“Did you know? Our class’s English teacher has been replaced!”
“For real? Where did you hear that?”
“This morning. I went with the class monitor to deliver something. Mr. Zhao was in Mr. Zhang’s office, asking him why he was being targeted!”
“Targeted? Could it be that Mr. Zhang reported him to the higher-ups? Mr. Zhang really pulled it off quietly, huh?”
“Is our Mr. Zhang really that powerful?”
Rong Shu walked in from outside, listening to the chatter as he returned to his seat. He turned to Chen Jing in front of him and asked, “Is it true that our English teacher is being replaced?”
Chen Jing nodded in response, “Yeah, that’s what everyone’s been saying since this morning. It’s kind of unbelievable that Mr. Zhang suddenly decided to do this!”
Rong Shu stuffed his backpack into the desk and smiled. “This is really good news.”
As he said this, he glanced at Cao Weiyu’s seat not far away, which was still empty, showing that he hadn’t arrived yet.
Chen Jing lightly tapped the table with his fingers. “So, how did things go yesterday? Did he show up?”
The “he” was clearly referring to Shen Huaixiu.
Rong Shu’s eyes curved into a smile, like a little fox that had just tasted honey, but he only responded modestly with, “Yeah.”
“So what’s the situation between you two now?”
“Deskmates and roommates,” Rong Shu replied, pouting slightly and looking a bit aggrieved.
“I thought there might be some progress yesterday, but it turns out things are still the same. Why don’t you just confess to him directly? What if he says yes right away?”
“What I want isn’t a ‘what if’, but a guarantee that it’s absolutely certain.”
Rong Shu’s words were natural and direct, prompting a soft sigh from Chen Jing. “Then all I can do is wish you luck!”
“What the heck, the class rep transferred schools?” A sudden exclamation broke the chatter, bringing a brief silence to the noisy classroom, but it was quickly replaced by more surprised reactions.
“Why would Cao Weiyu suddenly transfer schools?”
“I don’t know. I just walked past the office and saw his parents there!”
“What’s going on today? Did something happen that I don’t know about?”
“That can’t be it. I haven’t heard anything recently. Must be a coincidence, right?”
Chen Jing, who had just turned away, suddenly whipped his head back to look at Rong Shu. “Was it him?”
Rong Shu nodded, “Yeah, he was given two choices: either withdraw from school or turn himself in.”
“Those were the choices the big shot gave him?”
“Yes, indeed!”
“The big shot is a lot more… rational than I thought!” Chen Jing had assumed that after discovering that the one spreading rumors behind his back was Cao Weiyu, Shen Huaixiu would at least give him a beating. But he hadn’t expected that Shen Huaixiu wouldn’t even lift a finger.
Just then, Shen Huaixiu entered, right as the bell for class rang. After sitting down, he heard the person beside him say, “Why are you so late today?”
“Mr. Zhang called me over,” Shen Huaixiu replied in a deep voice as he set down his backpack. “He asked how I’m adjusting here.”
“The English teacher was replaced and Cao Weiyu transferred out,” Rong Shu said, raising his eyebrows slightly. Shen Huaixiu nodded, “I heard. Thanks.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
Rong Shu smiled, his dark eyes fixed on him without blinking. Shen Huaixiu felt a strange, tingling sensation in his chest. “Both.”
“The English teacher had nothing to do with me; it was Mr. Zhang who brought it up.”
“He wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t mentioned it.”
It was clear Shen Huaixiu had already figured it out. Rong Shu didn’t hide it and didn’t intend to, giving him a look that said, ‘You’re catching on’. “Looks like we’ll need to add an extra serving of takoyaki tonight.”
Shen Huaixiu’s eyes lit up with amusement at Rong Shu’s words. “From now on, I’ll cover the takoyaki.”
“Well, isn’t that a bit embarrassing? But since you’ve decided so happily, let’s go with that.” Rong Shu quickly accepted, as if afraid Shen Huaixiu would change his mind. His cat ears, reflecting his good mood, flicked back and forth.
The new English teacher wasn’t unfamiliar. It was the homeroom teacher of Class 1, a female Beta. Unlike Zhao Yan, she was less conventional, dressed simply in a white shirt and jeans, looking like a freshly graduated college student. When she smiled, dimples appeared on her cheeks.
