Chapter 170

Chapter 170: Departure to Road Intersection

After the JinQiu Art Festival ended, the two most important events on Jiangcheng No. 1 High School’s freshmen schedule were the midterm exams and the autumn sports meet.

The midterm exams were held at the end of October, while the autumn sports meet took place in early November. This left only about two weeks for Mei Fang and his group to review.

However, even under such pressing circumstances, the trio did not feel the same academic pressure as they did in junior high school.

They no longer had to compete for the top ranks in their class. They paid attention in class, keeping up with the fast-paced curriculum. Aside from Xia Yuan being slightly annoyed by physics, everything else was fine.

She would be studying liberal arts in her sophomore year anyway, so she wasn’t worried about failing physics.

“Hmm…”

For this rare gathering, Xia Yuan wanted to look her best.

Her master bedroom had a large standing full-length mirror, which she had asked her father Xia Xun to bring from home. She had loved this mirror for many years.

Due to her love for fashion and her family’s support, Teacher Yu always dressed stylishly. Dressing well was Xia Yuan’s forte.

Today, she wore an oat-colored fleece hoodie over a gray pleated mid-length skirt. The skirt revealed just a bit of her smooth, fair thighs above the knees, with white cotton athletic socks completely covering her calves and white platform sneakers.

Although her skirt showed a little thigh, it could still be pulled down to cover more if needed.

Such an energetic and vibrant outfit wouldn’t offend conservative Aunt Liang.

Lin You Xi didn’t care much about dressing up, but after living with Xia Yuan, she had started to ask and learn about fashion too.

Today, she opted for a literary vintage style, pairing a khaki plaid shirt with a coffee-brown overalls dress. The shirt’s large sleeves made Lin You Xi’s slender body appear less frail.

The overalls dress was originally long, but even when worn, one could still see Lin You Xi’s fair legs. When she walked, her leg movements accentuated the dress, adding charm.

Both of them had prepared meticulously for today’s outing, leaving Mei Fang momentarily speechless when he saw them walk out of the bedroom.

“Going out for dinner, why dress up so much…”

“Isn’t it precisely because we’re going out for dinner that we should dress up? This outfit isn’t too mature, I have even fancier clothes…”

Xia Yuan raised her hands above her head and twirled, causing her pleated skirt to flutter slightly around her waist. Mei Fang frowned:

“Isn’t the skirt a bit short?”

“This is already a mid-length skirt! How can it be short… It won’t show anything, I added padding underneath…”

Xia Yuan looked up at Mei Fang and curiously asked, “Are you really that concerned?”

“Do I need to ask?”

Mei Fang then turned his gaze toward Lin You Xi.

“You Xi, this is the first time I’ve seen you dress like this. I remember you used to prefer simple T-shirts and long pants, and in autumn, you’d add a jacket and put your hands in your pockets…”

Lin You Xi walked a few steps with her hands in the pockets of her overalls dress, “Like this?”

“The actions are right, but the feeling is different.”

“Previous You Xi was a cool tomboy, but now You Xi is a literary young woman, naturally it’s different.”

Xia Yuan hugged Lin You Xi’s waist, then leaned against her shoulder and pouted at Mei Fang, “Hmph… Are you jealous of me?”

“Eh…”

Mei Fang was thinking about how to respond when Lin You Xi smiled slightly, “There’s no need to be jealous. If Fang wants to hug, we can do that later…”

“Yuxi, why do you always spoil Fang like this! Giving him rewards so easily, if you keep this up, I won’t like you anymore.”

Yuan Yuan pouted angrily, but Lin You Xi was considerate of Xia Yuan’s feelings. Seeing this, she comforted her by patting her head:

“Just joking… If Yuan Yuan doesn’t like it, I won’t do it.”

Lin You Xi leaned close to Xia Yuan’s ear, “So according to your meaning, tonight you don’t plan to wear this outfit and hug Fang?”

“Ahh… That’s not what I meant.” Xia Yuan’s eyes rolled as she thought about how to respond.

“So you still want to.”

“Yes, yes… We’re going to be late! Let’s go!”

Xia Yuan pushed Lin You Xi towards the door, sticking out her tongue at Mei Fang as she passed him.

The Road Intersection was located in Jiangcheng’s Hongshan District, surrounded by numerous universities, including two 211 institutions and one 985 university. Jiangcheng University of Technology, Jiangcheng No. 1 High School’s main campus—Jiangcheng Normal University—and Jiangcheng University, the benchmark university of Jiangcheng, were all nearby.

There was a humorous saying about Jiangcheng No. 1 High School: if you studied diligently but ranked low in your class, you would basically go to Jiangcheng Normal University.

Everyone jokingly referred to applying to Jiangcheng Normal University as a “direct flight,” where students at the bottom of their class could still enter a 211 institution. This had been the case for Jiangcheng No. 1 High School.

Due to the presence of many quality college students, the catering, cultural, and entertainment industries in this area were very developed. Internet cafes lined up one after another, and cinemas were built next to each other, ensuring there was never a lack of visitors.

However, for those living outside the Hongshan District, such as Mei Fang and his group from Jiangyang suburb, traveling to the city center was quite difficult. Currently, the Jiangcheng subway was not yet operational, and roads were being dug up everywhere.

