Chapter 3: The Enigmatic Volunteer Club

The Volunteer Club. What kind of place was this?

He had never even heard of it.

However, ‘volunteer’ should mean something similar to a general helper, right?

“Brother, this is our school’s Volunteer Club! If you ever have any problems, you can come here for help! The President, Senior Sister, is super nice!”

Shi Meng eagerly introduced the club to Shi Xi.

After hearing her words, a term flashed through Shi Xi’s mind: the Service Club?

Wasn’t it similar? Both were organizations specifically dedicated to helping students with problems.

But… would seeking help from such a place truly be useful?

“Let me take you inside, Brother. Once you meet Senior Sister, you’ll feel completely at ease!” Seeing Xiao Xi still hesitate, Shi Meng confidently pushed open the door and led him inside.

From the outside, the Volunteer Club appeared to be nothing more than a large, forgotten house tucked away in a secluded corner of the school. Several trees, planted years ago, now sprawled their branches chaotically across the entrance, almost blocking the path.

It was a lonely, isolated place, making it no wonder Xiao Xi had remained unaware of its existence throughout the past year.

However, upon stepping inside, they discovered a completely different world. The interior of the room was exquisitely decorated in a European style.

It was fully furnished with appliances, the floor was impeccably clean, and the walls gleamed, making it seem as if it were the office of some important dignitary.

Xiao Xi was utterly stunned. Yet, as his gaze shifted to the desk, the person seated there instantly redirected his awe from the opulent decor to the girl’s striking beauty.

Golden hair cascaded softly over her shoulders, her sapphire-like eyes sparkled with intelligence, and her fair skin resembled a delicate water lily. Adorning her head was a pair of cat ear hairpins.

‘This is… not a doll, is it? Is she a foreign beauty?’

Gao Meiyou, noticing the newcomer staring blankly, couldn’t help but chuckle. “Shi Meng, your friend is quite an amusing little girl~”

“Ah…” Shi Meng, a little embarrassed, nudged Xiao Xi, signaling him to stop staring. Then, turning to Gao Meiyou, the president of the Volunteer Club, she explained, “Um, let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend, my older brother, Shi Xi. He… barely counts as a boy, I guess.”

‘What do you mean, ‘barely counts’?’

Xiao Xi grumbled inwardly, but he was too shy to voice his complaints in front of an outsider.

“Oh? A boy?” Gao Meiyou stared at Xiao Xi in surprise. Despite his long silver hair, he was indeed dressed in male attire.

“Then there’s no problem at all, it’s quite normal~” Gao Meiyou watched Xiao Xi with evident interest and curiosity. She gestured for Xiao Xi and Shi Meng to take a seat.

“Ahem, allow me to introduce myself. Hello, Student Xiao Xi, my name is Gao Meiyou. I’m a second-year student and the president of our First High School’s Volunteer Club. You can come to me with any problems in the future! I’ll do my utmost to help you.”

“Hello, Senior Sister Meiyou!” Xiao Xi nodded, then introduced himself. “My name is Shi Xi, and I’m a first-year student. Um, actually, I’ve come here today because I have something I need your help with, Senior Sister.”

“Oh?” Gao Meiyou looked a little troubled. She flipped through the notebook by her hand. “I apologize, Junior Brother Shi Xi, but… my schedule is quite full. How about this: you tell me your problem first, and I’ll see if I can adjust my schedule based on its severity, alright?”

Huh?

Xiao Xi was a little bewildered. A schedule? Were there really so many people seeking help from the Volunteer Club?

“Phew… Brother, Senior Sister Meiyou is incredibly capable, so a lot of people come to her for help. Otherwise, Senior Sister Meiyou, would it be possible to swap the order of my request and Brother Xi’s? It’s really fine.”

Shi Meng offered a suggestion from the side. Xiao Xi, curious, turned his head and asked, “Xiao Meng, you have a request too? What is it?”

“It’s a cat! There’s a cat at our school stuck on the roof, and it can’t get down. I asked Senior Sister Meiyou to help me bring it down.”

