Lin Meng Qiu

Forgive the young Taoist for never having gone to school or seen much of the world.

In his eyes, there was truly nothing to fault about this perfectly ordinary classroom-

The windows sparkled, the room was spacious, and the desks and chairs were made of materials countless times better than those at the mountain village primary school he had attended for a few days as a child. Besides the usual podium, blackboard, desks, and chairs, it also had modern multimedia equipment, including a projector and speakers. Wall-mounted fans lined the walls, and there was a standing air conditioner at both the front and back.

Classes had not officially started yet, and students were scattered around the classroom. Chen Shi'an swept his gaze over the room and counted fifty-nine desks.

Almost every desk was piled high with books and study materials of all kinds, making the otherwise fairly spacious room feel rather packed.

Still, the atmosphere was not too oppressive. A few cute succulents someone had placed sat on the windowsill, and stuffed cushions rested on some empty chairs. Beside [Today's timetable] on the blackboard at the back, someone had drawn a cartoon bear chewing a pencil, with [Eat up!] written across its round belly.

Class Five of the second year was just such a place, where academic pressure mingled with youthful individuality.

Chen Shi'an drew his attention away from the surroundings, and the noisy teenage boys and girls came into view.

Along with them came their startled cries-

"A Taoist!!!"

"Wang Xinlei! Get on your knees and call me Daddy! My intel was right this time, wasn't it?!"

Zou Xiaokun, their frontline "reporter," hollered at the top of his lungs. With his intelligence confirmed, he looked as triumphant as Fan Jin after passing the imperial examinations.

Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention. Everyone's curiosity and gaze were fixed on the young Taoist who had just followed Teacher Liang into the classroom.

"Is he a real Taoist?!"

"Did he come to exorcise our classroom?!"

"Amitabha!"

"Wrong religion!"

"Don't ascend! Don't ascend! This isn't the immortal realm!"

"This humble Taoist is no longer alone!"

"What brings you here, fellow Taoist?"

"He's here to capture you lot!"

"Vile beast! Fellow Taoist, help me subdue this vile beast!"

Chen Shi'an: "..."

On their own classroom turf, these teenagers showed no shyness whatsoever. They crowded around Chen Shi'an, chattering as though they had discovered some rare specimen of ninety-nine-percent purity.

Years after dropping out of his mountain village primary school, this was Chen Shi'an's first time being around so many people his own age.

As a child, he had thought his peers were all monkeys. He had assumed they would improve as they grew older, but apparently they had merely gone from stupid monkeys to absurd monkeys...

What on earth were they all shouting about?

Wasn't Class Five supposed to be the top science class of the second year? Apart from the award banner hanging beside the blackboard, nothing about it suggested that at all.

Coming from a peaceful life of secluded cultivation into this noisy, absurd classroom, Chen Shi'an found himself momentarily at a loss. Could this absurdity be how young people made friends these days? This humble Taoist simply doesn't fit in!

Amid the commotion, anyone quiet stood out all the more.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Shi'an noticed a girl sitting by the window.

The classroom desks were arranged in pairs, but the seat beside her alone was empty. She sat by herself.

She was bent over a worksheet, seemingly separated from the surrounding noise by an invisible barrier, as though her entire being were enclosed in a transparent glass dome.

Her hair was a very pale flaxen color, falling smoothly over her whole back and accentuating her slender figure. There were no ornaments in it; simply wearing it loose was enough to lend her elegance.

The utterly ordinary, shapeless blue-and-white school uniform somehow looked understated yet mesmerizing on her.

The classroom noise bounced off the walls, but not even her eyelashes fluttered. Only when sunlight crept onto her worksheet did she raise her head and gently nudge the curtain aside with her well-defined fingers.

Two girls in the row ahead stood to join the excitement and accidentally bumped her desk. Their gazes lingered on her for two seconds before they hurriedly looked away-she had an air that discouraged casual interruptions, like a lake strewn with late-autumn leaves, clear yet carrying a penetrating chill.

Disturbed, she finally lifted her head and glanced toward Chen Shi'an.

But after that single glance, she quietly returned to her questions.

The classroom's out-of-control atmosphere gave Teacher Liang a headache. As the rumor that "there's something unclean in the classroom, and the school hired a Taoist to perform a ritual" grew increasingly outlandish, he could only scold them:

"What nonsense are you all spouting?!"

"Have you finished your worksheets? You have to hand them in before evening study starts. Just let me catch someone who hasn't finished!"

"Exorcisms and rituals? I could understand university students believing that nonsense, but you lot too?"

"Get back to what you're supposed to be doing!"

As their homeroom teacher, Teacher Liang still commanded considerable authority. The Class Five students gathered around Chen Shi'an finally dispersed, though their enthusiasm for gossip remained undiminished.

"Shi'an, come with me."

As Chen Shi'an followed Teacher Liang onto the podium, everyone's eyes turned toward him in unison.

"Let me introduce him."

Teacher Liang cleared his throat. "This is Chen Shi'an. Starting today, he'll be joining our class. Whatever anyone's identity outside school may be, in this classroom you're all classmates. You're already in your second year, and the college entrance exam isn't far off. Settle down a little instead of making a fuss over everything!"

"Shi'an, give everyone a brief introduction."

