After a painful and heartfelt questioning of their club president, the Octopus finally calmed down, clutching his chest dramatically. His “Ci Lang” was utterly merciless, deflecting all his questions without hesitation, smiling like a sunflower—fresh, bright, and adorable—while delivering ruthless responses. The Octopus, acting like a heartbroken girl betrayed by her lover, covered his face and pretended to cry. Thinking he hadn’t had enough fun, he prepared to wail again.
Ci Lang smiled sweetly: “That’s enough.”
The Octopus’s expression vanished instantly, as if he had become a different person. His shoulders slumped, and he quietly said, “Oh.”
“…”
Chu Zhi watched the scene like a spectator, nearly unable to resist applauding.
She felt that things weren’t quite as she had imagined. This boy who looked only fifteen or sixteen, whom she had thought was just here to play with his seniors, was actually the club president.
Chu Zhi widened her eyes slightly, stepping out from behind him and turning her head: “You’re the Drama Club president?”
The young man laughed, showing an endearing little fang: “That’s right!”
Chu Zhi blinked, her expression amazed: “Are you a freshman?”
It was impossible for a freshman to be a club president, but Chu Zhi really couldn’t believe this young man could be older than her—he certainly didn’t look it.
Although she herself looked like a high school student too.
The fanged youth’s eyes curved into crescents: “I’m a junior!”
Chu Zhi: “…”
Seeing that Chu Zhi didn’t speak, he leaned his head forward, looking at her expectantly: “So, big sister, will you join the Drama Club?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
Chu Zhi fidgeted with her fingers and made a sound of hesitation, feeling very complicated: “Senior, please don’t call me big sister…”
Before the youth could speak, the Octopus beside them snickered and came closer: “Little sister, are you a freshman?”
Chu Zhi nodded.
The Octopus nodded too, raising his hand to point at the youth beside her: “Well, calling you big sister isn’t wrong actually. This monster next to you isn’t like the rest of us juniors—he started university when he was fifteen.”
“…”
Chu Zhi had always been good at studying since she was young. Although teachers and others said she was diligent, she knew in her heart that she just paid attention in class when she should, without being particularly hardworking.
Her high school best friend had even given her a nickname: “Little Genius Zhi Point-and-Learn Machine,” because wherever she didn’t understand, she’d just point and learn it.
Now, Chu Zhi, who could barely be considered a small-time academic star, felt like Sun Wukong standing before the Buddha—utterly insignificant.
Starting university at fifteen, now a junior—that meant he was only seventeen.
Calling her big sister wasn’t really wrong.
But he was still two years ahead of her in school.
Chu Zhi remembered how she had been calling him little brother all along, asking him if he was enjoying high school, earnestly telling him that high school was the happiest time and that he should study hard and treasure it and whatnot.
Belatedly realizing her mistake, she let out a long sigh.
By now, she had already signed up for long-term membership in the Drama Club and met the other members. She sat at the table where the Octopus had been sitting earlier, lost in thought.
The Drama Club had about twenty members. The activity room was huge, with rows of shelves packed with various boxes and containers of props. Two long rows of all kinds of costumes hung inside, making it look somewhat like a backstage area at a fashion show.
The Buddha-like little fang’s surname was Yuan, with the single character Ci as his given name. Chu Zhi remembered the Octopus’s earlier heart-wrenching cries of “Ci Lang1” and couldn’t help but shudder.
There weren’t many people present at the moment. After Chu Zhi had greeted everyone, Yuan Ci came running over, looking very interested: “Big sister, are you studying advertising?”
Chu Zhi still felt awkward hearing him call her “big sister.” In all her life, she had never experienced what it felt like to be a “big sister.”
After hesitating for a few seconds, she frowned, her expression a bit troubled: “Senior, just call me by my name.”
Yuan Ci smiled, showing his little fang, his expression innocent and somewhat confused: “But you really are a little big sister.”
The Octopus, listening to one person saying “senior” and the other saying “big sister,” felt a bit exasperated and leaned over with a plaintive expression: “President, I’m several years older than you, why don’t you call me big brother?”
Yuan Ci pushed away his approaching face: “Oh my, darling, what outrageous things are you saying?”
Octopus: “…”
Yuan Ci was a very casual and easy-going president, without any presidential airs at all. The Drama Club was generally quite relaxed, with everyone doing their own thing, meeting a few times a month, participating in activities when they came up, without any mandatory requirements.
Compared to Lin Tong and Xue Nian Nan who were working themselves to death in the Student Council every day, Chu Zhi was quite satisfied. She went to classes for another week like this until the National Day holiday in October, when she saw Lu Jiaheng again.
