Chapter 108
At the sports meet, the third-year students weren't required to participate, but for the sake of atmosphere, they still had to watch from the sidelines. It was basically just moving their self-study class outdoors.
However, the student council had to maintain order throughout the school, so Xia Linxia led the discipline committee members on a patrol. When she reached the third-year section, she immediately spotted the exceptionally quiet Ji Fengxue sitting in the back.
“You guys go check on the other classes.” She shooed the discipline committee members away and then walked up behind Ji Fengxue herself.
Sure enough, the girl had her phone buried in a book, secretly watching a movie!
“Ahem!” Xia Linxia leaned on the desk with both hands, looked around, and lowered her voice. “I won’t write you up, but you could at least be a little less obvious about it.”
Ji Fengxue calmly closed the book and looked up. “Should I bribe you then?”
“Don’t even think about it. I’ve got money and looks; nothing can tempt me.” Xia Linxia glanced at the rostrum. “Since you’re not busy, go read the announcement scripts.”
“I’m not going.”
“Are you going or not?” Xia Linxia rolled up her sleeves. “Do you believe I’ll tell your mom you’ve been copying my homework?”
At the last parent-teacher conference, she had spoken as the outstanding student representative. Ji Fengxue’s mother had taken a liking to her and even added her on WeChat.
“Hurry up.” Xia Linxia dragged her to the rostrum and slapped the scripts down in front of her. “Read them for me. Don’t you dare miss a single one. This is the cheering station for our athletes!”
A moment later, Ji Fengxue’s cool and clear voice filled the entire campus, immediately causing an uproar.
Xia Linxia stood on the field maintaining order, unable to help but smile. The red armband on her sleeve looked even brighter in the sunlight!
Ji Fengxue read the script with a deadpan expression: “Class Three’s Wang Hao, go, go, go! Class Three’s Wang Hao, the pride of men.”
“Hahahaha!” The entire field erupted.
“Wang Hao, you lucky bastard! That’s practically a confession from Ji Fengxue!”
“Damn, I’m going to write a script myself!”
“Academic rep, quick, help me write one! I want Ji Fengxue to shout my name in public too!”
And so, the spectating students started writing with even more enthusiasm. Ji Fengxue looked at the growing pile of scripts and cursed Xia Linxia to death in her heart. To make matters worse, the instigator herself had come over to watch the fun.
“I’m not reading anymore,” she said, turning her head.
“Don’t be like that.” Xia Linxia cheekily held a bottle of ice water to her face. “Drink some more water.”
Ji Fengxue took the water. Seeing her drenched in sweat, she pulled a bucket hat from her schoolbag and tossed it to her.
“Mm, do I look good?” Xia Linxia put on the hat and asked her, her eyes curving into crescents.
Ji Fengxue looked away. “It’s whatever.”
“Huh? Just whatever?” Xia Linxia puffed up like a blowfish. She reached out to pinch her cheeks. Ji Fengxue leaned back, and the two started to scuffle.
“What are you two doing?” a passing teacher asked.
“Nothing, nothing.” Xia Linxia hugged Ji Fengxue tightly and said with a sheepish smile, “Student Ji said she got sand in her eye, I was just helping her blow it out.”
As soon as the teacher left, she let go, only to see a blush creep onto Ji Fengxue’s face. Only then did she belatedly realize that during their hurried embrace, their chests had likely brushed against each other.
Oh, dear, I forgot Ji Fengxue likes girls. How awkward.
“I-I’ll be going now. You continue reading the scripts!” Xia Linxia turned and fled.
Ji Fengxue took a deep breath, sat down, and continued to cool her face with the water bottle. She picked up a script and continued reading: “Ji Fengxue, Wang Hao from Class Three says he likes you. Are you willing to be his girlfriend?”
Only after reading it did she realize what the content was, and she froze for a moment.
The entire crowd cheered. “Wang Hao, you really are the damn pride of men!”
Xia Linxia, who had just run onto the field, stopped in her tracks. She looked back at the rostrum and saw that Ji Fengxue hadn’t responded. An indescribable stuffiness filled her chest. She turned and stormed over to Class Three. “Wang Hao, is it? Puppy love. I’m writing your name down, two points deducted!”
Wang Hao: “Why! She hasn’t even said yes to me yet, how is this puppy love! If she says yes, you can deduct a hundred points for all I care!”
Just then, Ji Fengxue’s reply came over the broadcast: “I’m sorry, I think... I already have someone I like.”
