SBAB Chapter 7

“Okay, I’ll head downstairs now.” Cheng Si Yin hung up the phone, put on her 5cm high heels, and ran down the stairs. Gu Nian was already waiting for her downstairs.

The two had been together for almost three years, and this was Cheng Si Yin’s first time visiting Gu Nian’s school.

Cheng Si Yin and Gu Nian were high school classmates. During high school, they adhered to the idea of not engaging in early relationships, so no sparks ever flew. Their bond deepened when they unexpectedly bumped into each other on a bus after graduation. When Cheng Si Yin arrived at the university and saw the less-than-appealing boys from all over the country, she realized that Gu Nian was a good choice, and they naturally became a couple.

Because they weren’t at the same school, it wasn’t easy to meet regularly. This time, Cheng Si Yin made a special trip back home because the school festival was happening on a Saturday.

Cheng Si Yin saw Gu Nian waiting and asked, “Why is the school open house on a Saturday? Isn’t that taking up student vacation time?”

“Everyone has classes from Monday to Friday, so we don’t take up vacation time,” Gu Nian chuckled. “Otherwise, how could I bring my girlfriend here to lay claim?”

“Hm? Has someone else set their sights on you?” Cheng Si Yin didn’t need to ask; with Gu Nian’s clean-cut, handsome face and the generally lower quality of boys at other universities, the answer was obvious. She didn’t need to wait for Gu Nian’s reply to continue, “Then it’s up to this girlfriend to handle them one by one.”

Gu Nian clasped his hands and bowed, speaking in a falsetto, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t mention it, little Gu,” Cheng Si Yin playfully pulled Gu Nian’s hand, reenacting a court drama. She laughed, “You’re pulling off that eunuch role.”

Gu Nian reached out to swat her, and Cheng Si Yin quickly ran away, their playful banter making the time pass quickly as they reached the school gate.

Once they were near the school, Gu Nian’s demeanor changed. Inside the school gate, he adopted a more authoritative student council president persona, guiding Cheng Si Yin to the cosplay club to change.

When the cosplay club’s president, Chen Yi, saw Gu Nian, she practically looked like she’d found a savior.

The new sponsor was the Foreign Ministry’s recent smartphone game, and their only requirement was for cosplayers to walk around the school dressed as characters from the game. While most characters were readily available, a cold, icy demon maid hadn’t reached the sponsor’s standards due to the high beauty requirement.

Chen Yi had to ask the student council for help, and Gu Nian, intrigued, gladly agreed, taking on the role of a vampire instead.

Now Chen Yi was completely fixated on Cheng Si Yin.

“Perfect, just perfect,” Chen Yi confirmed as she circled Cheng Si Yin, unable to look away. Her enthusiasm was akin to a puppy chasing its tail. Cheng Si Yin felt dizzy, still unsure when she’d get a chance to greet everyone.

Gu Nian gently held Chen Yi’s shoulders to stop her, saying, “Don’t waste time; we still need to watch the performance later.”

“Right, right,” Chen Yi slapped her forehead to snap herself back to reality. She then drew a curtain between Cheng Si Yin and the rest of the group, saying, “Once you’re dressed, call us, and we’ll come in and do your makeup.” After saying that, Chen Yi left.

Cheng Si Yin looked at Chen Yi’s retreat, feeling a bit lost. Though she and Gu Nian were a couple, now they were alone in a room together changing clothes. It felt a bit inappropriate, especially with so many people outside waiting.

Cheng Si Yin hesitated, but Gu Nian had already removed his top, and Cheng Si Yin could see his muscular shoulders through the curtain. She thought she was being overly fussy, so she turned around and focused on changing into the maid outfit Chen Yi had prepared, completely unaware that Gu Nian was secretly eyeing her body from the corner of his eye.

After changing, Gu Nian was called away by other student council members. Cheng Si Yin waited for the makeup artist to finish her makeup and then had to find the location of the performance hall on her own.

Chen Yi put dark red contact lenses and long fake eyelashes on Cheng Si Yin and applied deep red lipstick to complete the look. It was a simple but effective transformation, bringing the character to life without going overboard. Cheng Si Yin’s perfect skin meant she didn’t even need foundation, making the character seem almost alive with just a few strategic strokes.

