Night.

The bright moon hung in the sky, with thin clouds drifting past.

The military training singing event had gone on all evening, with military songs, martial arts exercises, and students showcasing their talents on stage.

Xia Xia wasn’t interested in these performances. She sat among the crowd, listlessly scrolling through group messages on her phone, occasionally dropping a message in the class group chat.

Zhu Ziyu, also on her phone, noticed male classmates constantly trying to make conversation with Xia Xia in the group chat.

She looked at Xia Xia curiously: “You never used to talk in the class group before.”

Xia Xia replied softly, “Well, we need to get to know our new classmates.”

Suddenly, cheering erupted nearby.

Xia Xia turned to look. After the previous student’s performance, Cai Yun had taken the stage.

Cai Yun was the first female student to perform. She sang a love song, and with her gentle voice and pretty features, a crowd of male students cheered when she finished. Cai Yun’s expression remained composed, though she couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Zhu Ziyu commented, “Boys all like that gentle type. No wonder they’re cheering.”

Xia Xia replied, “That’s not necessarily true.”

As the event was drawing to a close, the instructor hosting asked if anyone else wanted to perform.

Xia Xia handed her phone to Zhu Ziyu, stood up, adjusted her military training uniform collar, and told the instructor, “I will.”

Xia Xia usually kept a low profile, but anywhere she went, someone with her looks could never go as unnoticed as she wished. Signs of this had already emerged when she helped Xie Huai sell milk tea.

Xie Huai had initially targeted female customers for his milk tea business, but whenever Xia Xia was present, male customers were equally numerous.

Xia Xia had a face that attracted men.

Zhu Ziyu once told her that between them, they embodied two types of pure beauty that appealed to men.

While Zhu Ziyu’s beauty made men desire her, Xia Xia’s looks reminded men of their first love – the kind of beauty they wanted to protect and cherish, never wanting to see her hurt.

Xia Xia asked with a smile, “Instructor, may I?”

The instructor hosting the event was the crew-cut one who had taken a liking to her. He smiled, “Of course, what will you perform?”

Without answering, Xia Xia walked to the speaker and selected a song.

She removed the rubber band holding her ponytail and unbuttoned her military training uniform from top to bottom, revealing the black camisole underneath.

In her second year of high school, Ping Jiapeng’s friend opened a dance studio.

Back then, with lighter coursework, Ping Jiapeng would take her to spend an hour at the dance studio every evening after school.

Xia Xia would quietly do her homework while watching Ping Jiapeng learn street dance. After half a month, he still couldn’t master a single dance.

Xia Xia called him slow, and Ping Jiapeng was unhappy: “This dance is very difficult. No one could learn it in just half a month.”

Xia Xia tilted her head at him: “What if I could learn it?”

That day, she performed the entire dance perfectly, leaving Ping Jiapeng dumbfounded.

Xia Xia had strong learning abilities and could memorize movements after seeing them just once. Combined with her natural flexibility, though her movements and range couldn’t fully compare to experienced dancers, she was remarkably good. If she hadn’t said so, Ping Jiapeng would never have believed she was a beginner.

As a child, Xia Xia often lingered outside the Children’s Palace, watching kids inside learning painting, dancing, martial arts…

She would watch longingly for hours but never mentioned wanting to take classes when she got home. She understood Wei Jinhai would never spend money on such things for her, so she never bothered asking.

Whenever she watched Ping Jiapeng dance, she would carefully memorize the movements. She would also go to the adjacent classroom while he was in class to watch girls dance, observing how teachers guided them step by step, correcting their shoulders. At home, she would practice along with videos.

Back then, Xia Xia couldn’t exactly explain why she secretly learned these things, just feeling that learning more skills might prove useful someday.

She had both patience and persistence, practicing a single dance hundreds of times at home until every movement and expression matched the video perfectly.

The prelude began – it was a passionate song.

Xie Huai sat on the flower bed by the field, holding a half-empty can of cola.

In the center of the crowd’s clearing, that girl looked different from usual.

