The class schedule for Lu Yuanyuan and her roommates were very regular.

  On Mondays, they took a class for their major, on Wednesdays they took an elective course, and on Thursdays and Fridays they took required courses1.

  The major course was in their department’s fixed classroom and had the least amount of people. The elective and common classes weren’t necessarily for a specific major so classes were mixed, and so the classrooms were spread out all over campus.

  “Yuanyuan.”

  Thursday afternoon, the two were on their way to the next classroom, when Lin Xi suddenly called out to her.

  Lu Yuanyuan tilted her head: “Hm?”

  “You remember we signed up for a club before, right?”

  “Ah, I remember.”

  During the military training last week, there were clubs recruiting new members. Between breaks, there were often two or three senior brothers and sisters campaigning. She was almost faint from the heat when Lin Xi dragged her so whatever they discussed, completely entered her ears as a muddleheaded mess.

  She only remembered that she ultimately seemed to have enrolled in some kind of music club.

  “Our two registration forms were filled out by me and I only jotted down my phone number for the both of us. I just received a text message saying that we can go get interviewed at 5 o’clock.”

  …… Interview?

  Lu Yuanyuan was puzzled: “To join a club…. We have to interview?”

  “Of course!” Lin Xi explained to her: “Although clubs have a lower threshold than the student union, you still can’t join by simply filling out a form.”

  She nodded: “Sure, let’s go after class.”

  After the last class, it was exactly 4:30.

  Lin Xi had a great sense of direction. In half a month’s time, she had mapped out in her head almost all the places where C University students often went. So after confirming the place, it didn’t take long to find the designated teaching building.

  The interview took place in the underground lecture hall.

  With the elevator dinged, the two walked out.

  Facing the exit of the elevator was a door that was wide open. A sign was stuck at the entrance, which read “Music Club Recruitment”.

  Behind the sign, was a hallway full of people lined up along the wall.

  The two walked to the end of the line.

  After standing for a short time, a person came over with a pile of papers and asked for their names, found their application forms and gave it to them.

  Lu Yuanyuan had just wanted to talk to Lin Xi—

  When an exceptionally shocking singing voice came from the classroom.

  It was a high-pitched, majestic and powerful female voice.

  Lu Yuanyuan listened silently for a while and found that she was singing “I love you, China”.

  The person inside sang for a short time, but the echoes resounded through the underground corridor.

  She lost all her confidence.

  This girl sang too well. It was practically the carbon copy of the opera singing she had heard during the Chinese New Year’s Gala2.

  Lu Yuanyuan’s heart beat like a drum.

  If all the interviewees were at this level, wouldn’t she be embarrassing herself….

  After the song stopped, the corridor was filled with the sound of jeering and whistling.

  “Xixi….” Lu Yuanyuan poked the person next to her, ” I won’t go in for the interview, I’ll wait for you outside….”

  “……”

  Lin Xi was looking around to see which younger brother was so harassing when she heard Lu Yuanyuan’s softly spoken words.

  Once she looked back, she saw her frowning slightly and her big eyes a little wet.

  Lin Xi felt that if she were a rabbit, her ears would be drooping now, very listless.

  “Pfft.” She was amused by her own thoughts and reached out to smooth Lu Yuanyuan’s long, silky hair twice, “This kind of talent is in the minority, we can definitely get by.”

  “But-“

  Lin Xi reassured her: “Don’t worry. I checked in advance. This is the first round of interviews, so singing and playing are just us going through the motions. The second round is when we’ll go to the music classroom to interview.”

  Before filling out the application form during military training, she specifically asked Lu Yuanyuan if she could play any musical instruments. Lu Yuanyuan almost didn’t hesitate to say yes, which is why she then enrolled them both.

  The reason she applied was that, according to trustworthy advice from the forum, basically those who can sing or play certain instruments would do well in the music club.

  When it was Lin Xi’s turn, she went in and came out within a few minutes, and also made a cheering3 gesture to Lu Yuanyuan.

  Lu Yuanyuan nodded, held her registration form, took a deep breath and went into the classroom.

  The large classroom only had a row of people sitting.

  Three people, two men and one woman.

