The Eve of Reward Day

Xi Ruo had even sent a special message to remind her.

[Xi Ruo: I saw your interview video. Do you need my help to rally support and boost your popularity? Oh, by the way, remember to be on time tomorrow. Don’t be late.]

Given her words, it was hard to discern whether her offer of help was the true purpose of the message, or merely a convenient preamble to her actual reminder.

Xi Yao murmured softly, but her fingers dutifully typed out a reply: [No need, I’m doing perfectly fine as I am. I won’t be late tomorrow.]

She already commanded a hundred responses with a single call, her popularity at its peak, so there was no such need.

As for what to do next, she would have to wait for Aileen’s instructions.

Regarding tomorrow’s reward day, Xi Ruo’s reminder was entirely unnecessary.

Though it might sound unbelievable, Xi Yao was even more eager for it than Xi Ruo.

****

Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, she happened upon the blonde beauty downstairs from the dorms.

Xi Yao didn’t immediately see her face, but the sight of that ample bosom, rivaling her own, instantly told her who it was.

“Aileen, what a coincidence,” she greeted, giving a small wave. “I was just thinking about you.”

Aileen’s elegant footsteps paused. ‘Why would you be thinking of me,’ she mused, ‘when you should be thinking of your little girlfriend, Jiang Li?’

“Good evening, Xi Yao,” she said, turning around and offering a brief assessment. “Your actions today were quite bold and unexpected, but the effect was excellent.”

The effect was indeed remarkable; the overwhelming surge of support on the forums, like a mountain’s roar and a sea’s tide, suggested that Xi Yao had secured the backing of over seventy percent of the general student body, by conservative estimates.

Aileen had initially anticipated such results wouldn’t materialize until the following week.

“Exactly, I thought so too.”

Xi Yao, entirely devoid of humility, first nodded proudly, then inquired, “What should I do next?”

“Don’t rush,” Aileen replied, resting a hand on her cheek as she pondered for a moment. “I’ll need a few days to refine the details; I hadn’t expected things to progress so quickly. For now, continue as before: strive to raise your approval rating to eighty percent or even higher. The more people who support you, the greater our plan’s chance of success.”

“No problem at all, that’s simple,” Xi Yao declared, brimming with confidence.

Seeing her demeanor, Aileen, concerned about potential complacency, cautioned, “Don’t get too relaxed. This is the most crucial period. For now, you and Jiang Li shouldn’t engage in… activities that would exhaust you and waste your energy.”

While a balance of work and rest was good, it shouldn’t impede their progress.

Relaxation was fine—watching anime or playing games would suffice—but she shouldn’t constantly be thinking about ‘wriggling’ with Jiang Li in bed.

Such activities were tiring, and for a while afterward, her mind would be filled with ‘spicy’ thoughts, making it impossible to focus on serious matters, leading to an excessive drain on her energy.

Xi Yao’s mouth twitched. “We really haven’t… never mind. In any case, I understand.”

‘Good that you understand.’

“Then get some rest early. Good night.”

Having bid her farewell, Aileen turned and departed.

She felt quite reassured by Xi Yao’s attitude; even when planning to play games with her sister over the weekend, Xi Yao would think of chatting and gathering insights, demonstrating her dedication.

Of course, she wouldn’t tell Xi Yao that she would be listening in from her room tomorrow, to facilitate identifying any shortcomings and making improvements later.

****

Bidding farewell to Aileen, Xi Yao headed toward her own Room 520.

As she ascended the stairs, she encountered many female classmates who recognized her, greeting her in various ways along the path.

“Xi Yao! All the dorms on our floor support you!”

“Xi Yao! You absolutely must win!”

“Xi Yao! I love you!”

The girls were overwhelmingly enthusiastic, making Xi Yao feel quite embarrassed, prompting her to practically flee back to her dorm room.

To her surprise, the moment she opened the door, she saw Jiang Li standing there, holding a washbasin.

“Xi Yao,” she said softly, “you’re back.”

With light, shoulder-length hair, the slender, tall beauty stood gracefully at the doorway, her gaze calm, her expression faint, and a lovely ‘three-no’ face (TL Note: A common anime trope, referring to a character who is emotionless, silent, and expressionless, often associated with a ‘kuudere’ archetype.).

