The result was that the entire school was waiting for the students from Class 1-B. Teachers and students alike watched eagerly as the Class 1-B kids trickled in one by one.
Dong Yue felt utterly mortified, her head hanging low and her face flushed bright red.
But trouble never came singly. A student from the next class over had eaten too much for breakfast—way too much—and ended up puking all over the ground in broad daylight. The stench spread quickly, and everyone around pinched their noses while the teachers scrambled to deal with it.
Finally, once everyone had arrived, the principal wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, let out a long breath, and grabbed a megaphone. He bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Each class! Twenty-five people! Every! Two classes! One bus!”
The crowd below was a chaotic mess, and hardly anyone made out what he said.
Losing face, the principal shouted it again: “Every! Single class—!” His voice cracked midway.
This time, the whole school heard him. They wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, their bodies shaking like vibrators in a stifled fit of the giggles.
The principal’s face turned pitch black. He fought the urge to bolt and pressed on with hosting duties.
Class 1-B got grouped with Grade 2 Class D. Song An’an’s face darkened to charcoal. What the heck… Liang Sheng was going to be on the same bus with those three little fox spirits? She wasn’t okay with that!
Sure enough, as soon as they boarded, Lu Ziqing grabbed Liang Sheng’s left hand, Gu Yuqi yanked her right, and An Hua’s gaze drifted over her glasses, fixating on Liang Sheng with a haunting intensity. One tug, then another—Liang Sheng felt like she was being torn apart by five horses in some ancient execution.
“How about Liang Sheng sits with me…” Su Ze’s voice had barely formed.
“No way!” Lu Ziqing shot Su Ze a glare.
Miss Lu clutched Liang Sheng with her left hand and dragged Su Ze along with her right, marching straight to the back row. Gu Yuqi hurried after them and claimed the seat to Liang Sheng’s right. An Hua hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should follow. When she saw the only empty spot was next to Gu Yuqi, she backed off and sat in front of Lu Ziqing instead.
I… I want the window seat, Liang Sheng eyed the spot with longing, her voice feeble as she ventured, “I, I want to sit…”
“No!” Young Miss Lu Ziqing cut her off sharply.
Miss, I didn’t even finish… Liang Sheng meekly withdrew her gaze. Fine, whatever. Can’t win against you… Another day of being weak, pitiful, and helpless~
At the airport, Liang Sheng was thrilled.
It was her first time on a plane. The world of the rich was something else—they could jet off to the hottest, farthest spot in the country for a beach vacation.
She hadn’t felt much during the flight, but once they landed and switched to the big tour bus… she nearly hurled from the motion sickness.
—— ——
You know how heavy a student’s shoulders can be… Not heavy? Try carrying two heads.
Same awkward seating arrangement. Liang Sheng was crammed in the middle, squished flat like the cream filling in a sandwich cookie.
She didn’t dare move a muscle, her eyes fixed downward while her head stayed rigid. Young Miss Lu Ziqing slumped asleep on her left shoulder, Gu Yuqi on her right.
Two clear streaks of tears slid down Liang Sheng’s face. Being human was tough; being a popular girl was even tougher!
What she didn’t know was that neither girl on her shoulders was actually asleep. Each harbored her own schemes—one peeked upward through slitted eyes, watching Liang Sheng’s reactions; the other kept her eyes shut, lost in fantasies of Liang Sheng confessing to her.
Then, by chance, both opened their eyes at the same time. Their gazes locked. The awkwardness was indescribable—like that song lyric, “I just glanced at you~” Instant cringe, eyes slamming shut again.
A sudden brake jolted everyone forward. Liang Sheng had been drifting off in a daze, and the lurch sent her pitching straight to the floor. With no seatback in front, she face-planted with a solid thud.
Tsk tsk, what a textbook splat—arms and legs splayed perfectly!
Young Miss Lu Ziqing tumbled forward too, thanks to Liang Sheng, and banged her head on the seatback ahead with a dull thunk. For the first time, the young miss lost her composure, grimacing in pain.
Gu Yuqi was fine and reached out first to pull Liang Sheng up—but Liang Sheng had gone down too fast. She grabbed nothing but air.
“Pfft!” “Hahaha!” The students from both classes whipped around in unison, eyes glued to Liang Sheng as laughter convulsed them.
“What kind of pose is that? Is she even a girl?” “So clumsy!” “Whoa, did she die?” Comments flew every which way amid the chaos.
If there’d been a hole in the ground right then, Liang Sheng would’ve dived straight in. Too embarrassing! She whimpered pitifully to herself.
Getting up would be humiliating; staying down, even more so. Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.
Gu Yuqi stood up, frowning as she snapped, “What’s so funny? Cut it out!” Then she helped Liang Sheng scramble up from the floor.
Drip. Blood trickled down. Gu Yuqi paled at the sight of Liang Sheng bleeding from the nose—completely freaked out. Liang Sheng clapped a hand over it. Oh no! Her nose was gushing!
Lu Ziqing fumbled frantically in her bag, pulled out a pack of tissues, and shoved them at Liang Sheng. Liang Sheng took them and stuffed some up her nose.
“Whimper… I’m so embarrassed,” Liang Sheng whined, covering her face.
Lu Ziqing, as usual, had no comforting words: “It’s not that bad. Not as embarrassing as some of your past stunts. Besides, haven’t you gotten used to losing face by now?”