  After greeting them, she introduced herself. The boy in the middle spoke first: “I see that you checked the box…. That you know an instrument, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “What instrument do you play?”

  “Harmonica.”

  “……”

  Hmm?

  Qin Fang rightfully felt that he had misheard.

  He recalled Lu Yuanyuan’s pronunciation just now and tried, “Piano4, right?”

  “No, senior,” the girl in front of him shook her head with a serious face and spoke in a steady, soft voice: “I can play the harmonica.”

  “……”

  Joining the music club for a year, Qin Fang was now a vice president. He interviewed a lot of students, even those who played the hulusi he had seen.

  But this was the first one whose talent was playing the harmonica.

  Was this not a musical instrument? It was.

  Was this not a talent? It seemed to be, yes.

  He didn’t know what to do for a while.

  “Um, so, classmate, you wait a moment. Your situation is special, I’ll ask our president, ha.”

  Qin Fang informed the two people next to him and immediately went to the back of the classroom to call Great President Su.

  Great President Su took a long time to answer. His voice was low and dumb, carrying strong fatigue, “Who?”

  “The person who’s letting you sleep peacefully in the dormitory.” Qin Fang said this with some resentment and gritted teeth.

  Interviewing, this kind of thing, he hadn’t seen a single club president not at least show up. He, a vice president, sat all morning and afternoon, and his butt was numb.

  Su Lin didn’t feel guilty in the slightest: “If you have something to say, speak quickly.”

  “……” He endured.

  Qin Fang didn’t forget his purpose: “Lin ge, is playing the harmonica considered a talent? Can it pass?”

  “….. Playing what?”

  “Harmonica.”

  “……”

  There was silence for a while.

  Soon after, the voice came with impatience: “You’re asking me about this kind of fucking thing? You really don’t know?”

  Tsk. Listening to this tone, it must not count.

  But he was right. Their club performed every year with solo ensembles and so on. The harmonica…. no matter how he tried, there was no way to incorporate it, ah.

  “Hm,” But Qin Fang was still dissatisfied: “Why are you so cranky. I just saw a little girl had come to try out and had a hard time.”

  “Hmph.” From the other side came a sarcastic laugh that was common for Great President Su, “Which god is this?”

  With this one word, Qin Fang came to life: “You don’t say. She’s pretty, and her surname is also quite special. Surnamed Lu, not the Lu of dry land, but the Lu of little deer.”

  “……”

  There was a strange silence from the other side.

  Su Lin suddenly asked him, “Full name?”

  “Lu Yuanyuan.”

  After Qin Fang answer, he puzzledly asked: “Why are you asking thi-“

  “Count it.” The other side suddenly said.

  “….. Ah?”

  Su Lin’s voice was without sleepiness: “You still fucking ask me about this. Harmonicas naturally count.”

  “……?”

  “She passed, let her attend the second round of interviews.”

  Qin Fang: “……??”

  Before he could respond, another sentence came from the other side.

  — “You aren’t needed for the second round. I’ll go to interview.”

The author has something to say.

Great President Su (serious face): Baidu encyclopedia says that the harmonica is a small wind instrument. It definitely counts.

Qin Fang = =: ……… I just wanna ask if your face hurts.

# What made me go to the library on my own accord to study when it isn’t even finals #

# Ah, it’s that damn love #

Do you ever just scare yourself for no reason? Right now, it’s 9 PM here, I was washing my hands in the kitchen sink and looking out the window. I randomly thought ‘hey, what if someone just popped up haha’ then I actually imagined someone creepily popping up & then I ran back into my room. Why did I do that to myself?? There was absolutely no reason. 

1 If that didn’t make any sense, lemme break it down. They have classes specifically for those in their major, then an elective course (eg french), then a required course (eg your GE’s if you’re in the US). I don’t really know what required courses are in China but this is basically a class that all students in their year had to take.

2 It’s kinda the program you watch on new years. Like watching the ball dropping in Times Square (not that i ever had, is it interesting??).

3 Jiayou: means good luck, cheering someone on, you got this etc. Kinda like the Korean ‘fighting’ or Japanese ‘gambatte’. I might use the pinyin later on if it’s ever used as dialogue so I thought to include it now.

4 Piano is gangqin, harmonica is kouqin. 

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