The Unlikely Alliance and a Threatening Reminder

Zhou Yi’s smile gradually faded from his face. Slowly, he raised a hand, clenching his fist before cracking his knuckles with a distinct *snap*.

A sinister, yet seemingly benevolent, smile then bloomed anew on his features. “Alright,” he drawled, “you might escape the first day, but you won’t escape the fifteenth. We have plenty of time, don’t we? We’ll take it slow, hmm?”

Chen Hao and Zhao Lei simultaneously shrank their necks.

Jiang Chen, observing the menacing yet utterly childish stance of revenge from his companion, couldn’t hold back a laugh.

Just then, Han Yan, seated a few rows diagonally behind them, called out to Jiang Chen. “Jiang Chen.” He then raised a hand, making a ‘team up’ gesture.

Jiang Chen understood, nodding towards him. This was indeed the most efficient approach.

Turning to Zhou Yi, who was still grinding his teeth, Jiang Chen said, “Alright, stop bickering with them. We’ll form our own group. With Han Yan joining us, this assignment is practically a guaranteed pass.”

Only then did Zhou Yi grudgingly retract his death glare, though he remained indignant. “But that’s still one short! Everyone in this room has almost formed teams. Where are we supposed to find another unfortunate soul… no, another reliable group member?”

They scanned their surroundings. The other students in the classroom had already formed groups of two or three, leaving only a few clearly isolated individuals, either introverted or still hesitating.

Just as Zhou Yi was contemplating a ‘friendly negotiation’ with someone who looked honest and hardworking, a faint, timid voice drifted from nearby.

“…Um, excuse me…”

Lin Wei, who had been sitting with her head down and barely any presence, had unknowingly stood up. Her gaze was directed towards Jiang Chen and Zhou Yi.

“C-can I join?”

Her eyes flickered to Han Yan for a fleeting moment before quickly darting away, betraying a hint of nervousness.

Jiang Chen instinctively looked at Han Yan, seeking his opinion.

Han Yan frowned, clearly not keen on the idea. He lowered his eyes, returning to his computer, expressing his stance through silence.

The air became momentarily awkward.

Lin Wei bit her lip, but instead of retreating, she bravely took two steps forward, positioning herself between Zhou Yi’s and Jiang Chen’s desks.

“In this class… I really don’t know anyone except Han Yan.” Her voice sounded a little low, and as she spoke, her gaze subtly shifted towards Han Yan. “So I can’t find anyone to team up with at all… But I can do the work, truly.”

As she spoke, she somewhat eagerly pulled out her phone from her canvas bag. She opened a screenshot of the academic system and handed it to Zhou Yi with both hands. “I can handle market research and user interviews. Last semester, I scored high in ‘Social Research Methods’.”

Zhou Yi took the phone and glanced at it, confirming the high scores. He instinctively looked at Han Yan.

Han Yan lifted his head, looking at Lin Wei with a hint of impatience. His fingertips tapped unconsciously on the edge of his laptop.

Lin Wei, however, seemed oblivious to Han Yan’s impatient reaction, or perhaps she chose to ignore it.

She turned to Jiang Chen. “I can also do competitor analysis. I’ve organized all the iteration logs for campus service apps on the market over the past three months.”

She swiftly scrolled through her phone’s photo album, pulling up a dense table. The screenshot was so clear that every version’s update date and feature point were visible.

Jiang Chen took the phone and examined it. The table was professionally and meticulously crafted, and a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes. He looked at Han Yan again, his gaze holding an ambiguous question.

Zhou Yi was left a little dazed by her rapid-fire ‘skill demonstration’.

‘Is this girl here to join a team, or for a job interview?’

Han Yan’s lips thinned into a straight line. He truly wished to avoid further entanglement with Lin Wei; her excessive emotional dependence had long suffocated him.

Yet, the moment Jiang Chen cast his questioning glance, Lin Wei acutely caught the fleeting hesitation in Han Yan’s eyes.

She lowered her head, adding softly, “I won’t be a burden… Really, I can do anything…”

‘Anything at all.’

Jiang Chen and Zhou Yi exchanged a look, tacitly tossing this hot potato back to Han Yan.

The pressure once again settled on Han Yan’s shoulders.

He looked at Lin Wei with a complex gaze, observing her reddened earlobes, trembling fingers, and those eyes that, at this moment, were filled with humble expectation yet an unusual stubbornness.

That look reminded him of himself three years ago, desperately learning things he disliked just to keep pace with someone.

He remained silent for a full ten seconds. Finally, he let out a soft sigh.

The sigh carried a profound sense of helplessness.

“…Do as you wish.” Han Yan retracted his gaze, turning back to his computer screen. “But let’s be clear upfront: if you can’t keep up, I’ll ask for a replacement.”

“I won’t fall behind!” Lin Wei immediately assured him, unable to contain her inner joy. She quickly wiped the corner of her eye and placed her canvas bag back on her seat.

Zhou Yi and Jiang Chen exchanged a glance. Jiang Chen shrugged, then added Lin Wei to their newly created WeChat group.

“Thank you!” Lin Wei nodded eagerly.

Only then did Zhou Yi scrutinize Lin Wei again. The awkwardness and gratitude on her face now were a stark contrast to the deliberate stare he had received from her at the sports meet yesterday.

This striking difference caused that uncomfortable feeling to resurface within him.

He frowned, forcibly suppressing this inexplicable emotion.

He recalled the terrified, helpless girl on the bus in the simulator, and the stubborn figure under the streetlight, looking at Han Yan’s back and declaring, “I won’t give up.”

‘Never mind.’

He dismissed his thoughts. At least this team-up would give the girl a legitimate reason, a natural right, to sit beside Han Yan.

As for the past between her and Han Yan, if Han Yan didn’t bring it up, he wouldn’t pry.

That was their business, and they should handle it themselves.

“Alright, then our team is officially formed.” Zhou Yi clapped his hands. “We’ll discuss roles and our first meeting time in the group chat later. As for now…”

His tone shifted, and he gave a sinister look to the two guys in the back who were trying to make themselves invisible. “Shouldn’t some people be explaining why they stood me up and ganged up to fool me?”

Chen Hao and Zhao Lei stiffened, then grabbed their bags and bolted for the door.

Zhou Yi sneered, not giving chase.

He leisurely picked up his phone and created a four-person group named [Cross-dressing Brotherhood Mutual Aid Group]. He then dragged Jiang Chen, Chen Hao, Zhao Lei, and himself into it, one by one.

Then, he sent an image.

Opening it revealed a buyer’s photo of the maid outfit. It was worn by a muscular male model, creating an extremely impactful visual.

The group fell silent for two seconds.

[Dad! Is it still not too late to prepare revival coins?] – Chen Hao

[Brother Tu! I really didn’t mean to stand you up! It was the 3000-meter run that…] – Zhao Lei

[Tonight at 8 PM, dorm, we’ll talk face-to-face. If you don’t show, you’ll see yourselves on the campus wall tomorrow.] – Zhou Yi

[With pictures and the truth. I’ve even thought of the title.] – He added.

After sending, he decisively locked his screen.

Jiang Chen, who had silently observed the entire exchange, couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth, especially after seeing that shocking buyer’s photo.

He cleared his throat and asked, “The campus forum… are you really going to post it?”

“Depends on their performance.” Zhou Yi put his phone back into his pocket. “Alright, all the troublemakers have been dealt with.”