Serenade-Chapter 61: Taste

The lively new student enrollment season has arrived, and Jin Xi and her friends have also ascended to the "senior sister" throne.

The Faculty of Literature held a special exchange meeting for new students, inviting senior sisters with outstanding performance last year to share their experiences of college life and professional studies with the new students.

As the outstanding student representative of last year, Chu Zhao naturally became the keynote speaker of the new student exchange meeting.

Jin Xi and Lin Luo also went to the exchange meeting for fun, sitting in the audience taking pictures and videos for Chu Zhao.

The classroom was huge, with tiered seats, large enough to hold hundreds of people.

Chu Zhao sat at the lectern at the front of the classroom, nervously reciting her speech, carefully taking note of every point she wanted to make.

In order to prepare for this exchange meeting, she had pulled two all-nighters, hoping to share the learning methods and attitudes she thought were right with the freshman junior schoolmates.

At seven o'clock in the evening, new students walked into the classroom one after another, filling the tiered classroom full, with no less than hundreds of people.

Chu Zhao’s flexible fingertips fiddled with the ballpoint pen to calm her nerves.

...

Soon, Jing Chi walked into the classroom and sat in the last row, nodded at Chu Zhao, and mouthed: "Go for it."

Chu Zhao nodded solemnly.

As a new student, Yang Xiaoyuan was very enthusiastic and sat in the front row. When she looked up and saw that the senior sister sharing her experience on stage was Chu Zhao, she was obviously unhappy.

That day, Chu Zhao had embarrassed her in front of Bo Yan, and she had been upset about it ever since. However, even so, she still took out a pen and paper and carefully took note of every point Chu Zhao made.

During the Q&A session, Yang Xiaoyuan was the first to raise her hand and stand up. Looking at her notebook, she said in a loud voice: "Senior sister, regarding your third point, asking us to read more literary works during our spare time to expand our reading horizon, I have checked that we need to obtain the CET 4 and 6 certificates, Putonghua and teacher qualification certificates, and even take elementary computer exams during college... So I think we should spend more time on these useful things. As for literary works, we can read selectively based on what will be covered in the final exam, or just read the summaries to understand the outline of the stories. This will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Chu Zhao was stunned.

She had listened so carefully and even took notes, but it turned out she was just trying to find fault on purpose.

All the freshmen in the classroom stared at Chu Zhao, some indifferent, some watching the show, and some worried for her.

Yang Xiaoyuan was very confident in her perceived effective learning method. She was the liberal arts top scorer in her rural county. Regardless, when it came to dealing with exams, she had her own set of shortcuts and methods.

"Senior sister, I don't agree with your approach of extensive reading. There are endless Chinese and foreign masterpieces we need to cover as Chinese majors. If we really have to read every book from beginning to end, when will we ever finish? It's impossible to finish reading them all in four years of college. "

Yang Xiaoyuan boasted, "Understanding the general story and key ideas, and being able to summarize and reasonably apply them in exams, can also get high scores. This should be the learning method we should choose now."

Seeing the smug look on Yang Xiaoyuan's face, Lin Luo elbowed Jin Xi and whispered, "This freshman seems to be deliberately fault-finding."

"She's the girl Chu Zhao and I met at the bookstore that day."

"So it was her." Lin Luo glanced sideways at Yang Xiaoyuan, sized her up, and commented, "She doesn't look easy to deal with."

Chu Zhao was already quite nervous, and now being interrupted by Yang Xiaoyuan made her even more nervous. She kept looking back and forth at her prepared speech, stuttering, "What this student said makes...makes sense, but we can't just read for exams. Improving ourselves and expanding our reading volume is the most important."

Yang Xiaoyuan seemed determined to avenge the embarrassment from that day. She pressed on aggressively, "Although exams are not the purpose, exam scores directly affect the selection of outstanding students, scholarships, and qualifications for guaranteed admissions to graduate school... Senior sister, dare you say exams are not important? If you mislead your fellow students, can you take responsibility?"

Chu Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Today is just an exchange meeting after all. If what I said can help you, of course that's best. If you don't agree with what I said, that's fine too. Improve yourselves using your own methods. After all, everyone has learning methods that suit them."

"Of course I don't agree with senior sister's inefficient learning method. I stood up to speak because I don't want my fellow students to be misled. We are having a rational discussion, I hope senior sister is not angry."

