It was hard to say whether it was the striking appearance of the dancers in loose black T-shirts and camo pants doing their breaking moves or if Ye Qiu and his friends were simply too stunned to believe someone would voluntarily join their club, but for a moment, they didn't react.
"Hey, I want to join!" The voice rang out again, this time with a hint of impatience.
The group finally snapped out of it and looked up, only to be greeted by a face of stunning beauty. The girl's expression was a mix of happiness and annoyance, her big eyes unblinking as they fixed on Ye Qiu. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently, and her rounded chin curved into a perfect, graceful line.
"It's you?" Ye Qiu asked in surprise, recognizing the girl in front of him as Ran Dongye, the very person he had been trying to avoid.
"Why can't it be me?" Ran Dongye picked up a form from the table and started to look it over. "How much is the membership fee?"
"Thirty yuan," Ye Qiu replied. "But you're from the Film and Television Academy. I don't think you can join our club."
Ran Dongye raised an eyebrow and gave Ye Qiu a sidelong glance. "Who says students from other schools can't participate in activities at Shimu University?"
Ye Qiu was momentarily at a loss for words and looked to Yang Le for help. Yang Le wasn't sure if there was such a rule at Shimu University, but this was definitely a special case. After all, when had students from other universities ever come to Shimu University to join a club? If anything, it was usually Shimu students going to places like the Film and Television Academy, Beijing Normal University, or Beijing Foreign Studies University—campuses known for their abundance of beautiful women.
Moreover, a beautiful girl voluntarily joining their club was something Yang Le couldn't resist. Why would he turn her away? Ye Qiu, though, could be a bit clueless when it came to dealing with women, especially beautiful ones, Yang Le thought to himself.
"Haha, so it's Senior Sister! Of course, you can join our club. As the newly appointed president of the Archaeology Enthusiasts Association, I officially welcome you," Yang Le said with a laugh, quickly pulling up a chair for Ran Dongye and fetching her a bottle of water, even going so far as to twist off the cap for her.
"Thank you. Name—Ran Dongye, Gender—Female, Age—Can I skip this? A woman's age is a secret, you know," Ran Dongye said with a smile, her eyes twinkling. She leaned in closer to Ye Qiu, whispering, "But if you really want to know, I can tell you secretly."
Ye Qiu felt a slight stir in his heart, not so much because of her tempting words, but because of her moist, inviting lips that were so close he could almost taste them. He felt an urge to kiss her right then and there.
"A woman's charm has nothing to do with age," Ye Qiu said, his gaze unabashedly lingering on Ran Dongye's lips as he smiled. He had met a "witch" before—a woman in her forties who was as radiant as a young girl, and even Ye Qiu, who had seen many beautiful women, had been deeply moved by her.
"You seem to know a lot about women," Ran Dongye remarked, intrigued by Ye Qiu's words. She stopped filling out the form and focused entirely on their conversation.
"Any man who claims to understand women is either a fool or a madman," Ye Qiu replied with a grin. Not wanting to get entangled in this topic any longer, he urged her to finish the form and move on. After all, he still had plenty of spots left to fill for new members. "So, why did you come to our school?"
"You're holding a Freshman Welcome Party, right? I promised a friend I'd come over and help with the dance rehearsals," Ran Dongye said, licking her lips. Ye Qiu, unconsciously, mimicked the action. Ran Dongye's lips were dry, but Ye Qiu's reaction was purely triggered by the sight of her doing it.
"Doesn't your school need you for rehearsals?" Ye Qiu asked.
"We've got plenty of talented people and professional teachers at our school. They don't need me," Ran Dongye replied. She filled out the rest of the form, then took out her wallet from her bag, handed Yang Le fifty yuan along with the form, and said, "You'll have to give me twenty yuan back."
"Haha, of course," Yang Le said, accepting the money and then making change. Ye Qiu was pleased to see how well Yang Le handled the situation. A less tactful person might have insisted on covering her fee, but Yang Le understood that Ran Dongye didn't need anyone to pay for her. She was there because of her ambiguous relationship with Ye Qiu, and Yang Le knew better than to interfere where he wasn't invited.
"Wow, isn't that Ran Dongye?"
"Hey, it really is Dongye!"
"Dongye!"
It wasn't clear who first recognized Ran Dongye, but soon the word spread, and more and more people learned that Ran Dongye was on campus. As she picked up her baseball cap and sunglasses from the table, it was too late to put them on—the small Archaeology Enthusiasts Association booth was quickly surrounded by a crowd.
Even though students are generally well-behaved, there's no guarantee that there aren't a few creeps who might try to take advantage of the situation. Ye Qiu immediately jumped onto the table to shield Ran Dongye with his body, while Yang Le and Li Dazhuang rushed over to act as temporary bodyguards.
"Dongye, are you here today to shoot a commercial?"
"No, I'm here... to join a club," Ran Dongye said, looking at Ye Qiu standing protectively in front of her. The scene reminded her of a moment that had often played out in her mind—when he had similarly shielded her and her sister. Her heart warmed, and she felt a comforting sense of security.
"Dongye, what club are you joining? Why are you joining a club at Shimu University?"
"The Archaeology Enthusiasts Association. We don't have that kind of club at my school," Ran Dongye replied with a smile, snapping back to reality.
"Why join such a strange club?"
"Because I like it. I collect ancient artifacts, and I find them fascinating."
Like it? If Ran Dongye likes something, how could we not like it too?
Soon, a clamor rose as more people demanded to join the Archaeology Enthusiasts Association. Some claimed they had been studying an old bowl their family used to feed the dog, supposedly once owned by a minister from the Daoguang era. Others said their family was in the recycling business, and because they didn't recognize the value of certain items, they had often sold treasures as scrap metal—now they wanted to join the club to learn more and revive the family business. Still others claimed they had been born wearing a jade pendant around their necks...
So Ye Qiu instructed everyone to line up and register. But after shouting for a while with no one paying attention, he had to turn to Ran Dongye for help. Ran Dongye softly urged the crowd to form an orderly line, and miraculously, her fans quickly obeyed, forming a long queue.
Ye Qiu and the others hadn't anticipated such a turnout. They had only prepared fifty registration forms, and they were all filled out in no time. When Yang Le stood up to explain that they had run out of forms, the crowd grew agitated again.
"No way, we have to register!"
"Yeah, you can't kill our enthusiasm. I'll report you to the school!"
"Why can Dongye register but not us? We strongly oppose gender discrimination!"
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8