Chapter 17 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Chapter 17 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Shen Lingsi knocked on Ning Song's door.

Ning Song had left the door unlocked for Qiao Qiao and said from inside, "The door is open."

He pushed the door open and saw Ning Song drinking water downstairs.

He was only wearing pajamas, which were quite loose, revealing his sunken collarbone, making him appear even more gaunt.

"President."

Shen Lingsi smiled, "Why aren't you lying down to rest?"

"I came down for a drink of water." Ning Song asked, "President, did you need something?"

"Yes," Shen Lingsi's smile made him look even more refined. His teeth were very nice, and his smile was warm, "I looked at where you work part-time, it's the bookstore between Building Two and Three, right?"

Ning Song nodded.

"Our school's busiest bookstore is there. Why did they assign you there? You're not in good health; you can't handle the workload there. I'll transfer you to another position. There's also a bookstore in Building One, usually quiet. Would you like to go there?"

"Is that possible?" Ning Song was surprised.

He had been to the area between Building Two and Three, where the bookstore staff were always busy, barely able to keep up. According to Qiao Qiao, just making coffee there could crack your fingers, even with gloves.

Shen Lingsi smiled, "Special circumstances call for special treatment. If you have no objections, I'll transfer you there. You don't need to work tomorrow either, take a couple more days off. Let's see how you feel by Wednesday."

"Thank you, senior."

"No problem, get some rest." Shen Lingsi said, "I won't disturb you anymore."

As he walked out, Ning Song followed to see him off.

"It's raining again?" Ning Song looked outside.

"Yes, it is."

Shen Lingsi's umbrella stood against the wall, dripping water. He picked it up and said, "It's cold outside, go back in, don't catch a chill."

"Goodbye, senior." Ning Song pretended to be obedient.

Shen Lingsi watched him and smiled. He was one of the few people whose attractiveness couldn't be hidden by glasses. Glasses actually detracted from his looks; without them, his phoenix eyes would be even more striking, and with them, he looked more scholarly and mature.

"By the way, are you close to Pu Yu?" Shen Lingsi suddenly asked.

"Not really." Ning Song said.

He felt they were definitely closer than before. When he saw the rain outside, his first thought was whether Pu Yu had taken an umbrella when he went out.

Shen Lingsi smiled, "It's rare to see him so enthusiastic about a classmate."

His tone was slightly drawn out, but his eyes were filled with warmth, "Alright, go back in."

Just then, Qiao Qiao ran over under an umbrella, seeing Shen Lingsi, he called out with a smile, "President!"

Shen Lingsi smiled and nodded, "Take good care of him."

Qiao Qiao closed his umbrella, "Of course!"

Shen Lingsi went downstairs with his umbrella.

Qiao Qiao and Ning Song entered the dormitory. Qiao Qiao asked, "Why did the president come?"

"He came to talk about my part-time job," Ning Song told Qiao Qiao, "He transferred me to the bookstore in Building One."

"That's great. The bookstore between Building Two and Three is crazy busy! Your health wouldn't handle it. They must've assigned you there with ill intentions!" Qiao Qiao said, "Our school really needs the president. He's handsome and kind-hearted. What will happen when he graduates and Jin Yang takes over?"

"Who is Jin Yang?"

"A classmate of ours. He went to the European Federation for an exchange program with the president. You haven't met him yet. The empty seat behind Pu Daxi is his."

Qiao Qiao suddenly became very gossipy, "He has a huge crush on Pu Daxi!"

"Is he good-looking?" Ning Song's heart stirred.

"Very good-looking," Qiao Qiao said, "But he has a terrible temper, very arrogant. You'll see for yourself. Since you've been hanging out with Pu Yu lately, I wonder if he'll give you trouble."

Ning Song said, "He probably wouldn't consider someone like me a rival."

"Don't underestimate yourself," Qiao Qiao said, "You're much cuter than him!"

Ning Song smiled, hearing the drizzle outside, and sent a message to Pu Yu: "Did you get caught in the rain?"

Pu Yu replied quickly.

"A little."

"No problem."

Pu Yu usually spoke in short sentences, so what others could say in one message often took him several.

