Early December at Saint Sakura Academy was also shrouded in a layer of noble chill.

The crystal chandelier reflected the first light snow falling outside the window. In the student council office, the warmth of the heating made the air feel somewhat languid, but it couldn't hide the undercurrent of tension between the people.

Yu Jiuyuan twirled her pen in her fingers, her gaze falling on the Changbai Mountain observation plan spread out in front of her.

Xie Zhecheng's handwriting, like the man himself, is sharp and angular, with even the punctuation marks being so neatly arranged as if measured with a ruler.

When she looked up, she met Xie Zhecheng's gaze, his eyes, which were always covered with a thin layer of ice, now held a hint of scrutiny that was hard to detect.

"Accommodation will be assigned according to the list submitted by the clubs?" Her voice was light and cheerful, as if she were discussing the weather. "Yuan Xu and I will share a room, you take Rong Shenghan, and Lin Yanran will stay alone?"

Xie Zhecheng frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the allocation plan. "There are limited guesthouse rooms near the observation point; only three double rooms are left." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Rong Shenghan, who was leaning against the table. "Rong Shenghan and I can share a room without a problem, but Lin Yanran…"

"I have no objection," Lin Yanran suddenly said, her tone carrying her usual arrogance.

He was wearing a dark gray turtleneck sweater today, which made his skin look even paler. But when he slightly raised his eyes, his gaze towards Yu Jiuyuan always seemed to hold a thorn that had not yet been drawn.

He had only been a member of the student council for a week, but he seemed to have a sharp edge that made him feel out of place here, especially when he was facing the president, his reluctance was almost written on his face.

Yu Jiuyuan smiled but didn't reply. She knew Lin Yanran's awkwardness; being forced into the student council by her father to temper her personality, and then being forced to go to Changbai Mountain with a group of "unfamiliar people," would make anyone unhappy.

But that's perfect. A target with zero affection should be approached by creating an opening through their reluctance.

“I have the biological sample box ready.” Yuan Xu suddenly pushed up his glasses and excitedly slid his fingertips across the tablet. On the screen was a map of the distribution of species endemic to Changbai Mountain that he had marked. “There may be mutated Altai dandelions in the alpine tundra there. Samples during their dormant period are more valuable for research.”

His eyes shone brightly as he spoke, completely absorbed in his own world, unaware that Xie Zhecheng's brows furrowed even more when he heard the word "mutation."

Yu Jiuyuan handed Yuan Xu a cup of hot cocoa at the opportune moment, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against the back of Yuan Xu's hand. "Don't stay up too late. The low temperatures in Changbai Mountain have very high requirements for sample preservation. Do you have enough batteries for your incubator?"

The concern in her tone was just right, reflecting both the president's care for the members and her unique attention to Yuan Xu.

Yuan Xu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she took the cup a beat faster: "Enough, enough, I've prepared a backup power source."

He lowered his head and took a sip of his hot drink, but the tips of his ears turned red. His favorability rating of 66 had long made him accustomed to Yu Jiuyuan's occasional closeness, but he had never noticed the precise calculation hidden in this closeness.

“Speaking of batteries,” Rong Shenghan suddenly spoke, breaking the brief silence.

He had only been here a month ago, but thanks to his gentle nature and impeccable handling of affairs, he had secured the position of vice president. At this moment, he was smiling at Xie Zhecheng, "The astronomy club's observation equipment must be quite powerful, right? Can the guesthouse's electrical system handle it?"

Xie Zhecheng's expression softened slightly: "I brought a generator."

He didn't seem to have any aversion to Rong Shenghan, probably because the other party could always accurately focus on the key issues, unlike Lin Yanran who was prickly, or Yuan Xu who only focused on her own research.

Yu Jiuyuan looked at the group, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

Xie Zhecheng's perfectionism makes him sensitive to any oversight in the plan; Rong Shenghan's "approachable" demeanor hides meticulous observation; Yuan Xu's biological world is the easiest weakness to exploit; and Lin Yanran's arrogance is nothing more than an untamed beast that needs a suitable cage.

She put down her pen, stood up, and straightened her skirt: "Since there are no problems, it's settled then. We'll leave next Wednesday, so everyone should pack their luggage in advance."

When she walked up to Lin Yanran, she deliberately paused for half a second. "Officer Lin, your task is to take inventory of the club's supplies and hand them over to me for verification before 5 p.m. this afternoon."

Lin Yanran scoffed, didn't reply, and turned to leave. Her leather shoes made a crisp sound on the marble floor, revealing her obvious impatience.

Yu Jiuyuan watched his retreating figure, the smile on her lips unchanged. She knew that Lin Yanran had been punished and confined to his home by his father last night. The Lin family was currently negotiating a cooperation with the Yu family, and Lin's father had specifically instructed her to "take care" of her son.

The sneer was less a sign of dissatisfaction with her and more a sign of resentment directed at his own predicament.

"He doesn't seem to like me very much," she said to Rong Shenghan, her tone tinged with innocent confusion.

Rong Shenghan smiled gently, but his eyes were unfathomable: "Young Master Lin is straightforward, he probably hasn't adapted to the rhythm of the student council yet." He paused, his gaze falling on her, "President, should I go and talk to him?"

“No need.” Yu Jiuyuan shook her head, turning her gaze to the window where the snow was falling more heavily. “To tame a wild horse, you have to let him taste the reins first.”

Xie Zhecheng paused in his work of tidying up the documents, and when he looked up, he saw Yu Jiuyuan's profile as she looked out the window.

Sunlight filtered through the snowflakes, casting dappled shadows on her eyelashes. Her innocent and harmless appearance resembled a meticulously painted portrait.

But he always felt that behind the picture frame were a pair of calm eyes, silently calculating something.

He recalled that when she was assigning rooms earlier, she deliberately separated Lin Yanran from them and made Rong Shenghan share a room with him. Was she afraid that Lin Yanran would cause trouble, or did she have other plans?

"The temperature in Changbai Mountain will drop to minus twenty degrees Celsius at night," Xie Zhecheng suddenly said, his tone calm. "Have you prepared your windbreaker?"

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