Special Preparation for the Class Population

Yancheng International Private Academy.

Class 2, Grade 1.

The students in the class were still huddled together, chatting away.

However, today, there was a literary girl in the class who didn’t join the conversation. Why?

She felt that today’s matters were already settled and didn’t require her further input, so she sat quietly at her seat, carefully flipping through a short story collection with her slender fingers.

This scene was the very definition of a "literary girl," a term that seemed tailor-made to describe a pure and innocent young lady.

And Xu Tianyi completely lived up to this title.

Glasses + braided hair.

Take off the glasses and undo the braids, and she would transform into a standard black-haired, long-haired beauty. Unfortunately, she was too devoted to her studies and had no spare time to dress up.

In any case, she was the only one in the class with such transformative potential.

No one had ever seen her in her "beauty mode."

But even so, she was content. After all, not caring about her appearance saved her a lot of unnecessary trouble and worries.

“Alright, for this afternoon’s open class, we’ve decided not to attend. Instead, we’ll decorate the classroom. We’ll leave the middle seats empty, and this spot here will also be reserved. This might require some effort from the boys.”

Xuan Ying was enthusiastically planning in the middle of the crowd, with all eyes on her.

Wang Guancong, from the group of boys, nodded excitedly and chimed in, “Okay, I was just thinking the same. We’ll handle this. As for the balloons, backdrop, party poppers, flowers, and ribbons—I’ve already got them ready. They’re stored in the supply room, and we can grab them anytime.”

“The cake’s also taken care of. It’ll be delivered on time this afternoon,” added Chai Hao from the next class.

“According to the plan, the balloons will go here, the backdrop here, and as soon as he walks in, we’ll set off the party poppers,” a few other boys were eagerly discussing the details of the setup.

Meanwhile, two girls walked in through the door, both exuding a youthful and vibrant aura.

They were the class monitor and the discipline committee member.

Li Wen and Zhao Yan.

Li Wen was holding a form as she approached Liu Xinyi, the class’s "arts and culture representative."

“Xinyi, here’s the layout for the birthday setup,” Li Wen said, handing the paper to Liu Xinyi.

“Oh! Let me see,” Liu Xinyi replied, nodding as she took the form.

“You’ll be in charge of directing the event and hosting. It’s all on you,” Li Wen said with a smile.

“Don’t worry,” Liu Xinyi responded with a smile, but as soon as she glanced at the form, her expression froze. She looked up in shock and confusion at Li Wen, her mouth slightly agape. “Why… why is President Ji the one lighting the candles?”

“Well…” Li Wen glanced around, then lowered her voice and whispered into Liu Xinyi’s ear, “We’ve confirmed that President Ji will be attending. According to protocol, the most distinguished person present should handle this.”

“……”

After hearing this, Liu Xinyi’s face was filled with hesitation. As the host, she would have to direct President Ji to light the candles.

But President Ji’s status was undeniable. Normally, just a glance from her would make them feel honored.

And now, they were supposed to ask her to light candles?

This…

Just as she was hesitating, Xu Tianyi, realizing she should step in, stood up and looked at Liu Xinyi with a serious expression. “Don’t worry about it. President Ji won’t refuse. I’ll notify her when the time comes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Xinyi looked up.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

Liu Xinyi nodded, then turned back to Li Wen. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

…………………

However, in the corner of the classroom, there was also a "fake literary girl."

She was also very quiet, not joining any discussions.

Instead, she sat in the corner, her dark bangs hanging over her snow-white forehead, her long, waterfall-like hair cascading down to her waist.

Her fair skin made her eyelashes and pupils stand out even more. She was holding a book, engrossed in reading.

From any angle, this girl was undeniably a literary girl.

But…

The book she was holding shattered that illusion.

The scene, even in Su Cheng’s eyes, felt somewhat surreal. The image was too beautiful, almost too much to bear.

She was reading a typical "wish-fulfillment" novel.

Would you call someone who reads such novels a literary girl/boy?

After a while, Li Guanqi closed the book, let out a sigh, and stood up, heading toward the door.

She had realized there was an unpredictable factor.

Gu Ruoxue.

She felt that as soon as the open class ended, Su Cheng would follow Gu Ruoxue to her club.

