After the recruitment drive was announced, the group had been looking forward to it.
Finally, the recruitment day arrived. The three of them, with Qiu Xi tagging along, went with purpose to the recruitment booths of the organizations and clubs they wished to join. After signing up, they waited for their interviews.
On the way back—
“I didn’t expect club interviews to be so complicated, with preliminary rounds, final rounds, and then a probationary period,” Shen Yan said, looking at the recruitment group for the Music Association she had joined by scanning a QR code earlier.
Liang Yunfei agreed, “Mine is like that too.”
“Then we’re all in the same boat!” Song Daiyao felt the pressure lessen slightly upon hearing what they said, for reasons unknown.
“Can we go now?” Qiu Xi, who had been dragged along as company, saw that things were done and prepared to head back.
“Let’s go, let’s go, thanks for your trouble, Xiao Xi~” Song Daiyao said charmingly, hugging Qiu Xi’s arm.
Liang Yunfei and Shen Yan, following behind, found it amusing and marveled again at how Song Daiyao was truly a lively character, and an extremely thick-skinned one at that.
“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you all, this Friday is my birthday. Do you want to spend it with me?” Qiu Xi, walking along, suddenly remembered her birthday and asked casually.
“Of course!” Song Daiyao was the first to jump out, appearing extremely excited.
“How old is Xiao Xi?” Liang Yunfei asked curiously from the side.
Qiu Xi replied, “Eighteen.”
Song Daiyao was shocked, “Eighteen!!”
“Xiao Xi, you… you’re only just an adult?” Shen Yan was also a little surprised. Seeing Qiu Xi, who was well-developed, at least 165cm tall, and very composed, she had thought Qiu Xi was slightly older than her.
“Yes.” Qiu Xi was amused by their reactions.
“No way, you guys quickly tell me your ages too, I need to check.” Song Daiyao declared that she couldn’t be fooled by appearances; she hadn’t thought about these things before.
“I’m a little older than Xiao Xi; my birthday was in July,” Shen Yan meekly raised her hands.
“I’m more than a year older than you; I had my coming-of-age ceremony last May,” Liang Yunfei wasn’t particularly bothered by this.
“Phew, then I’m the second oldest; I had mine in January this year.”
“I never thought I’d get to hear Xiao Xi call me ‘older sister’.”
The person who had been lamenting her age moments ago was now happy.
Indeed, Song Daiyao’s train of thought was not something ordinary people could keep up with.
“Alright, alright, speaking of which, Xiao Xi, you haven’t said how you plan to celebrate?” Shen Yan brought the topic back, looking at Qiu Xi.
“Just in the dorm. Prepare some good food and drinks, and have fun with you all,” Qiu Xi had already experienced her coming-of-age ceremony and didn’t have many acquaintances here, so she hadn’t thought much about it.
“Yay.” Hearing this, Song Daiyao became happy.
Liang Yunfei stroked her chin and said, “It’s not impossible.”
“Okay, enough thinking about that. Before that, we need to prepare for the elimination rounds, and your interviews can’t be taken lightly either,” Qiu Xi’s words interrupted the thoughts of the other three. That’s right, the competition registration had just ended yesterday, and the selection would be the day after tomorrow; the pace was undeniably fast.
“Xiao Xi is right; we still need to get past the challenge the day after tomorrow.”
“Oh, right, my script isn’t fluent yet; I need to go back quickly.”
“Let’s go.”
…
“The number of applicants this time isn’t excessive, but it still exceeded expectations. Therefore, our school’s elimination round will only feature a fixed-topic speech. We must seize this hard-won opportunity.”
“Mhmm, let’s work hard together!”
On the last day of preparation, in the dorm, Qiu Xi was practicing with her roommates, encouraging each other.