Xi Yao blinked in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Bathing, and scrubbing your back,” Jiang Li answered earnestly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve scrubbed it.”

‘One mustn’t forget their primary duty.’

“No, no, no, there’s no need,” Xi Yao said, wiping away a bead of perspiration. “Not today, perhaps next time.”

‘My reward day is tomorrow; I just need to endure one last night.

If you come to scrub my back now, wouldn’t that just increase the difficulty?’

This time, it was Jiang Li’s turn to look bewildered, tilting her head. “Why not today?”

“Because, because I just caused such a huge stir today, if I go to the bathhouse, everyone will surely surround me and chatter,” Xi Yao said, thinking quickly. “Jiang Li, you wouldn’t want everyone staring at you while you bathe, would you?”

Upon reflection, that was indeed true.

A hint of disappointment flickered in Jiang Li’s heart as she slowly set down the basin. “Then, I’ll help you bathe tomorrow.”

“Alright~” Xi Yao readily agreed.

‘Tomorrow morning, I’ll reward myself, then come back in the afternoon for a nap, and finally get up in the evening for a nice fragrant bath.

Simply perfect.’

Having finally persuaded Jiang Li, Xi Yao had just let out a sigh of relief and was climbing into bed in her pajamas when she heard the girl speak again:

“Xi Yao, let’s do some exercises.

Sister gave us a new schedule today.”

“Exercises?”

“Yes,” Jiang Li confirmed, pulling out the schedule. “Morning runs remain unchanged, but we’ll add an indoor exercise during lunch break and in the evening, such as sit-ups.”

‘Sit-ups? Those really strain the waist.’

Xi Yao’s pretty face twisted into a grimace. “Jiang Li, I was just about to tell you, I’m too tired today.

I really want to rest well.

Let’s do it tomorrow evening.”

Jiang Li opened her mouth slightly, initially intending to say things like, ‘Exercise requires perseverance,’ ‘Only by pushing your body’s limits can you improve,’ or ‘Consistency is paramount.’

Yet, upon seeing the pitiful, pleading expression on Xi Yao’s adorable face, her heart gave a tiny flutter.

“Alright, alright,” she conceded. “Just remember to do it tomorrow evening.”

The words of refusal simply wouldn’t come out.

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it! I’ll do anything tomorrow.”

Xi Yao happily climbed into bed, pulling the small blanket over herself. “I’ll rest now for today.

Good night, Jiang Li.”

‘Time for sweet dreams and to recharge my energy.’

“Good… good night.”

Xi Yao’s actions were too swift; Jiang Li had no time to react and could only echo the good night.

‘Had Friday’s nightlife truly ended just like this?

The romance books she had borrowed were back, but she hadn’t even had a chance to cover them with German textbook jackets yet.’

The girl gazed at the small book on her bed, remained silent for a moment, then slowly climbed into her own bed.

‘This was good, too.

Early to bed meant early to rise, allowing her to get up early for morning reading tomorrow.’

She got into bed, turned off the light, and lay down.

‘Good night,’ the girl mouthed silently into the darkness.

Hoo—, hoo—

****

A week of diligent study had concluded, and the Saturday morning sunlight streaming through the window sill announced the arrival of the weekend.

During this rare leisure time, many students chose to reward themselves.

For example, they might treat themselves to a barbecue, a round of Zibeng, ten consecutive gacha draws (TL Note: “Zibeng” (滋蹦) likely refers to a type of casual game, and “ten consecutive gacha draws” (一发十连) is a term from mobile games for making ten randomized draws at once.), or… reward themselves with a ‘reward.’

Xi Yao belonged to the last category.

Her spirits were exceptionally high; she threw off her covers and rose bright and early, startling Jiang Li, who was in the midst of covering her romance novels with German textbook jackets.

“Xi Yao, you’re… up so early today.”

“Mhm, I have to go out for something.”

Without any dawdling, Xi Yao got up and began rummaging through her wardrobe, deciding what to wear for the day.