Five minutes before class, the class monitor, Ziye, approached the Silver Talisman class door with brisk steps, poking her head inside. No one.

She was the first one here.

Ziye was quite satisfied with this fact.

She placed her bag in the classroom, stood at the doorway, and activated the group broadcast function on her Silver Comm: "Good morning, everyone. This is your monitor, Ziye. There are four minutes and thirty seconds until class starts, so please hurry."

The response was a cacophony of clattering sounds from the Silver Comm.

Ziye suspected someone had just fallen from the **.

Who could it be?

A slight smile touched the corner of her mouth.

"Hi, Ziye, good morning."

A voice interrupted her thoughts. Ziye looked up to see Lan Li from the Angel Class.

Lan Li strode in with the elegance of someone about to charm everyone into submission beneath his tailored trousers, carrying a large bouquet of fiery red roses while impeccably dressed in a suit and tie.

"Good morning, Lan Li," Ziye replied with a smile, pointing across the hall. "But your classroom is over there."

Lan Li, unfazed and showing no sign of exertion, replied, "Oh, I'm an exchange student sent from the Angel Class. I'll be attending classes in the Silver Talisman Class starting today."

Ziye raised an eyebrow. Wasn't An Junlie supposed to be the exchange student from the Angel Class? Why was it Lan Li? Still, the Red-Haired Teacher wouldn't mind one more student. "Oh? Is that so? Welcome."

Lan Li nodded but didn't enter the classroom, remaining by the opposite side of the doorway.

Ziye glanced at the roses in his arms, then at the tardiness log in her own hand, and secretly drew a circle in her mind—Hmph, who doesn't know that the Angel Class's Lan Li has ulterior motives? Dreaming of cozying up to our Red-Haired Teacher, fat chance!

Just then, with a whoosh, someone dashed past the doorway at an astonishing speed.

Ziye raised her hand. "Hi there, An Junlie! Running again?"

An Junlie replied without turning back, "Yep, this is the third lap." The moment the words left his mouth, he had vanished from sight.

Ziye shook her head. She told him there was another exchange student from the Angel Class, but he ran too fast for any opportunity.

It was Lan Li who keenly recognized An Junlie. "Isn't that guy from our old class? Which class is he in now?"

Ziye cleverly sidestepped the question. "You'll know soon enough."

As she spoke, she checked the time and initiated the group broadcast again: "Classmates, only two minutes and fifty-nine seconds left until class. Please pay close attention to the time."

Her broadcast was answered by a fit of violent coughing.

Someone must have choked on something accidentally.

Ziye sighed helplessly. Although the Silver Talisman Class was academically excellent among the various classes, their self-care skills were abysmal. Choking during breakfast, for goodness sake.

It was truly a case of being angry at their lack of ambition and sad for their misfortune.

No one had shown up yet at this hour. If they were late, the first person to face the music would undoubtedly be her, the class monitor.

Ziye looked around expectantly. Several seconds passed before finally, a belated figure appeared.

Dressed in black attire from head to toe, holding a thick stack of cash and counting as he walked—who else but Black Beard?

Ziye cheerfully greeted him. "Old Black, you're ten seconds earlier than yesterday!"

Black Beard looked up and glared at her, straightening the folded bills until they fanned out like an open folding fan.

"Don't talk to me while I'm counting money," Black Beard snapped, clearly annoyed. "You made me lose count of where I was."

Ziye: "..."

Lan Li laughed beside her. "This Old Black classmate is quite adorable. Is counting money fun?"

Black Beard said sternly, "I'm not playing. I'm challenging my limits. This round is counting two thousand bills in under two minutes, with zero errors."

Lan Li: "..."

Black Beard swept between the two of them, entered the classroom, took his seat, and immediately resumed the rustling sound of counting.

Ziye shook her head with resignation.

Black Beard was great in every aspect except for being too engrossed in his bill-counting game.

Seeing as he wasn't late, she decided to pretend she hadn't seen anything.

Following Black Beard’s arrival, the other classmates began trickling in one after another—A'Can, Iron Hand, Big Head, Old Dog... By the time there were thirty seconds left until class, eighty percent of the class was present.

Ziye checked the list on the tardiness log and issued the third broadcast for the absentees: "Twenty seconds remaining. Countdown starts now: 19, 18, 17..."

Whoosh, An Junlie shot into the classroom like a gust of wind. "Third lap complete!"

