Liu Yutong didn’t introduce herself in great detail. She simply shared her name, hometown, and hobbies before preparing to return to her seat.
Just as she was about to step down from the podium, the homeroom teacher suddenly called out to her.
"Liu Yutong, hold on a moment."
"Let me share something with everyone. Liu Yutong scored the highest in our Business Management Class 2—612 points, if I recall correctly. It might even be the highest in our entire department."
The classroom erupted in gasps of astonishment, as if no one could believe it.
Everyone had already been stunned by Liu Yutong’s striking beauty, but now they discovered she was also a top student.
A college entrance exam score of over 600 could have gotten her into a 211 university—maybe even one of the elite 985 institutions.
Yet here she was, hidden away in their class—a rare gem.
And the most impressive part? She was gorgeous, the perfect combination of beauty and brains.
Instantly, Liu Yutong’s status in everyone’s eyes soared.
"Damn, over 600 points? That’s enough to get into a 211 university even in the most competitive provinces, right?"
"Absolutely."
"Why would she choose to study here? Even though our finance university is a provincial key school, it’s not a 211."
"Different people, different priorities, I guess."
"I got into this school with just 490 points. I thought I did pretty well, but she’s over a hundred points ahead of me. I’ll never mention my score again—this is embarrassing."
"Wait, you only scored 490? You lucky jerk! Where are you from? I barely scraped by with 560. Why do they treat students from competitive provinces like this?"
"..........."
The homeroom teacher had a reason for bringing this up. After quieting the class, she continued, "Our school has its share of hidden talents. Don’t think you can slack off just because you’re in university now. There are plenty of people smarter and harder-working than you."
"……"
Hearing the teacher mention her score like this, Liu Yutong had a sinking feeling.
Was she about to be pushed into a leadership role? Like class representative, maybe?
Her original plan for university was to coast by academically—just pass her exams and be done with it.
But if the teacher appointed her as class rep, her grades would be under scrutiny.
After all, a class rep had to set an example.
By highlighting her far-above-average score, the teacher had all but guaranteed she’d win if she ran.
Most of them had just graduated high school, and many still clung to the belief that grades were everything.
Weren’t class presidents and reps always the top students in high school?
So if Liu Yutong ran, she’d win easily.
The reactions from her classmates said it all.
Just as she feared, the teacher soon asked, "Liu Yutong, would you be interested in taking on a class leadership role?"
Liu Yutong didn’t hesitate.
"Teacher Lu, I don’t have any interest in that right now."
A wave of quiet relief swept through the classroom, especially among those who had their eyes on leadership positions.
"Alright, if that’s your decision, I respect it," Lu Hong said, letting her return to her seat without pressing further.
The self-introductions continued, but the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed.
One after another, students took the stage—some spoke confidently, others nervously—but the content was mostly the same: name, hometown, hobbies, and occasionally some hopes for university life.
Once everyone had introduced themselves, Lu Hong announced the start of class elections.
She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the names of eight candidates for class president on the blackboard.
The voting was quick, but the result was unexpected.
Lin Lele won by a single vote.
Her campaign speech hadn’t been particularly polished—in fact, it was rough compared to others—but Liu Yutong felt Lin Lele had one advantage the others lacked: sincerity.
Standing at the podium, Lin Lele didn’t give a long-winded speech about her strengths. She simply said, "If you choose me, I’ll do my best to serve everyone as class president."
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a quiet steadiness.
Combined with her petite frame, cute appearance, and down-to-earth demeanor, she ended up with the most votes.
Next, positions like league secretary and class representative were filled.
Even though these were only temporary assignments, the winners were thrilled.
Except for Ling Yan.
Without a word, she stood up and walked out of the classroom.
Clearly, she was upset about losing the class presidency—especially to her roommate, Lin Lele.
..............
The university’s military training ran from September 6th to September 28th.
The daily routine was almost identical to high school—monotonous and exhausting.
Wake up at 7:00 AM sharp, wash up, apply sunscreen, then rush to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Training started at 9:00 AM and lasted until past 11:00 AM.
After a two-hour break, they reassembled at 2:00 PM for more drills—mostly standing exercises, with occasional light training around 4:00 PM until dismissal at 5:00 PM.
Dinner, followed by evening self-study until around 9:00 PM, then back to the dorms. Lights out at 11:00 PM.
This grueling schedule lasted almost three weeks, but Liu Yutong never took a single day off—not even during her period.
As exhausting as it was, she saw it as a rare opportunity to toughen up.
During high school, she’d spent every minute studying, leaving her physically weak.
It wasn’t until after graduation that she started learning self-defense from Yun Cheng, slowly building up her strength.
Now, after weeks of training, she could feel the difference in her stamina.
Thanks to her fair skin and religious sunscreen use, she hadn’t tanned at all—much to Li Xiaohui’s envy.
On the third-to-last day of training, Li Xiaohui couldn’t hold back any longer.
As soon as they returned to the dorm, she blurted out, "Yutong, Yutong, can I borrow your sunscreen? Yours seems way better than mine—look how dark I’ve gotten!"
Liu Yutong smiled, walked to her cabinet, and pulled out three unopened bottles.
She’d asked Yun Cheng to stock up beforehand, just in case.
Now, with training nearly over, she had three left—perfect for sharing.
"One for each of you. That’s all I’ve got."
"Thanks, Yutong! You’re the best!"
Li Xiaohui took the sunscreen and glanced at the brand and model name on the bottle. Her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "Wow, I just realized you're using La Mer! You're so low-key about it—this little bottle costs almost a month's worth of my living expenses, no wonder your skin is flawless and never gets sunburned!"
"Then I won’t hold back! From now on, I’ve got your back here at the university!"
Though Li Xiaohui was a bit of a free spirit who loved to have fun, she was straightforward and genuine, without a hint of pretense. Liu Yutong really liked that about her, and among all her roommates, the two of them were the closest.
Aside from Li Xiaohui, Liu Yutong also got along well with Lin Lele.
Even though Lin Lele had become the class monitor, she hadn’t let it go to her head. She remained down-to-earth, diligent, and polite in everything she did.
In contrast, Ling Yan had grown somewhat distant ever since losing the class monitor election.
Every day when she returned to the dorm, she would pull out her newly purchased MP4, put on her headphones, and lose herself in music or books, rarely engaging in conversation with the others.
