After straightening his appearance in the hallway, Lin Qingping, gathering her courage, stepped into the chaotic classroom of Class Nine, Grade One, with determined strides. The room buzzed with energy, resembling a bustling marketplace. Lin Qingping stood silently at the podium for about ten minutes, yet the clamor in the classroom showed no sign of abating. The new homeroom teacher sighed inwardly: it seemed this very first lesson clearly demonstrated that these students disliked their new teacher.

During this time, Lin Qingping managed to clearly identify the source of the chaos: Zhu Heihuang and He Xinran were each occupying a corner of the room, wildly throwing anything they could grab from nearby desks at each other, all while loudly cursing one another. Class monitor Wang Tongtong was "roaring" angrily from the center of the fray, "Have you both had enough of this chaos! Are you trying to delay class for everyone?!" Due to her proximity to the epicenter of the war, she was occasionally struck by stray projectiles, which only fueled her temper, making her look as if she might resort to physical force herself to restore order to the class. On one side, Chen Kangshan was firmly holding onto Zhu Heihuang, while on the other, the sisters Han Tao'er and Han Xing'er kept a tight grip on He Xinran—if not for these three intervening, the other two would have already devolved into a full-blown brawl.

The rest of the students, however, were not as enthusiastic about this "public service." Some were chatting, others were watching the spectacle unfold, and a few were even smiling pleasantly toward Lin Qingping. Clearly, the homeroom teacher's first disciplinary action against students since the class was formed would serve as a crucial precedent for their future behavior in this class.

Lin Qingping's head began to throb faintly.

Although the school term had been underway for over a month, Class Nine, Grade One, had only been officially formed today.

It should be noted that Teacher Lin Qingping had not graduated from a normal teacher's college. Therefore, having entered the profession "mid-career," she never considered herself an excellent teacher. Usually, she simply strove to compensate for her shortcomings with diligence and enthusiasm, managing only to be a marginally qualified teacher. However, a few days prior, the principal had summoned her. After showering her with an endless stream of compliments, describing her as a magnificent, responsible, compassionate, and exceptionally capable teacher, he finally revealed his objective: this year's new students included a group of excessively "special" students, making every existing class teacher feel on the verge of collapse. After lengthy deliberation, the administration decided to pull these students out and form them into a single class. The difficulty of being the homeroom teacher for such a class was easily imaginable. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the school had set their sights on Lin Qingping, a teacher newly transferred from the junior high division this year.

Lin Qingping tried every means to decline, but the principal was adamant that she would be perfectly capable. By the time their argument reached its end, Lin Qingping realized further refusal would only anger the principal. Adhering to the principle of deference to authority, she finally nodded. She genuinely couldn't fathom why the school administration was so convinced that these problematic students would be more receptive to her. She wasn't their homeroom teacher; in the month since school started, she had only taught them four or five lessons, and she hadn't even memorized most of their names. To be precise, she had no idea how to guide students whom other teachers described as utterly incorrigible. She accepted this mess almost with the expectation that she might be dismissed within a few days.

The din in the class continued unabated. Lin Qingping felt she couldn't let this persist. She picked up the chalkboard eraser and sharply slapped the lectern, calling out loudly, "Class is starting! Everyone, take your seats!" Even she felt her typically gentle voice was incredibly small against the backdrop of the uproar, unsure if the students could even hear her. Unexpectedly, the moment her voice fell, the classroom fell into absolute silence. The fighting students, the mediators, and the onlookers all turned to look at her. Then, Wang Tongtong took the lead, shouting sharply, "Teacher Lin is here, and you’re not back in your seats? Are you tired of living?!" He Xinran, Zhu Heihuang, and the Han sisters immediately shot back to their respective desks and sat down rigidly, moving with lightning speed. Only the honest Chen Kangshan remained, still gathering the items scattered everywhere for others.

"Stand up..." Wang Tongtong commanded loudly, "Good morning, Teacher!" More than half the other students rose with her, respectfully greeting Lin Qingping.

Lin Qingping let out a slight breath of relief. These students didn't seem as bad as everyone had made them out to be.

This was an expensive private academy, meaning the students enrolled came from wealthy and influential families. This wasn't to say that children from affluent backgrounds lacked virtue or accomplishment, but it was common for children from such families to inevitably harbor certain habits or eccentricities. However, labeling them "bad students" simply because of these minor flaws felt unfair to them. Lin Qingping always inclined toward the benevolent interpretation of her students' character.

