Chapter 53: Afternoon Nap and Unexpected Wardrobe Woes

Having bid farewell to Yu Naixi, Zhong Tian skillfully navigated a small path, slipping into Li Jianren’s dorm.

His first act upon entering was to switch on the air conditioner; his second, to collapse onto the bed and luxuriate in its softness.

Li Jianren’s bed was remarkably soft, and the duvet offered the perfect warmth; its only drawback was its slightly modest size.

As the room’s temperature gradually descended, it soon settled into a most comfortable coolness.

Before drowsiness could fully claim him, Zhong Tian sat upright, positioned the small portable table, shed his canvas shoes and short socks, and, with his legs dangling, waited on the bed for Li Jianren to return with their meal.

In the interim, Zhong Tian reached for his phone, seeking a distraction.

He first idly scrolled through WeChat, curious to see if anyone had messaged him.

Currently logged into his secondary account, Zhong Tian opened the class group chat and swiftly reviewed the notifications from the vice-class monitor and homeroom teacher, confirming the afternoon’s class decorating assignments.

‘Ah, I don’t have any work.’

Upon scrutinizing the list, he noticed that those slated to portray maids and butlers were conspicuously absent from the roster.

‘Doesn’t this mean Ren and I can spend the entire afternoon playing in the dorm?’

‘Excellent!’

His canvas bag, thankfully, was with him, meaning he could resume sketching his manga drafts immediately after his afternoon nap.

‘And if we grab some snacks and cola later, it’ll be absolutely perfect!’

Zhong Tian suddenly felt his spirits soaring and dipping like a rollercoaster throughout the day.

After Zhong Tian had idly watched videos for more than ten minutes, a muffled thud resonated from just beyond the door.

Slipping into Li Jianren’s slightly oversized slippers, Zhong Tian shuffled to the door and opened it for his friend.

Li Jianren stood there, both hands cradling their meal bowls, while a substantial bag of various items dangled from his arm.

“Oh, you brought back snacks? How perfectly thoughtful of you.”

With a delighted exclamation, Zhong Tian relieved him of the meal bowls and snacks, placing them neatly on their small dining table.

“Naturally, I understand! No work means we’re in for a fantastic afternoon!” Still slightly breathless from his “canteen sprint race,” his words came out a little slurred, yet his excitement was palpable. “I’m drenched in sweat; time for a shower!”

“Alright, but do remember to put on some clothes before you re-emerge.”

“That’s absolutely out of the question!”

With that declaration, Li Jianren zipped into the shower stall, briskly turning on the cold water.

While the day wasn’t as sweltering as the pre-typhoon weather, Li Jianren was still thoroughly drenched in sweat from his run.

Without a bracing cold shower to cool down, he genuinely wouldn’t be able to stomach his meal.

Initially, the water emerging from the showerhead was tepid, but after a few seconds, it gradually turned icy cold.

“Whoo—”

‘That guy, taking a cold shower again.’

‘He won’t learn his lesson until he actually catches a proper cold.’

Zhong Tian picked up the remote control, adjusting the air conditioner’s temperature to a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius.

Zhong Tian cracked open a can of cola, took a refreshing sip, and then commenced his lunch.

‘Hmm, these beef slices today are quite good.’

‘They’re as tender and springy as something you’d find in a restaurant.’

‘Though there’s just a bit too little.’

Still, it was understandable; at the price point of a student meal, if they added any more meat, Zhong Tian would genuinely wonder how the canteen could possibly turn a profit.

Approximately three minutes later, the sound of water from within ceased.

Just as he always did, Li Jianren burst out, wrapped only in a large towel, eagerly embracing the cool air.

“I unilaterally declare! Air conditioning is humanity’s greatest invention!”

“Is that the only phrase you know?” Zhong Tian’s mouth was full, making his words somewhat indistinct. “Hurry and eat; I want to take a nap.”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

Both ate with remarkable speed, but Li Jianren was particularly voracious, practically inhaling his food; in a mere two or three minutes, he had cleanly devoured a bowl of rice as large as his face.

Even though Zhong Tian had started eating earlier, he still found himself outpaced by his friend.

