At that, Song Qiuyu looked toward the source of the sound.
Although she tried hard to control her facial expressions, her features disobeyed her, forming a speechless expression.
‘Their president is really unreliable. I heard that becoming a club president earns bonus credits. Should I find a chance to “take him out”? But being president is busy; I probably won’t have time.’
Sensing the junior’s gaze, the Drama Club President suddenly felt a chill down his back, finding it strange.
‘It’s 30 degrees Celsius. Why does my back feel so cold?’
“President, what does ‘objection’ mean?”
Song Qiuyu, seeing that he might have come in a hurry and hadn’t bothered to tidy his messy, nest-like hair, temporarily dismissed that idea and said calmly.
“I mean, it’s funny how it suddenly got hot. How about we collaborate, and our Drama Club can also swim?”
With that, the Drama Club President looked at the Swimming Club President.
The Swimming Club President wanted to say more, but his sister Liu Qingqing beside him agreed on his behalf.
The generally doting older brother tried to argue with her a few rounds, but ultimately failed and conceded, feeling quite helpless inside.
‘Even though I know my sister studies theater performance, why didn’t she tell me she joined the Drama Club? I’m clearly in the Swimming Club myself. Sigh, I wish I could swim with my sister every day.’
After the matter was settled, they didn’t immediately discuss the promotional video. Everyone sat down to rest at their respective recruitment stations, and the onlookers dispersed.
Originally, the Drama Club was somewhat dissatisfied with the president’s late arrival, especially the four from Dorm 602.
But all their dissatisfaction vanished instantly when the president said,
“Song Qiuyu did well this time. I’ve been filming with a big movie crew recently. When a good opportunity arises, I’ll recommend you to the director and get you some screen time.”
Whether or not it was just a carrot, the carrot tasted pretty good.
So the rest of the day was spent busily at the recruitment stations. Over the next three days, they rushed between basketball tryouts, classes, and the promotional video shoot.
Every day before the school anniversary, everyone was incredibly busy.
Although Song Qiuyu and Jiang Xiao had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend, they were so busy they could barely hold hands.
The passionate honeymoon phase seemed to grow distant amid all the busyness.
Still, everyone gave their all in the tryouts.
In the end, only two people made the cut for the school anniversary basketball game—Jiang Xiao and Lin An.
The reasons for rejection varied, but the most unconvincing was that Xie Zhuran got eliminated just because of his hairstyle.
Song Qiuyu was eliminated due to lack of stamina.
The only good news was that her relatives left early during the rush, so she was free of that burden.
As for the promotional video, it was only two-thirds complete, meaning they’d still need to find time during the anniversary to finish filming.
Everyone embraced the spirit of “busy, busy is good” and never slacked off.
And so they were busy until the day of the anniversary.
With alumni returning, the number of luxury cars in the university parking lot skyrocketed. The returning alumni made Nanxi livelier than ever. Special cake counters were set up in all the cafeterias for everyone to grab a slice.
The anniversary cakes were free and abundant—more than enough for everyone.
But what surprised Song Qiuyu was that three people came all the way here just for the small cakes.
“Xia Qi, did you really come for the cake?”
Song Qiuyu looked at the person eating cake across from her, unconvinced.
“I came for the cake! If I didn’t come for the cake, would I come for Lin An?”
Xia Qi sighed with a disappointed expression that said, “You still don’t get me.”
The next moment, Lin An snatched Xia Qi’s cake and ate it in one bite, grinning unnaturally.
It was just a small cake, but the two engaged people started bickering as if they might fight any second.
Song Qiuyu watched them expressionlessly.
Maybe because she’d seen it so many times, or because she knew they’d make up soon, she didn’t worry.
Instead, she treated them as a mirror to reflect on her own state.
Even though her relationship with Jiang Xiao was official, she was still learning how to be a better girl, a better girlfriend.
In fact, precisely because it was official, her desire to become better—and to be recognized by more people—had grown stronger.
She wanted others to see her as a girl—a really, really good girl!
She also wanted everyone to acknowledge her and Jiang Xiao’s true relationship.
Thinking that the Jiang family still hadn’t fully accepted her, she felt a pang of frustration.
‘Why did I tease Jiang Xiao back then, and then leave irresponsibly?’
So it was a miracle that Jiang Li could forgive her along with Jiang Xiao.
Just as miraculous as Jiang Li bringing Jiang Yu to eat small cakes.
“Jiang Li, is everything fine at your school?”
Song Qiuyu turned to look at the person beside her.
“It’s fine. My homeroom teacher even encouraged me to take a break.”
Jiang Li said calmly, “And it’s fine for Jiang Yu too—his middle school hasn’t started yet.”
“I see.”
Song Qiuyu glanced at Jiang Xiao out of the corner of her eye. If no one had told Jiang Li about the anniversary, they probably wouldn’t have come.
Jiang Xiao seemed to read her mind and shook his head, indicating he wasn’t the one who told them.