After finishing his afternoon PE class, Ning Song went to the classroom.

In a class full of boys who had just finished PE, the room reeked of sweat and foot odor. All the windows were open, and although he couldn't see outside from his seat, the wind blew in, making it a bit chilly. Qiao Qiao asked him, "Should we close the windows?"

"No," he preferred the cold wind to the smell of sweaty feet.

Voices and laughter echoed in the hallway as a few boys ran past. Suddenly, someone popped up at the window—it was Li You.

He leaned against the window, first looking forward and then backward. Seeing Ning Song, he called out, "Hey."

Ning Song looked up and saw Li You pat the shoulder of the boy in front, who immediately lay down, giving him a clear view.

"Are you sick?" Li You asked.

Ning Song nodded slightly.

He was usually quite thin and frail, but now that he was truly ill, he looked particularly alarming.

He felt as if Ning Song could shatter at any moment.

The smile faded from Li You's lips as he said, "That's rough."

Qiao Qiao said, "Li You, are you trying to kill Aning? He's so sick, what are you doing?"

Li You replied, "Why do you always think the worst of people? I heard he was sick, so I came to check on him."

Ning Song smiled faintly, straightened his posture, because he saw Pu Yu entering through the front door. Pu Yu carried a backpack, his hair wet, and glanced toward the window.

Just as Li You finished speaking, he walked away and closed the window.

Qiao Qiao pushed the window open again: "Liu Fang even said he was protecting you, nonsense!"

Turning back, he noticed Ning Song's gaze fixed on someone following closely behind Pu Yu.

The person had short hair and an air of arrogant beauty.

Qiao Qiao whispered, "That's him, Jin Yang."

Ning Song watched them sit down, his heart beating a bit faster.

He thought he might have spotted Pu Yu's true CP.

Pu Yu, being such a quiet type, should indeed be paired with someone lively and assertive. The stark contrast in personalities would make for a stronger CP feel.

After sitting down, Jin Yang turned to look at him, scrutinizing him directly.

In his first glance, the hostility was evident; in the second, it was clear he was surprised, and the hostility diminished, replaced by a hint of disdain.

Ning Song recovered quickly this time; after another infusion, he stopped coughing. However, the weather had been terrible lately, with continuous drizzle. It had barely cleared up for half a day when the forecast predicted another round of strong convective weather.

He really couldn't understand the climate in this novel world; it was only early March.

Once he recovered, he immediately started his part-time job.

He truly loved this part-time job.

He adored his senior!

No wonder he was his best friend's favorite husband god.

The environment of this book café was simply wonderful.

It was just across a tennis court from the sea, and there were very few people around. On his first day, he spent most of the time enjoying the sea breeze and watching the sunset.

The scenery was the most beautiful when the weather wasn't perfect. The evening sky was filled with purple and red hues, a breathtaking sight.

Even Qiao Qiao envied him, saying, "This book café used to be reserved for rich kids to pretend they were doing community service!"

There were three people working in the store: the manager and another server were both from outside the school, leaving only one part-time position. They were all very kind and, seeing how thin Ning Song was, mostly assigned him simple tasks like serving water or wiping tables, given that there weren't many customers.

Qiao Qiao ordered a latte and, while sipping it, asked, "What's going on between you and Pu Yu?"

"Nothing."

"Why does it feel like you two aren't as close anymore?"

"It's okay."

Well, actually, there was a little bit.

But besides class time, they rarely had opportunities to meet. They used to bump into each other frequently at the library, but now that he had to work part-time during his free time, he didn't have the chance to go to the library. The last time he saw Pu Yu outside of class was when he and Qiao Qiao went to borrow books.

Pu Yu was studying in the library, wearing headphones.

Pu Yu was the type of person who seemed cool and distant unless you got to know him well. He exuded a heavy aura of melancholy. In the past, Ning Song thought he was untouchable, which made him seem even more aloof. Now that they were familiar, Ning Song no longer found him cold, but rather quiet and lonely.

His face wasn't sharply defined; his jawline was soft and gentle.

"Brother Yu!" he called out.

Pu Yu looked up, saw Ning Song and Qiao Qiao, and nodded warmly, asking, "Here to borrow books?"