Chu Zhi found this Senior Lu quite mysterious. Sometimes he would appear before her for several consecutive days, constantly running into her in the vast A University campus as if by incredible coincidence, and then suddenly disappear without a trace for days, not even a strand of his hair to be seen.
The afternoon before the National Day holiday, there were basically no classes. The campus was full of people dragging small suitcases toward the gates, heading home. Gu Han had rushed off to the airport early, while Lin Tong wasn’t going back.
Chu Zhi’s father and mother had gone to Egypt and said they wouldn’t be back for another two days. Chu Zhi thought about it and decided that being alone at home wasn’t as good as staying in the dorm with Lin Tong for company.
The National Day holiday was seven days long, and they couldn’t just stay in the dorm growing mushrooms every day. It was also Lin Tong’s first time being so far from home, so the two young women planned to go out together.
After much deliberation, Lin Tong decided to go somewhere with beautiful mountains and waters to cleanse her soul that had been tainted by those bootlicking senior students in the Student Council. They finally chose Cang Yan Mountain.
Lin Tong was the type to act immediately once she made up her mind. The two of them spent that afternoon booking train tickets and looking up travel guides, deciding to set out the next day.
It was Chu Zhi’s first time traveling with a friend, and she was quite excited. After looking at many guides and introductions, she dragged Lin Tong to the supermarket to buy snacks to take with them.
The two walked out of the school gates, and Chu Zhi counted on her fingers while pulling Lin Tong along: “I want to buy jelly.”
Lin Tong expressed disdain: “How old are you to still eat jelly?”
Chu Zhi’s eyes widened slightly: “What does age have to do with eating jelly?”
As she was speaking, a little child wandered over beside them.
He was walking with his head down low, not seeing them, taking two slow steps before raising his head. His bright round eyes looked around the surroundings in confusion, happening to meet Chu Zhi’s gaze.
The little child blinked, looking at her.
Chu Zhi also blinked, looking at him, feeling somewhat curious inside.
She hadn’t seen children for a long time, so it had been a while since she had the experience of looking down at someone.
The little boy stared at her for a while, then suddenly tilted his head and said in a sweet voice: “Jelly is delicious.”
Chu Zhi felt validated and gave Lin Tong a proud “you see?” look, though it wasn’t clear what she was proud about.
The campus was full of students leaving for the holiday, while the little boy stood there alone, as if waiting for someone.
Chu Zhi walked up to him, crouched down, and couldn’t resist holding his chubby little hand: “Are you waiting for someone?”
The little one nodded.
Chu Zhi was still a bit worried and asked again: “Do you know your parent’s phone number? Do you want to make a call?”
The little one shook his head: “No need, big brother will come find me soon.” He paused, then lowered his eyelashes, looking pitiful, “Big brother doesn’t like to call Yi Yi.”
His voice was so tiny for this last sentence that Chu Zhi didn’t catch it clearly, only hearing something about “doesn’t like.”
She squeezed his plump little hand: “Then be careful, okay?”
The little one nodded again, not speaking anymore, looking extremely well-behaved.
A University had an excellent location, with a food street and night market behind it, shopping districts out the main gate, and a supermarket right next door.
It was about getting off work time now, and traffic was heavy, so instead of taking a taxi, they strolled over, taking about half an hour to reach their destination.
Lin Tong pushed the cart while Chu Zhi walked beside her, scanning the shelves for jelly.
Their shopping cart already contained yogurt, chocolate, chips, and other snacks. After going around two aisles from the chocolate shelf, Chu Zhi still hadn’t found the jelly.
She puffed her cheeks, raised her hand to pull the cart from the front, walking toward the back shelves while calling to Lin Tong: “I composed a jelly song, do you want to hear it!”
Lin Tong’s expression was rather cold: “No, I don’t.”
Chu Zhi didn’t look back, blinking cheerfully as she said: “You do want to hear it, so I’ll sing now!”
Lin Tong made an “eh” sound.
Chu Zhi took this as a starting signal and was just about to open her mouth when suddenly someone grabbed her finger.
A soft, warm touch.
Chu Zhi also made an “eh” sound and looked down.
The little boy they had met at the school gate had somehow appeared from somewhere, now standing by her feet, looking up at her with his big eyes like black grapes. He rose on his tiptoes, lifting his little arm up, holding something round and crystal clear in his hand, pushing it straight into her arms: “Jelly.”
Chu Zhi was stunned for a moment, instinctively accepting it.
The little one was satisfied, seeming very happy as he said in his sweet voice: “Big brother bought it for big sister.”
Author’s Note: Little brother has arrived! The travel arc begins! You know what they say, you should definitely travel together once before settling down for life.
- ‘Lang’ (coming from “lang jun”) affixed to a name is a poetic way to address a young, handsome man, especially in the olden days. It’s like calling someone “young master”. ↩︎
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