The Standard Is Lu Yao

When Lu Qi returned to the classroom before morning reading, he discovered that Lu Yao was sitting in the empty seat in front of him. His expression immediately brightened, and throughout the entire morning reading session, his face practically radiated joy.

Ye Muqing had learned from the school forum long ago that another transfer student had arrived today, but he had not expected that person to transfer into their class. He had wanted to gossip with Lu Qi, but when he turned around and saw Lu Qi grinning foolishly, then remembered how black-faced he had been on the rooftop earlier, he silently turned back around.

Forget it. Lu Qi's mental state seemed unstable right now. He should find someone else to gossip with.

The morning classes ended quickly.

During lunch break, the class monitor appeared in front of Lu Yao with a club application form.

At Huiying High School, club activities were an extremely important part of school life. The school required every student to join at least one club.

After school ended at four in the afternoon, students stayed behind to take part in their clubs' activities. Through those activities, they could meet different people and expand their social circles.

When the class monitor asked Lu Yao what club he wanted to join, Lu Qi, who was lying on his desk pretending to sleep, quietly perked up his ears.

Lu Yao glanced over the clubs listed on the application form, then looked up at the class monitor. "Class monitor, are there any relatively relaxed clubs?"

The boy frowned and thought for a moment. "There are, but they might not be easy to get into."

Saying they were not easy to get into was putting it nicely. That club did not seem to have any intention of recruiting members at all.

Lu Yao asked, "Which club?"

Lu Yao was not interested in so-called club activities. If he had to choose, the one he actually wanted most was the Homecoming Club—shouldering his backpack and going straight home after school.

The class monitor said, "The Flowers and Plants Club created by Jiang Bai. If you want to join, you have to pass Jiang Bai's review. But I don't think you should get your hopes up too much."

The Flowers and Plants Club was a new club Jiang Bai had founded at the beginning of this semester. Huiying High School was filled with hidden talents and outstanding students. In order to encourage students' enthusiasm for learning, the school offered a special reward to any student who could maintain first place in their grade in every monthly exam throughout the same school year: they could make one school-related wish to the school.

And Jiang Bai had remained firmly seated on the throne of first place in his grade throughout his entire first year of high school last year. His request to the school had been to create the Flowers and Plants Club.

It was such a simple wish that the school naturally agreed without hesitation. They had even specially planned out a glass greenhouse for him.

Once news spread that Jiang Bai had left the Art Club and created the Flowers and Plants Club, it immediately attracted many applicants. Without exception, however, every single one of them was rejected by Jiang Bai.

At present, the Flowers and Plants Club had only one member: Jiang Bai, the club president himself.

Xia Yue, who sat in the row in front of Lu Yao, had been secretly paying attention to their conversation. When she heard Lu Yao say that he wanted to join a relaxed club, she turned around with a sweet smile on her face.

"Lu Yao, why don't you consider joining the Basketball Club as my assistant? I'm Xia Yue, the Basketball Club's manager. If you're just an assistant, things are usually pretty relaxed. And Lu Qi, who sits behind you, is the Basketball Club's president."

When Xia Yue mentioned the Basketball Club, the corners of Lu Qi's lips curled up despite himself as he kept his head down on the desk in the back row.

Well done! Keep going! Say a few more things! You have to lure that brat Lu Yao into the club!

You Yu, who was sitting nearby, heard Xia Yue invite Lu Yao to join the Basketball Club and chimed in as well. "Yeah, Lu Yao. If you're a Basketball Club assistant, it should be pretty relaxed."

Lu Yao directly checked the box beside the Flowers and Plants Club on the application form, his voice calm. "I'm applying for the Flowers and Plants Club."

The Basketball Club was the first option Lu Yao had ruled out. In the original world of the novel, cannon fodder Lu Yao had also become Xia Yue's assistant in the Basketball Club, but the supposedly relaxed work had been anything but.

Cannon fodder Lu Yao had taken on every club activity that Xia Yue, as manager, should have been responsible for. The dirty and exhausting work had all been Lu Yao's, yet all the honor and praise had gone to Xia Yue, the manager. His efforts had been treated as something only natural for an assistant.

