Let’s Go Out and Talk

Cheng Tianxiong, our class’s sports representative, was a towering figure whose strength was nothing short of astonishing.

He had once single-handedly lifted a massive tree trunk that three people couldn’t even encircle.

Rumor had it, however, that his intelligence was less impressive; he was easily swayed by hearsay.

More importantly, Cheng Tianxiong seemed to harbor a significant fondness for the Class Monitor.

Now, this very person stood before me, demanding to know what had transpired between the Class Monitor and me yesterday.

‘What in the world is going on?! I’m absolutely not scared!’

“What happened? Cheng Tianxiong, what are you even talking about?”

I lifted my gaze to meet Cheng Tianxiong’s, who stood a head taller than me, and spoke with an innocent expression.

“Li Qingchen, don’t you dare play innocent with me! I saw the Class Monitor leave your house yesterday with my own eyes. Do you still intend to deny it?”

Cheng Tianxiong refused to let up, his eyes wide and fixed fiercely upon me.

‘Now that he mentions it, Cheng Tianxiong’s home isn’t far from mine. It’s not surprising he would have seen us.’

‘But could you please not shout so loudly?! The other students in the class have all heard you! They’re all looking over here!’

‘If this continues, the Class Monitor will be misunderstood by everyone! Don’t you supposedly like the Class Monitor? You truly are a pig-headed idiot, aren’t you?!’

My gaze darted around the classroom, landing on Lin Shujing, who had already arrived and was sitting perfectly still at her desk.

Though I couldn’t see her face, I knew she must have heard Cheng Tianxiong’s booming voice, and her mood couldn’t possibly be good right now.

‘No, I can’t indulge this fool’s antics now. Otherwise, this matter will only escalate, and the Class Monitor will undoubtedly be the one hurt in the end.’

I pulled my gaze back, shot a furious look at Cheng Tianxiong, and declared, “What exactly are you rambling about? I don’t understand a word!”

With that, I deftly slipped past Cheng Tianxiong and made my way towards my own seat.

Cheng Tianxiong, seemingly oblivious to his blunder, abruptly spun around.

Pointing a finger at my retreating back, he bellowed, “Li Qingchen! You pathetic shut-in, let me tell you, the Class Monitor is not someone you can touch! If you know what’s good for you, you’d better stay far away from her!”

I instantly stopped in my tracks, seething with anger.

‘Leave my ass! Could your voice get any louder?!’

By now, the students in the class had begun to whisper amongst themselves.

Though their discussions were hushed, I knew the Class Monitor, sitting at her desk, must be hearing every single word.

I cast a worried glance towards the Class Monitor, while Cheng Tianxiong, looking utterly triumphant, returned to his own seat.

The Class Monitor hadn’t once looked up or uttered a word, simply keeping her head down, engrossed in the Chinese textbook on her desk, as if she hadn’t heard a thing and was merely focused on her reading.

Yet, I knew with certainty that she had absorbed every word, for today’s morning self-study was supposed to be for English.

‘It’s over. The relationship I had just managed to build with the Class Monitor yesterday might have shattered in an instant today. There’s even a high chance she’ll distance herself from me more than usual to avoid further rumors!’

At this thought, I couldn’t help but glare ferociously at Cheng Tianxiong.

Whether he registered it or not, I wished my glare could strike him dead! People like him definitely wouldn’t survive past two episodes in any story!

Well, judging by his expression as he playfully joked with the surrounding students, my furious glare had undoubtedly gone unnoticed.

I let out a sigh and slowly returned to my seat.

‘Nothing good ever happens when I arrive at school this early. Today is definitely going to be utterly unlucky.’

After setting down my bag, just as I prepared to sit, a sudden sensation of being watched washed over me.

I abruptly lifted my head, following the direction of that feeling, only to see Ji Qianluo precisely turn her head away.

‘Hmm?’

I furrowed my brow, wondering what Ji Qianluo was up to now.

Logically, this Ji Qianluo should be the real one, not Queen Lan, who had invited me to the comic convention previously.

Therefore, the true Ji Qianluo and I had never exchanged a single word, implying we should be strangers.

