SBAB Chapter 4

Lin Xin and Shang Xiao Xia didn’t notice when Gu Nian appeared; he had been there since they started picking out chokers. Lin Xin was a total fangirl now, consumed with thoughts like, “He touched my head,” and “His hands are so big.” But Shang Xiao Xia was different; she was a complete observer who hadn’t fallen for any romantic notions. She immediately sensed that Gu Nian was thinking the same thing as her—“The head of an Akita dog is enjoyable to touch.”

The first to break the silence among the three was Gu Nian, who patted Lin Xin’s head several times and quickly withdrew his hand, saying, “You’re like a little puppy.” Was he serious?

Shang Xiao Xia silently grumbled in her mind, not impressed with Gu Nian’s bluntness. Within seconds, she brewed up a scheme. Lin Xin didn’t understand why Gu Nian said that, but given their one-sided romance and the accidental meeting, she felt it wasn’t a flirtatious remark—it might just be a literal comment. The head pat was probably just a convenience due to height differences.

Lin Xin liked Gu Nian, but she wasn’t about to misunderstand. However, given Gu Nian’s proximity and good looks, she let the awkward comment slide with a laugh. She acted as if nothing had happened, treating it like a random encounter on the street when she asked Gu Nian, “What are you doing here, senior?”

Gu Nian pointed to a bag in his other hand and replied, “I came to the nearby wholesale market to buy some paint and poster paper. I was also feeling hungry, so I stopped by the mall for a bite before heading back.”

Lin Xin then asked, “Did the PR department lose everyone’s number? The student council president had to do the shopping himself?”

Who knew Gu Nian would respond, “Yeah, everyone in the PR department said they had other things to do, so only two department heads are left running the show. I had some free time, so I came over to help. I’m not much of an artist; I’m just here to lend a hand with some grunt work.”

Shang Xiao Xia immediately picked up on Gu Nian’s intention and quickly added, “Our Lin Xin is a top-notch artist, especially with posters. You can use her anytime; she’s got nothing else to do.”

“Is that so?” Gu Nian looked at Lin Xin, as if asking for her consent.

Lin Xin saw both of them looking at her with hopeful eyes, leaving little room for refusal, especially with Gu Nian’s long, fluttering lashes. She nodded in agreement.

Seeing Lin Xin accept the offer to join the student council, Gu Nian was thrilled and insisted on treating both Lin Xin and Shang Xiao Xia to dinner as a welcome gesture. Shang Xiao Xia quickly said, “I’m not going; I have other things to do,” and hurried away as if in a rush. Gu Nian waved at Lin Xin and smiled, “Guess it’s just the two of us then.”

Oh, the two of them alone together!

Lin Xin mentally screamed in delight, enjoying a meal filled with awkward silences and unspoken words but still happy. It wasn’t until Lin Xin returned to her hotel room that she realized joining the student council meant more chances to interact with Gu Nian—being close would give her an advantage, right?

Wait, an advantage to what? Gu Nian was someone else’s boyfriend. Although she had never seen the woman in person, Lin Xin couldn’t ignore her existence. Was she acting like a homewrecker by having dinner alone with her boyfriend? That was a bit low.

Lin Xin quickly pulled Shang Xiao Xia aside, realizing she was too love-struck to think straight. But Shang Xiao Xia, seeing through Lin Xin’s intentions, lazily responded, “You’re a guy now; why are you worried?”

“Oh, right,” Lin Xin almost forgot. But then she realized Shang Xiao Xia had pushed her to join the student council on purpose. There must be some ulterior motive!

Oh well, as long as her moral compass held up.

Shang Xiao Xia, without saying it directly, secretly hoped that if Lin Xin and Gu Nian spent enough time together, they might accidentally spark feelings. If that happened, Shang Xiao Xia would reveal Lin Xin’s true gender—now that would be an amusing situation.

Shang Xiao Xia wasn’t too far off. With Lin Xin now living as a guy, her behavior of pushing Lin Xin towards the role wasn’t much different from setting her up as a third party. But with Lin Xin’s blank slate of a brain, Shang Xiao Xia knew she could get away with it.

Shang Xiao Xia figured, given Lin Xin’s thought process, that transitioning to a male role might not be a bad idea. And she wouldn’t feel out of place either—Lin Xin was one of those rare guys who didn’t care much about makeup, couldn’t decipher lipstick shades, and was simply wasting a good physique.

Maybe Shang Xiao Xia was right. Within a day, Lin Xin had already grown accustomed to standing to pee. She could even use one hand to hold the phone while the other balanced on the toilet, talking to her boss, the PR department head, Aying Lun.

“First, thank you for joining us during our time of need in the PR department. Also, could you come by the dance studio this Saturday at 2 PM?” Aying Lun’s voice sounded formal and strict.

It was bad enough Lin Xin had to answer the phone while sitting on the toilet, but hearing Aying Lun’s mechanized voice assigning tasks made it even more irritating. Lin Xin pulled up her pants, sat back on the toilet, and muttered, “A dance studio? I can’t dance!”

“No worries, it’s easy to learn,” Aying Lun replied.

Aying Lun’s firm tone left no room for refusal. Lin Xin asked what type of dance, just to have some clue what she was getting into.

“Ballet.”

“Ballet?”

“Ding-ding-ding…” Aying Lun hung up before Lin Xin could finish her protest.

Ballet…wasn’t that going to require tight…tights?

Another wardrobe crisis was looming.