Xiao Qiqi clutched her stomach and squatted down. "I want to go back to the dorm. I'm so cold!"
Xia Xuan couldn't help but touch her wet hair. "Sweetie, wait a minute, I'll be right back." After saying that, she strode across the road and into the pharmacy on the other side.
When she returned, Xia Xuan's face was very red. She stuffed something into Xiao Qiqi's hand and said, "Well, the doctor said that taking it on time will reduce the symptoms a lot." She also handed a bottle of water to Xiao Qiqi with her other hand.
Xiao Qiqi was stunned. So he went to the pharmacy to buy medicine. "...Thank you!" He was so mean to her just now. Oh, no, he did something wrong, so he's looking for compensation! Xiao Qiqi is a materialist and looks at everything from a dialectical perspective.
Xia Xuan, of course, had no idea that Xiao Qiqi had gone through so many thoughts in a short time. She rubbed her hands together and asked, "Um... do you want me to buy it for you?"
"What?" Xiao Qiqi was struggling with the pills, her mouth full of water. When she finally came to her senses, her face flushed red. She stood up and said in a low voice, "No! There are some in the dorm." After saying that, she wanted to slap herself. How could she say such a thing to a boy she had just met?
"Oh, then you should go back quickly? Or should I carry you on my back?" Xia Xuan's fingers trembled, and she stammered nervously.
Looking at the bustling campus, Xiao Qiqi gritted her teeth, "No! I'll walk back slowly by myself. You, don't follow me!" She looked around in fear, thankfully there were no acquaintances, otherwise she would have been terribly embarrassed.
"Okay, then you can go first." Xia Xuan was also hoping not to stay with her any longer; her heart was pounding strangely.
Xiao Qiqi twisted her body, dodging the crowd like she was doing a folk dance, always trying to hide in the shadows, as if afraid someone would see the mess on her pants. Xia Xuan watched her hunched over, cautiously observing her surroundings like a squirrel searching for food, before carefully hopping away, and couldn't help but smile. This girl is still so interesting. Oh, I forgot to ask, what's her name?
V. Election
"Qiqi, let's go!" Lin Wen shook Xiao Qiqi awake again. "It's the new student council election! I heard there are lots of handsome guys." Lin Wen leaned down and whispered in Xiao Qiqi's ear, "I heard that idiot is running for student council president, what a great opportunity!"
Upon hearing the word "idiot," Xiao Qiqi opened her eyes wide. A quick mental calculation followed: idiot = Xia Xuan = pervert = tadpole—by all accounts, she was more of an enemy. Summoning courage from who-knows-where, Xiao Qiqi sat up, jumped out of bed like a warrior, changed her clothes, and waved boldly, "Let's go!" Then she turned and asked, "Hey, where are Xu Chun and my stepmother?"
"Tch! I went to reserve a spot a long time ago." Lin Wen sneered. "You're like a pig, always sleeping in." Xiao Qiqi just chuckled in response to Lin Wen's sarcasm.
Xu Chun's story had spread throughout the entire school. A group of crazy young men chased after her, shouting "love!" There was even a row of aliens who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, with Li Yue leading the pack! And he was the one who fell the hardest. No one knew how Xu Chun had managed to stop Li Yue's pursuit. All they saw was that Li Yue, who used to treat the girls from their dorm like his own mother, now refused to acknowledge them, even looking up at them with disdain when they passed by. This took a year. However, Xu Chun's pursuit of Xia Xuan, the school's most handsome boy and Li Yue's dormmate, was even more sensational. One was a beautiful and incomparably stunning princess, the other a gentle and handsome prince, yet one pursued, and the other smiled, but with an undeniable rejection. Xia Xuan said they could be friends, but absolutely no further steps could be taken. Xu Chun cried for three nights because of this, Huang Yu encouraged her for three nights, Lin Wen mocked her for three nights, and Xiao Qiqi despised her for three nights. From then on, Xu Chun was even more motivated, as if she had only one thing to do for the past four years: to pursue Xia Xuan!
