Serenade

The warm morning breeze brought tidings of early summer. Outside the window, the blazing sun shone brightly as the temperature began to rise slowly.

Jin Xi stood in front of the dressing mirror on the balcony, tilting her head to one side as her gaze shifted downwards and landed on the side of her neck.

The skin on her neck was delicate and tender like a young girl’s, with a soft, snowy whiteness. But now, on the fair side of her neck, there was a coquettish red strawberry mark, shocking to behold.

The scene from yesterday still lingered in her mind.

This guy was too much. They hadn't even kissed yet but he had already done such an excessive thing.

Jin Xi's fingers gripped her collar tightly as her cheeks burned hotly.

In her limited experience with love from reading youth novels, the progression of romance always went step by step - holding hands, kissing, touching, and only then would they... But he had directly skipped over all that.

"Bad man," she murmured softly.

Jin Xi rummaged through the wardrobe for a while before deliberately choosing a collared T-shirt to try and conceal the mark on her neck. But with the arrival of early summer, her clothes were light and thin, and the collar was not long enough to hide it.

Jin Xi borrowed some foundation from Lin Luo and dabbed it on her neck, but the vivid red strawberry color was like that guy's arrogant and unruly smile, boldly proclaiming his powerful existence to her.

In the end, the skin on her neck was abruptly a shade lighter, but she still could not conceal that red strawberry mark.

How was she going to face people like this! Jin Xi let out a miserable wail.

...

Shen Ping Chuan had arranged to meet Jin Xi to go eat breakfast together at the cafeteria, so Jin Xi simply rummaged through the medicine box and found a large Band-Aid to stick on her neck, covering up the little strawberry.

She went out of the dormitory and Shen Ping Chuan was already waiting for her under the pagoda tree.

His daily attire was very casual - a black clover T-shirt, athletic shorts and sneakers. It was a typical straight guy outfit, without any awareness of dressing up.

The Shen family genes had always been strong and outstanding. Shen Ping Chuan's handsome features carried a hint of rugged boldness, appearing somewhat wild. But after years of scholarly refinement, his wildness was somewhat restrained, balancing each other out and creating an unexpectedly harmonious combination.

This made Shen Ping Chuan unlike anyone else, exuding a unique attractiveness.

If he was willing to dress up properly, who knows, he might even be able to win a campus prince title or something. Jin Xi had tried to change his style before, buying him lots of trendy clothes and shoes.

But after just a few days, Shen Ping Chuan had stuffed those trendy brand clothes to the back of his closet, saying his roommate and buddies made fun of him for being pretentious. In the end, Jin Xi could only give up. She wanted to save Shen Ping Chuan from the straight guy crowd, but the task was truly arduous and long.

Shen Ping Chuan's breakfast was always simple - porridge, pickles and a few hearty steamed buns that he wolfed down with relish.

Jin Xi, chewing on a pancake, looked at him with her bright doe eyes and said disdainfully, "You're the only heir of the prominent Shen family. How are you so different from the male leads of aristocratic families in novels?"

Shen Ping Chuan swallowed a mouthful of steamed bun. "What should I be like then?" he asked.

Jin Xi thought for a moment before replying, "Cool, refined and elegant. Never glance at a woman more than necessary, walking with an air of arrogant CEO. That kind of cold feeling."

Shen Ping Chuan noisily drank a mouthful of porridge and said, "Would an arrogant CEO eat at the school cafeteria?"

"What cafeteria!"

Jin Xi pressed her palm on his shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Woman, I have taken over this entire cafeteria. No matter if it's fried chicken, rice balls or sweet potato fries, eat whatever you like and charge it to my 50 billion campus card!"

Shen Ping Chuan blinked. His gaze lowered to her oily claws on his shoulder.

"Woman, let go. Otherwise I'll show you what a CEO's wrath is like."

Jin Xi laughed heartily and removed her hand. "You learned pretty quick. Keep it up and you'll definitely find a girlfriend."

Shen Ping Chuan took out some napkins from his bag, grabbed her oily paws and helped wipe her greasy fingers. "Focus more on studying and less on trashy TV shows."

"No way!"

