A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Celebration

◎Party◎

Regardless, the monthly exam arrived as scheduled. The students were randomly assigned to different exam rooms. Gu Zhu was in the freshman building, while Bai Tan remained in the sophomore building.

On the day of the exam, Gu Zhu opened her dorm door to find a group of people lined up neatly at the entrance, as if her dorm was a tourist attraction and she was the main exhibit.

Seeing her, the girls from 512 all smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. “Top student, give us a hug!”

Gu Zhu blinked and instinctively looked at Bai Tan, who was standing to the side with her arms crossed. She felt as if there was a half-smile on Bai Tan’s face, and her lowered gaze carried a hint of a murderous intent.

She lightly touched the frames of her glasses, pursed her lips, and in their expectant eyes, a slight, unclear curve formed. “Then let’s have a hug,” she said softly, opening her arms.

“Wow! Good luck on the exam!” The first in line was Qin Tian’ai. She opened her arms and hugged her tightly. “May the goddess of exams bless us!”

The second was You Lili: “May everything you study be on the test, and every guess be correct!”

The third and fourth were Gu Xiaoxi and Gu Xiaojuan. They hugged her at the same time, one on each side. “Oh, goddess of exams, please let everything go smoothly!”

…

Perhaps knowing Gu Zhu’s dislike for physical contact, they didn’t hug for long. They would just touch and then separate.

Luo Minmin noticed the commotion as soon as she left her dorm. She scurried over, bringing a few of her roommates with her, who followed right behind Huang Tingxi from 512. Chang Ru gave them a look of exasperation and went downstairs first.

Seeing the crowd getting bigger, Bai Tan silently clenched her fists. Just this once, just this once! I’ll endure it!

But when Luo Minmin gave Gu Zhu a bear hug, she was caught off guard and lost her composure. She walked over and, with a subtle force, pulled Luo Minmin away. “It’s getting late. We need to hurry!”

Luo Minmin, who was about to resist, had no choice but to give up. She reluctantly squeezed Gu Zhu’s hand one last time. “The power has been transferred! I’ve inherited your brain, so I’ll definitely do well this time!”

The others, seeing that time was indeed running out, swarmed in and gave her a quick hug, chanting, “May the goddess of exams bless us!”

Their spot was at the stairwell. The dorms on the right side of the staircase usually went down this way. Seeing them hug the famous academic star, some went downstairs with a look of envy.

After everyone had finally left and the “goddess of exams” hug session was over, Gu Zhu let out a sigh of relief, sincerely hoping they would believe in science under the guidance of knowledge.

“Let’s go,” she said, looking at Bai Tan, a trace of a smile still in her eyes.

Bai Tan stared at her for a while, then held out a hand, gesturing for her to take it.

Gu Zhu didn’t understand, but after a few seconds of hesitation, she obediently placed her hand in hers. Then, she saw the young lady take out a wet wipe from her pocket and gently wipe her hand, from her palm to her fingertips, meticulously. Before Gu Zhu could think about it, the young lady suddenly pulled her into a hug, resting her head on Gu Zhu’s shoulder.

“I wish Bamboo could be mine alone,” she heard Bai Tan murmur softly, like a child sulking because their favorite toy was taken away.

She gently placed her hand on Bai Tan’s shoulder, feeling the girl’s slender collarbone against her palm. “You’re already my best friend.”

Bai Tan rubbed her forehead against Gu Zhu’s shoulder and neck, as if comforted. “Okay, then I’ll be a little more generous.” She straightened up, held up her fingers to show a small distance, and then placed her hand on her own heart. “I want to be number one in your heart forever.”

Gu Zhu looked at her childish and bossy demeanor, but she didn’t agree. She simply took her hand. “Let’s go. It’s time for the exam.”

Bai Tan bit her lip, looking at the person who was pulling her forward, and decided to forgive her since she had willingly held her hand.

The three-day exam passed in a flash. The next day was the weekend, with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, making it a total of three days. Some students left as soon as the exam was over, while others chose to stay and go home the next day.

Gu Zhu returned to her dorm and was packing her things to go home when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Bai Tan and You Lili there, and she was a little puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“They want to have a small party in the dorm tonight to celebrate, and they want to know if you can join,” Bai Tan said, pointing at the few heads peeking out from dorm 512 behind her. “If you can, we can all go to the supermarket together to buy things now.”

Gu Zhu’s hand, holding the doorknob, gently clenched. She could imagine how lively their dorm would be tonight, but Gu Baozhi always disliked her staying out late and not coming home. She had to go home every weekend and holiday unless the school had other arrangements.

She hesitated for a moment and asked, “Do you have a phone? I need to tell my mom.”

You Lili reacted faster than Bai Tan. She giggled and pulled out a smartphone, making a lame excuse. “We’re high school students, so having a phone isn’t too much, right? We need to look up information sometimes!”

Gu Zhu didn’t expose her. Just as she was about to take it, Bai Tan handed her one. “Use mine. I have a lot of free minutes, so don’t waste them.”

