Chapter 8: Club Activities

After a full day of major-related classes, Sheng Han strolled alone along the gravel path on campus. The warm sunlight, the gentle breeze, the lush trees, the clear lake… everything about university seemed to scream romance. Even the wind felt sweet—like cotton candy, ice cream, or a slice of chocolate cake.

Recently, Ling Fei had just gotten a boyfriend. The two of them were inseparable, and right after class, they had gone off to watch a movie together. Her boyfriend’s name was Ye Lin, a cheerful and sunny boy from their class. When Ling Fei first announced their relationship in front of the girls in the dorm, and everyone found out it was Ye Lin, they all laughed and teased her, “So you like the puppy-dog type, huh?” Ling Fei didn’t mind one bit. In fact, she was more than happy to admit she liked boys who were both sunny and adorable. Being with Ye Lin made her feel like she had a sweet and well-behaved younger brother by her side.

Just a few days ago, Tian Yu had bought a new lipstick. Hui Qian liked it so much that after class she dragged Tian Yu out to go shopping for the same one. Originally, they invited Sheng Han to come along, but she had matters to attend to at the student union, so she couldn’t join them for the outing.

During the previous weeks, because of the freshman welcome gala, Sheng Han—who had just joined the student union’s publicity department—had been swamped with tasks. Sometimes, she’d be so tired that she’d fall asleep with chopsticks in hand, her meal unfinished.

Now that the welcome gala had just wrapped up, the department head decided it was time to train the new recruits. They paired each newcomer with a senior member and sent them out to secure sponsorships for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

Sheng Han was partnered with a senior named Tian You—a calm and composed boy from Fengdu, a year above her and coincidentally from the same department. Both of them happened to be free after class today, so they arranged to go visit a mooncake vendor together to request sponsorship and handle purchasing.

As soon as Sheng Han arrived at the school gate, she saw Tian You already waiting there. Back when she first joined, the department had organized an orientation to help new members get to know one another, and after working together on the welcome gala, most members had grown quite familiar.

Sheng Han jogged over with a sheepish smile. “Have you been waiting long? Sorry, my class just ended.”

“No worries, I just got here too. Let’s go. We’ll take the bus downtown to talk to a sponsor at the supermarket. Let’s work hard together!”

Tian You was, by far, the most composed male student Sheng Han had ever met. His voice was a soothing, magnetic baritone, always carrying a touch of gentleness. As a freshman, Sheng Han felt a strong sense of security around him—as if, no matter what challenges came their way, everything would be okay as long as Tian You was there.

After nearly an hour of a bumpy bus ride, they finally reached their destination. Tian You held a small notebook in hand as he led Sheng Han into the supermarket.

“Hello, we’re students from the School of Economics. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, and we’re organizing a campus event. We’re looking to purchase some mooncakes. May we speak with your manager?” Tian You’s every move exuded calm and refinement, topped with his signature gentle smile.

The floor assistant gave them a quick once-over before responding, “Please wait a moment.” She then turned and walked away.

A few minutes later, she returned and told them the manager was upstairs in the stockroom doing inventory, and they could go up to speak with him directly. After thanking her, the two of them made their way toward the stockroom.

“This goes to Warehouse No.1… That’s frozen, move it to the cold storage area… Who left the forklift here? Get it out of the fire lane!” The manager, a middle-aged man in a sharp business suit, was giving instructions while overseeing operations. Everything seemed to be running in an orderly manner.

Tian You walked straight toward him, with Sheng Han taking a deep breath and following closely behind.

“Excuse me, are you the manager here? We’re students from the School of Economics. The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and we’d like to place a bulk order of mooncakes. May we take just a few minutes of your time?”

The man turned around, gave them both a quick once-over, and replied coolly, “I’m busy right now. If you’re willing to wait, we can talk later.” With that, he returned to his work, completely ignoring them.

Tian You maintained his warm smile. “No problem at all, sir. Please go ahead—we’ll wait for you.”

Not far away, several workers were unloading goods. Tian You set his notebook aside, rolled up his sleeves, and joined in to help. Sheng Han was momentarily stunned, then quickly stepped forward to lend a hand as well.

“Hey, you two don’t need to help,” one of the workers said. “Just wait outside.”

“It’s no trouble,” Tian You replied with a grin. “We’re free anyway. Many hands make light work—consider this a workout!”

The middle-aged man glanced over and gave an approving nod, saying nothing more.

After quite some time, all the goods were finally unloaded. The man handed two bottles of water to Tian You and Sheng Han. “You’re a good kid, aren’t you? I bet you’re pretty dependable at home, too. Thanks for your help.”

Tian You chuckled. “It wasn’t much, really. Just doing what we can. You know the saying—‘a rose given leaves a lingering fragrance in the hand.’”

The manager burst into laughter. “You’ve got the kind of personality I like! Now, you said earlier—what school are you from? What kind of sponsorship are you looking for?”

“We’re students from the School of Economics,” Tian You replied calmly. “The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, and we’re hoping to purchase a bulk order of mooncakes for our event.”

The man thought for a moment, then said, “Well, it just so happens our store’s running a promotion right now. Bulk mooncakes are 25 yuan per jin. Since you two helped us unload all that stuff today, and worked hard, I can’t let your effort go unrewarded. Tell you what—I’ll give you the internal employee discount: 23 yuan per jin. But you’ll have to buy a good amount—otherwise I’ll be losing money.”

Tian You smiled, unfazed. “We’ve got a large number of students participating, sir. You don’t need to worry about quantity—you’ll definitely turn a solid profit. As for the price… would you consider lowering it a bit more? As students, money’s a bit tight for us. Many of us are studying far from home and can’t reunite with our families during the holiday. These mooncakes represent more than food for us—they’re a piece of home, a token of longing. I understand your position, too—you’re under pressure. But if you could go a little lower—say, 15 yuan per jin—we’d do our best to help promote your store on campus. Right now, students from every department are placing bulk orders for mooncakes. We’d be happy to help with publicity and get your brand out there.”

The manager was taken aback. He studied the boy in front of him more carefully, resting a hand on his chin, furrowing his brow in thought. Tian You turned and gave Sheng Han a quick glance, and she immediately understood—this deal was as good as sealed.

Sure enough, the manager burst into laughter. “You’re not bad at all, kid. I like your style! Ever think about getting a part-time job? You’d make a great sales rep—I’d hire you on the spot, good pay and all.”

Tian You laughed modestly. “Thank you, sir, but I’ve been busy with club activities and coursework lately. I’m afraid I wouldn’t have time right now, but I’ll definitely consider it in the future. I really appreciate your support for this event. Here’s my card—if you ever need help with future promotions, we’ll make sure you’re our first choice. We’re from the publicity department—you can count on us to help get your name out there.”

He handed over a business card the department had printed in advance for each member.

The man nodded. “15 yuan is really pushing it—I’d be selling at a loss. You have to understand, I’m just a small supermarket manager. I’ve got my own pressures too. How about this—let’s meet in the middle. 17 yuan per jin. If that works for you, we’ll finalize the deal right now.”

Tian You lowered his head, thought for a moment, then decisively replied, “Deal! Thank you very much—pleasure doing business with you. On behalf of the publicity department, I wish you booming sales and a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival!”

As they left the supermarket, both Tian You and Sheng Han were carrying two large bags filled with mooncakes. Sheng Han was bursting with admiration for her senior.

It had been another fulfilling day. The weariness of the day faded away, replaced by a warm satisfaction. Sheng Han had learned a lot from working alongside her senior.

Now, it was time to hurry back and share her joy with Xiu Jie—time for a long phone call full of laughter and sweet stories.