Shen Ping Chuan glanced up and noticed the bandage on her neck. He casually asked, "What happened to your neck?"

Jin Xi's heart lurched. "Oh, um, a mosquito bit me."

"If you got bitten then you got bitten. It would just be a small bump at most, why stick a Band-Aid on it?" Shen Ping Chuan said as he moved to peel the bandage off her neck. "Do you have no common sense?"

Jin Xi quickly backed away to evade him. "I scratched it and it bled, so I put the bandage on."

"Is that so?" Shen Ping Chuan frowned dubiously at her, seeming unconvinced.

"Bro, I just remembered I have to meet Chu Zhao at the library. I gotta go first! Enjoy your meal, sir!"

"Hey, let me see it again! Why are you running away!"

Jin Xi grabbed her bag and scurried off swiftly like a rat, disappearing from sight in an instant.

Shen Ping Chuan sat back down helplessly and continued gnawing on his steamed bun.

The aroma of fried chicken drifted over from the window, accompanied by the sizzling sounds of frying oil.

He was still inwardly ridiculing, what arrogant CEO would be interested in a little glutton like her who loved eating fried chicken and junk food?

Just then, he heard the auntie's voice calling from the fried chicken stall, "Student, your card isn't working."

"How could it not work?" the girl replied in a slightly hoarse tone.

"This card, it's a subsidy card for students from low-income families right? It can only be used at the meal ticket stalls on campus. Our stalls are run by vendors so we can't accept subsidy cards," the auntie explained.

Shen Ping Chuan glanced over and saw a girl in a camo T-shirt standing at the fried chicken stall window. She was slender and tall, with long black hair tied up to reveal her fair neck.

She was tightly gripping a green campus card that looked the same as other students' cards at first glance, but had different chips configured inside.

The school had announced the Spring Sprouts Program this year, issuing subsidy cards to students from low-income families. The school would allocate 800 yuan per month into the card as living expenses.

However, it could only be used at meal ticket stalls, not at vendor stalls.

The auntie continued, "If you want to buy fried chicken, you'll need to pay cash."

The girl tugged her green duck bill cap lower, shielding herself from the strange looks of students around her. "Never mind then, thanks," she said. 𝐟r𝗲𝚎𝚠e𝐛no𝘃𝗲𝐥.c𝗼m

As a student council executive, Shen Ping Chuan dutifully walked over. "Here, let me help pay for you."

The girl looked at Shen Ping Chuan in surprise and immediately said, "I don't have cash on me. It's fine, thanks."

"You can pay me back later, it's no problem." Shen Ping Chuan held out his own campus card to the payment terminal. The auntie keyed in the amount - 10 yuan.

Seeing the card had been swiped, the girl had no choice but to look at Shen Ping Chuan and murmur her thanks.

Shen Ping Chuan shrugged and went back to his seat to continue eating.

Soon, the girl came over with the steaming box of fried chicken and sat down opposite Shen Ping Chuan. "Give me your WeChat so I can transfer you the money," she said.

"It's fine, don't worry about that little bit of money," he replied indifferently.

"I must repay you!" The girl was very firm.

Shen Ping Chuan glanced at her. She was taller than most girls, with a slender but well-proportioned figure, on the thin side. She wore military green camo clothes that made her look very spirited. Her face was not as delicate and pretty as most girls either. Her lips were thin and sharp, and her brows carried a heroic air. Handsome would be a more apt description than beautiful...

"From the National Defense Academy?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "Mm."

"Alright, add me then." Shen Ping Chuan took out his phone and showed her his QR code to scan.

After adding him, the girl sent her name over: "First year, special forces class, National Defense Academy. Xia Qing."

"Shen Ping Chuan, from the Business School."

"You're Shen Ping Chuan?"

Shen Ping Chuan wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked, "You know me?"

"You're from the student council. I know you. Last semester when the student council was recruiting execs, you rejected me."

Shen Ping Chuan: ...

Awkward.

"Well, for second years we relax the requirements during recruiting next semester. You can try again if you want."

"I'll have more training next semester so I won't come," the girl replied.

She didn't seem to smile much, always keeping a taut expression. She appeared somewhat introverted and cold.

Shen Ping Chuan thought to himself, he had most likely rejected her back then for this very reason.

