Chapter 3
Lin Mo had clearly thrown herself into the matter of replacing the new instructor with two hundred percent energy. Chu Yunmiao had only just followed Yu Changning back to the first-year office and barely had time to get two sentences out before Yu Changning’s light-brain terminal started vibrating furiously.
When Yu Changning saw the caller ID, she arched a brow and cast Chu Yunmiao a faint, smiling glance before walking to the window to answer.
She didn’t hide from anyone; her cool voice drifted intermittently into Chu Yunmiao’s ears.
“Principal, it’s me.”
“Yes, I know. Has it already escalated to your office?”
“...No need. I can handle it myself.”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
After the brief exchange, Yu Changning hung up, walked back to Chu Yunmiao, and took the class roster from her hand.
“No need to verify the training schedule for now. Notify everyone in Class 1 to assemble at A3 Training Ground within twenty minutes.
“Anyone who doesn’t arrive will be treated as absent.”
Chu Yunmiao was in a very complicated mood.
From a public standpoint, as class monitor, she knew Yu Changning was an excellent candidate for the new instructor; she was even superior to Class 1’s original instructor, Yu Hui. If Yu Changning really got pushed out, the school absolutely would not find a better instructor than her in the short term. But on a personal level, she truly did not want Yu Changning to reenter her life.
Public interest and private desire were fighting fiercely in her head; for a moment, neither side could gain the upper hand.
Chu Yunmiao frowned. Unable to think of a solution, she decided to let things take their course for now. “Mm.”
She took out her light-brain terminal and opened the class chat group to @everyone.
The class group had already been lively over the new instructor issue, and her appearance was like a basin of hot oil poured onto a fire.
【Monitor! Did our protest work?!】
【Class 1, unite and fight the enemy together!】
【Drive out the new instructor! Drive out the new instructor!】
Chu Yunmiao edited the message with a blank expression.
【Chu Yunmiao: Everyone report to A3 Training Ground within 20 minutes. Those who don’t arrive will be treated as skipping class.】
【Chu Yunmiao: Reply to confirm once you’ve seen this.】
Class 1 had a total of 20 students. Excluding Chu Yunmiao, the other 19 all confirmed within three seconds.
【Lin Mo: Is this the new instructor’s order? She’s having us go to the training ground?】
【Chu Yunmiao: Yes.】
【Lin Mo: Oh, great. Even better, then; I’ve been wanting to face him head-on! Let him know not just any random nobody can be my Lin Mo’s instructor!】
Random nobody?
Chu Yunmiao secretly glanced at Yu Changning, who was copying files.
They’d been apart for five years. She had no idea what the other’s current strength was. But...
On the very top of Huaqi Military University’s honor roll were two names: one was her mother, Chu Yu, the Empire’s current ruler; the other was Yu Changning.
The Imperial Crown Princess let out a soft sigh.
【Chu Yunmiao: @Lin Mo, don’t be too impulsive.】
【Lin Mo: Impulsive?】
【Lin Mo: Fair enough. She’s a fourth-year at least; it’s normal that I can’t beat her.】
【Lin Mo: But even if he can beat my body, he absolutely can’t shake my soul! I will never accept some upperclassman who hasn’t even graduated yet as Class 1’s instructor! Not even if it’s only temporary!】
【Lin Mo: Alpha brothers and sisters of Class 1! Unite! As long as we stand together against outsiders, there’s no instructor we can’t drive away!】
The speech was genuinely stirring, and the others in the group couldn’t hold back anymore.
【Sister Lin Mo is amazing! Follow Sister Lin Mo and charge!】
【What’s so impressive about a fourth-year beating us first-years? I’ll only admit it if he can beat Instructor Yu Hui.】
【Unite! Stand together against outsiders!】
The Imperial Crown Princess let out a long sigh.
It was over. She couldn’t pull them back now.
