Chapter 9

Over the next two days, Zhang Yunyin encountered Chen Kuo every morning. She had taken note of the time—it was always between 6:00 and 6:05 AM.

At this hour, most of the boarding students were just struggling to wake up.

Even for her, it was painful to get out of bed, yet he seemed completely used to it.

Success never comes easy—those who achieve it must have something special.

On Friday morning, Zhang Yunyin’s alarm once again yanked her out of her dreams. She skillfully turned it off, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and got up. When she stepped onto the balcony to brush her teeth, she noticed a light drizzle outside.

The rain in early September didn’t bring any coolness, but the air felt much fresher. Taking a deep breath, she could even catch the scent of fresh grass.

As she brushed her teeth, she debated whether to bring an umbrella to the track. She knew herself too well—after persisting for three or four days, if she crawled back into bed just because of a little rain, all her efforts would go to waste.

She was the type to fish for three days and dry the nets for two.

After thinking it through, she decided on a compromise—she wouldn’t run in the rain, but she also wouldn’t go back to sleep. After quickly washing up, she grabbed an umbrella from her drawer and headed downstairs. Out of habit, she glanced around and was surprised—not seeing Chen Kuo.

She only hesitated for a moment before realizing—he wasn’t a machine. It was impossible to run into him every single day.

Walking under her umbrella along the quiet campus path, she soon reached the cafeteria. The kitchen staff had just started work, and most of the food stalls hadn’t opened yet, so the options were limited. She bought an egg pancake and some shumai before heading to the teaching building.

At 6:15 AM, the building was nearly empty.

There were very few “werewolves” who woke up twenty minutes early to eat breakfast or study.

Even Zhang Yunyin never expected that, in her lifetime, she would become one of them.

How impressive!

In the hallway, Chen Kuo was leisurely peeling an egg when he heard quick footsteps approaching from the staircase. He turned his head casually and, upon meeting Zhang Yunyin’s bright, excited gaze, unconsciously squeezed the egg harder. The fragile shell instantly crumbled.

Zhang Yunyin was genuinely thrilled.

Her ponytail swayed in the air as she walked briskly to his side. “Good morning~”

Chen Kuo: “……”

He was a bit speechless—he had deliberately left ten minutes earlier today. “Good morning.”

Their classroom was right behind them.

Some students inside were also having breakfast.

Even with the doors and windows open, the strong food smell still lingered.

A random thought crossed Zhang Yunyin’s mind—could it be that Chen Kuo was eating outside to avoid bothering others with the smell?

As expected of the “boss” she admired—such good manners.

She had originally planned to eat at her desk, but seeing him outside, she decided to follow the boss’s lead. Opening her plastic bag, she took a bite of her shumai and glanced at his breakfast—two large meat buns and an egg. Simple yet nutritious.

“Are those buns good?” she asked.

Her mom never let her buy meat buns outside, even scaring her by saying they were made with lymphatic meat and shredded cardboard mixed into the filling.

That disgusting description completely ruined her appetite.

Chen Kuo, as succinct as ever, replied, “They’re okay.”

“Class rep, what time do you wake up every day?” Zhang Yunyin casually asked. “I didn’t see you earlier—I thought I woke up earlier than you today.”

Chen Kuo gazed into the distance, deep in thought.

He really wanted to tell her—if she had something to say, she could just say it directly.

But the words never left his mouth.

His silence didn’t seem to affect her enthusiasm. She continued chattering beside him, “…It’s still easy to wake up now, but I don’t know what I’ll do when winter comes.”

Chen Kuo quickly finished his egg and moved on to his bun. He ate so fast that he nearly choked.

Noticing his expression, Zhang Yunyin hurriedly stabbed a straw into his milk and handed it to him. “Choked? Drink some milk!”

Reacting instinctively, he took it from her. Their hands brushed briefly, and his face showed a hint of embarrassment. He stiffly stepped to the side, lowering his head to take several gulps of milk before his usual expression returned.

When he looked up, she was still watching him with concern.

Chen Kuo’s voice dropped slightly. “Thanks.”

Zhang Yunyin let out a relieved sigh. “As long as you’re okay~”

Senior year was truly brutal.

Even a top student like Chen Kuo was racing against time. She had heard that many students cut down on their meal times just to squeeze in more study hours. The college entrance exam was a battlefield with thousands fighting to cross a single-log bridge.

She admired people like Chen Kuo for their success, but she never felt jealous.

Because she believed that those who worked hard deserved a better life.

Just then, Fei Shijie rushed into the classroom like a gust of wind.

His hair was a mess—he hadn’t bothered to brush it in the morning. But he did care about his image, so he pulled a comb from his desk and started tidying up.

Glancing at Chen Kuo, who was absentmindedly drawing a black line on his scratch paper, Fei Shijie raised an eyebrow.

“What kind of question could possibly stump you?”

He wanted to lean in for a look.

Chen Kuo dodged, his already sharp jaw tightening. “Don’t bother me. Get lost.”

Fei Shijie: “?”

Alright then, looks like the kid’s having another episode.

