Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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The day before yesterday, a rain shower dispelled the pent-up heat, and the air was filled with the earthy scent of grass and trees.
This year, National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival coincided, resulting in an eight-day holiday.
The Saturday before the holiday was a make-up day, and Shu Mian had a 8 am class.
After washing up, she gathered the books she needed for class and sat down to wait for Song Yiyi to put on makeup.
Fang Yao and Xiang Sang had just woken up and were leisurely playing on their phones in bed.
Shu Mian looked at them enviously, then sighed, cupping her face in her hands. “Zao Ba[1], it was on yesterday and it’s on today again. What exactly is my relationship with it? Is it a bit ambiguous?”
“…”
The two of them burst into laughter at her words.
“Exactly,” Song Yiyi replied while applying eyeshadow. “Why do some people not have to work 8 a.m. today, but I have to get up so early? I hope the people who haven’t gotten up yet fall down in a bit.”
Fang Yao, lying on the edge of the bed, laughed and said, “If I fall, I’ll pull you down with me.”
“Yiyi, let’s take it easy and just treat it like attending the morning court session.”
Shu Mian blinked, her voice soft and sweet, “And anyone who gets up at this hour must be a future star, a pillar of the nation, or a business tycoon from an urban novel…”
“Stop, stop, stop.” Xiang Sang got out of bed. “Can’t I just get up and go to the library to study?”
Fang Yao was shocked. “No, are you serious?”
“Of course, learning makes me happy. Do you want to join me?” Xiang Sang had already gotten out of bed.
“Oh no, another one’s gone mad.” Even as she said this, Fang Yao suddenly couldn’t lie there comfortably anymore. “Should I go too?”
Shu Mian was overjoyed. “Go ahead, go ahead. If you don’t study, the walls that others use for pinning down will all be built by you.”
“…”
After applying her lipstick, Song Yiyi looked at her makeup with satisfaction and turned to Shu Mian, saying, “Mian Mian, do you want to put on some lipstick? I have a shade here that I think is perfect for a gentle and sweet girl like you.”
Shu Mian hesitated for a moment, “But I didn’t put on any makeup today.”
She practiced makeup diligently during the summer vacation and her skills were quite advanced, but she didn’t really like the feeling of having a layer of makeup on her face.
Song Yiyi had already pulled out the lipstick and said with a smile, “Your skin is so fair and your features are so delicate, you look great with just lipstick. Plus, this shade is perfect for wearing without makeup or with light makeup.”
“Then I can apply some too.”
Shu Mian obediently let her turn her face to apply lipstick. After she finished, Song Yiyi nodded in satisfaction, “Tsk, Mian Mian, your lips look so plump and tender after applying it, like a white peach blossom, you know? It makes me want to kiss you.”
She smiled and said, “Your boyfriend will be jealous if he finds out.”
Since the cafeteria wasn’t on their way and they happened to pass a bakery on their way to the classroom, so they bought bread for breakfast.
Song Yiyi bought an extra one, saying that Fu Xingfan was going to accompany her to class today, and since the boys’ dormitory was close to their classroom, he would go directly to the classroom to wait for her.
Shu Mian blinked. “Wow, you two are so loving.”
“If you hurry up and get Tan Xuzhe, you’ll have someone to be with too, right? I really want to see what it’s like for someone like him to be in a relationship.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she muttered softly, “If he were that easy to win over, he wouldn’t be Tan Xuzhe.”
When they arrived at the classroom, Fu Xingfan sat in a seat near the back and waved to Song Yiyi.
“Mian Mian, would you mind sitting with him? Or should we sit alone?” Song Yiyi said.
Shu Mian didn’t want to be a third wheel, so she quickly waved her hand, “He came to attend class with you specially, so you can sit together. I’ll sit in the back by myself.”
“Then I’ll sit with him first, and I’ll pamper you when we get back to the dorm, hehe.” Song Yiyi put down her bag and went to the bathroom.