Ning Song nodded, smiling as he picked up the magazine he wanted to read.

He no longer needed Pu Yu to help him.

The library had added more gaming books, including some in English from abroad. Unfortunately, while his math skills were excellent, his English was quite average.

Qiao Qiao remarked, "They even have foreign magazines. When did our school become so international?"

All the latest reports were there, but Ning Song couldn't fully understand them. He put the English magazines back and picked up a Chinese one.

Qiao Qiao said, "Let me pick one too."

"You don't read."

"I'll see if there are any entertainment ones."

"Entertainment is next door."

They were whispering to each other. Pu Yu, through the bookshelf, saw Ning Song's lower face as he reached out to pull Qiao Qiao away.

He found Ning Song's smile very charming. Some might think his smile showed too many wrinkles, but Pu Yu found it captivating.

As he was thinking this, he unexpectedly met Ning Song's gaze.

Ning Song stood in the wind, his soft brown hair swaying in the light from the window, smiling at him.

Pu Yu's heart raced for the first time; even a top student's mind could go blank and dull.

When Ning Song took the book and was about to leave, he still greeted Pu Yu.

Pu Yu nodded at him.

When Ning Song and Qiao Qiao were leaving, they saw Jin Yang enter with his bag.

As they passed each other, Jin Yang's face, seen up close, was so beautiful that Pu Yu thought he was no less attractive than Sheng Yan.

He thought to himself that he was merely a passerby in the lives of these main characters—whether it was Li You, Sheng Yan, or Pu Yu.

He sincerely hoped that Pu Yu's true love would arrive soon to rescue him from his loneliness. As someone who had lived twice, he knew how rare and precious the hustle and warmth of the world could be.

And he fully immersed himself in his game.

"Autumn Mackerel" sent them their company's evaluation report on "Black Rose Campus," offering many suggestions for improvement.

All of these were major tasks.

He added "Autumn Mackerel's" colleagues to form a small team, continuing to pretend to be an adult within the group, taking time every day to communicate and collaborate with them.

Shark Arts & Entertainment placed great importance on his game, to the point where he felt honored and overwhelmed, giving him the sense that if it launched successfully, he would become instantly famous and wealthy.

Ning Song became extremely busy.

He had to study and work on the game simultaneously. Perhaps due to the exhaustion, or possibly because of the nutritional supplements Mrs. Pu gave him, he started eating more and sleeping better.

His body was improving, and he could feel it. When he woke up in the morning, he discovered he was experiencing the typical physiological changes of a young boy!

He hadn't experienced this before!

This week, during archery class, he managed to draw the bow fully for the first time.

Although his shaky performance was recorded and ridiculed on the forum again, Ning Song was delighted.

His passion for the game overflowed, but his desire for a healthy, strong body came from deep within.

Despite falling ill this week, he actually gained two pounds!

Life had never felt so promising, like the sun rising at dawn, beginning to shine.

Good fortune brings joy, and Ning Song's first change wasn't in his lip color, skin condition, or physique, nor in his face, but in his spirit and vitality.

From being a sickly bean sprout, he began to glow.

Just as he was starting to transform, a sudden post pushed him into the presence of Pu Yu, Shen Lingsi, Li You, and Sheng Yan, propelling them all into a complex situation. This ensured that he wasn't just noticed after his transformation but also that they witnessed his growth and accompanied him through his shining moments!

After school on Friday, there was the first collective meeting for the spring drama performance. He rushed from his part-time job at the bookstore to the small theater.

The wind was strong, and the weather forecast predicted severe weather was coming!

"Author's Note"

The next chapter will be V. May we always be together!

There are enough surprises, so I won't give any spoilers. In short, this story spans a long period with intense competition among the characters, each with their own advantages, making it a challenging battle!

Recently, during graduation season, TikTok has been recommending many campus videos. One video mentioned, "Next time school starts, you won't be in my campus anymore. Youth ends here, and whether we meet again depends on fate." Accompanied by the song "Across Thousands of Miles," it was particularly poignant. So, for the young people in this story, live without regrets, bloom fully, and chase your love passionately!