Chapter 3: The Uncovered Belly Button

Chapter 3: The Uncovered Belly Button

At this moment, the sparse cool air from the air conditioner only made him feel more restless.

It was already nearing noon, and the gnawing hunger made him lose all interest in watching videos.

Before long, Zhou Ren finally returned.

"Shuishui, sorry I'm late. A girl stopped me to chat~~" he said, handing over the fried rice.

That little "~" at the end was seriously annoying. Cheng Miao raised an eyebrow and quickly took the food.

"Always chasing after girls—your boy's starving over here!" Cheng Miao grumbled while grabbing his utensils to eat.

Zhou Ren chuckled. "Can a bro really compete with a girl? I can't compete with you two in the looks department, so I've got to work harder. But..."

He paused, then continued, "We've been in college for a whole year now, and our dorm still has three single guys. I get it for me, but with Brother Shan's looks—he's even on the school heartthrob ranking—how's he still flying solo?"

Cheng Miao chewed his food and mumbled, "Brother Shan? Who's that now?"

Zhou Ren laughed, pointing at Cheng Miao. "You've got 'water' in your name, Lu Yu's got 'mountain,' and I'm the 'person.' We're 419—mountain, water, and people all together. That's heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony—all in one! This dorm's a goldmine."

Cheng Miao pushed his hand away, cursing with a laugh, "Get lost. So you're the only one who counts as a person, huh?"

"But for real though!" Zhou Ren seized the chance to grab Cheng Miao's hand. "Want a girlfriend? I know a few cute girls—I can hook you up."

Cheng Miao struggled to swallow his food, shook his head, and brushed it off. "The motherland isn't reunited yet—how can I... mmm... fuss over romance?"

Zhou Ren snorted. "Ha! You little brat!"

He turned to look at Lu Yu, who sat by the computer as still as a meditating monk. "Brother Shan, what about you? Want a girlfriend? So many people ask about you every day!"

Lu Yu didn't pause his movements, still icy cold. "Don't care."

Zhou Ren slumped in defeat. "Fine, you two are saints. I'll keep all the girls for myself!"

Cheng Miao watched him, amused. Zhou Ren was actually quite handsome—clean-cut, with a pair of framed glasses and that bookish vibe common among southwesterners. He was pretty popular with girls too.

His biggest problem was his big mouth. Once he opened his mouth, gossip just spilled out, and within minutes he'd come off as a total gossip queen.

After lunch, Cheng Miao started to feel drowsy.

Zhou Ren kept rambling, planning to visit a temple, buy some trinkets, and boost the dorm's love luck—add a little romance charm.

Cheng Miao couldn't hold on any longer. He nudged Zhou Ren. "I'm done—I need my nap!"

With that, Cheng Miao stripped off his shirt and flopped onto the bed. He pulled out his familiar little duck-patterned towel from under the pillow and laid it neatly over his belly button.

Zhou Ren watched him move with practiced ease and obediently shut his mouth.

Cheng Miao had napped every day since he was a kid. In kindergarten, the teachers would watch over him; in elementary school, he'd go home at noon and his parents would even sign a note to prove he'd taken his nap.

By middle school, he was always sleep-deprived, and napping was his daily lifeline.

Cheng Miao liked sleeping shirtless—no restrictions—but the older folks always said that'd make you catch a cold.

So he'd gotten into the habit of covering his belly button with a small towel. Apparently, this sealed the "Shenque" acupoint, which was supposed to strengthen your core.

Over time, it stopped being about catching a cold. Once the habit set in, he couldn't sleep without a towel on his stomach.

Cheng Miao hated blankets—too hot. He'd had this towel for three years—perfectly square and just the right size. The edges were starting to fray, but he couldn't bring himself to swap it out.

Soon his breathing evened out, and the whole dorm went quiet.

Thanks to Cheng Miao's influence over the past year, the other two had also gotten into the habit of napping daily.

Zhou Ren was already in bed. Lu Yu read a bit more of his paper, then shut his laptop.

He walked over to the bed—a bunk bed—and the ladder beside it led straight up to the top.

He stopped mid-step toward the ladder, his gaze landing on Cheng Miao.

The young man's lean chest rose and fell with each breath, his hands lying neatly at his sides.

But the familiar towel wasn't lying flat. One corner had flipped up, leaving his belly button exposed to the air.

He didn't care about such trivial things, but thanks to Zhou Ren's nonstop chatter, Lu Yu knew exactly what that towel was for.

But what was it to him?

As a vet, he didn't think there was any scientific basis for it.

He walked over to the bed and lay down slowly. He wasn't sleepy, but he closed his eyes anyway.

The cicadas' chirping rose and fell outside, slowly merging into the silence of the dorm as he drifted off.

Cheng Miao's breathing got heavier—he knew he was dreaming.

In the dream, he was back in his childhood town, wrapped in a thin mist, all hazy and blurry. He ran without direction, but the fog just got thicker, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn't escape.

After a while, he could hear people walking past in the hallway—must be time for class.

Cheng Miao felt Lu Yu get out of bed, but when he tried to open his eyes, he had no strength.

Before he knew it, his mind was pulled back into that deep, murky world.

The road under Cheng Miao's feet—he'd walked it for six straight years. The old town's cobblestone streets were always bumpy, the narrow alleys branching off in every direction.

He knew the road led home. It was a path he knew like the back of his hand, yet he could never reach the end.

A sudden ring startled him, and the fog finally started to lift.

Cheng Miao tried to concentrate, forcing his eyes open.

Finally, a sliver of light seeped in. Seeing the familiar dorm, he let out a sigh of relief.

He sat up, the towel sliding off. The dorm was dead silent—the other two must've gone to class.

Cheng Miao didn't have class that afternoon. He rubbed his forehead, wondering why he'd had such a weird dream.

His family had moved to the county seat when he was in elementary school, and he hadn't been back in years. Why would he dream of that place now?

The foggy feeling from the dream left him uneasy. His forehead was slick with cold sweat, and his whole body felt weak—like he was getting sick.

He checked the time—4:30 PM. He'd meant to take a cold pill, but the box was empty.

After a moment's hesitation, he decided to head out to buy some meds and grab a bowl of porridge at the cafeteria while he was at it.

He was planning to go home for the National Day holiday in a few days anyway—showing up sick would mean a whole holiday of nagging.

Cheng Miao grabbed a jacket and rushed out of the dorm. The sun was still blazing, and the heat hit him like a wave, making his head spin.