As she ate her fried chicken, Xia Qing kept her head lowered as she transferred the money to Shen Ping Chuan.

"Really, it's fine."

"I must."

She transferred 10 yuan to Shen Ping Chuan. Helpless, he could only accept it.

"My younger sister also likes to eat these fried foods," Shen Pingchuan's expression softened a lot, and he couldn't help but admonish her: "These are all unhealthy, especially in the morning, it's best to eat some light foods."

Jin Xi was stunned for a moment, not expecting that he would start preaching seriously, so she could only nod.

Shen Pingchuan cleaned up his own desk and turned to leave, but after walking a few steps, he seemed to remember something. He came back and sat down again.

Jin Xi looked at him expressionlessly: "Anything else?"

"Junior sister, you are from the National Defense Academy, so you must know Bo Yan, right?"

Of course she knew about the all-around excellent senior Bo Yan that the entire National Defense Academy knew about.

"Um, if he has any movements, can you let me know?"

Jin Xi made a confused "ah" sound: "What?"

"That is..." Shen Pingchuan simply said directly: "Has he been dating recently, has he been intimate with any girls? You are in the same academy, there must be gossip going around."

Jin Xi frowned slightly: "I'm very busy with training, I don't pay much attention to these things."

"Junior sister, if you know anything, you must tell me, please." Shen Pingchuan looked very sincere: "In the future, I'll treat you to fried milk crackers."

Seeing Shen Pingchuan so nervous, Jin Xi thought that Senior Bo Yan's charm was really great, not only attracting girls and aunties, but now even boys were falling for him too.

She didn't promise Shen Pingchuan either, after all it wasn't good to gossip about others in private.

There was still half of the milk crackers left in her pocket. Jin Xi couldn't finish them anymore, so she carefully packed them up and put them away, planning to take them back to the dorm to eat later.

Seeing this, Shen Pingchuan's nagging habit acted up again: "Hey, girls shouldn't eat cold food."

"It's okay, I'll take it back to the dorm and heat it up in the oven, my roommate bought an oven."

Shen Pingchuan: ...

Young lady, do you know what I do on the student union?

Jin Xi reacted after a while, seeming to understand something. She clutched the milk crackers, hesitated for a moment, then took off running when Shen Pingchuan wasn't paying attention.

**

The end-of-semester physical education assessment had just finished the 800-meter run. Chu Zhao collapsed on the rubber playground, exhausted like a dead dog.

Jin Xi grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her up: "Don't sit down, there's still sit-ups left."

Chu Zhao hugged her legs and let out a painful cry: "Let me die!"

Inside the gymnasium, students lined up in two rows by odd and even student numbers and did sit-ups.

The school had very high standards for students' physical fitness. The end-of-semester physical education tests were exceptionally strict. Students who didn't pass not only had to take make-up tests, but their scores would directly affect their final grades that semester, which would affect their chances for scholarships, evaluations for excellence, and recommendations for further studies, making it a huge loss.

On the green mats, the girls hugged their heads, barely controlling the minimal abdominal muscles they had, breathing heavily with flushed little white faces. Most girls could only do twenty or so before collapsing, and some couldn't even make it to ten.

On the other side of the gym, the boys from the National Defense Academy were playing basketball. Bo Yan had been substituted out and walked under the basket, using a white towel around his neck to wipe away the beads of sweat on his forehead.

Although the air conditioning was on in the gym, the boys were still steaming hot after training.

Not far away, the girls' moans and groans from doing sit-ups kept coming over, making the boys on this side feel restless.

Xu Chaoyang threw the ball and walked over to sit next to Bo Yan, complaining irritably: "What are they doing making those noises? We can't concentrate on the game."

Jing Chi came over holding a half-full bottle of water and laughed: "How come just hearing them do sit-ups gets you worked up?"

"With all that moaning and groaning, who could stand it in this heat?" Xu Chaoyang pulled at his soaked jersey collar: "Bo Yan, can you stand it?"

Bo Yan took a sip of chilled jasmine green tea, looking at him narrowly with his long eyes, and murmured poetically: "If you blossom, the pure wind will come on its own."

Screw your pure wind coming on its own.

