They all want to control me!

Chapter 12 Is going to college just about releasing hormones?

After Tao Zhiyao said those words, an eerie silence fell over the stairwell.

Lin Ran and Jiang Qiaoqiao were both shocked.

It's understandable that the two were not familiar with each other at the time, and there was no cooperation between them; they even had some minor conflicts.

But this time it was noticed too.

Tao Zhiyao is far too sensitive.

Lin Ran remembers going to the movies with Tao Zhiyao and her roommates once.

A comedy film, full of laughs from start to finish, with constant laughter from the audience.

Only Tao Zhiyao's eyes reddened and tears streamed down her face.

When Lin Ran asked her why she was crying, she replied, "I don't know. But I felt that the Joker in the movie was crying, and his eyes looked so sad."

Shortly afterward, news broke that the Joker in that comedy film had lost his wife to cancer during filming. Most people were fooled by his superb acting skills, but Tao Zhiyao saw through it.

This sensitivity also led them to perceive the true identity of "Lin Ran".

Jiang Qiaoqiao reacted quickly. After pausing for two seconds, she scratched the back of her head and laughed:

"What are you talking about? Do you think there's someone else standing in front of you? Come on, touch it if you don't believe me."

We definitely can't expose ourselves; we can only try our best to disguise ourselves.

"Hmm," Tao Zhiyao touched it, pinching her hands and face. The skin felt the same as before, and a puzzled look appeared between her brows. "Something feels off..."

"Stop overthinking. It's almost time to rehearse for the welcome party this afternoon. The senior students are all waiting for us."

Jiang Qiaoqiao interrupted Tao Zhiyao's thoughts, took her hand and went upstairs. Coincidentally, a girl with her hands covering her eyes and crying walked by from the opposite direction.

Lin Ran said, "This is the keyboardist from the band Lotte. She's crying like this. It seems like they had a really big argument."

"she……"

Before Tao Zhiyao could ask, Jiang Qiaoqiao covered her mouth and shushed her.

"Let's not rub salt into her wounds."

"……Um."

Tao Zhiyao was a little worried, but she trusted Lin Ran and was very obedient, so she suppressed her doubts and stopped asking.

Entering the large classroom, I found a dozen or so people sitting inside, with band instruments placed on the podium.

The atmosphere was extremely heavy, completely unlike the harmonious atmosphere of the three (?) people.

The president of the Hanfu club, a third-year student, looked serious and gestured to Jiang Qiaoqiao to have Tao Zhiyao sit down quickly. Jiang Qiaoqiao then controlled Lin Ran's body and gave him an "OK" sign.

With all members present, the club activities officially began.

The president cut straight to the point:

"I have some bad news for everyone: the Lotte Band, who performed with us, has disbanded."

"what?"

"Weren't we on good terms with that all-girls band? They sang on the playground every day after school, I even went to listen. How did they suddenly disband?"

The classroom was filled with chattering sounds.

"Quiet down, quiet down." The president patted the podium. "The student council and I will go and find out what's going on later, but we can't put the burden of the show on them. If the band can't be reformed, we need to solve the band's problems ourselves. Now I'll take attendance. The members whose names are called, come up and get your instruments. Go home and practice online... I'll try my best to communicate with their band. If it really doesn't work, you'll just have to bite the bullet and go on."

The members who were assigned instruments were not the main force of the show, so they had time to practice.

Lin Ran got the guitar.

Tao Zhiyao was assigned a microphone, which means she was the lead singer.

The drum set, bass, and keyboard belong to three girls from the computer science department. They sit together by the window, complaining about the tasks suddenly assigned to them.

Lin Ran and Tao Zhiyao practiced on the other side.

"Oh no, oh no, I'm absolutely terrible at singing! Why did they make me the lead singer? I'm doomed, I'm doomed..."

With the microphone on the table, Tao Zhiyao clutched her head, slamming her forehead against the table, seemingly questioning the meaning of life.

The wooden table developed cracks.

Jiang Qiaoqiao looked away, reaffirming her resolve not to meet Tao Zhiyao in person.

Getting punched is no joke; it can kill you.

"Your club president is quite unconventional. That band disbanded, and she actually let you guys take their place," Jiang Qiaoqiao said.

