Chapter 1 Transfer Student
World loading...
The afternoon sunshine of Shenghua College is as generous as free gold dust, splashing on the smooth floor of Class 12 (A). The air is filled with book ink, chalk dust and the unique restless atmosphere of adolescence.
"Classmates, please be quiet."
The voice of our homeroom teacher, Ms. Li, shattered the classroom's languid atmosphere. Behind her, a few formulas were scattered cluttered across the dark green blackboard, their reflections from the sun making them difficult to read.
Chu Yan stepped into this sun-soaked area, his entire body seemingly bathed in a soft glow. His dark gray uniform perfectly draped the boy's upright figure, his shoulders straight, outlining a tension between youth and maturity. His hair flowed gently across his forehead, his complexion the delicate, pampered white of a life of luxury. He stood still, the curve of his lips a carefully calculated one, devoid of aggression, as if easily dispelling any guardedness.
"Hello everyone," the voice was low and pleasant, with just the right amount of gentleness, "My name is Chu Yan. Yan, as in Inkstone. I'm new here, so please take care of me."
He bowed slightly, his posture graceful and impeccable.
Applause erupted at the perfect moment. Several girls in the front row suddenly brightened up at the sight of the handsome new boy, exchanging glances and whispering to each other. Teacher Li nodded in satisfaction; this new student was a relief.
Chu Yan maintained his impeccably gentle smile, his gaze sweeping across the classroom like a gentle spring breeze. Yet beneath that gentle exterior lay a completely different scene. His gaze, like an invisible radar, scanned each young face with pinpoint accuracy.
[Ding! Host Chu Yan, identity confirmed. Main Quest: Assist key figure 'Gu Ye' to successfully control the Gu family. Mission Difficulty: SSS level.]
A cold electronic sound echoed in his mind. A flash of surprise flashed across Chu Yan's eyes, but the corners of his mouth remained unchanged. He even smiled at a girl who was peeking at him, his eyes softening a little.
"Your main system has finally gone haywire." He sneered in his mind. "An SSS-level mission, just to seize the family fortune. System, your script is so clichéd." He casually cast his gaze toward the corner indicated by the system—the last row of the classroom, the shadowy area by the window.
It was a forbidden zone for sunlight. Thick curtains and a mountain of books blocked out most of the light, creating a dim and decadent little world. A figure sank into the wide chair, almost blending into the shadows. The most striking feature was a head of unruly, spiky silver hair, striking even in the dimness. The figure slumped over the table, face buried in the crook of his arms, emanating a low, "keep away" aura. A bony hand dangled casually over the edge of the table, its fingertips clean yet sharp, a sense of distance.
[Gu Ye?] Chu Yan raised an eyebrow and quickly read the information forced upon him by the system. There wasn't much information, but the labels of "abandoned child", "bad temper", and "marginal person" were clear enough.
[Target person locked: Gu Ye.]
Perhaps it was the sudden burst of applause, or perhaps it was Chu Yan's seemingly gentle, yet actually evaluative, gaze that lingered a little too long. The man, previously buried in sleep, raised his head. His suddenly open eyes, in the dim light, darted unceremoniously toward the podium, irritated by the interruption.
"What are you looking at?" His voice was hoarse, like someone who had just woken up. Every word seemed to be coated in ice and filled with anger. "Have you never seen anyone sleep?!"
Teacher Li's smile froze on her face. It was indeed a bit awkward to give such an impression to the new students on their first day in class.
After a brief moment of awkwardness, Teacher Li seemed to remember something. She glanced between Chu Yan and Gu Ye, then forced a smile onto her face again. She nudged Chu Yan's arm and said, "Chu Yan, your seat will be next to Gu Ye. Gu Ye," she raised her voice, "is a new student, so please take care of him."
"Take care?" Gu Ye looked like he had heard a huge joke, with an extremely sarcastic arc at the corner of his mouth, "Do I look like a charity?" He raised his chin slightly, like a furry cat whose territory was invaded, with resistance and get away written all over his body.
The whole class was silent.
The smile on Chu Yan's face remained unchanged, and even deepened slightly, appearing even more gentle and harmless. He took a step in the dead silence, walking slowly towards the center of the storm, the sound of his footsteps on the floor clear and steady.
He ignored the murderous gaze and walked straight to his desk, his hair swaying gently as he moved, obscuring the fleeting interest in his eyes. He placed his bag on the chair and casually pulled out a notebook. Then he raised his head, his gaze fixed squarely on Gu Ye's hand, still brimming with anger, propped up on Chu Yan's desk. He leaned over him, put down the notebook, and inadvertently approached.
Time seemed to stand still for a second.
Gu Ye's body suddenly stiffened, and his pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had been severely burned by something scalding hot. The skin on the back of his hand, which had been brushed by Chu Yan's clothes, suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation that rushed straight to his brain.
"You..." He pulled his hand back suddenly, as if he was bitten by a poisonous snake, and his movement was so fast that it brought up a gust of wind.
"Are you sick?" he almost shouted.
The gentle curve at the corner of Chu Yan's mouth remained unchanged, but a glimmer of interest flashed across the depths of his eyes, like a hunter discovering new prey.
Although he didn't know why the system defined an ordinary auxiliary task as level 3S, he didn't mind spending more time on the task objectives.
After all, the main system paid a high amount of points, so it seemed okay for him to tolerate Gu Ye's dog-like temper.
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