The student council election was like a pot of simmering porridge. Xiao Qiqi, yawning, finally managed to squeeze into a seat next to Lin Wen. Xiao Qiqi felt utterly uninterested; the long-winded campaign speeches, resembling a political exam, made her want to laugh, but she dared not laugh loudly. Instead, she pinched Lin Wen's soft, cotton-like thigh and vigorously shook her shoulders. Lin Wen was used to being teased, but she still couldn't withstand the relentless attack of her nails. Watching her "enemy," that idiot, go on stage, Lin Wen's eyes blazed with fury, only thinking about how to tear off his smiling face. Unexpectedly, a sharp pain shot through her thigh, and she couldn't help but jump up, yelling, "Xiao Qiqi, are you crazy? Are you like that mentally challenged idiot on stage, gone mad with insanity?" Her words silenced the already quiet lecture hall even more. Lin Wen covered her mouth, looking in horror at the consequences of her impulsive actions. Oh, a mentally challenged idiot, on stage, on stage? Standing alone, there is Xia Xuan, the school heartthrob who is elegant, handsome, and attracts countless infatuated girls!
"Intellectually disabled idiots?" Finally, someone repeated, and the rivals burst into wild laughter. Whistles, laughter, shouts, and curses filled the air—it was quite a scene! Xiao Qiqi, shoulders shaking, pulled Lin Wen along, hunched over, trying to slip away, but their path was blocked by a pair of long legs. They tried again, but were blocked again. They tried again, but were blocked again! Lin Wen finally stood up, her face contorted in tears. "It wasn't me, Xiao Qiqi made me say it!" Betraying her friend at the last minute, Lin Wen pushed Xiao Qiqi aside with her eyes closed. Xiao Qiqi smiled strangely. "Ah, oh, the weather's nice. Oh, this outfit is really cool!"
"Xiao Qiqi? So your name is Xiao Qiqi!" Xia Xuan smiled gently, but the anger in his eyes was already burning. Xiao Qiqi felt a fire burning down her spine. Could it be that this person looks so gentle and kind, could he have X-ray vision? Then let's burn that little rascal Lin Wen behind me to ashes!
"Hmph!" Xia Xuan snorted indifferently through her nostrils, turned around and left arrogantly, without leaving a trace.
Lin Wen peeked half her head out from behind Xiao Qiqi's shoulder, "Just like that? Aren't you going to beat us up?"
"Sigh, he's a gentleman! Unlike a scoundrel like you!" Xiao Qiqi grabbed Lin Wen's soft arm and pinched it. "Little mosquito, you've learned to frame me, huh?"
"Ah!" Lin Wen screamed, drawing stares from all sides.
"That's her! She just called Xia Xuan a mentally challenged idiot!" There's never a shortage of angry, infatuated girls. "Hmph, beat her up!"
Lin Wen ran, only to find that Xiao Qiqi had already disappeared. So, once again, she became Liu Hulan's negative number, saying, "My name is Xiao Qiqi!"
From then on, a beautiful legend began to circulate on the campus of University A. A woman named Xiao Qiqi openly called Xia Xuan, the most popular, dashing, gentle, and attractive campus heartthrob who drew screams from female students, a "mentally retarded idiot" at the student council president election meeting. From then on, the handsome, dashing, gentle, and otherworldly Xia Xuan had a beautiful nickname that he dominated University A for many years, unmatched by anyone.
Xiao Qiqi and Lin Wen, panting heavily in their dorm room, looked at each other, then lay on their beds and burst into laughter. Wow, that was so exciting!
The dormitory door was pushed open with a loud bang, and the beautiful Xu strode in with a fierce look on her face. Lin Wen, looking for a beating, said rudely, "Wow! What a huge crab, and it's a crab jumping around in a hot pot."
Xu Chun was already seething with anger, and seeing her beloved being called a "mentally retarded idiot" in front of so many people was bound to upset her. Hearing the troublemaker lying there making sarcastic remarks, a cold smile crept across her beautiful face. "Lin Wen, you little brat who dares to do something but not admit it!"
"What do you mean I wouldn't admit to doing something?" Lin Wen retorted. "Hey, I just said Xia Xuan is mentally challenged and an idiot, so what? He's not your boyfriend, who are you trying to fool with that shrewish face?"
Instead of getting angry, Xu Chun laughed, "Lin Wen, you haven't fallen for Xia Xuan, have you? Otherwise, why are you so concerned about him?" These words made Lin Wen sit up abruptly in bed. "Tch! That idiot Xia Xuan, who cares! He always has that fake, smug face, only you, Xu Chun, would care!"
Xu Chun walked to her desk, picked up a comb, and slowly combed her cascading long hair. "Sigh, how pitiful! I understand the mentality of a little girl like you all too well. Because you care, you desperately speak ill of others, all you want is for them to look at you differently. How childish and immature!"