Ziye smiled sweetly. "Congratulations, but you were two seconds slower than yesterday."

An Junlie wiped his sweat and glanced back at her. "Men, you know, we have those few days every month."

Ziye nodded understandingly.

"Excuse me, is this the Silver Talisman Class?"

An exceptionally pleasant voice rang out. Ziye looked up, scratching her head in surprise. "Yes, it is the Silver Talisman Class. Hey, are you Tang Wen?"

Tang Wen was the school's idol; every time he made an appearance, it was met with screams.

Ziye had a very clear impression of him.

Seeing him now, he truly lived up to his idol status—a handsome man.

Being looked at by him made her heart melt instantly.

Tang Wen was dressed in stylish, dazzling casual wear, one hand tucked into his pocket, exuding grace and composure. "I'm an exchange student from the Tang Clan Class. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ziye smiled sweetly. "I'm Ziye, the monitor of the Silver Talisman Class. You don't have a seat yet, do you? We—"

Before she could finish, Tang Wen stated, "I want to sit with you."

Ziye: "...Uh, is that...?"

Tang Wen knitted his brows. "Is it inconvenient?"

Ziye plastered a smile back on. "Not at all, it's quite convenient. My deskmate, A'Piao, is serving as an exchange student in the Tyrant Class, so the seat is conveniently vacant!"

Tang Wen extended his hand. "I look forward to your guidance then."

Ziye demurred quickly and guided him to sit next to her designated spot.

By this time, only three seconds remained until class began.

Ziye looked outside the door and saw a figure sprinting toward the classroom in a hundred-meter dash.

Ziye watched her stopwatch, silently breaking into a cold sweat for him.

Three, two, one!

The person landed with a thud right at the classroom entrance, ending up in a face-plant.

Ziye: "...Are you alright?"

The person on the ground struggled to get up. "I'm fine, just a momentary weakness in the legs." He looked at the door frame and exclaimed in surprise, "My head is already inside the room, so I don't count as late. Class Monitor Ziye, you must watch closely."

Ziye sighed resignedly. "Yes. Confirmed."

The person scrambled up excitedly and hurried to his seat.

Lan Li watched in amazement. "Who is that?"

Ziye solemnly introduced him. "He is called Weak-Leg Brother."

Lan Li burst out laughing. "Is it because he always gets weak legs at crucial moments?"

Ziye nodded. "Precisely." She checked the time. "The teacher will be here shortly. Let's go inside."

Lan Li shook his head. "You go ahead, don't mind me."

Ziye waved and entered the classroom, sitting beside Tang Wen. She put away the tardiness log; there was no need to record anyone else—they were all late anyway.

Tang Wen lightly tapped Ziye’s hand and motioned for her to look outside.

Ziye followed the direction of his hand and saw the Red-Haired Teacher approaching, clad in a fiery red, low-cut V-neck miniskirt. Her proud, ample chest seemed poised to burst forth with every movement, and the skirt, short enough to barely cover her thighs, looked ready to fly up at any moment.

Ziye quietly wiped her brow.

The Silver Talisman Class truly lived up to its reputation as a 'monk class' (a class full of men). Was it appropriate for the Red-Haired Teacher to dress like this?

Just as the Red-Haired Teacher reached the classroom door, Lan Li, who had been waiting outside, immediately dropped to his knees with a thud, holding his roses high. "Red-Haired Teacher, I have loved you for many years! Please date me with the intent of marriage! Oh, right, let me introduce myself first—I am Lan Li, an exchange student from the Angel Class."

The Red-Haired Teacher turned around and casually ran a hand through her wine-red curls. As she did, Ziye clearly saw that her dress was backless, held only by two thin straps across her entire back.

The male students in the classroom simultaneously performed one action: covering their bleeding noses!

The sole anomaly in the room, Tang Wen, propped his chin on his hand, gazing at the Red-Haired Teacher’s smooth back, smiling as he critiqued, "This is this month's new release. Experts have authenticated that five inches of this fabric costs twenty thousand silver pieces."

Ziye looked at him in astonishment. "How do you know?"

Tang Wen placed a finger to his lips in a gentle "Shhh." "Because my mother sold it."

As for the Red-Haired Teacher's reaction to Lan Li's proposal, she simply let out a hearty laugh. She took the roses. "No rush, go back to class first."

Lan Li remained motionless. "If you don't agree, I won't get up."

