Chapter 10
The next afternoon, the two of them went to Year Two and Year Three again.
When they arrived at Year Two, Class Five, it was clearly much noisier.
The class monitor took the pen from between her lips and fully demonstrated her role as leader. “Sister Lu, can you ask the school to buy me a few author-signed copies? I can’t manage to grab them myself.”
“I want some too!”
“Me too, me too!”
“Can we buy a few autobiographies by gaming masters? Preferably the kind where they write down all their moves and secret techniques.”
“Hey, hey, throw in a few cultivation books too. I want to fly on a sword!”
“Flying on a sword? Read fewer novels and study properly. Maybe then you’ll still have a chance to ride a rocket or spaceship into the sky.”
More and more people joined in the teasing.
Lu Jiang acted as if she had not heard any of it, lazily organizing the forms from the previous class and roughly scanning over the messy book titles written on them.
Only after the noise faded did she speak, neither warm nor cold. “I suggest you first pool your money and buy the school. Then in the future, you can choose whatever books you want yourselves.”
The room burst into laughter.
From the moment Lu Jiang entered, Lin Xiaoxiao’s gaze had been glued to her. She propped her chin in both hands, eyes sparkling, and occasionally shook Chen Qinglang’s arm while squealing softly, “Lu Jiang is way too good-looking. How can someone be this good-looking!”
Chen Qinglang was already used to this. Calmly, she adjusted her crooked glasses and wrote down the titles of several poetry collections on the paper.
Qin Yu was not idle either. “Lu God, what if we don’t have money?”
Lu Jiang did not even lift her eyes. “Inherit family property.”
Another small, skinny boy raised his hand. “Sister Lu, what about people whose families don’t have money?”
“Hahahahaha, don’t worry, Gundam. You’ll definitely have money one day. You can buy them after you get rich.”
Su Linye had just come over from the class next door and wanted to see what was happening. Hearing that question, she smoothly joined in. “I know this one.”
Seeing her so serious, everyone raised their heads and looked over.
Su Linye lifted one finger. “First method: pull the curtains, lie down on the desk, and start counting sheep.”
“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, so basically daydreaming, right? Hahahahaha.”
Su Linye wagged her finger, her expression very solemn. “Lu God said that herself.”
Lu Jiang: “…………”
Out of sight, out of mind, she lowered her head and continued working.
“Damn, Lu God even tells cold jokes?”
Qin Yu crossed one leg over the other, a smile rippling at her lips. “Your Lu God can not only tell cold jokes, she’s also great at pouring cold water on people. Want to try?”
That person instantly wilted. “Then forget it. I’m afraid I’ll be so crushed I’ll never recover.”
“Is there a second method?”
Su Linye smiled slightly and did not keep them in suspense. “Honestly read whatever the school has.”
Another roar of laughter filled the room.
The atmosphere could not have been more relaxed.
From far away, Gu Feng puckered her lips and blew her a kiss. Su Linye winked back.
Amid the peaceful atmosphere, Su Linye felt a sticky gaze on her, slithering over her body like a snake, cold and damp.
She put away her smile and looked around.
The students were all quietly discussing what books they wanted to read, and agreeing that they would visit the library more often from now on.
She did not notice anything unusual.
Su Linye could only tentatively chalk it up to her imagination.
After collecting the entire school’s preferences, they quickly sorted out the books and brought them to the library teacher.
She was an old teacher with graying temples. On her deeply wrinkled face was the composure that came from years of living, like an ocean beneath the sunlight, gently embracing all things.
The old teacher expressed concern for and praised their hard work, then showed appropriate curiosity toward the book that had received the most votes: Soxifel.
Lu Jiang said the teacher could personally take a look at it.
Su Linye felt that this was rather blunt, yet somehow it suited Lu Jiang’s personality perfectly.
The conversation among the three sides ended in an atmosphere almost like a formal meeting.
After they came out, Su Linye sighed. “Teacher seems so reasonable.”
