CH 10

Due to the commotion with Ruan Nan, Qin Juran wasn’t able to remove that tattoo on her leg in the end. She glanced at the new one on her ankle, the dark color contrasting against her fair skin. The letters glistened boldly on her ankle, alluding to the word’s namesake.

As she arrived at her dorm, Huang Ying and Feng Jing surrounded her. Huang Ying looked at the tattoo on Qin Juran’s long legs and said sourly, “Wow, Juran. It actually looks pretty nice.”

Feng Jing followed Qin Juran, squinting to make out the letters. She frowned, saying, “Gypsophila? This word, this word…”

Feng Jing thought for a moment. There’s no way she’d know such a word with her limited vocabulary, but why does it sound so familiar?

Suddenly, she slapped her thighs. “Isn’t that Ruan Nan’s English name? I just saw it on the form for the dinner party performance!”

At the sound of Ruan Nan’s name, Huang Ying also perked up. “Juran, was this a coincidence?”

Qin Juran grabbed her bathing products and put on a pair of slippers. As she walked past Feng Jing, she flicked her hair and said, “What do you know – I somehow ran into Ruan Nan at the tattoo shop today.”

She gave Feng Jing a pointed look as she walked into the bathroom.

Huang Ying dramatically gasped and covered her mouth. “Jingjing, do you think Ruan Nan forced her to get that tattoo?”

Feng Jing snorted with satisfaction. “Qin Juran definitely wanted to get something related to Fan Chuan, but Ruan Nan must’ve forced her to tattoo her own name instead.”

“Wow, imprinting your own name on your rival…”

Wasn’t this plotline something straight out of the boss romance drama she was watching??!

—————

In a flash of an eye, it was Thursday. Although Qin Juran and Ruan Nan were in the same major, they hardly had any overlapping classes, and as third-years, they were only taking a few classes to begin with, so they only saw each other a few times in the past three days.

There was only one week until the National Day holiday. The performance was to be held on the night before the break, so Thursday afternoon was the final rehearsal.

When it hit 4 o’clock, Feng Jing and Huang Ying accompanied Qin Juran to the multi-purpose room. The two of them were playing minor roles of servant ladies, so they had no lines and only needed to pace around the stage.

Qin Juran had become pretty familiar with the script by then, although there were bound to be a few weak areas.

When they arrived at the auditorium door, Feng Jing and Huang Ying entered first while Qin Juran stayed outside to answer a phone call from the bus company. She confirmed her ticket for October 1st to A City, providing her contact and billing information.

She planned on sending the receipt screenshot to Qin Julai, but then remembered that he must be in class on a Thursday.

She opened a chat with “Dad,” hesitated for a good minute, then finally sent the screenshot over.

She received a response instantly: 【Ranran, I heard from Lailai the other day that you’re coming back! Don’t you worry, your Ma already prepared the menu – Papa will be waiting for you then at the bus station!】

Qin Juran felt a warmth in her heart. She sent a little bear emoticon and replied, 【Ok. I’m off to class now, Dad】

She thought for a moment, then added, 【Don’t push yourself too hard. 】

Just as she put down her phone, she felt someone yank on her elbow, pulling her to the side. She turned to face Ruan Nan, who seemed to have been standing there for a while.

Qin Juran raised an eyebrow. “Waiting for me?”

Ruan Nan looked around to make sure no one was around, then her gaze quickly swept over Qin Juran’s ankles. “Why are you wearing a short skirt today?”

Qin Juran saw that Ruan Nan was also wearing heels and a mini skirt herself, their matching tattoos visible on each of their ankles. She raised a brow and teased, “I wanted to match with you.”

Her face flaming in response, Ruan Nan rasped through gritted teeth, “You know miniskirts are my thing – can’t you cover that up a little?”

This was the first time Qin Juran heard Ruan Nan use such a tone of voice. Raising her eyes to meet hers, Qin Juran didn’t know whether it was her makeup, but her face was glowing all kinds of pink. Seeing this, Qin Juran felt even more excited, speaking in a low voice, “Are you afraid that other people will find out this older sister has your name written on her body?”

“Qin Juran, you!” So she really chose that word to tattoo on purpose!

As more people began to pass the auditorium doors, Ruan Nan didn’t have time to ask why. She just let out in a slightly pleading tone, “Just cover that up, okay?”

