Chapter 181: Taking a Step
And so, Xia Yu began her treacherous journey into the realm of secretarial duties, clutching the giant book Jiang Hanhang gifted her like a holy relic, flipping through the pages with a mixture of determination and confusion.
Of course, her ever-curious sister Xia Ling wasn’t about to miss out. She snuggled up to Xia Yu, peering over her shoulder to see what enlightening wisdom lay within those pages.
Alas, what greeted them were nothing but monotonous platitudes that would bore even the most patient of souls. Xia Ling quickly lost interest and pulled out her phone to engage in some covert gaming instead.
Just then, Jiang Hanhang noticed and playfully nudged Xia Ling’s arm, whispering, “Wanna game? Bring me along!”
Xia Ling raised an eyebrow. “…”
Jiang Hanhang persisted, “Come on, it’s just to pass the time!”
“Fine, let’s play!”
At this response, Jiang Hanhang’s little face lit up with satisfaction. They swiftly swapped places because, obviously, if they were going to game together, they needed to sit side by side. Xia Yu obeyed like a well-trained pup, exchanging seats, then diving back into the tome of wisdom Jiang had bestowed upon her.
You know, Xia Yu couldn’t quite fathom why she was suddenly so engrossed. If it had been her old self, she would have merely glanced at it, sighed dramatically, and tossed it aside. But now? Now, she felt unusually calm and her patience had skyrocketed. Gone were the days of easily agitated moods. A mystery for sure!
As Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling were in the heat of a gaming match, the opening ceremony began, with the MC announcing the coming of leaders and VIPs. To Xia Yu’s surprise, her sister Jiang Kekai was on stage too, just casually lounging about as a school board member (you know, the type who funds school renovations).
Indeed, Jiang Kekai was by far the youngest among the leadership. She strolled onto the stage with a laptop, looking more like she was attending a coffee shop meeting than an opening ceremony.
The glances from the nearby leaders and fellow students? Totally disregarded. After all, she was seasoned in handling major events!
The reason for her financial investment in this school? Well, she suspected Xia Yu might stick around for a few more years, and having a leadership title could come in handy for helping her little sister.
So, Jiang Kekai blissfully ignored her surroundings and glued her attention to her work.
Meanwhile, the leaders weren’t blind. The MC had intended to call on the youthful board member for a few words, but seeing how busy Jiang Kekai was, he thought better of it.
Out of nowhere, a sharply voiced reprimand caught Xia Yu and several students’ attention. “Where’s your phone? Hand it over! I saw you just now!”
Looking in the direction of the voice, it was a few boys from Class 17, too engrossed in their game to notice their teacher had entered. What a way to get caught! Xia Yu and her classmates grabbed their popcorn to watch the drama unfold as another class’s teacher confiscated phones.
This little incident was merely a blip in the opening ceremony, and soon enough, once the teacher had left with the miscreants’ phones, everyone returned to their business, Xia Yu included.
However, after witnessing that debacle, the students caught playing on their phones noticeably toned it down, suddenly becoming as discreet as ninjas. Well, all except for Jiang Hanhang, who was unbothered by authority. “Please, let them try to take my laptop!” she thought triumphantly. Compared to her sister, who was engrossed in her work up at the podium, she felt she was being sensible.
As expected, when He Gongxing came around to do a headcount and spotted Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling gaming together, he chose to turn a blind eye. Who needs the hassle?
For a while, Xia Yu settled into her studies, embodying the image of a serene and studious beauty. Thankfully, the text wasn’t too complicated; even the idioms came with explanations. So, she could pretty much grasp what the book was trying to convey.
This studious version of Xia Yu naturally piqued the interest of her classmates. Not only was she engrossed in her book, but she also had that enigmatic cross-dressing allure—enough to draw in the curious gazes of several girls.
But none dared talk to Xia Yu yet; after all, their understanding of her was tainted by rumors. Many believed her to be a bathroom stalker—dangerous and perverted, obviously!
Yet, hearing about her was different from witnessing her demeanor in person. After an hour of silent observation, the curiosity began to circle like sharks around prey. Was she truly as weird as everyone said?
