A Short-Lived Cannon Fodder Alpha Just Wants to Be a Salted Fish - Chapter 28

Around 8:45 AM, Wen Yuan’s group headed from the dormitory to the Zhixing Building. The classroom for the 11th grade’s Class 2 had been moved up to the fourth floor. Many students had already arrived; half were original Class 2 students gathered in groups sharing summer stories, while the other half, transferred from other classes, huddled with their own acquaintances.

Wen Yuan was supposed to sit in her original spot with Shi Ran, but she was worried about Chu Yihan. She guided Chu Yihan to sit in Shi Ran’s former spot and tilted her chin toward the front desk, signaling to Shi Ran with her eyes: Go sit with Zhang Lili?

Shi Ran received the signal and was baffled: ??

After just one night’s sleep, you don’t want your best friend anymore!

After a brief staring contest, Shi Ran gave a small wave. She was about to ask Zhang Lili to sit together, but Zhang Lili had already enthusiastically pulled Lin Meng down into a seat. Shi Ran pressed her hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and silently sat in the desk behind Wen Yuan.

Sensing Shi Ran’s depression, Wen Yuan turned around and said, “Lunch is on me.”

Chu Yihan chimed in: “And I’ll treat you to yogurt.”

Shi Ran glanced at them listlessly: “Are you two acting in sync now?”

Just then, Ji Xingyao entered the classroom. Being close with Lin Meng, she scanned the room, spotted her, and walked over. She tilted her head and asked Lin Meng, “Where am I sitting, sister? You promised to save me a spot.”

Lin Meng didn’t want to offend Zhang Lili—after all, they were going to be roommates for the next two years—so she gave a dry laugh and pointed her finger past Wen Yuan toward the empty seat next to Shi Ran.

Ji Xingyao turned her face in the direction Lin Meng pointed and met Shi Ran’s gaze. It was the first face-to-face encounter between the two “School Beauties,” and the air seemed to freeze. Wen Yuan turned her head and raised an eyebrow.

Chu Yihan caught her expression and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Yuan leaned in and lowered her voice: “Shi Ran is annoyed by Ji Xingyao.”

Before Chu Yihan could ask “why,” she saw Ji Xingyao sit down behind Wen Yuan and greet Shi Ran poisedly: “Hello there, former School Beauty.”

Shi Ran: “Where are your manners, current School Beauty?”

Wen Yuan and Chu Yihan simultaneously turned to look at an even more depressed Shi Ran. When they turned back, their eyes met. Chu Yihan covered her face and whispered, “Fated rivals?”

Her eyes were bright, curving into a charming arc. The flush from Shi Ran’s earlier teasing hadn’t faded yet. She looked different from her usual obedient self—lively, agile, and a bit gossipy.

Wen Yuan’s “cute meter” was hit. She curled her lips and mouthed silently: “Playful.”

Her tone was one of doting indulgence.

Chu Yihan blinked at her, her eyes watery. She unconsciously bit her lip and turned her head away, burying the lower half of her face in her arms. Her voice was soft and sweet: “I am not.”

Wen Yuan’s smile deepened, but she said nothing.

By nearly 9:00 AM, everyone had arrived. Many people from the original Class 2 had been moved out. For instance, of those who played basketball with Wen Yuan, only Shi Ran and Zhang Lili remained. The “Perpetual Second Place” Wang Xin was still there, along with many newcomers like Lin Meng and Ji Xingyao.

At exactly 9:00 AM, Qi Jin entered the classroom in a sharp suit, stepping in her high heels while clutching a thick folder. Her features were more defined than He Xun’s, and she didn’t look as gentle or easy-going. Seeing that He Xun hadn’t come, the original Class 2 students grew restless. The scene of Qi Jin teasing them before the summer break was still fresh in their minds.

Wen Yuan clicked her tongue, having a bad premonition.

