The sunflower

"Afternoon Club Recruitment"

After lunch, they passed by the club recruitment booths. The literary club's booth had only one table, unmanned except for a registration form. They noticed that Ding Meng and Wei Youjia had already filled in their names on the form, despite it being only the morning.

Next to the form, there was a line written in strong, calligraphic strokes, seemingly with a brush:

"Register with caution, you may not make it - Literary Club President."

"The literary club doesn't even bother with recruitment; it's truly a mysterious club," sighed Jiang Shaoqi.

Looking around, Yan Luo searched for other interesting clubs. Accidentally, she knocked over a mountain climbing club's poster. Qing Ren and Jiang Shaoqi helped her pick it up.

In front of the mountain climbing club booth stood four or five people, with the tallest one in the middle likely being the president. Next to him was a fit girl with a tan complexion. The skin color of the boys wasn't fair like Gu Tianle's; it was more like that of Chen Jianzhou.

"Sorry, seniors, I didn't notice and knocked down your poster," Yan Luo apologized as she stepped back. They decided it was best not to engage with this club too much and hastily retreated.

Seeing them, Yan Zhengkai and Wu Wei immediately signaled to the club members. It had been the whole morning, and not a single girl had come to inquire, while the boys had filled up a whole page with their names. This couldn't go on; they couldn't let these two girls slip away easily.

The club members quickly surrounded Yan Luo and Qing Ren. Yan Luo lifted her head, and Yan Zhengkai finally saw their faces clearly. They were like the "flowers hidden behind a veil" described in books, and there were even two of them!

"Don't worry, juniors, don't rush to leave. Let's talk about our mountain climbing club. We welcome girls the most," Yan Zhengkai said, pulling Wu Wei forward. "Look at our sister Wu Wei here; she's also our vice president. In our club, no one dares not to listen to her, including me. So, how about it? Give it some thought, alright?"

"Senior, the mountain climbing club is so famous, we already know," Jiang Shaoqi said, trying to rescue Yan Luo and Qing Ren. "We'll think about it again. Hehe."

Yan Zhengkai stood directly in front of Jiang Shaoqi, towering over him by two heads, his height making Jiang Shaoqi uncomfortable.

"If you're in a hurry, you can leave first, young man. No need to escort us," Wu Wei pushed gently, and Jiang Shaoqi took two big steps backward, then was squeezed out by the club members.

"Yan Luo, Qing Ren, I'll be waiting for you up ahead," Jiang Shaoqi fled in embarrassment.

The scene now looked like two eggs dropped into a coal pile.

"Senior, you see, both of us have been weak since childhood, couldn't even pass physical education class. Joining the mountain climbing club will only hold everyone back," Yan Luo improvised an excuse.

Qing Ren chimed in, "That's right, we both have poor health. Mountain climbing really isn't suitable for us."

Yan Zhengkai burst into laughter. "Junior sisters, don't worry. Joining the mountain climbing club, I guarantee you'll be strong and healthy within a semester." He even patted his chest, but his thick muscles made no sound when he did.

Qing Ren panicked, "You have too many training sessions, we can't handle it. We're most afraid of..." Yan Luo pulled her back before she could say "sun exposure."

Yan Zhengkai handed them the registration form directly. "Fill this out first. You can continue to consider it later."

Yan Luo knew full well that there was no "later." Once they filled it out, it would be submitted to the Student Union, and that would mean acceptance. "Senior, we have a gathering later. We'll consider it carefully. The club recruitment will continue for another two weeks, so we'll prioritize considering the mountain climbing club," Yan Luo smiled lightly, her sincere gaze making anyone believe her. The club members began to make way for them.

"Alright, consider it carefully. You won't regret choosing the mountain climbing club!" Yan Zhengkai shouted after them, feeling puzzled. These two girls, who seemed to struggle even with physical education class, ran so fast; they disappeared in no time.

Lu Cheng and Zhang Xiangyu walked out of the classroom of Class 5 in their sophomore year, preparing to go to the small auditorium's mezzanine. Zhang Xiangyu was the president of the Astronomy Club, and the recruitment booth hadn't been set up yet. Lu Cheng went along to help.