Lin Qingping looked over the forty-one students in the class, intending to start by taking attendance to familiarize herself with them. Among these students, only Wang Tongtong had been her student in junior high; the rest were unfamiliar faces. She cleared her throat and said to the class, "Classmates, my name is Lin Qingping, and from now on, I will be one of the members of Class Nine, Grade One, just like all of you. I know I might not be a good teacher, but I will strive to fulfill the duties required of a teacher to the best of my ability. Therefore, if you have any dissatisfaction with me, or if there is anything I do poorly, please feel free to point it out so I can correct it. Since this is our first day together, let's start by getting to know each other. Please introduce yourselves one by one, and perhaps share your life goals as well, alright?"

The students began speaking in turn, and Lin Qingping focused her attention primarily on the few students other teachers had labeled the most difficult to manage.

Wang Tongtong, appointed class monitor as soon as Class Nine was formed, was an exemplary student; she ranked first in the entire school during the entrance exam for senior high. This girl possessed outstanding grades, respected her elders, and had a frank and generous personality. Her difficulty lay in her extraordinary looks. Anyone who first saw this young woman would be momentarily stunned by her beauty, and the charming aura woven into her loveliness held immense attraction for the opposite sex. Ever since she started junior high, love letters from boys had become a daily occurrence for her. Boys would wait for her on her route home after school every day. There was even a young male teacher who had solemnly vowed never to marry anyone but her and to wait for her to grow up.

Logically, with such incidents happening constantly, the most innocent party and the one most harassed should be Wang Tongtong herself. Yet, some people did not see it that way. The parents of those boys insisted that Wang Tongtong had been "seducing" their sons. Some teachers regarded her as a harbinger of trouble, a femme fatale. Even other girls, for various reasons, avoided her and united to shun and ostracize her. Having endured three years of junior high under these conditions, Wang Tongtong’s personality underwent a significant transformation. She changed from a cheerful and lively girl into someone irritable, quick-tempered, and prone to violent tendencies: any boy who dared to give her a love letter inevitably ended up receiving a severe beating from her.

Lin Qingping sighed quietly. She was very fond of this student and hoped that her life in senior high would be less tumultuous, allowing her to focus on her studies in peace.

After Wang Tongtong gave her brief introduction, she concluded, "My ambition is to become a physicist or a powerful career woman, and never marry in my entire life! That’s it."

Lin Qingping let out a soft sigh upon hearing that last sentence.

He Xinran was inherently a petite girl who particularly favored wearing white, princess-style gowns. Combined with her doll-like face, she truly was a delicate and lovely sight, resembling a porcelain doll. She wasn't very serious about her studies and tended to lecture others in an old-fashioned manner, resulting in poor relationships with her classmates. Her greatest hobby, however, was childcare. She spent her days roaming the school, scouting for any teacher who might have brought their child to campus. Once she spotted her target, she would promptly skip class and make off with the child. Only when the distraught teacher, on the verge of calling the police, began searching would she return with the child—having received a bounty of gifts in the process—with an air of nonchalant grace. No one knew what methods she employed, but children adored her. After being spirited away by her, the children would constantly beg to return to school to play with "Grandma He."

While it couldn't be said she committed outright crimes, a student who skipped class daily to go off-campus (this was a boarding school where students were forbidden to leave except on weekends) and had a hobby of abducting children was difficult not to classify as a problem student! Lin Qingping felt a strong sense of curiosity toward this strange girl.

He Xinran’s final statement was, "I love children and despise any creature that hates kids or is unkind to them! I absolutely won't let such a being have an easy time! (She shot a provocative glance at Zhu Heihuang). I plan to study at a teachers' college, and after graduation, become a nanny so I can visit various homes to look after their children."

Lin Qingping was left speechless.

When Qi Jun, the giant standing one meter ninety tall, stood up, the room instantly felt a palpable pressure. The low murmuring about the first few speakers vanished entirely, and the entire classroom fell utterly silent. Many students, even those considered unruly, looked at him with undisguised fear. Although Qi Jun was tall, his features weren't inherently menacing—a high forehead, clearly defined features—he should have been the handsome youth of a girl's dreams. Unfortunately, in reality, he was a murderer.

