The July afternoon sun scorched the campus. Along the tree lined paths of Capital City’s University A, the drone of cicadas was deafening.
Xia Yaojin had just finished a grueling three hour mock assessment. As she stepped out of the Economics and Management building, a thin layer of sweat clung to her forehead. Clutched in her arms was a thick stack of reference materials, her mind was still busy re-evaluating whether the third argument in her macroeconomics essay had been rigorous enough.
“Xia Yaojin.”
A familiar voice called out from beneath the shade of the trees.
Zhu Yawen stood there, holding two ice cream cones one vanilla, one matcha. The scoops had already begun to melt slightly under the heat, glistening invitingly in the sunlight.
Yaojin halted, momentarily dazed. She looked at Yawen, then at the ice cream, her brain experiencing a rare, brief system crash. In her strictly regulated schedule, there was no such entry as “eating ice cream.”
To her, snacks meant unhealthy sugar intake, a disruption of a disciplined meal plan, and… a waste of time.
“It’s too hot. Have something cold to cool down,” Yawen said, stepping forward. She naturally held the matcha cone out to her. “Your favorite flavor, right? I noticed you always steal an extra glance at the matcha pudding at the cafeteria dessert window.”
Yaojin stared at the cone. A green droplet was beginning its slow crawl down the side. Her brain went into overdrive. Matcha is rich in catechins and antioxidants, but the high sugar and fat content… estimated at 150 calories… would require an extra 20 minutes of jogging to burn off…
“Eat it before it melts,” Yawen urged, her eyes dancing with a smile.
Several passing students had already slowed down, sneaking glances at the pair.
Taking a deep breath, Yaojin made a decision that surprised even herself. She set her heavy folders down and reached out for the ice cream.
“Thank you,” she said, then took a cautious, tiny lick.
Cold, dense, and slightly bitter matcha fragrance bloomed on the tip of her tongue, followed by the mellow sweetness of the cream. A foreign, pure sense of pleasure spread from her taste buds.
“…It’s delicious,” she said honestly, her eyes widening slightly as if she’d discovered a new continent.
Yawen laughed, her smile brighter than the summer sun. “I’m glad you like it.”
The two walked side by side down the shaded path, one elegantly nibbling on vanilla, the other focusing on her matcha cone with the intensity of a serious academic pursuit. This scene was captured by at least twenty smartphones simultaneously.
[HOT] Historical Breakthrough! Workaholic Jinjin Accepts a Treat from Wenwen! Says It’s “Delicious”!
OP (Frontline reporter with shaking hands): Sisters! My hands are shaking! My heart is pounding! Just now! In front of the Econ building! Jinjin! That study obsessed workaholic! She took the ice cream from Wenwen! Not forced! Not reluctant! She reached for it herself! And she said… “Delicious”! Ahhh, what a legendary moment! The sugar levels are off the charts! I declare today the happiest day of my life!
1L (CP Fan A): Photos! I need photos! Video! Give me the video!
2L (Eyewitness 1): [Photo.jpg] [Photo.jpg] [Photo.jpg] The triple threat! From the hand-off to the first bite! Jinjin’s expression is so serious, like she’s conducting a lab experiment!
3L (Eyewitness 2): [Video.mp4] A 10 second clip! There’s audio! “Thank you” and “Delicious”! Jinjin’s voice sounds so soft!
4L (Psychology Major Observer): Micro-expression analysis: When Xia took the ice cream, her zygomaticus major muscles twitched upward for 0.3 seconds. Upon tasting, her pupils dilated slightly. When saying “delicious,” her facial muscle relaxation reached peak levels. Conclusion: She is experiencing genuine pleasure.
5L (Nutrition Major): Matcha ice cream: approx. 145 kcal, 18g sugar, 7g fat. Xia’s intake is over the limit today, but… it’s worth it!
7L (Math Major): Building a probability model: Let A = Yaojin accepting a food gift, and B = the food is from Yawen. Therefore, P(A|B) = 0.85 (first observed value). Confidence interval…
10L (OP): Update! They went to the library together! Wenwen is carrying Jinjin’s folders! Jinjin didn’t refuse!!
Inside the library, Yaojin sat in her usual spot. Books were spread before her, but her focus was uncharacteristically fractured. The bitter-sweet lingering taste of matcha and cream remained on her tongue.
She subconsciously licked her lips, a gesture caught by Yawen, who had been watching her from across the table.
“Want another one?” Yawen whispered.
Yaojin snapped back to reality and shook her head. “Too many calories.”
