Serenade

Chapter 33

Winter vacation ended, and in early March, when the orioles were flying and the grass was growing, the bustling back-to-school season arrived.

The Literature Club, which had disappeared for a whole semester, finally convened a general meeting on the eve of the new semester.

The classroom was sparsely filled with no more than ten people. Jin Xi and Chu Zhao were somehow caught and forced to become executive members of the Literature Club's organization department.

She whispered to Chu Zhao, "The declining state of this school-level five-star club is comparable to our Meow Meow Club."

Chu Zhao replied, "At least our Meow Meow Club still has your Brother Bai's visuals, Brother Jing's wealth, and Instructor Xu's labor. As for the Literature Club... emmm..."

Just as Chu Zhao went "emmm", a male student walked into the classroom, immediately grabbing all the girls' attention.

Jian Si Xun, the Minister of the Organization Department.

Jian Si Xun had fair and delicate features, with a pair of romantic peach blossom eyes. When he smiled, it was like a spring breeze.

Privately, everyone called him Fourth Brother, because a girl had once confessed her love for Jian Si Xun, calling him "you are the April day on earth." Although as expected, the girl was rejected in the end, the nickname "you are April's day on earth" stuck, evolving into Jian Si Xun's nickname - Senior April.

He alone could be said to be the face and talent of the entire Literature Club.

As soon as he walked in, the female members of the Literature Club became restless.

"My Fourth Brother is here."

"Ohhh, I joined the Literature Club just for our Fourth Son!"

Jin Xi sized him up. This Senior Jian really had an idol's temperament.

After entering the classroom, Jian Si Xun walked straight to Jin Xi and looked down at her.

Along with his steps, the eyes of all the girls in the room fell on Jin Xi.

Jin Xi: ?

What's the situation?

She looked at Jian Si Xun next to her nervously, then looked at Chu Zhao, muttering, "What does this Senior Jian want to do?"

Chu Zhao was equally puzzled: "Could it be he's taken a liking to you?"

Jin Xi's old face turned red. No way, it can't be, romantic novels aren't this melodramatic.

She rubbed her hair shyly.

Jian Si Xun's mouth curved up slightly: "Classmate, you're sitting in the minister's seat, please make way."

"..."

She jabbed Chu Zhao hard, and Chu Zhao shifted to the side. Jin Xi moved to Chu Zhao's seat, and Jian Si Xun sat down next to her.

Awkward.

Jian Si Xun, as the minister of the organization department, would occasionally lower his head to whisper a few words with Jin Xi and Chu Zhao. Whenever Jin Xi and Chu Zhao made eye contact with him, they felt electrified.

What a fairy-like senior, his pair of dark eyes are too beautiful!

Not only was Jian Si Xun good-looking, he was also very talented. He had participated in the national college students' classical poetry competition and won a place, even appearing on TV, known as the "most talented and handsome grass of Chongqing University."

Now the "handsome and talented male god" was sitting right next to Jin Xi and Chu Zhao. Like all the girls, the two were equally curious and excited.

"Regarding the Guyu Poetry Meeting, the president has already talked about it, so I won't repeat it," Jian Si Xun said to Jin Xi and Chu Zhao. "Next I'll arrange our upcoming work."

"Wait, what did the president say just now?"

"What Guyu Poetry Meeting?"

The two girls were so busy ogling the male god that they didn't hear a word the president had said at the podium, blabbering on and on.

Jian Si Xun shook his head helplessly: "Then I'll repeat it again, pay attention this time."

Jin Xi and Chu Zhao immediately sat up straight with full focus, like they were in military training.

"During the grain rain season, the Literature Club will hold a school-wide Guyu Poetry Meeting, which is an annual tradition that requires club members to work together to make the event a success."

Chu Zhao said, "So the Literature Club disappeared for half a year, and now suddenly reappears to put us to work."

Jin Xi elbowed her: "Stop stating the obvious."

Jian Si Xun did not seem to be angry at all, lightly coughing: "Our Literature Club activities are usually held in the second semester after spring begins. New students have just arrived on campus in the first semester and are not well-adapted yet, so hastily holding activities may not have the best effect."

Jin Xi and Chu Zhao obediently nodded. Yes, yes, whatever you say, handsome guy.

