Chapter 22: At the Bottom Anyway, Fearless

The girl was also dressed in the school uniform, but on her left arm she wore a red armband emblazoned with the words “Disciplinary Committee.” As soon as Ye Wuqi caught sight of her, he tossed her a bag of sunflower seeds. “Chen Chen, your timing is uncanny. Otherwise, I could’ve saved a bag of seeds.”

“With all the snacks you have, you’re only giving me a bag of sunflower seeds?” Chen Chen made as if to snatch more from him.

Ye Wuqi quickly stuffed all the snacks from his seat into the desk, grinning cheekily. “You’re the principal’s daughter, after all. You hardly need my measly bag of seeds!”

“Stingy!” Chen Chen laughed and scolded him, before turning her gaze to Ye Luo. “You must be the new transfer student, right? Hello, my name is Chen Chen. I’m the disciplinary committee member for this school, from class 18 next door. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

When Ye Luo was young, she often spent time with emotionless robots; as she grew older, she always acted alone and was never good at socializing or dealing with people. She managed only a polite, “Hello.”

At that moment, Yan Baba, who was tearing into a packet of chicken feet, spoke up with his mouth full. “Chen Chen, what brings you here anyway? Don’t tell me you’re here to police our class again. Can’t you see there’s barely anyone left? If you keep at it, there’ll be no one left in our class.”

Chen Chen burst out laughing. “They’re the ones skipping school, and you blame me? Fine, fine, I’ll be on my way and out of your hair. I’m actually here for Gorilla. This guy copied my homework yesterday and still hasn’t given it back. How am I supposed to hand it in without it?”

With that, she strode over to Lei Xingxing.

***

Lei Xingxing handed her a few types of snacks before grinning sheepishly. “I just wanted to study your homework for a bit. I meant to return it after. I didn’t expect it to drag on until today.”

Chen Chen looked at her with anticipation. “So, did you learn anything from it?”

Lei Xingxing replied, “No, I didn’t understand a thing.”

Ye Luo: “…”

Chen Chen sighed, “All that effort you put into listening in class!”

Lei Xingxing said, “Listening hard and understanding are two different things.”

Chen Chen crossed her arms. “Have you ever understood?”

Lei Xingxing answered, “Never once.”

Ye Luo: “…”

Ye Wuqi and Yan Baba nearly burst out laughing.

***

“I honestly don’t know how your brain works!” Chen Chen, exasperated, grabbed a book and knocked Lei Xingxing on the head twice before snatching back her homework and leaving.

Ye Wuqi turned to Ye Luo with a laugh. “That girl—just because her dad’s the principal, she dares to lecture anyone in school. But in our class, Gorilla’s the only one who ever lets her. You just can’t imagine how hilarious it is to see someone as big as Gorilla bowing his head to be scolded by someone as tiny as her, ha ha ha…”

Chen Chen, almost out the door of class 19, called back, “Qi-ge, I’m barely out the door and you’re already gossiping about me? You’d better study hard—there’s a quiz this Friday!”

Ye Wuqi adopted a shameless air. “Bring it on! Our class is always at the bottom—what’s there to fear?”

Ye Luo: “…”

Once Chen Chen had left, Yan Baba picked up his stool and sidled over to Ye Luo’s side, gnawing on chicken feet as he spoke with Ye Luo and Ye Wuqi.

“Senior year is the worst—bi-weekly quizzes, monthly exams, and countless pop tests. I honestly admire those top students. How are they not crazy by now?”

Lei Xingxing, deprived of Chen Chen’s homework to “study,” also dragged over her stool and snacks to join the conversation. “They haven’t lost their minds because their brains work better than ours. Just look at Chen Chen—she’s in the top ten every time.”