Her waist was supple, her movements graceful. The loose military training uniform didn’t hinder her at all, instead becoming the perfect half-concealing curtain. The fitted camisole beneath outlined her figure, showing just a glimpse as she moved and turned, the open collar revealing her long neck and fair collarbones.

It was a spirited dance.

Waist movements, hip turns, hair flips – naturally graceful movements blended with her inherent pure aura, creating an elegant rather than vulgar effect that captivated viewers while maintaining respectful boundaries.

Li Zhelin watched from the crowd for a while before coming to sit beside Xie Huai.

As the temporary male class monitor chosen by Xing Xin, his family had some money, and he often treated classmates to meals and drinks, usually surrounded by a group of people.

“Xie Huai,” Li Zhelin asked, “I treated everyone last night, but you were the only guy who didn’t come. What, too good for me?”

Xie Huai took a sip of cola: “What’s there to be too good for?”

Xie Huai didn’t even look at Li Zhelin.

He sat under the street lamp, the orange light above making him bright, bringing a hint of warmth to the deep night.

After a moment of silence, Li Zhelin said, “You are quite arrogant.”

He gazed with interest at Xia Xia dancing in the crowd’s center and asked, “Are you close with Xia Xia? Let me ask you something, and you have to tell me the truth.”

His gaze moved between Xia Xia and Xie Huai: “Have you two been together?”

“You know what kind of ‘together’ I mean,” Li Zhelin smiled. “That day at the school clinic, I heard you talking about something about being almost friends with benefits. I didn’t believe it at first – Xia Xia looks so pure, how could she do something like that?”

“But you don’t talk to anyone else, just get along well with Xia Xia. I wonder what kind of revolutionary friendship that must be?”

Xie Huai said coolly, “You heard wrong.”

“Come on, we’re all adults here, nothing to be embarrassed about,” Li Zhelin licked his lips. “If she is available, don’t keep her all to yourself.”

He looked back at Xia Xia: “Looking at how she dances, she can’t be as pure as she seems.”

Xie Huai’s gaze turned cold: “I said, you heard wrong.”

The music was nearing its end.

Every one of Xia Xia’s movements, every turn and sway was perfectly controlled.

She was fluid, her arms moving like rolling waves; she was also dynamic, radiant as the sun, her whole being luminous.

Her control was impeccable, the dance flowing seamlessly to its conclusion, ending in a final pose.

The military training jacket had slipped to her waist, shoulders half-exposed, the black camisole resting on her slender shoulders.

These were all young people fresh from high school studies – they had never seen such a performance.

The moment the music stopped, the crowd erupted with applause, whistles, and waves of cheering from the male students.

Li Zhelin whistled from afar: “This would be worth pursuing. If she’s not interested in dating, other arrangements could work – money’s not an issue, I can afford it.”

“Xie Huai, how about making an introduction? Name your price.”

Xie Huai’s already cold eyes grew stormier, almost indiscernible in the deep night.

He stood up and threw the cola bottle at Li Zhelin’s chest. There was still half a bottle of cola left, which splashed and spotted Li Zhelin’s glasses.

Without a word, Xie Huai grabbed Li Zhelin’s collar and pushed him against the basketball hoop behind the flower bed.

On one side of the flower bed was the lively singing event, while on this side, the air grew thick and heavy with Xie Huai’s cold anger.

The streetlight cast shadows on Xie Huai’s face, leaving a thin ring of light on his eyelashes.

With a stern face, he said: “I’m only going to say this once, so remember it well.”

His fingers pressed hard against the soft bone of Li Zhelin’s shoulder, making him grimace in pain.

“I don’t care who else you pursue, but don’t you dare set your sights on Xia Xia.” He pressed harder, making Li Zhelin cry out in pain.

“From today on, if I hear any gossip about Xia Xia at school, I’m holding you responsible. Understand?”

Li Zhelin’s shoulder was nearly crushed under the pressure: “…Xie Huai, let go first.”

Xie Huai’s voice remained icy: “I asked if you understand?”

Li Zhelin replied, face pale: “I understand.”

Xie Huai pushed him aside, bent down to pick up the dropped cola bottle, and tossed it into a nearby trash can.

