Chu Tao was considering whether he should introduce himself when he entered the classroom.

However, as soon as he stepped in, he realized that even if he shouted, no one would probably hear him.

Huainan No. 1 High School had expanded enrollment in recent years, with about 1,500 students per year. In the second year, there were five regular classes, six alpha classes, six Omega classes, plus specialized classes like the international and recommended track classes.

Normally, each class would have 65 students, with desks packed from the podium to the back wall. In the middle, four desks were even joined together, otherwise, they wouldn’t all fit.

But Class 3 had at most around forty students, with plenty of empty seats.

Chu Tao wasn’t sure if these empty seats were genuinely unoccupied or reserved for those “Buddha-like” students who didn’t even bother bringing books.

He stood at the door for a while, but no one noticed him.

Finally, Chu Tao knocked loudly on the door.

“Hello, I’m the new transfer. Is there an empty seat?”

For a brief moment, the room fell silent as people stopped chatting and playing around to look at him.

After a few seconds, they all shifted their gaze away in unison and continued talking energetically, as if Chu Tao didn’t matter at all.

Chu Tao closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

What kind of students were these?

With no one paying attention, he decided to find a seat and sit down first. If someone claimed it later, he could just move.

Chu Tao picked a spot along the wall, toward the middle, where two desks were empty with no seatmate.

He needed some quiet anyway.

But unfortunately, since the spot was unused, it had been pushed too close to the back wall. The chair was practically wedged under the desk, leaving barely enough room to stretch his legs.

The person behind hadn’t arrived yet, and there was only a dusty basketball under the desk.

Chu Tao leaned in to check out the space behind him.

There was enough room back there to house an elephant.

Indifferently, he nudged the desk behind him to create a space for himself, set his bag on the chair, and went over to the water dispenser at the front of the room.

The water jug had just been refilled, with droplets still on the floor from the refill.

Apparently, despite the chaos, someone was responsible for maintenance.

He pressed the red button, and hot water gushed into his silver-gray cup. The water cooler made a low bubbling noise, with two big bubbles popping to the surface.

As he filled his cup, he started feeling like something was off.

The classroom’s noisy atmosphere seemed to be dying down. Even those slamming desks and kicking chairs had quieted.

His right eyelid twitched ominously.

Left eyelid means wealth; right eyelid means trouble.

Could his luck get any worse after being assigned to this class?

Just as he thought that, the two guys who had just left came back, still laughing and joking. They stopped in their tracks the moment they entered the room.

“Whoa, who’s sitting in front of my Brother She’s seat?”

“Bold enough to take that spot—ready to receive Brother She’s affection?”

Chu Tao’s eye twitched even harder.

No wonder no one sat there. No wonder the whole class went silent.

He had accidentally broken some unspoken rule, and these guys were just waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Chu Tao turned around and said calmly, “It’s me. Is it off-limits? If so, I’ll move.”

“Who said you can’t sit there? Go ahead.”

A lazy, low male voice came from the doorway. His tone was casual, but the moment he spoke, the entire class fell silent.

Chu Tao looked up and instinctively tightened his grip on his cup.

In reality, Jiang She looked almost scholarly.

He had clean, straight black hair, neither dyed nor curled, with bangs casually hanging over his forehead and a hint of arrogance in his gaze.

He even wore his school uniform properly, despite the designer T-shirt layered underneath.

With one hand in his pocket, he leaned against the doorframe lazily, yet exuded a natural authority.

If Chu Tao didn’t know about his notorious reputation, he might have mistaken Jiang She for a competent class president.

But recalling the cold and ruthless expression Jiang She had when he watched someone get beaten in an alley, Chu Tao felt a shiver run down his spine.

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’ll find another seat.”

Jiang She raised an eyebrow in surprise, studying Chu Tao with interest. “Are you afraid of me?”

Chu Tao lowered his gaze, pressed his lips together, and stayed silent.

It wasn’t exactly fear; he just didn’t want trouble or any more hassle.

Jiang She squinted, examining him for a long moment.

Chu Tao looked unexpectedly docile, his gaze downcast, his long, delicate eyes framed by thick lashes that curled up. The steam rising from his cup gave him a hazy look.

His ears were slightly flushed from the sudden attention, a faint pink spreading to his translucent skin under the morning light.

He wore his summer school uniform underneath an autumn jacket, and both collars were neatly folded.

His fair skin and slender neck revealed a hint of his collarbone through the collar gap.

There was a subtle pine scent around him.

There were many types of inhibitors, but this was Jiang She’s first time encountering this scent, which suited him.

Jiang She thought, silently musing, What an alluring look.