Chapter 10: First Day of School
A Rush to School
“Too slow! Do you want to be late on your first day, you idiot Yu Li?”
The blonde girl stomped her foot, glaring impatiently at Yu Li, who had just stepped out of the house.
“Hehe, sorry, sorry!”
Yu Li flashed an awkward smile at Ai Xinglan, then quickly darted to the car and slipped inside to avoid further scolding.
With a sigh, Ai Xinglan followed her in and ordered the driver to go.
By the way, Feng, due to her role in Yu Li’s scheme, was banned from approaching Ai Xinglan or Yu Li for a week, so today’s driver wasn’t her.
Thinking about starting school, Yu Li recalled her first encounter with her senior, Lan Yi.
Deciding to send a greeting before arriving, she pulled out her phone and messaged Lan Yi.
“Senior Lan Yi, I’m officially your junior starting today! Looking forward to your guidance!”
Yu Li was about to put her phone down when it buzzed lightly.
[Junior Yu, I’m the one who needs your guidance.]
[If you ever need help at school, come to me. I’ll do anything to assist you… it’s my duty as your senior, after all.]
Seeing the instant reply, Yu Li blinked, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Pretty happy, huh? New friend?”
Ai Xinglan’s sudden voice made Yu Li turn.
The blonde girl stared at her with a blank expression, but something about it felt off.
“Oh? Is Xiao Ai jealous?”
Yu Li grinned, her expression growing playful.
“Since Xiao Ai’s so busy, I had to make a new friend~”
“Hmph, who’d be jealous of a dummy like you?”
Perhaps used to Yu Li’s teasing, Ai Xinglan kept her composure, striking a haughty pose.
“I’m just surprised that a lazy freeloader like you, who lounges at home all day, managed to make a friend behind my back!”
“Oh, is that so~?”
Yu Li looked at Ai Xinglan’s pouty face, then lunged forward, wrapping her in a hug.
“What are you doing?!”
Ai Xinglan squirmed instinctively.
“No matter how many friends I make or people I meet, Xiao Ai… you’ll always be my number one, okay?”
Yu Li held her close, whispering softly in her ear.
“W-Who cares about that?! Let go and sit properly!”
Ai Xinglan pushed at Yu Li’s face, trying to shove her away, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her mood.
A Maid’s Musings
“And then, despite Ai Xinglan’s half-hearted resistance, Yu Li kept holding her until the car ride ended. Just as Ai Xinglan thought it was over and moved to get out, Yu Li pinned her down and kissed her fiercely.”
“Something like that, probably.”
The white-haired maid, Feng, spoke expressionlessly to the other maids in the house.
“Uh… I don’t think the two misses have that kind of relationship.”
A timid maid voiced her opinion, but Feng shook her head.
“You’re missing the essence. Next time, observe them with your own eyes.”
With that, Feng shook her head again and walked off.
“Phew… finally free…”
The young maid sighed in relief and scurried away.
Feng, meanwhile, was scribbling in a notebook, shaking her head and sighing as if something wasn’t quite right.
“The Li-Xing energy is critically low. Imagination alone has its limits… After today, I’ll have to observe them more closely…”
Lan Yi’s Worries
At the student council room, Lan Yi wasn’t handling her usual tasks.
Instead, she stared at her phone, looking troubled.
“Was my reply too weird? It’s already sent… ugh.”
She fretted over her message to Yu Li.
“But… Junior Yu probably wouldn’t think that, right? I hope she still sees me as a reliable senior…”
Knock, knock, knock—
A sudden knock startled Lan Yi, making her fumble to hide her phone before answering.
“Come in.”
A timid-looking boy, clearly a student, entered, avoiding Lan Yi’s gaze.
“It’s you… What’s the matter?”
Lan Yi sighed, sounding a bit exasperated.
“Sorry, Senior Lan Yi… Young Master Ye… he asked you to meet him at the central plaza during lunch break. He… he says he has a surprise for you.”
The boy glanced up nervously, his eyes betraying a hint of admiration.
“Ugh… Didn’t I already say…”
“Senior, please, just go one more time! It’s the last time, I swear—just… help us ordinary students out.”
The boy bowed deeply, as if he wouldn’t rise until Lan Yi agreed.
Seeing his pained expression, Lan Yi bit her lip, then nodded reluctantly.
“This… is the last time.”
“Really? Thank you, Senior! I-I’ll go now!”
Overjoyed, the boy bolted without looking back.
“Ordinary students, huh… Am I not an ordinary student too?”
Lan Yi gave a bitter smile, sighing as she watched him disappear.
A New Face in Class
“Good afternoon, everyone.”
A black-haired girl stood at the front of the classroom, bowing slightly with an elegant smile.
“My name is Yu Li. It’s an honor to share the coming days with all of you in this class.”
Her voice was pleasant, carrying a gentle warmth.
“As a newcomer, please forgive any missteps. I hope we can all become friends.”
On the first day of the new semester, Class A welcomed a stunning black-haired girl.
She carried herself like a refined young lady, her gentle elegance and charming smile captivating her new classmates—except for Ai Xinglan.
Ai Xinglan sat with a furrowed brow, staring at Yu Li as she introduced herself.
The sheer incongruity twisted her expression.
If she hadn’t personally brought Yu Li here, she’d have thought her body had been hijacked by an alien.
“What’s wrong, Classmate Ai?”
In her brief distraction, Yu Li was already standing in front of her.
“The teacher said I’m sitting here.”
Yu Li’s overly polished demeanor caught Ai Xinglan off guard, and she hadn’t heard the teacher’s instructions.
Yu Li just smiled, waiting for her to move.
“Ugh…”
Ai Xinglan stood to let Yu Li in, shivering with unease, goosebumps prickling her skin.
“Yu Li, act normal.”
To Ai Xinglan, the real Yu Li was the lazy, carefree girl who’d sleep until afternoon if not woken.
This elegant young lady felt like a stranger.
“I’m perfectly normal, Classmate Ai.”
“Classmate Ai? You call that normal?!”
The bizarre disconnect made Ai Xinglan squirm, her attention fixed on Yu Li even as the teacher began the lesson.
“Pfft, you really prefer me calling you Xiao Ai, don’t you?”
Yu Li suddenly laughed, and in that moment, Ai Xinglan felt the familiar Yu Li return.
“Everyone puts on a mask elsewhere, you know? This persona just makes things easier at school. But I’m still me.”
Yu Li used Ai Xinglan’s book as a shield, leaning close to whisper in her ear.
“My truest self… is only for you to see.”
Ai Xinglan’s ear tips flushed red.
She hadn’t expected this side of Yu Li, but it brought a strange sense of comfort.