Chapter 6

“Shuyu, I heard a new student transferred to your class?” Li Qingqing from the opposing Class O of Grade 10, Class 2, had crossed over to find Shen Shuyu as usual. Born with striking beauty, Li Qingqing was a presence that commanded attention. She was full of curiosity about the new classmate.

But Shen Shuyu looked pale and distracted, completely failing to notice Li Qingqing’s arrival.

Li Qingqing called out several times to Shen Shuyu, who didn’t respond. Worried, Li Qingqing asked, “Shuyu? What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m fine.” Shen Shuyu moved Li Qingqing’s hand from her forehead, her tone as calm as usual.

“What’s the matter? Did something annoying happen?” Li Qingqing pulled out the chair at Shen Shuyu’s empty desk and sat down, concerned.

“It’s nothing. It’s just that… the Senior Sister in the Club Department differentiated during winter break. She told me she doesn’t want to be Head of the Club Department anymore and wants me to take over.” Shen Shuyu knew Li Qingqing well; if she didn’t give a reasonable explanation, Li Qingqing would pester her until she got an answer. So, she casually offered up an excuse.

“But if you become the Department Head, even the senior students would have to call you ‘Boss’! How awesome would that be? Just say yes!” Li Qingqing egged her on.

Shen Shuyu was about to analyze the pros and cons for her when someone appeared at the door calling for her: “Shuyu, your Department Head is looking for you.”

Looking up, Shen Shuyu saw Sun Chun waving at her with a smile.

She was definitely here to persuade her to take over the position.

In the previous life, Shen Shuyu had accepted it. To her, serving as Club Department Head wasn’t difficult. The only problem was her status as a first-year junior, making it hard to command the respect of the second-year seniors. She had resolved that issue efficiently in her last life—swiftly and decisively, making an example out of someone.

However, in this life, she didn’t want the position anymore.

She had originally planned, once she became Yu Mo’s deskmate, to free up more time to spend with her, to properly relive these three years of high school together.

But now… Shen Shuyu’s peripheral vision caught Yu Mo chatting and laughing with Wei Lai at the back of the classroom.

I’m afraid things won’t go as wished.

With a complicated heart, Shen Shuyu went out. Sun Chun handed her a small, exquisitely wrapped box of chocolates. “I bought these during my trip to Country Y over winter break. I thought Junior Sister Shen might like them.”

“Thank you, Department Head.” Shen Shuyu politely accepted the chocolates.

Sunlight streamed into the courtyard formed by the square-shaped teaching building, falling on Shen Shuyu’s clean, fair face. Her aloofness was undiminished by her gentleness. Sun Chun’s brownish eyes held admiration as she smiled at Shen Shuyu. “It’s nothing. Would you like to try one?”

These weren’t just chocolates she bought; they were ones she made herself.

During the winter break, Sun Chun had differentiated into an Omega, exactly as her Genetic Test Report predicted. Seeing Shen Shuyu—who, based on the entrance genetic screening, was assigned to Class A—Sun Chun’s feelings, which she’d kept suppressed in her heart, stirred restlessly.

As Sun Chun’s hand slowly reached towards Shen Shuyu, Shen Shuyu held the box down by her side, dropping her arm. The move was natural and seamless, a smooth rejection. “No need. Senior Sister, let’s get to the main point first.”

Sun Chun hadn’t expected Shen Shuyu to be so direct. Originally hoping to subtly touch Shen Shuyu’s fingers, she now grasped empty air. Flustered, her words came out stammered: “Ah… yes, it’s still about the Club Department handover. I’ve asked many people, but I still think you’re the most suitable…”

This somewhat ambiguous scene by the window was noticed by many students in the class. Feng Ruoyu nudged Wei Lai with her elbow. “Hey, look, what’s going on over there?”

“Whoa, our esteemed Academic Representative is getting confessed to on the first day of school! Truly worthy of being the school-famous Reserve Alpha,” Wei Lai commented, watching the two outside, casually raising her hands to clap.

“Who is it?” Yu Mo had almost forgotten Shen Shuyu was the class Academic Representative. She looked up reflexively, following everyone else’s gaze.

The clean, bright window acted like a TV screen, framing Shen Shuyu and Sun Chun together, looking like the main Alpha/Omega pairing from a midday soap opera.

Shen Shuyu had a slender, tall build. Even without differentiating, she was already 167 cm. Her long, glossy jet-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Beneath the perfectly neat hair, a portion of her milk-white profile was visible, with a high, elegant nose bridge. The sunlight made her skin seem even more translucent and dazzlingly white than the sunlight itself.

She was truly beautiful. A beauty that made one overlook her secondary gender.

It was this kind of beauty that made her as holy and dangerous as a white poppy flower.

People knew her danger, yet still recklessly offered themselves up, willingly becoming the dirt nurturing the flower.

Yu Mo knew her danger intimately; she had tasted the pain firsthand. In this life, she absolutely would not go near her again.

“Hey, what are you thinking? Don’t tell me it’s love at first sight with Shen Shuyu?” Wei Lai waved her hand in front of Yu Mo’s face for a good while without reaction, laughing gleefully.