“I won!”

“Where do you get this strange competitive streak from?”

“Phew, half an hour to digest, then a long nap.”

Zhong Tian glanced at Li Jianren, who, with a look of utter contentment, had already pulled out his phone to play a game. Rising, Zhong Tian gathered their empty bowls, took them to be washed, and neatly put them away.

Returning to his spot on the bed, Zhong Tian retrieved his sketchbook and pencil, immersing himself in drawing.

After sketching for approximately forty minutes, Zhong Tian felt his post-meal fullness had largely dissipated, prompting him to put away his drawing board and prepare for his afternoon nap.

“How much longer are you going to play?”

“Almost done, just preparing for a wave now,” Li Jianren replied, his fingers still flying across the screen. “You can go ahead and sleep.”

“I’m afraid you’ll start yelling…”

“Alright then, just wait a bit. We have nothing planned this afternoon anyway, so you can sleep until whenever you like; a few minutes won’t make a difference.”

“Fine.”

Feeling a slight chill, Zhong Tian opted to burrow into his blanket first, resting his head on his pillow, silently awaiting Li Jianren’s completion of his game.

Moments later, Li Jianren’s predictable shout echoed through the room.

“Ahhh—we got wiped out!”

Zhong Tian, who had been on the verge of sleep, was jolted wide awake by the shout. Annoyed, he extended a leg and gave Li Jianren a disgruntled kick in the back.

“Now that you’re done, go to sleep!”

“Alright, alright, I’m sleeping now.”

Li Jianren set down his phone, plugged in his power bank, and then, too, burrowed beneath his blanket.

Zhong Tian closed his eyes, and within moments, drifted into a deep slumber.

****

Two-thirty in the afternoon.

The students assigned to their respective tasks had already begun to gather in the classroom.

Qin Dong, as the vice-class monitor, was the earliest to arrive. At this moment, she was already orchestrating her classmates, formally commencing the classroom decorations.

Their initial task involved merging four tables into one large surface, which was then draped with a tablecloth and adorned with a vase of artificial flowers.

A total of nine such expansive tables were meticulously arranged throughout the room.

An additional tablecloth, she decided, would be divided into two smaller ones to furnish a pair of supplementary small tables.

Concurrently with the table arrangements, she delegated students to hang decorative wind chimes on the windows, string colorful ropes across the back of the classroom, and clip on an assortment of ornamental photographs.

The decorating proceeded smoothly, leading Qin Dong to estimate that completion was not far off.

Lost in thought about the upcoming work schedule, she remained oblivious to the figure approaching beside her.

A sudden, icy touch on her cheek startled Qin Dong, causing her to instinctively clap a hand to her face, dart aside, and turn to face the newcomer.

“You’ve been working hard.”

It was Chen Chenchen, a gentle smile gracing his features, as he extended a chilled can of orange juice towards her. “I’ve come back to help.”

“You…”

Qin Dong glanced at the orange juice cradled in her arms, then back at Chen Chenchen’s smile, and for a fleeting moment, she felt transported back to her junior high days.

“…Don’t you need to practice your singing?”

“I’ve practiced all morning; that’s quite enough,” Chen Chenchen replied. “More than practicing, I wanted to return and help you.”

Qin Dong’s mind was now a whirlwind of questions.

Since entering high school, and particularly since Chen Chenchen had met Zhong Tian, this was the first time he had ever spoken to her with such a tender smile and gentle tone.

Furthermore, his gaze held an unprecedented, almost startling, tenderness.

Qin Dong instinctively felt that this was not the gaze one typically reserved for a mere friend.

‘What has gotten into him?’

Chen Chenchen’s abrupt shift in demeanor filled Qin Dong with more alarm than delight. Slightly flustered, she averted her gaze, only to spot Yu Naixi standing by the doorway.

Yu Naixi, who had no assigned classroom duties, now stood at the entrance, her eyes fixed on Qin Dong with an expression that was both playful and expectant.

‘Is it because of her? Yu Naixi?’

Qin Dong’s look of surprise seemed to satisfy Yu Naixi, who, with a smile, waved her hand, delivered a playful wink to Qin Dong, and then departed.

