Glacier Collides with Blazing Sun - Chapter 1

At the end of August, the scorching sun hung high above the clouds, baking the asphalt roads below until they seemed to shimmer with heat. Birds perched on the power lines drooped listlessly, and even the little dogs huddled in the shade, panting with discomfort.

Under normal circumstances, no one would willingly step outside on a day like this. But today was different, it was the special day of Mi Lai’s school enrollment.

Past the imposing school gates stood two massive welcome tents side by side, their tops a bright red. Underneath, rows of brand-new tables and chairs were set up, where senior students busily looked up and down as they worked.

Mi Lai was tall. Ever since she started practicing high jump in middle school, her already above-average height for her age had stretched even further.

When it was her turn in line, her body blocked the sunlight, casting a long shadow over the freshman registration form.

The senior who was carefully checking the form looked up and paused for a moment. “Mi Lai, right?”

Mi Lai nodded as she bent down to sign the confirmation. While writing, she could feel the senior’s gaze circling her several times.

After confirming all the information, the kind-hearted senior took her on a long tour around the school before finally completing all the enrollment procedures.

As they were about to part ways, the senior naturally handed over the latest smartphone and said, “Want to add me on Q.Q? If you have any questions about the school, I can help you out.”

Mi Lai pursed her lips, reached into her faded jeans pocket, and pulled out a Nokia keypad phone, waving it slightly. “I can only text. Is that okay?”

The senior’s lips curved into a slight smile. “That’s fine, as long as I can reach you.”

She really is helpful.

Mi Lai hadn’t bothered to memorize her own phone number. When she was younger, Lu Huanong had said she was all brawn and no brains.

She held her Nokia up to her eyes, scrolled through her contacts, and found the number listed under “Big Mi” before handing it back to the senior. “Here.”

The senior’s fair wrist reached out and took the Nokia. Mi Lai didn’t stop her.

While the senior was looking down at the phone, Mi Lai took the chance to observe her closely. Her hair had a brownish tint under the sunlight probably dyed a subtle color to avoid drawing attention from the school authorities. She also wore light makeup.

There was a faint mole near the outer edge of her left eyebrow. Overall, she seemed warm, cheerful, and full of enthusiasm.

When the phone was returned, the contact name read: You Ning.

It suited her stylish but not overly flashy.

Clutching her phone tightly, Mi Lai stood under the blazing sun and sincerely thanked her, “Thank you so much, Senior You Ning.”

You Ning wasn’t one to suffer under the scorching sun either. She nodded and tilted her chin toward Mi Lai. “Go on.”

She’s kind of cool.

When You Ning returned to the welcome tent, her dormmate nudged her elbow and whispered, “Not bad taste, tall and long-legged. A bit plain, but her face is decent.”

You Ning laughed and nudged her back. “Stop talking nonsense. What if she’s straight?” She couldn’t help but smile as she pictured the lanky girl bouncing along under the sun, like a little stray puppy that had accidentally stumbled into a rice bin.

Clumsy yet adorable.

“Straight? She’s an athlete at least half of them are into the same sex,” the roommate remarked, clearly holding some strange bias against athletes.

You Ning just smiled as she focused on the freshman registration form in front of her. Another new student approached to check in, and she quickly shifted back into work mode.

The person reported their name, and she started flipping through the pages from the last page where Mi Lai was listed, going backward. After searching for a long while without finding the person, the girl softly reminded her, “Senior, it might be on the first page.”

You Ning simply lifted the form and gave it a shake, letting gravity bring it back to the first page. The very first name was Lu Huanong.

The top name belonged to the top scorer in the high school entrance exam. Rumor had it that the school’s admissions department had gone to great lengths to recruit her from a highly competitive province. She had heard about it before this girl was a hot commodity.

She discreetly glanced at Lu Huanong.

In this kind of weather, most people looked sallow and greasy from the heat, but this girl seemed to carry her own air conditioning. Her fair skin had a faint pink flush, the only sign that even this doll-like person was struggling under the sun.

Turning her gaze to the well-dressed parents quietly standing behind Lu Huanong, she offered a compliment, “So you’re this year’s top scorer, junior. You’re so pretty and such a good student, you’re bound to get into Tsinghua or Peking University.”

Parents always love hearing others praise their children. Hearing this, Li Huafang smiled and placed her hand on Lu Huanong’s back, saying, “Yes, high school is a critical time. Nongnong, did you hear that?”

Lu Huanong finished signing her name, straightened up, and Li Huafang’s hand slowly slid down.

“I know, Mom.” Her voice, however, didn’t match her soft, cute appearance, it was clear and crisp.

Neutral and detached, as if floating outside the entire world. That was You Ning’s first impression of Lu Huanong.

