Deskmate Trial and Death Ledger

Having just arrived in Class Five, Chen Shi'an was unfamiliar with his classmates.

He also had no idea why everyone was so surprised that he was sharing a desk with Lin Meng Qiu.

He was quite confident in himself. Presumably, he wasn't the problem, which meant the problem had to be Lin Meng Qiu.

Although the whispers he heard were vague and cryptic, Chen Shi'an was sharp enough to pick out some key information.

For instance, she was the class monitor, she was hard to approach, she had the power to change deskmates whenever she liked, and she supposedly kept a little notebook specifically for deducting people's points...

And she was the prettiest girl in the class.

That also explained the hint of envy Chen Shi'an heard in quite a few of the boys' voices.

He found that rather interesting. They were clearly afraid of her, yet they envied anyone who shared a desk with her. Was this the contradictory nature of humanity?

Pretty, aloof girls often made boys awkward around them. They either deliberately tried to look cool to attract attention or became so timid they could barely speak clearly.

Chen Shi'an, however, did neither. It wasn't because he was face-blind; his resolve in the Dao was simply as solid as a rock.

Chen Shi'an had finished organizing his desk. Seeing that Lin Meng Qiu had also put down her pen and didn't seem inclined to continue her exercises, he casually struck up a conversation:

"Are you the class monitor?"

"Yes."

This time, Lin Meng Qiu answered quickly. She could tell that if she didn't, this Daoist would stare at her until she replied, just as he had earlier.

"Is Principal Lin your father?"

"..."

This time, Lin Meng Qiu didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned to look at him.

Yet she saw no ulterior motive on Chen Shi'an's face. He seemed to be making perfectly ordinary small talk.

"Did he tell you that?"

Instead of answering, she asked a question of her own, revealing her forceful nature.

"No. I could just see a resemblance between you and Principal Lin."

"Did he have you sit with me?"

"You'd have to ask Principal Lin. I didn't know beforehand."

Chen Shi'an wasn't lying. He genuinely hadn't known that Principal Lin's daughter was also in Class Five, let alone its monitor, and he certainly hadn't expected them to become deskmates.

Presumably, it was another way of looking after him. After all, Lin Meng Qiu had good grades, while his fundamentals were a complete mess.

Lin Meng Qiu understood her father's intentions perfectly. Without his say-so, Teacher Liang would never have dared assign her a deskmate at random.

She ranked first in the class and first in the entire year's science stream. If the purpose wasn't for her to help someone, surely they hadn't found someone with even better grades to help her?

Honestly, after their brief exchange, Lin Meng Qiu felt no particular dislike for Chen Shi'an. She simply didn't like having someone beside her disturbing her.

She wasn't interested in his identity as a Daoist, either. She even suspected that wearing Daoist robes to school was a bid for attention, but his handsome, well-proportioned features and bearing suited the robes, so she let it slide...

That really was unfair to Chen Shi'an.

He had worn Daoist robes year-round in the mountains and didn't have any ordinary clothes. He was used to going out in his robes and didn't know the school rules, so it hadn't occurred to him yet. After all, he was a Daoist. What else would a Daoist wear?

Now, though, he had collected his new school uniform, so he would wear it tomorrow. He didn't care how other people looked at him, but he still had to follow the rules at school.

"Are you a Daoist?"

"Yes."

Chen Shi'an answered as naturally and unequivocally as if she had asked whether he was a boy or a girl.

Lin Meng Qiu was even more puzzled. She had no idea when her father had become involved with a Daoist.

Of course, setting her father's connection aside, as class monitor, she ought to show some concern for a new classmate-even if her role was mostly to keep everyone in line, and even if she wasn't actually good at caring for others.

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me. About the class or your studies."

What should have been warm words sounded icy coming from the girl's mouth. Lin Meng Qiu looked away, thinking that today would probably be the day she spoke the most with her new deskmate.

Faced with such a chilly attitude, most people would have the sense to keep their distance, especially at eighteen, when pride mattered most.

But Chen Shi'an was neither embarrassed nor annoyed. He eagerly took the opportunity to ask her several questions:

"Does the cafeteria have food right now?"

"Yes."

"Can I get it to go?"

"One yuan extra."

"Is it all right to leave my books in the classroom?"

"Yes."

"Okay, thank you."

It was clear that Chen Shi'an wasn't deliberately asking questions that wouldn't even count as questions to other students. He genuinely needed the answers.

After getting his replies, Chen Shi'an selected a few books from his desk and put them in his backpack, then stood up, tucked his chair under the desk, and prepared to leave.

