After production wrapped on the variety show Let’s Travel with Them, Xie Tangning officially began her second year of high school.
Thanks to the show, Xie Tangning, Qin Shuchun, and Liang Zhou had gained quite a few fans. Nearly everyone in their class had followed the variety show.
After all, as their classmates, how could they not show a little support?
So the moment the three of them stepped into the classroom at the start of the new semester, they were greeted by everyone’s mischievous looks.
“Xie Tangning, late on the first day of school! Two points deducted!”
The class discipline monitor stood at the classroom door, pretending to be very official as he held up his little notebook. He had the bureaucratic tone down perfectly.
Xie Tangning turned to him in disbelief. “I’m late? Why don’t you open your dog eyes and take a good look at the clock on the wall?”
The discipline monitor blinked innocently and spread his hands. “I didn’t say anything wrong! Being five seconds late still counts as being late!”
“The exact moment our class’s Superstar Xie stepped through the door was seven o’clock and five seconds.”
Xie Tangning pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “We haven’t seen each other for two months, and you’ve already evolved into a master of picking fights?”
The discipline monitor boldly extended one finger and lightly tapped her shoulder, his provocation unmistakable. “So what if I’m picking on you?”
“Just look at you. Ever since you became a big star, you haven’t even chatted in the class group anymore, and you never told us to support your show.”
“So you’ve completely forgotten about us old classmates, huh? Then what’s wrong with giving you a little trouble now?”
“Exactly! The discipline monitor is right! If you don’t like it, suck it up!”
“You three are so inconsiderate. You went on such a fun show and didn’t even share the experience with us!”
“Seriously! We even helped control the comments for your second brother when the show started. I fought with antis for hundreds of rounds!”
The discipline monitor’s two remarks instantly struck a chord with the rest of the class.
It was clear just how popular Xie Tangning was among her classmates.
Xie Tangning let out a long, drawn-out “Ohhh.”
“So my dear classmates are jealous, huh? Don’t worry!”
“I did make some new friends on the show, but how could I possibly forget about you?”
“You’re still my favorite, of course—you’re my dear old classmates!”
Xie Tangning was very familiar with the art of placating people. With one sentence after another delivered in a sweet, sing-song tone, she immediately smoothed all her classmates’ ruffled feathers.
The class monitor lifted the corners of her lips and gave a soft huff. The next second, she exposed Xie Tangning’s sugary lies.
“Xie Tangning, all you do is spout nonsense to fool us! I bet you had so much fun on the show that you forgot all about the rest of us!”
Xie Tangning didn’t care whether it was study period or not. She scampered over to the class monitor, tugging on the sleeve of her uniform.
“How could I, my esteemed class monitor?”
“I clearly just couldn’t bear to disturb everyone during such a wonderful vacation. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed!”
“You should be thanking your lucky stars that you didn’t have to work on a show like I did!”
Watching Xie Tangning talk absolute nonsense, Qin Shuchun and Liang Zhou huddled together and began pointing and whispering.
“Why didn’t we get this kind of treatment when we walked into the classroom just now?”
“My mouth is pretty sweet too!”
“Why is this pack of idiots treating us so differently?”
Qin Shuchun hadn’t considered for a moment that the reason he hadn’t received the same treatment as Xie Tangning was entirely because of Monkey Bro’s reputation.
After all, he and Liang Zhou had hurried to school and happened to arrive together, just five minutes before class started!
The discipline monitor and class monitor had only been teasing their classmates for fun at the beginning of the new term. It was nothing more than a little harmless mischief.
They stuffed a few snacks into Xie Tangning’s arms and told her to hurry to her seat before the teacher arrived.
Perhaps the discipline monitor and class monitor handing Xie Tangning candy and cookies had flipped some strange switch.
Whatever the reason, by the time Xie Tangning made it from the aisle to her seat, she had already collected three orange-flavored lollipops, two pieces of chocolate, two packets of cookies, and an apple.
She had instantly become the class’s snack tycoon.
Everyone else took this sort of thing in stride. It wasn’t as if it was happening for the first time.
Xie Tangning had always been generous and often shared snacks with her classmates, so what was wrong with receiving a little food in return?
The moment Xie Tangning sat back down, their homeroom teacher—who was now also the grade director—appeared at the classroom door.
Thus, the first morning study session of the new semester was abruptly transformed into the nightmare of collecting summer homework.
The moment the homeroom teacher finished announcing that the homework would be collected, the classroom filled with gasps and cries of despair.
“We’re doomed! I bet wrong!”
“Waaah! Same here! I bet he wouldn’t check our summer homework either!”
Meanwhile, the students who had rushed to finish their summer assignments could do nothing but grin until the corners of their mouths were practically touching the sun.
Xie Tangning and Qin Shuchun were among them.
Looking at these proud students of his, the homeroom teacher was both exasperated and amused.
Every one of them was among the top students in all of Haicheng. Yet the moment homework came up, they acted like struggling students!
As the grade director, their homeroom teacher decided to put on an act as well. Fighting to keep a smile off his face, he put on a stern expression and said, “Quiet. Class representatives, make a note of anyone who hasn’t finished their assignments and submit the names to me.”
The instant he finished speaking, Xie Tangning began tormenting her desk mate.
“Oh dear, I heard Classmate Dai had way too much fun over the summer and didn’t touch her homework even once!”
“Unlike me, of course. I’m terrifyingly disciplined. I managed to finish my homework while working outside!”
Classmate Dai: “…”
Monkey Bro was indeed worthy of being Xie Tangning’s desk mate. He caught the scent of mischief and immediately came over to add fuel to the fire.
“I wonder whether our newly promoted grade director is going to be as heartless as Director Zhang from our show.”
“Will he call our parents, or make us do double the work to make up for it? Hmm, such a difficult guess!”
Classmate Dai listened to the gloating of the two students in front of her while staring at the untouched, completely blank worksheet she had just pulled from her backpack.
Her heart went cold. All she could do was pray that their homeroom teacher would show a little mercy this once!
Although Xie Tangning received no response, she could already see the despair and speechlessness written all over her dear desk mate’s face.
Like a little fox, she immediately smiled smugly and began praising herself.
“Xie Tangning, how are you so amazing?”
“Our school really hit the jackpot getting such a disciplined, beautiful, intelligent, well-rounded student like me!”
As she praised herself, the girl suddenly raised her left hand and gave it a loud kiss.
“I love you so much, old me! You’re amazing!”
Liang Zhou was just as shameless. He copied her and gave himself a hug.
“Good job, old me, for finishing the homework! Unlike certain people who did nothing but play all summer!”
Classmate Dai’s mouth fell slightly open, and her face was utterly devoid of hope.
She genuinely couldn’t understand how shameless people like Xie Tangning and Liang Zhou had managed to grow up without being beaten to death.
“Give me back the chocolate I just gave you!”
Unable to take it any longer, Classmate Dai viciously threatened Xie Tangning.
After threatening one of them, she turned around and showed Monkey Bro her fist, which was as big as a sandbag.
The meaning was obvious: if Liang Zhou dared to say one more word, they’d let him experience the pleasure of getting himself hurt on the very first day of school.
After the two shameless deskmates teased the “honest one” until he finally snapped, they immediately burst out laughing.
Then, still wearing those insufferably smug grins, they turned to look for the next lucky—no, unlucky—soul who hadn’t finished their homework.