Qi Jun came from a high-ranking official's family; bullying others based on status was a habit ingrained since childhood. Fighting was his favorite form of exercise, and since his elders always covered for him, whatever trouble he caused was deemed inconsequential. But there came a time when even his parents realized this child needed proper discipline—Qi Jun had killed someone.

The victim was a hooligan he had beaten to death while drunk. Fortunately, the victim's low status gave his parents an excuse; they spent money and effort to frame the act as justifiable self-defense. However, this incident finally made them understand that if their son continued this way, he would eventually cause a major disaster. They spent money to send Qi Jun to this boarding school, hoping to curb his wild nature.

Qi Jun's "achievements" were strenuously covered up by his relatives, but walls have ears. The news that a murderer was at the school still spread. Not only were the students afraid of him, but even the teachers tried to keep their distance. Furthermore, Qi Jun’s temperament clearly had not mellowed after that incident. He often resorted to violence over minor issues; since arriving at this school, the number of people he had injured was approaching double digits.

"I'm warning you all: mind your own business, stay away from me, I can't be bothered with you," Qi Jun announced fiercely, resting his foot on his desk, his eyes fixed on Lin Qingping, making her deeply uneasy. How was she supposed to educate a student like this? It would be a miracle if he didn't end up lecturing her instead! Lin Qingping felt a surge of powerlessness.

"Don't shout at Teacher Lin!" Seeing Qi Jun intimidating even the teacher, a student full of a sense of justice stood up to speak out. The girl sitting next to Qi Jun leaped up; her small frame had to hop onto her stool just to face Qi Jun eye-to-eye, pointing a finger at his nose as she scolded, "If you want to die, go hang yourself! What good does it do to provoke Teacher Lin and bring disaster upon the whole class?"—Lin Qingping was grateful that she stood up for her, but the implications of her words made no sense to Lin Qingping!

"You're the one who doesn't want to live..." Qi Jun was about to retort to the girl when another student, also seemingly imbued with righteousness, sprang up: "Qi Jun, what kind of guts does it take to yell at a girl? If you have the guts, fight me one-on-one!"

"Xue Ziyun, you think I'm scared of you!"

"Bring it on! I'll beat you until you're scared of me!"

The two tall boys lunged toward each other, and the classroom, which had just achieved a sliver of order, descended into chaos once more.

Chen Kangshan, quick-handed and quick-eyed, grabbed Xue Ziyun tightly, calling out, "Ziyun, calm down! Even if you beat him, it's no great achievement!"

Just as the confusion in the classroom was about to escalate further, a timid voice intervened: "Everyone, please, stop fighting..." His voice was so faint that hardly anyone in the room heard him, forcing the boy to step forward. Shang Tongxin spread his hands, standing between Qi Jun and Xue Ziyun, and stammered timidly, "Qi Jun, let it go. It's Teacher Lin's class today; please don't cause trouble. Brother Xue, can I apologize on Qi Jun's behalf?" As he spoke, he kept his head bowed timidly, afraid to look at the two aggressive students.

Many students, including Lin Qingping, assumed Shang Tongxin was about to be roughed up by the two "thugs." To everyone's surprise, after hearing his plea, the two boys glared at each other for a moment longer before sullenly returning to their seats.

Shang Tongxin was slightly shorter than Qi Jun but appeared even stockier. Based on appearance alone, most people would feel intimidated by him. However, this boy possessed a pair of bright, watery eyes that clearly betrayed his timid and shy nature. At this moment, realizing everyone else had returned to their seats following his intervention, leaving him standing alone, he panicked. He scrambled toward his desk but accidentally tripped over it, sending him and his desk and chair tumbling to the floor. Shang Tongxin quickly jumped up, unharmed, but the chair and desk beneath him had collapsed under his weight. A burst of laughter echoed through the room. Shang Tongxin stood there, looking around in distress, unsure what to do.

Lin Qingping quickly offered a comforting smile, "It's alright. First, move that spare desk and chair over there to use. Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Shang Tongxin frantically shook his head, hastily moving the reserve furniture over, preparing to curl up underneath his desk. Lin Qingping reached out to stop him from sitting down and said, "Shang Tongxin, why don't you introduce yourself to the class first?"

"Me? I, I..." Shang Tongxin mumbled for a long time before finally managing, "My name is Shang Tongxin. I, I'm timid... I..." He couldn't finish a single smooth sentence, and the mocking laughter in the classroom resumed, making it even harder for him to speak. He stared fixedly at the floor, silent.

