Chapter 54: 52

After Secretary Yan finished, he drove off to his office, leaving a stunned Qin Juran in his wake. She pulled the bike to a stop along the side of the road and asked Ruan Nan, “Wait, Ah-Ruan, what competition is he talking about? How come I haven’t heard anything about this…”

Ruan Nan replied, “It’s the nationwide academic competition that occurs at the end of every semester. Every year, the third-years lead a team, and since you did so well last year, it was agreed that you’d be the team leader this year, representing the Finance Department.”

Qin Juran’s ears began to ring. Representing an entire department to compete in a national-level academic competition was a responsibility that would take a long time to prepare for, but there were only two months left in the rest of the semester. Qin Juran recalled that on the original protagonist’s resume, there was a gap in her activities right around this time period, so she must’ve been preparing for the competition then.

“How does the competition work?”

“First, there’s a school-wide written exam, and the best scorers will advance to the next round of qualifiers, which is another written exam. Then the nationals will be broadcasted live.”

“A live broadcast…” Qin Juran’s head was just about to explode as she dropped Ruan Nan off outside the classroom building. Seeing Qin Juran’s uneasy expression, Ruan Nan asked whether she should accompany her to the secretary’s office, but Qin Juran shook her head and finally braced herself to confront Secretary Yan.

Secretary Yan showed her the information for this year’s competition, explaining that there were some changes made from last year, but that the overall format would be the same.

Qin Juran carefully read through the rules and regulations. It was pretty much as Ruan Nan had described, just that for the final round, they had made the rules a little more interesting and interactive for the sake of an entertaining live broadcast.

And there was going to be a question bank.

Knowing that there’d be a question bank, Qin Juran felt a small wave of relief. She asked Secretary Yan: “Secretary, is it definite that I have to be the team captain?”

Secretary Yan misunderstood her question as worrying that someone else would take the position away from her. He relaxed his face and reassured her: “Of course; you did so well last year, and you have a great image and disposition. None of the other third-years are on the same level.”

“…..”

“Have the rest of the team members been selected yet?”

Secretary Yan shook his head: “Not yet, the selections will be made over the weekend. Anyways, there are only four other spots, but regardless of what departments they’re from, the captain will naturally be you. I’ve already made an agreement with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship department so that you can be exempt from the exam.”

“…..”

Qin Juran took a moment to compose her thoughts, then faced the secretary with a serious expression, “Secretary, there’s something I must confess.” She clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides: “Last semester, I did an internship, and I’ve also been preparing for other internships as well as my own business throughout this semester, so I haven’t been studying for this competition as much.”

Secretary Yan frowned: “Juran, how could you neglect something this important? There are only two months left, so you need to start getting serious; the entire university will be counting on our Finance department. The last time we won the championship was two years ago, and you were our school’s pride and honor.”

From Qin Juran’s position on the sofa, the rays of sunshine shining through the windows just missed her, casting shadows over her face and obscuring her in the darkness.

She was very contemplative for a long while. As Secretary Yan watched her, he felt that he’d never seen a gifted and smart student like Qin Juran be in such a conflicted position. As the two continued to sit in a silent deadlock, Secretary Yan was the first to speak, asking imposingly, “Qin Juran, have you been distracted by your dating? Of course, if you’re with Ruan Nan, you wouldn’t prioritize studying…..”

“Secretary Yan.” Qin Juran cut him off immediately, her head whipping up to face him. Her eyes cast a chilling glint from the shadows as she stood up:

“This situation with the competition is because of my own unforeseen complications; it doesn’t have anything to do with Ruan Nan. I never intended to neglect the reputation of our department and university, which is why I wanted to disclose this to you so that I don’t end up biting off more than I can chew.”

Her tone was grave and her facial expression made it very clear that she would not stand for any unwarranted criticism against Ruan Nan. In the interest of maintaining a civil relationship, Secretary feigned a cough and continued:

“Fine, then now that we’re at this point, how do you plan on proceeding? We could always pass the captain position to someone else, but it would have to be someone outside the Finance Department.”