Xia Linxia’s heart suddenly began to pound like a drum, its sound drowning out the noise from Class Three.
Wang Hao: “President, she’s in a puppy love too! Aren’t you going to deduct her points?”
“You said it yourself, the other person didn’t agree, so how can it be puppy love!” Xia Linxia pulled her hat down, hiding her reddening ears, and returned to her class.
A few more cheering scripts later, Ji Fengxue’s voice was heard again: “Xia Linxia from Class One, may I ask, are you seeing someone?”
“Whoa! This year’s students are bold, directly confessing to the two school beauties.”
“How could Xia Linxia be seeing someone? With that arrogant attitude of hers, who does she even look up to?”
“The key is that the average person isn’t worthy of her. She has a rich family, good looks, and even her grades are so good. How much courage would it take to stand by her side?”
But the person in question had her face buried on the desk, hiding her burning cheeks, so embarrassed she was practically fuming. She had a feeling that this question wasn’t from a script, but that Ji Fengxue was using her public position for private means.
After all, everyone usually asked if she had a boyfriend, but this question asked if she had a partner.
Of course, it could be that someone was just used to writing that way, but the first thought that popped into her head was that Ji Fengxue was the one asking, and that thought alone was enough to make her feel shocked and ashamed.
Qiu Xingzhou poked her arm. “Son, I need to leave for a bit, cover for me.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Class Eight. A bunch of girls went to confess to that bastard Duan again. Crap, it’s so annoying.” Qiu Xingzhou slipped away after speaking.
Xia Linxia watched him run off, then looked at Duan Yan waiting at the end of the field. She felt an indescribable emotion. It wasn’t until Qiu Xingzhou swung a punch at Duan Yan that she understood. Oh, this damn possessiveness.
Just then, a series of giggles came over the broadcast. She picked up her binoculars and looked at the rostrum across the field, only to see several girls surrounding Ji Fengxue. The leader was Xing Baifeng from the class next door, a tall, slender girl with short hair.
She suddenly remembered that there were rumors that Xing Baifeng was a lesbian.
“Crap.”
Xia Linxia stood up and started walking over. The broadcast continued with new scripts, Ji Fengxue’s voice echoing in her ears: “Xia Linxia from Class One, may I ask, do you have someone you like? If not, can I pursue you?”
Xia Linxia suddenly appeared behind Ji Fengxue. “Show me the script you just read.”
Ji Fengxue was startled and crumpled the script in her hand. “What for?”
Xing Baifeng, who had been watching the show from the side, smiled meaningfully and led her classmates away.
“Give it to me. I want to see the script, see who wrote it.” Xia Linxia snatched it from her, but the other girl didn’t move.
She slowly unfolded a corner and saw a boy’s signature, and her heart sank. After unfolding the entire page with a blank expression, her heart began to flutter again.
The content on it was a proper cheer for an athlete, not the confession that Ji Fengxue had read at all!
“What... what do you mean by this?” Xia Linxia asked, her face beet red.
Ji Fengxue hadn’t expected her to be so direct, and her face grew redder and redder. She stammered, “It’s... it’s what you think it means.”
The grade-level director passed by and saw the two of them standing face to face without speaking. He said, “You’ve worked hard. Look how the sun has made you two flush, your faces are so red. Go take a rest.”
Xia Linxia did not agree to Ji Fengxue’s proposal. It was obvious; a girl’s heart is easy to guess. Who wouldn’t want a grand confession or a romantic pursuit?
Of course, given Ji Fengxue’s special situation, a grand gesture wasn’t necessary, but a pursuit was a must!
Whether she agreed or not would naturally depend on her performance.
“Ji Fengxue, Xia Linxia from the class next door is here again,” her deskmate Chen Nian said, looking out the window. “What is she doing hanging around our class all day? Is she trying to confiscate our stuff again?”
Ji Fengxue put away the admissions brochures on her desk, turned to look out the window at Xia Linxia chatting with her classmates, and rested her chin on her hand, a smile curving her lips.
Xia Linxia occasionally glanced in her direction, then turned as if to leave.
Ji Fengxue took two chocolates from her desk and chased after her. As the class bell rang and students flooded the doorway, she slipped the candies into her pocket and gently squeezed the back of her neck. Seeing the other girl shrink back, looking utterly adorable, she returned to her classroom, satisfied.
During class, Xia Linxia stealthily took out the two chocolates, ate one under her desk, and when Qiu Xingzhou held out his hand for some, she slapped it away.
