Zhang Xiaoyue gave Xiangyu no chance to refuse. On Tuesday afternoon, she cornered Xiangyu in her dorm and even sat through an afternoon class with her. Xiangyu couldn't find a way to decline and was ultimately dragged to the drama club by Zhang Xiaoyue.
When Zhang Xiaoyue enthusiastically introduced Xiangyu to the club president, Xue Yu, Xiangyu was surprised to see Xue Min behind her. "Mr.Xue?" Xiangyu greeted Xue Min. Xue Min looked equally surprised but quickly explained upon seeing Xiangyu's confusion, "Oh, this is Xue Yu, the president of the drama club and my younger sister. Their club has trouble recruiting members, so I help out sometimes." Before Xiangyu could respond, Zhang Xiaoyue's voice piped up, "You know each other? That's great! Our club will be even more lively." "Hello, Xiangyu," Xue Yu's gentle voice sounded very welcoming, "We're thrilled to have you join the drama club." She extended her hand towards Xiangyu. In such a situation, Xiangyu found it hard to refuse and shook her hand lightly, "Thank you. I don't know much yet, so I hope to learn a lot."
Including the new member Xiangyu, the drama club had only four girls, and even fewer boys—only two, counting Xue Min. The club aimed to perform a play at the spring arts festival, which was about half a year away. However, considering the winter break, New Year celebrations, and exam periods, they only had about three to four months to rehearse. The club president envisioned incorporating a scene in French, but with the limited number of members, everyone had to multitask, making rehearsals even more intense. Before Xiangyu joined, the club had decided on the play "Thunderstorm," a well-known classic. The club had six members, but the play had eight roles—five male and three female, each crucial to the story. Fortunately, everyone except Xiangyu seemed very confident. The major roles had already been assigned: Xue Min as the eldest son Zhou Ping, Xue Yu as the Stepmother Fanyi, Zhang Xiaoyue as Sifeng, un servant girl, Liu Wei as the father Zhou Puyuan, and Zhang Kexin as Shiping. Xiangyu, after some thought, agreed to take on the role of the younger son Zhou Chong in drag, leaving only the roles of Lu Gui and Lu Dahai unassigned. Xue Yu and Zhang Xiaoyue promised to recruit suitable members from other departments.
The script, a classic four-act play, had been discussed previously, and Xue Yu handed out printed copies to everyone. Xiangyu received her copy. In Xue Yu's plan, the final scene between Zhou Ping and Fanyi would be performed in French. Since Xue Yu was also directing, Xiangyu was roped in to substitute as Fanyi for the French scene, allowing Xue Yu to observe the overall effect. After a brief explanation, they began rehearsing. In the first act, Xiangyu's character Zhou Chong has a brief conversation with his mother, Fanyi, towards the end, expressing his love for the maid Sifeng. Lacking acting experience, Xiangyu felt awkward despite understanding that Zhou Chong was a sincere and enthusiastic young man. Everyone reassured her to take her time and not rush, but Xiangyu still felt uneasy and promised to work on it afterward.
Rehearsals continued until dinner time, and the group decided to eat together in the cafeteria. With the attractive appearances of the Xue siblings, Xiangyu, and Zhang Xiaoyue, their presence in the cafeteria drew a lot of attention. However, this also had an unexpected benefit, as several new members soon joined the drama club, quickly resolving their manpower issues.