“Now, this is Lan Yu, our new classmate. Cough, may I ask which student would be willing to make room for our new classmate Lan Yu?” On the podium, Principal Zhang’s words were full of enticement, stirring up the class. It was a stark contrast to his usual sternness. His words were like sparks dropped into a barrel of gasoline, igniting a fierce flame. “Me!” “Her!” “My desk mate is willing!” Principal Zhang’s words were like a bomb filled with stimulants; dozens of boys almost simultaneously jumped up, threatening their old desk mates while loudly volunteering to make space for the new student. Naturally, those volunteered for didn’t take it lying down, and the situation quickly deteriorated into chaos. Meanwhile, the loners, usually sidelined for various reasons, quietly tidied up the seats beside them, waiting for their chance to get a “sister Lin” from the heavens. It’s rare for the principal himself to personally encourage everyone to give up their seats. By doing so, he indirectly creates a favorable situation for everyone, with an unspoken message to the students: there’s only one new pretty girl, and missing this chance would be a regret. This is practically a royal decree to pursue her! The students of Class 5, Grade 12, turned the classroom into a bustling morning market, chaotic and noisy.
“Mr. Principal, can Yu’er choose her own seat?” Principal Zhang realized his impulsive words might not have been appropriate. Seeing the disorderly classroom, he was at his wit’s end on how to manage these mischievous kids. When Lan Yu asked if she could choose her seat, he immediately felt relieved and gestured for her to go ahead.
“Sorry for the trouble!” Suddenly, a very cute voice rang out, and the noisy classroom instantly quieted down. Lan Yu smiled sweetly and bowed very politely to Principal Zhang. Zhang, standing close by, was particularly affected; it felt like he had been hit by an invisible shockwave, almost losing his footing. He quickly grabbed the podium, his face flushed, and discreetly removed his glasses to wipe away his embarrassment.
Standing on the podium like a queen surveying her subjects, Lan Yu scanned the crowd with an air of haughtiness. Each glance she cast would occasionally be accompanied by a slight frown, a shake of the head, or a pursing of the lips, all very cute actions. The boys, full of hope, would droop like defeated roosters when they didn’t receive the affirming look they longed for, losing all their spirit.
The atmosphere grew tense. The restless youths, all eager for the queen’s attention, were on edge, waiting for her gaze to land on them, like the sudden onset of a special battle where the numbers were mismatched, but the power disparity was even more skewed. The battlefront pushed back row by row, with more defeated roosters appearing, and those in the back rows who hadn’t yet been scanned felt both excited and anxious, fearing they might be next to fall but also worried the queen’s gaze might not reach them in time.
The battle was completely one-sided. Finally, when Lan Yu’s gaze settled on the most inconspicuous corner, on Sun Dasheng’s head, it stopped. With a radiant smile, under the envious and expectant eyes of everyone, she walked towards her chosen target. “It’s me! She’s looking at me! She’s smiling at me!” Sun Dasheng was overjoyed, nudging his desk mate and idol, Lin Feng, “Buddy, bear with it, I’ll treat you after school!”
Lin Feng frowned, whispering, “Fool, don’t pay attention to her!” Sun Dasheng pleaded, “I’ll buy you lunch for a week, a month, brother, please!”
Lin Feng, speechless, prepared to get up. Lan Yu stopped in front of Sun Dasheng, “Classmate, my name is Sun Dasheng, just call me Dasheng. Please come this way.”
Sun Dasheng was thrilled and tried to hurry Lin Feng out of his seat. At that moment, his idol, Lin Feng, became an obstacle he wished to kick away.
“Dasheng, can you help me out?”
“No problem, no problem! Wherever Lan Yu wants to sit, just tell me.”
“Could you move to another seat and let me sit here?”
“Okay, okay, no problem!” Sun Dasheng’s legs went weak, and he collapsed back into his seat, saved only by Lin Feng’s quick reaction.
Lin Feng stood up, “If you want to sit, sit. I’ll move, but let’s not play these games!”
Sun Dasheng, with a hiccup, sat back up, looking at Lin Feng with admiration, thinking how loyal his big brother was, and reached out to shake Lin Feng’s hand in gratitude.
Lan Yu let out a series of bell-like giggles, showing no sign of embarrassment, “Just a little prank, Lin Sang, how are you? There’s an empty seat over there, why would I bother you?” She then apologized to the now petrified Sun Dasheng.
Without waiting for Lin Feng’s response, Lan Yu gracefully moved to an empty seat diagonally across. “Can I sit here?”
“Yes, of course, of course!” The lucky boy, Huang Tao, was flustered, not minding the numerous hostile glances as he eagerly attended to Lan Yu.
“Oh, by the way, the name of this lucky guy is Huang Tao.”
“Damn, if we don’t deal with him for two days, the weasel’s tail starts to stick up again!” Sun Dasheng muttered, echoing the sentiment of almost all the boys, determined to teach this wind-stealing bastard a lesson.
Ever since the fall of the exemplary officer Cao Lei, the former school bully Cao Nan had become more subdued. It was thought that the once notorious North Gate Thirteen Eagles would fade away. However, as Cao Nan fell, Huang Tao rose, forming a so-called basketball league to rival Sun Dasheng’s team, which, due to Lin Feng’s reluctance to join, was not particularly strong. They had faced defeat several times against Huang Tao’s team, which was made up of former Thirteen Eagles members, leading to Sun Dasheng’s group feeling cornered and compelled to fight back, even if they were not keen on it.