"Don't worry, it's just a backup plan. The senior and the student council are mainly focused on persuading that band to get back together."

"So, are you still going to practice guitar? If you want to learn, just call me 'sister,' and I'll teach you. I'm not kidding. I'm a little lame, I can't move my legs, so I've studied a lot of hand-held things, including musical instruments. I've been learning guitar since I was little. Just call me and I'll..."

"Sister." The voice spoke clearly.

[Teamwork +1]

Jiang Qiaoqiao was delighted for a second or two, because this was the first time someone had called her that.

Immediately following this, a feeling of boredom and emptiness arises, much like the post-orgasmic state of euphoria, a feeling of emptiness.

She could hear the sheer perfunctoriness in Lin Ran's tone.

"We two don't get along, yet you were able to so readily lower yourself. Your shamelessness is simply unparalleled."

"If I call out 'sister' and get a guitar teacher for free, of course I'll call out to her." Lin Ran had a self-consistent logic and felt that she had gotten a good deal.

Jiang Qiaoqiao wouldn't break her promise. She picked up her guitar and thought to herself:

"I'll play and explain as I go. With your improved memory, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to understand. When I first learned guitar, it took me three days to master it."

"Ook."

A guitar melody, sometimes faint and sometimes faint, appeared in the large classroom.

No matter how noisy the girls were rehearsing their program on the stage, the sound of the guitar remained constant.

Tao Zhiyao lay on the desk, facing Jiang Qiaoqiao, watching her serious profile, blinking her big eyes, and thinking:

"Although it is indeed Lin Ran's appearance, just like yesterday, something seems off; something's off."

Three female computer science students quietly approached from the window—the guitar music seemed to have a special magic, beautiful and catchy.

Under their secret gazes, Lin Ran and Jiang Qiaoqiao's two consciousnesses were communicating.

"I played it once, did you remember it?"

"I remember, it's..."

"You actually inherited my memories. Okay, let's increase the difficulty and play a love song."

♫~

Lin Ran now realized just how powerful the [Talent - Photographic Memory] was.

Not only has their memory improved, but their comprehension and mental agility have also been enhanced.

The guitar techniques taught by Jiang Qiaoqiao can be learned after listening to them only once. Moreover, due to the synergy between the two, Lin Ran felt as if he were playing the guitar himself, and his proficiency improved.

Commonly known as: game boosting service.

One teaches and the other learns, and time slowly passes.

The large classroom had fallen silent at some point, with only the melodious sound of a guitar and the boy's magnetic humming voice.

This was the first time they had seen Lin Ran like this.

Lin Ran always made them feel distant, as if no other girl would enter his sight except for Tao Zhiyao.

When Lin Ran first joined the club, some senior female students were indeed interested in this melancholic junior. They added each other on WeChat, but after a few simple chats, they ran out of things to say.

Over time, Lin Ran became known as a very handsome junior, but also a difficult junior to approach.

Today is different.

"When the junior gets serious, he has a different vibe. I really want to tease him a bit." That's what they were thinking.

pat!

The lights were turned on; it was already 5:55.

"Qiaozi, don't stop, keep teaching, I'm eager to learn." Lin Ran was addicted to learning.

"Damn it! Are you using me to farm experience points? The ancients were right, there's no such thing as a field that's been over-plowed, only an ox that's been worn out. I'm just that old ox, huffing and puffing." Jiang Qiaoqiao was full of resentment. "It's almost six o'clock, I have to go. I still have something I promised you yesterday to do."

"Bye-Bye."

"Hey! How heartless of you! What happened to our sibling relationship?!"

Jiang Qiaoqiao muttered a complaint, then turned and grabbed Tao Zhiyao's hands, staring into her panicked eyes:

"Tomorrow is Saturday. There's a newly opened buffet restaurant on Wenbo Road with opening discounts. Let's go eat there together in the morning."

"???" Tao Zhiyao slowly widened her eyes, her moist lips slightly parted.

On Saturday, we went to a buffet, and there were only two of us... This must be... No, no, no, it's impossible. I'm just overthinking it. Lin Ran's feelings for me are purely platonic. How could it be any other messy feelings?

She kept telling herself it was impossible, and Tao Zhiyao's face turned pink. Her head was spinning, and she shook her head, her eyes looking like they were filled with mosquito coils.