Xu Chaoyang looked completely confused, but still sat cross-legged on the rubber floor and calmly began to meditate, not listening or looking.

Jing Chi went over and pushed his head: "Boss Bo already has a girlfriend, you single dog, even if you blossom into a flower meditating here, there's no one to help you resolve your problems."

Xu Chaoyang nodded thoughtfully and muttered to himself: "It looks like I need to confess to Senior Xuanxuan soon."

Jing Chi folded his arms and said: "Sounds good, I fully support you. Candles or rose petals, give me a shout and I'll be there without question."

Xu Chaoyang looked back: "Hey, you're not competing with me?"

Jing Chi sneered: "If you can get her, I'll wash your underwear from the past three years. But if you can't, stop yammering about her all the time, my ears are getting calluses."

Xu Chaoyang immediately got motivated: "No problem, it's a deal!"

Bo Yan gazed over at the girls on the other side.

As if drawn by some magnetic force, in the crowd, he could always immediately spot his girl with one glance.

The little girl wore a black Nike athletic top, with the distinctive flush on her cheeks after exercising. Her bright, clear eyes showed a touch of uneasiness and apprehension. When joking around with her friends, the corners of her mouth lifted, revealing a sweet dimple.

Bo Yan stood up and walked over to her.

It just so happened to be Jin Xi's turn to do sit-ups. She repeatedly exhorted Chu Zhao: "You have to hold down my feet, or I really won't be able to get up!"

She lay down on the green mat, legs closed together, knees bent, and Chu Zhao hugged her calves: "Come on! Think of that tyrant Shen Pingchuan, if you fail the PE exam, he'll mock you for 800 years!"

Jin Xi gritted her teeth, determined to push through.

Just then, Chu Zhao felt someone pat her shoulder. She looked back, and it was actually Bo Yan.

"Let me do it." Bo Yan smiled at her.

So Chu Zhao voluntarily stepped aside.

Jin Xi looked up and saw Bo Yan. He wore a fiery red basketball uniform, squatting by her feet and holding down her sneakers with both hands.

"Huh?"

Bo Yan raised his clear amber eyes to look at her: "Ready? Let's start."

"Wait a second." Jin Xi lay flat, taking deep breaths and nervously preparing herself.

Chu Zhao called to Jin Xi: "Your six-pack National Defense Academy boyfriend is helping out, Jin Xi you have to break your pathetic record of only 20 sit-ups!"

Jin Xi cried out woefully: "What does your boyfriend's abs have anything to do with me!"

Bo Yan smiled faintly: "How does it have nothing to do with you, it has a lot to do with you." His words were meaningful, putting unhealthy thoughts in Jin Xi's mind and making her body even softer.

This guy was obviously just here to mess with her!

The teacher blew the whistle and Jin Xi began the agonizing work of supporting her body, doing sit-up after sit-up. Sixty seconds to do 30 for a passing grade.

When Jin Xi reached 20, she felt like her abdominal muscles were about to rupture. Her little face was swollen and red, mustering all her strength.

No matter how her body swayed and rolled around, Bo Yan firmly held down her shoes like a mountain.

"Jinxi, you can do it," he said gently encouraging her: "Come on, look into your boyfriend's eyes, do a few more."

Boyfriend your sister!

Jin Xi clenched her teeth tightly, and her lips turned pale pinkish white.

Twenty nine, thirty...

Ah, finally passed!

Jin Xi lay on the mat like a dead dog, exhausted and limp. But the teacher's timer hadn't ended yet.

Bo Yan gently patted her bottom: "Get up, do five more, you can do it."

Jin Xi panted heavily: "I can't..."

Bo Yan thought for a moment, the corners of his lips curving up in a faint smile: "Jinxi, your boyfriend prepared five strawberries for you. Do one sit-up, and that counts as earning one strawberry, how about it?"

Ahhhhh!

In despair, Jin Xi struggled to sit up again, hanging on by a thread to do seven or eight more.

Chu Zhao gaped in astonishment.

In the blazing summer heat, where did he go pick strawberries!?

Author's note: Thank you to grant and trial user Qiannian for your long reviews, DM me on Weibo and I'll gift you a book.