—

Tomorrow was Saturday, and the students were in high spirits—except for Zhang Yunyi. After dinner, while taking a walk with Dai Jia to digest, she still hadn’t forgotten to recite her classical Chinese text, stumbling over the words, “…A straight piece of wood can be used as a carpenter’s rule; when bent, it becomes a wheel, and its curves follow the compass…”

Hearing her stammering, Dai Jia frowned.

How could she be struggling this much with a first-year classical Chinese text? But after thinking it over, she realized this was just the first round of review—it was normal to struggle a little.

For Zhang Yunyi, though, this wasn’t something she had studied two years ago—it was from many years ago. The text was a tongue twister to her. Just a few days ago, she could barely read it smoothly, let alone memorize it without stumbling.

Xunzi, I hate you!!

But her hard work paid off. With Dai Jia’s friendly hints, she barely managed to recite the whole passage. Though she was all smiles on the surface, internally, she was cursing up a storm. She felt like she couldn’t go on living this miserable life any longer. Her current mental state was genuinely concerning—her friends had all noticed and thought her “crazy mode” had lasted too long this time.

Dai Jia hesitated before saying tactfully, “There’s still more than half a year until the college entrance exam.”

She had known Zhang Yunyi for over a year, but this was the first time she had seen her like this.

Privately, she, Xu Shishi, and Shen Mingrui were all wondering how long Zhang Yunyi would keep up this state. It was honestly a little scary.

Zhang Yunyi closed her eyes in anguish. “Yeah, only 245 days left!”

Dai Jia: “…”

What do I do? The kid’s really lost it.

After a moment, she suggested, “How about this—I borrow a few manga from Mi Xin, then we ask the class rep for a break and go read in the dorm?”

For a second, Zhang Yunyi was tempted, but she shook her head. Seeing Dai Jia wrinkle her nose like she had just drunk bitter coffee, she couldn’t help but laugh. Her heart felt warm. She reached out and tugged Dai Jia’s hand. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

The college entrance exam?

Hah! She didn’t believe in bad luck—if she had conquered it once, she could do it again in style!

—

After playing basketball, Chen Kuo rushed back to the dorm for a quick shower before heading to the cafeteria for dinner. He had a big appetite due to all the exercise, and after eating his fill, he returned to the classroom feeling refreshed.

Just as he was about to sit down, he heard Fei Shijie mumbling through a mouthful of pork floss bread, “Someone was looking for you earlier. Wanted to ask for leave.”

Hearing this, Chen Kuo suddenly relaxed. A feeling of “Finally” washed over him.

His first thought—it must be Zhang Yunyi.

He pulled out his chair and sat down. As class rep, he had a responsibility, but as long as the reason was reasonable and not excessive, he had no issue approving a leave request. His brows relaxed as he considered playing a game on his phone to unwind. But remembering the frustrating game-over from two days ago, he decided against it for now.

At that moment, Zhang Yunyi and Dai Jia walked in through the front door. She happened to pass by Chen Kuo’s desk, and their eyes met briefly. She smiled at him. “Class rep, finished eating already?”

Chen Kuo nodded, waiting for her to continue.

However, she had no intention of stopping. After receiving his response, she simply walked to her seat.

In those few seconds, no one noticed the fleeting confusion on Chen Kuo’s face.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yunyi, sipping her drink through a straw, remained completely unaware. She was satisfied with her progress. No matter how much she wanted to follow the “boss,” she had to get into college first—otherwise, she wouldn’t even meet the minimum qualifications for the job.

She had a plan and her own pace to follow.

Four days in a row, she had “coincidentally” run into the boss in the mornings. Give it some time, and the strongest impression she’d leave on him would definitely be “hardworking.” How was this not winning at the starting line of the workplace? Hehehe.

—

“Kuo-ge.”

A boy wearing black-framed glasses stopped at Chen Kuo’s desk, grinning. “I wanted to discuss something with you.”

Chen Kuo already had a guess in his mind. He looked at the boy calmly, pulled out a test paper from his bookstand, and spread it out. “Speak.”

“I want to take a leave for night study.”

Chen Kuo remained expressionless. “Reason?”

What reason was needed for taking leave?

The boy just wanted to hide in the dorm and watch a football match. He hadn’t really expected approval, just figured it was worth a try. But when Chen Kuo asked for a reason, his hopes soared—this meant there was room for negotiation!

However, he hadn’t thought of an excuse beforehand. After a brief pause, he hesitantly said, “I don’t feel well?”

Click.

Chen Kuo capped his pen, glanced at him, and said flatly, “Go back to your seat. Denied.”

The boy: “…”

He slumped his shoulders. “Kuo-ge, you’re so heartless.”

Even though he looked healthy enough to star in a blood tonic commercial, he had still claimed to be feeling unwell. Shouldn’t the class rep at least show some concern? Why was he so cold?

Fei Shijie almost choked on his bread laughing. “Bullshit. At least Kuo-ge treats everyone equally!”

“That just makes him even more heartless! Terrifying!”

Chen Kuo was getting annoyed by the noise. He closed his test paper. “Keep talking, and see what happens.”

The group scattered instantly.

Finally, some peace.