Lin Qingping had heard about this timid boy from other teachers. Shang Tongxin was even more timid and cowardly than the average shy person. Despite his large build, within a month of school starting, he had become a target for bullying in the class. He and Qi Jun usually shared a dormitory (students were housed two to a room). Strangely, despite his temperament, Qi Jun had never bullied Shang Tongxin. On the surface, however, they weren't friends and rarely spoke in class. To the teachers, these two students seemed to belong to entirely different worlds. Yet, what was baffling was that when Shang Tongxin learned Qi Jun was being moved to the special class, he went to a teacher and made a strange request: he wanted to transfer classes with Qi Jun. His homeroom teacher, who held a good impression of this obedient and honest student, couldn't help but ask, "Qi Jun was sent to that class because he beat classmates, teachers, and caused all sorts of trouble. Why would an honest student like you want to get involved with them?"

"Because... because hitting a teacher means I can go?" Shang Tongxin stuttered. Before the teacher could answer, he saw a black flash, and Shang Tongxin's massive fist connected squarely with his nose, instantly sending stars spinning before his eyes as he fell to the floor. Shang Tongxin said, his voice laced with tears, "Teacher, I, I'm sorry. This way I can go to the special class, right?"

And so, Shang Tongxin also transferred to the special class.

He had actively sought to be in the same class as Qi Jun, yet there was still little interaction between them. When Shang Tongxin fell just now, Qi Jun hadn't spared him a single concerned glance. Hearing Shang Tongxin stammering and unable to introduce himself properly, Qi Jun roared at him, "If you can't talk right, shut up! You're just making a fool of yourself!" Shang Tongxin was instantly startled into silence and sat down, but the mocking laughter in the classroom also abruptly died down.

Lin Qingping sent Shang Tongxin a reassuring smile. It seemed Qi Jun wasn't as terrifying as rumored. The fact that he could be friends with a child like Shang Tongxin suggested he wasn't someone who only knew how to bully others.

Next, another girl was supposed to speak, but Xue Ziyun stood up first, gesturing with a cupped fist toward the room, "I am Xue Ziyun. I’m here accompanying my brother and my sweetheart to study for a few years. For Teacher Lin's sake, I’ll temper my behavior. If no one provokes me, I won't bother anyone. But if someone crosses us... Hmph hmph..." His gaze fixed firmly on Qi Jun. Naturally, Qi Jun met his stare without yielding an inch. Chen Kangshan, sitting beside Xue Ziyun, tugged at his sleeve, saying, "Ziyun, don't talk like that; people will think you love fighting."

"He does love fighting!" The twin sisters Han Tao'er and Han Xing'er, sitting in front, turned back and said in unison.

These four were known throughout the school as the infamous "Gang of Four"; wherever they went, chaos usually followed. Their relationships with each other were equally tangled: the Han sisters were rumored to be Chen Kangshan's fiancées—both of them! Meanwhile, Xue Ziyun openly claimed to be infatuated with the younger sister, Xing'er, yet Xue Ziyun and Chen Kangshan were very close friends. Of the four, only the honest and harmless Chen Kangshan seemed safe. The Han sisters enjoyed playing pranks, and Xue Ziyun had a volatile temper, resorting to physical action faster than words. Victims often appeared after being tricked by the Han sisters and then brutally beaten by Xue Ziyun.

When they first started at the school, a few teachers commented on the fact that they were engaged at such a young age. The sharp-tongued Han sisters responded with a barrage of sarcasm. When one teacher, humiliated, prepared to discipline them, Xue Ziyun strode forward and left five fingerprints across the teacher's face with one slap... Such incidents recurred, eventually alarming the principal enough to summon their parents.

Xue Ziyun's father entered the room and immediately slammed tens of thousands onto the principal's desk: "This is the advance for medical expenses—Yun'er, a real man must never suffer bullying. If you see someone you don't like, hit them hard! Your father will handle everything!" The principal swallowed hard, glancing at the tattoos and the fierce glint in the father's eyes, and said nothing.

The Han family was represented by the sisters' grandfather. Upon entering, he asked the principal if he had any daughters. Receiving a negative answer, he sighed and said, "Young man (referring to the principal), you don't have a daughter, so why are you so jealous of my finding a good grandson-in-law? Sabotaging a marriage brings damnation!" He then earnestly persuaded the principal that one should accumulate merit and be kind, not seek selfish gain, or one would end up in the eighteenth layer of hell...