Jian Si Xun added Jin Xi and Chu Zhao to the organization department's WeChat group to facilitate arranging work in the future.

For most of next half month, Jin Xi and Chu Zhao had to carry small wooden tables and set up shop at the entrance of the crowded student cafeteria to promote the Guyu Poetry Meeting and attract students to sign up and participate.

On the first day of setting up the booth, Jin Xi looked at the promotional poster hanging on the small wooden table and fell into deep thought.

The four characters for the Guyu Poetry Meeting were written decently, but the various little flowers surrounding it were also...too ugly!

Chu Zhao commented: "Looking at these makes one's anus pucker."

Jin Xi: "Ah, these are clearly lotus flowers."

Chu Zhao: "This poster has set a new record for ugliness. Hats off to their publicity department for not even trying."

Jian Si Xun standing on the side awkwardly said: "Um...actually those are hibiscus flowers, I drew them."

Jin Xi nodded thoughtfully with her arms crossed: "Chu Zhao, I think this lone hibiscus branch is really pretty, what do you think?"

Chu Zhao earnestly: "You're right, the blend of abstract and freehand in this phenomenal work of art is truly not something one would dare attempt without skill!"

Jian Si Xun: ...Thank you for humoring me.

The class bell rang, and students streamed out of the teaching building, walking towards the cafeteria. But most took a glance at the poster and left.

Chu Zhao wondered: "Why is no one signing up?"

Jin Xi: "It definitely has nothing to do with the poster."

Jian Si Xun looked at his poster and said, "Still need something eye-catching. Do you girls have any talents?"

Chu Zhao pointed at Jin Xi: "She can smash rocks on her chest."

Jian Si Xun: "Great, then Jin Xi can recite a poem for everyone."

Jin Xi: ...

**

At dusk, Bo Yan, Jing Chi and others came from the training ground, wearing T-shirts and carrying camouflage jackets. Walking under the setting sun, their elongated shadows were cocky and unruly.

Having just finished an obstacle course race, their arms and clothes were stained with dirt and dust. Tall and handsome, they attracted a lot of attention as they walked down the road.

Passing by the cafeteria entrance, the tender, crisp voice flowed into Bo Yan's ears—

"If I loved you, I would never be like the climbing vines, using your tall branches to show off myself."

"Brother Bai, let's eat together!"

"I'm not hungry, you guys go ahead."

Bo Yan strode vigorously towards the crowd following the voice. Pushing through the jam-packed students, he saw Jin Xi standing by the small table reciting poems.

Her little face was flushed red, hands clasped nervously in front of her chest, dumb as a wooden chicken—

"You have your copper branches, iron trunk, like a knife, a sword, or a spear; I have my large, red blossoms, like a heavy sigh, yet also like a heroic torch."

Reciting poems to him felt strange.

Jing Chi walked over to Bo Yan and lightly patted his shoulder: "What's so captivating?"

Bo Yan looked very serious: "My little radish is reciting poems to me."

"Don't be so full of yourself, how's she reciting to you?"

"She is reciting to me."

"Alright, whatever you say, sir."

Bo Yan shook the camouflage jacket draped on his shoulder and put it back on, then strode over to Jin Xi's small booth and bellowed: "Little radish!"

The surrounding girls all cast peculiar looks.

Jin Xi's face still wore the rosy clouds. She blurted out blankly: "Senior Bo Yan."

Bo Yan walked over and ruffled her hair familiarly: "What are you doing?"

She handed Bo Yan a flyer: "Poetry meeting, get the gist?"

Bo Yan had no interest in the poetry meeting itself. Lowering his head to squint at the poster on the table, it bothered him no matter how he looked at it: "You drew this?"

“It’s not, it’s...”

Jian Si Xun walked over and said, “I drew this.”

Bo Yan raised his eyebrows and said, “Your lotus flower has quite some character.”

Jin Xi pulled him and whispered, “This is not a lotus flower, it’s a camellia.”

Jian Si Xun also knew that the few strokes of camellia he drew could be said to have ruined the entire Gu Yu poetry meeting. He simply folded up the poster and put it away, “Let me ask my friends from the Fine Arts Academy to help redraw one.”

Chu Zhao looked at Bo Yan, “No need to ask someone else, right? We have a ready-made expert here. Senior Bo Yan, how about you do us the favor and draw a poster for us?”

