The doorknob turned, and the door opened with a creak.
Several figures poured into the somewhat dim activity room amid laughter and chatter.
Qiu Mian took half a step back, shielding Qiu Kui further behind her as she looked toward the doorway.
However, the moment she clearly saw who had entered, her pupils contracted slightly. She almost wondered if she had seen wrong.
The person leading the way in was actually the yellow-haired girl from yesterday!
But today, she looked like a completely different person.
That striking yellow hair had been carefully styled, falling smoothly over her shoulders with a soft luster. Her face was clean, wearing light and elegant nude makeup.
She was dressed in the standard Holy Iris Academy uniform, with every button fastened to the very top and her skirt at just the right length. The entire person appeared refined and demure.
A gentle, faint smile hung on her face, her eyes clear, her posture elegant. Even her footsteps seemed light and polite.
Behind her followed two other girls, dressed just as properly and wearing gentle smiles.
If not for that same face and hair color, Qiu Mian would have almost believed it was someone else entirely.
The yellow-haired girl’s gaze swept across the activity room. It first landed on the clearly startled Qing Shui You, and her smile deepened. “Good afternoon, Qing Shui classmate. We didn’t disturb you, did we?”
Qing Shui You hugged the application form and shook her head blankly, replying softly, “N-No…”
Only then did the yellow-haired girl seem to notice Qiu Mian and Qiu Kui. She turned her gaze toward them. Her smile remained unchanged, carrying the familiarity of meeting acquaintances. “Ah, Qiu Mian classmate, Qiu Kui classmate. You’re here too. What a coincidence.”
Qiu Mian’s heart sank.
Acting! Keep acting!
But she didn’t explode immediately. She simply stared coldly at the yellow-haired girl with an expressionless face.
She wanted to see what exactly this girl was plotting.
The yellow-haired girl didn’t seem to notice the coldness in Qiu Mian’s eyes. Her gaze didn’t linger much on Qiu Kui either. She merely gave a polite nod before turning back to Qing Shui You, her voice still soft and gentle. “Qing Shui classmate, we’re new students very interested in acting. We heard the Drama Club is still recruiting, so we took the liberty of coming to take a look. Would it be convenient now to learn about the club, or… apply to join?”
She tilted her head slightly as she spoke, her eyes sincere. Combined with her gentle appearance and proper wording, it was hard to feel any dislike toward her.
The two girls behind her also smiled expectantly in coordination.
Qing Shui You was clearly not good at handling this kind of situation, especially when the other party was being so “friendly.”
She glanced at Qiu Mian, then at the gently smiling yellow-haired trio. Her fingers tugged at the hem of her clothes, her face flushing red as she stammered, “Y-Yes… W-Welcome… It’s just that the club currently… has very few members, and the activities are… rather dull…”
“It’s fine,” the yellow-haired girl said, her eyes curving into a smile.
“We actually prefer quietly studying scripts and practicing performance. Being a bit dull isn’t a problem. It’ll let us calm down and learn properly.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Qiu Mian as if unintentionally. “Besides, it looks like there are new companions today. Are Qiu Mian classmate and Qiu Kui classmate also here to apply? Then we can do activities together in the future. How nice.”
Who wants to do activities with you!
Qiu Mian sneered inwardly, and her face grew even colder.
She looked at the yellow-haired girl’s gentle mask, then recalled the vicious words she had hurled at Qiu Kui yesterday. A surge of rage churned in her chest.
Yet this girl had shown absolutely no direct hostility from the moment she entered. Her politeness was impeccable, leaving no opening to criticize her.
The feeling of punching cotton made Qiu Mian feel even more stifled. She could even feel her cheeks puffing out slightly from anger, her jaw clenching unconsciously.
This is infuriating!
Her acting skills are more professional than the actual Drama Club’s!
What the hell does she want?! Coming for the Drama Club too? Or… targeting me, or Qiu Kui?
Qiu Kui seemed to recognize the yellow-haired girl as well. Her hand quietly grabbed the edge of Qiu Mian’s uniform. However, when she looked up at the girl, there was also a trace of confusion in her purple eyes, as if she didn’t understand why the other person had suddenly become someone else.
The yellow-haired girl took in all their reactions. Her gentle expression unchanged, she turned back to Qing Shui You and said considerately, “Qing Shui classmate, you look quite busy. Are the application forms filled out here? We can do it ourselves and won’t disturb you.”
With that, she walked very naturally over to Qing Shui You’s desk, picked up a blank application form, and took out an elegant-looking pen from her own pencil case, preparing to fill it out.
The two girls she brought along followed suit.
The entire process was smooth and natural, as if they were the actual club members while Qiu Mian, Qiu Kui, and even Qing Shui You had become outsiders.
Qing Shui You was thrown even more off balance by this take-over attitude. She stood frozen in place, still holding Qiu Mian’s half-filled application form.
Qiu Mian watched the yellow-haired girl’s calm, everything-under-control demeanor, then looked at how Qing Shui You was being completely led by the nose. Thinking back to the insults and hidden threats this girl had directed at Qiu Kui yesterday…
No! I can’t let her slip in so easily!
She took a deep breath. Tearing off the mask right now would bring no benefit, since the other party hadn’t openly provoked them yet.
But she absolutely could not just watch this dangerous person approach her only lead!
Qiu Mian stepped forward, positioning herself between Qing Shui You and the yellow-haired girl. Although she didn’t have the height advantage, she slightly raised her chin, looked coldly at the girl who was filling out the form, and spoke in the coldest tone she could manage:
“Applications are first-come, first-served.”