The Red-Haired Teacher raised an eyebrow. Holding the roses in one hand, she seized Lan Li’s arm with the other and flung him forcefully into mid-air. Her foot, encased in a sharp, pointed high heel, followed with a kick—

To the utter astonishment of the assembled students, Lan Li landed uncontrollably in an empty seat in the classroom.

The Red-Haired Teacher smiled sweetly, as if nothing had happened, casually closed the classroom door, placed both hands on the podium, and leaned slightly forward—the poor monks once again covered their noses. Ziye, as the only girl in the class, felt completely unfazed.

"Class begins now," the Red-Haired Teacher announced. "Today's lesson is a PK challenge. We start with the last two students to enter the classroom. The loser steps down, and the winner continues to challenge. After the session, the prize for first place will be a bouquet of red roses, courtesy of Lan Li's generous sponsorship."

Lan Li looked absolutely mortified.

Just as the Red-Haired Teacher was about to announce the start of the PK, the classroom door was suddenly slammed open.

A bouquet of blue roses appeared in the doorway.

Ziye recognized the hand holding the blue roses immediately. However, since Lan Li had already offered flowers first, trying to win the teacher’s favor with a bouquet of blue roses and excuse his tardiness seemed highly unlikely now.

"Teacher, you are my blue rose, rose, rose!" The chronically perverse latecomer clutched the blue roses and spoke with exaggerated passion.

Surprisingly, the Red-Haired Teacher said nothing. She took the roses. "Go to your seat first."

The pervert happily skipped back to his spot.

The Red-Haired Teacher looked at the blue roses, then at the red roses. "Lan Li, which do you think is more suitable as the first-place prize, the red roses or the blue roses?"

Lan Li stood up, hesitating slightly.

If the blue roses became the first-place prize, would the Red-Haired Teacher take the red roses home?

Unable to decipher the teacher's intentions, Lan Li decided to give up on subtlety and asked directly, "Teacher, the first-place prize is just one bouquet. What will you do with the second bouquet?"

The Red-Haired Teacher smiled sweetly. "The second bouquet will be broken down: two-thirds for the second-place prize, and one-third for the third-place prize."

Lan Li: "...I humbly suggest the red roses are more suitable for the first-place prize." At least they would avoid being split up.

The Red-Haired Teacher countered, "Your surname is Lan, aren't you feeling protective of your family's blue roses?"

Lan Li’s eye twitched. "Teacher, my surname is Lan, but the blue roses are not mine. In my view, the red roses are the bouquet that truly complements you. Furthermore, Teacher, your surname is Red, so you must like red roses, right?"

The Red-Haired Teacher smiled slyly. "My surname is not Red. But the red roses are not mine either. You two will compete fairly. Pervert, Lan Li, step up."

The two walked onto the makeshift fighting platform.

The Pervert felt nervous. Lan Li looked young and strong; did he have to pull out his ultimate move?

The Red-Haired Teacher instructed, "Walk three steps back-to-back, and when I say three, two, one, turn around."

The two complied and took three steps each.

The Red-Haired Teacher’s red lips parted: "Three, two, one."

Both turned around. "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

The Pervert threw scissors; Lan Li threw paper. Lan Li lost.

The Red-Haired Teacher smiled at the students. "The first-place prize will be a bouquet of blue roses. Thank you both for your generous sponsorship. Please return to your seats. The last two students to enter the classroom, step forward. Ziye, please handle the recording. PK begins."

The last two to arrive were: Pervert, and Long Legs.

The aging Pervert was no match for Long Legs and was instantly defeated in one move, returning to his seat with a long face. Lan Li shot the Pervert a sidelong glance—he had hoped to avenge his loss in the guessing game personally, but this guy was disappointingly weak.

Next up: Long Legs versus Weak-Leg Brother.

Ziye explained, "This is a rare contest of legs. Lan Li, you'll fight in the next round."

When leg meets leg, the contest is about leg strength.

Unfortunately, Weak-Leg Brother was inherently burdened by the word 'weak' and was defeated.

Lan Li finally stepped up, confused. "I was the second person here."

Ziye clarified, "You were the second to arrive, but you were the second-to-last to enter the room."

Lan Li shrugged helplessly and quickly dispatched Long Legs in a few moves, becoming the new reigning champion.

However, his good fortune was short-lived; he encountered Tang Wen.

