Chapter 7
Chu Yunmiao froze for a moment, then politely declined. “No need...”
Before she could finish, Yu Changning had already pulled a neatly wrapped little bag from inside her clothes. “Here, for you.”
Chu Yunmiao: “...”
She looked at the package tied with a pink ribbon. “What is this?”
“A make-up gift.” Yu Changning lifted her hand a little higher and held the bag out to her. “There are candies inside; I picked your favorite flavor.”
Chu Yunmiao: “...”
She understood every word Yu Changning said, but put together in the present situation, they only made her more bewildered.
When had she prepared this?
Before Chu Yunmiao could think it through, the rest of Class 1, who had already regrouped under Lin Mo’s lead, walked toward them.
For some reason, Chu Yunmiao suddenly felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. In a moment of panic, she reached out and snatched the bag of candy from Yu Changning’s hand, stuffing it straight into her pocket.
“Class monitor!” Lin Mo called to her, then looked at Yu Changning. “I-instructor.”
Yu Changning glanced at Chu Yunmiao. “Class monitor, fall back into formation.”
Chu Yunmiao drew a breath, answered “Yes,” and jogged back into Class 1’s line.
By then, all twenty members of Class 1 were finally assembled.
Yu Changning adjusted her posture; her long, straight legs stepped back, and whether by accident or on purpose, she once again came down on the candy bag on the ground. The candy was crushed into the dirt until there was not a trace left, as if it had never existed at all, leaving Chu Yunmiao with mixed feelings.
“According to the game rules, from this moment on, I will be the new instructor of Year One Alpha Class 1,” Yu Changning said, getting down to business.
The whole class responded in a loud chorus, “Yes, Instructor!”
Yu Changning nodded.
She lowered her head and took off her protective visor, then casually shook out her hair. There wasn’t even a drop of sweat among the clean, cool strands. “Let’s make a formal introduction.
“Yu Changning, Lieutenant General of the Empire, and also a fourth-year student at Huaqi University.”
Inside the dim underground cave, the corpse of the Queen Chimera lay quietly off to one side. The students of Class 1, who had just been relatively calm, all sucked in a sharp breath at once; it looked like their eyeballs were about to pop out together.
“Y-Yu, Yu, Lieutenant General?!?!!” Lin Mo shouted in shock.
A wave of dizziness crashed through her head, and her whole body tipped backward uncontrollably. Fortunately, the people behind her caught her in time, preventing a scene. But the one holding her up was trembling too; they were barely in better shape than Lin Mo.
Once she finally steadied herself, Lin Mo planted her feet and asked the question on everyone’s mind. “Y-You’re going to be our instructor in first year?! ”
Yu Changning gave her a sidelong look.
Aside from Chu Yunmiao, Lin Mo had left the deepest impression on her among all the students in Class 1. During the entire game, this was the only person who had touched Chu Yunmiao.
She asked, “Is there a problem?”
“No, no no no, no!” Shock and joy flooded Lin Mo’s chest, and she kept stammering. “I-I’m just too happy, too satisfied!”
She turned to seek the agreement of the other students. “If we’d known you were the one coming to be our new instructor, w-we could have come to the office on all fours to welcome you. How, how could we possibly dare to question it?!”
Everyone in Class 1, apart from the expressionless class monitor, chimed in at once.
“Right!”
“Exactly!”
“I’m not dreaming, am I...”
Yu Changning was the eldest granddaughter of the long-established military aristocratic Yu Family of the Empire; she ranked first on Huaqi University’s student honor roll in recent years, the kind of “other people’s child” that all parents and teachers loved to praise. The achievements she had made at school were only slightly inferior to those of the current Emperor Chu Yu, who had graduated from the school decades ago. Of course, there were whispers that Yu Changning had deliberately suppressed her own strength so as not to offend the Emperor.
But whatever the truth, such a person was an unreachable, exceptional existence in the eyes of every Huaqi student; even to all the instructors, she was the same.
Just thinking that they had once opposed such a person coming to their class as the new instructor made Class 1 want nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the ground.
Yu Changning said, “Attention.”