"I still don't have a single member in my new club. Thanks for lending a hand, Mr. President of the Mountaineering Club," Lu Cheng patted Xiangyu's shoulder.

"Don't say such polite words," Xiangyu replied.

"But are you really okay not going to the Mountaineering Club's recruitment?"

"It's fine. The former president, Yan Zhengkai, can handle it for a day. I heard they've already recruited a full page of boys. He's just happy to help with recruitment for two weeks as long as he can be with Wu Wei."

"Haha, so your task for the next two weeks is recruiting girls," Xiangyu, well aware of the Mountaineering Club's dilemma, joked. "That's quite a daunting task."

Just then, Lu Cheng's phone vibrated with a message from Yan Zhengkai. "Today, we almost had two lovely little sisters sign up! Starting tomorrow, as the president, you're not allowed to leave your post. The vice president position must not remain vacant this year, it's imperative."

"Yan Senior Brother probably can't recruit any girls. With his appearance, who wouldn't be scared? But you, you might have some juniors interested just because of your looks," Xiangyu continued the conversation about the officers, as they descended the stairs.

Lu Cheng shook his head with a wry smile, replying to Yan Zhengkai with a "Roger that," even though he never intended to recruit girls. It was originally an activity for a group of boys; there was no need to force girls to join.

As they passed through the third-floor corridor, all the freshmen were assembling below in the courtyard, each class forming a square, while the instructors explained the requirements and details of military training.

"Look, the freshmen are assembling. I heard this year's instructors are all local military officers from the naval base, so it must be strict," Xiangyu stopped, sighing.

Leaning on the corridor railing, Lu Cheng looked down at the bustling scene below. "Oh? These instructors do seem different from the ones we had last year," his gaze scanned the squares.

In the formation of Class 1 in the freshman year, a girl in a dress was happily chatting with the people around her.

"Look at the officer from Class 2, doesn't he resemble Yan Zhengkai? He looks even bulkier than Yan Zhengkai..." Xiangyu continued discussing the officers, but Lu Cheng was not paying attention at all.

Xiangyu patted Lu Cheng twice, bringing him back to reality. "Hmm? Yeah."

"Why are you just humming? I just realized I forgot to take the posters. You go back to the club and help me move the table out. I'll find you at the booth later," Xiangyu said as he turned back.

Alone, Lu Cheng went to the Astronomy Club's classroom and moved a table, carrying it to the club's booth. He squatted down and searched the drawer for some registration forms and pens.

"Senior, what club is this?" a crisp female voice asked.

"Oh, it's the Astronomy Club," Lu Cheng replied without getting up, still rummaging through the drawer.

"What are the requirements for joining the Astronomy Club? What kind of activities does the club have?" the girl continued her inquiry.

"It's just stargazing, no requirements. As long as you fill out the form, you're in. We have club activities every Friday where the president teaches some astronomy knowledge and such. It's quite relaxed," with Xiangyu not around, Lu Cheng had to answer off the cuff.

Stargazing, Qing Ren pondered. This seemed like the relaxed club that Yan Luo had mentioned. Plus, the club president looked handsome. Why hesitate?

"Senior, I'd like to sign up. I'll sign up for my friend too, we'll join together," Qing Ren decided without hesitation.

Lu Cheng was about to hand her the registration form on the table when he suddenly noticed Qing Ren's ginger-colored top. This was... the same girl who had smiled at him earlier.

"Classmate, let me confirm. You want to join my club, right?" Lu Cheng hid a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, the stargazing club."

"Alright, then fill out the form." Lu Cheng took out a new registration form from his backpack and handed it to Qing Ren instead of the one on the table.

Qing Ren quickly filled it out and handed it back to Lu Cheng. With the club matter settled, Yan Luo would definitely like this club.

"You're Tang Qing Ren? And your friend's name is Yan Luo?"

"Yeah, I'll go now. She's waiting for me. Goodbye, Senior."

"The results of the club recruitment will be posted in the lobby on the first floor after your military training ends. In two weeks, there will be a welcome event for new club members."