Frowning, Song Qiuyu looked at Jiang Yu, who was sitting beside Sang Tian, and widened her eyes slightly.
The little boy she’d met during winter break had grown so tall in just a short time—he was almost as tall as Jiang Xiao now.
And not just his height—his face had lost some childishness, becoming more mature and handsome.
‘What did Jiang Yu eat after I left the Jiang family to grow so fast?’
Song Qiuyu bit her lip, a sense of inferiority rising in her heart.
When she was a man, she couldn’t get the height and muscles she wanted—her body was feminine. Now as a woman, her figure was plain and boyish.
The only thing she could compliment about herself was her face.
‘I really want to become more womanly quickly.’
Jiang Yu, though already taller and more solid than even the adult Sang Tian, still spoke in a cute, soft voice: “Sang Tian-jie, I don’t really like the cherry on this cake, but throwing it away would be a waste.”
“Okay, then give it to me.”
Sang Tian said with a gentle smile.
“Do you like cherries, Sang Tian-jie?”
Jiang Yu smiled warmly.
“I do like them.”
Sang Tian smiled gently as before.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu suddenly sensed something and narrowed her eyes, studying the two suspiciously.
‘Huh? Could it be that Jiang Yu wanted to come to our school and had Jiang Li bring him? That’s quite possible. Tsk, this kid—already coveting his brother and sister-in-law’s friend at such a young age!’
“Lao Xie is really slow.”
Lin An and Xia Qi had finished bickering, and he picked up his phone to check the group chat.
Song Qiuyu agreed wholeheartedly.
That guy Ha Ji Xie, as soon as he heard Jiang Li was here, retreated into his shell like a tortoise and ran back to the dorm to dress himself up.
As expected. The charm of a high school girl was still too great—there was no substitute.
Jiang Li lowered her eyes, ate a spoonful of cream, and glanced at the message Xie Zhuran had sent two days ago on her phone screen, saying nothing.
[Xie Zhuran]: Sis, our school’s anniversary is in two days. We’ll eat cake, and in the afternoon there’s a basketball game. Want to come?
Xie Zhuran had sent that message to Jiang Li while half-asleep. By the time he woke up, it was too late to unsend it.
He wasn’t stupid—he knew how busy high schoolers were in their second year of high school, so he hadn’t held out hope. Jiang Li hadn’t replied either.
So he pretended it never happened and simply deleted that message from his own chat history.
Cyber ostrich JPG!
Yet Jiang Li came. She came as suddenly and surprisingly as a tornado.
“The sky is really blue today.”
Xie Zhuran walked out of the dormitory building, looked up at the cloudless March sky, and couldn’t help sighing.
The number of couples on campus had skyrocketed.
The usual crammers for the postgraduate entrance exam had also paused today, eating cake with their loved ones and strolling under the school’s sycamore trees.
Looking closely, besides the sycamore trees, there were countless photinia bushes.
Maybe because of the warm climate, this year’s photinia seemed to be blooming early.
Focusing again, under a photinia tree not far away stood a strikingly familiar figure. He was wearing a white suit, his hair slicked back, holding an expensive camera and taking pictures of the school.
He looked relaxed and clean, a bit like a modern version of an ancient scholar.
Xie Zhuran took a few more steps and was stunned.
Wasn’t that Lao Jiang?
But why was he dressed in a white suit with slicked-back hair, looking like a corporate CEO?
Since they were acquaintances, Xie Zhuran didn’t stand on ceremony. He went straight up and started chatting with him.
“Lao Jiang, why did you come alone? Isn’t Lao Song with you?”
Xie Zhuran was puzzled; in his mind, the two roommates were practically a bonded pair.
“Huh?”
The man’s face showed confusion, his voice refined and polite. “Sorry, do we know each other?”
“?”
At first glance, he really looked like Jiang Xiao, but a second glance revealed a big difference—he could have been Jiang Xiao’s half-brother.
Looking closely, the man had a mole at the corner of his mouth. Though handsome, compared to Jiang Xiao, he had a more frivolous and roguish air.
He radiated the vibe of a pampered rich boy.
In plain terms, he didn’t look like a good person.
Xie Zhuran gasped and quickly stepped back. “Sorry, I think I mistook you for someone else!”
“No need to be so nervous.”
The man put away his camera, smiling at Xie Zhuran, who was half a head shorter, with a hint of amusement. “But I am curious about your friend. Is his name Jiang Xiao?”
Hearing this, Xie Zhuran was taken aback, a million questions flooding his mind.
‘Could this be a member of Lao Jiang’s family? But when I went to his house during winter break, I didn’t see this person. Who is he?’
The man’s smile deepened. He pulled a black-and-gold business card from his white suit pocket and handed it to Xie Zhuran.
“Don’t be so wary. I should be your friend’s cousin. Let me introduce myself—I’m Jiang Zhi. Nice to meet you.”