So, she decided to stake out Gu Ruoxue at the school gate.

However, as soon as she stepped out of the school, her attention was caught by a vending machine.

Her usually calm and composed demeanor wavered, and her eyes sparkled with hesitation and longing.

It had been days since she last had any sweets.

As a sweet-tooth enthusiast, she felt her taste buds craving something, as if something was stuck in her throat.

She couldn’t help but lick her lips, then glanced around to make sure a certain "protagonist" wasn’t nearby. Only then did she cautiously approach the vending machine, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the assortment of juices behind the glass.

She took out a coin, exchanged it for a bottle of juice, and with a clunk, the juice dropped. The noise caught the attention of a girl standing not far away, who first looked at the vending machine, then back at Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi bent down to pick up the drink, and as she straightened up, she noticed the girl standing there, watching her.

It was Gu Ruoxue.

She stood as upright as ever, her face serious and composed, taking slow, deliberate steps toward Li Guanqi.

“Were you waiting for me?”

A cool, slightly husky voice reached Li Guanqi’s ears.

“Yes.”

Li Guanqi nodded, her expression as calm as ever, her gaze steady and emotionless as she looked at Gu Ruoxue.

“Because of his birthday?”

Gu Ruoxue asked again, her tone still cold.

Li Guanqi didn’t respond, which was as good as a confirmation.

“This birthday celebration is indeed a special event for him, and an important milestone,” Gu Ruoxue continued, her voice still icy but with a hint of concern.

But Li Guanqi was puzzled. The class’s plans shouldn’t have reached Gu Ruoxue.

Could it really be, as Su Cheng said, that she had the ability to foresee the future?

“Your class had someone ask me to handle this birthday. But I didn’t accept the request.”

Gu Ruoxue seemed to sense her confusion and offered an explanation.

“Will you come, then?”

Li Guanqi asked, looking at Gu Ruoxue.

“No.”

Gu Ruoxue shook her head. “I don’t like overly crowded events.”

Li Guanqi quietly observed her every move, even her breathing, while Gu Ruoxue did the same.

Their eyes met, and in that moment, they both understood each other’s thoughts.

“It won’t take long. I’ll make sure he returns to the class.”

Gu Ruoxue responded to Li Guanqi’s unspoken thoughts.

“Thank you, senior.”

Li Guanqi nodded in gratitude.

“No need.”

With that, Gu Ruoxue averted her gaze.

The two then walked toward the school building together.

…………………

Meanwhile, Su Cheng was having a rough time.

After chatting with Senior Liu for a while, he was now in danger of being late. So, he had to pedal his bike standing up, kicking up a trail of dust as he rushed toward the school.

But no matter how fast he went, he couldn’t change the fact that he was already late.

Realizing this, Su Cheng stopped and let out a resigned sigh.

“Sigh.”

Since he couldn’t use his phone today, he had no way of knowing the time.

Moreover, he had no habit of wearing a watch.

He parked his bike and bought some food from a roadside breakfast stall, casually asking for the time, only to be told it was already 8:30.

Since he was already late, there was no point in rushing. So, with a "what's done is done" attitude, he leisurely rode his bike, taking in the surrounding scenery.

When he arrived at the school gate, he noticed a disciplinary committee girl holding a clipboard, recording the names of latecomers.

Seeing this, Su Cheng couldn't help but stop in his tracks. After all, getting penalized would affect the entire class!

"Oh no, I've been spotted!"

Just as Su Cheng was about to find a corner to stash his bike in his system space and sneak in invisibly, the disciplinary committee girl waved at him, her expression serious as she said, "Classmate, you're late!"

Hearing this familiar voice and seeing the familiar long-haired girl, Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.

This girl was none other than his devoted follower—Hoshino Mirai.

"No big deal, there's a way to fix this."

Su Cheng quickly thought of a way to avoid getting penalized.

Because he was wearing a mask!!

Although not many students rode bikes to school, making them more recognizable, it wasn't unheard of.

So, with a calm demeanor, he walked up to Hoshino Mirai, deliberately blocking the color and model of his bike.

"Classmate, take off your mask. And tell me your class and name!"

Hoshino Mirai picked up her pen, lowering her head as she began to inquire.

