69. Cute Tiger Descends the Mountain, Adorable Beast Unleashed
“Here’s my dorm. Just down the stairs and in a bit. Are you used to dorm life? It’s definitely not as convenient as having your own space. Things like sharing bathrooms and waiting in line for showers.”
“I’m used to it. My middle school was a private boarding school.”
“A private school? The tuition must have been expensive.”
“Yeah, but the public schools in my hometown weren’t very good. There were a lot of troublemakers. So my family sent both me and my sister to private school. The teachers there were really good.”
“No wonder you have such good grades, getting a guaranteed admission.” Xia Zhibai mused, chin in hand. When it came to academics, Ruo Xiaoxi was a diligent and focused student.
That was one of the reasons Xia Zhibai liked her. Hardworking girls radiated a special kind of charm.
But since Ruo Xiaoxi was already used to dorm life, there was nothing to worry about.
“Oh, right, let me show you the common area. You can wash your face and brush your teeth here at night when it’s crowded. There are also individual shower stalls.” Xia Zhibai led her to the right.
Each floor of the dormitory had a common area, quite spacious, with tiled floors and walls, looking clean and tidy. When they arrived, several seniors were washing up.
“Huh? Student Council President, showing a new junior around?” someone greeted Xia Zhibai.
“Yeah, just showing a friend around. And please, just call me by my name, like before. ‘Student Council President’ sounds too formal.”
“Hello, seniors,” Ruo Xiaoxi greeted politely, her hands clasped in front of her, bowing slightly.
“Haha, having a friend as the Student Council President, I could brag about that for three days straight! This junior is so cute. I didn’t know welcoming new students could lead to meeting such a pretty girl! What a surprise!”
“What, regretting not signing up for the welcoming committee now?” another senior teased, nudging her with her shoulder.
“I wanted to! I was hoping to meet a cute boy and help him out. But then I thought, as a girl, he’d probably end up carrying my stuff.”
Watching the seniors’ banter, Ruo Xiaoxi felt a bit self-conscious, being the new kid on the block. The seniors were all so comfortable and familiar with the school. It would take her some time to adjust to this unfamiliar environment.
Xia Zhibai smiled at them and continued showing Ruo Xiaoxi around.
Taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, she opened the door to a shower stall to give her a peek inside. The space was small, but it had everything: shelves for toiletries and hooks for towels.
“I don’t recommend using the communal showers, though. If there’s a long wait, try asking other dorms if they have a free stall.”
“Is there some risk to using the communal showers?” Ruo Xiaoxi looked up, puzzled.
“No, not really. The dorm supervisors on this floor are all aunties. Men aren’t allowed in, even to help with luggage. They’re stopped at the door. Nothing bad has ever happened.”
“Then why don’t you recommend them, Sister Xia…?”
“It’s just… well, even though everyone in the dorm is a girl, it’s still best to avoid walking around in the hallways in revealing clothing. There’s no specific reason, just… a suggestion…”
“Oh~ I understand. It’s Sister Xia’s personal preference.” Ruo Xiaoxi smiled slyly, as if she’d figured it out.
“No, it’s not! I don’t have any ulterior motives! Anyway, as long as you understand!” Xia Zhibai stammered, eager to leave the crowded common area and pull Ruo Xiaoxi away.
During the summer break, with her limited social circle, it hadn’t been a big deal. But with Ruo Xiaoxi’s unique and stunning beauty, coming to school was like a cute tiger descending the mountain, an adorable beast unleashed upon the world.
Who knew how many girls she would captivate!
After all, this was a girl who had instantly charmed Xia Zhibai, turning a straight girl gay. She likely held a similar power and allure for other girls.
So, Xia Zhibai felt protective of Ruo Xiaoxi, like a mother hen guarding her chick, wanting to keep a close eye on her and prevent her from wandering off.
“Also, if you don’t want to live in the dorms, I can help you apply for a day-student permit so you can go home at night. It’s not far, right?”
“Mhm, thank you, Sister Xia. So, about the club… how’s that going?”
“The club?”
“The one I mentioned before, the one I wanted to start. Is that possible?” Ruo Xiaoxi clasped her hands together in front of her chest, looking at Xia Zhibai with hopeful anticipation.
