Chapter 95: If you keep spouting nonsense, you'll get out of the car

Xia Xi shivered from the cold, and for a moment she thought winter had come early.

Suddenly, a car came from the opposite direction, braked to a stop beside the curb four or five meters away from her, and flashed its hazard lights. Seeing she didn't respond, the person inside honked once.

The rain was pouring down so hard, and there happened to be a streetlight beside the car; light and shadow merged with the rain curtain, Xia Xi leaned forward and stretched her neck but still couldn't see who was sitting in the driver's seat.

Inside the car, Xu Yanfeng frowned impatiently and told Chen Mian beside him: "Get out and pick her up."

"Oh right, in this downpour, walking over would soak your clothes, or you thought ahead." Chen Mian belatedly moved, grabbed a black large umbrella from the back seat, pushed open the car door with one hand, opened the umbrella, and was about to step out when he suddenly thought of something, turned to look at Xu Yanfeng, and said, "Why aren't you going out to pick her up?"

Xu Yanfeng couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense: "Hurry up."

Chen Mian got out of the car, casually shut the door, and ran toward Xia Xi with his umbrella.

Xia Xi sized up the newcomer, who seemed slightly familiar; she thought, he was Xu Yanfeng's……

Just as the word "roommate" surfaced in her mind, the other person introduced himself: "Xia Xi, junior, I'm Chen Mian, Xu Yanfeng's roommate. We happened to be having dinner nearby tonight, saw you taking shelter from the rain here, and thought we'd give you a ride back to school."

Xia Xi tilted her head to glance at the car behind him; is this Xu Yanfeng's car?

Chen Mian clearly saw that at the mention of those three words "Xu Yanfeng," the girl's eyes lit up more than a little, and the delight on her face was obvious, showing she truly liked him.

"Let's go." Chen Mian tilted his head.

Xia Xi stepped forward a few steps to take shelter under his umbrella and lifted the corners of her mouth: "Thank you."

Raindrops hammered the umbrella surface, beating out a chaotic rhythm, just like Xia Xi's heartbeat right now—disordered, not from nervousness but from excitement.

If she had known she'd run into Xu Yanfeng and even get a ride in his car, she wouldn't have cursed Zhou Xiaoyu behind her back so badly; she ought to thank Zhou Xiaoyu for the arrangement.

Chen Mian tilted the umbrella to shield the girl as best he could, escorted her all the way to the car, then had an idea and told Xia Xi: "You can sit in the front passenger seat. A girl shouldn't be squeezed with two big guys, so I'll sit in the back."

Xia Xi had been worrying how to ask for the front passenger seat, but she hadn't expected this senior named Chen Mian to be so perceptive; her heart instantly blossomed, and she wanted to award him a "Good Person Prize": "Thank you thank you thank you."

She opened the car door, first glanced sideways at Xu Yanfeng sitting steadily in the driver's seat, unmoved by any breeze; the curve of her upturned mouth couldn't be contained, even the corners of her eyes seemed to fly up. She climbed in, settled, shut the door, and as soon as she spoke she teased: "Turns out you care about me this much, Senior Xu—how should I thank you? Why not give myself to you?"

Xu Yanfeng's brow twitched; he recalled what he had said, and knew that good deeds go unrewarded.

Standing outside the car, Chen Mian was so startled his hand shook, nearly dropping his umbrella. "Good heavens, I'd only heard that Xia Xi the junior was fierce, but seeing is believing!" Chen Mian climbed into the back seat, squeezed the other two over a bit, turned sideways, and put away his dripping wet umbrella.

The windshield wipers swished back and forth; rain fell without cease, just wiped clean, the glass fogged up again in moments. Xu Yanfeng started the car, turned around, and drove slowly.

"You shouldn't thank me; you should thank Chen Mian." Xu Yanfeng brushed himself aside. "He's the one who saw you, and he's the one who insisted on bringing you along."

Xia Xi, one hand gripping the seatback, turned her head to the rear-facing Chen Mian and said: "Thank you, Senior Chen; I'll treat you to a meal later."

No one knew how hard Fang Huaiyuan and Yu Tingbo were struggling to keep from laughing.

This junior is quite something—her way of thanking Xu Yanfeng is to offer herself, but when the object of thanks becomes Chen Mian, it's just a meal… This differential treatment is hilarious to think about.

Chen Mian had no other thoughts: "Don't mention it, no need—I'm just the type who likes to help people."

Xia Xi pondered a moment, then said: "I feel your tone is just like that of an enthusiastic senior I met recently on the tieba who does good deeds without leaving a name."

Chen Mian got so excited he almost admitted he must be that "enthusiastic senior who does good deeds without leaving a name" she was talking about, but reason overcame impulse—Xu Yanfeng was still here, and if he found out Chen Mian had betrayed him, he'd surely have nothing good to eat.

"Cough cough, there are still plenty of enthusiastic seniors in the world." Chen Mian said solemnly.