Qin Juran’s eyebrows shot up even higher and she instinctively took a few steps towards Ruan Nan. “I wasn’t going to agree at first…but maybe if you call me ‘Big Sister.’”

“Then I’ll think about it.”

Ruan Nan knew that guys liked to playfully call each other “Daddy” as friends, but this was the first time someone told her to call them “Big Sister.” However, coming out of Qin Juran’s mouth, these words seemed to have a different feeling altogether.

Ruan Nan stretched her neck. “Qin Juran, I’m a year older than you – you should be calling me that, if anything.”

“Ruan Nan, actually, I’m five years older than you.” Qin Juran suddenly blurted out.

“So you won’t say it? Then there’s nothing I can do about it.” Qin Juran seemed to look regretful as she began to move towards the entrance.

Suddenly, she felt a tug on the purse at her waist, then behind her came a shy, quiet voice: “Big Sister.”

Qin Juran practically trembled in excitement. She turned to give Ruan Nan a bright smile, then walked inside.

By the time everyone arrived, Qin Juran had already changed into a long, white dress for the rehearsal. Her dark hair was brushed behind her ears, and the waist-tie of the skirt accentuated her nice figure. Her porcelain skin was lightly decorated with soft makeup, creating an elegant and ethereal aura.

When she walked out into the auditorium, she attracted the stares of many of the other students. While Qin Juran wasn’t looking, Feng Jing took the opportunity to sidle up to Ruan Nan, offering her a chocolate candy: “Sister Nan, I know that you have low blood pressure, so I got this for you.” After this, she glanced at Qin Juran and said sourly, “She changed her entire outfit just for the rehearsal – she’s too much.”

“…..” Ruan Nan only shot Feng Jing a look, then wordlessly turned to walk over to the stage.

After a few minutes, Fan Chuan arrived. Despite everything, his white medieval-style martial costume actually suited him well – even Qin Juran took a double-take when she saw him.

When Fan Chuan noticed Qin Juran’s stare, he raised his eyes to shoot a harsh glare back at her.

“…..”

Well.

The first two acts were song and dance performances. After they finished, the theatre group began to prepare the stage, from the castle to the magic mirror to the fake princess. This performance represented the Finance Department, so the teachers had placed great importance upon it, even inviting a foreign teacher to overlook it. Qin Juran wasn’t worried when she saw the foreign teacher; after living abroad for so long, English was no problem for her.

Apparently, they had already rehearsed twice in the past, so this rehearsal began with a scene between the true princess and the knight.

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Qin Juran walked onto the stage as the rest of the auditorium hushed.

Lights, camera, action.

Soaked from the rain, the delicate princess was like a frightened deer, running and running, until she arrived at a garden, where she stumbled into a handsome knight.

The princess gave a shout of surprise, to which the knight responded worriedly:

“Qué pasa, querida princess?”

???　Qin Juran suddenly froze.

Seeing that she didn’t respond, the narrator cleared his throat and repeated, “The knight responded worriedly: ”

“Qué pasa, querida princess?”

Qin Juran’s 20 years of English speaking could only tell her one thing – this was not English.

Fan Chuan saw that she didn’t react and frowned impatiently. “What’s up with you?”

The foreign teacher was also worried, calling up from below the stage: “What’s wrong, Juran?”

As Qin Juran took in all the faces staring at her, she felt slightly dizzy from the harsh lighting. She lightly brought a hand to her temple, saying, “I – I feel dizzy all of a sudden…” She faltered in her stance.

Standing near her, Huang Ying quickly went over to steady her. Ruan Nan watched the scene in front of her unfold and wondered what kind of trick Qin Juran was pulling.

The foreign teacher saw the uneasy look on her face, and without any fuss, told Huang Ying to take her away and get some rest, while the rest of the group set up the next scene.

When Huang Ying accompanied Qin Juran to the dressing room, Qin Juran looked to make sure no one else was there, then grabbed onto Huang Ying and asked, “This play isn’t in English?”

Huang Ying’s frown was even deeper than Qin Juran’s. “Did you lose your memory, Qin Juran? This performance is a collaboration with the foreign-language college; we all decided it’d be in Spanish. And you three are the best Spanish-speakers in the department, so of course you’re the main roles.”