Seeing Secretary Yan’s attitude ease down, Qin Juran also relented a little. She didn’t try to pick a fight anymore but still continued in a solemn tone of voice: “This weekend, I’ll participate in the qualification exams with my best effort. When the time comes, my scores will speak for themselves; if I’m truly not ready, then giving up my captain position would be the wisest plan of action.”

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She returned to the classroom afterward, stopping by the counselor’s office to ask for a copy of the question bank on the way back. The bell signaled the start of class right as she entered the classroom. She glanced at Ruan Nan and gave a small nod to gesture that everything worked out, and she secretly studied the question bank at her desk all throughout the rest of the lecture.

The one bright side of these academic competitions was that the range of topics was so wide, as students from all majors participated in them, so there was nothing too specialized about a specific topic. Moreover, especially for the final round, the questions will largely be drawn from the question bank to provide a more engaging viewing experience.

But at the same time, the utter breadth of the question bank was incredibly large. In short, it was a large-scale competition that served to test the fundamental subjects, as well as overall comprehension, memorization, and problem-solving skills.

Qin Juran looked over the question banks from the past years. The problems didn’t look too difficult, and due to the frequency of the competitions, there were bound to be repeated questions.

She let out a sigh of relief. Just as she’d calmed down, the bell rang, dismissing the class. As Qin Juran began to pack her bag pensively, Ruan Nan walked over and plopped down in the seat in front of her. She waved a hand in front of Qin Juran’s face: “Secretary Yan didn’t try to harass you just then?”

Qin Juran shook her head, letting out a bitter laugh: “He just wanted to speak about the academic competition. Ah-Ruan, I’ll need to take the qualification exam on Saturday.”

Ruan Nan raised a brow. “You can be exempt.”

“I don’t really trust myself. Whatever, let’s not talk about that – what do you want to eat for lunch? You don’t go to the cafeteria that often, do you?”

Ruan Nan shook her head, answering somewhat bashfully, “I’ve never gone.”

This girl……

Qin Juran immediately stood up and hooked her arm around Ah-Ruan’s, brandishing her meal card proudly: “Come on, my treat.”

The two made their way to the cafeteria. S University’s Cafeteria was newly renovated, decorated lavishly with fake peach plants upon each table and other just about any snack you could possibly imagine. The pink décor around the cafeteria created an overall romantic atmosphere.

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Ruan Nan looked around in apparent awe. Meanwhile, the other students nearby who recognized them felt more surprised at the fact that Qin Juran was able to drag Ruan Nan to eat here for the first time.

Qin Juran ignored the stares of the onlookers as she boldly led Ruan Nan around to check out the offerings. After browsing for a while, Ruan Nan realized that the number of spectators was becoming too much, so she lost interest in browsing and instead went to find a table to sit at, telling Qin Juran to help her buy something.

Qin Juran’s lips twitched as she watched Ruan Nan scurry away, glancing right and left to make sure that no one would see her. She ordered a plate of kung pao chicken with rice for her, and a vegetable dish for herself, then walked over to the dessert shop to buy two small puddings.

When Ruan Nan saw Qin Juran bringing the tray of food over, she hesitated momentarily, then quickly received the tray from her arms. Qin Juran opened the packs of pudding and placed them in the center of the table, her mind full of thoughts of the competition the whole time. After making some brief conversation with Ruan Nan, she began to eat.

Qin Juran seemed to be in deep concentration as she ate, trying to mentally develop an efficient studying plan. Before she knew it, she’d already devoured half her plate of rice. When she raised her head, she noticed that Ruan Nan had hardly touched her own chopsticks.

Well, her chopsticks were in her hands, but she hadn’t actually eaten anything yet.

Ruan Nan had picked out the carrots from the kung pao chicken one by one, placing them in another plate in a heart-shaped formation.

“You don’t like carrots?” Qin Juran asked in surprise.

Ruan Nan nodded awkwardly.

“Then why didn’t you take this plate instead when I first brought the food over?”

