A Generous Capacity

"Let me see, hmm... 201. This is the right place."

Wuling carefully checked the information on his phone against the number on the door. Only after making certain several times that he had come to the right place did he relax a little.

Star Torch Academy really was enormous. Even with a map, it had taken him quite a while to get here, and he had even mistaken another place for his destination once. Fortunately, he had realized his mistake in time, and no one had noticed.

He pulled open the classroom door and looked around. It seemed large enough to hold thirty or forty people, and it was quite different from a high school classroom. Not only did it look much tidier, but all the seats had been replaced with individual desks. Instead of a plain blackboard at the front, there was an enormous high-definition smart projection screen, and hidden outlets had been thoughtfully built into the sides of the desks for convenient charging.

The walls were a combination of white and light green, giving the room a fresh look at first glance.

There was still half an hour until two, but a few students had already arrived. When they heard Wuling open the door, nearly all of them looked up at him at the same time. Some smiled and greeted him, while others only glanced at him before looking down again.

Wuling returned each greeting without slowing his steps as he headed for the back row, where a place belonged to him alone.

The spot by the window in the last row was not only excellent for avoiding the teacher's attention, but also unbeatable for its natural light and ventilation. Without a doubt, it was always his first choice.

He casually set his backpack on the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down. Resting his chin on one hand, Wuling looked out the window. Below were stretches of tree-lined paths, with luxuriant plane tree branches and leaves casting layers of light and shadow. Every so often, students hurried through them in twos and threes.

The classroom was quiet, with only the faint sound of pages turning. No one was deliberately making noise. Almost everyone had their heads down, scrolling on their phones, while the occasional student was reading a book.

Bored out of his mind, Wuling was just about to open WeChat and chat with Aimis when the front door of the classroom was gently pushed open again.

The door was pushed so lightly that it made almost no sound, and even the footsteps were deliberately slow and quiet, giving an impression of careful restraint.

Wuling casually looked up and glanced over.

A slender girl stood in the doorway.

She wore a T-shirt that had been washed until it had faded. It was perfectly clean, with not a speck of dirt on the collar or cuffs, but it looked a little too loose and did not fit her frame.

She carried a minimalist black canvas backpack. Its design was plain and ordinary, with no trendy charms or fancy decorations.

She held a stack of thick notebooks in her arms. Their covers were clean, with only a little wear at the corners. It was clear they had been carefully used over and over for a long time.

She was quiet and still, and she looked somewhat introverted and socially anxious.

Several students were already seated in the classroom. The moment she stepped inside, her shoulders instinctively tensed. Her gaze swept quickly and nervously around the room, but she did not dare meet anyone's eyes, merely lowering her head a little.

She seemed somewhat shy and unused to being watched like this.

She nervously looked around the classroom. Though there were plenty of empty seats at the front, most were close to the lectern, where she would easily catch the teacher's attention.

Instinctively, she wanted to hide in the least conspicuous part of the back row and draw as little attention to herself as possible.

Looking toward the back, she spotted Wuling sitting alone by the window, his gaze already turned away.

He was an unfamiliar male classmate who looked like the very quiet type.

That put her tense, flustered mind a little at ease.

The girl hesitated for a few seconds, clutching the books in her arms. With her head lowered, she edged along the wall toward the back row, her steps as light as a breeze. She never dared look up at anyone, afraid that the slightest noise she made might disturb them.

She stopped beside the empty seat next to Wuling and lowered her eyes. After spending a little while mentally preparing herself, she finally worked up the resolve to speak. Her voice was faint and timid, with unmistakable shyness and restraint.

"E-excuse me... is anyone sitting here?"

Her voice was so soft it nearly blended into the silence of the classroom. If Wuling had not been sitting right beside her, he might not have heard it at all.

When Wuling looked at her, she shifted awkwardly, her fingertips picking gently at the edge of her books.

Wuling glanced at her and shook his head.

"No, it's empty. Go ahead and sit."

"Th-thank you..."

The girl hurriedly lowered her head in thanks, her ears turning slightly red. Not daring to say anything more, she gently pulled out the chair, keeping her movements as small as possible, and sat down quietly.

Once seated, she instinctively edged closer to the window. Her back was slightly tense, her shoulders drawn in, and she huddled in the corner out of habit.

She quickly arranged her books neatly and placed both hands properly on the desk. Quiet and well-behaved throughout, she lowered her head to leaf through a textbook and did not look around again, as silent as a shadow.

Wuling looked away and opened his phone, casually browsing his message list without paying any more attention to the girl beside him.

He simply assumed that an ordinary classmate who was shy and not very talkative had happened to sit next to him.

Time passed bit by bit, and as the two o'clock class drew closer, the classroom, which had been sparsely occupied and empty, gradually began to liven up.

Freshmen kept streaming through the door in twos and threes, nearly all of them classmates from this year's intake at the Labelle Department.

Some laughed, joked, and chatted about the registration process they had just finished. Others hurriedly found empty seats with brand-new notebooks in their arms, while still others struck up easy conversations and teamed up to save seats.

