Chapter 335: The Contrasting Club

Lin Xiaoxiao, looking guilty as sin, immediately flashed a brilliant smile, gave a thumbs-up, and silently mouthed, "Go for it!"

The upperclassman girl hadn’t actually heard anything. Seeing Lin Xiaoxiao’s gesture, she froze for a second before giving a slightly shy smile and looking back down to organize her "treasures."

Hearing Lin Xiaoxiao’s reaction, Chen Mo and the others just shook their heads and smiled.

Everyone appreciates beauty, and if it were them, they’d also enjoy seeing high-quality, accurate cosplays that were easy on the eyes.

But such talented people were few and far between. Most people were average, and the rules had to cater to the average person if a niche community wanted to grow.

That was the main reason the cosplay community had established such a rule.

Worried the Anime Club members might catch on, Lin Xiaoxiao quickly dragged everyone to the next spot.

As they moved past the Anime Club’s lively but somewhat chaotic territory, the faint sound of rhythmic music reached their ears.

They followed the sound and saw an activity room with its doors wide open not far away. A crowd had already gathered around it. A cool, spray-painted poster was plastered on the door: [Ignition Street Dance Club — Gearing Up for Recruitment!].

The scene inside the activity room was a complete contrast to the relatively quiet atmosphere of the Anime Club.

This place was bursting with energy and vitality.

A few club members were practicing inside.

A massive, floor-to-ceiling mirror covered one wall, reflecting their sweaty figures as they practiced.

A hard-hitting hip-hop beat dominated the airwaves, its powerful rhythm and heavy drums capturing everyone’s attention.

In the center of the room, a few guys in loose basketball jerseys and bandanas were practicing difficult floorwork.

A guy with a buzz cut and well-defined muscles was practicing continuous windmills. His body spun like a whirlwind across the polished floor, his arms and core exploding with incredible power. Every sweep of his legs seemed to stir the air.

Even when he occasionally messed up, lost his balance, and fell to the floor with a THUD, he paid it no mind. He would just hop back up, frown at his reflection in the mirror as he re-evaluated the move, and try again to the sound of his friends’ counting and encouragement, completely lost in his own world.

On another side, several girls in crop tops and cargo pants were practicing Girl’s Hip-hop, the style common in K-pop girl groups.

Their movements were clean and sharp, their timing on the beat was incredibly precise. Every wave and hair flip was full of tension. Their expressions were fierce and cool, their eyes brimming with confidence, and they radiated a powerful, feminine charisma.

Their dancing drew a crowd of passersby who stopped to watch.

The crowd consisted of both guys and girls.

Even Su Yuqing and Zhao Ya found themselves captivated by the girls’ cool and confident performance.

Although they were both on the quieter side, they had a deep admiration for these cool, self-assured girls who weren’t afraid to express themselves.

A table was set up at the entrance to the room, holding recruitment sign-up sheets and a QR code.

A guy who looked like the club president—sporting dreadlocks and a flashy, fluorescent-colored T-shirt—was grooving to the music. He called out enthusiastically to the freshmen watching from outside, "Hey! Freshmen! Interested in street dance? No experience? No problem! We’ll teach you everything you need to know! Breaking, Hip-hop, Jazz, Urban... we’ve got a style for you! Come check it out! Tonight, we’re having a cypher in the plaza right here. It’s gonna be epic! Come feel the vibe!"

His enthusiasm was infectious. With his booming voice and expressive gestures, he managed to draw in several freshmen, who gathered around him to ask for more details.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s eyes sparkled as she watched, and she subconsciously started bobbing her head to the music.

Zhou Yue chuckled and commented, "That president’s got a terminal case of being a social butterfly."

"What’s wrong? You want to learn to dance?" Chen Mo asked, gently squeezing Su Yuqing’s hand when he saw how captivated she was.

"No way. It’s fine to watch, but getting up there myself? That would kill me," Su Yuqing replied with a laugh.

"I feel the same way," Zhao Ya immediately added with a smile.

"Dancing requires a lot of power. It looks cool, but it’s really not easy when you’re the one doing it," Shen Xinghe remarked, sounding as if he had some experience with it.

"Let’s go. This club really isn’t our style at all," Zhou Yue said with a laugh.

The group nodded and headed to the next area.

As they walked on, the atmosphere shifted once again. A booth with a quaint, antique charm came into view.

In stark contrast to the noisy Street Dance Club next to it, this place felt like its own small, tranquil, and elegant world.

The booth for the [Qingyun National Style Club] was arranged with an elegant and understated grace, like a refined pavilion in the middle of a bustling marketplace.

A simple, elegant banner hung above a few antique-style tables. A folding screen was painted with an ink-wash landscape, and the faint, refreshing scent of sandalwood lingered in the air.

A girl in a pale cyan, cross-collared traditional gown was kneeling on a cushion, demonstrating the art of tea ceremony.

On the table before her, steam rose from an exquisite purple clay tea set.

Her movements were slow and graceful—warming the cups, adding the tea leaves, pouring the water, and serving the tea, all in one fluid motion. Her expression was serene and focused, completely undisturbed by the surrounding crowd.

Nearby, a young man in a straight-hemmed robe with a bamboo-leaf pattern was wielding a brush over a spread of Xuan paper. He wrote four large words in a flowing, running script: "The music never stops." His brushstrokes were forceful yet elegant, drawing quiet gasps of admiration from a few freshmen who were watching.

The booth also displayed a variety of delicate, handmade crafts made by club members, such as antique-style hairpins, circular silk fans, and embroidered sachets.

People passing by instinctively softened their footsteps and lowered their voices, as if afraid to shatter the tranquil and elegant atmosphere.

Zhou Yue was intrigued by a sachet embroidered with an orchid. He picked it up to examine it more closely. "Are these for sale?"

The young man doing calligraphy paused his brush and explained gently, "They’re just for display right now. But if you’re interested, we’ll have a craft workshop during the official recruitment day. You can try making one yourself then."

Su Yuqing whispered to Chen Mo, "The atmosphere in this club is so nice. It feels like my mind is finally at peace."

Chen Mo nodded. The serene atmosphere was indeed relaxing.

"So? Are you interested in joining?" Chen Mo asked with a smile.

’This club would be a good fit for Su Yuqing,’ he thought. ’It could help her find even more inner peace.’

"Let’s check out the other clubs first before I decide," Su Yuqing said. Though she was tempted, she wasn’t ready to make a decision just yet.

Shen Xinghe, meanwhile, had stopped before the tea table, his eyes filled with admiration as he watched the girl’s fluid and graceful brewing technique.

Just then, the girl finished brewing the tea and looked up at the crowd. Her gaze landed on an exceptionally beautiful face. Even with her usually calm disposition, her heart couldn’t help but flutter for a moment. She immediately smiled and extended an invitation. "Are you interested in learning about traditional Chinese culture? We teach tea ceremony, calligraphy, ink-wash painting, and more. It’s a great way to relieve the mental fatigue from your studies."

’If we can get such a stunning beauty to join,’ she thought, ’we’ll definitely be able to recruit a lot more people this year. It’d be another big step in preserving our traditional culture.’