NOVEL WEB
Chapter 317
Brazenness turns out to be a skill...
Xiao Qi was utterly shocked. What use could this skill possibly have?
Well, maybe it had some use after all. Watching the stewardess kneeling down to pick up the beef tendon she had just sprayed on the floor, Xiao Qi remained composed. Unlike before, she didn't appear flustered or awkward. She used to feel troubled about inconveniencing others and felt very embarrassed, but the airplane seats were still cramped. Bending down to pick up the beef tendon was quite strenuous, and she was likely to bump into the stewardess. It wasn't until she got off the plane that Xiao Qi snapped out of it, reverting to her usual self. She figured she had just gained a buff.
The club president's car was parked at the airport, and they drove back to the school. Xiao Qi got off at the old area.
Today was Monday, and she was going to Beijing to participate in a competition, so she took a day off.
Though it had only been two or three days, it felt like a long time. Returning to the school, seeing the familiar school gate, the familiar snacks on the student street, and the familiar sight of students passing by in groups of threes and twos, her heart suddenly settled, feeling reassured.
Back in the dormitory, her roommates were all there. As soon as she entered, her desk mate, Mi'er, gave her a slightly distant hug, because her chest was pressing against Xiao Qi's... Wei Cheng smiled and said, "Xiao Qi, it's good to have you back."
There was a pile of fruit prepared on Yun's desk, and a freshly cut watermelon, perfectly thirst-quenching.
There was also a bouquet of sunflowers by the window, radiating warmth.
Autumn had brought a slight chill to the capital city, but it was still scorching hot back at school.
Mi'er was dressed super casually, in shorts and a tank top... When Xiao Qi was eating watermelon, she glanced at Mi'er. There was nothing inside her tank top, she was practically wearing nothing, and she had just hugged her so intimately... Ahem.
Xiao Qi thought it was incredible that she didn't blush just now, she only struggled a bit and gently pushed Mi'er away, with very little force because she was strong. Even in this situation, she didn't blush. Had she truly mastered the skill of shamelessness? Had her skin thickened?
Returning to the dormitory, she felt incredibly relaxed. She quickly took a shower, changed into her old T-shirt pajamas, and lay down on her bed, feeling completely at ease.
Although she had been walking a lot these past few days, she hadn't gone for a proper run, nor had she attended evening self-study sessions. She had also spent less time practicing calligraphy. Even though she managed to study in bits of spare time, it wasn't the same. She felt particularly unsettled.
Lying on her small bunk bed, even though it wasn't as comfortable as a hotel bed, looking at the timetable on the wall and the small stack of books by her bedside, she felt clear-headed and content.
Xiao Qi planned to take a nap. She had a business-class seat, but she was still quite tired. Traveling must have worn her out, even though she hadn't done much, just returned from Beijing to school, yet she was still exhausted.
Her body felt weary, probably because her muscles were too tense during yesterday's horse race. She didn't feel it during the race, but now that she had relaxed, she was quite tired. She didn't have the conditions to run outside either. A little run to warm up should do the trick.
Xiao Qi was ready to sleep, with her phone charging underneath, otherwise, holding her phone, she could easily spend another hour swiping, and by then, she would already need to wake up.
Her roommates watched her sleep, their voices gentle and accommodating.
At this moment, Enhua's usually inactive official Douyin account stirred once again, posting a new update.
A video of fancy horse racing.
The accompanying text was quite official.
Congratulations to our freshman at Enhua University for winning the Capital City XX Brand Cup Fancy Horse Racing Championship.
The video editing was quite impressive. After all, it's an official Douyin account. It wasn't just a single video from start to finish. It began with Xiao Qi reading a Spanish book in the stable, then conversing with her coach, all in English. As she entered the arena, the initial rush of the horses was captured beautifully. The camera angle, rising from the grass, captured a herd of horses galloping towards us, their riders' posture looking particularly striking, legs gripping the horses, buttocks hovering, as if about to take flight.
