"I can't believe you're such a little jealousy machine," Tony Snow said, amused. As soon as he saw Clara Quinn's expression, he could tell she was jealous. Grinning, he playfully flicked her nose with his bent index finger.
"Hmph. You're the jealousy machine," Clara shot back, pouting.
"Alright, alright, I won't talk about her anymore. Let's talk about you." Tony laughed and gave her cheek a soft pinch, the gesture affectionate and familiar.
Truthfully, he liked this side of Clara—her little outbursts, her subtle possessiveness. It wasn't annoying at all. It was endearing.
"Hey, let me tell you something. Have you heard about the Summer Camp for graduate entrance at Nankai University?" Tony suddenly shifted the conversation to something more serious.
He had wanted to bring it up as soon as they left the library. But libraries weren't the right place for conversations like this. They had whispered there before, only to draw annoyed looks from others. So Tony had started making it a habit to save all important chats for after.
"Summer Camp? What Summer Camp?" Clara looked confused.
"You haven't heard of it?" Tony was surprised. Even someone like him—who used to barely study—had at least heard of it. Yet Clara, top of her class, hadn't?
"Didn't your academic advisor or counselor mention it?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," Clara shook her head. "Well, actually… my advisor did ask me if I wanted to be recommended for grad school."
"Recommended? To which university?"
"If the school asked, it was probably for our own university," Clara replied casually.
Tony stopped walking and fell silent for a moment.
"What?" Clara asked, noticing his sudden pause.
"You really haven't heard anything about the Summer Camp? Not even from your roommates?"
Clara shook her head again. "Maybe they mentioned it once, but I assumed it was just some group trip or retreat during summer."
Tony sighed. "Alright. Let me explain it to you."
He began to recount everything he'd learned online: how universities hosted Summer Camps to attract top students for graduate programs. How participating could give you a massive advantage—sometimes even guaranteeing admission if you were selected as an "Outstanding Participant."
It wasn't that strange that Clara didn't know. She barely used her phone, rarely scrolled through academic forums or info groups. And her dorm situation wasn't ideal either—one of her roommates was dating a guy who didn't care about academics and planned to job hunt right after graduation. Two others weren't aiming high—one had family connections and a job lined up; the other had already locked in a recommendation for grad school at their own university.
As for the counselor—well, many schools quietly preferred to keep top students from transferring out. A star student getting into a better school might look good externally, but for internal stats and rankings, they'd rather keep talent in-house.
When Tony finished explaining everything, Clara looked hesitant.
"But I promised I'd go home and take care of my grandma during the break…"
"It's only a few days—three at most. You should seriously consider applying. You want to go to Nankai University, right? This is your chance," Tony urged. "We can start preparing the documents now based on last year's requirements. Once the official notice comes out, we'll be ready. And don't worry—I'll go with you."
Hearing that last line—I'll go with you—made Clara pause.
She hesitated for a few more seconds before finally nodding. "Okay. I'll sign up."
Tony beamed. "Nice. Actually, you can apply to multiple Summer Camps if their dates don't overlap. Want to try for a few more?"
"No, just this one. If I'm gone too long, Grandma will worry," Clara replied, her tone gentle but firm.
...
Back in the dorm, the usual scene unfolded.
Liam, as always, came over to ask Tony about the problems he had saved up throughout the day.
Tyler had drawn his curtain and was FaceTiming his girlfriend, like he did nearly every night.
Ryan was gaming while casually flipping through civil service prep books, solving questions during respawn delays and matchmaking queues.
The contrast to a year ago was stark.
Back then, Tony and Ryan would've been yelling over League of Legends or CS:GO until well past midnight, keeping the whole dorm awake.
Liam would've been in bed watching idol performances, gag compilations, or anime.
Only Tyler had remained the same—long late-night calls with his girlfriend, and little else.
After Tony finished going through Liam's questions, he leaned back and said, "Liam, have you considered applying for grad school through recommendation? When fall semester starts, it might be worth a shot. You've been working pretty hard lately."
Liam gave a dry laugh. "Of course I've considered it. But it's not like it'll ever be my turn. I've already asked."
"What? You asked? When was this?" Ryan called out from his computer, half-distracted.
"You think I'd not tell you guys if I got it? I'd be bragging the minute I walked through the door," Liam said. "But I didn't get it—so what's there to talk about?"
"Well, maybe you should've studied harder in your first and second years instead of goofing off with the rest of us. You're not like Tony here—he goofs off and still manages to rise to the top." Ryan didn't even look up as he dealt another headshot.
"Shut up, moron," Liam muttered, climbing onto his bed in defeat.
"Alright, alright, no need to start a fight over this. If recommendation's not an option, you can still take the exam. It's not like you can't pass," Tony said quickly, stepping in to mediate.
Then he turned to Ryan. "How's the civil service prep going? When's the exam?"
"Don't call me Xiao Zhao," Ryan smirked. "Anyway, the national exam's registration starts in October. The actual test's in November. As for provincial ones, it varies. Ours was in March this year, probably the same next year."
After a few more minutes of chatting and banter, Tony showered, climbed into bed, and pulled out his phone.