I Helped My Best Friend with Her Romance—and Fell for the Enemy’s Strategist - Chapter 18

“Are you nervous?”

Fu Yanxi tilted her head slightly with a hint of helplessness.

Yu Qiuli quickly nodded, a bit surprised.

Had she and her best friend already become so attuned to each other that they could read each other’s minds?

How did Fu Yanxi know she was nervous?

Was it that obvious?

“Huh? How did you know?”

Fu Yanxi pointed at her own leg with an exasperated expression.

She reached out and pulled Yu Qiuli’s hand away from her leg. If Yu Qiuli wanted to pinch something, she should pinch her own leg.

Why was she pinching Fu Yanxi’s leg?

“You were pinching my leg, and it hurts… Pinch here instead.”

Fu Yanxi placed Yu Qiuli’s hand back on her own leg. If she had to pinch something, it was better to pinch her own leg.

Yu Qiuli chuckled awkwardly.

Well, since she’d already pinched Fu Yanxi’s leg…

She didn’t need to pinch her own now.

“Sorry about that.”

Yu Qiuli laughed apologetically before turning her attention back to the podium.

Song Wanqing had asked four junior students to distribute all the fruit teas, all under the name of the student council.

A few more people glanced over at Fu Yanxi.

Fu Yanxi, however, was looking at Lin Ruocheng, who was standing on the stage. Lin Ruocheng, of course, noticed her gaze.

After all, Lin Ruocheng was the vice president of the student council.

Even if she wanted to use the student council’s name, there was no issue with that.

Let her handle it.

Everyone accepted the fruit tea handed to them by Song Wanqing.

They didn’t forget to say thank you.

Song Wanqing, meanwhile, tightly clutched that special cup of fruit tea. Before giving it to Yu Qiuli, she even inserted the straw for her, her movements a bit hesitant.

“Sis, this one’s specially for you. I heard you like this flavor…”

Then she gave a silly laugh.

Although everything seemed harmonious, those words were actually taught to her by Lin Ruocheng.

Song Wanqing was usually quite clever, but when it came to matters of the heart, she turned into a fool.

Her brain just couldn’t keep up.

“Thank you.”

Yu Qiuli accepted it with both hands, feeling both flattered and astonished. Though she had suspected it might be for her, when it actually happened right before her eyes, she still found it hard to believe.

Even though she had received many acts of kindness from others before, she had never felt anything.

But for some reason, she was particularly intrigued by Song Wanqing’s attentiveness.

Fu Yanxi watched as Yu Qiuli squirmed like a twisted pretzel. Just receiving a cup of fruit tea had reduced her to this state, it seemed a bit undignified.

Lin Ruocheng also handed over the extra cup of fruit tea she was holding.

Fu Yanxi noticed that this cup was completely different from the others, adorned with a small figurine.

It was a line-art puppy, something she really liked.

But how did Lin Ruocheng know?

Only one or two close friends knew about her fondness for this.

“You’ve worked hard, President.”

Whenever Lin Ruocheng spoke, her tone would lift and draw out slightly at the end.

It sounded even more alluring.

She wasn’t deliberately trying to be seductive; her voice naturally carried that tone.

Today, Fu Yanxi was wearing a pair of rimless glasses, giving her an aura of restraint and aloofness.

She wore a simple, custom-made gray tracksuit.

She seemed to be wearing no makeup, her demeanor as cold as the harsh winter wind.

No matter what, their appearances were complete opposites.

If she was the sun, then the other was an iceberg.

No one was willing to spend time thawing an iceberg, it was too cold, and she was afraid of freezing.

“Mm.”

Her demeanor remained as elegant as ever, every movement seeming almost otherworldly.

She even wondered if she and Fu Yanxi had really attended the same middle school.

There’s no way I could forget such a beautiful girl.

I’d definitely try to flirt with her.

But I don’t seem to have any memory of her.

“By the way, don’t we have ballroom dance class this afternoon? Have you learned the Love Waltz yet? I’ve pretty much memorized the moves, but you know how it is, sometimes your brain remembers quickly but that doesn’t mean you can dance well. My body coordination isn’t great, I’m a bit stiff…”

Dancing and her really had little connection.

Having a quick mind was useless because most of the time, while her brain remembered the steps, her body couldn’t keep up.

Back when she and Lin Shuyi went to try out dance classes as children,

they just couldn’t do it, both were incredibly inflexible.

They had absolutely no talent for it.

The teacher never showed the expression of discovering prodigies. In the end, Lin Shuyi took up mixed martial arts and Muay Thai, while she studied art and hosting. Dance remained their shared Achilles’ heel. They thought they had escaped it in childhood, but even grown up, they still couldn’t avoid it.

“No problem, I can give you special training…”

Fu Yanxi offered to give her extra practice. Lin Ruocheng tilted her head and exchanged a meaningful glance with Song Wanqing.

Right now, she and Fu Yanxi were creating opportunities for these two blocks of wood. Song Wanqing also took the chance to say she wasn’t very good and wanted the other to help her with extra practice. The quickest way to build rapport was through physical contact, though physical contact didn’t mean being inappropriate.

The most important prerequisite for any relationship is respect.

Mutual respect for others, and for oneself.

You need to leave the other person with positive impressions.

After a short break, the group arrived at the familiar sports field.

The four of them arrived relatively early.

“Hello, senior! Hello, senior!”

Someone called Lin Ruocheng “senior” along the way. For some reason, she felt time had passed so quickly.

Had she already become a senior at the school?

She remembered when she was the junior, just eighteen or nineteen years old.

Her skin so fresh you could squeeze water from it.

And this ballroom dance class was meant for freshmen, sophomores like them weren’t supposed to take it.

But Lin Ruocheng had no choice.

If she had any alternative, she wouldn’t be here.

She often felt like she was getting old. To be precise, before eighteen you’re growing up.

After eighteen, you’re just getting older.

And when people called her “senior,” the pressure intensified. If she couldn’t dance well, it would be better not to dance at all.

More and more people gathered on the field.

It seemed everyone had arrived. Before the teacher came, everyone was reviewing the dance moves. She had expected this year’s students to be competitive, but not this competitive. Watching others’ movements, Lin Ruocheng’s competitive spirit ignited.

She had practiced these steps for so long, she wouldn’t make mistakes. She promised she definitely wouldn’t step on her partner’s shoes.

She had even practiced several times with her dormmates. She wouldn’t mess up! She was a senior, after all!

The teacher approached.

Randomly selecting one pair to come to the front and dance with the music, whether due to the pressure of being student council seniors or something else, the teacher picked their pair. There were other student council seniors present, couldn’t they have chosen someone else?

Lin Ruocheng felt like crying but had no tears left.

Fu Yanxi leaned in slightly, lowering her head to whisper by the other’s ear, “You’re dancing very well. Don’t be too nervous. I’ll count the eight beats for you, take your time and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. As for my shoes, feel free to step on them. I don’t mind. You can leave the rest to me, so just relax.”

For some reason, her words always carried a soothing reassurance.

A warmth spread through the heart, where was the so-called “iceberg” in this?

Not at all. Instead, she felt like the gentle glow of a twilight sunset.