Yang Xiaoyuan had thoroughly embarrassed Chu Zhao, so she naturally felt extremely smug. She sat down properly, back straight, looking just like a model student.

The surrounding students looked at her with disbelief. It was rare for a new student to stump a senior sister like this. Even if they disagreed, they wouldn't publicly expose her like this and not leave her any dignity.

Facing the eyes of hundreds of people in the classroom, Chu Zhao's hands clenched the speech papers tightly, and her cheeks also began to flush. She couldn't get out the content she had prepared afterwards no matter what.

Lin Luo was furious. She stood up to defend her friend, but was grabbed by Jin Xi. Jin Xi shook her head at her, signaling her to calm down.

"Since this is a discussion, I also have a question I want to ask this new student sister." Jin Xi looked at Yang Xiaoyuan and asked calmly, "Have you read Anna Karenina, student sister?"

"Although I haven't read it, I know the outline of the story." Yang Xiaoyuan said loudly, "It's about a woman having an extramarital affair."

"A story about a woman's extramarital affair has become a world masterpiece. What are your thoughts on this, student sister?"

Yang Xiaoyuan thought for a moment and calmly parried, "The specific implications and central theme of this text are definitely covered in the textbooks. Memorizing them is sufficient to cope with exams."

"I'm asking what your feelings are about this text?"

Yang Xiaoyuan looked unkindly at Jin Xi, still answering around her point, "As long as I can get high scores and scholarships, I will feel very happy. I believe everyone else thinks the same."

Jin Xi smiled, "As a student of the Chinese Department, your only feeling about a work of great significance in literary history is that you can use it to obtain scholarships? You really are interesting, student sister."

The surrounding students couldn't help but laugh—

"Speak for yourself, don't bring us into it."

"Yeah, we've never thought about any scholarships."

"I heard she's the liberal arts top scorer."

"What an amazing top scorer."

...

Yang Xiaoyuan was both angry and ashamed, her gaze becoming very sharp, and she was losing control of her emotions: "I know you all look down on me. You are from well-off families and don't care about scholarships. You can indulge in elegant pursuits and talk about literature. But I can't. I need to get high scores. I need scholarships. What's wrong with that!"

Just then, Chu Tang, who had been silent next to her, looked at Yang Xiaoyuan and said in a deep voice, "Classmate, I can tell you very responsibly that with your shortcut learning methods, you will not only be unable to get high scores and scholarships in exams, but it will even be difficult for you to barely pass."

"On what basis can you say that?"

"Don't underestimate the professors in our faculty. It has a top reputation nationally. You think you can get high scores from them just by relying on the textbook summaries without actually reading the texts? You think the professors can't see through your little tricks?"

Today's exchange meeting was for students to exchange freely. The guiding teacher originally didn't plan to join the students' discussion, but after hearing Yang Xiaoyuan's words, she couldn't help but speak up—

"Now that you've entered our Literature Department, I hope all students can calm down, not be arrogant or impetuous, read extensively to build a solid foundation for yourselves. University is not like middle school or high school where the only goal is test scores. University is to help you establish the right attitude towards learning and life. I don't want our students to develop opportunistic thinking. Neither learning nor being a person can be done through taking shortcuts!"

The counselor's words were quite severe. Although she didn't name names, everyone could see that she was targeting Jin Xi.

The surrounding classmates whispered amongst themselves, and the looks they gave Jin Xi contained some ridicule and aloofness.

The exchange session proceeded quite smoothly. Chu Zhao, who had been made uneasy by Jin Xi's actions, was no longer nervous and breezed through the rest of the session.

After it ended, the students left the classroom one after another. Lin Luo and Xia You crowded around Chu Zhao and showed her the videos they had just filmed.

"Ah, so silly!"

"What's silly about it? Our senior Chu was so cool."

"No no, we have to delete this photo. Too embarrassing."

"Deleting photos is impossible. Never gonna happen in this lifetime! But I can help photoshop your double chin away."

After packing up her papers and pen, Jin Xi walked over to the girls.

Lin Luo guardedly asked, "What do you want?"

"I want to apologize to senior Chu," Jin Xi said with a serious expression. "I was in the wrong earlier, shouldn't have deliberately made trouble for you."

Chu Zhao coldly said, "No need to apologize. They were all ineffective attacks anyway."

Chu Tang added another jab: "Not just ineffective, but fully rebounded. Your face must still be stinging right?"

The girls looked at each other, smiles blossoming at the corners of their mouths.