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Ruan Nan shook her head: “It’s fine if I just pick them out.” She stared at Qin Juran, blinking her large eyes, looking like a child waiting for her older sister to scold her for being a picky eater. She even nudged the plate of carrots towards her, pointing at the heart shape.

Qin Juran couldn’t help smiling. She went to grab another pair of chopsticks and then picked the carrots from Ruan Nan’s heart to place them in her own bowl. Reaching out to pat her head, she said, “In the future, just tell me directly what you like and what you don’t like, okay?”

“If you do something this cute again, then I’ll want to eat more than just your carrots.”

As Qin Juran ate the diced carrots one by one, the image of the carrot heart in her mind seemed to make the taste in her mouth all the more sweet. She felt that no matter what difficulties and anxieties she had to face, just looking at Ruan Nan and her cuteness was enough to cure her.

Since there was no afternoon lecture on Monday, once they finished eating, Qin Juran asked Ruan Nan whether she should bring her back to her apartment. Ruan Nan asked Qin Juran where she was going, and after a moment of thought, Qin Juran answered that she’d be going to the library right after class for the next week.

“I’m going, too.”

“To the library?” Qin Juran couldn’t believe her ears.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ruan Nan jutted her chin out haughtily as she walked away.

S University’s library was very luxurious, containing books on nearly every subject matter imaginable. Because of the university’s focus on academics, as well as the fact that end-of-term exams were coming up, it was nearly impossible to find an open seat. Qin Juran was pulling out her phone to check on her reserved seat when Ruan Nan led her to the fancy café on the first floor instead.

There were two cafes in the library, one of which was relatively affordable and, as such, a popular place for students to hang out. Since the library stacks area was kept absolutely silent, many students came here to work on group projects, participate in study sessions, or host small meetings.

The one across from it, which Ruan Nan had just entered, was a higher-end, pricier café. There were fewer people and the environment was nicer.

Ruan Nan led Qin Juran deeper into the café, where practically half of the seats were empty. A waitress who appeared to be an underclassmen part-time worker seemed to recognize Ruan Nan, coming up to them and leading them to a well-decorated seat by the window, smiling as she passed them the menus.

Qin Juran ordered a drink, but before she could ask Ruan Nan what she wanted, Ruan Nan smiled politely at the waitress and responded: “The usual.”

As if she was proving that she frequented the library as well.

Once again, Qin Juran was in awe at her cuteness. She switched from the seat across Ruan Nan to the one next to her. When Ruan Nan tossed her a suspicious glance, Qin Juran raised her eyebrows in response: “I don’t think I could study if you’re looking at me.”

Qin Juran took off her coat and slid her glasses upon her nose. After the coffee was brought over, she began to straighten her back and spread out the study material she had printed out before her. Meanwhile, Ruan Nan snuck a sideways glance at her: the white turtleneck sweater Qin Juran was wearing created a sense of elegance, and coupled with the studious look on her face, she really looked like “Professor Qin.”

After Ruan Nan sat staring at her for a while, she suddenly snapped free from her daze, shaking her head and finally looking away to pull out her notebook and laptop from her bag.

There was still a month or two left until the end of the semester, so Ruan Nan wasn’t in a rush to study the material. She pulled open the website for a study abroad opportunity during winter break; with S University’s global reputation, there were exchange programs in nearly all countries, and finance was a popular major as well. She had previously been interested in the program at the University of California and since the application deadline was approaching, it was about time for her to begin preparing her resume.

After she downloaded the application enrollment forms, she suddenly realized an issue: the program’s start date was January 10th, but Qin Juran’s competition’s final round was on January 15th.

They would just miss each other.

Although she hadn’t watched the finals last year either, this year was different.

Because of Qin Juran, the things that she originally regarded as tedious didn’t seem so anymore.

Ruan Nan stared at the application for a long time, feeling conflicted. She wanted to ask Qin Juran, but seeing her so deep into her studying, she didn’t want to disturb her. In the end, she closed out the application and began to work on her resume instead.