Having heard even those silly questions, Lin Meng Qiu knew this Daoist had absolutely no idea how school life worked. Seeing him about to leave, she couldn't help adding a reminder:

"Evening study starts at six thirty."

"Isn't it six forty-five?"

"Our class has to be in the classroom by six thirty."

"Okay. Teacher Liang said I don't have to come tonight, but thank you for reminding me."

"..."

After the young Daoist left, the space beside the girl felt empty again, apart from the extra desk and chair.

Well, although she wasn't particularly pleased about the extra furniture getting in her way, she didn't seem to have found a reason to get rid of this deskmate yet...

You'd better not let me catch you slipping.

Lin Meng Qiu spread out her test paper and quietly resumed working through the questions.

Those classmates who had placed bets on Chen Shi'an not lasting through the evening were probably about to lose everything...

Apparently, the rumors were true.

The young Daoist had no idea that his new deskmate had already entered him in her [Deskmate Trial and Death Ledger].

He had been at school for most of the day, and only now did he have time to wander around campus by himself.

The setting sun stretched the teaching building's shadow long, washing broad swaths of orange across the red running track.

Classes didn't officially start until tomorrow, but almost all the first-year newcomers and second- and third-year students had already arrived.

They were easy to tell apart. Even Chen Shi'an, who had never attended school, could distinguish them-the ones wandering around like him without uniforms were all new students.

His Daoist robes were still a little too conspicuous. Every so often, Chen Shi'an heard quiet remarks:

[Why is there a Daoist at school?]

[He's pretty handsome, too!]

Having grown up in the mountains with a limited social circle, Chen Shi'an

had rarely paid attention to his appearance.

In his master's words, he was decent-looking: 180 centimeters tall, with a slender, upright build, regular features, and a calm, composed bearing seldom found in boys his age.

He was rather curious what he would look like once he took off his Daoist robes and put on a school uniform.

After a quick look around, Chen Shi'an headed to the cafeteria.

It was only a little after five, but quite a few students were already buying dinner. Fortunately, there was no queue.

Chen Shi'an watched how the others bought their meals before taking out his meal card and approaching a serving window to order.

The woman serving the food paused when she saw a Daoist.

"What would you like, young master?"

"Sorry for the trouble, ma'am. I'd like braised pork, shredded pork with dried tofu, shredded potatoes, and some greens. To go, please."

"Takeout costs one yuan extra."

As she spoke, the cafeteria worker picked up a food container and quickly filled it with the dishes he had ordered.

Perhaps his Daoist robes warded off evil, because the hand she had been shaking all afternoon suddenly stopped shaking! The container was packed to the brim.

Chen Shi'an thought for a moment, then added, "Ma'am, sorry for the trouble, but could you pack another serving of the same?"

These were all home-style dishes with local flavors, so there was nothing he wasn't used to eating. He could take the extra meal along when he went to see Principal Lin later. Whether Principal Lin ate it or not, bringing only one serving wouldn't feel right.

Soon, both meals were packed.

"Do you have a meal card, young master? If not, you can scan to pay or use cash here."

"I do."

The woman deftly entered the amount into the machine. With two yuan added for the containers, the total came to eighteen yuan.

Two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes cost only eight yuan per meal, excluding the takeout fee. That wasn't expensive. Even an ordinary fast-food meal in town cost twelve yuan.

Of course, back in the mountains, master and disciple had cooked their own meals, with Chen Shi'an doing the cooking.

Only when they occasionally went out to perform rituals and couldn't reach their host's home before mealtime did the two of them eat fast food elsewhere.

Chen Shi'an took the food containers and held the meal card Principal Lin had given him against the machine.

[Beep]

The payment went through. The remaining balance was 782 yuan.

Principal Lin's staff meal card received an eight-hundred-yuan meal allowance every month. Given Chen Shi'an's eating habits, it would cover pretty much whatever he wanted to eat.

Today was already the last day of August, yet this was the first time the card had been used.

Principal Lin normally didn't swipe a card at the cafeteria. His face was his pass.

Any unused balance would reset the following month anyway, which eased Chen Shi'an's sense of guilt considerably.

Still, he would certainly remember Principal Lin's kindness.

Wasn't he now sitting beside Lin Meng Qiu? If the need arose, he could look after Principal Lin's daughter a little more.

For now, though, he was short on money and could only use Principal Lin's meal card to treat Principal Lin to dinner. Once he had money in the future, he would give him a proper feast.

The cat was still in the office. With the meals packed, Chen Shi'an headed over to pick the cat up. Afterward, he still had to go with Principal Lin to the rental place and get things sorted out.

"Principal Lin."

"Shi'an, you're just in time. The young lady you'll be sharing with is back from work. Let me take you over."