When Lu Qi returned to the classroom before morning reading, he discovered that Lu Yao was actually sitting in the empty seat in front of him. His expression immediately changed from gloomy to sunny, and throughout the entire morning reading session, his face radiated joy.
Ye Muqing had long learned through the school forum that another transfer student had arrived today, but he had not expected that student 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 Lu Qi's face 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 participate in their club activities. Through these activities, they could meet different people and expand their social circles.
When Lu Yao asked the class monitor what club he wanted to join, Lu Qi, who was lying on his desk pretending to sleep, secretly 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 laid-back clubs?"
The boy frowned and thought for a moment. "There are, but they might not be easy to get into."
Calling it difficult to get into was putting it nicely. That club did not seem like it had 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, what he really wanted to join was the Homecoming Club—grab his backpack after school and head straight home.
The class monitor said, "Jiang Bai's Flowers and Plants Club. If you want to join, you need to pass Jiang Bai's review. But I don't think you should get your hopes up too high."
The Flowers and Plants Club was a new club Jiang Bai had founded at the beginning of this semester. Huiying High School was full of hidden talents and outstanding students. To motivate students to study, the school offered a special reward to anyone who could maintain first place in their grade during every monthly exam for an entire school year: they could make one school-related wish.
Jiang Bai had firmly occupied 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 word spread that Jiang Bai had left the Art Club and created the Flowers and Plants Club, many people immediately applied to join. Without exception, though, they were all rejected by Jiang Bai.
At present, the Flowers and Plants Club had only Jiang Bai himself as its president.
Xia Yue, who sat in front of Lu Yao, had been secretly following their conversation. When she heard Lu Yao say that he wanted to join a laid-back 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 only an assistant, it's usually quite relaxed. And Lu Qi, who sits behind you, is the president of the Basketball Club."
When Xia Yue mentioned the Basketball Club, the corners of Lu Qi's lips curled up despite himself as he buried his head on the desk in the back row.
Well done! Keep going! Say a few more things! You have to lure that brat Lu Yao in!
You Yu, who was sitting beside them, also spoke up after hearing Xia Yue invite Lu Yao to join the Basketball Club. "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 ruled out. In the original world of the book, cannon fodder Lu Yao had also become Xia Yue's assistant in the Basketball Club, but this so-called leisure had been impossible.
Cannon fodder Lu Yao had taken on every club activity that Xia Yue, the manager, should have been responsible for. The dirty and exhausting work was all Lu Yao's, yet all the honors and praise went to Xia Yue, while his efforts were treated as something naturally expected of an assistant.
When she heard Lu Yao reject her invitation and still apply to the Flowers and Plants Club, Xia Yue's smile did not change. Instead, she put on a considerate expression. "If Lu Yao wants to apply to the Basketball Club later, I'll still be looking forward to it!"
Xia Yue did not believe Jiang Bai would approve Lu Yao's application.
In her previous life, Xia Yue's focus during 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 Xia Yue had barely interacted with him. By the time Jiang Bai returned to the country several years later, the medical group he had founded was already internationally renowned. It was only at a banquet that Xia Yue discovered she had actually been classmates in high school with a major business figure like Jiang Bai.
She had wanted to win Jiang Bai over, only to find that he was completely impervious. Moreover, by then Lu Qi's love for her was gradually fading, and the luck she could obtain was becoming less and less.
If her mission had not been on the verge of failure, forcing her into a corner, Xia Yue would never have chosen to use all the points she had earned to exchange for a chance to restart the mission world.
When Xia Yue had first transferred here, knowing that Jiang Bai would go abroad at the end of this semester, she had planned to join Jiang Bai's Flowers and Plants Club first. Then, taking advantage of proximity, she would become Jiang Bai's first love during high school. When Jiang Bai returned several years later as a business tycoon, she could also keep Jiang Bai as Lu Qi's backup.
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai had rejected her application without mercy as well. Xia Yue guessed that Jiang Bai had created the Flowers and Plants Club because he simply did not want to participate in club activities with other people. But since the school required every student to join a club, Jiang Bai had been forced to create one of his own.
Hearing that Lu Yao wanted to join the Flowers and Plants Club, You Yu patted him on the shoulder. "Deskmate, I'd advise you to find another way. Don't refuse to give up until you hit a wall."
When Lu Qi heard that Lu Yao wanted to join the Flowers and Plants Club, he was so angry he nearly jumped to his feet.