Liang Sheng: …Thanks a lot, all eight generations of your ancestors.
Lu Ziqing wasn’t just tsundere—she had a sharp tongue and blurted out brutal honesty at the worst times. What a one-of-a-kind weirdo.
Gu Yuqi, on the other hand, was pure tenderness. She pulled Liang Sheng into her arms, gently stroking her long hair, and murmured softly, “Not embarrassing at all. You’re adorably silly.”
A fiery blush crept across Liang Sheng’s cheeks. She buried her face in Gu Yuqi’s chest, clutching her clothes and nuzzling against her like a little kitten.
Gu Yuqi stroked her head, her voice husky and magnetic. “Good girl~”
Lu Ziqing nearly choked on her rage beside them. That seductress! Such low-class tricks from her little cousin!
“Liang Sheng! Since you fell so spectacularly, I’ll treat you to dinner! Your call this time—has to be over ten thousand!”
Totally worth it! Liang Sheng figured if one tumble meant landing in a beauty’s arms plus a free feast, she could fall a billion times over.
The rest of the trip passed in silence. Three hours later, they finally reached the seaside in S City from D City. Liang Sheng wanted to nap, but the moment her head lolled toward Lu Ziqing, the young miss would wrench it back to her side. Unhappy, Gu Yuqi would yank it right back to rest on her own shoulder. Furious, Lu Ziqing would grab it again, and Gu Yuqi would shove it over once more.
Back and forth they went, over and over, until Liang Sheng shakily raised her hand, her voice weak: “Sisters… I’m not sleeping anymore. Please stop yanking my head around… Ugh…” She was about to puke from the jostling.
She stayed wide awake after that. Didn’t dare close her eyes.
Her mild motion sickness left Liang Sheng wobbly when they got off the bus. Gu Yuqi and Lu Ziqing each took an arm, propping her up as they guided her out.
“My… my head’s spinning!” Liang Sheng felt like her skull might explode.
She pitifully eyed Dong Yue, who stood waiting nearby, and softly asked, “Teacher… can I go lie down at the hotel first?”
Dong Yue put on a stern face. “No! You need to show some perseverance and resilience!”
Damn, Liang Sheng had heard that line in her old high school too. Turns out teachers were the same everywhere, no matter the world.
“I’ll carry you,” Gu Yuqi said, crouching down with a warm smile back at Liang Sheng. Liang Sheng nibbled her fingernail, looking every bit the lovestruck girl. Ah~ Senior sister seemed so reliable, so handsome!
Lu Ziqing’s face turned green with envy. She seized Liang Sheng’s wrist, blocking her from climbing onto Gu Yuqi’s back. Liang Sheng glanced at Lu Ziqing, then at the baffled Gu Yuqi, and sighed. Being popular with girls was its own headache~
Lu Ziqing whipped out her phone, ready to make a call, but Dong Yue grabbed her arm, shook her head, and whispered, “Don’t cause trouble. This is a group activity—not the time for your young miss tantrums.”
“Hmph!” Lu Ziqing pouted, shoved Dong Yue’s hand away, and stormed off, phone still pocketed despite her reluctance.
Next, Dong Yue nudged Gu Yuqi with her elbow. “Go rejoin your class. I’ll handle things here.” Gu Yuqi gave Liang Sheng a worried look, ruffled her hair, and left with a helpless shrug.
Dong Yue unzipped her bag and pulled out a glass bottle filled with light green tea. The leaves floated lazily as her hand shook it.
“Have a sip,” Dong Yue offered, holding it out to Liang Sheng. Liang Sheng gently pushed the bottle away. “Thanks, Teacher, but I’ve got my own water bottle.”
Dong Yue felt a pang of discomfort, inwardly grumbling—was Liang Sheng turning up her nose at it? But she quickly shook it off. As a teacher, how could she suspect her own student?
“Let’s go. Need me to support you?” Dong Yue patted Liang Sheng’s shoulder lightly. Liang Sheng waved her hands frantically. “No, no… I mean, it’s fine, thanks, Teacher.” Total chicken. No way was she letting the teacher help—afraid it’d shorten her lifespan or something.
Seeing Liang Sheng’s rejection, Dong Yue felt irked. Really… After what happened in the office, now she was shying away from even a touch? Dong Yue was a teacher—caring for students was normal. But this kid wasn’t appreciating it and even said she “dared not”!
Whoosh~ Favorability dropped.
“Dong Yue’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 14”
A woman’s heart was impossible to fathom. Panicking at Dong Yue’s subtly angry face, Liang Sheng grabbed her hand and forced an awkward smile onto her stiff features. “Te… Teacher, I feel really awful. Could you… help me out?”
Only then did Dong Yue feel better. Having a student rely on her stroked her ego as a teacher big time. Dong Yue was young; she’d always dreamed of the profession, and now that she had it, she craved her students’ dependence and admiration.
“Mm, Teacher will help you along.” Delighted by the reliance, Dong Yue supported her, feeling quite pleased.
Ding~ Favorability rose.
“Dong Yue’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 16.5”
So… the Favorability System could have decimals too. Liang Sheng eyed the number with decimals for the first time, full of curiosity.
Had the system upgraded, or were there still secrets and functions she hadn’t uncovered?