After Jiang Qiaoqiao's voice disappeared, Lin Ran regained control of his body and subconsciously looked around, only to be startled.

A dozen or so girls from the Hanfu club surrounded him, their eyes shining.

The president led the way by raising his hand and excitedly said:

"Xiao Ran, play one more song! I'm going to be your fan, it's so beautiful!"

"Right, right, junior, I had no idea you could play the guitar! Why didn't you show off this talent sooner!"

"Play one more song!"

"Play one more song!"

It's common knowledge that girls are hard to deal with, and girls who start a fuss are even harder to deal with.

Lin Ran, who was touching a guitar for the first time, was forced to play several songs and was able to imitate Jiang Qiaoqiao's skill level by about 90%.

Although it wasn't perfect, the girls present couldn't tell the difference, and cheers were deafening until Lin Ran was finally allowed to leave at seven o'clock.

"Alright, alright, Xiaoran is going to a buffet with Yaoyao tomorrow. Their pure friendship makes my heart flutter. Sisters, please don't disturb them~"

"Hahaha~"

The others burst into laughter at the president's teasing.

Tao Zhiyao's face turned bright red, and she rubbed her legs together, extremely nervous, wishing she could bury her head in the ground like an ostrich.

Lin Ran maintained his composure, coughed twice in a serious manner, and grabbed Tao Zhiyao's hand to leave the large classroom. Otherwise, the girl might faint from embarrassment once she realized what was happening.

The playground was filled with the scent of hormones in the evening. Couples sat cuddling on the playground, couples strolled hand in hand on the track, and couples licked the same popsicle after leaving the convenience store... Why are there couples everywhere? Did you come to college just to release your hormones?

Once outside, the cool evening breeze helped Tao Zhiyao regain some of her senses. She glanced at the tall Lin Ran beside her, then quickly looked away, her small hands entwined behind her back.

"Lin Ran, what should we eat tonight... ramen, bibimbap, or fried chicken..." Her voice was soft and sweet.

"Let's eat ramen on the fifth floor. It's Friday, so they're giving you a free extra portion. Perfect for you."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Tao Zhiyao nodded obediently. Walking beside Lin Ran, she could always smell a refreshing minty scent, and her heart would beat faster involuntarily.

Ugh, my face is so hot, it feels like it's burning up. What's wrong with me...?

Eating, yes, eating will stop you from thinking about all these random things.

"Lin Ran, let's hurry!"

"No rush, there are fewer people on Fridays, they've all gone to the university town to have fun."

"Then, hurry up!"

Tao Zhiyao quickened her pace and walked ahead of him.

Lin Ran smiled helplessly when he caught a glimpse of the girl's slightly flushed profile peeking through her black hair.

So cute~

The two walked together into the brightly lit cafeteria.

…………

Suburbs, villa.

Jiang Qiaoqiao lay on the bed, turning her head to look at the deepening night outside the window. The white clouds were tinged with ink, stretching across the horizon, making people feel heavy-hearted.

The bedroom was completely dark, with no lights on.

Unlike the city's dazzling lights at night, the villa is surrounded by dense forests, utterly silent, making you feel like you're living in another desolate, otherworldly realm.

Jiang Qiaoqiao moved here five years ago. At first, she was very scared, always feeling that the shadows of trees swaying on the curtains at night were demons and monsters hiding in the forest.

Back then, she even needed Aunt Zhao to sleep with her.

Now she's not afraid anymore, because the girl has grown up and knows that ghosts don't exist in the world and that people disappear completely after they die. But after that, when she looks at the stars, she feels a sense of loss.

"Oh……"

Thinking of some past events, Jiang Qiaoqiao smiled self-deprecatingly.

She sat up and reached out to massage the soles of her feet, gradually moving upwards... Sure enough, she felt more sensation in the affected areas, about seven centimeters more.

The recovery rate today is not as high as yesterday.

The time was the same, but the result was smaller. Where did the extra variable come from?

I have absolutely no clue...

No, no, I must find this variable, I must stand up!

The evening breeze was slightly cool. Jiang Qiaoqiao wrapped herself tightly in a thin blanket, gently biting her nails, and fell into deep thought in the darkness.

Alone.