Having grown up under the doting love and care of their parents and loved ones, the soft fur of these girls hid sharp claws. United, they would not allow anyone to get the better of them.

Only Jin Xi felt that Jin Xi's purpose in coming over was not as simple to apologize. But she couldn't be bothered with her, and kept her head lowered editing photos on her phone.

Jin Xi continued, "I want to reconcile our differences. After all, we're in the same department, and will have many chances to interact in the future. I don't want to make enemies either."

"You make it sound as if we're the petty sort who would deliberately make trouble for you."

"It's not that I'm afraid you'd deliberately make trouble. But given my relationship with Bo Yan, if I feud too badly with you all, it would put him in a difficult spot. I don't want that."

"..."

The girls were speechless.

After saying this, Jin Xi glanced at Jin Xi, trying to discern any displeasure on her face.

But disappointing her expectations, Jin Xi seemed to have no reaction at all, keeping her head lowered editing photos the entire time, not even glancing her way.

Jin Xi felt like she had punched into cotton.

**

At the basketball court, Bo Yan put down the basketball and used a white towel around his neck to wipe the sweat on his face. He turned and asked Jing Chi, "She really said that?"

"Of course, I heard it clear as day."

The corners of his mouth turned up, and his eyes flashed a hint of sweetness. "My girl's learned to be possessive now."

As the only witness, Jing Chi thought back to the scene and couldn't help but shudder. "Vicious minds behind smiling faces."

Xia You took a jump shot, panting as he said, "Nothing a good fight can't solve."

"That's the difference between men and women. We can solve problems by fighting, but force doesn't solve women's problems."

Bo Yan asked Jing Chi, "Then how do they solve problems?"

Jing Chi lazily said, "If I knew, I would've gotten a girlfriend long ago instead of hanging out here playing ball with you morons."

"..."

"Beat him up!"

Xia You and Bo Yan ganged up and thrashed Jing Chi.

Xia You sat cross-legged on the rubber track field, arrogantly crossing her long legs in a feminine manner. Dabbing sweat from her face with a tissue, she leisurely said, "With you getting love letters and gifts every other day, if not for Jin Xi's easygoing temper, any other girl would've been eaten up with jealousy."

Lying on the rubber track field and squinting up at the blazing sun, Bo Yan muttered, "Can't help this damned charm."

"..."

On a weekend, it was Jin Xi and Bo Yan's turn for their routine checkup of the cats at the Meow Meow Club.

Bringing cat snacks, they went to various cat gathering spots around campus. Jin Xi was surprised to find that no matter how the cats fawned over Bo Yan, stretching out their chubby paws to scratch him, he no longer crouched down to pet them.

The cats were quite disappointed. Big White followed Bo Yan quite a distance, meowing at him, but he didn't even glance back and strode away.

This state continued for several days. Later Jin Xi learned from Jing Chi that her catnip senior had steeled his resolve to remain chaste, not only no longer indulging girls but even refusing to hug mother cats.

So Jin Xi's workload increased tremendously. The spaceship cat carrier also fell onto her shoulders. Each time she had to bring the cats for sterilization surgery, put Elizabethan collars on them, and handle all kinds of tedious miscellaneous tasks alone.

Carrying two cats, Jin Xi complained angrily to Bo Yan, "If you keep this up, don't touch me either!"

Only then did Bo Yan reluctantly exclude mother cats from the scope of his chastity.

One night in mid September, Jin Xi and Bo Yan sat on the grass field of the track field, watching new student military training in the distance, while also planning Bo Yan's 21st birthday party after the National Day holidays - who to invite, what to eat, what activities.

"It's a weekend that day, so we can invite friends over to my house to play, and have my brother cook."

"For numbers, just our two dorms, or whoever else you want to invite, the more the merrier."

"What do you think?"

The mellow sunset draped over her, illuminating her flushed lips and thick curly lashes.

Sitting cross-legged opposite her, Bo Yan looked at her with narrowed eyes, gentleness in his brow and eyes. "In the Bo family, the women call the shots in these matters."

Jin Xi lowered her head with a smile playing on her lips, and sat down next to Bo Yan. "Alright, you have to listen to me from now on then."

"Of course I'll listen to you."

Bo Yan rested his head on Jin Xi's shoulder, watching the sunset together with her.

Feeling the heavy weight on her shoulder, Jin Xi strangely felt something off about this: "Shouldn't you be the one offering me your shoulder to lean on?"