Spanish?!

Qin Juran wracked her brain – Fan Chuan, Spanish, knights……

I remember now.

No wonder she didn’t have any recollection of this event from the original novel – because this performance never went through in the first place.

“Qin Juran, Qin Juran…”

Huang Ying called her out from her daze and asked confusedly, “Really, Qin Juran, what’s wrong with you? The show is next week – are you going to be able to perform like this?”

“Is there a substitute?” Qin Juran’s face was grave.

Huang Ying was taken aback: “Stop joking around. This isn’t like a sports game where someone can just replace you – the entire show’s going to fall through if you don’t perform!”

Qin Juran rested a hand on the dressing table, her heart plummeting as she answered quietly, “I understand. Could you tell the teacher and everyone that I’m going to leave now? I’ll be ready for the night of the show.”

“Hey, are you sure about that? How about – “

Before she could finish, Qin Juran had already walked inside to change her clothes, leaving her stuttering by herself.

After the rehearsal ended, Huang Ying and Feng Jing returned to their dorm to see Qin Juran all freshened up and resting. Feng Jing sneered, “Look at the lead actress sitting here so comfortably, while us side characters had to stand around for the whole afternoon.”

Qin Juran ignored her, as she was too absorbed by the script in her hand. She had used an app on her phone to translate the English to Spanish; although Spanish was not necessarily a difficult language, trying to memorize all the vocabulary and nail down the accent, all while acting expressively, in such a short period of time was beyond even Qin Juran’s capability.

Qin Juran spoke Spanish, Ruan Nan and Fan Chuan also spoke Spanish – in the entire department, only the three of them were the best Spanish speakers.

The more plotlines the original author came up with, the harder it was going to be for her.

Amid her frustration, Qin Juran’s phone suddenly received a message. The director had asked how she was doing, and whether she needed to go to the hospital. Qin Juran sent a message of reassurance, then shut off her phone and continued to ponder.

She could tell how much this performance meant to the director and the foreign teacher. However, if she proceeded along with the original novel’s plot, she could avoid this situation altogether.

But if anything were to deviate from the original plot, she would be in big trouble.

Qin Juran fiddled with the makeup case in front of her, clasping and unclasping it. Then, she stood and began to pace around the room. The other two girls didn’t say a word, seeing the uneasy look on her face.

After Feng Jing came out of her shower, Qin Juran suddenly asked, “Feng Jing, where is Ruan Nan usually at this hour?”

Feng Jing froze midstep. “How am I supposed to know? I’m not that close to her.”

Qin Juran squinted her eyes and was about to expose her, when Huang Ying responded from the side: “Today’s Thursday, so there’s a rock concert tonight – Ruan Nan also left pretty early, so she must’ve gone to that! It’s right at the plaza in the heart of the campus.”

She can even play instruments?

Without wasting any time, Qin Juran took off on her electric scooter towards the central plaza. It was already 8 p.m., and these types of events usually ended around 9 due to school regulations.

As she reached the plaza, she could feel the passionate atmosphere. Huge beams of light shone through the sky, illuminating the starry summer night sky. Throngs of students were crowded around the stage, dancing and shouting along to the blaring music.

The heavy metal instrumentals accompanied screaming vocals, pulsating through the air. Qin Juran squeezed her way through the crowd until she was in front of the stage; when she looked up, she immediately caught sight of the girl positioned on the side of the stage.

Under the strobe lights, Ruan Nan’s hair was in braids, her face adorned with smoky makeup. She was wearing a handsome leather vest and shorts, and her long white legs were accentuated with a pair of Doc Martens.

A silver drum set was lined up in front of her. As their final song, the intro notes of the classic song “The Brightest Star in the Night Sky” began to play. 1

“Even if it means all this pain within my heart, I don’t want to forget your eyes~”

“Give me the strength to believe again, oh, to overcome the lies and hug you tight…”　　

The brightness of the large projector screen clashed with the dark night sky. Amongst the clamor and the noise, Ruan Nan pounded on the silver drums in front of her in a seemingly intoxicated state. Qin Juran didn’t even glance at the lead singer – her gaze was stuck on Ruan Nan.

She beat along to the rhythm, even giving her sticks a little twirl once in a while, eliciting excited cheers from the audience.

