Ji Nian rubbed her nose. Was she catching a cold?
"Cold?"
He Xiang, who had been eating with his head down, glanced over at the sound of her voice.
It was that transitional period between spring and summer when temperatures fluctuated wildly, resulting in a mishmash of seasonal outfits everywhere. Ji Nian belonged to the "not-too-hot-not-too-cold" faction—wearing a short-sleeved shirt under her long-sleeved school uniform.
"Probably not."
He Xiang didn’t say anything else. By the time Ji Nian was nearly done eating, he had disappeared somewhere, only to return holding a steaming bowl of chicken soup.
Shen Qingtang, sitting across from them, nearly choked and had to gulp down several mouthfuls of water to recover.
"Where did you get that? Does the cafeteria serve chicken soup today?"
He Xiang placed the bowl in front of Ji Nian and explained, "I ran into Teacher Liu’s wife bringing him lunch. She made the soup."
Old Liu, eager to show off that his wife had brought him food, had deliberately carried his lunchbox to the cafeteria. He Xiang had managed to snag a bowl from them.
Ji Nian: "……"
The He Xiang of today was no longer the same boy who used to hide in secluded corners, waiting for everyone to leave so he could collect discarded bottles.
That said, he still picked up bottles. Once, Ji Nian even saw a group of girls deliberately saving up empty water and soda bottles, stuffing them into a sack to give to He Xiang. Since he refused gifts but couldn’t bring himself to turn down recyclables, he repaid them by helping each of them with their homework.
"Alright then. I’ll stop by the office later to thank Old Liu…"
This was love-infused chicken soup—only a prized student like He Xiang could score a serving.
He Xiang had grown even taller over the past three years, his face completely shedding any trace of boyishness. If he weren’t wearing his school uniform, no one would guess he was still in high school.
His hair was shorter now, his sharp eyebrows and piercing gaze giving him a slightly intimidating air.
Luckily for him, this was exactly the kind of look that was in vogue—cool, aloof, the type who might secretly get into brawls.
Too bad the real He Xiang was a studious goody-two-shoes whose daily routine revolved solely around school and part-time jobs.
"The main issues now are finding members—a bassist and a drummer—plus securing a practice space. The school’s activity room has terrible soundproofing…"
Ji Nian counted off the problems on her fingers, partly thinking aloud, partly updating He Xiang.
Though the band was originally meant to be a surprise for him, neither she nor Shen Qingtang saw any reason to keep him in the dark.
Shen Qingtang chimed in, "By the way, Ji Nian’s the lead singer now."
Since she didn’t play any instruments, singing was her only real option.
Surprisingly, despite looking like someone with zero musical talent, Ji Nian had a naturally pleasant voice. She wasn’t professional-level, but her tone was warm, and she’d somehow mastered nasal resonance without any training.
"I can handle the practice space," He Xiang suddenly said.
"I know someone."
Years of odd jobs had left him with a wide network.
Shen Qingtang pulled out her notebook and crossed off practice space with a flourish. "Perfect! That just leaves finding members."
The two of them entrusted the task to him without a second thought.
With time to spare, Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang headed to the student council office to find Gu Xiuyuan.
Even before entering, they could hear his voice echoing down the hallway.
"These forms are completely wrong. What’s going on? Who even recruited you?"
"I—I—"
The door suddenly swung open, and a red-eyed student bolted out.
Ji Nian knocked.
Gu Xiuyuan didn’t look up. "Come in."
When footsteps sounded but no one spoke, he finally lifted his head.
The boy was strikingly handsome, with sharp brows and a stern expression, his thin lips pressed into a line.
His gaze softened when he saw who it was.
"Finished eating?"
Ever since his voice had deepened, Ji Nian got goosebumps every time she heard Gu Xiuyuan’s CEO-worthy baritone.
"Yeah. You busy?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
As a senior preparing for the student council handover, he was swamped with training his successor and tying up loose ends.
Their school’s student council president wasn’t just a figurehead—they handled most student affairs, making it a demanding role. Gu Xiuyuan had held the position since middle school, pouring years of effort into it.
"Out with it. What trouble did you cause this time?"
