The wind of late spring and early summer blew gently through the campus trees, turning the leaves from tender green to deep and lush as the sunlight grew more intense.
Shen Jia Yan and Wen Wan Ning had advanced from their sophomore year to junior year.
During the sophomore year break, Shen Yan and Jiang Jing had suggested to Shen Jia Yan that she study abroad, but she had put in a great deal of effort to convince them to hold off on that idea for now.
She did not want to go abroad. She could not bear to leave Wen Wan Ning behind.
After the last arranging class of the day, Shen Jia Yan returned to the dormitory with her roommates.
As soon as they stepped into Dorm 406, Xu Jingyao eagerly grabbed a pair of scissors and opened the package she had just picked up.
“Ah!!!” She let out an excited scream upon seeing the figurine inside the box.
The sudden cry startled the other three in the dorm.
Shen Jia Yan frowned teasingly. “Did you win a ten-million lottery ticket in the box?”
Xu Jingyao pulled out the figurine. “Look!” She waved it in front of everyone. “Isn’t it cute? Adorable, right!”
Fu Jinxi and Zhang Min crowded over. “It’s so pretty.” “Super cute!”
Shen Jia Yan was not particularly interested in the trendy figurines, so she did not join them.
Fu Jinxi called out to her. “Jia Yan, come check it out. This figurine is really nice.”
Shen Jia Yan set her backpack on the chair. “Oh, it does look good. You guys enjoy it. I’m not that into them.”
Xu Jingyao teased her. “She doesn’t get what us pure, innocent girls like. She still loves her Crayon Shin-chan the most.”
At that, Shen Jia Yan pulled out her own Crayon Shin-chan keychain and patted it. “You got me there. My Crayon Shin-chan is so cute.”
Then she mimicked Crayon Shin-chan’s voice. “Mom’s flesh is all saggy and loose…”
“Hahaha…” Zhang Min laughed. “Jia Yan, you sound just like him. You could do the voice for the Chinese dub.”
Shen Jia Yan flicked her not-so-long hair. “Voice acting isn’t my thing. I can unleash my full personal charm with just the drum set.”
Xu Jingyao couldn’t stand it anymore and cut in. “Give it a rest, Your Highness. Reel in that overflowing charm for now and save it for when you’re with Wan Ning.”
“Fine, I’ll hold it back.” Shen Jia Yan sat down in her chair, phone in hand, scrolling through Moments as she spoke.
Suddenly, a Moment from Wen Wan Ning caught her eye.
It was a photo of a figurine just like the one in Xu Jingyao’s hand, captioned: I really want to collect the whole series, but it’s so hard…
Shen Jia Yan instantly took an interest in the figurine.
She set down her phone and sidled up to Xu Jingyao, asking softly, “Jingyao, give me the full rundown on this figurine, yeah?”
A flicker of surprise showed in Xu Jingyao’s eyes, followed by teasing. “What happened to the girl who just said she wasn’t interested?”
Shen Jia Yan shook her arm gently, her voice soft. “Come on, Jingyao, you’re the best. It’s just a little thing—you can help me out.”
Xu Jingyao cleared her throat twice and raised a brow. “I can give you the intro, but you have to tell me why the sudden change of heart.”
“Uh…” Shen Jia Yan said shyly, “I just saw Wan Ning’s Moment. She’s collecting these figurines too.”
Ah, that explained it.
Xu Jingyao crossed her legs. “Tonight’s hot water—”
Shen Jia Yan straightened up immediately. “I’ll fetch it. I’ll go get it for you.”
“Mm.” Xu Jingyao nodded in satisfaction. “Good attitude.”
Fu Jinxi smiled. “Alright, Jingyao, stop teasing her.”
Xu Jingyao got a bit more serious. “Fine. Let me tell you about this super popular figurine right now.”
Fifteen minutes later, after Xu Jingyao’s very detailed explanation, Shen Jia Yan understood the figurine’s origins, styles, and collectible value.
Then she pulled out her phone, found Wen Wan Ning’s photo, and asked Xu Jingyao, “Can you check if it’s easy to collect all the figurines in this series?”
Xu Jingyao opened the photo and looked. “This series has six figurines total. Five of them are fairly obtainable, but the last one—the Hidden Edition Figurine—is supposedly super hard to get. Forget the high price; hardly anyone has a channel to source it.”
Shen Jia Yan’s whole face scrunched up. “Ah? That tough?”
Her care for Wen Wan Ning had long surpassed the baseline of “being there when she needs me.” Her feelings ran much deeper.
She would hold her breath without realizing it when Wen Wan Ning spoke, afraid to miss a single word. When she smiled, she would sneak extra glances, tucking that gentleness away in her memories. And when she frowned, she would ask right away, “What’s wrong?”
She could even gauge Wen Wan Ning’s mood from the speed of her replies and the words she chose.
She knew Wen Wan Ning wouldn’t easily voice her troubles, so she preferred to notice first and draw close. She wanted more than anything to help fulfill her wishes and make her dreams come true.