Then came the scene of the first rider's horse stumbling at the river crossing, thrilling and suspenseful. As the group of horses thundered past, one horse slipped and fell, the rider on its back naturally falling off, but the horse quickly got up and continued running.
The camera then focused on the leader, a female rider who seemed to maintain her position throughout. The dust flying as they raced through the sandy terrain added to the intensity of the competition. Crossing one obstacle after another, the fast-forwarded footage here gave it a magical feel, akin to a scene from a blockbuster movie.
The climax of the movie came when they descended downhill, and another horse fell, this time more dramatically, with the horses behind crowding and trampling. The fate of the rider was unknown, yet the race continued.
The final sprint was done in slow motion, allowing us to see other riders vigorously urging their horses on, but the leading female rider remained in the lead. Despite some other horses almost catching up and overtaking midway, by the end, the first rider was still the first. No surprises there, maintaining a considerable lead over the second-place rider as they crossed the finish line.
Perhaps it was because of the previous marathon race where Xiao Qi and another rider tied for first place that she felt somewhat dissatisfied. In reality, with just a little more effort at the critical moment, she could have pulled ahead. Clearly, at that time, her performance hadn't reached its peak.
The video ended with a few seconds of photos, Xiao Qi dismounting, snapshots from the afternoon brand event, in her red and white equestrian attire, capturing a few fleeting moments.
The entire video wasn't very long. Although the content seemed extensive when described, it actually felt quite short, just a brief video.
But Enhua University's official Douyin account had garnered attention once again. This video surpassed the previous ones in likes and comments, which were pouring in.
"What kind of noble school is this, teaching horse riding? I'm in awe..."
"I'm not envious of her riding skills. I just want to ask, if I apply to this school for the college entrance exam next year, will they give me a horse too?"
"Horse riding isn't important. Since I don't have a horse, I just want to know how the girl is so fluent in English, how did she learn it? Communicating entirely in English..."
"Am I the only one who noticed the Miss is reading a Spanish book?"
"Hey, genius upstairs, I saw the book, but couldn't make heads or tails of it."
"At first, I thought the Miss was just showing off, reading a book before a competition. But when I finally saw what book she had, I was speechless... didn't understand a thing."
"I wonder, do you have to learn English before learning horseback riding? My English is okay, but can I still ride?"
"You're naive, upstairs. Learning horseback riding doesn't require learning English first. But you do need to have a horse. I just checked, the horse the Miss is sitting on is worth five million. Yes, five million, not five hundred..."
"I really don't understand the world of the wealthy. Why do they need to learn horseback riding if they're going to school?"
"First in singing competitions, record-breaking marathon runner, first in English speech competitions, member of the Calligraphy Association. I thought she was already a jack of all trades, and now the Miss is also a horseback riding champion... Is there anything she can't do?"
"She's coming, she's coming, she's riding over on a horse..."
"Am I the only one interested in the Miss's prize money? Add up all those competition winnings... hoho, does the Miss need a boyfriend? I can do everything."
"Does the Miss need a boyfriend? I can't do anything, just have a sweet mouth."
"Hey upstairs, no need to drive..."
"..."
"My mom asked me why I've been watching TikTok on my knees lately??"
"My wife looks so good riding a horse!"
"Upstairs is dreaming again."
"The Miss has turned me gay. If it's the Miss, I can do it."
"Uh, am I the only one who noticed the Miss's clothes? They're really nice, don't know where she got them, what brand, can someone share the link??"
"The Miss's English is so fluent, the accent is super pleasant to listen to, authentic. I heard there are lots of foreign English teachers at Enhua, if English is taught that well, I'm willing to pay a bit more for tuition..."
"I timidly ask, I want to go to Enhua, is the tuition expensive? Do they really have horseback riding classes? Do you need to buy your own horse? Or does the school provide them?"
Xiao Qi, who falls asleep as soon as she gets into bed, has already fallen into a deep sleep, turning over unconsciously, cuddling the blanket, sleeping soundly, one side of her face pressed flat by the pillow, blushing.