My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 12 - Club Activities

After the incident last time, Lin Ruoxi hadn’t sought out Tang Huaijin again, which was a relief for him. After he left that day, Lin Ruoxi and Bai Yuerou seemed to have hit it off and became good friends, often going to lunch together after class.

These days, Tang Huaijin occasionally ran into Lin Ruoxi on the bus. When he shielded her from the crowd, she would smile at him, her gaze unwavering, making him feel a bit uncomfortable.

Tang Huaijin was doing quite well, but Xia Xinya was rather annoyed. With the monthly exam approaching, her best friend seemed to have found new company, leaving her feeling somewhat neglected. And the culprit behind all this misfortune was none other than Tang Huaijin. Damn Tang Huaijin!

…

On Thursday, just after arriving at school, Bai Yuerou approached Tang Huaijin, handing him an application form and a list of clubs. “This is a club application form and a list of clubs. See if there’s any club you’re interested in.”

Rose Elite High School was different from other schools, encouraging and supporting students to join clubs, requiring participation in at least one club activity per week.

Tang Huaijin glanced over the form and asked, “Which club are you in?”

Bai Yuerou paused, then smiled, “I’m in the reading club.”

“What does the reading club do?”

“Well… it’s basically just getting together to read,” Bai Yuerou replied after some thought.

“Then I’ll apply for the reading club too.”

“I knew you’d choose the reading club,” Bai Yuerou said with a hint of delight in her voice as she glanced at Tang Huaijin.

Tang Huaijin was curious, “Why?”

“I told you, it was just a guess,” Bai Yuerou said playfully, her eyes sparkling. “As the president, I now officially approve your club application.”

Tang Huaijin was a bit surprised to learn that Bai Yuerou was the president of the reading club, but knowing her love for reading, it wasn’t too unexpected.

He feigned a look of being honored, “Then I must thank the president. I wonder if I could get a position, just to experience what it’s like to hold office?”

Bai Yuerou, playing along, said, “Then as president, I appoint you as the head butler of the reading club. Is that position big enough?”

“Big enough, but what does a head butler do?”

Bai Yuerou burst into laughter, “Just serving tea and opening doors.”

“What?” Tang Huaijin feigned a distressed look, “Is that all a head butler does?”

Bai Yuerou giggled, “There are only three of us in the reading club, including you. You can’t expect the president to do it, can you?”

Seeing Tang Huaijin’s puzzled expression, she explained, “You think anyone can just join my club? You have to pass a test. You barely made it.” She couldn’t help but laugh again.

Tang Huaijin, with a defeated expression, said, “I guess the other member is Xia Xinya, and she’s the vice president.”

“You guessed right, very clever. Do you still want to join?” Bai Yuerou asked, nodding approvingly at Tang Huaijin.

“Of course, why not?” Tang Huaijin took out a pen, signed his name on the application form, and handed it to Bai Yuerou. “You can fill out the rest for me.”

Bai Yuerou rolled her eyes at him but still took the form, teasing, “You’re so lazy.”

Tang Huaijin chuckled, “Thank you, President.”

Seeing Tang Huaijin’s mischievous smile, Bai Yuerou felt her heart skip a beat and couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. She returned to her seat, whispering something to Xia Xinya.

Then Tang Huaijin heard Xia Xinya’s incredulous voice, “What? You let him join our club?”

The two seemed to be arguing quietly until Xia Xinya relented, her eyes darting around as if plotting something.

…

Soon, it was Friday.

After school, Tang Huaijin followed Bai Yuerou and Xia Xinya to the club activities.

Bai Yuerou led them to the office, explaining as they walked, “Each club has its own teacher who keeps the keys to the activity classroom.”

At the office door, they knocked and entered. Shen Yiqiu was sitting at her desk, organizing some documents.

The three greeted her, and after Shen Yiqiu nodded, Bai Yuerou approached her desk, handing over the application form. “Teacher Shen, we’re here to get the club keys. Tang Huaijin has joined the reading club.”

Shen Yiqiu’s desk was neatly organized, with several folders stacked on the right side, and nothing else but a coffee cup.

“Reading is good,” Shen Yiqiu said, glancing at Tang Huaijin, nodding as she took the application form and placed it in her bag, retrieving the keys. “I’ll go with you.”

Bai Yuerou said nothing, but Xia Xinya seemed a bit sulky, lost in her thoughts.

They arrived at the club building, with the reading club’s activity classroom located on the top floor, next to other clubs that required a quiet environment, like the calligraphy club and the writing club.

On the way, Shen Yiqiu had handed the keys to Tang Huaijin. As they reached the clubroom door, Tang Huaijin was about to unlock it when Xia Xinya suddenly jumped out, bossily ordering, “Go, open the door for the president.”

Finally finding her chance, how childish, Tang Huaijin thought, rolling his eyes but ignoring her, unlocking the door himself.

