My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 205

Chapter 205: University Graduation Season

At the end of June of the following year, Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan celebrated their graduation from N University together.

Although Xiao Luohan had enrolled a year later than Jiang Xue, the traditional five-year program for the medical department made up for the time difference.

They received their bachelor’s gowns a day in advance—pink for the Department of Traditional Music, and white for the Department of Medicine—and tried them on in front of the mirror at home.

“Do you want to wear a tie or a bow tie?” Jiang Xue asked, holding a bright red tie and a bow tie, seeing that Xiao Luohan had already changed into her white shirt.

“A bow tie,” Xiao Luohan extended her hand.

Jiang Xue put down the tie, walked over, and personally tied the bow tie for her, smoothing out her gown.

Xiao Luohan’s gaze followed her every move. When Jiang Xue stepped back, she asked, “Do you also want a bow tie?”

“Yes!” Jiang Xue immediately picked up her own bow tie and handed it over.

They spent a little more time adjusting their graduation caps. Xiao Luohan picked up her vibrating phone, her gaze pausing slightly at the message, then quickly replied, her expression returning to normal.

“Your department and mine are both taking graduation photos on the first lawn tomorrow. Are you planning to come find me, or do you want me to come find you?” Jiang Xue asked after she finished replying to the message.

Knowing that Xiao Luo had always maintained a polite distance from her classmates these past four years, she didn’t want Xiao Luo to be excluded during graduation—this, like the high school graduation ceremony, was an important event that happened only once in a lifetime.

Perhaps it was selfishness, but she wanted Xiao Luo to happily participate in a graduation ceremony that was truly meaningful to her.

“I was planning to come find you, but Shen Xiejie, Yun Xiejie, Yin Jie, Professor Yan, Ms. Silin, and Teacher Sui are all coming tomorrow, and I’m afraid it might disturb your photo shoot,” Xiao Luohan said apologetically, showing her the messages on her phone. “I originally thought only Shen Xiejie and Yun Xiejie would come for the photos, but so many people are coming…”

“That’s great! They’re all big names in traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage, it’s an honor!” Jiang Xue’s initial disappointment turned into excitement. “The area for the Department of Traditional Music is indeed less crowded, then I’ll come find you after our photos!”

After trying on the rented gowns, they ironed and hung them up. During lunch, Cheng Shizhu called, saying she wanted to bring tea and coffee for them and their friends tomorrow and asked how many cups they needed and what their preferences were.

After five years of university, Jiang Xue’s closest friend here was Shu Cheng.

Shu Cheng only drank fruit tea, and for the past five years, she had been rotating between a few flavors, even using dice to decide when she couldn’t choose.

Jiang Xue also used a random number generator on her phone, told Cheng Shizhu the chosen flavor, and repeatedly emphasized that she wanted it unsweetened and without ice.

Xiao Luohan had more people to ask, and by the time everyone who was still working replied, and she relayed their preferences to Cheng Shizhu, it was already dusk.

“By the way, our class is planning a ‘farewell dinner’ with the remaining class funds. I’m not interested, so I got my money back—the class president said that those who don’t participate can get a full refund.”

Jiang Xue, having learned to be frugal, showed her “stingy” side. “So, do you want to go to the food street with me for a ‘buffet’ tonight?”

The “buffet” she was referring to was buying street food as they walked.

During this special period, the shops on the food street near N University were competing for business, offering not only discounts for graduates but also special sets for singles, couples, and “dorm groups,” as well as new, graduation-themed items, worth checking out.

As they left, they didn’t forget to take Xia Yun, who loved joining in the fun.

The honey-glazed barbecue stall was as popular as ever. Jiang Xue ordered six yuan worth of barbecue to go, then bought a double portion of salty rice noodle rolls with Xiao Luohan, and finally, at the newly opened taco shop, they ordered a cactus taco and a corn tortilla, paired with a dark green drink that tasted like mint toothpaste, which they both inexplicably liked, and had a satisfying dinner.

Xia Yun whined softly a few times. Even with its intelligence, it probably understood why its owners wouldn’t let it eat outside food, but it was still tempted by the aroma.

Jiang Xue, munching on her tortilla, petted its head reassuringly, then opened a can of dog food Xie Xitong had recently sent as soon as they got home, and while Xia Yun was enjoying its meal, she also boiled a small piece of plain chicken.

“It’s a pity you’re just an ordinary dog, not a dog demon,” she said to Xia Yun, half-joking, half-serious, while cutting the chicken. “But even if the price of joining the fun is just watching us eat, you still enjoy the atmosphere, right?”

Xia Yun, eating its canned food, whined softly in agreement, its tail wagging happily.

The next morning, at 7:30 AM, Jiang Xue, who had been inexplicably excited all night and couldn’t sleep, got up, washed up, and changed into her graduation gown.

Although it wasn’t quite summer yet in late June, the temperature during sunny days was just as high as midsummer.