During the morning exercises, Xia Linxia was on discipline duty. She walked near Ji Fengxue and turned her head to scold, “Wang Hao! You’re looking around again, points deducted!”
Ji Fengxue pursed her lips to keep from smiling.
Xia Linxia shot her an annoyed look, then took out another notebook. This one didn’t record the entire school’s violations, but Ji Fengxue’s personal ones—Flirting with everyone, three points deducted!
Ji Fengxue had somehow gotten a bicycle to ride to school. After school, she was chatting with Xing Baifeng behind the bike shed. Xing Baifeng suddenly gestured for her to look behind her. “Your little sweetheart is glaring at you.”
“Not yet,” Ji Fengxue said with a sigh and a smile. She rode her bike to block Xia Linxia’s path and tilted her head. “Student Xia, hop on. I’ll take you home.”
“I don’t need a ride from you. What is this piece of junk?” Xia Linxia kicked the back tire. “Is it better than my Maybach?”
“Of course not,” Ji Fengxue said, circling her on the bike. “But this thing can only fit the two of us.”
“Hmph, who cares.”
“I care,” Xing Baifeng whistled. “Ji Fengxue, how about you give me a ride?”
Xia Linxia shot her a glare, then swung her leg over the back seat and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. “Let’s go! Giddy-up!”
The two leisurely rode home, the poor Maybach driver behind them driving slower than an ant.
The two school beauties were getting closer and closer, naturally becoming the focus of the entire school’s attention.
The weather grew colder, but Xia Linxia refused to wear a down jacket, shivering in the cold wind in a trench coat.
After the flag-raising ceremony, she ran to the cafeteria, clutching a cup of hot soy milk to warm her hands. Ji Fengxue had already gotten her breakfast and placed it in front of her, then handed her a hand warmer.
Xia Linxia didn’t want to use her hands to eat, focusing on warming them. “I’ll just have some bread later.”
“I told you to wear more clothes, but you wouldn’t listen.” Ji Fengxue scooped up a spoonful of porridge and held it to her lips. Xia Linxia opened her mouth and ate it.
“I want more.”
“Eat it yourself.”
“I don’t want to.”
What could Ji Fengxue do? Who told her to fall for a big-chested, brainless, but temperamental person?
The other students: “...” Is this how beauties eat now?
As winter set in, a knitting craze swept the school. After class, you could see a sea of textile workers.
Xia Linxia couldn’t stand it. She turned her head and saw that Qiu Xingzhou was also knitting. “...”
“So weird.”
At Christmas, the whole school was exchanging gifts. Xia Linxia received a pile of anonymous presents. She took a box and walked to the next class, staring blankly at a certain empty desk piled high with gifts. On the desk were several beautifully styled, hand-knitted scarves.
Ji Fengxue had gone out of town for her art school entrance exams last week, and she didn’t know when she would be back.
“You’re here,” Chen Nian said, walking out with two boxes in her hands. “She asked me to give this to you.”
Xia Linxia was stunned. She immediately took it, then handed over her own gift. “Please give this to her for me.”
“Okay.” Chen Nian paused. “This, please give this to Xiang Huaimeng in your class.”
“Mm.”
Xia Linxia went back with the gifts. It wasn’t until she got home that she opened the box. It was a USB drive. She plugged it into her computer, and on it was an edited video.
Some of the photos and short clips were taken from the school forum, but most were candid shots of her, captured from beautiful angles. She had never seen so many different sides of herself.
Xia Linxia watched it a few times and then noticed it was snowing outside. She couldn’t help but call Ji Fengxue. The other end picked up quickly.
“Xia Xia.”
Xia Linxia was startled. It was the first time she had heard her use that name. It was cheesy, but she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“How were your exams?”
“Not bad. I still have to go to two more schools to test.”
“Will you be back before New Year’s Day?”
“Why?”
“Nothing.” Xia Linxia pursed her lips. She actually had a performance at the New Year’s party. “Focus on your exams.”
“Okay, good night.”
Xia Linxia hung up the phone and went downstairs for a glass of water. Passing by the study, she saw her brother, Xia Yangxuan, still working. She walked in. “Brother, why do you work so hard?”
“Who do you think I do it for?” Xia Yangxuan said without looking up.
“Do you have any dreams?”
Xia Yangxuan: “What, if I tell you my dream, are you going to turn your chair for me?”
“No, that’s not it.” Xia Linxia sat on the desk, swinging her legs. “I just feel like you still... um, how are you guys so sure about what you want?”