As the singing event ended, the crowd dispersed.

Several male students surrounded Xia Xia, blocking her path and trying to chat with her.

The girl’s voice was barely audible above a whisper. Her cheeks were flushed, and like an innocent rabbit, she stammered, unable to form a clear rejection.

Xie Huai walked over, grabbed Xia Xia’s wrist, and pulled her to his side: “That’s enough. Can’t you see she doesn’t want to give you her contact information?”

The boys all knew Xie Huai, and seeing how he intimately pulled the girl close with no resistance from her, they decided not to persist.

Xie Huai released Xia Xia: “Don’t you even know how to reject people? With your naive personality, you’ll end up getting bullied.”

“Next time this happens, if you don’t want to give something, just say so. If they keep pestering you, tell them to get lost. Understand?”

“I understand.” Xia Xia blinked. “Where did you go? I saw you talking with Li Zhelin earlier, and then you disappeared.”

Xie Huai glanced at her: “Why do you care where I went?”

He walked away.

The moonlight flowed like water, casting long shadows on the campus pathway.

Zhu Ziyu crossed her arms and studied Xia Xia: “You had already seen Xie Huai coming, hadn’t you?”

Xia Xia played dumb: “What?”

“When those guys were asking for your contact info, you saw Xie Huai walking this way,” Zhu Ziyu said. “Don’t pretend with me, your expression changed instantly.”

“And that dance earlier, what are you plotting?”

Xia Xia appeared soft and weak, like a wronged innocent flower: “What bad things could I possibly do? Don’t say such things about me.”

After military training ended, Xing Xin held another class meeting.

Xia Xia had spent half the night looking at part-time job listings online. When she woke up, her eyes were swollen and her head was dizzy with sleepiness. She collapsed on her desk to nap as soon as she entered the classroom, unmoved by the lively discussion around her.

The class committee election went smoothly, mostly uncontested. Some positions had no volunteers until Xing Xin personally found people to fill them.

Zhao Shanqi became the arts and cultural representative and Youth League secretary.

Li Zhelin remained the male class monitor, as he often treated classmates to meals and was well-liked among the boys.

Finally came the female class monitor election.

Everyone knew Cai Yun and Yi Meixian were close, so they just went through the motions, with no one willing to compete against her.

Xing Xin was about to announce Cai Yun as a female class monitor without asking when Xia Xia raised her hand.

“Teacher,” the girl’s voice was soft from just waking up, “aren’t you going to ask if anyone else wants to run?”

She smiled at Xing Xin: “I want to run for a class monitor too.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her classmates erupted in discussion.

Without waiting for Xing Xin to respond, Xia Xia walked straight to the podium.

Cai Yun didn’t move, and Xia Xia stood before her, all smiles: “Won’t you make room for me?”

Cai Yun gave her a long look before stepping aside.

Xia Xia had originally been quiet in class. During the first week of military training, most people only knew there was a pretty girl in their class who was exempt from training, nothing more.

But how long does it take to go from unknown to memorable?

Just the length of one dance.

That kind of night, that atmosphere, with the hazy moonlight of Nan City.

Xia Xia had timed it perfectly, performing right after Cai Yun and completely overshadowing her emerging popularity.

The beginning of college is often boring, as new roommates might not have much to talk about.

But Xia Xia, with just one dance, successfully became one of the most talked-about people during late-night dorm conversations.

Whenever classmates chatted with students from other classes during training breaks, they would casually mention:

“Oh, Xia Xia? She’s in our class.”

“She’s nice, we were just sharing memes in the class group chat.”

“She helped me get water yesterday and lent me tissues.”

Human vanity is strange – people take pride in the association as if the admiring gazes meant for others somehow reflected in themselves.

And what comes back from this vanity is endless goodwill.

…

During military training, although Cai Yun was the acting class monitor, she had to train and couldn’t do much beyond relaying notices from the counselor and recording attendance.