Since Cheng Shizhu was providing tea and coffee today, Jiang Xue didn’t bother making sour plum soup. She poured the mung beans and rice she had soaked last night into the rice cooker, pressed the “porridge” button, then heated up the scallion pancakes she had made yesterday morning in the microwave.

After years of practice, she had become very proficient at these chores. She had also researched many recipes during her free time, enjoying preparing nutritious and delicious meals for herself and Xiao Luo.

Xiao Luohan, drawn by the aroma of the pancakes, came out. Worried about staining her graduation gown, she sat at the dining table in her pajamas.

While Jiang Xue was serving the porridge and cutting the pancakes, Xiao Luohan opened a new bag of dog food, mixed it with freeze-dried treats, and placed it in front of Xia Yun, which was already drooling in anticipation.

Since they were taking pictures today, after breakfast, they started applying makeup for each other.

They usually didn’t wear makeup, only Xiao Luohan would apply light makeup for her livestreams, so personally applying makeup for each other after so long felt like a novel and fun activity.

Cheng Shizhu arrived at 8:30 AM with the tea and coffee, dragging her beloved suitcase-shaped shopping cart, which she opened to show them the insulated bag inside.

“I’ll go with you later. I can guarantee that I’ll remember everyone’s preferences!” Cheng Shizhu said confidently.

Having run “Poem of Spring” for a year, acting as both owner and employee, she had memorized the faces and preferences of her regular customers, a skill she had honed during her years of part-time work at cafes and milk tea shops.

After making final adjustments to their outfits and hairstyles, the two went to the designated photo area at N University with Cheng Shizhu.

Jiang Xue had originally planned to leave Xia Yun at home with the air conditioner on, but the golden retriever had rushed out with its leash in its mouth, so she put on its collar, held the leash tightly, and then they left.

At this time, other students were still in class. Only the graduating students were chatting and laughing on the lawn, some even tossing their graduation caps since the photographer hadn’t arrived at their class yet.

Jiang Xue immediately spotted Shen Xianyue and Yun Chanchan, chatting side by side, and was about to go greet them when Xia Yun suddenly pulled on the leash, and turning around, she saw it playing with a chihuahua owned by a classmate.

Perhaps because it had been carried around in its owner’s backpack and had “seen the world,” the chihuahua wasn’t afraid at all. When Xia Yun tried to intimidate it by lowering its body, it simply lay down on the ground, wagging its tail, trying to “play cute.”

While she played with the small dog, Xiao Luohan was already helping Cheng Shizhu distribute the drinks.

Yin Yuan had originally come just to support Xiao Luohan, but she hadn’t expected to see Cheng Shizhu here. She had been stunned for a full two minutes after seeing Xiao Luohan’s message yesterday, then, realizing that she was smiling, had left early this morning, waiting nervously and excitedly at the venue.

While Cheng Shizhu was distributing the drinks, she deliberately held a parasol over her, afraid of saying something wrong, so she simply followed silently, offering her help.

It was a hot and sunny day, and the photographer couldn’t wait to finish and escape to the air-conditioned room, so the photo session went by quickly.

University graduations were much more relaxed than high school graduations. The photographer was only responsible for the class photo. For individual photos, they could either use their own cameras or ask friends or professionals for help.

Seeing that the official class photos for both majors were done, Cheng Shizhu took off her camera bag.

This was the camera Jiang Xue had given her after winning it at Xiao Luo’s welcome party, a top domestic brand, won without spending a penny, thanks to Cang Ling’s “lucky hand.” There was no reason for her to refuse it.

And the camera she had “inherited” from her senior in the photography club was now displayed in a glass case in the Jiang family’s study.

“Thanks, I’ll treat you to lunch for helping out,” she said to Yin Yuan, then picked up the camera and started taking pictures.

First, single and couple portraits of Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan, then a photo of Jiang Xue and Shu Cheng together, then a group photo with Shen Xianyue, Yun Chanchan, and the other friends who had come to support them, and finally, even the two vice presidents of the sketching club, who had quietly returned to school, joined them.

As the photoshoot neared its end, Jiang Xue pointed at her graduation cap, and Xiao Luohan immediately understood, reaching up and taking it off.

Amidst the applause, the two tossed their caps high in the air, jumping up, and Cheng Shizhu immediately captured the moment, taking nearly twenty pictures before putting down the camera.

“Aren’t you joining the fun?”

Under the shade of a nearby tree, Xiao Linghan turned to look at Cang Ling, who was sitting on the steps.

“A ghost shouldn’t impose on the living, especially repeatedly,” Cang Ling said. “It’s fine with acquaintances, but strangers would be scared if they knew the truth.”

“They can’t do anything to us even if they’re scared, can they?” Xiao Linghan asked with a smile, seeing that she actually wanted to join them. “Besides, we’re ‘legal ghosts’ specifically brought to this world.”

She crushed a talisman and materialized in a spot out of sight of humans and security cameras, then, after Cang Ling did the same, took her hand and led her towards the lively group of people discussing their poses.