Shu Mian sat down in the back row. This class was on journalism theory. She took out her book in advance and turned to the part where the teacher had talked last time.
Just then, someone sat down in the seat next to her. She turned her head and glanced at him; it was a boy from her class.
“Good morning, Shu Mian.” The boy grinned.
Shu Mian only vaguely recognized the face but couldn’t place the name, so she nodded awkwardly and said, “Good morning.”
“Don’t you know my name? My name is Ren Yu.”
She felt even more awkward, not being very good at handling this kind of situation. Ren Yu then asked, “Why didn’t you accept my WeChat request?”
Shu Mian remembered that she had received a friend request on WeChat last night, but the other party had not left any notes, so she ignored it.
“Please approve it.” Ren Yu looked at her phone. “We can exchange assignments later.”
Shu Mian held her phone and found the friend request. “This… if melancholy is a talent, is it you?”
Yes, yes.
Just then, Fu Xingfan’s voice came from the front row, “Brother Zhe, what brings you here? You’re not here to see me, are you?”
Shu Mian caught the words “Brother Zhe” and reflexively looked up, and sure enough, she saw Tan Xuzhe walking in from the classroom door.
He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and black cargo pants. He walked tall and straight, with slightly bulging veins on his well-defined arms. He had one hand in his pocket, and his eyes and brows were hidden in the morning light. He exuded a casual and unrestrained sense of laziness.
Tan Xuzhe clicked his tongue lazily, “Don’t be so narcissistic.”
Fu Xingfan was a little puzzled, “Then what are you doing here?”
“I’m doing whatever you came here for.”
Shu Mian listened to their conversation, unable to look away from them.
Seemingly sensing something, Tan Xuzhe’s beautiful peach blossom eyes suddenly looked over.
In an instant, her heart started racing uncontrollably, and she quickly lowered her head.
Ren Yu urged from the side, “Shu Mian, what’s wrong? Hurry up and accept my friend request.”
Shu Mian absentmindedly gave an “oh” and tapped “accept” on the screen.
Hearing Fu Xingfan in front of him ask, “Hilarious! I’m here to accompany my girlfriend to class, are you here to accompany your girlfriend to class too?”
Tan Xuzhe didn’t answer directly, but in his usual lazy tone, said, “I’m here to audit the class.”
Shu Mian suddenly remembered that a few days ago he had asked for her class schedule, saying that a friend of his was interested in auditing her classes.
So the “friend” he was talking about was actually himself?
Fu Xingfan clearly didn’t believe it. “Didn’t you not stay in the dorm last night? Did you come from off-campus to audit another major’s 8 AM class?”
“Mind your own business.” The casual voice carried a hint of snickering.
After Tan Xuzhe finished speaking, he walked straight to the seat to the left of Shu Mian and sat down, with a fairly wide aisle between them.
Shu Mian was immediately annoyed. Why did she have to choose a seat right next to the aisle? Now Ren Yu was sitting on the right.
If that weren’t the case, would Tan Xuzhe possibly sit next to her?
Just as she was thinking this, a shadow fell beside her, and a deep, languid male voice said, “Shu Mianmian.”
“Hmm?” She looked up.
Tan Xuzhe stood in the aisle, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Ren Yu beside her before settling on her. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Come sit with me?”
It was a question, but it sounded like a statement that left no room for refusal.
After he finished speaking, he consciously took Shu Mian’s books and bag and put them in the seat he had just been sitting in, while he himself sat down inside against the wall.
Ren Yu was confused by his actions and frowned, asking, “Shu Mian, you two know each other?”
“Was I very subtle?”
Before Shu Mian could speak, Tan Xuzhe glanced at her lazily and curled his lips upward, “I’m here to accompany her to class.”
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[1] In Mandarin Chinese, Zaobao (早报 – zǎobào) literally translates to “morning newspaper”.
