Chapter 382: So Sour
The bus ride lasted four excruciating hours, taking everyone from the bustling city to a scenic suburb, otherwise, how could we call it spring outing? At last, the journey was over.
As the convoy finally came to a halt, Xia Yu and the other girls could barely contain their excitement. The place had mountains and rivers, seemingly quite nice. Even though they were itching to play, they knew they had to abide by the rules. Under Huang Qiao’s leadership, the girls began to gather with the boys.
Headteacher He Gongxing, who accompanied the boys, became the backbone of the group as soon as everyone assembled. They followed him off the bus and away from the noise. They headed to a grassy field where he organized them into neat rows. “Dorm leaders, please step forward.”
With these words, the students couldn’t help but guess what the headteacher was up to next.
Sure enough, after Huang Qiao stepped forward with the other dorm leaders, He Gongxing said, “Wait here, I’ll fetch the keys. Then you can go back with your dorm leader to put your belongings down, and regroup later.”
Seeing the headteacher depart with the dorm leaders, many students relaxed. Some sat on the lawn, others pulled out their phones to play, while a few started chatting.
“We didn’t eat anything this morning, can you imagine what the school will treat us? Probably barbecue, right? I’ve seen those TV shows where people get barbecues when traveling.”
“I think so too. Otherwise, our measly funds would only get us one meal at a restaurant. But definitely no doubt, it’s barbecue.”
“Barbecue? Is it even possible for this kind of thing? It looks like summer camp, doesn’t it?”
…
Xia Yu wasn’t particularly hungry at first, but listening to the chatter made her feel famished.
True enough, Xia Yu was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to eat something. She had snacks in her bag, but she worried she might not be able to finish the barbecue later. Tired of standing, Xia Yu decided to ditch her propriety and sat down on the grass with most of the others.
“Yikes, I’m starving!”
Xia Yu rubbed her little belly and then lay down to look at the sky. It was comforting, despite the winter chill. “Huh, is your period starting?”
Xia Yu: “?? ?”
Who said such a spoilsport comment?
She squinted towards the source of the voice and saw that it was Xia Ling. Only a silly loli like her would say something like that. “Are you implying it’s starting for me? Don’t just say stuff like that.”
Xia Yu pouted but decided to keep quiet and bask in the sun.
Was she afraid her secret wouldn’t remain hidden? Xia Yu thought gloomily. Speaking of which… her period was indeed coming around soon.
Having been challenged, Xia Ling naturally felt a bit upset as well, and she hugged Jiang Hanhan, pinching her face in retaliation: “Whatever, if you weren’t my sister, I wouldn’t care as much for you.”
Jiang Hanhan: “…” Xia Yu: “…”
Xia Yu had feared that her friends might misconstrue Xia Ling’s remarks, yet they were already used to their interactions. Xia Ling had called Xia Yu ‘sister’ several times, and since she never explicitly mentioned she was a girl, the classmates mostly believed they were just playful.
In any case, this was someone else’s affair, why should they concern themselves with it? Too many questions about gossiping could make the rumors less plausible.
Poor Jiang Hanhan, she did nothing wrong but still got pinched by Xia Ling as punishment. She felt so wronged. She would hold a grudge against Xia Yu, but she wouldn’t show it now.
Fortunately, Headteacher He returned with the dorm leaders, looking quite pleased. It seemed the retrieval had gone smoothly.
“Alright, return to your dorms with your dorm leaders to drop off belongings. Keep valuable items on you. We’ll meet up again in half an hour. Get going,” He said, and the crowd dispersed to their respective rooms.
For their part, Xia Yu, Xia Ling, Jiang Hanhan, Li Jia, and Gao Yao quickly found Huang Qiao, and together they went to their shared room.
They swiped the keycard and entered a three-bed room. As expected, the layout meant sharing beds. Jiang Hanhan seized the moment and grabbed Xia Ling, who was standing beside her: “I’ll share the bed with Xia Ling. You all can decide.” “Then, I’ll be with Li Jia,” proposed Gao Yao.
Of course, she and Li Jia had probably known each other for a long time. They shared a bed, so this arrangement was unsurprising. Given that, Xia Yu and Huang Qiao would have to share a bed.
If it were a different situation, Huang Qiao would strongly object, but now she accepted it because Xia Yu is also a girl.
Once the bed arrangements were settled, the girls started unpacking and getting ready to rest before meeting up again.
Their headteacher gave them thirty minutes, and waiting ten left them plenty of time to rest. Indoor comfort was always better than being outside, at least in Xia Yu’s eyes.
Besides, they might not have more chances to rest once they went out. Just forget it.
Jiang Hanhan stretched out on the bed. “This bed isn’t soft at all, it’s unlike home.”
Xia Ling: “…” [she knows]
Home bed quality; Jiang Hanhan was initially unhappy but had a new bed brought in earlier. Here, comparing it to home made her laugh. “What else can you do, go back and sleep at home?”
“Maybe, but moving back and forth is tedious. I’ll tough it through here.”
Xia Yu turned and touched the sheets, discovering they felt a little rough. Testing the blankets, they appeared soft, but felt stiff inside. No doubt, something heavy filled them.
A hotel room, a temporary haven for travelers, easily sparked wild thoughts about past events…
Indeed, Xia Yu couldn’t help wondering if anything untoward had happened here before, or if the owners had cleaned up thoroughly afterward. Not at home, but her cleanliness freak tendencies were really bothering her.
Time passed quickly, and in twenty-five minutes, they had to leave. Together, they set off once more.
Only one key card, no backup available, so they all stayed together.
Arriving back at the assembly point, everyone gathered hastily and on schedule. He Gongxing shouldn’t have been too displeased, given it was a field trip day.
Seeing everyone in place, He Gongxing began assigning tasks: “The school’s supplies have arrived, get ready to move and sort. The boys carry the goods, the girls divide and prepare the ingredients, then start cooking.”
No surprise, of course—the group had guessed the activities from the beginning.
As the boys went to fetch supplies with He Gongxing, Xia Yu again contemplated joining them.
But before she could move, Xia Ling grabbed her and affectionately rapped her on the head: “Going to fetch more hair ties? Let’s find water instead.”
Xia Yu: “..…”
Xia Yu had always been the one to bear Xia Ling’s smacks, but today she got a taste of her own medicine. Jiang Hanhan chuckled at her misfortune: “How does it feel now?” “Satisfactory.”
Xia Yu realized now that Jiang Hanhan was becoming increasingly fond of teasing her. Back home, she vowed to seek guidance from Sister Xia Ling to tackle the pesky loli.
The water taps were sparse, so under the head dorm leader Huang Qiao’s instructions, the girls divided into groups. Once someone found a free tap, they’d notify the rest via phone.
Xia Yu remained at the main camp, playing on her phone alone since males had to stay on her side.
As a male student, she now acted on the female side’s behalf. Although she didn’t mind, she knew boys must be gossiping about her role-reversal.
She wished to engage in some labor, alas, it seemed impossible.
Her suspicions proved correct—the boys often talked about her, but in a neutral manner. Mostly, they envied her perks.