Finally, one brave girl sitting next to Xia Yu couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and gathered her courage to ask, “Hey, can I ask you a question?”
Sensing the shift in attention, Xia Yu moved her focus from the book to the girl, emitting a single, curious “Hmm?”
At the same moment, Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling halted their gaming, intrigued by the exchange, eager to hear what the girl had to say. After all, if Xia Yu was going to rejoin the land of the living, this was an essential step!
With Xia Yu responding so quickly and the off-chance that she was indeed a boy, the girl blushed a bit as she nervously blurted out, “Um… are you really a boy?”
“Uh-oh?”
Xia Yu was taken aback; why ask that now? Didn’t you already know? Did she want to double-check because of the school uniform? Trying to keep her cool, she shrugged it off with a calm, “Yep, what’s up?”
Inside though? Chaos reigned! She was still grappling with her mental demons, after all. “It’s just that I’m surprised a guy could be so pretty, your skin is like, wow, I’m super jealous!”
As the girl rambled on, she noticed that Xia Yu wasn’t all that hard to converse with.
Xia Yu’s disguise wasn’t flawless, though. Despite her brave front, the anxiety was plastered across her face—not exactly the behavior of a creepy perv, was it?
Listening in, Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling decided to let the girl linger in her questions since she wasn’t crossing any lines.
After some time, Xia Ling playfully wrapped her arms around Jiang Hanhang and lay her head on her shoulder, side-eyeing Xia Yu. “Hey, you know how much you weigh? You’re like a heavy brick! Get off me, will ya?”
“Nope!”
Lazily replied Xia Ling, making it clear she had no intention of moving. Jiang Hanhang chuckled silently.
An hour had passed since the curious girl broached the subject with Xia Yu, allowing the surrounding girls a chance to piece together who Xia Yu really was.
Honestly, they found her to be more shy and introverted than they expected from a guy—her anxious expressions were amusing, to say the least.
What started with one girl talking to Xia Yu snowballed into several chatting away, spurred on by Xia Ling’s playful nature.
Seeing Xia Yu take this step made Xia Ling genuinely happy. It was high time Xia Yu lived a life that wasn’t a constant battle, right?
As the chatter grew emboldened around Xia Yu, her earlier awkwardness faded. The pressure lifted as she shifted away from Jiang Hanhang’s clutch.
Suddenly, Jiang Hanhang, the embodiment of mischief, was ready for payback from the earlier cheeky move! With determination, she leaped up to return the pressure Xia Ling had just employed. No problem; they were about the same size!
And wouldn’t you know it? Jiang Hanhang knocked it out of the park!
But Xia Ling was crafty; just as Jiang thought she was winning, she launched a surprise attack, fingers digging into Jiang Hanhang’s side, exclaiming, “Nine Yin White Bone Claw!”
It was a shockingly effective technique. With just a few tickles, Jiang Hanhang turned into a puddle, giggling uncontrollably…
In a setting where seriousness reigned, even the loudest laugh would be considered too daring. So, Jiang Hanhang held her giggles in, tears escaping her eyes.
Before long, she was tucked in Xia Ling’s embrace, completely out of power.
Her face flushed, she looked both adorable and pathetic. It was clear she was holding back a struggle.
“Cute, think you can beat me? You need to train for another ten years!”
As Xia Ling teased, squishing Jiang Hanhang’s cheeks, she couldn’t help but feel victorious.
But amidst all this, Jiang Hanhang was at her wit’s end, trying to sit up, only to be yanked back down. The frustration was mounting! But she refused to concede, declaring, “Release me, or I’ll challenge you to a rematch during nap time, and today I will NOT lose!”
“Sure! Just remember, you already lost, so why would I let you go now? Who knows if you’ll try to sneak-attack me later? I’m super scared.”
Xia Ling grinned, cherishing her little victory. Jiang Hanhang groaned, defeated.
Their antics were loud enough that Xia Yu couldn’t miss it, but given their close bond, she didn’t dwell on it too much.
Unbeknownst to her, up on stage, Jiang Kekai had shifted her attention to Xia Yu, wearing a smile filled with fondness.