Lan Li versus Tang Wen: Amateur versus Professional.

Lan Li was instantly defeated by Tang Wen in one move, ending his reign on the platform.

Tang Wen stood on the platform and beckoned with a finger. "Is there anyone who can defeat me?"

Old Dog, Big Head, Iron Hand, A'Can, and others took turns challenging him. Yet, the School Idol maintained his overwhelming dominance, defeating everyone until he faced An Junlie.

Tang Wen versus An Junlie—it was a confrontation between sworn enemies!

The two exchanged blows for over thirty rounds.

Seeing that he couldn't break through with force, An Junlie resorted to psychological warfare: "I know you came for the Class Beauty, but she's already mine!"

The only female student in the Silver Talisman Class held both the positions of monitor and class beauty.

Tang Wen froze, and An Junlie knocked him down with a punch.

An Junlie stood on the platform, cracking his knuckles loudly, and addressed the Red-Haired Teacher, "Teacher, if I win, can I claim my own prize?"

The Red-Haired Teacher leaned over, tilting her hips slightly, "Are you asking for me?"

An Junlie pointed at Ziye. "I want her."

The Red-Haired Teacher had a sudden realization. "I thought you liked mature women, turns out you prefer lolis." She shook her head. "Rejected."

An Junlie declared, "Then I won't fight." As he was about to step off, a punch landed on him from behind. "You need to see if I agree!"

An Junlie versus Black Beard—a mandatory fight.

Black Beard, who only knew how to count money, was no match for An Junlie and was defeated in three moves.

An Junlie was about to step off the platform when the Red-Haired Teacher suddenly laughed. "Silly boy, the next one up is Ziye."

An Junlie immediately brightened and resumed his fighting stance.

Ziye leisurely walked onto the platform and greeted him with a wave. "Hi there, An Junlie."

An Junlie's face flushed crimson. "Even if you are the one I like, I won't go easy on you."

Ziye gave him a thumbs-up. "Good. That is the spirit of the Silver Talisman Class."

An Junlie said, "You make the first move."

Ziye placed her hand on her collar and began unbuttoning her shirt, one crystal-like, charming button after another. She was wearing a light greenish-blue patterned shirt over a white base.

An Junlie watched her movements intently, unblinking. Suddenly, he seemed to catch a glimpse of something in his periphery, his whole body shuddered, a stream of blood jetted from his nose, and he fainted backward.

An Junlie versus Ziye: An Junlie lost completely before the match even began.

Ziye tore off her half-undone shirt, revealing a sleeveless undershirt beneath. She clenched her fist, her muscles bulging, and lamented, "I haven't even warmed up yet, An Junlie, you're too weak."

The Red-Haired Teacher gracefully stepped down from behind the podium, extending a hand for Ziye to take as she hopped off the platform. Her face was stern. "You boys are too weak. If you can't even beat Ziye, how do you expect to beat me? Teacher is deeply concerned for your future."

Ziye silently thought to herself, You clearly know they can't reach you, so that's why you're wearing such a daring skirt, right?

Of course, she could only think it; she certainly couldn't say it.

The Red-Haired Teacher announced, "In order to challenge me next time, you will all do some running exercises today to build your fitness. Those who lost their first match run ten laps; those who won one match run eight laps; those who won two matches run five laps; those who won three or more but were ultimately defeated run three laps. Latecomers run double the required laps. Ziye, you'll be recording the results live."

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—"

The classroom erupted in a unified, mournful wail.

The Red-Haired Teacher was getting crueler and crueler!

"Oh, right!" The Red-Haired Teacher struck her left palm with her right fist. In that instant, her chest bounced, and the male students once again sprayed blood from their noses. The Red-Haired Teacher seemed completely oblivious, smiling sweetly. "An Junlie passed out due to hypoglycemia. I heard rose petals are rich in nutrients and sugar, which is perfect for him. For this session, An Junlie will consume the roses, and the prize will be awarded next time."

The boys groaned in frustration and headed out to run, their faces grim.

The Red-Haired Teacher and Ziye stood at the start/finish line, smiling charmingly. "You'd better run fast, or there will be extra punishment."

The boys jolted in alarm and shot off like arrows.

The Pervert was left behind. He couldn't muster the speed and shuffled along listlessly. After everyone else was gone, he asked tentatively, "Did you two... do that on purpose?"

The Red-Haired Teacher smiled without answering. "What do you think?"

-RP