Chapter 226

It had been a long time since she'd visited the kind vendors on that food street. Occasionally, she'd miss the old man who always stuffed her "meatless Roujiamo" (Chinese hamburger) with plenty of meat, and the auntie who sold her steamed buns. But now she had money! She could easily afford the eight-yuan Roujiamo that had previously seemed so unattainable! The girl quickened her pace, feeling pleased. Things she used to be reluctant to eat, she was now enjoying in abundance, including some she'd never even dared to dream of before. Like that oversized Hatsune figurine. She now meticulously wiped it clean every day to check for dust. And then there was the crab roe noodles and authentic Sichuan hot pot Xia Yan had taken her to... ugh, just thinking about it made her mouth water. Hua Xin patted her flat stomach, suddenly craving something delicious, and couldn't help but look forward to the moment when she could feast on meat and drink water to her heart's content. Life was getting better little by little. She had not only earned a lot of money, but she had also met many kind people. These things undoubtedly dispelled the light from the darkness in her heart. So... Hua Xin looked at the clouds that occasionally drifted across the sky, obscuring the sun, and her heart also sank into a slight sense of confusion. Should she continue with the life she had planned before? Even though her life was already so wonderful. The girl turned two street corners, still unable to find the answer in her heart. "Never mind... things will work themselves out." "Maybe I'll know by graduation." Hua Xin gently shook her head, abandoning the few things that had been troubling her, because she still had three years to prove herself. She stopped, but the small stall that used to be located on the side of the street was gone. The girl walked towards the shop in surprise, only to see the A4 paper with the "Closed for Business" sign still hanging on the shutter door. It's been so long since the New Year and it still hasn't opened... The girl hesitated for a moment, but the shutter door covered her, so she couldn't see if anyone was still inside. But probably no one was. The slight happiness she had just felt sank to the bottom. Hua Xin let out a soft breath and mustered her courage to walk into the nearby barbershop. A short while later, the girl silently emerged. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, but continued walking forward with a heavy heart. 170. Xia Yan's Calm Undercurrents 3k6 "There are a few competitions over there, and some crafts and poetry recitations, mostly drawing and making posters, and some fun little games. There are prizes for winning." "Darts? Connect Four? I heard someone was playing Yu-Gi-Oh! over there. Didn't you say your Blue-Eyes White Dragon was invincible?" "..." Xia Yan wanted to say something more, but turning to see Hua Xin leaning against the wall, silent and lost in thought, he stopped his rambling. This seemed somewhat unusual. He was, of course, referring to Hua Xin's state. Xia Yan wanted to pique Hua Xin's interest through these activities. After all, he was the one who invited Hua Xin today, and ultimately, he wanted her to accompany him to this small event. So, it was his turn to reward Hua Xin. Besides... she had never been so distracted or seemed unusually downcast before. The low pressure emanating from Hua Xin made Xia Yan realize that the source of his "I'm unhappy" was her. Xia Yan quietly walked to the girl's side, leaned against the wall, raised his arm, and then slowly lowered it. He seemed to be caught in an unwanted dilemma, but given the atmosphere, he still gently touched Hua Xin's arm. "Huh?" "What's wrong?" Hua Xin seemed to wake up from a dream, leaning forward, her voice flustered and embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night, and I'm a little sleepy now." "What did you say? I didn't hear you..." The girl subconsciously moved a few steps to the side, slightly away from Xia Yan. His sudden closeness made Hua Xin wary. Ever since she met Xia Yan and cleared up the misunderstanding, he had maintained a subtle yet comfortable distance in his interactions with her, unlike some middle or high school boys who would casually pat someone's bottom. He was also very respectful, qualities inherent in Xia Yan. Hua Xin had once used the lie that "I have a scar on my face, it's ugly" to conceal her current female identity and prevent Xia Yan from being curious about her appearance under the mask and hood. And Xia Yan had never mentioned asking her to take off her mask. Even when she ate with her back to him, he wouldn't say anything. But these past two days, Hua Xin belatedly realized that Xia Yan seemed to be touching her a little too much. But perhaps their relationship was good now, and Xia Yan was just joking... Hua Xin felt a little relieved; maybe there wouldn't be any problems... She couldn't very well point her finger at Xia Yan and say something like, "Don't touch me." "I said..." "There's a cosplay event over there, organized by two clubs from our college and the School of Management at the Foreign Languages University. It seems quite large-scale, in the activity room on the second floor." "Oh, okay." "Let's go check it out." Hua Xin chuckled, then lowered her head and walked towards the stairs. Xia Yan frowned, somewhat stunned, unsure what was wrong with Hua Xin. If she wasn't interested in small events, she should at least like 2D and cosplay. After all, they had talked a lot about anime and games, so he knew her interests well. What's wrong? What happened? Xia Yan, exceptionally perceptive of people's emotions, accurately caught this. He followed the girl towards the stairs, looking at Hua Xin with some helplessness as she went up, and reminded her, "We're on the fourth floor, we need to go down." Hua Xin, who was stepping onto the stairs, stiffened, then turned around without a word and followed Xia Yan down. The two maintained a somewhat silent atmosphere, walking one after the other, neither speaking. The originally cheerful atmosphere suddenly became heavy and silent. Xia Yan not only wanted to take this opportunity to bring Hua Xin to some activities to practice her social skills, but also had other reasons. But ultimately, he still wanted to have some fun with Hua Xin. "Xia Yan?" "I've been looking for you for a long time, why didn't you reply to my message?" "The Student Council and leaders on both sides are having a meeting, come with me to the seventh floor." Facing the corridor, the two saw Lin Qingyu rushing by and bumped into them. Lin Qingyu had a slightly anxious look on her face, wearing a beautiful dress with a thin coat over it, and a sparkling necklace around her neck. The men and women passing by behind her cast admiring glances at her. Of course, there was also Xia Yan standing in front of her. "I..." Xia Yan subconsciously looked at her.