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 mention that Jiang Bai's Flowers and Plants Club simply did not recruit people, and remembered that once Lu Yao was rejected, he would naturally have to consider joining another club—meaning his Basketball Club would still have a good chance—Lu Qi would not have managed to hold himself back. He continued lying on the desk, pretending to sleep while eavesdropping on their conversation.
Seeing Jiang Bai walking over from the front of the aisle, the class monitor hurriedly called out to him, "Jiang Bai, come here for a moment. Lu Yao wants to apply to join your Flowers and Plants Club."
When they heard that Lu Yao wanted to join the Flowers and Plants Club, the other students in the class all turned their curious attention toward that corner.
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 group in front of him with great interest.
After Jiang Bai walked over, a smile lingered on his lips as he looked at Lu Yao. "Have you filled out the application form?"
Lu Yao raised a hand and passed him the form.
Jiang Bai glanced over the form. Seeing Lu Yao's bold, sweeping check mark, a trace of softness appeared in his eyes. "Hm... it seems you forgot to fill in some information."
Lu Yao asked, "What information?"
Jiang Bai tapped the contact information section with his finger. "As the club president, I need to have my members' phone numbers and WeChat accounts. That way, it'll be easier to contact you 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 glanced at Lu Yao's contact information, then said with a smile, "Do you have time now? If you're free, I can take you to see the greenhouse first. The flowers that recently bloomed are especially beautiful."
Lu Yao stood up. "Let's go."
You Yu, the class monitor, and the others were all stunned by how things had unfolded. That was it? He agreed just like that? How exactly did Jiang Bai recruit people? Did he just choose based on whether they caught his eye?
When Xia Yue saw that Lu Yao had joined the Flowers and Plants Club so easily, she thought of the embarrassment of being rejected before. A hint of resentment and jealousy appeared in her eyes as she asked, "Jiang Bai, can I ask what the standards are for joining the Flowers and Plants Club? Why can Lu Yao join when neither I nor the other students can?"
Upon hearing Xia Yue's question, the other students in class could not help nodding. Yeah, why could the transfer student join when they could not?
A flicker of barely noticeable impatience crossed Jiang Bai's eyes. The corner of his lips rose slightly. "Because you don't meet my standards."
Xia Yue asked indignantly, "Then what are your standards?"
Jiang Bai glanced at Lu Yao and replied with smiling eyes, "My standard is Lu Yao."
A trace of surprise showed in Lu Yao's eyes. What kind of standard was that?
Xia Yue was equally baffled. What? Jiang Bai was deliberately making things difficult! How could Lu Yao be some kind of standard? That answer was obviously just brushing her off.
Jiang Bai did not want to waste time continuing to argue 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 already too angry to keep pretending to sleep. With a dark expression, he crossed his arms. "I'm so pissed off! What's so good about that guy? How am I worse than 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 retorting, "Brother Qi, shouldn't you be asking what makes you better than him?"
In academics alone, Jiang Bai completely crushed Lu Qi with his strength. And Jiang Bai was also quite famous in painting, music, and other fields. The only advantage Lu Qi could probably claim was being able to fight...
Bang! Lu Qi showed Ye Muqing no mercy as he smacked him hard on the head.
Lu Qi said, "You're so good at talking, why don't you write a book?!"
Ye Muqing clutched his forehead, his eyes watering from the pain as he looked utterly aggrieved. He was wrong. He should not have run his mouth.
He had forgotten that Lu Qi had always been the type to act rather than waste time talking.
Unlike the two in the back row, who were fooling around, Xia Yue was in a very heavy mood.
Xia Yue's deskmate was a boy. Seeing Xia Yue looking dejected ever since Jiang Bai and Lu Yao had left, he assumed she was upset about being rejected by Jiang Bai earlier and softly comforted her. "Xia Yue, don't be sad. Jiang Bai rejecting you from the Flowers and Plants Club only means he has no eye for talent. He'll regret it sooner or later."
Xia Yue put on a brave smile and said, "Liu Hao, don't say that. I believe Jiang Bai has his own reasons. I want to be alone for a while now, okay?"
Seeing Xia Yue like this broke Liu Hao's heart. He hurriedly nodded. "Get some rest. I won't disturb you."
Xia Yue lay on her desk and pretended to fall asleep.
Thinking about how Lu Yao joining the Flowers and Plants Club meant events had begun to diverge 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 luck.
Thinking this, Xia Yue gradually calmed down again.
[The system's icy voice suddenly sounded: 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 gift pack. In this life, you no longer have enough points to exchange for those conquest 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 it. 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."]
Ever since Xia Yue's mission had failed in her previous life, her relationship with the system had grown increasingly strained.