"Look up at the sky!"

Su Cheng suddenly pointed behind her, exclaiming loudly.

However, Hoshino Mirai raised her head, looking at Su Cheng as if he were a fool. "Classmate, that trick isn't original. It won't work on me."

Her unimpressed expression made Su Cheng smile wryly under his mask. Then, in a strange tone, he added, "I'm not lying. There's something black and white moving on the rooftop. Isn't that worth an exclamation?"

"What?!"

Hearing this, Hoshino Mirai instantly gasped, her pupils shrinking rapidly. She quickly turned around, her eyes wide as she scanned the rooftop, trying to get a clear look.

Unfortunately, after sweeping her gaze across the entire rooftop, she didn't see the 'Great Merciful and Compassionate Penguin Prince' she had been longing for, leaving her deeply disappointed.

She knew the Penguin Prince had been silently watching over her, but he never revealed himself. So, she didn't doubt her classmate's words, believing he must have seen something, or else he wouldn't have exclaimed like that.

After all, if he hadn't seen anything, why would he coincidentally mention something black and white on the rooftop?

Of course, it was likely that with that exclamation, the Penguin Prince had already vanished.

"Huh?"

Just as she turned back, about to say she hadn't seen anything, the latecomer was nowhere to be found.

He had disappeared without a trace!

Hoshino Mirai: "......."

"Sigh..."

She let out a sigh, then glanced back at the rooftop, thinking to herself that she should visit the rooftop later today.

"But first, I need to catch that sneaky student who just ran off!"

Hoshino Mirai signaled the gatekeeper to close the school gate while muttering to herself as she headed toward the school building.

Just as she entered the building, she happened to run into Su Cheng, who had just parked his bike and was also heading inside.

And now, Su Cheng had removed his mask.

Their eyes met, and Su Cheng felt extremely awkward.

Hoshino Mirai tentatively asked, "Su Cheng, was it you who was late just now?"

"Well..."

Su Cheng coughed lightly, then replied with some embarrassment, "Yes, it was me. Sorry for the trouble."

"It's fine, I understand."

Hoshino Mirai nodded, then continued, "It was partly my fault too. I got distracted for a moment."

Though she said this, her hand didn't slow down as she wrote Su Cheng's class and name in her notebook.

Su Cheng's mouth twitched as he glanced at her notebook, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Alright, Su Cheng, make sure to come earlier next time. Don't be late again."

Hoshino Mirai closed her notebook, giving him a smile before walking away.

Su Cheng watched her retreating figure, sighed, but then caught up to her, curiously asking, "Did you see that black-and-white thing earlier?"

Hoshino Mirai's steps faltered for a moment, then she calmly replied, "No."

Her tone was sincere, but a flicker of panic flashed in her dark eyes.

"Oh, maybe I was just seeing things."

Su Cheng shrugged, not too concerned.

"By the way, which building did you see it from?"

Hoshino Mirai finally asked.

"The school building."

Su Cheng nodded, then asked, "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing."

Hoshino Mirai shook her head lightly, but she had already decided to ask her brother to get the rooftop key during lunch and check it out herself.

"Well, I'll head back to class now. See you later, Senpai."

Su Cheng waved at her, then turned and walked toward his classroom.

However, upon arriving at his classroom and hearing the teacher's lecture inside, he felt conflicted.

This was his first time being late.

Walking in would mean facing the stares of both the teacher and his classmates, inevitably disrupting the class.

He now greatly envied Li Guanqi's talent for slipping in unnoticed.

Using the back door would be too disrespectful to the teacher.

After some thought, he decided to walk in through the main door, bravely admitting his mistake and sincerely apologizing.

So, with his back straight, he walked step by step toward the door, then pushed it open in front of everyone.

"I'm late. I'm sorry for interrupting the class!"

Su Cheng went straight to the point, apologizing and lowering his head in shame, ready to accept any criticism.

The male teacher, hearing this, put down the chalk and turned to look at him, nodding in approval before gesturing for him to take his seat.

Then, in front of the entire class, the teacher praised Su Cheng for his bravery and honesty, ending with the whole class applauding enthusiastically. Su Cheng, completely bewildered, sat down in his "throne of the king."

"So, how did criticism turn into praise?"