Qin Dong, still struggling to fully comprehend the situation, redirected her gaze to Chen Chenchen. She cleared her throat softly. “Perhaps… we should discuss the upcoming work arrangements…”

“Alright.”

“Once the classroom is fully arranged, I intend to seek out a few classmates skilled in cooking to discuss the types of desserts and coffee we’ll prepare, as well as the division of labor,” Qin Dong explained, slowly regaining her composure from her earlier surprise. “Following that, the rented maid and butler outfits will arrive, and everyone will gather this evening to try them on for fitting.”

“There’s no evening study session today, you know.”

“Hmm… then let’s schedule it for four-thirty this afternoon,” Qin Dong decided. “If any of them don’t fit, we’ll have to return to the shop for replacements.”

“Alright, I’ll send out the group notification.

****

By the time Zhong Tian awoke, it was already past four o’clock.

This marked the first time he had indulged in such a lengthy afternoon nap at school. He stretched, limbering his slightly stiff body.

His first action upon waking was to check his phone.

The class group chat had posted a new notification.

[Evening self-study cancelled today.]

[The twelve maids and butlers will gather in the classroom at 4:30 PM for costume fitting.]

“Huh?”

Zhong Tian was instantly wide awake, a sudden sense of his idyllic afternoon being shattered washing over him.

‘Ah, my wonderful afternoon of slacking off, why is it gone again?’

‘I had planned to just eat snacks, drink cola, and coast until dismissal!’

‘Darn it!’

Still, the cancellation of evening self-study was a silver lining, he supposed.

Zhong Tian sighed, sending a message to his sister, asking her to tell Su Linxi not to make dinner, as he would be home late.

He nudged Li Jianren awake, then reached over him to grab a can of cola, tilting his head back to take a grand, gulping swig—which nearly made him choke.

He managed to swallow the large mouthful of cola, letting out a cola-induced burp.

“Ren, wake up, we’re going back to class to try on clothes…”

“Mm…”

Li Jianren groggily woke up, grabbed a can of cola, and chugged it down. Once he was more alert, he got up to put on his clothes.

Zhong Tian packed up the small dining table and snacks, then he and Li Jianren parted ways upon leaving the dorm.

Back in the classroom, the ten students designated as butlers and maids had already arrived, gathered in the corridor.

Seeing Zhong Tian and Li Jianren approach, Qin Dong entered the classroom and clapped her hands. “Everyone, please come in. Draw the curtains so these students can try on their outfits.”

Zhong Tian, who had just arrived and hadn’t even fully settled in, froze at her words, nearly letting out a startled “Huh?”

‘In the classroom? All together?’

“Butlers first, please.”

She instructed, ushering the male students designated as butlers into the classroom.

Zhong Tian still hadn’t fully processed the situation.

He glanced at the girls standing nearby, barely maintaining his cool demeanor.

‘Huh??’

‘Am I… going to change clothes with the girls in the classroom??’

‘No, no, no, this absolutely won’t do!’

‘This will definitely expose me!’

Zhong Tian took a step forward, approaching Qin Dong, and whispered, “Class monitor, I… I’d like to change somewhere else…”

“Hmm? Why?”

Qin Dong looked puzzled, but after a moment, she seemed to realize something, nodding. “Then you can go in and change after we’re done.”

Though Zhong Tian didn’t know what thought had cleared her confusion, he thanked her nonetheless and retreated into the crowd behind him.

Several minutes later, the classroom door opened, and the male students, now clad in butler attire, slowly emerged.

“Wow—”

The onlookers—especially the girls—let out exclamations of admiration.

The butler tailcoats worn by the boys were incredibly flattering, featuring a cinched waist design that accentuated their waist and back lines, making their figures appear even more statuesque and robust. The clean black and white color scheme lent a touch of maturity to the high school boys.

Moreover, each of the six boys wearing the butler outfits managed to infuse them with their own unique style, catering to diverse aesthetic preferences.

Everyone gathered around the butlers, playfully teasing them, and the air was filled with laughter.

Next up were the girls’ maid outfits…