Hearing Lu Yao reject her invitation and still apply for the Flowers and Plants Club, Xia Yue's smile remained unchanged. She even put on a considerate expression. "If you decide you want to apply for the Basketball Club later, Lu Yao, I'll still be looking forward to it!"

Xia Yue did not think Jiang Bai would approve Lu Yao's application.

In her previous life, Xia Yue's focus in high school had been on winning over Lu Qi and Lu Yao. Jiang Bai had gone abroad to study at the end of this semester, so she had barely interacted with him at all. By the time Jiang Bai returned to the country several years later, the medical conglomerate he had founded was already internationally renowned. It was only at a banquet that Xia Yue discovered that she had actually been classmates in high school with a business giant like Jiang Bai.

She had wanted to win Jiang Bai over, only to find that he was utterly impervious. Moreover, by then, Lu Qi's love for her had gradually begun to fade, and the fortune she could obtain had become less and less.

If her mission had not been on the verge of failure, forcing her into a desperate situation, Xia Yue never would have chosen to spend all the points she had earned to exchange for a chance to restart the mission world.

When Xia Yue had first transferred here, she knew Jiang Bai would go abroad at the end of the semester. She had planned to join Jiang Bai's Flowers and Plants Club first, then use the advantage of proximity to win him over and become Jiang Bai's cherished first love during high school. That way, when Jiang Bai returned years later as a business giant, she could keep him as Lu Qi's backup.

Unfortunately, her application had also been rejected by Jiang Bai without mercy. Xia Yue guessed that Jiang Bai had probably created the Flowers and Plants Club because he did not want to participate in club activities with other people. But because the school required all students to join a club, Jiang Bai had no choice but to create one of his own.

Hearing that Lu Yao wanted to join the Flowers and Plants Club, You Yu patted Lu Yao on the shoulder. "Deskmate, I advise you to find another path. Don't refuse to turn back until you hit a wall."

When Lu Qi heard Lu Yao wanted to join the Flowers and Plants Club, he was so angry that he nearly jumped up.

What was wrong with his Basketball Club? How was it inferior to that smiling tiger Jiang Bai's Flowers and Plants Club?

If he had not heard Xia Yue and You Yu say that Jiang Bai's Flowers and Plants Club simply did not recruit people, and remembered that after Lu Yao was rejected, he would naturally have to consider joining another club—and that his Basketball Club would have a good chance—Lu Qi would not have managed to suppress the urge to get up. He continued lying on the desk pretending to sleep, secretly listening to the conversation in front of him.

Seeing Jiang Bai walking over from the front of the aisle, the class monitor hurriedly called out to stop him. "Jiang Bai, come here for a moment. Lu Yao wants to apply for your Flowers and Plants Club."

When they heard that Lu Yao wanted to join the Flowers and Plants Club, the other students in class all turned their attention toward that corner with curiosity.

Was the transfer student dreaming?

Ye Muqing had just returned from outside when he heard what the class monitor said. He lay on his desk and watched the people in front with great interest.

After Jiang Bai walked over, a smile lingered at the corners of his lips as he looked at Lu Yao. "Have you filled out the application form?"

Lu Yao raised his hand and handed him the form.

Jiang Bai glanced over the form. When he saw Lu Yao's bold, sweeping checkmark, a hint of softness appeared in his eyes. "Hmm... it seems you forgot to fill in some information."

Lu Yao asked, "What information?"

Jiang Bai pointed at the contact section. "As the club president, I need to have the members' phone numbers and WeChat. It'll be more convenient for contacting everyone about club activities later."

Lu Yao nodded. "Then I'll add it now."

After taking back the application form, Lu Yao quickly filled in his contact information.

Jiang Bai looked at Lu Yao's contact information, then smiled and said, "Do you have time now? If you're free, I'll take you to see the greenhouse first. The flowers that bloomed recently are especially beautiful."

Lu Yao stood up. "Let's go."