“Once in a while is fine,” Yawen smiled. “Besides, you’re too thin. You need the energy.”
Yaojin didn’t reply, turning her attention back to her books. But the literature seemed exceptionally difficult today, the familiar formulas and theories floated before her eyes without sinking in.
She stole a glance at Yawen. The other girl was focused on her laptop, her profile illuminated by the golden sunlight streaming through the window behind her. Her lashes were long, the bridge of her nose straight, and her fingers moved across the keyboard with an elegant flow.
Yaojin suddenly realized this was the first time she had really looked at Zhu Yawen.
She was beautiful. More beautiful than any description in a book.
“What are you looking at?” Yawen suddenly looked up, catching her gaze.
Yaojin immediately looked down, her ears turning hot. “N-nothing.”
Yawen smiled. She didn’t press for an answer, but the corners of her mouth remained turned up as she returned to her work.
Meanwhile, on the school forum, things had spiraled out of control.
Admin: Urgent notice! Due to massive traffic on “Wen Jin” posts, the server has crashed three times! Tech is working on an emergency expansion! Please discuss rationally and stop uploading large files!
8L (Secretary Li from President’s Office): Um… President Su asked me to check if the forum is okay? She said she saw a server load alert…
9L (Admin): Secretary Li! Please tell the President everything is normal! The students are just… engaging in heated academic exchange!
10L (President Su herself): Yes, I see. It’s quite nice; youth will be youth. If the tech department needs budget support, send up a report. PS: The photos are quite good.
11L (Entire School): !!! HELLO PRESIDENT !!!
As evening fell, Yaojin and Yawen walked out of the library together. The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the pavement until they almost overlapped.
“How is the assessment prep?” Yawen asked.
“Almost there,” Yaojin replied. “Just one last look at my error log.”
“Don’t be too nervous. You’ll be fine.”
“Mm.”
At the fork in the road, Yaojin headed for the dorms while Yawen headed toward the campus gate.
“Tomorrow…” Yawen paused. “Tomorrow during the assessment, I’ll wait for you outside the hall.”
Yaojin looked up at her.
“I won’t disturb you. I’ll just be outside,” Yawen added. “I just want to… cheer for you.”
Yaojin was silent for a few seconds before nodding slightly. “Okay.”
“Then… see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Yaojin walked a few paces, then suddenly turned back. “Zhu Yawen.”
“Yes?”
“The ice cream… was very good. Thank you.”
Yawen’s eyes lit up instantly. “If you like it, I’ll treat you often.”
“…Once in a while is enough.”
“Okay, whatever you say.”
Watching Yaojin’s retreating figure, Yawen couldn’t stop grinning. Her phone buzzed, a message from her best friend, Ji Minmin: “The forum exploded! The server died three times all because of your ice cream!”
Yawen clicked the link, saw the photos, and smiled even wider. She replied: “How much for a new server? I’ll pay for it.”
Minmin: “…You’re insane.”
Yawen: “Then let me be insane.”
One smile in exchange for an ice cream? It was worth it. Worth ten servers.
Back in the dorm, Yaojin opened her laptop. Habitually, she opened an academic database, but then, as if possessed, she typed into the search bar: “Psychological effects of ice cream.”
Results popped up: The Positive Impact of Sweets on Mood, Relationship Between Sugar Intake and Dopamine Secretion, The Role of Ritualistic Behavior in Interpersonal Communication…
She clicked through them, reading intently.
Her roommate, Zhou Xiaoyu, leaned over. “Jinjin, what are you reading? Ice cream literature?”
Yaojin slammed the tab shut. “…Just browsing.”
“Oh~” Xiaoyu teased. “Is it because a certain someone treated you to ice cream today?”
Yaojin said nothing, but her ears turned red again.
“Jinjin,” Xiaoyu said seriously, “I actually think Zhu Yawen is really good to you. And you seem… more relaxed when you’re with her?”
Yaojin thought about it and nodded. It was true. With Yawen, she didn’t have to force conversation or maintain her “top student” persona. She could just be Xiaoyu. She could accept an ice cream, say it was delicious, and admit that she, too, gets hot, gets tired, and sometimes wants a little sweetness.
“So,” Xiaoyu patted her shoulder, “just let it happen. Good luck with the assessment. As for the rest… take it slow.”
“Mm.”
Yaojin reopened her error log, but this time, the slight upward curve of her lips remained. Outside, night fell. The school forum server, after its fifth expansion, finally stabilized.
Tomorrow would be a new day. And for the “star” of the school’s favorite real time drama, the real test was just beginning.