His focus zeroed in on Ji Nian.
Ji Nian: "……What kind of logic is that?"
She breezed past him, pulled open a desk drawer to retrieve a pack of jelly cups, and plopped onto the lone sofa.
After tossing one to Shen Qingtang, who’d settled beside her, Ji Nian kicked her feet up. "So here’s the thing, Old Gu."
Gu Xiuyuan didn’t even bat an eye.
She and Shen Qingtang routinely raided his office snacks whenever they got hungry.
"We still need a drummer and a bassist for the band. Any recommendations?"
As the keeper of every student’s records, Gu Xiuyuan was their best bet.
Sound like an exaggeration?
The truly ridiculous part was that he could recite any student’s file from memory. He even knew the names of the three kittens born to the black cat behind the cafeteria last week.
Gu Xiuyuan was aware of their band plans—he’d approved the application, after all.
"I’ve got candidates," he said.
"But there’s a bigger issue."
Ji Nian slurped her jelly cup. "Hmm?"
Setting down his pen, Gu Xiuyuan folded his arms and delivered the ultimate question:
"Have you decided on a band name?"
Ji Nian whipped around to stare at Shen Qingtang, who mirrored the motion.
The two girls blinked at each other before exclaiming in unison, "…We forgot."
Gu Xiuyuan smirked, the look in his eyes screaming I’ve got you now.
Ji Nian knew that expression—it never meant anything good.
"How about The Chicks?" he said.
Before Ji Nian could respond, Shen Qingtang sweetly countered, "The Calves has a nicer ring to it."
Ji Nian collapsed sideways in laughter, her gums on full display.
"Hahahaha! It’s settled then! From now on, we’re The Calves!"
Gu Xiuyuan: "……"
He never smiled at them again.
---
Lu Jinghuai was absent that day. Ji Nian had texted him, but he didn’t reply until afternoon, saying he’d caught a cold.
After school, she decided to visit him at home.
"You guys coming?"
Shen Qingtang waved her off. "I promised a friend I’d check out a new café for her blog."
He Xiang thought for a moment, then told Ji Nian to stop by his place on the way.
When she arrived, before she could even message him, he emerged carrying a thermal container.
"Steamed pears with honeysuckle," he said.
His grandmother used to make it for him whenever he was sick as a child.
He Xiang wasn’t doing this out of concern for Lu Jinghuai—it was more of a reciprocation.
Back when he’d joined the math team, Lu Jinghuai had gifted him two stacks of high-quality draft paper, smooth and bleed-proof, far better than the cheap stuff sold at the school store.
They’d lasted him ages.
"One more thing," He Xiang said.
The narrow street was clogged with commuters, scooters honking incessantly.
He tugged Ji Nian aside to make way.
"I’ve found two practice locations. We can check them out after school tomorrow."
As he spoke, He Xiang pulled two keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of Ji Nian.
Ji Nian was surprised. "That was fast."
Hadn’t he just mentioned it at noon?
"Yeah, I used to work for the owner before."
That made communication smoother, and the guy was straightforward too.
After walking Ji Nian to the roadside, He Xiang waved back as she gestured goodbye.
On his way back, the local troublemaker, lounging at the building entrance with a cigarette, spotted him and sneered, "Oh, so you’ve latched onto a rich beauty’s coattails, huh? Fancy car, huh?"
"Must be nice being handsome—landing a girl like that. So, have you sealed the deal yet? Let me tell you, as someone with experience, you better knock her up quick if you wanna secure your future—"
Before he could finish, He Xiang—who hadn’t even glanced at him—suddenly turned. His dark eyes turned icy, and in a flash, he lunged like a hound, slamming the man into the wall with a kick.
Grabbing the guy’s thinning hair, He Xiang smashed his head against the corner. "What did you just say?"
If Shen Qingtang had seen this, she’d have instantly recognized the fighting stance—it was so much like Ji Nian’s.
He Xiang looked every bit a demon. Blood gushed from the man’s head, mixing with the urine now soaking his pants.
Ji Nian had no idea. Her sweet, well-behaved "Haki Xiang" was, in private, as sharp and ruthless as his striking looks when throwing punches.