Meanwhile, Xia Xia, exempt from training and bored, kept busy making trips between the field and dorms to refill classmates’ water bottles, carrying tissues and wet wipes for others to use, getting lunch early from the cafeteria for classmates, helping girls who got heatstroke to the school clinic…

One thing after another, by the time Cai Yun realized it, Xia Xia had already quietly done many things for the class.

Step by step, she had woven a web that no one could escape from.

One couldn’t blame Cai Yun for her slow reaction – the girl’s fragile appearance seemed too harmless.

Cai Yun hadn’t taken her seriously, assuming that since Xia Xia didn’t compete for the temporary monitor, she definitely wouldn’t dare compete in the formal election.

But she never expected that it wasn’t that Xia Xia didn’t dare compete – she just hadn’t wanted to be monitored then.

When the votes were counted, Cai Yun and Xia Xia each had 25 votes, even with Cai Yun’s advantage of being a temporary monitor for half a month.

While Cai Yun’s expression had turned sour, Xia Xia remained oblivious, still smiling sweetly.

Xing Xin asked: “Our class has fifty-one people, who haven’t voted yet?”

“…Xie Huai? Have you voted?”

Xie Huai was napping in the corner and reluctantly got up when Xing Xin called his name.

He looked drowsy, running his fingers through his messy hair.

Xing Xin patiently explained: “We’re electing class monitors, it’s your turn to vote.”

Cai Yun’s expression froze.

She remembered how Xie Huai had looked at her that day in the dorm – seemingly calm on the surface, but hiding a coldness that could freeze her solid.

She could even detect the emotion he was trying to hide in his eyes – if she hadn’t been a girl, he might have simply beaten her up.

Xie Huai was the last voter, and she didn’t have even a slight chance.

Xie Huai looked lazy, ignoring the solemnity of the class monitor election. His gaze passed over Cai Yun and landed on Xia Xia: “You want to be class monitor?”

Xia Xia said: “Yes, why not?”

Xie Huai casually tore a piece of paper from his notebook, not caring if he offended Cai Yun, and wrote Xia Xia’s name in front of everyone.

He wrote the character for ‘Xia’, then hesitated, his pen stopping: “Being class monitor seems pretty busy, right?”

Xia Xia said: “It is very busy.”

Xie Huai asked: “Then if you become class monitor, who’s going to be my sidekick?”

“Oh,” Xia Xia said casually, “then I guess I won’t do it.”

Her attitude changed so quickly that even Xing Xin couldn’t react: “I suddenly don’t want to run anymore, consider it my concession to Cai Yun.”

Her voice was soft, but she emphasized the word “concession.”

The class fell silent.

Cai Yun’s already unpleasant expression reached its worst point.

Xia Xia returned to her seat, and Zhu Ziyu grabbed her sleeve: “What are you doing?”

“Can’t you tell?” Xia Xia had bought hot soy milk at the cafeteria that morning, and after sitting for so long, it was now the perfect temperature.

“She reported me to the counselor and dragged Xie Huai into it too.” She bit the straw of her soy milk and took a sip. “I’m just returning the favor.”

She turned to smile at Zhu Ziyu: “One for one, very fair.”

Zhu Ziyu: “If you wanted to get back at her, you shouldn’t have given up the monitor position.”

“What does it matter if she’s monitored?” Xia Xia was indifferent. “She’s always been a class officer, isn’t she proud of that? People like Cai Yun only learn humility when they’re defeated at what they’re most proud of.”

“You might think she’s class monitor now, but from now on, whenever she thinks of those two words ‘class monitor,’ she’ll think of me.” Xia Xia winked playfully. “She didn’t earn this position through ability or classmates’ approval – it was given to her by Xia Xia. How irritating must that be for her?”

“I’m happy because I got to her, and with Cai Yun’s proud nature, she’ll probably remember this for all four years. Just thinking about it makes me feel good.”

Zhu Ziyu asked, “Aren’t you afraid she’ll retaliate?”

Xia Xia finished her soy milk in a few gulps, the straw making squeaking noises against the empty bottom.

She lifted the plastic lid and looked disappointedly at the empty cup, saying carelessly: “Like I give a damn about her.”