Jin Xi pulled at her sleeve, “Senior is very busy with training.”

Bo Yan looked at Jin Xi with a faint smile, “If you ask, I'm not busy.”

Chu Zhao desperately winked at Jin Xi. Jin Xi didn't actually want to give Bo Yan extra trouble, but since it was already brought up, she might as well take the bait.

“Then...then please help us draw one, okay?”

“Alright, I'll have it for you tomorrow.”

Jin Xi glanced at Bo Yan's ashy sleeves. She walked over and carefully dusted off the mud and grass from his clothes.

“Where did you go to get so dirty?”

“If your senior had the skills to steal chickens and dogs, I would have just stolen a girl directly.”

Jin Xi laughed at his teasing, “You want to steal a young lady?”

Bo Yan ruffled her little head, “Of course a young lady. Otherwise, would I steal a little primary schooler like you?”

Jin Xi sneered and twisted her lips, tugging at his clothes, “Help me with the poster. Take off your clothes and I'll wash them for you. I'll have them done today so you can wear them tomorrow.”

Bo Yan swiftly took off his jacket and draped it over Jin Xi's shoulders.

“Wash it clean.”

“I know.”

After he left, Jin Xi neatly folded the camouflage military uniform and carefully put it in her own backpack.

...

The next day, at the literary club's booth, the huge hand-painted poster attracted quite a lot of students to take a look.

The four bold characters “Gu Yu Poetry Meeting” were vigorous and powerful, flowing smoothly like clouds and water, not at all inferior to the artwork Jin Xi had seen at the calligraphy exhibition hall.

In addition to the four bold “Gu Yu Poetry Meeting” characters, there were a few prunus mume blossoms dotted around, and a few dots of scarlet on the splashed ink branches which went very well with the whole color scheme.

The poster attracted the students, and many stopped to take photos.

Jian Si Xun sighed, “This senior of yours from the National Defense Academy, he's been hiding his talents! Turns out he can do calligraphy too.”

Jin Xi stared at the poster, her eyes shining, “He...is very capable.”

From her expression, Jian Si Xun sensed a deeper, unusual meaning beyond just admiration.

The name “Bo Yan” was something he heard the two girls mention very frequently. Chu Zhao was one thing, but mainly it was Jin Xi, who couldn't seem to speak a few sentences without the words “Senior Bo Yan”.

“Senior Bo Yan seems to have grown taller again. Can you imagine how tall a girl has to be to match him?”

“Senior Bo Yan won the shooting competition again. How is he so good?”

“Senior Bo Yan got confessed to again. Ah, that damned charm!”

...

From their words, Jian Si Xun roughly grasped just how high this “Senior Bo Yan's” popularity was.

However, in reality, in the gossip and whispers of the girls, how could there only be one boy?

The frequency at which the name “Jian Si Xun” was mentioned in Room 410 was also rising in a straight line.

“Can't believe Senior Jian Si Xun managed to get sponsorship from Ruida Group. My god, so awesome!”

“Senior Jian Si Xun also prepared some poems himself. My part will just be accompanying practices.”

“Senior Jian Si Xun's double eyelids are so beautiful. I'm so envious.”

...

Of course, not all this was said by Jin Xi, but that voice mentioning the “beautiful double eyelids”...passing by Room 409, Bo Yan could tell it was undoubtedly Jin Xi.

He walked back to the dorm, picked up the hand mirror on Xia You's desk and looked into it. In the mirror was his own long, narrow phoenix eyes, exuding a touch of aloofness and indifference.

Jing Chi said, “Stop looking. However much you look, your single eyelids won't turn into doubles.”

Bo Yan slapped the mirror down on the table, “Are double eyelids that good looking?”

Jing Chi smiled, “That depends whose face they're on. Jian Si Xun, been on TV, recognized male god of Chongqing University, publicly acknowledged school hunk, you say good looking or not?”

Bo Yan scoffed coldly, “Can he do 20kg one-arm push ups?”

Jing Chi: “No, but he can recite poems.”

Bo Yan: ......

**

In the afternoon, the dorm building was having a big cleaning. The corridors had just been mopped and were very slippery.

Chu Zhao was in a hurry to deliver some documents to Club President Jian Si Xun, so she jogged out the door. As a result, she slipped and fell with a “plop” in the hallway.