Yu Changning saved several important files to her light-brain terminal and came over to Chu Yunmiao. “Let’s go. To the training ground.”
A3 Training Ground was the nearest training ground to the first-year instructor office. If they walked quickly, it would only take ten minutes. Neither of them had any intention of being convenient and taking a vehicle, so they tacitly chose to walk.
When they passed the Campus Supermarket near the A3 Training Ground, Yu Changning stopped. “I’m going in to buy something.”
From the corner of her eye, Chu Yunmiao spotted the functional drinks inside the supermarket and nodded before following her in.
But Yu Changning did not stop in the drinks section; instead, she kept walking deeper inside. Chu Yunmiao went straight to the cashier and ordered 20 bottles of the most expensive functional drinks, having the supermarket deliver them to A3 Training Ground.
Sitting at the register was a shy-smiling Beta girl who looked adorable, but her work efficiency was very high. In less than a minute, she had finished processing the order. Chu Yunmiao watched the delivery robot leave the supermarket for the training ground while messaging Lin Mo to remember to receive the drinks.
Another two or three minutes passed before Yu Changning reappeared.
Chu Yunmiao stood at the supermarket entrance. Because of the angle, she couldn’t see what Yu Changning had actually bought, but she heard Yu Changning ask the Beta girl to prepare the highest grade of packaging for her.
As the Beta girl helped her process it, she curiously asked, “Is it a gift for someone you like?”
“No.” Yu Changning shook her head. “An apology gift.”
Chu Yunmiao froze for a moment and looked toward the cashier area——
Yu Changning had denied that it was a “gift,” but she hadn’t denied that it was meant for someone she “liked.”
She...
Did she have someone she liked?
“An apology?” The Beta girl’s eyes widened in surprise. Then she sweetly flattered her, “If I had a partner as good-looking as you, unless it was a matter of principle, I wouldn’t get angry no matter what you did.”
She added emphatically, “Even if I wanted to be angry, the moment I saw such a beautiful face, I’d think, never mind, never mind.”
Yu Changning’s lips curved slightly, indulgent and a little helpless.
“She’s hard to coax.”
The Beta girl handed the wrapped item back to her. “Then with this carefully prepared apology on top, there definitely won’t be any problem.
“Thank you for your purchase, and I hope you and the person you like make up soon~”
Yu Changning took the item and put it into her pocket, then turned and looked at Chu Yunmiao standing at the entrance.
Only then did Chu Yunmiao realize that her act of “peeking” had been discovered, and she turned her head away awkwardly.
Yu Changning smiled and withdrew her gaze, then nodded at the Beta girl. “Thank you.”
After this little episode, the two of them arrived smoothly at A3 Training Ground.
There were still more than three minutes before the agreed time. Yu Changning did not go see the Class 1 students right away; instead, she detoured to the equipment area, casually picked up a protective face mask and a training light sword, and only then took Chu Yunmiao to where the Class 1 students were gathered.
The Class 1 students had already assembled. When they saw Chu Yunmiao, the formation immediately started to stir.
Lin Mo was the first to run up to Chu Yunmiao. “Monitor, everyone’s here!” Then she sized up Yu Changning beside her, who was wearing a protective face mask. “...You’re the new instructor the school found for us?”
Yu Changning nodded.
Lin Mo was utterly unceremonious and curled her lip on the spot.
Among Alphas, Yu Changning wasn’t especially tall; add in the fact that her face was blocked by the protective mask, and her presence was cut by a third. She didn’t look threatening at all.
Lin Mo had originally given her a five out of ten in her heart; now, seeing her appearance, she directly deducted three more points.
Out of one hundred.
“Senior.” Lin Mo went straight for the provocation. “I know you’re not weak. You’re probably a little stronger than me. But you should know that being stronger than us first-years doesn’t qualify you to be our instructor.”
She bluntly started driving her off. “We’ve already sent a request letter to the principal’s mailbox. There’s no need for you to worry about Class 1.”