"Shhh."

"What?"

"Don't ruin the atmosphere."

"..."

Jin Xi acquiesced to letting him lean on her slender shoulders, but didn't expect this guy to take advantage, insistently burrowing his head down, almost nudging into her chest area.

His buzzed hair was prickly now, tickling her neck.

Giggling, Jin Xi grasped his hair strands and said, "Behave yourself."

Chuckling, Bo Yan straightened up and asked her in a negotiating tone, "Got my birthday present ready?"

"Long ready. I got Shen Pingchuan to accompany me shopping for a long time before finding it. You'll definitely like it."

"I meant the other one."

"Which one?"

"The one you promised me at Cangnan Mountain."

Jin Xi blinked, a blush rising to her cheeks as she lowered her head without replying.

Bo Yan reached out and rubbed her soft earlobe, saying, "With so many people invited that day, it probably won't work out. We could do it earlier, what do you think?"

"Think about what." Jin Xi's voice was barely audible.

Bo Yan put his palm on her shoulder, forcing her to look into his eyes. He said earnestly, "Jin Xi, I want to paint your portrait. This is my wish."

She avoided his gaze, speaking softly, "I didn't say no."

Bo Yan was stirred up. He couldn't help hugging her tightly.

Jin Xi was squeezed until she could barely breathe. "Hey...loosen up a bit."

Bo Yan released her, then rewarded both her cheeks with a wet kiss.

Jin Xi wiped off the saliva on her face in disgust, saying, "When do you want to do it? Let me get ready."

"No time like the present. Let's go to the studio now." Bo Yan stood up eagerly, pulling her to the painting studio.

What an impulsive fellow!

"No, not today!" Jin Xi broke free of his hand, "Let's pick another day."

"Why not today?"

"I...I'm not ready yet."

"What do you need to prepare?"

Jin Xi fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, thinking for a moment. "I need to buy clothes."

Bo Yan laughed. His eyes gleamed with teasing charm. "You'll be taking them off anyway."

Jin Xi pushed him. She bit her lower lip. "I want to wear them."

"Being difficult, aren't you?"

"I'm not." Her face was completely flushed. She murmured, "I want to wear underwear. I'd be too embarrassed otherwise."

Bo Yan was silent for a while, chuckling to himself. His mind was already picturing some tantalizing images.

Jin Xi covered his mouth. "Don't laugh. I'll get angry if you keep laughing!"

"Okay, I won't laugh."

Bo Yan tugged at his collar, suppressing his laughter for two minutes before bursting into guffaws again.

Jin Xi turned and left, no longer wanting to deal with him.

During that time, Bo Yan kept sending her links to all kinds of sexy lingerie online.

One day during class, Jin Xi received another heavy taste, devilishly tempting bra from Bo Yan.

Bo Yan: "I want to see you wearing this."

Jin Xi: "You overestimate your partner too much. I can't fill out this bra size. Bye."

Bo Yan: ...

Bo Yan: "A woman with smaller breasts than me, this is too unfair."

Jin Xi: "Now you're acting aggrieved!"

After a while, he sent Jin Xi a sweet and innocent strawberry camisole.

"How about this one?"

Jin Xi looked at the cartoon pattern and replied helplessly, "Senior Bo Yan, your partner stopped wearing this style in elementary school."

Bo Yan: "Okay, let me look some more."

Jin Xi: "Please stop looking!"

Just as she locked her phone screen, gasps sounded from behind. Chu Tang, Lin Luo and Chu Zhao crowded around, gaping at her phone screen.

"Wow, you got Senior Bo Yan to pick lingerie for you?"

"You two have quite the bedroom games!"

"But Senior Bo Yan's straight guy taste isn't great."

Jin Xi: ...

Go away!

That weekend, her roommates dragged Jin Xi to Times Square Mall.

Of course the girls had much better taste than the guys. At the lingerie store, they swiftly picked out various styles for Jin Xi to choose from.

Chu Zhao's selections were mostly light-colored, sweet and innocent bras, modest and charming.

Lin Luo naturally gravitated toward the sexy ones. She even pulled Jin Xi to the display window, pointing out the plunging black three-point bra on the mannequin and drooling, "Damn, I really want to see you wearing this!"

Chu Zhao stroked her chin rationally analyzing, "If Jin Xi wore this, she probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed tomorrow."

The corner of Jin Xi's mouth twitched.