The principal was relieved when Chen Kangshan's comparatively normal, peasant father arrived. However, as soon as he began to say that Chen Kangshan being engaged at such a young age was wrong—a remnant of feudal ideology violating national marriage law—the father immediately dropped to his knees, weeping and begging the principal not to break off the engagement. Their poor family now relied entirely on financial aid from wealthy relatives: money for the elder son's small business and the bride price, tuition and living expenses for the younger son and daughter, medical costs for the elderly couple... The accumulated expenses totaled tens of thousands paid by the Han family. If the engagement was broken, their family couldn't afford to repay the debt even if they sold everything they owned! "Principal, good deeds are rewarded! Our family depends on the money from the Han family for everything—the small business, the bride price, the tuition for the younger ones, the medical bills for the elders... If the engagement is broken, we can't pay them back even if we sell every pot and pan we have! Principal, you mustn't do this..."

Thus, the engagement between Chen Kangshan and the Han sisters became an open secret at the school. Their peculiar clique attracted even more attention. With everyone watching them, the "Gang of Four" caused increasing amounts of trouble, eventually securing their selection for the special class roster.

Xue Ziyun clapped his chest as a final guarantee: “Teacher Lin, don’t you worry about the scoundrels in this class. With me here, rest assured, anyone who dares to cross you, I’ll be the first to teach them a lesson!”

Lin Qingping met the boy’s words with a smile. She knew then that these seemingly wayward children weren't necessarily bad kids; it was just that the adults hadn't found the right way to educate them. In any case, wasn't this Xue Ziyun eager to get along with his teacher?

There were several small cliques in this new class: Qi Jun and Shang Tongxin were one instance, Xue Ziyun and his three companions were another, and then there were the two girls, Ye Yangliu and Hua Linglan. Because Hua Linglan had a prominent red mole right in the center of her forehead, and Ye Yangliu possessed naturally slender phoenix eyes, the classmates mockingly dubbed them the "Two Girls of the Red Chamber." Considering themselves beauties, the two girls tacitly accepted the nickname. However, their temperaments were far from the meek and yielding Xiangling; they bore more resemblance to the fiery Qingwen.

It was rumored they were distant relatives, usually living and sharing quarters so intimately that strangers might mistake them for actual sisters. In reality, their family backgrounds were vastly different—Ye Yangliu was from wealth, while Hua Linglan came from poverty. It was said that after Hua Linglan enrolled, her father even came to the school demanding the administration refund the exorbitant tuition, intending to take his daughter home. However, Hua Linglan’s tuition had been paid by a wealthy man whom she had once helped rescue from kidnappers, so the school naturally refused the father’s request.

Because of Hua Linglan’s background, her demeanor and clothing appeared unsophisticated and common among the students from noble families, drawing considerable disdain from some classmates. Furthermore, some teachers judged her based on her origins, finding fault with her at every turn. Hua Linglan struggled to connect with both teachers and students, and her good friend Ye Yangliu stood united with her, treating everyone else as untrustworthy and quick to suspect others of having ulterior motives. Once, a male teacher went to their dormitory to discuss a matter with them. Ye Yangliu interrogated him through the closed door for half an hour. Just as the teacher managed to prove his identity and step one foot inside, Hua Linglan, hidden behind the door, brought down a computer keyboard with full force! The two girls shrieked "Pervert!" "Filthy!" and "Sexual Harassment!" driving the teacher out of the room. Later, facing the principal and the bruised and swollen teacher during questioning, the girls argued vehemently: "Can't a teacher be a pervert? There are plenty of incidents of teachers molesting students. Why couldn't he discuss his business during the day? Running to our room late at night, who knows what he was planning? So many men have ill intentions toward beauties like us; if we aren't cautious about everything, how can we survive!" In the end, the teacher considered himself unlucky, and the matter was dropped without resolution.

These two girls orchestrated many similar incidents, naturally earning poor appraisals from both teachers and students. However, what truly landed them in the special class was another event. One day, a classmate reported a valuable watch missing. The entire class helped search to no avail, so the teacher brought Hua Linglan to the office for questioning. The teacher suspected her because she sat near the classmate who lost the watch and was the only one in the class who couldn't afford such a luxury item. After rummaging through her schoolbag, they locked her in the office, intending to search her pockets. Although Hua Linglan vehemently denied everything and threatened to call the police, how could she resist three teachers? Just as they were about to conduct a body search, Ye Yangliu burst through the door.

