale, grabbed her books, and left without a word.

Everyone watched Xiao Feng’s bewildered face and sighed silently. Sometimes she seemed wise beyond her years, foolish beyond belief—her intelligence level was truly unpredictable.

After the initial excitement faded, I began to wonder. With my qualifications—CET-4 English, Level 2 Computer Certificate, no scholarships—even with A University’s reputation, I wasn’t that impressive compared to Rong Rong’s thick stack of honors certificates.

Why did I get an interview notice when Rong Rong didn’t? Was it really because of that senior’s consideration for Zhuang Xu?

No wonder Rong Rong was so angry.

Usually careless about everything, this time I prepared nervously for the interview, memorizing an English self-introduction and practicing several times with Xiao Feng. Probably… because Zhuang Xu helped me get this opportunity.

Sometimes my thoughts wandered—Zhuang Xu said it was shameful to rely on parental connections for work, but wouldn’t this job count as getting it through his connections?

Thinking this way suddenly made me feel both bitter and sweet.