The door to Room 409 was open. Jing Chi was sitting with a pen, carefully recording income and surplus in his little notebook. Hearing a cry of “Ow ow mum” from the hallway.

The voice was quite familiar.

He put down his calculator and lazily walked out the door.

Not far away, Chu Zhao was sitting on the floor holding her foot, gritting her teeth and frowning in pain.

Jing Chi leaned against the doorframe watching her gloatingly.

Chu Zhao and Jing Chi had some personal grudges. Whenever they met they would argue. Chu Zhao never had a kind look on her face towards him either.

To say they had a deep hatred, not really. It was just that Jing Chi discovered Chu Zhao seemed to like Xu Chaoyang a little.

Later, he mercilessly told Chu Zhao, “Teacher Xu didn't take that kiss during the dare game seriously at all. And you aren't his type anyway. Teacher Xu likes hot girls, not bookish ones.”

It was true Xu Chaoyang had no feelings for Chu Zhao, because he had his eye on the broadcasting department beauty at the Art Academy. His heart was blossoming this spring, and he would chatter every day in the dorm about how beautiful and hot that girl was.

On that questionnaire survey, when Xu Chaoyang said there was someone he liked, he was talking about that girl. Chu Zhao had misunderstood.

Jing Chi had probed asking him before, among the four girls next door, who would he pick. Xu Chaoyang picked Lin Luo but didn't pick Chu Zhao. That was when Jing Chi knew cute girls like Chu Zhao weren't his taste. Xu Chaoyang liked girls with strong auras and hot bodies.

Ever since her secret crush was burst, Chu Zhao stopped talking to Jing Chi.

Jing Chi strolled leisurely over, picked up a nearby yellow warning sign triangle and held it in front of Chu Zhao, chuckling:

“Caution, slippery floor.”

Chu Zhao struggled to gather the documents scattered all over the floor, ignoring him.

“Chu Zhao, determined to never speak to me again?”

Jing Chi leaned over supporting himself on his knees, half-squatting in front of her, smiling, “You won't talk to Senior Jing Chi ever again in your life?”

Chu Zhao's cheeks were bright red, biting her lower lip with its pinkish white flesh. She still didn't say a word, “Go away, nasty!”

He gently tapped her pink bubble shoes, “Hurt?”

Chu Zhao couldn't help letting out a hiss, “Ow!”

“Twisted it.” Jing Chi said helplessly, “Gotta go to the school infirmary and get it looked at, put on some ointment.”

Having said that, without waiting for her reaction, he slipped one hand under her armpit, supported her back, and put his other hand behind her bent knee. Steadily, he picked her up princess style.

Chu Zhao's eyes widened in shock. Her little face was like a boiling kettle, popping with heat.

She had never been carried princess style by a boy before.

“Put me down!”

“No way.” Jing Chi laughed, holding her and briskly going down the stairs. She had nowhere to put her hands, so she could only loop them around his neck.

Jing Chi was different from Xu Chaoyang and the others. His skin wasn't that kind of fair and delicate boy. On the contrary, his complexion had a certain golden hue, like grains full of energy bathing in the sunlight.

Chu Zhao could feel the tension of the muscles in his arms.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, lowered her head, not wanting others to see her.

“Meddlesome.”

Her voice was barely audible, just nestled by his ear so Jing Chi could hear her clearly.

“Finally willing to talk to me?”

She grunted.

Chu Zhao really disliked him, disliked that all-knowing, insightful gaze of his, and disliked him telling her those so-called truths.

Self-righteous jerk.

Jin Xi was walking into the dorm building with an ice cream cone and happened to see Jing Chi carrying Chu Zhao out. Chu Zhao was nestled against him like a little bird, with her small face bright red.

“Wow!”

She opened her eyes wide and stared blankly at the two people passing in front of her. She was so frightened that the ice cream in her hand dropped.

What was this? Some fairytale romance being acted out on campus?

Jin Xi was completely baffled, and so was the matron.

The matron's head of naturally curly hair poked out from the duty window as she craned her neck and watched the two's retreating figures in frightened surprise before sharply glancing at Jin Xi.

Jin Xi immediately disclaimed any relation: "I don't know them!"