“Teacher He is pregnant, so I will be taking over as your homeroom teacher. My name is Qi Jin, and I will be teaching you English.” Qi Jin stood at the blackboard and briskly wrote down her name and phone number. She turned around and said, “If you have any problems in the future, you can come to me.”

Unlike “Auntie He,” who never stayed late and handled things with a gentle breeze, Qi Jin was the opposite. She was a “late-lecture demon,” but she was decisive and efficient.

“At 9:50 AM, we will go to the auditorium for the opening ceremony. We have fifty minutes left; let’s confirm the class monitors first. I have looked into each of your situations beforehand. Based on your previous positions and final exam grades, I have drafted a class committee list. Please stand up when your name is called so everyone can get to know you.”

Over the next five minutes, Qi Jin rapidly assigned the roles. Zhang Lili was happily appointed Sports Representative, Wang Xin was promoted to Class Monitor, and the role of Study Representative fell to Chu Yihan.

It had to be said that Qi Jin’s emotional intelligence was high. Wang Xin was always suppressed by Chu Yihan in academics; making him the Study Representative in the same class as her would be an insult. However, making him Class Monitor would motivate his overall development. As for an “Academic God” like Chu Yihan, she had no interest in managing mundane affairs, but since she needed to maintain her grades and interact with classmates, a title was simply placed on her.

While analyzing this in her head, Wen Yuan heard her name and stood up by reflex.

“Wen Yuan, English Class Representative.”

What kind of move is this?

Wen Yuan sat down listlessly, drawing circles on the desk. She muttered to herself, “It’s over. I can’t be a ‘salted fish’ anymore.”

Chu Yihan heard her and let out a soft laugh, comforting her: “Teacher Qi’s representative has it very easy.”

The representative for a late-lecture demon has it easy? Wen Yuan looked incredulous.

“Really,” Chu Yihan said. “Teacher Qi prefers to do everything herself. In the 10th grade, our English representative barely had any presence.”

“Uh…” Strange.

“If anyone feels they cannot handle the role, or if you feel you are more qualified than the currently assigned students, let me know. I will make adjustments based on the situation.”

Qi Jin paused for five seconds to give the students time. Seeing no objections, she opened her folder, took out a stack of test papers, divided them into four, and handed them to the first row of each group.

“Four questions each for Chinese, Math, and English. The difficulty increases progressively. I will arrange your seats based on the results of this test and your height. Write carefully; the first questions are basic. If you get a basic question wrong, I’ll be ‘inviting you for tea’.” Qi Jin checked her watch. “Forty minutes is more than enough. Begin.”

No one expected a test on the first day. Fortunately, there weren’t many questions, but the difficulty of the last one was immense—especially in Math. Wen Yuan racked her brain but couldn’t find the logic. She peeked to her side; Chu Yihan had already finished.

The gap between humans is real.

After the test, Qi Jin collected the papers and arranged the students to line up for the ceremony. she instructed: “Don’t come back to the classroom after it ends. Go to the administration building as fast as possible to collect your books.”

The opening ceremony consisted of various school leaders reviewing the past and looking toward the future—a long-winded heap of words. Wen Yuan listened until she was drowsy, yawning non-stop.

Shi Ran couldn’t take it anymore: “That sleepy? Did you guys really not do anything last night?”

Fearing Chu Yihan would hear, Wen Yuan quickly stole a glance. Chu Yihan was scheduled to give a speech and was currently reviewing her script; she didn’t seem to have heard.

Wen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and glared at Shi Ran: “We really didn’t do anything. What is your head filled with?”

Shi Ran rubbed her head and gave a dry laugh: “I’ve been reading too many ‘indescribable’ ABO novels lately; it’s easy to think the wrong way.”

Wen Yuan ignored her, leaning toward Chu Yihan to scan her script. “This much?” Just as she spoke, she let out another yawn.