The initially quiet, deserted classroom gradually grew lively and noisy. The soft scraping of desks and chairs, the murmur of conversation, and the rustling of notebooks mingled together. The once-sparse seats were soon more than half full, leaving only the small area by the window in the back row relatively quiet.

Only the girl beside Wuling remained completely still from beginning to end.

She kept her head lowered, her back slightly tense and her hands folded lightly on the desk.

Wuling caught sight of her excessively quiet, restrained manner out of the corner of his eye and simply thought that this classmate was rather shy around strangers.

Time passed quickly. When there were about four minutes left until two, a steady set of footsteps approached from outside.

At the sound, the voices in the classroom gradually died down. After all, they could more or less guess who would be outside at this time.

The classroom door slid open again, and a slender figure slowly walked in.

She wore the standard teacher's uniform: a white shirt and a navy-blue teacher's jacket on top. Even so, her surging curves were impossible to miss. Below, she wore a pure black bodycon skirt, black stockings wrapped around her toned calves, and black high heels that clicked crisply against the marble floor.

Her long hair faded from pink to white and was gathered behind her head in a high ponytail with a black bow. Hidden at the very end of the ponytail was a fine strand of crimson hair shaped like a feather, just like a phoenix's tail.

Wisps of hair of varying lengths framed both sides of her cheeks, softly outlining her jaw and flattering her face. Far from making her look severe, they made her features appear all the more enchanting.

On either side of her face was a thin, two-toned braid that hung from beside her ear to her collarbone, pink and white strands woven together. A smooth golden ring encircled the middle of each braid to separate and secure it, while tiny gold ornaments hung from the ends. They were delicate, with an understated Chinese elegance, and swayed gently as she walked.

She was clearly wearing no makeup, yet she was still beautiful to look at. Her eyes were the same brilliant gold as Wuling's.

The figure walked up to the lectern and gently spread out her materials. Her gaze slowly swept over the full classroom, taking in the unfamiliar, youthful faces before her, and she spoke.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Labelle Department. My name is Changli, and I'll be your counselor from now on. Today, I'll mainly go over the rules and regulations you'll need to follow, the requirements for your daily studies, and the arrangements for the upcoming freshman military training."

Changli's voice was composed and dignified, her tone even and restrained, without unnecessary fluctuations. She carried an air of authority without anger, yet her voice was inexplicably pleasant to listen to.

When her brief opening remarks ended, the entire class listened attentively.

The counselor began explaining each point in a calm tone and orderly fashion.

First came the rules for everyday life on campus. She emphasized dormitory schedules, evening roll calls, the prohibition on unauthorized electrical appliances, discipline in public areas, the rules for reporting when entering or leaving campus, and the basic requirements of civility, courtesy, and collective unity. She reminded everyone to adapt to communal university life as soon as possible and conduct themselves properly.

Next came the matters to keep in mind about everyday university studies.

She reminded everyone that, unlike before, no teachers would constantly push them to study at university. All learning depended on self-discipline, so they were not to become lax or lazy. They were to avoid being late, leaving early, skipping classes, and failing courses. Regular attendance, completed assignments, and classroom performance would all count toward their end-of-term comprehensive evaluation credits, directly affecting their eligibility for honors and awards.

These things were not much different from high school, so Wuling only listened briefly. At this stage, the military training she would discuss later was more important.

Before long, the counselor reached that topic as well.

"Next week, all freshmen will begin military training together. It will last two weeks."

The counselor's voice was clear and firm as she gave the announcement in detail.

"Everyone must assemble on time, wear the designated uniform, and follow the instructors' arrangements. Absences or leave without good reason are not permitted. Everyone must participate unless they have medical certification of a specific illness. Military training carries mandatory credits. Those who do not participate or fail to meet the requirements will not be able to graduate as scheduled. I also remind everyone to prepare sunscreen, a water bottle, and comfortable shoes and socks in advance, adjust your schedules, and adapt to the training routine as soon as possible."

Wuling sat in a relaxed but upright posture, quietly listening to all the arrangements with a calm expression. He did not find the university rules or military training requirements strict. After all, no matter how strict they were, could they be stricter than high school?

The girl beside him, however, was still as cautious as ever, not daring to relax in the slightest, and seemed to be listening especially carefully.

After covering all the key points, the counselor at the lectern paused briefly, then spoke gently:

"Those are the most important requirements for the start of term. Keep them in mind and adjust as soon as possible. Next, let's have everyone introduce themselves so you can get to know one another. The class meeting will end afterward. Now, the student closest to the door, you go first. Then the students behind you can introduce themselves, and so on."

The student she called on was clearly a little nervous. After being called on, the student froze for a moment before slowly beginning to speak.

"My name is Lu Renjia. I'm eighteen years old, and my hobbies are..."

Wuling took a quick look and realized he would probably be the last to introduce himself, so he paid it no further attention.

The introductions continued in an orderly fashion, and soon it was the turn of the girl beside Wuling.