It wasn’t until the end of the day’s work, while chatting with her roommate on the way back to the dorm, that You Ning brought it up.

“I asked around for you. Mi Lai got into Deyu through high jump. Not only are her grades poor, but she’s also from a low-income household. Maybe you should pick someone else.”

You Ning didn’t take it seriously. “What’s wrong with being from a low-income household? It’s not like I’m eating her food or wearing her clothes. Besides, what does she have to do with me?”

Her roommate draped an arm over You Ning’s shoulder and giggled. “You say she has nothing to do with you, but you’re already thinking about eating and drinking off her.”

You Ning caught on and playfully shoved her teasing roommate. Just then, her phone vibrated.

She opened her phone and glanced at it. The “little country bumpkin” told her that the dorm room number was 336, the innermost room on the third floor of Building 2.

The school had renovated the dorms last year, and the new students this year were lucky, the entire Building 2 was made up of brand-new double rooms. The only catch was that the beds hadn’t been replaced yet; they were all loft beds with desks underneath.

You Ning thought for a moment and replied, [Got it. Let me know if you need anything.]

A short while later, the “little country bumpkin” replied, [Actually, there is something. Did you see the top scorer today, senior?]

The image of the doll-like girl instantly surfaced in You Ning’s mind. She weighed her words and replied, [Why are you asking about her?]

[Just admiring the top scorer.] The reply came instantly.

You Ning let out a soft “tch” and typed back quickly, [You’ll see her in person during tomorrow’s military training. Get some sleep early.]

Mi Lai sat on her stool, dazed for a while. Her only roommate came out of the shower and reminded her, “When you shower, be careful, the right side is cold water. I almost got scalded just now.”

She hummed in response, then looked up and asked her roommate, who was drying her hair, “What’s your name? I’m Mi Lai. You can call me Mi. Class 16.”

Her short-haired roommate, a full head shorter than her, looked up with a defiant gaze and said, “Same class, Zhou Zhou. You can call me Rice Porridge.” It was clear she was trying to act cool in front of her new classmate.

Mi Lai hesitated for a moment before asking Zhou Zhou very seriously, “Is that really your name, or are you making fun of how plain my name is?”

Zhou Zhou’s poker face instantly broke, and she let out a chuckle. “I really am called that.”

Only then did Mi Lai relax.

Zhou Zhou continued, “You can call me whatever you want. Just a heads-up, I’m not great at studying. I got into Deyu by paying extra. I train in sprinting, but I’m not that good at it either.”

Mi Lai put down her phone, rubbed her hands on her jeans, and laughed sheepishly. “I’m even worse at studying than you. I train in high jump.”

After confirming that Mi Lai was also an academic underachiever and a fellow athlete, Zhou Zhou turned around contentedly, pulled out a pile of imported snacks from her cabinet, and dumped them all onto Mi Lai’s bed. “Here, have these. From now on, we’re grasshoppers tied to the same rope.”

Mi Lai stood up as if facing a formidable enemy, only to be pushed back down by Zhou Zhou. “If you don’t take them, it means you look down on me.”

She was really strong.

The idea of “looking down on her” felt a bit heavy, especially since the snack packaging was covered in Korean and Japanese characters something Mi Lai had never seen before.

Feeling awkward, she placed the snacks on the windowsill and turned to say, “Then, let’s share them.”

Zhou Zhou seemed to sense Mi Lai’s discomfort. She clapped her hands, hung a towel around her neck, and sat quietly playing a mobile game.

After confirming that Lu Huanong had enrolled at Deyu, Mi Lai slept soundly that night without any trouble adjusting to the new bed. She even had a wonderful dream.

The next day, well-rested and refreshed, she hopped out of bed energetically to wash up.

After putting on her full military training uniform, she made sure to shake Zhou Zhou awake before leaving. “I’m going to the cafeteria to buy breakfast. What do you want? I’ll bring something back for you.”

Zhou Zhou, still half-asleep, mumbled “soy milk and fried dough sticks” before being dropped back onto her bed by Mi Lai, where she immediately fell back into a deep sleep.

Mi Lai, excited in her new clothes, headed cheerfully toward the cafeteria. On the way, she overheard someone talking about the top scorer and immediately slowed her pace, cautiously following behind them.

“Her name is Lu Huanong. I saw her in person yesterday she lives right next to our dorm. She’s incredibly delicate, with such a small face, just like a doll.”

“Even her name is beautiful. ‘Clouds yearn for her attire, flowers envy her countenance; the spring breeze brushes the railings, dew glistens richly.'”

“Yeah, but she seems cold and hard to approach.”

Mi Lai’s internal alarm bells went off. She had worked her hardest to get into Deyu just to see Lu Huanong.

How could Lu Huanong, who had been so adorable and warm-hearted as a child, possibly be someone hard to get along with?

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