Yu Changning looked past her at all the Class 1 students present.
“Is that what all of you think?”
Everyone there had just downed a full bottle of functional drink. Their bodies were burning hot enough to take on ten interstellar beasts, let alone Yu Changning, a female Alpha who didn’t look like much. When they heard her question, everyone echoed Lin Mo, making their stance clear.
Yu Changning’s usually cool voice finally carried a trace of fluctuation, as if she had finally been piqued a little.
“Fine.”
“Let’s play a game.”
Yu Changning took out the Instructor Card she had just received from the administration building.
Even in the Space Age, with logistics and transport highly developed, the Instructor Card still had to be collected in person by the instructor themself, which was enough to show how important it was.
It was the symbol of an instructor’s identity, and also the honor of being an instructor.
“I’ll hand the Instructor Card to the class monitor and have the monitor stand on the central platform in the middle of the field. I’ll compete with the other nineteen of you together. Whichever side gets the Instructor Card first and holds it for one minute wins. During the contest, you may not harm the class monitor acting as the cardholder; if anyone injures the cardholder, it counts as a foul and the time required to hold the Instructor Card will be extended.
“If you lose, then obediently follow the school’s arrangements.”
Lin Mo stepped forward. “And if we win?”
Yu Changning idly twirled the light sword in her hand. “I don’t think about possibilities that only exist in theory. If you win, do whatever you want.”
Lin Mo gave a hard nod. “Fine!”
She immediately turned back and excitedly discussed it with the classmates behind her.
This game was actually very favorable to Class 1.
At first, Lin Mo had thought the new instructor was going to challenge them one on one. Clearly, as first-years, they had no way to beat a fourth-year. But this game gave them a chance to win——
If they couldn’t beat her outright, they could still use tactics. For example, send a few people to cling to her tightly; as long as they could hold her for one minute, they’d win. And on Class 1’s side, apart from Chu Yunmiao, there were a full nineteen students. There was far too much room to maneuver!
After Lin Mo finished discussing it with everyone, she turned back to confirm the rules.
“Can we use weapons?”
Yu Changning: “Yes.”
Lin Mo looked at the light sword in her hand. “One item per person?”
Yu Changning: “I’ll only use this one; you can do as you like.”
That carried a bit of a dismissive tone.
Lin Mo sneered. “You said that yourself. Don’t regret it.”
After that, she led Class 1 away temporarily to the equipment area to prepare weapons and protective gear.
The field fell quiet. Chu Yunmiao walked over to Yu Changning.
“Why did you make me the cardholder?
“I’m also a member of Class 1; aren’t you afraid I’ll help Lin Mo and the others?”
Yu Changning raised a hand to press against her mask. Using the cover, she gazed at Chu Yunmiao greedily and without restraint.
In fact, she had wanted to do this ever since the moment she reunited with her little girl in the administration building.
“There are many reasons. Class monitor, you’re so smart; you should be able to think of them.” Yu Changning bent down and leaned close to Chu Yunmiao, whispering by her ear, “Adding a third party, increasing the game’s complexity and playability, raising the difficulty of tactical planning...”
Chu Yunmiao really could think of all these reasons.
But for some reason, she felt irritated. “Then you could have found any assistant teacher on the training ground to be the cardholder.”
“Mm, which means all of that just now was an excuse. The real reason is... Yunmiao, you know this; I will never be your enemy.”
Yu Changning softened her voice. “As for the rest... Class 1 has a full nineteen people, while I’m fighting alone. Long Princess, favor me a little, will you?”
The Imperial Crown Princess stepped back two paces, putting distance between herself and Yu Changning.
She gave no response. Only the pink blush under the broken strands of hair at her ears grew little by little; no one could tell whether it was from anger or embarrassment.
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Author’s note:
Long Princess qwq: I didn’t want to get hooked either, but she’s good-looking, and she speaks so nicely...