Gao Meiyou nodded. “But I still think it’s better to get the kitten down first. I’ll figure something out.”

“No, no, no, um… my brother’s problem might be a bit more important, Senior Sister Meiyou!” Shi Meng immediately shook her head. Anxious to help her brother, she no longer cared about the kitten.

“What’s wrong?” Gao Meiyou, hearing the urgency in Shi Meng’s tone, calmed herself and asked, “What kind of problem is it, specifically?”

“Uh…” Shi Meng pondered for a moment. “A marital relationship problem?”

“Mar… marriage?” Gao Meiyou was utterly bewildered. This, this, this… this was high school!

How could such a problem exist?

Since establishing the Volunteer Club, Gao Meiyou had encountered countless problems, ranging from minor lover’s quarrels to major debt collectors. But a marriage problem…

It wasn’t a matter of whether it was easy to solve; it simply shouldn’t even exist! It made no sense!

“Um…” Gao Meiyou looked at Xiao Xi with a hint of sympathy. “Are you… being domestically abused by your fiancée?”

“Uh…” Xiao Xi furrowed his brow. “In a way, it seems that might actually be the case…”

“What? Sister hit you?” Shi Meng was shocked. Xiao Xi hadn’t told her this before!

“Ah, not hit… it’s… never mind, pretend I didn’t say anything!” Xiao Xi, blushing, immediately stopped speaking, leaving Gao Meiyou and Shi Meng utterly confused.

“I have the number for a women’s domestic abuse shelter here, you should write it down… Ah, wait, they don’t seem to handle cases of men being abused…”

Gao Meiyou paused, looking a bit troubled. She felt the domestic abuse shelters were rather short-sighted. A soft, gentle boy like Shi Xi could indeed be susceptible to domestic abuse. Wait a minute… what did Shi Meng just say?

“Sister?”

“Um, why don’t you tell me the number anyway? It might be useful in the future?”

As Xiao Xi considered his bleak future, he eagerly wanted to secure more escape routes for himself. However, Gao Meiyou had snapped back to reality; she hadn’t gotten all the details yet.

“Hold on, Junior Brother, who did you marry?”

“Ah, that…” Xiao Xi looked conflicted, hesitant to speak. After all, being forced into something by his own sister was incredibly embarrassing. Being fostered by his parents for so many years only to suddenly become a ‘child bride’ gave him a strong sense of being the ultimate clown.

But if he didn’t say it, the problem couldn’t be solved!

Thus, Xiao Xi revealed everything, from the moment he woke up in the hospital until now. Of course, he omitted a few details in between…

Even though Shi Meng had heard it once before, she was still deeply shaken. Not to mention Gao Meiyou, who, after listening to this entire account, felt that her Volunteer Club had certainly not been established in vain!

To hear such a fantastical story added so much enjoyment to her life; it was a huge gain!

Gao Meiyou nodded, jotting down every word Xiao Xi said. Then, she immediately moved Shi Xi’s name to the very top of her schedule, pinning it there!

It was simply too interesting; she felt she needed to act right away!

“Don’t worry, Junior Brother! I’m definitely taking this on! I will absolutely help you escape your sister’s clutches!”

‘Oh dear… Senior Sister, flailing her arms about, was quite terrifying. She didn’t seem reliable at all!’

“Mhm, that’s great, Brother! Don’t worry, Senior Sister is always amazing at solving problems.”

“Is… she?”

Xiao Xi raised his head, glancing at the honorary banners displayed behind Gao Meiyou.

“Helping Others Brings Joy, Golden-Haired Senior Sister, My Favorite!”

“Ruthless and Cunning, Achieving Goals by Any Means Necessary!”

‘That’s not rhyming at all, for crying out loud! What kind of person would write something like this? This is outrageous!’

Harboring a feeling of anything but reassurance, Xiao Xi took a sharp breath and, following Shi Meng, temporarily departed from the Volunteer Club.