Art Club? Print Shop!

The art club and the cosplay club (commonly known as the “C-Club”) were only separated by one other club—this tiny little cooking society wedged right between them like the Free City of Danzig between Germany and East Prussia.

As Lin Yuxuan passed by the cooking club’s door, she noticed something unusual—the sound of sizzling oil and the faint aroma of freshly cooked food drifting through the crack.

“Hmm… what are they making in there? It smells amazing…”

Her stomach growled loudly.

She hadn’t eaten a thing yet, and now she was even hungrier.

Though she had always wanted to meet Mu Yue in real life,
she couldn’t help but wonder—would the real Mu Yue be very different from the one in the simulation?

What if the real version of her was nothing like the sweet, caring girl from the simulator?

Would she feel disappointed?

And worse—what if the feelings she carried over from the simulation were completely one-sided in reality?

What if the real Mu Yue just saw her as a stranger?

Lin Yuxuan knew she had no right to expect anything from someone she had never met in real life.
But still… her heart couldn’t help but hope.

All of this was the simulator’s fault!
It kept sending her those intense emotions—making her feel like she really knew Mu Yue.

She hesitated for a moment before finally knocking on the art club’s door.

“Hello, I’m here to…”

“Single-sided print: ¥1. Double-sided: ¥1.5. Printer’s over there. Scan the WeChat code.”

Before she could finish speaking, a chubby girl with glasses waved her off, pointing toward a dusty old printer in the corner.

“Eh…?”

Yuxuan blinked in confusion.
Isn’t this the art club? Since when did it become a printing shop?

Wow… I was already suspicious when I saw the name, but now I get it—this club’s name is basically a scam!

In China, “Art Society” was the common term for copy shops that handled printing and photo development.

(I thought I was joining a school club, not some campus copy center?!)

She clearly came to the wrong place.

“I’m not here to print anything. I’m here to see the club president.”

“Oh, you’re looking for the president? She just stepped out. Wait over there for a bit—she’ll be back soon.”

The chubby girl softened her tone slightly when she realized Yuxuan wasn’t just another printing customer.

“Okay, sure.”

Technically, she could’ve just left the form and gone.

But no—she wanted to meet Mu Yue.
Even if the real-life version was different from the simulation,
she needed to see for herself.

Even if she ended up disappointed, at least she’d have her answer.

Yuxuan grabbed a small stool and sat down.

She noticed the chubby girl was giving instructions to a tall, freckled girl beside her who sat quietly sketching.

She seemed to be drawing something.

Yuxuan had nothing better to do while waiting, so she struck up a conversation.

“You two are drawing comics?”

“Yeah. I’m teaching her the basics. Our club does more than printing—we also help comic artists meet deadlines, design WeChat avatars, and take on similar commissions. If you ever need help with that, feel free to ask.”

The chubby girl turned out to be surprisingly approachable—just needed the right topic to get her talking.

“Got it~”

Yuxuan nodded politely and checked the time.

Only thirty minutes left until class started.
If Mu Yue didn’t come back in ten minutes, she’d have to leave and find food on her own.

Truthfully, the whole “free lunch” idea was just a fantasy anyway.
She wasn’t that shameless in real life.
Even if she was starving, she’d never dare to ask a stranger for food.
She’d rather jump off a building than do that!

Time passed.

She watched a few videos on her phone. Ten minutes flew by.

“Alright, I’ll just go back then.”

Yuxuan stood up and reached for the door—only to hear it click open from the other side.

She didn’t see the person who entered at first—only the small hand that opened the door.

Looking down, she finally saw the petite, red-haired girl standing before her.

Because of her short stature, she barely reached Yuxuan’s chest level.

The two girls froze the moment they laid eyes on each other.

So this is the white-haired beauty with the big chest?!

Is this the cute little Mu Yue? Huh? Why does she smell like food?

“You… you are?”

“I’m here to see Senior Mu Yue about a club application.”

“Oh~ Okay, please sit.”

A gentle smile spread across Mu Yue’s round, youthful face.

The moment Yuxuan saw it, all her nervousness melted away like snow under the sun.

She sat down while Mu Yue quickly retrieved the club stamp and stamped her application.

“There’s also a financial report from Dong Qian…”

“Got it. Thanks for delivering it.”

“No problem~”

Yuxuan got up to leave—but was stopped by Mu Yue.

“New member, right? Did you come all this way without eating lunch?”

She tilted her head with a pleading look.

“I made too much food today… Would you mind helping me finish it?”

“Hmm?”

Mu Yue seemed to be asking for help—but in a way that made it feel like she was the one doing Yuxuan a favor.

“Ah, that’s too kind of you…”

Yuxuan replied shyly.

“Don’t worry! Come on, Xuanxuan~ It’s no fun eating alone. Since you’ll be joining the club soon, we’re already friends!”

Mu Yue grabbed Yuxuan’s hand and pulled her along.

Lin Yuxuan hadn’t expected this at all.

She had mentally prepared herself for a hungry afternoon of empty stomach lectures, or maybe a quick trip to the convenience store after class.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think Mu Yue would personally invite her to lunch.
Even though they were strangers in real life.

So this was the power of Mu Yue’s charm?

She really was amazing…

Half-reluctant, half-excited, Yuxuan let herself be led into the cooking club next door.

But she missed one small detail.

Mu Yue called her Xuanxuan—without using her full name.

Strangers didn’t usually use such affectionate nicknames.

But right now, all she could think about was food~
No way she’d notice something so subtle!