I can do this.

Over the next few days, the people who had attended the small gathering known as "Wutong Rain" began to frequent various college departments. Especially those freshmen whose programs had been rejected by the Literature and Art Department during the day, they could always be seen whispering to each other in groups of three or five.

Gradually, their numbers grew. After military training, they started gathering in droves to occupy empty classrooms, reluctantly parting ways only when the dormitory lights went out.

Just days before the welcome gala, rumors finally began to spread that a group of freshmen was planning to "make some waves"…

"You mean to say those freshmen from the School of Computer Science whose acts we rejected are going to put on their own welcome gala?" Han Guanglin let out a sneer, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke.

"Anyway, they've been scrambling for classrooms to rehearse every day, and they're even looking for venues near the student activity center. It looks like they're trying to set up a rival show against us."

"Every year brings a couple of troublemakers. Do they really think organizing a welcome gala is that easy?" Han Guanglin waved dismissively, his eyes narrowing. "Zhang Min, the head of the Audio-Visual Education Department, is currently helping her advisor manage the classroom reservation system. Go tell her that if that bunch tries to book study rooms for rehearsals again, she is not to approve them. The activity center classrooms are strictly off-limits too. I'd like to see how they plan to stage a rival show without a venue."

……

"All the study room reservations were rejected?"

Chen Ruowen only needed to ponder for a moment to figure out the underlying scheme.

To think someone could abuse their power to this extent just from being a student union department head. A person like this truly needed to pray—pray that he never held an official government post after graduation.

Mo Xiaoxin clenched her fists in frustration and said, "They said the transfer exams are coming up soon and many students need to review, so all extracurricular activities must be postponed."

The department transfer exams were scheduled for the very next day after the welcome gala. This excuse was chosen rather reasonably.

"Rehearsing outside is fine, but I'm afraid someone might steal our programs again, and all our hard work will go down the drain!"

Chen Ruowen smiled. If she had initially gotten involved simply out of a sense of injustice, then the subsequent theft of Gao and his friends' hard work by the Literature and Art Department, their covert intimidation of freshmen attending rehearsals, and their sabotage regarding the venues... this chain of events had fully triggered her rebellious streak, turning "crashing the party" from an amusing pastime into an absolute must.

"They won't give us classrooms, and they think I'm out of options? As if I would lack a venue?" She typed out a message and sent it to Mo Xiaoxin. "My family has houses to spare. This apartment happens to be right inside the campus—let's use it temporarily. If there isn't enough space, I'll just buy two more."

Mo Xiaoxin stared at the newly received string of addresses, utterly speechless.

"You rich people are really..."

"Really what?"

"Really out of your minds... Sister Wen, do your parents still need a daughter? A son works too, or how about a son-in-law or daughter-in-law? I'm available! I can be male or female, I'm completely fluid, and I come with adjustable percentages!!"

Chen Ruowen looked at her with utter disdain.

And so, once military training ended that day, a few dozen people, led by Mo Xiaoxin, banded together and headed toward the Crape Myrtle Gardens.

***

Chen Ruowen received Mo Xiaoxin's message, called Guo Jingyuan—who was busy practicing her instrument—and the two of them went downstairs to welcome the arrivals.

"I'm living in 801, so there isn't enough space, but 805 is completely empty and can be used for rehearsals."

Chen Ruowen said as she opened the door to 805, leading the group of over thirty people inside.

At that exact moment, the tightly shut doors of 802 and 803 swung open one after the other, and two similarly slender figures poked their heads out almost simultaneously.

"What is this...?" came from a deeply bewildered Bai Jinyan.

"Yo, what a coincidence," came from a smiling Gao Tang.

"Brother Yan / Bai Jinyan lives here too?" came from the synchronized voices of Ma Yunan and Mo Xiaoxin.

"Hey, isn't that Gao Tang?" came from Li Mi, a classmate from Clinical Medicine Class One.

"Huh, you all know each other?" other classmates asked curiously.

Bai Jinyan took the lead in nodding, speaking to Ma Yunan and the other girl, "It's close to the school, so it's more convenient."