Xu Chun's hurtful words to Lin Wen made Xiao Qiqi, who was pinching Lin Wen's soft thigh, tremble uncontrollably. Oh, how embarrassing! Because she cared, she hurt Lin Wen. Would she imply it was her own fault? "Mental retardation" was also Xiao Qiqi's invention! And tadpoles... oh, how could I, a pure young girl, think of such filthy things? Soft, cool, black, and trembling... Ah! Xiao Qiqi screamed and covered her face.
Xu Chun and Lin Wen, who were bickering, immediately stopped and looked at Xiao Qiqi strangely. Xiao Qiqi smiled wryly, "...You two continue!"
Lin Wen immediately objected and threw herself into Xiao Qiqi's arms, "Qiqi, Xu Chun has wronged me! She only insulted my innocence because she was standing up for Xia Xuan."
Xiao Qiqi patted Lin Wen's shoulder enthusiastically, "Don't be afraid, little rabbit. I'll take you to eat frog meat, and I guarantee all your troubles will be swept away."
Why frogs?
“...Because, because frogs are the mothers of tadpoles!” Xiao Qiqi blurted out after a long pause.
News spread faster on campus than on the radio. Along the way, Xiao Qiqi and Lin Wen kept their heads down like thieves, unable to bear listening to the gossip from all sides. Most of it was resentment and indignation. Oh, because the people who chatter together on the street are mostly girls, and girls are the natural main force of gossip.
One of the things that made Xiao Qiqi suddenly straighten her back, which had been hunched over for a while. "...I heard that Xiao Qiqi is in room 402 of building 8, and Xia Xuan is in room 607 of building 7, facing the window. They had agreed to have a joint activity in their dorm, but Xia Xuan is now refusing to agree no matter what. I know this very well; I'm from the same hometown as Xia Xuan and we share a dorm. I heard that Xia Xuan just went back and threw a huge tantrum."
"You're talking nonsense. Xia Xuan has such a good temper and is so gentle, how could she lose her temper?"
...
Xiao Qiqi gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Damn idiot! A social event? Ah, I'm not going to go with you! Lin Wen was still in a daze, lost in thought. Xiao Qiqi pinched her soft arm. "Hey, this idiot's dorm is having a social event with us? How come I didn't know?"
Lin Wen's big eyes narrowed as Xiao Qiqi pinched her. "Waaah, Qiqi, stop pinching me. My heart is broken."
"Why?" Xiao Qiqi looked at Yuan Baobao strangely. "You're not so angry with the beautiful Xu that you're not eating?"
"I think... I've really fallen in love with Xia Xuan."
Xiao Qiqi stumbled, luckily managing to grab onto a sycamore tree. He clung to it like a raccoon, panting heavily. This world has truly gone mad. Sixteen-year-old Lin Wen, having missed her chance with Da Tou, has now fallen for an idiot! Passersby stared, secretly amused by the raccoon clinging to the tree. Lin Wen tried desperately to pry Xiao Qiqi's hands off, but to no avail.
A group of boys casually strolled over in their jerseys, their hip-hop voices carrying the energy of youth. "Wow, Xiao Qiqi, are you hugging a tree trunk?" Li Yue, walking over, looked curiously at the ten snow-white paws tightly embracing the peeling, mottled trunk. Lin Wen chuckled, "It's cool!"
Xiao Qiqi spotted the idiot standing among the group, smiling smugly. He let go of her hair and tossed it around with an air of nonchalance, saying, "It's cool here!" He then pulled Lin Wen away arrogantly, leaving behind a crowd of bewildered stares.
Lin Wen's love life never lasts more than a week—a truth Xiao Qiqi had observed. Lin Wen "loved" Xia Xuan for a week, then enthusiastically packed her bag and went on a trip with a boy with adorable dimples. Upon her return, she announced their official relationship. The speed of it all brought tears to Xiao Qiqi's eyes again, but the most heartbroken was Xiao Qiqi herself. From then on, she was alone, without her little white rabbit. Sigh, she'd be all alone.
VI. Social Gathering
Midnight is Cinderella's transformation time.
Huang Yudi blocked Lin Wen's mouth twelve times before she started talking about her dimpled boyfriend, and only then did the night's conversation officially begin.
Huang Yu coughed like a leader, "Tonight's topic: Dormitory get-together!"
"Oh dear, it's such a pity I wish I had known Su Tong sooner. Their dorm already has a joint dorm." Lin Wen interrupted again, completely oblivious to the awkwardness.
The yellow croaker was violent and sinister. "Still calling me Su Tong? I think we should call him Lu Yi instead."