The matron rushed out of the duty room angrily and erased the words "No loud noises in the dorms, no spreading unhealthy materials" written in chalk on the small blackboard in front of her. She replaced them with: "No sneaking into dorms of the opposite sex, no pulling and tugging, no falling in love!"

Jin Xi hurried up the stairs and ran to room 409, bumping straight into Bo Yan's hard stomach.

Bo Yan grabbed her collar, leaned down to look at her frightened doe eyes, and said heavily: "Seeing ghosts?"

Jin Xi held her now headless egg roll ice cream in one hand and grabbed Bo Yan's sleeve with the other, hurriedly pulling him to the edge of the corridor and pointing at Jing Chi not far away--

"Look at them quickly...they're..."

"Hmm?"

"Where do you think he's taking her like that?"

"I don't know, what do you think?"

A trace of cunning smile appeared in Jin Xi's eyes: "Going to do that."

Bo Yan lightly knocked her forehead as punishment: "What this and that, your little brain is always full of unhealthy stuff."

"Then you tell me, why are they like that, even princess carrying!"

Bo Yan explained: "Your roommate fell down, Jing Chi is taking her to the infirmary."

Jin Xi realized: "She fell down? Then I should go see her."

However, she had just reached the door when she hurried back: "Oh no, oh no, the matron is coming to check the dorms!"

Jin Xi was so panicked that she directly hid in the bathroom. Bo Yan grabbed the back of her collar and said, "The first thing the matron does when checking dorms is inspect the bathroom, believe it or not."

Jin Xi became a little flustered. If she was caught sneaking around the boys' dormitory, it would be so embarrassing to be reported and criticized.

The dorm room was just this small square space, usually it was easy to hide some prohibited electrical appliances, but hiding a whole live person was not so easy at all, there was simply nowhere to hide!

"Forget it," Bo Yan said heavily. "I don't like this."

"Don't like what?"

"I don't like letting girls hide furtively. You're in my dorm, there's nothing wrong with that."

"What do you mean nothing wrong!" Jin Xi said anxiously: "The matron is checking for boys and girls dating in the dorms! If we're caught, there'll be big trouble."

"If there's trouble I'll take the fall for it." He had always been frank and said directly: "Even if it's dating, who can still control it."

"Who's dating," Jin Xi mumbled. "This is baseless, I don't want to be misunderstood."

Bo Yan's expression turned cold: "Who don't you want to misunderstand you?"

The matron's footsteps drew near. Jin Xi wanted to hide by the balcony, but Bo Yan firmly grabbed her wrist: "Hiding is useless, might as well face it."

Jin Xi struggled hard, but Bo Yan just held her hand tightly, with so much force it was as if he wanted to crush her bones.

Right at this moment, the matron pushed the door open and saw the messy entangled scene of them pulling and tugging.

The matron was slightly surprised, then greatly angered, and reprimanded loudly: "You two, what are you doing hiding in the dorm!"

The male students curiously squeezed to the dorm door, gossiping and craning their necks to look inside--

"Whoa, they really did get caught!"

"What else could a boy and girl do alone."

"Bo Yan's got skills, already bringing a girl to his dorm."

Jin Xi lowered her head, her flushed face seemingly about to bleed. Her hand was still gripped tightly by Bo Yan.

He said casually: "College students dating, you want to control even that, Auntie? That's unreasonable."

"I don't care if young people date," the matron said angrily, "But not in the dorms. With boys living eight to a room, I have to make sure you're proper! If everyone was like you two, with girls and boys sneaking into each other's rooms, the dorms would be in chaos!"

There was some playfulness in the male students' eyes.

The auntie wrote down the two's dorm and names, then turned and went downstairs.

Jin Xi's face was full of embarrassment. She shook Bo Yan's hand off forcefully and glared at him, saying in a crying voice: "Bo Yan, why are you always so unreasonable like this!"

She ran back to her own dorm and slammed the door shut.

Bo Yan's expression was icy cold. He raised his pitch black eyes and yelled at everyone: "Seen enough? Get lost!"

Everyone scattered at once.

Jin Xi's crying accusation "you're unreasonable" swirled in Bo Yan's mind.

Extremely irritated, he lashed out and kicked the dorm's tightly shut door.

Author's Note: What young couple doesn't fight~

Come now, Bo Yan, calm down and start cursing ferociously.