Xia Xi turned back, sat properly, her eyes like they'd been washed with water—bright and moist, lacking any seductive charm, full of pure, abundant affection, gazing longingly at Xu Yanfeng.

"No matter what, you're the one driving, you put in the effort, I still ought to thank you—I see you're not lacking anything, it seems you're just missing a girlfriend, look at me how……"

After several previous encounters, Xu Yanfeng had formed a conditioned reflex toward Xia Xi; as soon as she spoke, he knew it wasn't good, and immediately interjected: "If you keep spouting nonsense, you'll get out of the car."

"I won't."

Xia Xi gripped the seatbelt in front of her with both hands; she'd already gotten in, could she really be kicked out? That simply couldn't happen! Besides, was that nonsense? Clearly those were her heartfelt words.

Chen Mian spoke up to ease the atmosphere: "Hey, Xia Xi junior, what are you doing out here alone?" "Completing the task assigned by the department head." Xia Xi said, "Helping our school's debate competition solicit sponsorship."

"Did you get any?"

"Yeah, eight shops agreed, and I've already filled out the form."

Chen Mian doubted he'd heard right: "How many?"

Xia Xi didn't understand why he was so surprised: "Eight. Today was a bit rushed; I didn't have time to chat more with some shops, I'll ask again tomorrow during free period."

"No no no, you misunderstood my meaning—I wasn't saying eight is few." Chen Mian hurried to explain, "In the past, the External Relations Department as a whole managed to pull in only about ten or so sponsors, and there were still last-minute cancellations; for one person to secure eight in such a short time is already impressive, showing you're good with words."

"Really?"

Xia Xi didn't know what the sponsorship quota was; she'd only heard Zhou Xiaoyu say the more the better.

"Of course." Chen Mian was very supportive.

"I wonder if there's any reward for completing the task so outstandingly."

While speaking, Xia Xi deliberately glanced at Xu Yanfeng, expectation in her eyes; since she was so capable, couldn't this Student Union Chairman give her a couple of words of praise?

The three in the back row squeezed together, feeling like invisible people.

Xia Xi's hope was destined to be dashed; Xu Yanfeng acted as if he hadn't heard her, not responding. Xia Xi wouldn't give up so easily, she directly called out: "Senior Xu? Chairman Xu? Xu Yanfeng?"

Xu Yanfeng was about to be annoyed to death by her, finally gave in: "After the event ends, I'll have someone save a set of debate competition merchandise for you."

Xia Xi: "……"

Whoever wants the merchandise, she just wants to be his girlfriend.

If she can't be his girlfriend for now, having him treat her to a meal would also be fine.

*At ten o'clock sharp, Xia Xi made it into the dormitory building before the doors locked, she went upstairs while sending a message to Zhou Xiaoyu; because she was in a good mood, her words were unguarded, she reported honestly.

Xia Xi: "Department head, my task is done; do you need me to send you the form now?"

Xia Xi is a tough nut; Zhou Xiaoyu didn't believe she could finish the task in the rain, guessing she'd just casually snagged one sponsor and come back, then only messaged at ten: "How many did you get?"

Xia Xi: "Eight."

That side fell silent, no further messages came, nor did they ask to see the form.

Xia Xi just knew that after reporting that result, Zhou Xiaoyu had nothing to say.

The next day, Xia Xi went to class as usual; during break, Zhou Xiaoyu came to fetch the form. Xia Xi was utterly bewildered—how could Zhou Xiaoyu be so eager? On WeChat she just said a word, asking her to deliver it in person would be her style.

Although she had doubts, Xia Xi still handed over the form.

Having taken the item, Zhou Xiaoyu didn't say another word, turned around and left.

One week later, the Debate Competition was about to begin, the Student Union convened another meeting to confirm that every segment was ready, with no omissions.

The Publicity Department handed several versions of the publicity posters to Xu Yanfeng for review; he would finalize the version, and then they would be posted on campus bulletin boards everywhere. The External Relations Department bound the sponsorship forms into a booklet and submitted them to Xu Yanfeng.

As the department head, Zhou Xiaoyu reported to him: "This time we've gotten more sponsors; everyone in our department has secured one to three sponsors, except for Xia Xi."

Xia Xi thought Zhou Xiaoyu had a change of heart, intending to focus on praising her for single-handedly finishing half the department's work, but Zhou Xiaoyu suddenly changed the topic: "I assigned her to solicit sponsorship in the Huai Xi Bu Xing Jie area, but she kept saying it was late and unsafe for a girl to go alone, then she postponed it to the next day, and in the end she did nothing, so I had to go myself to Huai Xi Bu Xing Jie. I don't understand why someone like her, who only plays and does no work, would join the External Relations Department."

Xia Xi: "???"

She, said, what?

Xi Xi, being a drama queen: waaa, the senior wants to prove my innocence (not, end of chapter)