Lin Wen shut up, Xu Chun chuckled, and Xiao Qiqi yawned.
"I am in charge of announcing to everyone that we have decided to have a joint activity with room 607 of Building 7."
"Who are you? It's not you and Xu Chun, is it?" Lin Wen, like a tenacious little cockroach, held a grudge and would never forget that Xu Chun had stolen her "first love," Xia Xuan. What nonsense! Lin Wen, first love? Besides, you already have Su Tong! Xiao Qiqi thought disdainfully. Oh, 607 sounds so familiar?
She strained to listen, "...But there's a problem now, the leader of 607 absolutely refuses to have a social event with us." Xiao Qiqi felt a chill run down her spine and decided to pretend to be asleep.
"It's said that a woman named Xiao XX offended Boss 607. Hehe..." Huang Yujie's laughter sent a chill down Xiao Qiqi's spine.
"Brother Huang, I'm not going!" Xiao Qiqi hugged the bedpost and shouted righteously once again, "Lin Wen, where did you go, little mosquito? Help!" Lin Wen, who was on a date, sneezed, which scared Su Tong so much that he ran to the pharmacy.
Huang Yu easily pried open Xiao Qiqi's octopus-like hand. "You have to go, whether you want to or not!" Xu Chun sat on the bed, pretending to be a saintly contemplative woman, completely oblivious to what was happening.
"Boss Huang, waah, you're being unfair! Xu Chun was clearly trying to seduce Xia Xuan, so why am I being made the matchmaker? I'm not going, I'm not going! There are so many boys' dorms, I can just find a random social event. If 607 doesn't pull us along, we won't pull them along either! Right, Sister Huang Yu?" Xiao Qiqi's voice changed several times as she hugged the bedpost again, "Waaah, you're being unfair!"
"Hehe, favoritism? I'm not biased at all. I'm a warm-hearted young man. If you're so capable, and you fall for a guy right now, I, Huang Yuyi, will do my best to help you get him!" Huang Yu patted Xu Chun's shoulder with satisfaction. "She's a beautiful woman who loves you, so she should know how to be reserved. How could she do something like offering her warm face to a cold backside?"
Xiao Qiqi's eyes gleamed with resentment, "So you're going to make me offer my warm face to your cold backside?"
"Wrong! If you go there, you'll just be giving someone the cold shoulder! That way, nobody will feel cold." Huang Yu said seriously.
Xiao Qiqi felt like she was spitting blood, cursing that idiot Xia Xuan a thousand times in her heart, "Then why don't you go and fawn over him?"
"Me? I'm the boss, in charge of everything! Besides, Xia Xuan refused to participate in our social event because of your foul mouth. As the culprit, you should go and apologize."
"It was Lin Wen who called him a mentally challenged idiot!" Xiao Qiqi said, feeling wronged.
"Ha! Don't think I don't know, Lin Wen's little mind couldn't possibly come up with such filthy words, and you taught her to say them." Huang Yu smiled confidently and continued to pry open Xiao Qiqi's octopus-like hand, "Be good, go ahead!" The stepmother's true colors were on full display.
"Sigh..." The beautiful woman sighed softly, her large eyes dimming and drifting away. Like a porcelain doll that had lost its soul, she rose to her feet. "Qiqi, if you don't want to go, then forget it. Huang Yu, you... you guys shouldn't even think about me." Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, and Xiao Qiqi's heart skipped a beat. She was so pitiful!
"Wow!" Xiao Qiqi, emboldened by who-knows-where, patted his chest and swallowed hard. "Hehe, dealing with that idiot Xia Xuan is nothing, I've got plenty of skills!"
"Qiqi, he... he's not an idiot!" the beautiful woman protested resentfully.
"I know, I know, not an idiot, but a tadpole... a cute and handsome guy, a prince on a white horse."
Xu Chun's captivating smile, Huang Yu's satisfied smile, and Xiao Qiqi's smirking smile.
Xiao Qiqi hid behind a tree, rubbing her hands together, wishing Lin Wen were here. Just pinching that cotton-like skin would cheer her up. She patted her face and emerged from behind the ancient locust tree, about to put on a smile, when she was startled by a scream. It turned out that a group of brightly dressed women were sitting in the stands on the other side of the playground, clapping and screaming wildly. Oh, infatuated women! Xiao Qiqi looked towards the playground, made a stylish dribble, and then fired a powerful shot! Xiao Qiqi instinctively covered her ears, and sure enough, another scream erupted.