You Yu, the class monitor, and the others were all dumbfounded by the turn of events. That was it? He agreed just like that? How exactly did Jiang Bai recruit people? Did he just see whether they were pleasing to the eye?

When Xia Yue saw Lu Yao join the Flowers and Plants Club so easily, and remembered the embarrassment of being rejected before, resentment and jealousy appeared in her eyes. She asked, "Jiang Bai, can I ask what the admission criteria for the Flowers and Plants Club are? Why can Lu Yao join, while I and the other students can't?"

Hearing Xia Yue's words, the other students in class could not help nodding. Yeah, why could the transfer student join when they could not?

A trace of barely noticeable impatience flashed through Jiang Bai's eyes. The corners of his lips lifted slightly. "Because you don't meet my criteria."

Xia Yue asked unwillingly, "Then what are your criteria?"

Jiang Bai glanced at Lu Yao and answered with smiling eyes, "My criteria are Lu Yao."

A bit of surprise showed in Lu Yao's eyes. What kind of criterion was that?

Xia Yue looked equally bewildered. What? Jiang Bai was deliberately making things difficult for people with an answer like that! How could Lu Yao count as a criterion? That answer was obviously just brushing her off.

Jiang Bai did not want to waste any more time tangling with Xia Yue, so he led Lu Yao straight out of the classroom.

After the two left, the classroom erupted into discussion.

Lu Qi was too angry to keep pretending to sleep. With a sour expression, he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm so mad! What's so great about that guy? How am I inferior to him?"

Ye Muqing had already learned the full story from You Yu, who sat in front of him.

Hearing Lu Qi's words, Ye Muqing rolled his eyes and could not help roasting him. "Brother Qi, shouldn't you be asking how you compare to him?"

In academics alone, Jiang Bai completely crushed Lu Qi through sheer ability. Not to mention that Jiang Bai was also quite famous in painting, music, and other fields. The only advantage Lu Qi could probably claim was that he knew how to fight...

Bang!

Lu Qi showed no mercy as he gave Ye Muqing a hard knock on the head.

Lu Qi said, "Since you're so good at talking, why don't you write a book?!"

Ye Muqing covered his forehead, his eyes watering from the pain as he looked aggrieved. He was wrong. He should never have run his mouth!

He had forgotten that Lu Qi had always been someone who would rather throw hands than waste words.

Unlike the horseplay between the two in the back row, Xia Yue was in an extremely heavy mood.

Xia Yue's deskmate was a boy. Seeing that Xia Yue had looked dejected ever since Jiang Bai and Lu Yao left, he assumed she was upset over having been rejected by Jiang Bai before. He softly comforted her, "Xia Yue, don't be sad. Jiang Bai rejecting you from the Flowers and Plants Club just means he has no taste. He'll regret it sooner or later."

Xia Yue put on a forced smile and said, "Liu Hao, don't say that. I believe Jiang Bai has his own reasons. I want to be alone and have some quiet time now, okay?"

Seeing Xia Yue like this, Liu Hao's heart ached for her. He hurriedly nodded. "Rest, then. I won't disturb you."

Xia Yue lay on the desk, pretending to fall asleep.

Thinking about how Lu Yao had joined the Flowers and Plants Club, causing things to begin diverging from the path of her previous life, Xia Yue suddenly felt a little panicked.

It's fine. It's only a small deviation. It won't affect my ability to seize Lu Yao's fortune.

With that thought, Xia Yue gradually calmed down again.

[The system's icy voice suddenly rang out: Xia Yue, don't let your guard down. Don't forget that your previous life was your first world. Back then, you drew the Mary Sue Buff Aura from the beginner's gift pack. In this life, you no longer have enough points to exchange for those strategy tools.]

To Xia Yue, the system's words seemed to be saying that without the aura, she was worthless.

[Xia Yue sneered. "You don't need to worry about me. In my previous life, Lu Yao loved me enough to die for me. In this life, I can naturally make him love me until he's hopelessly obsessed with me again."]

Ever since Xia Yue's mission had failed in her previous life, her relationship with the system had grown increasingly tense.