First, they went to school, meeting Bingbing and Xiaoyu at the school gate. After meeting up, they waited for the bus at the intersection.

If it were up to Mei Fang’s usual behavior, he would have taken a taxi directly. But Xia Yuan had recently expressed disapproval of his spending habits, and he realized his style was a bit ostentatious. Thus, he changed his mind here.

The journey to the city center was long, but fortunately, the current Jiangcheng bus drivers were quite daring, racing along without being much slower than taxis. However, this was a problem for Lin You Xi, who was prone to motion sickness.

She sat leaning against Xia Yuan, looking uncomfortable. Mei Fang also got a plastic bag for Xia Yuan, just in case.

“Let’s have a big meal, let’s have a big meal.”

Bingbing was very excited about having a big meal, constantly talking about it. Xiaoyu reminded her:

“You should be quieter, don’t disturb other passengers.”

“Oh, okay… Got it, sorry.”

Bingbing quickly quieted down and started looking out the window at the scenery.

Xiaoyu and Bingbing were originally dorm mates on the same floor, separated by only two rooms. Since the art festival, their interactions in the dorm had increased.

In Mei Fang’s view, however, their personalities seemed to be complete opposites.

Actually, Xiaoyu was much more outgoing and cheerful in her previous life, but changes in her family’s financial situation had made her more introverted in this life.

Mei Fang was experiencing the wild bumpy ride of Jiangcheng’s buses, worrying about You Xi’s condition. Suddenly, Bingbing tapped his shoulder and asked:

“Mei Fang, speaking of which, aren’t you from a wealthy family?”

“Huh? My family? Not really…”

While her father, Mei Lijun, held a significant position, he wasn’t particularly wealthy. Mei Fang estimated that his family’s savings were far less than his own fortune.

“I don’t believe it.”

Bingbing muttered, “How can a student casually treat others to meals? And Chaoxiong said your camera costs at least seven or eight thousand yuan, and playing the guitar is the same… Only very wealthy families can afford such things.”

“It’s not as extravagant as you think… Learning the guitar doesn’t cost much; it’s mainly about time. As for treating meals…”

Mei Fang initially planned to blame Xia Yuan, saying her family was rich. But seeing Liu Xiaoyu listening to their conversation, Mei Fang worried it might hurt her feelings, so he immediately changed his words:

“It’s because we use our spare time to make games and earn some money.”

“Making games? Isn’t that programming and drawing? Can you guys do it?”

“Making games certainly requires more people. We’re not geniuses… We’re working with some middle school classmates, and we’re also meeting someone for dinner today.”

“Is this classmate also involved in game development? What does she do?”

“She’s an artist.”

“Oh! Then she must be a very beautiful and artistic girl, right!”

Bingbing eagerly said, “I see on TV that artists are usually thin and graceful. I wonder if she’ll find me too rustic.”

“She has a great personality, she won’t find you rustic. As for appearance… It’s hard to generalize. Guo Yun is a slightly chubby, cute type of girl.”

“Now I understand! Looking forward to meeting her!”

Mei Fang’s group included girls with high颜值. Besides Yuan Yuan and You Xi, Liu Xiaoyu was a popular, gentle girl in her previous life;

Although Bingbing was tall with a baby face, she wasn’t a muscular Barbie or Nezha. Compared to her, her physique was a bit similar to Kain Shinji from “The Dress-Up Dolls” anime or Daishi from “Uncertainty Aporon.” However, her personality was much more lively and extroverted.

Compared to them, Guo Yun seemed rather ordinary…

Mei Fang pondered this matter not to show off his social circle but because he was concerned about Guo Yun’s tendency to be self-conscious. He wondered if she would feel uncomfortable eating together today. Perhaps a private meeting to discuss the game would be better.

Sigh, if only I had forcibly brought Wan Chaoxiong along. At least it wouldn’t seem so out of place. It’s troubling not having a close friend like Zhang Ming in high school.

Everyone got off the bus, and the dizzy Lin You Xi walked unsteadily, appearing fragile. Xia Yuan supported her, feeling regretful.

“Maybe we should have taken a taxi…”

Mei Fang put away his phone and clapped his hands to gather everyone:

“Let’s go straight to the mall. Guo Yun said she’s waiting for us at the entrance of Building A.”

“Okay! Did she say what she’s wearing? I’ll go greet her!”

“Don’t be too enthusiastic… You might scare her… Guo Yun said she’s wearing a beige outfit.”

Bingbing jumped into the mall building, and as Mei Fang and the others followed, they saw Bingbing talking to a girl wearing a yellow hoodie.

“Hey, I told you not to be so eager… You must have mistaken her for someone else.”

“That’s Bingbing for you, ha ha.”

Xia Yuan held Lin You Xi’s hand and looked around, “But where is Guo Yun? I haven’t seen any other girl in a beige outfit.”

Seeing Mei Fang and company arrive, Bingbing waved them over enthusiastically.

“Over here!”

Just as Mei Fang and the others were puzzled, the girl in the yellow hoodie quickly approached and waved at Mei Fang and Xia Yuan:

“Long time no see… How have you been lately?”

Mei Fang and Xia Yuan exchanged glances, then looked at each other.

“…”

“Who are you?”

End of Chapter 170