Xia Zhibai pondered. She hadn’t heard of a first-year student starting a club before.
But Ruo Xiaoxi seemed so eager to establish her tea ceremony club. This unprecedented request would require some inquiries at the Student Council.
“Starting a club isn’t easy. If you really want to do it, you’ll need to submit an application, outlining the club’s activities, goals, and so on. I’ll do my best to smooth things over for you with the paperwork.”
“Really!? That’s great! Thank you, Sister Xia!” Ruo Xiaoxi happily hugged her waist.
“Hold on, hold on. It’s not a sure thing yet, and you’re already acting cute? But there is one definite requirement: you need at least five founding members. Can you recruit five people to join you?”
“Five people…” Ruo Xiaoxi looked down, counting on her fingers. Herself, Sister Xia, and little Nuonuo… that was only three. She needed two more. Where would she find them?
“Hey, did I just see you count three fingers? Besides me joining your club, who else are you counting?” Xia Zhibai was surprisingly observant, catching Ruo Xiaoxi’s small gesture.
Feeling her gaze, Ruo Xiaoxi quickly hid her fingers. “Friends. Just some friends I know.”
“You just started school today. You made friends already, just walking through the gate? Xue’er has her own club; she can’t help you like I can.”
“It’s not a senior… it’s a long story. Just a friend I know who also happens to be starting school today.”
“Hmm?” Xia Zhibai leaned closer, her gaze fixed on Ruo Xiaoxi, trying to detect any nervousness or flaws in her story that might reveal a lie.
Ruo Xiaoxi swallowed, meeting Sister Xia’s gaze without flinching. If she couldn’t even handle this small crisis, how could she be a free-spirited Little Green Tea?
Xia Zhibai scrutinized her for a moment, but unable to find anything amiss, decided to trust her for now.
Xia Zhibai then led Ruo Xiaoxi around the floor, not exactly visiting other dorms, but peeking in as they walked past, catching glimpses of the seniors’ daily lives. A few doors were closed.
“Hey, is that the white-socked junior who arrived today? She’s kind of cute.”
“White-socked junior? Where?”
“The one with white hair and knee-highs who just walked past. She can’t be far. She’s so unique! Quick, let’s go see.”
After one tour, without knowing her name, Ruo Xiaoxi became known to many seniors as the “white-socked junior.” White hair, white socks, cute girl – these formed their first impression.
While Xia Zhibai went back to her dorm to find a new dress she had bought for Ruo Xiaoxi, a few seniors spotted her standing in the hallway and beckoned her over. “White-socked junior! Over here!”
“Huh? Are you calling me, senior?” Ruo Xiaoxi pointed at herself. White-socked junior? What a strange nickname.
“Come here, have some candy! You’re so adorable.” Once Ruo Xiaoxi approached, the senior placed several lollipops in her hand. Ruo Xiaoxi accepted them, stammering her thanks, a little bewildered.
Then, seniors from another dorm called her over, stuffing her arms with snacks. Soon, more and more people were calling out to her, and Ruo Xiaoxi, clearly popular with the seniors, hurried over to each one.
She was petite and cute, and her small stature made everyone want to dote on her like a little loli.
“Xiaoxi, I found it! I saw this dress and thought it would suit you. I bought it as a welcome gift… Huh? Where did she go?” Xia Zhibai emerged from her dorm, dress in hand, looking around.
“I’m here!” Ruo Xiaoxi reappeared, looking rather triumphant, her arms overflowing with a miscellany of gifts, nearly spilling onto the floor.
“Where did you get all of that?” Xia Zhibai was momentarily stunned.
“Lots of seniors gave them to me just now. They seem to really like me.”
“You…!” Xia Zhibai put her hands on her hips, a mixture of amusement and exasperation bubbling within her. Why did she have to accept everything everyone gave her? She really was a little troublemaker!
And now she was proudly showing off her loot, as if she’d done something praiseworthy and expected to be commended!
Seeing Xia Zhibai speechless, just staring at her, Ruo Xiaoxi peeked out from behind the mountain of gifts, tilting her head adorably fifteen degrees. “What?” she asked innocently.
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