For the students of Senior Class One, this day was nothing short of extraordinary, bordering on the absurd.
Barely had the school term begun when a beauty of school belle caliber walked through their classroom doors, a development that would undoubtedly become explosive gossip across the campus for weeks to come.
Naturally, in stark contrast to Lin Ruofei, Fang Yu was met with a far less warm reception.
In the eyes of the returning students, Fang Yu, the new arrival who had already positioned himself closest to Lin Ruofei, was already subconsciously branded as a potential romantic rival. More than a few of them were already hatching plans to have a little "chat" with him.
Fresh back from homeroom teacher Zhao Qian's office, Fang Yu had long since picked up on those glares, yet he paid no mind whatsoever to the looks of seething, murderous hatred from these silly schoolboys. In his eyes, they were little more than children. If there was any difference at all, it was that they lacked the innocence and purity of actual young children. He even found himself feeling a flicker of pity for the boys around him.
"Hey, what did the homeroom teacher want with you?" The moment Fang Yu sat back down, Lin Ruofei nudged his arm lightly, blinking up at him and asking in a soft whisper.
"Nothing much. Just a few small things she wanted to go over with me." Fang Yu replied in a low voice, then fell silent at once.
A brief murmur rippled through the classroom before falling dead silent, as Zhao Qian stepped up onto the podium.
"Students, your final year of high school officially begins today. We have less than a year until the national college entrance examination…" No sooner had she opened her mouth than she launched into a full motivational speech for the gaokao.
In response, the students below stared back at her with blank, glazed-over eyes. For a long moment, the classroom fell into an eerie, oppressive silence—all except for one spot.
"Hey! The teacher's up there pouring her heart out with this dramatic speech, and you're over here falling asleep?" Lin Ruofei's face turned green with disbelief. This guy was really something else—with the teacher practically shouting at the front of the room, he'd just slouched over his desk and nodded off.
"Student Fang Yu, please stand up." Zhao Qian's voice rang out, her expression darkening as her gaze fixed on Fang Yu's corner of the room.
"Yes, ma'am." Fang Yu shot to his feet, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and stared at Zhao Qian with a dazed, confused look.
"Heh, this guy's toast. This'll make you feel better, Xiaoqin." Having been Zhao Qian's student for two years, Yan Ting knew her temper all too well. Zhao Qian absolutely hated students sleeping in her class. She remembered once, a student who'd accidentally nodded off during a lesson had been forced to write a ten-thousand-word self-criticism as punishment. Yan Ting was certain Fang Yu was about to face the same humiliating fate.
"Heh, I'm more than happy to watch this guy make a fool of himself." A gloating smirk spread across Xiaoqin's face.
She was far from alone in that sentiment. The boys who'd set their sights on the new arrival Lin Ruofei all wore vicious, eager sneers, waiting for Fang Yu's comeuppance. But the words that came out of Zhao Qian's mouth next twisted their expressions into ones of utter, comical disbelief.
"Due to special circumstances, I have decided to temporarily relieve Liu Jun of his position as class president, and appoint Student Fang Yu as his replacement." Zhao Qian stared at Fang Yu's careless, slouched posture, barely containing the surge of anger rising in her chest.
"Does anyone have any objections?" Seeing the wild array of expressions on the students' faces, Zhao Qian frowned in faint confusion.
The classroom fell silent once more, for a heartbeat that stretched into eternity—before a single voice cut through the hush, and the entire room erupted into chaos.
"Teacher, I object." A handsome, well-dressed young man shot to his feet, his face set in a cold, defiant scowl.