Chu Yihan looked at her, guilt in her eyes: “Did you not sleep well? Was it because I—”

“It has nothing to do with you.” Wen Yuan interrupted, knowing she was going to blame herself again. “I just had a bit of trouble adjusting to a new bed, and I dreamed all night.”

“Do you think if the ceremony ends early, we’ll get more nap time?” Wen Yuan covered her mouth and yawned again.

“Maybe.” Chu Yihan stared for a moment at Wen Yuan’s eyes, which were watery from yawning, then looked back at her script, pensive.

After the top scorer of the High School Entrance Exam gave their speech, it was Chu Yihan’s turn. Wen Yuan braced herself to listen to the “Academic God” recite two pages of grand text, but what she got instead was Chu Yihan’s self-introduction followed by a single, concise sentence: “There is no secret to success; it lies in persistence.”

It wasn’t until Chu Yihan stepped off the stage that the students in the auditorium reacted, erupting into thunderous applause: “That was so cool…”

Wen Yuan’s sleepiness vanished instantly. With a mix of shock and joy, she watched Chu Yihan return to her seat as if looking at a savior. Chu Yihan was amused by her look, her eyes curving with hidden indulgence.

Thanks to Chu Yihan, the senior student who followed didn’t want to talk much either. The ceremony ended twenty minutes earlier than scheduled. Following Qi Jin’s instructions, they rushed to the administration office. Many classes went back to their building first, so they didn’t have to wait and got their books quickly. Though Qi Jin liked staying late for lectures, she disliked wasting time on useless things. Class 2 became the first class released for lunch.

After lunch, Wen Yuan returned to the classroom and slumped onto her desk to catch up on sleep. She found a comfortable position, resting her head on her arm. Her view was filled by Chu Yihan’s profile. The sunlight made Chu Yihan look hazy; her features were smooth and beautiful under the light.

Wen Yuan let out a tired yawn and slowly closed her eyes.

“I wonder how Teacher Qi will arrange the seat… ing…”

As she spoke, Chu Yihan turned to look at Wen Yuan. She saw her long, curled lashes trembling slightly—it was like a scratch against her heart, tingly and itchy.

“Hey, Yihan, want some candy?” Lin Meng, sitting in front, turned around to ask.

Her voice was loud. Seeing Wen Yuan’s brow furrow slightly, Chu Yihan placed her index finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. She shook her head and whispered: “Thank you, Classmate Lin, but no.”

Lin Meng glanced at the sleeping Wen Yuan but still placed the candy on Chu Yihan’s desk. “It’s weird calling me Classmate Lin; just call me Mengmeng.”

Chu Yihan smiled: “Thank you, Mengmeng.”

“You’re welcome.” Lin Meng was about to smile back, but as her lips curled, she felt a sudden discomfort. It was fleeting. She scratched her head and turned back. After a while, she glanced back again, confirming Wen Yuan was asleep.

Dammit! What was that wave of pheromone pressure that just hit me!

After the afternoon cleanup, Qi Jin rearranged the seats based on the test and height. Zhang Lili and Lin Meng were placed in the adjacent row as front-and-back neighbors. Shi Ran and Wen Yuan remained desk mates. In the row in front of them were Ji Xingyao and Chu Yihan.

As Chu Yihan moved, she left behind the candy Lin Meng had given her. Wen Yuan picked it up and lightly poked Chu Yihan, who was now sitting in front of her. “Yihan, your candy.”

This was the first time Wen Yuan had called her that. Chu Yihan turned around, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked at Wen Yuan, her shock impossible to hide.

Is it that surprising? You weren’t surprised when Lin Meng called you that.

Wen Yuan clicked her tongue and stuffed the candy into her hand. “Don’t eat too much, watch out for cavities.”

Chu Yihan lowered her eyes, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Okay, A-Yuan.”

A-Yuan…

It was the name Chu Yihan had used in her dreams, now clearer than those whispers. Her tone was even softer, the end of the word rising slightly with a hint of playful mischief.

It was also even more soul-stirring than before.