Chapter 411 : Suddenly Excited
“Just as I thought...”
Ling Ning felt a twinge of helplessness under the curious stares of the passersby. While she had attracted attention yesterday on her way to school, today’s reactions were noticeably more intense.
Xia You clung nervously to Ling Ning’s arm, practically hanging off her. Ling Ning smiled wryly and reached out to gently pat Xia You’s soft hair. “Just ignore them and pretend they don’t exist.”
“Okay,” Xia You murmured softly, nodding. She understood the logic, but that didn’t make it any easier to handle being the center of attention. However, her timid demeanor gave her an excuse to stick close to Ling Ning, which was certainly a perk.
Why not make the most of it? she thought.
“Look, over there! Isn’t that Ling Ning and Xia You? Their relationship really does seem as close as the forums say~”
“Hey, do you think they might be, you know, that kind of relationship?”
“Suddenly excited!”
Although the bystanders kept their voices down, Xia You’s sensitive ears caught snippets of their conversation. She instinctively moved even closer to Ling Ning, a contented smile playing on her lips—hidden from Ling Ning’s view.
Once they reached the classroom and sat down, Tian Tian—or rather, Tian Tian—immediately approached with his trademark cheeky grin. “Hey there, Miss Ling! I didn’t know you were a model! That’s so cool!”
“Tian Tian, is there something you need?” Ling Ning asked, giving him a sideways glance.
“It’s Tian Tian, not Tian Tian. By the way, do you have... um, you know, those kinds of photos?” Tian Tian asked eagerly.
Ling Ning gave him a pointed look. “No, and I don’t think I need to say the next part, do I?”
Unfazed, Tian Tian continued, “I also heard you worked at a maid café. Is that true?”
The moment he asked, the entire classroom fell silent, all ears straining for her response.
“It’s true~ At the maid café in the shopping mall.”
Ling Ning replied with a smile, taking the opportunity to advertise for Chu Mengyao. Working at a maid café wasn’t something to be ashamed of, so why not own it?
Her confirmation elicited a collective gasp from the male students. A model and a maid? And on top of that, Ling Ning had been admitted to S University with the third-highest score in the city. Truly, she was a force to be reckoned with.
Just as Tian Tian was about to ask another question, Bai Jie walked into the room with her usual graceful demeanor. Reluctantly, he held his tongue—for now. After all, being in the same class meant he could ask later.
Ling Ning glanced at Bai Jie standing at the podium. She felt a bit nervous but reassured herself that everything was under control. After all, Bai Yiyue had already shared her mother’s interests and hobbies. If Bai Jie wanted to chat, Ling Ning was confident she could steer the conversation elsewhere.
To her surprise, Bai Jie didn’t seek her out after class. Perhaps she was simply too busy with the start of the semester.
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“Hey, Ling Ning.”
At lunchtime, as Ling Ning and Xia You were heading to the cafeteria, they ran into Su Ya, who was carrying a stack of flyers.
“Xiao Ya? What are you doing here?” Ling Ning asked.
“I’ve been looking for you! Have you noticed all the clubs recruiting on campus lately? I wanted to ask if you’re planning to join one.”
“Clubs, huh?” Ling Ning thought for a moment. She had indeed seen various clubs recruiting on her way to school but hadn’t felt the slightest interest.
“I haven’t decided yet. Do you have any recommendations?”
“I haven’t made up my mind either, but...” Su Ya waved the stack of flyers in her hand. “I grabbed most of the club flyers. We can go over them together later.”
“Sure.”
Xia You, standing quietly beside them, gave Su Ya a subtle glance. So this was the girl who had gone shopping with Ling Ning on her registration day. They seemed to be quite close, but Xia You decided she needed to observe further.
The three of them went to the cafeteria, where they grabbed their meals before sitting down. As they ate, Ling Ning suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, Xiao Ya, which club is your almost-boyfriend planning to join?”
“The esports club.”
Su Ya replied, her tone laced with exasperation. She had eagerly asked Xie Zeyu about his club plans, only to find out he had already joined the esports club—and even invited her to join. But since she had no interest in gaming, she had flatly refused.
Seeing Su Ya’s expression, Ling Ning chuckled softly and quickly changed the subject by looking through the flyers.
“Xiao Ya, have you found any clubs you like?”
“Not yet. I’m still deciding. Mantou keeps trying to drag me into the literature club, but I’m not really interested. That’s why I wanted your opinion.”
“I see.” Ling Ning nodded thoughtfully before turning to Xia You. “What about you, Xia You? Any clubs you’re interested in?”
“Whichever club you join, I’ll join too,” Xia You replied without hesitation.
As expected.
Su Ya watched Xia You and Ling Ning interact, noticing the way Xia You looked at Ling Ning. There was something unusual about it—an undeniable closeness that made Su Ya feel a twinge of envy.
“How about the anime club, Xiao Ya? You like anime, right? You’d probably meet a lot of like-minded people there.”
“Huh?” Su Ya blinked in surprise. “How did you know I like anime?”
Su Ya was a closet otaku and rarely revealed her interests to others—not even to her current boyfriend. How did Ling Ning know?
Ling Ning feigned confusion. “You mentioned it when we went shopping last time. Don’t you remember?”
“Did I...?” Su Ya murmured, unsure.
“Of course! Otherwise, how would I know? By the way, the manga club and the anime club are two different things. The manga club is smaller and more laid-back, while the anime club is larger but more structured.”
“You seem to know a lot about this.”
“Well, I have a friend in one of the clubs.”
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Author’s Note:
Recruitment season is in full swing! Which club are you joining?