The reversal came so quickly that the moment Teacher Liang finished speaking, the class erupted in astonished exclamations.

yadot tcirtsiD ilgnohZ ni enoemos rof gnikooL

tem ew woh tuoba eil ot gnilliW

trilfelgniS

tcirtsiD ilgnohZ ...ot devom I yhw eveileb reven ll'uoY

️‍ , , ,️ :sijome ni efil yM

selgniSteeM

yadot tcirtsiD ilgnohZ ni enoemos rof gnikooL

w woh tuoba eil ot gnilliW

e met

Singleflirt

Looking for someone in Zhongli District today

Willing to lie about how we met

Singleflirt

"Did I hear that right? Did Old Liang just say our Taoist bro is here to be our classmate?"

"Little Kun-kun! Your intel was wrong again!"

"Cease your barking! When did I ever say the Taoist came to perform an exorcism? You made that up yourselves!"

"Who guessed right? What were the odds on that bet?"

"Nobody got it!"

"Damn! There goes my chance to get rich!"

No wonder they reacted so strongly. Who could have imagined that this Taoist had come to school to enroll in their class?!

"So he must be a fake Taoist, right? Does betting on 'fake Taoist' count as a win?"

Everyone began to suspect Chen Shi'an was a fake Taoist, but those suspicions did not last long. His introduction shattered them-

"Greetings, fellow students. My name is Chen Shi'an, courtesy name Chen'an. I come from the Pure Dust Temple north of the ridge on Mysterious Peak Mountain, where I have studied the Taoist arts under my master since childhood. I have now enrolled in school to sit the college entrance examination. It is my good fortune to study alongside you all, and I hope you will offer me your guidance."

Everyone in the class had introduced themselves when they enrolled, yet no one remembered what the others had said. Chen Shi'an's introduction, however, had a style all its own.

Not only a full name, but a courtesy name too? Who had a courtesy name these days?

They all knew Mysterious Peak Mountain, but none had heard of the Pure Dust Temple north of the ridge. Still, "studied the Taoist arts under my master since childhood" did sound like something a genuine Taoist would say.

Despite Chen Shi'an confirming his identity, his classmates were still not entirely convinced.

For no other reason than that the guy was simply too young.

He looked about their age, yet claimed to have "studied the Taoist arts on the mountain since childhood."

Didn't he have to go to school in this day and age? Classes down the mountain during the day, then secluded cultivation back up the mountain at night? Was there enough time? Was he some kind of time-management genius?!

There really had not been enough time, which was why Chen Shi'an had chosen not to attend school.

Once his introduction was over, Chen Shi'an said no more, and his classmates did not rush to question him. Since they would be classmates from now on, they would have plenty of chances to get to know him.

Real Taoist or fake, everyone was delighted by Chen Shi'an's arrival. They now had something to brag about to their friends in other classes. A Taoist classmate-how cool was that?!

As Chen Shi'an finished speaking, enthusiastic applause filled the classroom.

Next came the question of where their new Taoist classmate would sit.

Teacher Liang sent a student to fetch a new desk from the academic affairs office. Then, right in front of the quiet girl, he placed it beside hers.

The girl, who had been quietly working on her questions all along, finally showed a reaction.

She lifted her clear, lovely eyes toward Teacher Liang, as though a giant question mark had appeared above her head. She said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes.

"Well... Meng Qiu, Principal Lin arranged for Shi'an to sit here. Your grades are good, so help him out with his studies..."

"..."

The young Taoist stood beside Teacher Liang, waiting to take his seat.

Her gaze shifted slightly, and she looked at him.

Neither timid nor uneasy, Chen Shi'an gave her a natural smile and a nod.

She said nothing, withdrawing her gaze and lowering her head to resume her work.

Once the desk and chair were in place, Chen Shi'an tucked his blue Taoist robe beneath him, sat down, and began organizing his desk.

Perhaps it had been too long since she last shared a desk with anyone. The unfamiliar presence suddenly beside her made her somewhat uncomfortable. Even though Chen Shi'an moved very gently as he tidied his desk, the sounds still made her brow crease slightly.

That faint displeasure was well concealed, but it did not escape Chen Shi'an's eyes.

Whether she disliked the seating arrangement or the noise he was making, Chen Shi'an felt he ought to say something. After all, he was the culprit behind the uproar in the classroom, even if he had never intended it.

"Sorry for disturbing your work," Chen Shi'an said first, with an apologetic smile.

"..."

The girl still said nothing, but the trace of displeasure on her face visibly faded upon hearing his apology.

So she wasn't impossible to communicate with after all!

Chen Shi'an blinked, recalling the chatterbox girl he had met on the way. His new deskmate and that girl were polar opposites in temperament.

"My name is Chen Shi'an. What should I call you?"

"..."

When she remained silent, Chen Shi'an did not turn away. He simply kept smiling at her, looking prepared to hold out to the very end.

"Lin Meng Qiu."

She finally spoke. Her voice was not loud, but every syllable was clearly articulated, ending softly without the slightest unnecessary inflection.

Her voice was much like her presence: chilled mineral water, carrying a crisp coolness as it drifted through the air.

Only then did Chen Shi'an notice that the lively classroom had somehow gone quiet.

"Am I seeing things...?! The Taoist is sitting next to the class monitor...!"

"He's done for! Fellow Taoist, don't let this end with your death and the destruction of your cultivation...!"

"Place your bets, place your bets...!"

"What are we betting on this time?"

"How long Taoist bro can last sitting beside the class monitor!"

"?"

Chen Shi'an had excellent hearing. Even these whispers reached him clearly.

Hah... a bunch of absurd monkeys!