Afternoon classes finally ended, and the moment the dismissal bell rang.
Sure enough, both sides of the main path at Holy Iris Academy were lined with all kinds of recruitment booths. Colorful posters, enthusiastic shouts, and club members in distinctive outfits wove together into an incredibly lively scene.
“Swordsmanship Club! Recruiting new members!”
“Find your rock ‘n’ roll soul!”
“Supernatural Phenomena Research Club! Explore the unknown!”
“Pastry Baking Society!”
Qiu Mian pulled Qiu Kui along as they wove through the commotion.
Her face remained expressionless, but her gaze swept over every club’s sign and the passing students—especially any girls wearing accessories or possessing a distinctive aura.
Fox mask… It doesn’t look like something worn on a whim. More like a symbol or a hobby. What club could it be? Drama club? Classical culture research? Or something even more secretive?
Qiu Kui followed carefully. She seemed a little overwhelmed by the surrounding bustle but was mostly curious.
Her eyes were occasionally drawn to beautifully crafted handicrafts or stalls with sweet aromas, but she quickly pulled her gaze back and stuck close to Qiu Mian.
They passed the recruitment spot for the “Black Tea Research Society.”
It was an unusually elegant and quiet corner. A long table covered with a white tablecloth held exquisite tea sets. Several girls dressed in something resembling evening gowns sat quietly reading or sipping tea. They didn’t actively solicit members, yet they exuded an attractive presence all their own.
Qiu Mian’s gaze lingered on those girls for a moment. Seeing no suspicious figures, she moved on.
Not here… Or maybe they don’t need to participate in this kind of recruitment?
They walked past lively sports clubs, creative art clubs, and even some that looked completely unreliable like the “Nap Club” and “Staring into Space Society”…
Just when Qiu Mian felt that wandering aimlessly like this was too inefficient and considered switching tactics, her eyes suddenly sharpened.
Not far ahead, near the old school building, the figure of a girl with a dark canvas shoulder bag was walking unhurriedly through the crowd toward a side building that looked older than the main teaching block. That silhouette, that gait, and that shoulder bag…
It was her! The one from the cafeteria at noon!
Qiu Mian’s heartbeat quickened. She immediately tugged on Qiu Kui’s wrist and lowered her voice. “Come on, follow her.”
Qiu Kui didn’t understand why but obediently quickened her steps. Keeping some distance, they tailed the girl into the slightly dim old side building.
Inside, there were far fewer people. The air smelled of old wood. The girl seemed very familiar with the place. She walked straight up to the second floor, turned into a quiet corridor, and stopped in front of a pair of heavy-looking double wooden doors.
A simple plaque hung on the wall beside the door, written in elegant script:
“Holy Iris Drama Club”
“Drama club? Theater society?”
Qiu Mian pulled Qiu Kui along and quietly hid behind a corridor pillar not far away. Holding her breath, she watched as the girl took out a key, unlocked the heavy wooden door, slipped inside sideways, and let the door slowly close behind her. It didn’t shut completely, leaving a small gap.
This is it!
Qiu Mian’s heart pounded wildly.
She signaled for Qiu Kui to stay put, then tiptoed forward, breathing lightly like a thief. She crept up to the heavy door and carefully pressed close to the crack, trying to see inside.
The room appeared to be a large old lecture hall converted into a clubroom. The lighting was dim, and she could vaguely make out stacked backdrop panels and scattered costume props.
The girl had her back to the door. She seemed to be placing her shoulder bag on a long table, reaching inside…
Just as Qiu Mian focused intently, her eyes practically glued to the gap in an attempt to see if the girl was taking out the fox mask—
“Hey! Qiu Mian! It really is you!”
A warm palm suddenly landed squarely on Qiu Mian’s back with a solid slap!
“——!!!”
“Uwagh!”
Qiu Mian was scared out of her wits by the sudden slap and voice. She jumped on the spot!
She let out a startled cry, spinning around like a cat with its fur standing on end. Her back slammed against the door panel. Her eyes were filled with lingering terror, her chest heaving violently, and her face had gone pale.
Standing in front of her was none other than Xia Qingkong!
She still wore that sunny, brilliant smile, completely unaware that she had nearly slapped Qiu Mian’s soul right out of her body.
“You… you…” Qiu Mian pointed at her, fingers trembling. Shock and anger made her stammer. “Why is it you again?!”
She’s like a ghost that won’t leave! Why do I run into her everywhere?! We haven’t even reached the key plot point yet! According to the “original story,” there should be some buffer period after the first conflict! Isn’t the protagonist’s “chance encounter” rate a bit too high?!
Xia Qingkong blinked her bright, large eyes with an innocent look.
“I just came over here to check out the clubs too! There are lots of interesting old-school clubs in the old building! Then I saw you sneaking around peeking through the door…”
As she spoke, she curiously craned her neck, trying to look past Qiu Mian into the room.
“What club is this? Why are you so interested? Why not just go in?”
Only then did Qiu Mian suddenly realize something was wrong!
Qiu Kui?!
She frantically turned her head toward the pillar where she had told Qiu Kui to wait—only to find it empty!
Looking to the side, she saw that Qiu Kui had somehow been surrounded by several girls wearing cute aprons and sweet smiles. They were enthusiastically showing her coffee beans and flyers, apparently inviting her to join the “Handmade Coffee Research Society.”
Qiu Kui stood in the middle, her little face slightly flushed and completely flustered. She clearly hadn’t noticed what was happening over here.
No wonder she hadn’t blocked Xia Qingkong!
Qiu Mian felt both angry and anxious.
Meanwhile, Xia Qingkong had already taken advantage of her distraction to curiously approach the door. She was still talking. “Has recruitment ended? Let me check for you—”
Saying that, she actually reached out, grabbed the heavy door handle, and then—pushed hard!
“Wait, don’t—!” Qiu Mian tried to stop her, but it was too late.
“Creak—”
The wooden door swung open easily under Xia Qingkong’s push, letting out a long groan that shattered the silence in both the corridor and the clubroom.
Inside, the girl who had just set down her shoulder bag and was about to pull something out froze at the sudden noise and intruders. She trembled all over and whipped around!
Afternoon light slanted in dimly from the high windows, illuminating the dancing dust in the air and the girl’s face.
It was a rather delicate and fragile-looking face, appearing somewhat timid—completely different from the mysterious or seductive aura Qiu Mian had imagined for the “fox-masked girl.”
However, Qiu Mian’s gaze was riveted on the object the girl held in her hand—the thing she had just pulled halfway out of the half-open shoulder bag.
It was a fox mask with intricate golden patterns along its edges.
The girl had clearly seen Qiu Mian and Xia Qingkong at the doorway too.
Her gaze swept across Xia Qingkong’s curious face before finally locking onto Qiu Mian’s shocked expression.
The hand holding the mask trembled slightly.
The air froze in that instant.