Thinking of the subtle, shiny manicure on the teacher’s hands and the curled hair on her head, she added, “And very fashionable too.”
Lu Jiang had no objection to the latter half. She said casually, “Who do you think isn’t reasonable?”
This was actually a small, sarcastic jab at Su Linye’s personality.
And Su Linye’s personality worked perfectly. “True. I feel like everyone I’ve met is actually pretty reasonable.” Whether before transmigrating or after.
Lu Jiang said, “I admire your innocence. Your simple living environment must have contributed a lot.”
Su Linye froze for a moment and missed the chance to retort.
The two of them had already left the library, and Lu Jiang walked off in the other direction.
Nothing much happened over the next few days. Su Linye became more and more adept at her work in the library and at the hotpot restaurant, and slowly found her rhythm for high school studying again. She no longer got sleepy the moment class started.
Except for one thing.
The hotpot restaurant’s soup base was fragrant, and the ingredients were delicious too. Su Linye could not resist and ate it a few too many times, earning herself a mouth ulcer and a drake-like voice. Calling it a drake-like voice was not quite appropriate, though, because she could barely speak at all.
Gu Feng mocked her for ages. Lin Xiaoxiao had originally been concerned about her, but after hearing her voice, she really could not hold it in and laughed until she shouted for help.
Su Linye: “…………”
Only Chen Qinglang did not laugh at her. She merely recited two lines of poetry.
“Extravagance must not be taken to its limit; luxury must not be exhausted. If taken to the extreme, disaster follows; if exhausted, misfortune comes.”
Su Linye: “…………”
She humbly accepted the lesson. “I have learned from you, Teacher Chen.”
Only, her throat had not recovered yet, so those words came out as nothing but breathy sounds, like a sheep with its throat cut gasping for air, or a dying person desperately squeezing the last breath from her lungs.
Gu Feng could not bear it and patted her shoulder. “Desk mate, stop talking. If you say one more word, someone’s going to start chanting sutras for the dead.”
Lin Xiaoxiao laughed so hard she could not straighten her back. “If 120 heard that, they’d call the funeral home directly.”
Su Linye: “…………”
She stretched out her fingers and gave them a six.
Mockery was mockery, but their roommate’s health still had to be protected.
Because of the solid revolutionary friendship built through late-night snacks, all parties expressed concern for the injured party.
Lin Xiaoxiao gave her Golden Throat lozenges to soothe her throat, and Chen Qinglang gave her Xiguang Frost spray to treat the mouth ulcer.
Then all three of them looked toward Gu Feng.
Gu Feng paused in the middle of stuffing potato chips into her mouth, then rummaged through her pile of snacks and pulled out a kiwi.
Su Linye: “…………”
Gu Feng said, “What kind of looks are those? A famous doctor once said kiwis can effectively treat mouth ulcers. Whenever I got one from eating too many spicy strips before, my mom would buy me kiwis!”
Lin Xiaoxiao sighed, patted Su Linye, then glanced at Gu Feng and sighed again before shaking her head and leaving.
Chen Qinglang adjusted her glasses. A clear light, as if seeing through all illusions, flashed past. She said nothing and followed.
Gu Feng defended herself. “Desk mate, believe me. It really is like that.”
Su Linye could not speak, so she pointed at herself, then at Gu Feng, and tried hard to curve her lips, expressing her trust.
But because she had a mouth ulcer, even moving slightly hurt so badly her soul nearly flew away, so she did not dare use too much force.
As a result, her smile looked like one that did not reach her eyes, seeming especially perfunctory and forced.
Gu Feng’s eyes widened round. “You don’t believe me either, do you?”
Su Linye wanted to shake her head, but then she saw her desk mate fish out a small notebook and a gel pen.
“This is for you too.”
Su Linye revealed a puzzled expression.
Gu Feng understood and said, “Aren’t you unable to speak? This is perfect. Carry it with you. Whatever you want to say, just write it down. Very convenient.”