Xiao Qiqi crossed her arms, watching Xia Xuan and a large group of energetic boys running and playing on the playground. Their youthful energy, graceful figures, and stylish moves, along with their focused, dark eyes while playing soccer—oh, actually, it was quite a sight to behold. If it weren't for the apology, they might have looked even more handsome. Thinking this, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but kick a pebble at her feet, deciding that from now on, she would resolutely ignore that idiot! Even if they went on a social event, she would treat him like an enemy! Meeting him was never a good thing. On this beautiful winter day, she should be sleeping in her dorm, instead of watching this idiot act all high and mighty!
Xiao Qiqi felt the early winter wind was chilly, but nothing was colder than the chill in her heart! Sister Dou E, I finally understand how you feel, Xiao Qiqi gritted her teeth again.
Ah, it's over? Watching the group of people clapping and laughing as they walked toward the stands where clothes and books were placed, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but shiver again. Aren't they cold in short sleeves and shorts?
Xia Xuan had seen Xiao Qiqi standing under the locust tree as a benchmark, and the lingering unease from his awkwardness hadn't subsided. This girl was truly strange! He hadn't offended her on purpose, so why did she call him a "mentally challenged idiot" in front of so many people, causing him to be stared at strangely wherever he went! As Xia Xuan put on his clothes, he felt two gusts of cold wind on his back and couldn't help but turn around, only to see Xiao Qiqi's cold, piercing eyes staring at him like electric shocks. He wanted to ignore her, but his feet couldn't help but step over.
Shake it, shake it again? Xia Xuan shook her fingers, unable to help but smile bitterly. Was she even looking at him? A living person was standing right in front of her, why was she staring at him so intently? Following her gaze, oh, a crow cawed as it flew across the sky. Only then did Xia Xuan realize how cold it was when a breeze blew after she had been sweating!
"Stop shaking it!" Xiao Qiqi slapped it away. "Don't block my view." A crow flew by, and Xiao Qiqi said seriously, "Crows on the school playground, a heartbroken person standing under a tree! Did you see that?"
Xia Xuan smiled and nodded, then said seriously, "I saw it."
"Do you feel sorry for her? Even crows can fly away to find warm places, but she can only stand shivering in the cold wind."
Xia Xuan tilted her head in thought, "Hmm, she seems a little pitiful."
"Oh my god, that's great! You feel sorry for her too, right?" Xiao Qiqi's eyes lit up with excitement. Even an idiot can be smart sometimes, but it would be even better if you continued to be smart. "Then tell me, shouldn't you extend a helping hand to such a pitiful girl?"
Xia Xuan suppressed a laugh, "Alright, let's extend a hand of friendship." Then she actually extended a pair of slender hands, "How about it?"
Looking at Xia Xuan's slender hand, Xiao Qiqi almost burst into tears. She grabbed it with both hands and shook it vigorously, saying, "Comrade Xia Xuan, thank you for your helping hand! From now on, we're the Friendship Alliance Dormitory. Tonight at 6:30, in the private room on the second floor of Manyi Building, it's a big get-together for 402 and 607." Xiao Qiqi finished speaking quickly, then turned and ran like a madwoman, "Aha, don't forget that your helping hand has already been extended."
Xia Xuan stared in astonishment as Xiao Qiqi's slender shadow disappeared behind the trees at the other end of the playground, then looked at her hands in confusion. "Just like that?"
Li Yue then brought the ball over and nudged Xia Xuan, "Isn't that Xiao Qiqi from 402? When did you two meet?"
"I don't know her!" Xia Xuan shook her head guiltily, remembering Xiao Qiqi's warning. "She came to inform me that tonight at 6:30, in the private rooms on the second floor of Manyi Building, room 402 and room 607 will have a big social gathering."
"Huh?" Li Yue swallowed hard. "Weren't you avoiding Xu Chunru like a snake? Why did you agree?"
"Hmm!" Xia Xuan was also surprised at how she had agreed, feeling annoyed, but could only smile. "Let's go, take a shower, and have dinner tonight."
Li Yue watched Xia Xuan's retreating figure, feeling that something was off. "Ah! Xia Xuan, isn't that right? Isn't Xiao Qiqi the woman who publicly called you a 'mentally retarded idiot'?" Xia Xuan straightened her back, turned around, and gave him a murderous glare. Li Yue ducked back.
Xiao Qiqi strode back to the dormitory, looking triumphant.
Huang Yu beamed with joy, Xu Chun smiled shyly, Xiao Qiqi smiled foolishly, and Lin Wen, who had just returned, smiled sinisterly.