From the moment she met him in middle school, Jiang Xiao was always the most eye-catching person in the crowd.
With his impressive abilities and impeccable character, he naturally earned the trust and admiration of those around him.
Now, thanks to her relentless efforts, Jiang Xiao—once a dimmed star—had finally regained the radiance he deserved.
As Song Qiuyu thought this, she couldn’t help but feel a strange twinge in her heart.
It was as if the version of Jiang Xiao that only she used to know was now gradually being discovered by more and more people.
“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!”
The Drama Club president burst into laughter, his voice brimming with confidence.
Then, almost unconsciously, his gaze drifted to Song Qiuyu standing beside Jiang Xiao.
His instincts told him that all these changes stemmed from her efforts.
Jiang Xiao also broke into a smile, glancing at the person beside him, wanting to share the joy bubbling up inside.
Song Qiuyu lowered her eyes, a sudden tightness pressing on her chest.
She really didn’t want to look up and see Jiang Xiao’s face right now.
She knew it—at this moment, that face must be astonishingly handsome.
On the side, Xie Zhuran and Lin An both gave a thumbs-up to their dorm mate who had bravely seized the chance to audition for the male lead.
A true man!
“Our Dormitory produced both the male and female leads! That’s seriously awesome!”
Xie Zhuran slapped Jiang Xiao’s shoulder, genuinely happy for his brother.
“If only a famous Director happens to come see the Stage Play and notices us—that would be even more epic!”
Seeing his junior begin to fantasize, the Drama Club president didn’t break the dream directly.
He just said in an encouraging tone, “[Well, it’s not impossible. The Script is already in your hands—get ready for rehearsals starting tomorrow!]”
“Things are about to get busy.”
Lin An adjusted his glasses, a hopeful smile spreading on his face.
After a bit more chatting, everyone parted ways at the entrance to the Library.
Walking shoulder to shoulder with Jiang Xiao toward the rented apartment, Jiang Xiao glanced through the Stage Play Script a few times.
Song Qiuyu held her tongue the whole way.
This Stage Play Script told the story of a Monster disguised as a Princess, and a blind Prince who falls in love with her.
Their story began with a cruel lie.
In a way, it was surprisingly fitting for the two of them.
Wasn’t she just like that Monster, masquerading as a Princess—using the Internet as a veil to deceive Jiang Xiao, the Prince?
The only difference was that she had no intention of falling in love with Jiang Xiao.
“This script…”
Suddenly, Jiang Xiao spoke in a soft voice.
Song Qiuyu held her breath.
“I just feel like, if you were the one writing it, Song Qiuyu, you’d definitely do a better job.”
Jiang Xiao turned his head and looked at the small top of the girl’s head, bathed in moonlight, the corners of his lips curving into a smile.
The December night breeze was both dry and cold, like rough grains of sand brushing against the fair, rosy cheeks of the girl.
Her black hair, draped over her shoulders, floated in the wind.
As her hair fluttered, an elegant and subtle fragrance—one she hadn’t even noticed herself—slowly wafted out, weaving a net that caught and held the boy’s gaze.
She inadvertently turned her head to meet his eyes, and in the depths of his smile, her heart thudded wildly, her pupils widening in shock.
“Oh…”
Song Qiuyu rolled her eyes upward to gaze at the night sky, unable to imagine how she’d get through the next month behaving normally around him.
Good thing she wasn’t a typical girl—otherwise, with the way he acted just now, she might have pounced on him and given him five children.
Phew, what a relief.
So, over the next two weeks, they basically spent all their time studying and preparing for exams in the Library.
They carved out time to rehearse with the Drama Club for the Stage Play, and began working on the group Script for their class project.
During this period, Song Qiuyu naturally continued to keep Jiang Xiao’s phone in her possession.
The messages Jiang Xiao sent to Shen Xi grew increasingly flirty—blatant, even—enough to make anyone’s cheeks burn.
Yet every time, Song Qiuyu forced herself to read through them all.
To prepare for the fitness test, and to prevent Jiang Xiao from getting lured away by some bad woman during his morning jogs, Song Qiuyu made sure to get up early and run with him.
Even on the day of the CET-4 English Test, she still joined him for the morning run.
“Did you remember your 2B Pencil?”
Jiang Xiao slowed down and turned to look beside him.
Song Qiuyu’s loose tracksuit was soaked with sweat, outlining her slightly pronounced collarbones, her slender, elegant waist, her perky, round little butt, and her long, shapely legs.
Her adorable face was stubborn with determination, and her pale pink lips had been bitten so many times they were as red as cherries.
Beads of sweat rolled down her fiery cheeks, tracing down her beautiful neck.
Some pooled in her collarbone, the rest slid further and vanished.
“Haa… mm…”
Song Qiuyu’s strides had gotten smaller and smaller. Clearly, she was running out of stamina.
After a few heavy breaths, she nodded, opened her mouth, and her voice was soft and sweet, “Yeah, I brought it.”
“Seeing how tired you are, let’s stop here today. Otherwise, if you fall asleep during the exam later, that’ll be trouble.”
Jiang Xiao reached into his pocket for an unopened pack of tissues, tore out a few sheets, and leaned in close to wipe the sweat from her face.
“Mm…”
The thin, cool tissue brushed her flushed cheeks, making Song Qiuyu tremble slightly.
“That’s good.”
The sudden temperature shift was unexpectedly comfortable, and Song Qiuyu found herself wanting more.
Gasping for breath, her mind went blank as she enjoyed the pleasant feeling.
Maybe she was too comfortable, or too tired, but she didn’t even think to resist the intimate gesture.
She gradually stopped running completely, finally accepting the tissues Jiang Xiao handed her and began gently wiping her own sweat.
After that, they walked back to the rented apartment together at a leisurely pace.
“Song Qiuyu, you wanna shower first?”
“No, it’s fine. Jiang Xiao, you go ahead. I need to sit for a bit longer.”
Song Qiuyu unzipped her tracksuit, leaned back on the sofa, and used her hand as a fan to cool herself down.
With a creak, Jiang Xiao went into the bathroom.
Once she felt cool enough, Song Qiuyu rolled over and sat up, then began reviewing the vocabulary she’d been memorizing.
Jiang Xiao was really quick.
When the bathroom door swung open, Song Qiuyu—who had just been studying—reacted instinctively, snapping her eyes shut. [This Jiang Xiao was always pulling surprise attacks, sometimes…]
He’d come out wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
Clearly, Jiang Xiao had realized that the core of being a man was being a bit of a rascal, and he was trying to use it as a critical hit against her.
This was a magic attack!
Hmph, as long as she closed her eyes, she wouldn’t see anything!
Jiang Xiao dried his hair, put on a white long-sleeve T-shirt and deep blue jeans, then paused at the sight of her tightly shut eyes on the sofa.
“Song Qiuyu…”
He strode over, stood in front of her, bent down, and reached out to her face.
Then, all at once, he pried open the trembling girl’s eyes and looked straight into them.
“Your turn to shower.”
Her ears burned at the sound of his deep, magnetic voice.
Song Qiuyu’s pupils widened in shock, and she immediately glanced downward.
Mm.
Jiang Xiao was actually dressed today!
“…”
Jiang Xiao followed her gaze, eyes narrowing as he spoke in a low voice, “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing!”
Relieved that Jiang Xiao was properly dressed, Song Qiuyu leaped up from the sofa and hurried toward the bedroom.
The next moment—bang!—she smacked her head straight into the bedroom doorframe.