Episode 04

Episode 04

An aggressive, high-pitched electronic alarm blasted right next to my ear.

I shot up in bed, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I blinked blearily at my phone.

7:45 AM. Class started at 8:00 AM.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," I choked out, throwing my blanket off.

My perfectly calculated, highly disciplined morning routine was completely obliterated.

Across the room, Chen Ming was already on his feet, looking slightly disheveled but moving with frantic, quiet urgency.

His usual pristine posture was compromised as he jammed his laptop into his backpack while simultaneously trying to button his school blazer.

"You didn't set an alarm?" I snapped, rushing over to my closet to grab my uniform.

"I did," Chen Ming shot back, his voice tight and stressed.

"But someone next door was blast-playing video games until three in the morning, which apparently altered my sleep cycle."

As if on cue, the wall shook.

"YUQI! CHEN MING! WE HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES! IF WE ARE LATE ON THE FIRST DAY, MEANING THE CORRIDOR MONITOR WILL TAKE OUR POINTS!"

Zihao’s voice screamed through the drywall, followed by the sound of him sprinting down the hallway outside.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, throwing on my blazer and grabbing my bag.

We practically burst out of Room 404 at the exact same time, shoulder-to-shoulder, running down the corridor.

There was no time for strategic thinking, no time to look cool.

It was a pure, unadulterated sprint across the massive, high-tech campus.

By the time we slid into the lecture hall, the digital clock on the wall read 7:59 AM.

The room was massive, tiered like a university auditorium, and completely packed with the city's brightest minds.

The moment the heavy doors slammed shut behind us, the low hum of chatting students instantly died down.

Every single pair of eyes locked onto the doorway.

“Look, it’s him. The top ranker, Li Yuqi.”

“Wait, isn’t that Chen Ming next to him? The violinist?”

“Why did they arrive together? Are they friends?”

Whispers rippled through the rows like wildfire.

I forced myself to instantly switch on my 'Leader Council' persona.

I smoothed down my crumpled blazer, pasted on a confident, effortless smile, and began walking down the aisle as if I had planned to arrive at exactly 7:59 AM all along.

Chen Ming, on the other hand, just pulled his icy wall back up, ignoring the stares with a blank, freezing expression that told everyone to stay at least ten feet away.

The only open seats left in the entire auditorium were two empty desks right in the very front row directly under the piercing gaze of the advanced STEM professor.

I took the seat on the left.

Chen Ming, having no other choice, dropped his bag into the seat right next to mine.

The professor, a sharp-eyed woman with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, adjusted her glasses and looked down at us.

"Nice of the student council leader and our top soloist to join us just in time. Now that everyone is present, let us begin."

I leaned over slightly, keeping my eyes fixed on the digital whiteboard at the front, and whispered under my breath, "Looks like you're stuck sitting next to my empty strategic optimism for the next two hours."

Chen Ming didn't turn his head, but I saw his jaw tighten as he opened his tablet.

"Just don't breathe too loudly, Leader Li. I have a low tolerance for distractions."

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