Could any place be more convenient than the dormitory? Ma Yunan and Mo Xiaoxin exchanged knowing glances, their eyes darting back and forth between him and Chen Ruowen before letting out sneaky grins.

Gao Tang followed suit with a brisk nod, though his words were addressed to Li Mi.

"Proximity affords the first view of the moon, after all." Ignoring the suddenly peculiar atmosphere and the gaze shot at him by Bai Jinyan, he turned his attention to Guo Jingyuan, his tone carrying a hint of sourness. "Though it seems someone managed to get even closer than me?"

This suggestive remark made Guo Jingyuan's face flush red in an instant, and Gao Tang successfully received an eye-roll from Chen Ruowen.

"There's no furniture here yet, and all four bedrooms are empty. Put two groups in each room, and the rest can make do in the living room for now."

The thirty-plus people scattered instantly. Ignoring the presence of a few outsiders, they formed groups and began rehearsing. Although it was quite cramped, it was barely enough to squeeze everyone in.

"Looks like I'll have to buy another apartment after all," Chen Ruowen muttered softly to herself.

"What are you all doing? A welcome gala rehearsal?" Bai Jinyan asked, somewhat puzzled.

The welcome gala was taking place in a couple of days, something almost everyone at Nanjing University knew, but Bai Jinyan was preparing for his transfer exams and hadn't spent any energy on it.

However, rehearsing for the welcome gala should have been the responsibility of the Literature and Art Department. Why had everyone ended up at Chen Ruowen's place?

"We're not organizing the welcome gala; we're crashing their party." Chen Ruowen briefly explained the sequence of events. "The student union wanted to trip us up, so I brought everyone to my place for rehearsals."

***

Bai Jinyan's brows knitted tighter and tighter. He glanced at Gao Tang standing nearby, then pulled Chen Ruowen aside.

"I need to talk to you."

Watching the two of them walk away, Gao Tang wore a playful smile. He gave a light clap twice, gathering the thirty-plus people who were diligently rehearsing in the room.

"This place isn't big enough. I have a few more apartments upstairs. How about you all follow me up?"

"You have property here too?"

Mo Xiaoxin placed heavy emphasis on the word "too." Originally, she only thought Gao Tang was very handsome, but she hadn't expected him to be this wealthy as well. She thought of the gentle and considerate Bai Jinyan, then of the debonair and affluent Gao Tang, and for a moment, she actually felt conflicted on Chen Ruowen's behalf.

As Gao Tang led the crowd into the elevator up to the ninth floor, he smiled and explained the situation to them. Upon stepping out of the elevator on the ninth floor, they encountered a door that shouldn't have been there, blocking both the apartment and the hallway behind it.

"I bought and connected the four apartments on the upper floor. They aren't fully renovated yet, so they aren't habitable, but using them as rehearsal studios is completely fine."

Gao Tang opened the door, welcomed everyone inside, generously assigned a room to each group, and thoughtfully asked what everyone wanted to eat. He sent a message to Hu Xi to buy and have the food delivered, thoroughly winning the favor of the crowd.

Downstairs, meanwhile, Bai Jinyan had pulled Chen Ruowen into his own apartment, wearing a stern expression.

"Are you planning to go head-to-head with the student union?"

Chen Ruowen narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Wenwen, you're being too impulsive."

The moment she heard those words, Chen Ruowen's anger flared up. Having spent two months away from human society during the summer vacation, she had almost forgotten that when it came to dealing with "trouble," their perspectives were poles apart.

Chen Ruowen didn't want to argue with him. She endured it over and over again, finally suppressing her anger before dropping heavily onto the sofa.

Bai Jinyan sat down beside her. Even though he could see she was in a bad mood, he still dutifully shared his perspective.

"You've had a few rounds of interaction with Han Guanglin. What do you think of him as a person?"

"Not much," Chen Ruowen replied, rolling her eyes.

"Right, he's not a good person, which is why he started looking for ways to give you a hard time the moment he found out you were going to set up your own show. Have you thought about how he might make trouble for you if your gala actually turns out to be a success?"