At her words, the students, who had still been buzzing with excitement, instantly straightened their backs. They looked as if they wanted to turn themselves into unfeeling iron posts and drive themselves hard into the earth. But no matter how proper their posture was, it couldn’t hide their excitement; everyone in the line was red in the face, like a row of cooked prawns.
Yu Changning singled out Lin Mo. “Lin Mo.”
Lin Mo only felt as though she had become the child chosen by the gods.
She lifted her chin, stepped sharply forward, and answered in a loud voice, “Yes, Instructor!”
Yu Changning flexed her fingers. “Speaking without permission; fifty laps around the field. Execute immediately.”
Lin Mo: “...”
Only after a beat did she finally react, and her expression turned extremely aggrieved. But she had indeed broken the rules first, so she didn’t dare say another word. She answered “Yes” and obediently went to carry out the punishment.
Clearly everyone in the line had just shouted in excitement too...
Lin Mo vaguely felt she was being targeted by the new instructor, but she couldn’t figure out why. In the end, she could only comfort herself by thinking that Yu Changning had just arrived and probably didn’t want to punish the whole class, so she had only picked on her as an example.
Well... if she had to be punished, she’d do it willingly.
After Lin Mo started running her laps, Yu Changning looked at the rest of them. “I paid attention to your combat skills just now; they differ slightly from the current data. Tomorrow’s training class is suspended. Everyone report to the TRER Data Pavilion at 9:00 a.m. and have your body data recorded again.”
Class 1 answered, “Yes!”
Only Chu Yunmiao’s expression shifted slightly. “Report.”
Yu Changning nodded. “Speak.”
Chu Yunmiao asked, “Instructor, will it be a full examination?”
Yu Changning replied, “Yes, full examination. Including senses, physical ability, and hormone levels.”
Chu Yunmiao pressed her lips together.
Hormone levels...
It was over; trouble was coming.
Yu Changning hadn’t thought much of it at first, but seeing her expression, she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
Her Long Princess... what was troubling her?
But she quickly returned to normal without a trace. “If there’s nothing else, dismissed. Go back and rest well tonight; tomorrow I want the truest data.”
Everyone acknowledged the order, then dispersed on their own.
Even so, they didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they lingered at a distance, silently watching Yu Changning.
A giant pie had fallen from the sky; the divine figure of the honor roll, Yu Changning, had become Class 1’s new instructor.
Something like this; even if it were only a dream, you’d be happy for three days, wouldn’t you? Let alone the fact that it had become reality. Almost everyone was excited beyond reason, eager to find a chance to chat with the idol in their hearts.
Unfortunately, the new instructor gave them no such opportunity.
Yu Changning caught sight of Chu Yunmiao’s retreating back and, after withdrawing her gaze, bent to pick up the candy bag she had already crushed beyond recognition. Then she walked to a trash can and tossed it inside. Only after she personally watched that bag of candy be crushed into waste and powder did she clap her hands and leave with a blank expression.
After running fifty laps, Lin Mo rushed back to the dorm, hurriedly showered, and before she even had time to eat dinner, she ran straight to Chu Yunmiao’s room.
“Class monitor, how could you deceive your loyal little follower!” she complained indignantly. “The new instructor is Lieutenant General Yu; we made a total fool of ourselves!”
Chu Yunmiao was concentrating on the screen of her light-brain terminal. Hearing that, she spared a moment to ask in return, “How did I deceive you? She really is a fourth-year student.”
Lin Mo: “Huh? No, wait, how can Lieutenant General Yu be an ordinary fourth-year student?”
Chu Yunmiao was a little irritated. “A fourth-year student who isn’t ordinary is still a fourth-year student.”
Lin Mo: “...”
She gave up arguing. “Fine, then I guess it’s my fault.” Looking at Chu Yunmiao’s tightly furrowed brows, she was a little confused. “What’s wrong with you? What are you doing? Did something difficult come up recently?”
“...” Chu Yunmiao paused for two seconds. “Nothing. Some private matters.”
Lin Mo’s eyes widened. “Private matters? Is it something on the royal side... forget it, ptoo, ptoo, I shouldn’t ask.”
