Chapter 350: As Long as You’re Happy, It’s All Worth It

They had just ordered milk tea and hadn’t walked far when an unassuming fried skewer shop on the side of the road caught Zhou Yue’s interest. "This place smells amazing! It has to be good! We have to try some!"

"Didn’t we just finish hot pot? You guys still have room?" Chen Mo asked, surprised.

"That’s where you’re wrong. We girls have two stomachs," Zhou Yue said with a grin.

Hearing this, Chen Mo turned to glance at Su Yuqing’s stomach. Su Yuqing smiled and said, "It’s true."

"I’m impressed." Chen Mo gave a doting smile and didn’t say any more.

And so, not long after finishing hot pot, the group was once again walking and eating, each holding a few skewers of fried rice cakes, fried pork tenderloin, and fried starch sausages. They paid no mind to their appearance, but they were exceptionally happy.

Chen Mo watched Su Yuqing carefully blowing on her fried rice cake before taking a small bite. A bit of sauce dotted the corner of her mouth. He naturally took out a tissue, pinched a corner with his thumb, and gently wiped the mark away.

Immediately, the deliberate "tsk-tsk" sounds and stifled laughter of Zhou Yue and Lin Xiaoxiao filled the air.

Su Yuqing froze for a moment. She had subconsciously grown accustomed to Chen Mo’s meticulous care, but being watched and teased like this by her roommates still made her face flush red.

But she didn’t shy away. Instead, her eyes shimmered as she gave Chen Mo a look full of affection, her lips curling into an irrepressible smile.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the roadside trees, dancing on their young figures. The sweet air of youth and romance was almost more dazzling than the sun itself.

Accompanied by the aroma of food, the sweetness of milk tea, and the carefree spirit unique to youth, the group wandered for quite a while longer.

They continued until they had browsed through most of the commercial street near the university. By then, everyone was a bit tired, so they decided to head back.

Back near the university, Zhou Yue spotted a new target: a newly opened supermarket on the commercial street just outside campus. To compete with the on-campus supermarket, it was holding a lot of sales. "This supermarket seems to have a lot of discounts lately. Our dorm’s snack supply is almost gone. Let’s go buy some goodies to stock up! It’s way cheaper than the one on campus."

Although the on-campus supermarket offered delivery, their prices for the same items were much higher than this off-campus one. Naturally, Zhou Yue’s suggestion was passed unanimously.

It was clear that the four girls in this dorm knew how to live frugally.

It was especially rare for someone like Zhou Yue, a young lady from a wealthy family, to be so frugal.

In the supermarket, Chen Mo pushed the shopping cart with Su Yuqing walking beside him, occasionally picking up an item to ask for his opinion.

The other three girls sometimes huddled together and other times split up to find their own targets.

Chen Mo looked at the dazzling array of products on the shelves and listened to the girls next to him debating which potato chips were tastier and which yogurt had a better texture. A feeling of happiness, rooted in the simplicity of everyday life, welled up inside him.

To him, these trivial, everyday moments were the most precious.

After their shopping spree, everyone was carrying quite a few things.

Chen Mo naturally took the heavier shopping bags from Su Yuqing’s hands.

"I can carry them myself," Su Yuqing said softly.

"Don’t be so polite with me." Chen Mo smiled. "If you’re really that concerned, you can think about what kind of reward you’ll give me next time."

The word "reward" immediately reminded Su Yuqing of their boat ride on the lake the night before last. She stole a glance at her three roommates, then whispered furtively into Chen Mo’s ear, "How about the same reward as last time?"

Hearing this, Chen Mo’s lips curved into a slight smile. "Can’t we upgrade it a little?"

Su Yuqing glanced at her roommates again, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "Okay."

That one word instantly filled Chen Mo with immense anticipation. He had no idea what kind of "upgrade" Su Yuqing had just agreed to.

「Back at the Xingyuan Apartment District, dusk was falling.」

"Shopping today was awesome! And we had a beast of burden to help carry things on the way. It was the best!" Zhou Yue said, still savoring the experience. "Chen Mo, we’ll have to do this again!"

"Next time, I’m not carrying your stuff," Chen Mo said with a laugh.

At his words, all of Su Yuqing’s roommates burst out laughing.

Chen Mo had helped them carry all sorts of things multiple times on their way back today.

"Don’t be like that. Next time, I’ll treat you and your good buddies in your dorm to a few meals," Zhou Yue said, sticking her tongue out with a smile.

As she spoke, she suddenly took out a bag she had prepared earlier and portioned out some of the snacks. "These are for your dorm. Consider it a thank-you gift for your hard work."

Watching her roommates get along so well with Chen Mo warmed Su Yuqing’s heart. The beginning of her university life was even better than she had imagined.

"See you at the class meeting tonight then," Su Yuqing said, waving to Chen Mo.

"Yeah, see you tonight. Get some rest if you’re tired," Chen Mo reminded her.

Only after watching Su Yuqing and her roommates enter Building A did Chen Mo turn and walk toward Building B.

He was still carrying the drinks and snacks Zhou Yue had given him for his dorm.

Pushing open the door to Room 504, he saw Wang Lan sprawled in his chair playing a game, Li Zhe reading a book, and Shen Xinghe, who seemed to have finished his work, wearing a face mask. He looked particularly... refined.

"Old Mo’s back!"

"Brought you guys some snacks," Chen Mo said with a smile, lifting the bag in his hand.

"Whoa, you brought us goodies?" Wang Lan immediately tossed his phone aside.

"Just in time, I was thirsty," Li Zhe added, putting down his book.

Shen Xinghe gave a slight nod. His words were a bit muffled because of the face mask. "Thanks."

The three of them didn’t stand on ceremony, which only went to show that their relationship with Chen Mo had grown closer, like that of brothers.

Chen Mo distributed the items among them and briefly recounted the interesting things that happened while they were out shopping that afternoon.

"Not bad, Old Mo. You’ve maxed out your ’accompany-her-shopping’ skill," Wang Lan teased while munching on chips. "You’re definitely going to be a model boyfriend."

Chen Mo chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed a change of clothes and prepared to take a shower, wanting to wash away the day’s fatigue and the clamor of the outside world.

As the hot water washed over him, Chen Mo closed his eyes, and scenes from the day flashed through his mind: the solemnity of the opening ceremony, the liveliness of the hot pot dinner, the pure beauty of Su Yuqing as she tried on a dress, her smiling profile against the setting sun...

’The beauty of life is just that simple.’

’But since I chose to go to medical school, there probably won’t be too many of these relaxed and carefree moments. The heavy load of medical courses will be bearing down on me soon enough.’

When he came out of the shower, Chen Mo saw his phone screen light up. It was a message from Su Yuqing:

"I’m back at the dorm. Are you back at yours? You must be tired from helping us carry so many things today. Thanks for your hard work ^_^."

It was followed by a cute rabbit emoji.

The corners of Chen Mo’s mouth lifted unconsciously as he replied:

"I’m back too. Just took a shower. I’m not really tired. Seeing you having fun with your friends made it all worth it."

Reading Chen Mo’s reply on her phone—that her happiness was his greatest satisfaction—Su Yuqing’s heart suddenly clenched, then overflowed with a profound sense of being touched.