Xia Yangxuan took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It’s not about being sure, it’s about doing your best. If there’s something you want to do right now, then do it well. Maybe at some point, you’ll suddenly have a crazy desire to do something, and that will be your moment. By the way, have you thought about which university you want to apply to? Do you want to study abroad?”
“No, I’ll think about it some more.”
The New Year’s party was held the day before New Year’s Day. The entire school, teachers and students, sat on the field to watch the performances. The school had even spent money on an LED screen, making the stage look quite professional.
Xia Linxia, who was originally scheduled to perform at the beginning, had her order changed to the second-to-last act. The last act was the teacher-student choir, which couldn’t be moved.
While waiting backstage, she kept glancing at Class Two, but she never saw Ji Fengxue appear.
When it was her turn to perform, the cheers were endless. After her performance, she was surrounded by a crowd of people. After the party ended, she and the student council had to organize the cleanup.
The students had long since dispersed. After the last bit of cleaning was done, the student council members also went back to their dorms. She picked up her schoolbag, ready to leave, but then realized she had left her water bottle and ran back.
From a distance, she saw a person sitting on the steps by the side of the stage, not in a school uniform, but wearing a red scarf.
She slowed her steps. The girl heard the noise and turned her head, holding up a water bottle and asking with a smile, “Are you looking for this?”
Xia Linxia stared blankly for a moment, looking at her in disbelief, her voice filled with an irrepressible joy. “When did you get back?”
“Just arrived. I saw the bottle and knew you’d be back.” Ji Fengxue smiled. This was the same water bottle that Xia Linxia had snatched from her.
“Are you done with your exams?”
“Mm.” Ji Fengxue stood up and walked over to her, her eyes filled with an indescribable smile and the joy of a wish fulfilled. “Next year, I’ll be a student at the film academy. But, Student Xia, can you help me with my cultural studies?”
Xia Linxia raised an eyebrow. “That depends on your performance.”
Ji Fengxue smiled, took off her scarf, and wrapped it around her. “Thank you. I really like this scarf.”
Xia Linxia looked down at the scarf and saw a few dropped stitches and a hole. She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. “Oh, that, I was just knitting for fun. I only gave you the failed one.”
“Is that so...”
“But at least it’s the thought that counts!” Xia Linxia said, afraid she would actually dislike it.
“That’s true.” Ji Fengxue smiled, then sighed. “It’s a shame the plane was late, otherwise I would have been able to see your performance in person.”
Hearing this, Xia Linxia looked around, then ran onto the stage without a second thought, turning on the music on her phone. “Then I’ll dance for you again.”
Ji Fengxue walked to the front of the stage and watched the performance that was meant for her alone, her eyes shining with amazement.
After the song ended, Xia Linxia stood on the stage, smiling at her. The lights reflected in her eyes, making them shine. “How was it?”
“Beautiful. When you’re on stage, you’re absolutely radiant,” Ji Fengxue said, looking up at her.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Xia Linxia giggled. For a moment, she seemed to have found what she was crazy about doing. “If... if I become a big star, will you always be watching me?”
“Whether you become a big star or not, I will always be watching you.”
“Okay. I’m going to catch up to you. I will definitely become an even more famous star than you!”
“Okay, then.”
Xia Linxia looked at her face and walked a few steps closer. “Ji Fengxue, if I jump down and you catch me, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
Ji Fengxue asked with a smile, “And what if I don’t catch you?”
“...!” Xia Linxia thought for a moment. “Then you can be my girlfriend.”
“Okay.” Ji Fengxue opened her arms.
Xia Linxia took a leap and immediately knocked her over. The two rolled on the ground a couple of times. Xia Linxia propped herself up, her expression pained. “You’re too skinny, you can’t even catch me.”
“The stage was too high,” Ji Fengxue said, unable to stop laughing.
“So what does this count as now? What do we do?” Xia Linxia was in a dilemma.
Ji Fengxue reached up and stroked her head, then pulled her down and kissed her on the lips. “Judging by this position, we should be kissing now.”
Xia Linxia: o(▽)q
Suddenly, a flashlight beam appeared in the distance. The dean of students asked, “You two girls, what are you doing? Why aren’t you back in your dorms yet?”
Xia Linxia’s cheeks were flushed. She scrambled up, pulled Ji Fengxue with her, and ran in the opposite direction, shouting back, “Two future superstars are on a date!!!”
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