The afternoon of studying flew by quickly, with students bustling to and fro in the café. Qin Juran had begun by watching the final round showings of the competition from years before, then manually categorized the question by topics. By the time she’d constructed a study plan for herself and finished methodically reviewing and understanding the first set of questions, she glanced at the clock to see that it was already 5 p.m.

Besides her, Ruan Nan was still working on her resume. Qin Juran lifted her arms in a long stretch, then propped her head on the table, blinking at Ruan Nan with wide eyes.

Ruan Nan cocked her head to look at her: “Finished studying?”

Qin Juran shook her head and pouted: “Nowhere close; it’s toooooo much.”

Ruan Nan laughed gently, glancing at the time: “Then take a break for now and study more in a little bit.”

“But my hand’s so sore from writing~” Qin Juran reached her hand out to place it on top of Ruan Nan’s. The slender, white fingers and polished nails looked clean and elegant.

Ruan Nan peered over her head to look at her notes: “But you barely even wrote ten words.”

“…..”

“The real work is the mental work – all this memorizing is making my brain hurt.” As Ruan Nan looked at Qin Juran’s coquettish, fox-like appearance, she really thought that any normal person would be unable to resist her coaxing.

Her lips curled as she pulled out a set of Bluetooth headphones from her bag. After connecting it with her phone, she gently placed one of the earbuds into Qin Juran’s ear.

The sweet, upbeat melody trailed from the earbud. Ruan Nan also pulled out a piece of candy from her bag, looked around to make sure no one was looking, then deftly popped it into Qin Juran’s mouth. The sweet and sour lime flavor bloomed upon her taste buds as the warm afternoon rays of sunshine shone through the window, enveloping the two like a cozy blanket on this winter day.

Ruan Nan leaned closer until her face was nearly touching Qin Juran’s, then asked quietly, “Have you relaxed a bit?”

She was so close that Qin Juran could see her large eyes glistening, her full lips instinctively curled up with curiosity. Qin Juran’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at Ruan Nan’s lips, speaking softly: “My mind feels relaxed, but my lips feel a bit stiff. I think my lips could also use some relaxation.”

“Is that so?” Ruan Nan raised a brow, the smooth flick of her eye seeming to send electric shocks into Qin Juran, holding her frozen in place.

“Mhm~”

As if in mutual understanding, Qin Juran pursed her lips and inched closer while lifting her head. Right when their lips brushed against each other and she shut her eyes, Ruan Nan suddenly placed her pointer finger upon Qin Juran’s lips in a “be quiet” gesture: “Then you’d better stop talking so much; I wouldn’t want your lips to get even more tired.”

Qin Juran’s eyes blinked open to see a wicked grin spread across Ruan Nan’s face.

The wife was getting too bold, and President Qin was fuming.

Ruan Nan reverted her focus back to her laptop. Meanwhile, Qin Juran’s vision focused on the tassels of Ruan Nan’s long sweater trailing out from under the table and she scooted closer to play with them.

Ruan Nan glanced around at the occupied tables nearby, muttering in a deep voice: “Other people can see us.”

Qin Juran dismissed her, saying: “Who told them to look?”

Like a small child, Qin Juran continued to play with the tassels, arranging them in various shapes and tying them into bow knots. She tugged Ruan Nan from under the table: “Look, Ah-Ruan, the bows that you like.”

Understanding her reference, Ruan Nan’s face flamed. Before she could refute, a pencil rolled off the table and fell to the ground. As she bent down to pick it up, she raised her head to see Qin Juran’s face inches before hers, a mischievous smile plastered across. Qin Juran pressed one hand pressed against Ruan Nan to prevent her from hitting the table, then in an instant, she planted her lips upon hers.

“Mmm—”

Ruan Nan’s eyes widened in surprise as the soft sensation pressed against her lips and the sweet and sour taste filled her mouth. On this cold winter afternoon, amongst the bustle of the café, the secret kiss that conspired underneath the library table tasted of Qin Juran’s individual flavor – an amalgam of warmth, innocence, and affection.

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