As Qin Juran continued to be mesmerized by the radiant Ruan Nan onstage, she seemed to suddenly realize what it meant to be “struck in the heart.”

When the song came to an end, Ruan Nan finally lifted her head, her gaze colliding with Qin Juran’s.

She instinctively looked away, then quickly resumed her cool façade.

Meanwhile, Qin Juran lip’s twitched, revealing an amused smile.

As the last song winded down, the show came to the final segment. The large screen projected an image while the host excitedly announced, “Fellow students, it is finally time for the long-awaited ‘Ask Us Anything’ segment! The male and female goddesses of the rock band will now come out – this is your opportunity to ask all the questions you’re normally too scared to ask!”

“That’s right! All you need to do is scan the QR code on the screen and enter a name. We’ll then randomly select some names, and those lucky students can ask these gods and goddesses anything question they’d like – there are also amazing prizes in store!”

“There will only be three winners – come on, hurry!”

As soon as the host finished, the crowd began scrambling to scan the code, and more and more IDs came rolling on the screen.

Never having experienced something like this before, Qin Juran also wanted to join in on the fun. She pulled out her phone and fumbled with the camera, but her screen resolution was so low that it kept focusing on the head of the man standing in front of her instead. Even when she finally captured the code, the website it directed her to wasn’t loading properly.

“5…4… 3… 2… 1! Stop!!”

“Let’s see who the lucky three are! Mister ‘Difficult Liu’? Are you here, student who goes by ‘Difficult Liu’? If you have difficulties, show yourself!”

As the crowd erupted in laughter, a bespectacled young man with disheveled hair bashfully raised a hand.

A microphone was passed to him, and the host shouted, “This student’s looking a bit shy – come, don’t be shy! Clearly state the question you want to ask – anything is fair game!”

The entire audience focused on the student, seeming to make him even more nervous. He first murmured something intelligible, then at the crowd’s beckoning, he resolutely shouted into the microphone: “Gu Xiaoxue, will you watch a movie with me?!!”

The audience practically exploded. A movie – this was basically a love confession!!

The host immediately passed the mic towards a female bassist on stage. Despite her cool aura while performing, her current face was even redder than that of the boy down in the audience.

The audience began chanting: “SAY YES! SAY YES!”

As the chanting surged on, the female student finally answered airily: “Ok.”

“WOOHOO~”

The atmosphere became even more elevated as the crowd once again rushed to scan the screen. During the next round, another male student was selected.

Unlike the other shy student, this one was rather greasy and arrogant. He grabbed the mic from the host and raised a hand against his head. “I have a question for Ruan Nan.”

“The tattoo on your ankle – what does it mean?”

Qin Juran studied the man. His face was unfamiliar, so he must be from a different department. Upon hearing the question, directed at Ruan Nan no less, the host’s face seemed to be afraid that she’d throw a drumstick towards him.

However, Ruan Nan’s mood today was rather amicable. She nodded towards the host and received the microphone from his trembling hands. After a pause, she opened her mouth to respond: “Gypsophila. It’s my favorite flower. A symbol of true love, pure beauty. Like a multitude of stars, a thousand rays of light.” 2

“Who’s the reason you got the tattoo?”

After the words left his mouth, there was a wave of hushed silence. Does this man have a death wish!? Wait until Miss Ruan teaches him a lesson!

Ruan Nan stilled, and her eyes seemed to unwittingly land on Qin Juran. “Sorry, I’m afraid you already used up your one question.”

The host quickly yanked the mic out of the student’s hands and turned towards the audience. “Okay, the time is almost up – get ready to select the final lucky winner of tonight!”

“Now, not only will this lucky person win the final question, they’ll also get our grand prize!”

“Who’s it gonna be? Let’s all countdown for the moment of truth!”

“5…4…3…2…1! Stop!”

The large screen came to a halt. Perhaps it was because of the sheer amount of students flooding the webpage, but the username displayed on the screen appeared as a jumble of nonsense. Only the first character, a single “1,” stood out next to the profile picture.

The host exclaimed, “Wow! It must be fate! Congratulations to this number ‘1’ student – you are indeed the grand prize winner! Where are you? Please raise your hands so we can see!”

Amongst the crowd of students sulking over not being chosen, Qin Juran lazily held up her phone and waved. “I’m number 1.”