After arriving at school.
In Qiu Mian’s eyes, the daytime at Holy Iris Academy seemed to be divided into two parts.
One part was the steady sound of the teachers lecturing in class.
The other part was the attention constantly surrounding her and Qiu Kui.
Qiu Kui seemed to be getting to know and being accepted by more people in class at an extremely fast speed.
Mainly the girls.
Pretty, quiet, shy, yet unexpectedly having an older sister who looked difficult to approach but seemed very “protective.” This combination sparked curiosity in quite a few people.
During breaks, three or four girls would often gather around, speaking to her in soft voices, sharing snacks, or inviting her to do something together after school.
Although Qiu Kui’s replies were brief, she would occasionally nod on her own or respond quietly.
The boys, on the other hand, seemed to have been deterred by Qiu Mian’s “cold-faced warning” that day, or at least they were temporarily observing from afar and didn’t dare approach rashly again.
This allowed Qiu Mian to breathe a small sigh of relief.
At least, on the surface, campus life is still relatively peaceful…
Finally, the last afternoon class ended.
The moment the bell rang, Qiu Mian immediately perked up.
She quickly packed her schoolbag and looked at Qiu Kui, who was still slowly organizing her notes beside her.
“Let’s go.”
Qiu Kui was startled for a moment, then obediently nodded. She sped up her movements, stuffed all her books into her bag, and followed behind Qiu Mian.
Once they left the teaching building, Qiu Mian had a clear destination. Her steps were faster than usual as she headed straight for the old annex building.
Qiu Kui had to jog a little to keep up. There was some confusion on her face, but she didn’t ask any questions, simply following closely.
Arriving in front of the heavy wooden door with the plaque reading “Holy Iris Drama Club,” Qiu Mian stopped but did not enter immediately.
She first looked around vigilantly.
After school, this side of the old building was exceptionally quiet. The corridor was empty, with only the faint sounds of other clubs’ activities drifting over from afar.
She pricked up her ears and listened carefully, then checked both ends of the corridor. After confirming there was no sign of that overly energetic figure, she felt slightly more at ease.
Xia Qingkong isn’t here… Good.
She really didn’t want her investigation to be interrupted or messed up again by the “protagonist” in various unexpected ways.
Taking a deep breath, Qiu Mian raised her hand and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
“P-Please come in…” came Qing Shui You’s slightly nervous voice from inside.
Qiu Mian pushed the door open.
The scene inside the activity room was similar to yesterday—filled with props and backdrops, with a faint smell of dust floating in the air.
Qing Shui You was sitting alone behind a desk, a thick script book spread out in front of her.
When she saw that the people who entered were Qiu Mian and Qiu Kui, she clearly froze for a second. Then a familiar pink flush rose to her face as she hurriedly stood up.
“Q-Qiu Mian classmate? Qiu Kui classmate?”
She greeted them softly. Her gaze lingered on Qiu Mian’s face for a moment before quickly darting away, as if she didn’t quite dare to make eye contact.
Qiu Mian walked in, and Qiu Kui followed, gently closing the door behind them. The activity room became even quieter, with only sunlight streaming in through the windows.
“We want to join the club,” Qiu Mian said directly, skipping any unnecessary pleasantries.
She stood in front of the desk, slightly raising her chin, and looked at Qing Shui You with firm eyes.
Her tone was cold and indifferent.
It sounded less like a question and more like a statement.
Qing Shui You clearly hadn’t expected her to be so straightforward, especially with that tone and gaze.
She shrank back a little under Qiu Mian’s stare, subconsciously hugging the script tighter to her chest. Her fingers unconsciously picked at the edge of the paper as her face grew even redder and her voice became smaller. “J-Join… the club? But… the Drama Club’s… activities are usually very dull… We mostly read scripts, practice lines, and do blocking… And… and…”
She “and”-ed for quite a while without managing to finish her sentence, only peeking at Qiu Mian with those timid eyes.
She seems… really scared of me? The thought flashed through Qiu Mian’s mind.
Is it because I looked too intimidating just now?
She softened her tone slightly but remained direct. “Is there a problem? Or has the club stopped accepting new members?”
“N-No, that’s not it!” Qing Shui You shook her head hurriedly. Her light brown hair swayed gently with the motion. “W-We are still accepting… It’s just… very few new students… come on their own…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was almost inaudible.
“Then that’s fine,” Qiu Mian cut her off.
“What forms do I need to fill out, or what procedures are there?”
Qing Shui You seemed overwhelmed by her momentum, or rather, stunned by her “I must join” determination.
She stared blankly at Qiu Mian for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. She frantically began rummaging through the desk drawer. “Y-Yes… There’s the club application form… I-I’ll find it…”
While Qing Shui You was busy searching with her head down, Qiu Mian’s gaze quickly swept across the activity room.
Her focus landed on the long table where Qing Shui You had placed her crossbody bag yesterday. Today it was empty. She then looked toward the prop boxes in the corner. Some costumes were piled up, along with several boxes that appeared to contain headdresses and masks, but they were too far away to see the exact styles clearly.
The mask… Is it kept there? Or did she take it with her?
Just as Qiu Mian was secretly observing, and Qing Shui You finally pulled out a slightly crumpled application form in a fluster, while Qiu Kui stood quietly behind Qiu Mian watching everything with curiosity and slight nervousness—
Outside the activity room, in the originally silent corridor, sudden sounds appeared.
Several people, their footsteps mixed together, were approaching from afar, heading straight toward the Drama Club activity room.
“Really interesting? Mei Ling!”
“It definitely is! Definitely!”
……
The voices grew closer. They could already make out the specific words.
Someone’s coming? Other members of the Drama Club?
She subconsciously turned her gaze toward the wooden door.
Qing Shui You also heard the noise. She stopped searching and looked up somewhat helplessly toward the entrance, saying softly, “Ah… S-Someone seems to be coming…”
Outside the door, the footsteps came to a stop right in front of the entrance.
In the next second, the sound of the doorknob turning could be heard.
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