Ye Yangliu slapped a thick stack of cash squarely onto the face of their homeroom teacher and proceeded to unleash a torrent of obscenities—"Trash, pig, bastard..."—until the teacher’s blood pressure soared, requiring hospitalization. Later, before the principal, Ye Yangliu explained her actions: "She assumed Hua'er (Hua Linglan) was a thief just because she lost something and publicly accused her, then took her to the office to search her. In that case, I think calling her trash, a pig, and a despicable bastard isn't wrong, is it? Are we saying our school only allows officials to set fires but forbids commoners from lighting lamps?"

The principal rubbed his temples and replied, "Teacher Tan was wrong to suspect Hua Linglan randomly and search her, but once her innocence is proven, the school will offer her some compensation. You shouldn't have cursed the teacher over this."

"I didn't curse her, just stated my opinion. As long as she proves she isn't trash or whatever, I'll offer her some compensation too—Wait, she already accepted the compensation. So what else does she have to say? She didn't complain when she took my money. Anyway, that kind of trash only has money in their eyes." The compensation she referred to was, of course, the wad of cash she used to strike the teacher's face.

No matter how the principal mediated, Ye Yangliu and Hua Linglan continued to call the homeroom teacher "Trash" whenever they saw her, dropping the epithets "Pig" and "Bastard" only because Hua Linglan felt those insulted the animals. Thus, when Class Nine was established, both girls were invited to join this special class.

Now they were introducing themselves, finishing with an inevitable threat: “We believe all people are equal. Teachers collect salaries while we pay tuition, so by calculation, we are consumers. Therefore, people should respect each other...” They shrugged, leaving the rest of the speech unsaid. It seemed that following the incident with Teacher Tan, all teachers were viewed by them as greedy and judgmental based on background.

Lin Qingping nodded: “I think what you said makes a lot of sense. People who don't know how to respect others aren't worthy of respect. I sincerely hope to interact with you as equals, and it would be even better if we could become friends.”

After Ye Yangliu and Hua Linglan sat down, they began whispering amongst themselves: "This teacher seems pretty decent." "Maybe it's just an act; let's observe more before concluding." "It couldn't possibly be worse than that Trash Teacher Tan, right?" "That's true..."

These two children were truly baffling. Lin Qingping sighed. Was the mistrust children held toward adults entirely the children's fault?

After several more students gave hasty self-introductions, Zhu Hehuang stood up.

Students privately referred to Zhu Hehuang as the campus heartthrob. This young man was indeed strikingly handsome, and he took care in his presentation, moving with the grace of a young dandy. He swept his dyed golden-blond hair back as he leisurely introduced himself, capturing the attention of many girls in the class. Lin Qingping had heard that this student loved to flirt and, despite his short time enrolled, cycled through girlfriends constantly. Even stranger, although he was also from a wealthy family, he had a penchant for theft and robbery, frequently taking others' belongings or simply snatching them if he desired something, leading to several physical altercations with classmates. He never saw fault in his actions, and despite repeated admonishments from the administration, he kept offending, resulting in his transfer to the special class.

Looking at this student, Lin Qingping felt he was a typical example of parents who provided abundant material comforts but neglected education. In this aristocratic school, such children were alarmingly common, and Lin Qingping even suspected that, compared to them, the more unruly students before might be easier to educate and communicate with.

"...My future plan is to marry Sister Tongtong one day and inherit my father-in-law's company..." No one expected Zhu Hehuang to conclude his speech this way. Everyone looked at Wang Tongtong in surprise: what connection could these two seemingly unrelated people possibly have? Moreover, based on Zhu Hehuang's words, their relationship wasn't simple; it had reached the point of him inheriting her family’s business. Many boys present sighed regretfully, realizing the campus belle had already been claimed.

“Zhu Hehuang!” Wang Tongtong endured as long as she could before leaping up to interrupt his endless monologue, pointing directly at his nose and shouting: “You better not push your luck; you’ll truly make me furious!”

Zhu Hehuang smugly elaborated on his plans for the future, completely forgetting Wang Tongtong was present. He stopped abruptly under her sharp reprimand and mumbled sheepishly, “Sister Tongtong, it’s for very clear reasons that your father arranged for me to be your classmate here—it means he approves of our engagement and wants us to foster our feelings together.”