The activity classroom wasn’t large, but it was well-furnished. A large sofa with pink cushions sat in the middle, with several mahogany bookshelves on the right side of the room. The left side resembled a small kitchen, complete with a fridge and coffee maker. A few succulents on the windowsill added a touch of vitality to the room’s elegant, girlish atmosphere.

Is this really a club activity room? It feels more like a small bedroom.

Seeing Tang Huaijin looking around, Bai Yuerou could guess what he was thinking and felt a bit embarrassed, quickly inviting, “Have a seat. There are books on the right shelf. What would you like to drink?”

“Tea, please,” Shen Yiqiu said softly, picking a book from the right shelf and settling on the sofa to read.

“I’ll have a Coke,” Xia Xinya said, her preferred drink.

She casually picked a book from the shelf, pretending to read while playing on her phone. Shen Yiqiu paid her no mind.

Tang Huaijin thought Shen Yiqiu often didn’t seem like a teacher, speaking little and never making small talk, yet she was meticulous in her work, like an old-fashioned person.

“I’ll have tea too, thanks,” Tang Huaijin said, selecting an unread book from the shelf and sitting at the other end of the sofa.

“Do you drink green tea, Tang Huaijin?” Bai Yuerou asked.

“Anything’s fine, thank you.”

After boiling the water, Bai Yuerou brewed the tea on the table in front of the sofa, placing a few pinches of tea leaves into three glass cups.

Once the water cooled, she rinsed the tea leaves with a bit of water, then filled the cups along the rim with her delicate fingers.

Bai Yuerou’s tea-making movements were practiced and natural, exuding a unique charm.

The tea in the glass cups was a vibrant green, with the leaves sinking as they absorbed water.

After brewing, Tang Huaijin took a sip, finding it smooth and fragrant, mellow yet refreshing.

“Great tea.”

Shen Yiqiu also sipped her tea, a slight smile on her lips, looking quite satisfied. It was the first time Tang Huaijin had seen such an expression on her usually emotionless face.

Noticing Tang Huaijin’s surprised gaze, Shen Yiqiu quickly returned to her impassive demeanor.

Xia Xinya glanced at Tang Huaijin with slight disdain, mocking, “Great tea? Then tell me, what’s so great about it?”

Bai Yuerou gave Xia Xinya a reproachful look but also turned to Tang Huaijin, her eyes filled with a subtle anticipation.

Tang Huaijin glanced at Xia Xinya, this girl was determined to oppose him. Clearing his throat, he explained, “Great tea, first and foremost, is about the quality of the leaves. They’re fresh and sweet, with this taste suggesting they’re pre-Qingming Longjing¹, and early spring at that.”

“Yes, it’s indeed early spring pre-Qingming Longjing from home,” Bai Yuerou confirmed, her eyes sparkling with delight.

Xia Xinya pouted, still unconvinced, “Anyone with eyes can see it’s green tea. Longjing is famous, guessing it isn’t a big deal.”

Ignoring her, Tang Huaijin tapped the glass cup, continuing, “First, Longjing is best brewed in a transparent glass cup to observe the color change of the tea, making it more pleasing to the eye.”

“Second, Longjing is pan-fried, unfermented tea, so boiling water would ruin its flavor.”

“Moreover, Yuerou poured the water along the cup’s rim. Pouring from above would cloud the tea, a key point in brewing Longjing.”

“So when I say great tea, I mean not just the leaves but also Yuerou’s brewing technique, which produced an excellent cup of Longjing. Her movements were elegant and natural.”

He didn’t forget to glance at the speechless Xia Xinya, pointedly adding, “Fresh and elegant, both the tea and the person, much better than some people.”

Shen Yiqiu sipped her tea, commenting, “A tea connoisseur.”

Bai Yuerou blushed at the praise, her fingers instinctively fiddling with her skirt, murmuring, “It’s not as good as you say.”

Seeing Tang Huaijin speak so knowledgeably, then subtly mocking her, Xia Xinya was infuriated, taking a long sip of her Coke and turning away from his annoying face.

But Little Witch Xia wasn’t one to be easily defeated. Her eyes darted around before she turned back, ordering, “This book, the president has read it. Go, get me another one.”

Her bossy demeanor made Tang Huaijin want to laugh, but he didn’t want to argue with her, so he stood up and picked a random book for her.

Satisfied with Tang Huaijin’s compliance, Xia Xinya nodded approvingly.

No matter your skills, you still have to bow to the president’s authority.

Imagining Tang Huaijin begging for mercy, Xia Xinya chuckled triumphantly.

Bai Yuerou and Tang Huaijin exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads with a smile.

Footnote:

1. Pre-Qingming Longjing (明前龙井):Longjing (Dragon Well) tea is a renowned variety of green tea from Hangzhou, China. “Pre-Qingming” refers to tea leaves harvested before the Qingming Festival (early April), a period when the tea is considered to be at its peak quality due to its tender, fresh flavor and aromatic profile.