Su Linye fell silent for two seconds, took it, and wrote a few swift lines.
Gu Feng said smugly, “See? You’re already using it. The things I give are definitely the best.”
Su Linye pushed the notebook over after finishing.
Gu Feng looked down.
The words written on it were vigorous and powerful, cutting deep into the page:
Thank you so much!
Gu Feng: “……….”
Su Linye was amused in her heart. Just then, she felt that gaze again.
It had already happened several times over the past few days.
Su Linye put away her smile and immediately looked back.
It was break time, and the class was very lively. Some people were gathered in twos and threes gossiping, some were secretly squeezing in practice questions during the gap, and some were fooling around wildly.
She did not see anyone paying attention to this side.
Today was Friday. As soon as class ended, the homeroom teacher called her to the office and returned her phone to her, completely intact. He reminded her, “You can’t play with your phone during class.”
Su Linye could not speak, so she could only nod repeatedly.
Holding the precious phone she had finally gotten back, she carried her bag to the library.
Friday afternoon was not only when school let out; some working people also had weekends off, and a few university students came to join the crowd too, so the number of people in the library had doubled.
Usually, Su Linye received readers at the front and answered some questions, while Lu Jiang was responsible for entering things into the system. But now that Su Linye could not speak, the two naturally switched positions.
Lu Jiang was good-looking. She had that distant, cold aura of a top student, along with the clean, tall bearing of youth. She was truly attractive.
Young omegas and betas could not help wanting to chat with her for a few lines. What if, after striking up a conversation, they found that their souls were compatible and fell in love at first sight? Wouldn’t that be a huge win? Taking ten thousand steps back, even if nothing could develop, just getting to talk to her would be nice.
And although Lu Jiang did not say much, she answered every question she was asked, so inevitably more people came.
At first, Lu Jiang could still maintain politeness and hold back from roasting people. But as it happened more often, she began to lose control of her true nature.
For example, the person in front of her had already asked where to find a call number, how the library classified and arranged books, how to apply for a library card, and what documents were needed.
Lu Jiang had answered each one.
Yet this person still was not done.
“How do I connect to the Wi-Fi? What’s the password?”
Lu Jiang said, “On the wall.”
“Which wall?”
“Behind you.”
“I can’t find it. Can you open your phone and let me scan it?”
Lu Jiang said coldly, “No.”
That person choked. “What kind of attitude is that? Believe it or not, I’ll file a complaint against you.”
Lu Jiang said, “Go ahead.”
She stopped paying attention to that person and turned to ask the next one.
That person was pushed away and muttered a few dissatisfied words.
The next few people were relatively restrained, asking only one or two questions before leaving.
Until another girl wearing a ginger-yellow top and short shorts came forward. She braced one hand on the counter and propped her chin up, looking with a bright smile at Lu Jiang, who was working with her eyes lowered.
“Can I bring my own books in?”
Lu Jiang said, “Yes. Remember to take them with you when you leave.”
The girl asked in confusion, “What happens if I don’t take them?”
Lu Jiang said, “They’ll get lost.”
Su Linye burst out laughing.
The sight of Lu Jiang being forced to patiently answer some not-very-bright questions was so interesting.
The moment she laughed, the girl looked over, clearly not very happy about being laughed at. “What are you laughing at?”
Su Linye waved her hands repeatedly.
The girl said, “Can’t you talk? Don’t even know how to apologize?”
Su Linye could only pull out a piece of paper and start writing on it.
She had only written the beginning of “sorry” when a hand stopped her.
Su Linye lifted her head.
Lu Jiang looked directly at the girl. “If you don’t have anything else, please leave. We’re very busy.”
The girl said, “I do. It was clearly her…”
Lu Jiang did not repeat herself. “Next.”
The girl was still indignant, but the people behind her started complaining noisily and pushed her away.
She could only leave while muttering under her breath that these days, even mutes could work in libraries.
Su Linye: “…………”
She swore she would never eat hotpot again.
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