“You remember this: my father funded your schooling and gave you money to spend to repay the life debt he owes your grandfather. It has nothing to do with anything else! I have absolutely no relationship with you; stop dreaming your romantic fantasies!” Wang Tongtong clenched her fists and advanced toward Zhu Hehuang, clearly on the verge of physical violence.

The classroom had long erupted into chaos: whistles blowing, cheers for Wang Tongtong, and others preparing to jump in to assist—in short, everyone was eager to stir up trouble. Just as Lin Qingping wondered what to do, a fluorescent tube in the classroom suddenly cracked with a sharp snap, followed by shattering glass and sparks of electricity scattering everywhere. The classroom fell instantly silent. Except for a few squeals from girls seated nearby, the boisterous Zhu Hehuang, Wang Tongtong, and the others quieted down abruptly and returned to their seats. Although Lin Qingping couldn't explain why an unlit fixture exploded, the sudden calm in the room was a relief.

The subsequent student introductions proceeded without further incident. Before class ended, Lin Qingping finally managed to cross-reference the students in this special class with the files in her mind: Qin Qingyang, who entered the school ranked first in the entire city, was known for his arrogance; he couldn't stand seeing anyone better than him. Reportedly, he achieved the top rank this time by bribing certain elements in the city to injure a higher-achieving classmate who was thus unable to take the exam. After arriving at this school, he once tried to put a laxative in Wang Tongtong’s drink because her grades surpassed his, but Wang Tongtong discovered it and gave him a severe beating, leading to his transfer here; Fang Yue, daughter of a high-ranking official, brought her nanny to school. Unable to get along with anyone, she ended up in this class; Qian Yongming got a female student pregnant shortly after school started; Wang Yang... Zhao Aixue...

Even for a teacher who firmly believed there were no bad children, only improper educational methods, Lin Qingping couldn't help but offer a wry smile facing this cohort. "Thank you all for your introductions; now we are acquainted. We will be spending a lot of time together from now on, and I hope we can interact like friends." Lin Qingping spoke briefly before dismissing them. It wasn't that she wished to avoid further communication, but the moment the dismissal bell rang, every remaining student looked at her with expressions of impatience, forcing her to keep it short.

As soon as the word "Dismissed" was uttered, half the students rushed out of the classroom with a roar. The remaining ones chatted or slowly packed their belongings, treating Lin Qingping as if she were invisible, completely ignoring her presence. Thinking about the task of educating this class ahead, Lin Qingping felt her sense of powerlessness deepen, and she walked out in contemplation.

More than half an hour later, Huo'er stretched lazily as it climbed down from the light fixture. Looking out the dark window, it rubbed its head: “Seems I overslept... The sky is dark; why hasn't the Fox Mother come to class yet?” Huo’er circled the empty classroom a few times, confirming not a single shadow remained, and then yelled angrily: “That detestable Fox! They didn't tell me school was off today, making me miss dinner!” It had been sleeping since morning and had been hungry for hours, its stomach emitting continuous growls. The thought of food made it impossible to stay any longer, so it shot out the window and flew rapidly toward home.

“That guy finally flew away! Alarm clear, alarm clear!” As Huo’er’s silhouette vanished, cheers erupted from several student dormitories.

“Let’s go shopping for clothes!” The Han sisters jumped up and mobilized immediately. “Xue Dapao, Shan Wa’zi, are you coming?”

“Shopping for clothes again?” The two boys exchanged a glance and replied in unison, “We’re not going. We haven't finished our homework yet!”

“Really turned into good students? Then write an extra two copies. Leave ours here too, and remember to make the handwriting different,” the girls said triumphantly, their scheme having succeeded.

“That dead bird is finally gone; I’m heading out. Tongtong, don’t wait up for me; I need to turn into that child's dead mother and stay with him all night, or he won't sleep,” He Xinran called out to Wang Tongtong before leaving.

“I can’t sleep when the environment changes...” Wang Tongtong yawned. “I wonder what Mom is making for a late-night snack... It’s getting late; I should go home and sleep too.” With that, she too disappeared from the campus, which was supposed to be a full boarding school.

“Finally, I can go out and play games...”

“Finally...”

After Huo’er departed, the school entered its nocturnal fervor...