“Piss off. Only an idiot would fall for her.” Yu Mo slapped Wei Lai’s hand away and sat back in her chair with disdain.

The moment she sat down, she remembered—she had been that idiot in love with Shen Shuyu. The biggest idiot among them all.

“Damn it.” This thought made Yu Mo even angrier, and she kicked her chair in frustration.

The moment her foot landed, she felt the chair protest violently with a shudder. The next second, Yu Mo was on the floor, her rear end radiating a pain that scrunched up her young face.

The chair, tormented beforehand by Wei Lai, collapsed under Yu Mo.

Pfft. Explosive, bone-shaking laughter erupted around her. Feng Ruoyu, Zhou Qin, and Wei Lai doubled over with laughter at the disoriented, hapless Yu Mo, fumbling to help her up.

Wei Lai crouched, picking up the chair’s remains. With feigned regret but clear amusement, she told Yu Mo: “Oh, sis, I forgot to tell you. This chair is missing two fixing screws. Please don’t wiggle around so aggressively when sitting on it.”

“You definitely did that on purpose! Wei Lai!” Yu Mo clutched her rear, her tailbone throbbing painfully.

.

The bell for first period rang. Watching classmates rush back to the classroom, Yu Mo unhurriedly picked up the broken chair and headed to the Logistics Office.

So what if I skip class? She didn’t want to be the only one standing in the back row for the whole lesson. That was too conspicuous; teachers loved to pick on people like that.

The Logistics Office was in another teaching building. Walking along the connecting corridor between the two buildings, Yu Mo leisurely admired the surrounding scenery.

A University Affiliated Girls High School was situated in an excellent location. Although situated in the bustling Upper City District B, it was surprisingly secluded. Low hills were behind it; under a thin mist, they stretched continuously, dimly visible. Standing on the red-brick corridor, one could watch the sunrise and sunset, the morning glow and evening clouds. The view was stunningly beautiful.

Yu Mo had spent three years at this place before, yet she had never once carefully appreciated the scenery like this.

Truly, she had given up far too much for Shen Shuyu.

Yu Mo frowned, clasped her hands behind her back, and started reciting a poem: “What departs from me, yesterday’s days cannot be retained!”

“What troubles my heart, today’s days are full of worries!”

“Long winds send the wild geese—”

Just as she was stretching out the final syllable, a cold, clear female voice matched it from the other end of the corridor: “Facing such a scene, we could climb a tall building and drink.”

Yu Mo froze. Embarrassment crossed her face. She’d thought no one was around, hence her unrestrained recitation. To be overheard like this… how awkward.

What she didn’t expect… was something even more awkward.

The person who finished her poem slowly emerged from around the corner. Shen Shuyu’s face—the face Yu Mo had tried countless times to forget, yet still recognized instantly at a single glance—appeared in her line of sight.

A sudden spring breeze rose, fluttering the stray hairs by Yu Mo’s face. In the mess of hair, Shen Shuyu’s skirt hem lifted lightly. Her long, slender legs moved with measured, elegant steps. Her back was ramrod straight as she walked, cold and aloof, stopping right in front of Yu Mo.

Yu Mo looked at the person before her and laughed in disbelief.

So much for coincidence. She had explicitly chosen to bypass Shen Shuyu entirely… only to run right into her.

Shen Shuyu also found this too coincidental. She’d just been upstairs in the meeting room, agreeing with Sun Chun to take over as Club Department Head, when she heard Yu Mo’s voice while coming down the stairs.

Initially, Shen Shuyu thought she was mistaken. But unwilling to accept it was just her imagination, she descended the stairs slowly, step by step. And finally, at the line, “today’s days are full of worries,” she confirmed it was really Yu Mo’s voice.

The sudden surge of joy made Shen Shuyu cast aside her usual decorum. Her little leather shoes clip-clopped rapidly down the steps; every syllable spoke of her urgency.

Yu Mo is nearby. Hurry to meet her. Let her remember you.

“Why is Yu Mo here?” Shen Shuyu chose what she considered a reasonable, not too distant, conversation starter.

Yu Mo glanced at Shen Shuyu, wiped the expression off her face, and raised the broken chair in her hand. Her tone impatient, she said, “Can’t you see? My chair’s broken.”

Shen Shuyu’s heart dropped heavily. In her memory, Yu Mo had never spoken to her like this before. Such impatience, such coldness… like looking at a stranger. No—like an enemy.

Yu Mo watched Shen Shuyu’s face turn sour but didn’t care if her words upset her. Expressionless, she said: “Sorry, I still need to get a replacement. Won’t bore you with conversation, Academic Representative.”

With that, Yu Mo truly walked right past Shen Shuyu and disappeared around the corner into the stairwell.

If it weren’t for the faint, cheap laundry detergent scent that wafted behind Yu Mo as she brushed past—a scent matching Shen Shuyu’s memory—she might’ve thought this person wasn’t Yu Mo at all.

Shen Shuyu turned around with difficulty, watching the girl carrying the chair walking away with such finality. The frustration of being overlooked crashed over her again, like a bucket of ice water, drenching her from head to toe.

Yu Mo’s address for her wasn’t Shuyu… wasn’t Jiejie… but an ice-cold job title.

Academic Representative.