She took a deep breath and cautiously stepped back. “Then I won’t disturb you. I’m leaving.”
They were close, so Chu Yunmiao didn’t bother seeing her out; she only answered quietly, “Mm.”
After Lin Mo left, she let out a low, distant sigh.
She really was troubled over private matters; very troublesome private matters.
On the simple light-brain screen was a chat group interface. There were only three people in the group, but in the past hour the chat log had already turned over seven or eight pages.
【Chu Yunli: If you ask me, the matter is actually very simple.】
【Chu Yunli: Eldest Sister, since the new instructor is Sister Changning, you might as well come clean to her. With your relationship, she’ll definitely help you!】
【Chu Yunhuan: What Third Sister says makes sense.】
Chu Yunmiao rolled her eyes.
【Chu Yunmiao: I don’t have much of a relationship with her.】
On Capital Star of the Empire, in the Imperial Palace, the residences of the second and third princesses, who were twins.
The two little girls who looked almost exactly alike glanced at each other and both saw confusion in the other’s eyes.
Chu Yunli rested her chin on her hand. “Does Eldest Sister seem a little silly?”
Chu Yunhuan pressed her lips together in thought. “Maybe... this is some little flirtation between her and Sister Changning?”
The two of them drifted off in their own thoughts, and no one knew what scenes they imagined. A moment later, they each blushed and broke out of their reverie.
【Chu Yunli: Since you don’t want that, then you can only choose one of the options above.】
【Chu Yunhuan: Eldest Sister, I really don’t recommend using the high-efficiency suppressant again. You know the side effects of that stuff better than we do; if you keep using it repeatedly over a short period, you’ll only speed up your desensitization. By then, ordinary suppressants will be completely useless on you, and if you accidentally enter your heat cycle at school, everything will be over.】
Chu Yunli turned to look at her twin sister and retorted, “That doesn’t count as over, does it?
“Isn’t Sister Changning right beside Eldest Sister?”
Chu Yunhuan’s eyes widened. “You mean... th-that wouldn’t be good, would it...”
Chu Yunli made a slicing motion with her hand. “What’s not good about it?
“Permanent marking; one-and-done!”
Chu Yunhuan gave her younger sister a thumbs-up. “You’re amazing; why don’t you go say that in front of Mother?”
Chu Yunli gritted her teeth, wishing she could pounce on her and fight her: “Chu! Yun! Huan! What did I ever do to offend you that you’re pushing me toward my death?! Does murdering your own sister really make you happy?!”
“Don’t accuse me first!” Chu Yunhuan pouted. “It’s not like I forced you to say it.”
She touched her chin. “I suddenly remembered something. Third Sister, do you think Mother kind of dislikes Sister Changning?”
Chu Yunli was successfully distracted. “It’s not just ‘kind of,’ is it...”
The two looked at each other blankly; after a moment, they gave up without reaching any conclusion.
They looked back at the chat interface, where a new message from Chu Yunmiao was flashing up and down.
【Chu Yunmiao: I know.】
【Chu Yunmiao: Yunhuan, Yunli, sorry to trouble you; send me the adjusted data modifier later.】
Chu Yunhuan’s eyes widened.
【Chu Yunhuan: You’re going to find a chance to sneak into the data office? Eldest Sister, are you sure about this?】
After seeing that reply, Chu Yunmiao lowered her head and took two things out of her coat pocket.
A bag of carefully wrapped candies, and an Instructor Card in a black card sleeve.
She opened the bag and glanced inside at random; as expected, they were all flavors she liked. After so many years, her tastes hadn’t changed, and Yu Changning’s memory had never been wrong.
The Imperial Crown Princess suddenly felt a little frustrated.
She picked out a candy, tore off the wrapper, and put it in her mouth, feeling smooth chocolate slowly melt on the tip of her tongue. The chocolate was sweet in just the right way, with a rich nutty fragrance; but at this moment, she stubbornly wished she could taste some bitterness.
After the candy had completely melted, Chu Yunmiao drew in a deep breath and clenched the Instructor Card that Yu Changning hadn’t had time to take back.
【Chu Yunmiao: Of course.】