So why did she turn to look at me? Was it merely curiosity?

Pondering these questions, I slowly sat down.

‘Never mind. I still have questions for her anyway. I’ll just bring it up later.’

Given Cheng Tianxiong’s sudden disruption, it was naturally inconvenient for me to approach Ji Qianluo now.

I decided to wait until lunchtime, when fewer students would be around, to talk to her.

‘Ugh, seriously, this is all that dumbass Cheng Tianxiong’s fault!’

I was practically pulling my hair out in frustration.

“Sect Master.”

Just then, Chen Shen, who sat in front of me, turned his head, gave me a thumbs-up, and said, “Congratulations, Sect Master! You just ‘conquered’ the class beauty the day before yesterday, and yesterday, you ‘conquered’ the Class Monitor! Your speed is simply astounding!”

“Do you want me to rip your mouth open?”

I shot Chen Shen an exasperated glare.

“Say no more.”

Chen Shen quickly waved his hands. “Li Sect Master, I understand completely. Such matters, of course, shouldn’t be publicized. However, I must remind the Sect Master: while you’re busy with your ‘colorful flags fluttering outside,’ remember to keep the ‘red flag’ standing firm at home. Be careful the school beauty doesn’t come looking to throw a tantrum at you.”

“Chen Shen, I find that hole in your backside quite an eyesore. Would you like me to help you plug it up?”

I said to Chen Shen with a cold smile.

“Sect Master, I was wrong. You needn’t trouble yourself with such matters.”

Chen Shen quickly turned his head back around.

Just then, I suddenly remembered something. I tossed my backpack to Chen Shen and said, “Here’s your stuff. I forgot to give it back to you yesterday. Take it.”

Chen Shen opened the backpack, took a peek, and then cast a suggestive look my way.

“Sect Master, you didn’t use it, did you?”

‘Use my ass! I looked at it yesterday, and that fleshlight of yours is actually a loli model. That’s practically a crime! I don’t have a loli-con fetish.’

‘And just to be clear, I didn’t deliberately look because I was curious. I just happened to glance at it by accident. It was an accident!’

I said to Chen Shen, “Use your sister, I didn’t use it! Now take it back and go ‘rub yourself to death’ in peace.”

“Then I can rest easy.”

Fatty Chen chuckled, then deftly and swiftly transferred the fleshlight from my backpack to his own, before handing my bag back to me. His hand speed was so quick, it was clear he got plenty of practice.

‘But wait a minute, you ‘rest easy’ because I didn’t use it? So you’re also disgusted by second-hand goods? Then why did you shove it into my backpack yesterday?!’

I took my backpack back and ignored Chen Shen. Morning self-study quickly began, then ended.

The morning classes were no different than usual—lessons, breaks, and that was essentially the extent of school life.

As for those who equated classes with dating, I cursed them to actually be long-lost siblings!

Notably, the Class Monitor didn’t speak to me for the entire morning.

She didn’t even come to ask me the reason for tracking her, as she had mentioned yesterday.

Of course, all of this was within my expectations, but to see it actually happen still left me feeling a little disheartened.

‘Ahem, let me just clarify, the Class Monitor and I are absolutely not long-lost siblings! We are completely innocent!’

The bell for the last class of the morning had already rung, and the other students scattered like flies, rushing off to eat. Despite being high schoolers, their energy levels remained astonishingly high.

I tidied my books. Unlike them, I had no intention of going to eat first; instead, I planned to find Ji Qianluo.

This time, I was determined to find Ji Qianluo and get to the bottom of things.

However, before I could even stand up to look for Ji Qianluo, a graceful figure suddenly approached my desk and gently tapped it with her hand.

“Li Qingchen, may we have a word?”

Chen Shen hadn’t left yet. He looked up in surprise at the person, then cast a pitiful gaze my way.

‘What the hell kind of look is that, you damn fatty?’

I slowly lifted my head to look at the person, and instantly froze.

There stood Ji Qianluo, right in front of my desk, gazing at me with a charming, sweet smile.

I immediately raised an eyebrow.

‘I hadn’t even gone to find her yet, and she found me first?’