“Yeah—” Xu Jingyao turned. “Hahaha… What kind of face is that? Trying to make me laugh?”
Shen Jia Yan realized her expression was over the top and toned it down, her voice regaining some calm. “So what do I do? Jingyao, you’re such an expert on these. Don’t you have any channels?”
Xu Jingyao sighed helplessly. “I really don’t. The ones I got were the easier ones—found them online after some searching.”
“Alright, I’ll figure something out.” Shen Jia Yan retreated to her spot, frowning as she scrolled her phone for ideas.
She was deep in thought, brows furrowed, when Xu Jingyao suddenly lit up like a lightbulb. “Jia Yan, I just remembered—our Student Union chair, Cheng Yu, apparently has a friend who’s obsessed with collecting these trendy toys. She’s got tons of resources. As vice chair, you’re tight with her. She should be able to help with this.”
Shen Jia Yan paused, then caught on. “Cheng Yu? Right, right, I remember now.”
She practically sprang from her chair, snatching her phone with swift movements. “I’ll call her right now.”
Xu Jingyao shook her head with a smile. “You’re way too eager.”
Shen Jia Yan stood, phone in hand, pulling up Cheng Yu’s contact.
Leaning back in her chair, Xu Jingyao grinned and added, “Heard that friend of hers doesn’t just collect a lot—she imports from overseas channels and can even snag limited editions.”
“Really?” Shen Jia Yan’s eyes brightened as she dialed.
The phone rang a few times before Cheng Yu picked up. “Hey, Jia Yan? What’s up?”
“I need a small favor.” Shen Jia Yan’s tone was cautious. “I heard you have a friend who’s a pro at collecting figurines. I’m in a bit of a rush to find a limited-edition one.”
Cheng Yu paused, then chuckled. “This ‘rush’—is it for you, or are you asking for someone else?”
Shen Jia Yan froze, then let out a dry laugh. “How’d you know it’s not for me?”
“Because you,” Cheng Yu drawled lazily, “seem pretty cool on the surface, but you can’t hide a thing. If it was for you, you wouldn’t go through all this trouble asking about my friend.”
Shen Jia Yan sighed helplessly. “Fine, it’s not for me. It’s for a… really good friend who wants this figurine, but it’s impossible to find on the market. I was hoping you could ask your collector friend if she has any channels.”
Cheng Yu went quiet for a few seconds, then laughed. “Is it the Hidden Edition Figurine from that super popular series lately?”
Shen Jia Yan jolted. “How’d you know?”
“Perfect timing.” Cheng Yu sounded smug. “My friend just got a full unopened set a few days ago. Hasn’t even listed it yet.”
Shen Jia Yan nearly jumped for joy. “Really? Can you ask if she’ll sell me one? Price doesn’t matter!”
“Don’t rush.” Cheng Yu chuckled softly. “But if you really want it, you’ll have to come to the Student Council Office in person tomorrow at three to confirm details. And…” She dragged it out. “You’ll owe me a favor.”
“What favor?” Shen Jia Yan asked nervously.
“Simple.” Cheng Yu’s voice brimmed with amusement. “Be a judge for next week’s campus singing contest.”
She had asked Shen Jia Yan several times already, but Shen Jia Yan always refused, saying she was just a drummer, not a singer. She preferred focusing behind the drum kit, and she didn’t like judging others from the front row.
But now…
She glanced at her phone screen, picturing Wen Wan Ning’s eyes lighting up at the sight of the figurine.
She pressed her lips together, her tone softening at last. “Alright, I promise.”
Cheng Yu laughed on the other end. “Knew you’d say yes.”
They chatted a few more details and hung up.
In the dorm, Xu Jingyao watched Shen Jia Yan set down her phone, looking relieved, and couldn’t resist asking, “Did it work?”
Shen Jia Yan nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. “Tomorrow at three, Student Council Office. I’ll have it.”
“And the judging gig?” Xu Jingyao had overheard bits of the call and raised a brow. “Didn’t you always say no to judging others?”
Shen Jia Yan leaned back, gazing at the darkening sky outside the window, her voice calm but resolute. “This time’s different.” She paused. “I can make changes for her.”
Xu Jingyao and Fu Jinxi chimed in unison with the overused line. “The power of love is truly great.”
The next day, Shen Jia Yan got the figurine as promised, though it nearly emptied her piggy bank.
Back in the dorm, no matter what Xu Jingyao said, she wouldn’t let her touch it—only look.
Seeing how nervous she was, Xu Jingyao teased, “Weren’t you begging me yesterday? Now you won’t even let me touch it.”
Shen Jia Yan chuckled. “Hey, have some understanding.”
Xu Jingyao sighed. “Fine, I’ll understand. Who are we, if not your solid backup?” Then she asked, “When are you planning to give it to her?”
Shen Jia Yan checked the time. “No class this afternoon. I’ll go find her after her class ends.”