Cheng Si Yin was completely lost in this unfamiliar school. It took a bit of help from a volunteer to find the performance hall, only to discover that it was already packed with several hundred people. She couldn’t find Gu Nian anywhere. Her mood soured immediately, her face showing a bit of irritation, but it fits perfectly with her demure demon maid persona.

Cheng Si Yin searched row by row from the back, finally spotting Gu Nian directing performers backstage. Gu Nian saw her too and motioned for her to wait there while he found them a comfortable seat. With one of them dressed in a cloak and the other in a maid outfit, moving around was a bit difficult.

Cheng Si Yin patiently stood waiting for Gu Nian when suddenly the performance of Swan Lake began.

Cheng Si Yin had heard Gu Nian mention that he’d hired a novice to play the Black Swan, and training had been lacking, so she was warned not to take it too seriously — it might even be a comedy with stumbles and forgotten lines.

But a comedic version of the Black Swan was pretty creative, so Cheng Si Yin watched more intently, frequently glancing backstage to get a peek at this different Black Swan’s appearance.

Lin Xin, already nervous, felt her heart rate quicken, and her lower abdomen felt a bit unsteady. Big jumps or high lifts near someone’s face seemed too risky. When it was Lin Xin’s turn to appear, she noticed the demon maid watching her with apparent interest. Lin Xin pretended not to notice, surreptitiously glancing at her from the corner of her eye. The maid’s gaze wasn’t on her anymore, but Lin Xin felt a sense of disappointment.

The demon maid seemed to sense his gaze and lightly turned to look at him. Lin Xin’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a sudden urge to flee. She quickly averted her gaze but then caught sight of the “abyss of hell” beneath her.

“As a man, I’m pretty well-endowed,” Lin Xin thought to himself after a second jolt of confidence.

But joking aside, he needed a solution; with this situation, his odd behavior would be spotted immediately.

Lin Xin’s three roommates clenched their fists, nerves frayed, terrified that Lin Xin would mess up and fall on stage. She was a freshman, and if she flubbed, they’d be teased for four years. But reality took them by surprise.

The Black Swan’s entrance was a highlight, everyone’s eyes were on Lin Xin’s performance, but not one person truly saw Lin Xin’s face.

Fast, too fast.

The potential humans have in dangerous situations is limitless, and it perfectly describes Lin Xin now. Whether it was divine intervention or sheer survival instinct, Lin Xin didn’t perform the easy, altered moves they had prepared for her but instead executed a series of elegant, fast spins. Although her acting was hard to see, her stunning dance skills were enough to draw continuous applause from the audience without professional knowledge.

Only when Lin Xin had finished and exited the stage did Gu Nian manage to join Cheng Si Yin, pulling her to a seat in the second row by the back door.

Cheng Si Yin pulled Gu Nian’s right ear down and whispered to him, “You said the Black Swan was a novice. I think she’s quite impressive.”

Gu Nian replied, “I was too busy to see the performance, but when I watched the rehearsal yesterday, she couldn’t even hold her foot up for long.” Gu Nian had always thought of Lin Xin as just a slightly more attractive younger schoolmate with a crush on him. But what he liked most about Lin Xin was her reluctance to vocalize her feelings; otherwise, how could he continue to rely on her to work tirelessly for the student council?

Cheng Si Yin’s comment piqued Gu Nian’s curiosity about Lin Xin. The fact that someone could make such a dramatic overnight transformation made him think, “Maybe I should take Cheng Si Yin backstage to introduce her. Lin Xin might not be too thrilled though.” If Lin Xin knew what Gu Nian was thinking, she might respond, “Actually, there’s an even bigger change I could undergo overnight.”

Gu Nian’s words were pretty clear — Lin Xin was likely a lovestruck girl who had feelings for Gu Nian, and her unspoken interest made it easier for Gu Nian to keep using Lin Xin for the student council’s needs.

Cheng Si Yin agreed, nodding, “Of course, I’ll go backstage with you to meet her, though she might not be too happy about it.”