“You all should already know me, so I won’t introduce myself. According to the school’s new arrangement, I’ll be teaching English for your class, while your former teacher, Mr. Zhao, will be teaching Classes 4, 5, and 6. I hope we can get along well in the coming period.” Tan Lin’s voice was clear as she briefly explained the situation, then handed the stack of papers on the desk to Lin Xia, the class monitor sitting in the front row. “Please pass these out. We’ll go over them shortly. Also, as you should all be aware, starting this semester, we’re implementing a monthly exam system. This means next Thursday and Friday will be the first monthly exams of the term. I hope everyone reviews seriously this week. The difficulty level will be on par with the college entrance exam, so don’t slack off…”
As soon as the English class ended and Tan Lin left with her books, the previously quiet classroom erupted in cheers.
“I never expected Tan Lin would be teaching our class!”
“I still feel like I’m dreaming. Compared to Mr. Zhao, Tan Lin is just too wonderful!”
“I’ve decided to study English well from now on. Even though Tan Lin isn’t an Omega, she speaks so gently that just listening to her is comforting!”
“I’m going to confess to Teacher Tan on the confession wall!”
…
When Rong Shu and Chen Jing came out of the water bar, they saw Cao Weiyu standing under a large tree nearby.
Upon seeing him, Chen Jing’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but Rong Shu’s expression remained indifferent, showing no surprise as he casually ate the sandwich in his hand.
“Rong Shu, can I talk to you alone?”
Cao Weiyu walked over, ignoring the stares directed at him from all around.
Chen Jing, a bit concerned, wanted to step in and stop him, but Rong Shu was quicker. He nodded and patted Chen Jing on the shoulder. “You go back first.”
“I’ll wait for you over there,” Chen Jing said, clearly worried that Cao Weiyu might do something to Rong Shu.
Rong Shu understood Chen Jing’s concern and gave him a reassuring look before turning and walking with Cao Weiyu to stand under a nearby tree.
“Yesterday, you deliberately tricked me, didn’t you? You and Shen Huaixiu were in on it together, right?”
It was obvious that this matter weighed heavily on Cao Weiyu.
Rong Shu swallowed the last bite of his sandwich and looked up at him. “Whether I did or didn’t, what difference does it make? We were never going to be allies anyway.”
Cao Weiyu felt a deep sense of frustration, but as things stood, Rong Shu was right. He had already transferred schools. It would be difficult to have any further interactions with Rong Shu. Whether Rong Shu had deceived him or not no longer mattered.
Cao Weiyu let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Ma Sen is coming back. Take care of yourself.”
Rong Shu crumpled the paper in his hand, glanced at him, and said, “Okay, thanks. Is that all?”
Without waiting for a response, Rong Shu walked away, not sparing him another glance. He casually tossed the crumpled paper into a nearby trash bin, then smiled and headed towards Chen Jing. As he got closer, he heard Chen Jing ask, “What did he say to you?”
“He told me that Ma Sen is coming back,” Rong Shu replied, his tone light and nonchalant.
Chen Jing’s expression changed. “When is he coming back?”
“I don’t know, maybe soon.” Rong Shu’s indifferent attitude made Chen Jing feel a headache coming on. “Look, what are you thinking? Ma Sen isn’t like Cao Weiyu—he’s got some background. You beat him up pretty badly. The fact that he hasn’t come after you yet is already generous. This time, he definitely won’t let it go!”
“What’s done is done. What’s the point of worrying now? If he comes back and causes trouble, I’ll just beat him up again!” Rong Shu shrugged, then smirked. “Come on, let’s head back, class is about to start.”
“Can’t you at least take this seriously and prepare a bit?” Chen Jing advised earnestly, but Rong Shu just laughed and threw an arm around his shoulder. “Chen Jing, I appreciate your concern, but remember, some people won’t treat you better just because you compromise or give in. On the contrary, they’ll take your submission as a sign of weakness and use it against you. So when dealing with such people, you have to hit them where it hurts!”
Chen Jing sighed. “Alright, I can’t argue with you. Just think it through.”
Meanwhile, Shen Huaixiu opened his phone and saw that Jiang Huan had sent him a short video. In the video, Rong Shu and Cao Weiyu were standing under a tree.
⌈Jiang Huan: Boss, do you know someone named Ma Sen? I heard that guy with the last name Cao telling the school idol that Ma Sen is coming back and warned him to be careful. Does this guy have some kind of grudge against the school heartthrob?⌋
⌈Shen Huaixiu: I don’t know him. Look into it.⌋
Author’s note:
Rong Shu: From now on, this takoyaki stand is fully covered by my boyfriend!