Seeing this, You Lili put her phone away and winked at her, as if to say, they’re even particular about using a phone. If this isn’t a couple to ship, who is?

Gu Zhu had no objections. She saw that the phone was already unlocked, and the wallpaper was the same cat avatar as Bai Tan’s chat app. “Wait a moment.” She turned and went into her room, leaning by the window to call Gu Baozhi.

Gu Baozhi was probably busy. She had calculated her shifts, and it was still her night shift this week. After ringing for a while, someone finally answered. “Mom, it’s me.”

“Oh, Zhu Zi. What’s wrong? This number is unfamiliar. Whose phone is it?”

“It’s a classmate’s parent’s,” she said, telling a small lie, afraid that Gu Baozhi would think Bai Tan wasn’t a good student for having a phone against the rules. “I need to stay and do an experiment tonight, and it might be late. I might have to stay in the dorm for an extra night and go back tomorrow morning.”

“Then have the teacher call me. I get worried when you don’t come back. I’ll feel better if I know you’re okay. If you really have to stay, then I’ll come pick you up tonight.”

Gu Baozhi’s slightly worried voice came through. Gu Zhu gripped the phone and pursed her lips. “It’s not safe to be out so late. I’ll have Teacher Li call you back. Is it okay if I come back first thing in the morning?”

There seemed to be something going on with Gu Baozhi. After a while, there was a lot of noisy chatter, as if many people were around. She waited patiently by the window. About two minutes later, Gu Baozhi replied, “Zhu Zi, I’m busy right now. Have Teacher Li leave me a voice message. I’m hanging up now.”

The call ended. She stood there for a few seconds, then called her chemistry teacher and asked for her help. Li Jiajia agreed after confirming that she was indeed staying in the dorms and not going anywhere else.

Gu Zhu let out a small sigh of relief and turned to leave. The two girls at the door were standing in the hallway, having automatically moved away to avoid hearing her conversation.

Seeing her come out, they both looked at her with anticipation.

Gu Zhu handed the phone back to Bai Tan and nodded. “Okay, but it can’t be too late.”

A cheer erupted. The girls from 512 started changing their clothes without even closing the door. “Then let’s get going!”

The supermarket was not far from the school, only a ten-minute walk. The group laughed and chatted, pushing a shopping cart, asking each other questions about everything except the exam.

By the time they got back, the grilled skewers, fried chicken, fried buns, milk tea, and more that they had ordered ahead of time had already arrived. Everyone’s hands were full of things, and then Bai Tan suddenly walked over to a black car.

A young man got out of the car and nodded slightly at Bai Tan, then handed her a box. After a short exchange, they nodded at each other and the man left.

Bai Tan put the box in her backpack and winked at Gu Zhu. When the group finally snuck back into the dorm, they found out it was a portable, non-plug-in projector.

The wall directly opposite the dorm door was white, so when the lights were turned off, it became a natural movie screen. Everyone was delighted and praised Bai Tan endlessly.

Bai Tan originally thought it was a very simple thing. The young lady had owned and used much more extravagant things at her old school, but with their flattery, she couldn’t help but feel a little proud.

With just a little effort, she could get so many compliments. With all the hype, it felt like she had done something amazing. The sense of accomplishment and happiness seemed so easy to find in this small county, this small school, and this small dorm.

So the young lady became smug, holding her head high and accepting their praises.

Gu Zhu sat next to her, and seeing the young lady’s eyes crinkle with laughter, she couldn’t help but smile a little herself. She was also surrounded by the fun, sharing the same bag of chips and spicy sticks with the others.

She wasn’t very good with spicy food. After eating one spicy stick, she always had to drink several sips of milk tea. The 70% sugar milk tea was a little sweet. She didn’t particularly like overly sweet things, but at this moment, it felt just right.

The movie was an anime, a very classic one. The film’s interpretation of life, memory, and love made the entire dorm feel immersed in the dim atmosphere.

When the credits rolled and “End” appeared, the dorm lights turned on. Everyone’s eyes were red. They looked at each other and then burst into laughter. You Lili threw down the large pack of tissues she was holding and shouted, “I hope that a year from now, five years from now, ten years from now, or even longer, we will all remember each other!”

“Cheers! To this moment, and to our friendship!”

“Cheers!”

Gu Zhu raised her milk tea and clinked it with theirs. At that moment, the person next to her took out her phone to capture it. She looked at Bai Tan, who also happened to look over at her.

Bai Tan raised her phone and shook it at her. Gu Zhu blinked. In the next second, Bai Tan’s arm was around her shoulder.

She instinctively looked up at her.

Bai Tan, meanwhile, was looking at the person in the camera.

The picture froze. They had their first photo together as a duo.

Bai Tan put her phone away, and under Gu Zhu’s gaze, she gently clinked her milk tea against hers. “It’s so nice to meet you, student Gu Zhu.”

Gu Zhu’s eyes curved into a smile, and she took a big sip of her milk tea without a word.

I’m also very happy to meet you, student Bai Tan.

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