We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"Pay more attention to current affairs and don't just play on your phone when you get home. Okay, get out of class dismissed."

Wu Changguo had just finished speaking when the school bell rang for lunch break. He calmly packed up his teaching materials and textbooks, his gaze sweeping over the students who were beginning to stir in the classroom.

The creaking and scraping of tables and chairs rose and fell from every corner.

"The senior students are already out of class twenty minutes early, why are they still thinking about fighting for food?" Wu Changguo shook his head to himself as he watched Yang Kun rush out the door.

"Qiuhe, let's go eat." Xie Shu stood up and said softly, and Deng Yi also came over with her schoolbag on her back.

"You guys go ahead, I want to study a little longer." Chen Qiuhe's eyes remained fixed on the math problems on the table, her pen never stopping, she just waved to them.

"You can eat first and then study!" Deng Yi said, looking puzzled.

Chen Qiuhe paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You guys go ahead. Anyway, there are still twenty minutes left, I can make it to the cafeteria later."

"Alright... then." Deng Yi looked at Xie Shu, "Shall we go first, Shu Bao?"

Xie Shu glanced at Chen Qiuhe and slowly nodded.

"Remember to eat," Xie Shu said softly.

Chen Qiuhe was stunned for a second, and before she could respond, Xie Shu and Deng Yi had already turned around and walked out of the classroom.

The classroom quieted down. Chen Qiuhe listened to the footsteps in the corridor, then looked up and observed the classroom to make sure no one else was around before cautiously taking two steamed buns out of her bag.

Take a bite, then swallow it with a mouthful of water...

Xie Shu and Deng Yi reached the corner of the corridor, and she suddenly stopped.

"Deng Yi, you go to the cafeteria first, I need to find Li Mubai."

"Huh?" Deng Yi stared at her, mouth agape, in surprise.

Before she could react, Xie Shu had already turned around and stepped onto the stairs leading to the fifth floor, carrying that light blue backpack.

"Okay, everyone's busy, everyone's busy—I'm all alone now." Deng Yi walked downstairs by herself.

Li Mubai slowly packed his schoolbag.

In Class 18's classroom, Zhang Hao and several girls remained seated as if they were sitting on solid ground, not even raising their heads. He quickly glanced around. They all seemed to be from the same group of students who had been promoted from the regular classes.

Is the third shift too lax? Or are these people too incompetent?

squeak-

In a corner of the classroom, Zhang Hao also stood up and slowly stuffed things into his schoolbag.

Li Mubai withdrew his gaze and went out through the front door.

The moment he stepped out of the classroom, he saw Xie Shu standing quietly by the railing on the fifth floor. Her light blue schoolbag contrasted with her black and white polo shirt school uniform, like a painting frozen in sunlight.

"Xie Shu? What brings you here?"

"You waited for me yesterday, and I'm waiting for you today." She looked up at him, her tone indifferent, but a very faint smile curved her lips. "Let's go to the cafeteria together."

Li Mubai subconsciously glanced back at the monitor on top of the blackboard.

The white hemisphere stood there quietly, motionless, and the red indicator light did not light up.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. All carbon-based life forms need to eat, right? No matter how strong Zhong Jianjun is, he can't keep an eye on them all the time, especially since it's mealtime now.

"Mm." He nodded.

Just then, Zhang Hao walked out of the back door of the classroom. The moment he saw Xie Shu, he paused almost imperceptibly, his gaze lingering on her face for less than a second before he casually looked away and quickly left from the other end of the corridor.

"Are there many new students in your class?" Xie Shu asked.

"Yes, nine students came from the regular classes. I counted them."

"Hmm—" Xie Shu pondered for a moment as she walked, then suddenly turned her head to look at him, "So, are there any girls prettier than me?"

???

Three question marks popped into Li Mubai's mind in quick succession.

"Don't you dare be half-hearted, or else—" Xie Shu lightly punched him, "I'll drag you into a dark room and lock you up for a whole day."

Li Mubai let out a dry laugh: "How could that be?"

Xie Shu believed he wouldn't, but she just wanted to be mischievous like a normal girl...

"Xie Shu, who is the class monitor of Class 3 now?" Li Mubai suddenly changed the subject.

"it's me."

"What about the deputy squad leader?"

"A girl who was promoted from a regular class."

Li Mubai breathed a slight sigh of relief. Well, he might be a rather selfish person.

"What about Class 18?" Xie Shu glanced at him sideways.

"I am the class monitor, and the vice class monitor—" He paused for a moment, "is also a girl, just like in Class 3, named Lin Xinle."

"Hmm," Xie Shu responded without saying anything.

Li Mubai hesitated for a moment, but still asked:

"Xie Shu, why do you think Teacher Zhong made me class monitor? I remember last semester he said I wasn't good enough."

Xie Shu rested his fingers on his chin, looking like he was deep in thought.

After a moment, she spoke, but asked a completely unrelated question: "Is Lin Xinle a girl?"

I never expected her focus to be on this.

"Yes, a girl." Li Mubai nodded.

"Am I prettier than you?" Xie Shu turned her head and looked at him.

"Definitely not, Xie Shu, you—" Li Mubai's heart skipped a beat, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. He exhaled before finally saying, "The only one."

"Hmph." Xie Shu chuckled lightly. "Teacher Zhong may have a prejudice against you, but objectively speaking, you did fulfill your duties."

So that's how it is. It seems he's not entirely useless. Although he doesn't like being class monitor, he's determined to do his job well now that he's in it. This seems to be something Xie Shu has instilled in him.

"Which floor are you going to?"

Xie Shu's voice broke his thoughts. He stopped and looked up. He had already reached the bottom of the cafeteria.

"Let's go to the second floor, there are fewer people there."

"it is good."

As they were about to enter the cafeteria, a figure walked out from behind his back. Upon seeing this, Li Mubai subconsciously lowered his head slightly.

A distinct smell of smoke gradually became apparent.

"Teacher Zhong."

Li Mubai's heart tightened. Xie Shu had taken the initiative to greet Zhong Jianjun, but what about him?

"Um."

The person on the other end seemed to hesitate for a second before letting out a hoarse voice and brushing past Li Mubai, who breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay." Xie Shu's voice was soft, only he could hear it, "We're not together, we're just... very good friends."

Yesterday she asked him if love was sweet or rotten, but today Xie Shu said they're not together. Maybe she prepared two different explanations...

One set of rules for the teachers, and another set for the students.

"Really?" He lowered his gaze, looking at Xie Shu's hands hanging naturally at his sides. "Then it's perfectly normal for good friends to hold hands, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out and gently took her hand.

"It's normal." Xie Shu's tone was natural, his expression calm. She nodded, her fingers intertwined with his. "Let's go eat."

Two soft coughs came from ahead, and Li Mubai and Xie Shu simultaneously released their grip, their movements as fast as if they had been electrocuted.

Wu Changguo strode out of the canteen, passing them without stopping, only uttering a single sentence:

"Hurry up and eat lunch, go back to your dorm for a nap, and don't linger outside."

"Okay, Teacher Wu."