Chapter 31

Not long after the birthday banquet, the holiday ended. After saying goodbye to her family, Chu Yunmiao set off on the journey back to school.

Over these past few days, the class chat group had been lively. Though everyone was scattered across different planets, they all happened to be discussing what they would do after reuniting, ready to squeeze in one last bit of relaxation before the semester started. As one of the most talked-about figures at the school, Chu Yunmiao naturally received plenty of invitations to gatherings; however, she didn’t like crowds and turned them all down, even Lin Mo’s invitation was no exception.

In a video call, Lin Mo complained to her, “We had a two-month vacation, and we only met once at your birthday banquet. Don’t tell me you don’t miss me at all?”

Chu Yunmiao was a little helpless. “Won’t we see each other as soon as school starts?”

“Once school starts, training begins right away. After classes, we’ll be so exhausted we can barely stand; where would we have time to catch up?” Lin Mo muttered.

Still, she knew Chu Yunmiao’s personality and didn’t press the issue. “Fine. If you don’t want to come, that’s your loss. When Instructor Yu drags you off for extra training, I won’t sympathize with you.”

Chu Yunmiao froze.

Seeing her reaction through the screen, Lin Mo frowned in confusion. “Why are you blushing?”

Chu Yunmiao came back to herself and instinctively covered her face. “Blushing? Where?”

Lin Mo leaned closer to the screen. “No? Did I see wrong?”

She stroked her chin thoughtfully. “But the moment I mentioned Instructor Yu just now, your whole mood was off. You two... you’re not hiding something from us, are you?”

Chu Yunmiao panicked inside, but on the surface she forced an angry look. “Say another word of nonsense and I’m hanging up.”

Lin Mo puffed out her cheeks and apologized, “Okay, okay, don’t. Stingy.”

Then she added, “But it’s good if nothing happened. Instructor Yu has given you so many special privileges; I was worried you two might be secretly doing some special training and not letting me join in.”

Hearing that she was talking about training, Chu Yunmiao finally let out a breath of relief.

But after that, she was annoyed at herself again.

Why did she look like she was afraid of being caught cheating?

Thinking of that, her expression stiffened even more, and to Lin Mo it looked as if she really had been angered.

Chu Yunmiao said, “The training plans are all approved by the school. We, cough, won’t have any of those special trainings you’re talking about.”

Lin Mo spread her hands. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. Instructor Yu’s favoritism toward you isn’t exactly new.”

“And she’s using her own personal time to help you; nobody else can really say anything.”

Chu Yunmiao really didn’t want to keep talking about Yu Changning.

“We’re about to enter space jump. I’m hanging up now. See you at school.”

Lin Mo nodded. “Be careful on the way. See you at school.”

After ending the call, Chu Yunmiao relaxed and sank into the soft sofa.

The closer she got to school, the more unsettled she felt. She knew full well it was because Yu Changning was at school.

Ever since their conversation under the moon that day, Yu Changning had occasionally sent her a few simple greetings; Chu Yunmiao had acted as if she didn’t see them and continued to cold-shoulder her.

That wasn’t because she was resisting Yu Changning. On the contrary, she was in complete turmoil, to the point that she didn’t even know how to face her anymore.

Officially speaking, Yu Changning was currently her instructor; she respected and was grateful for the other woman’s dedication to her training plan.

Privately speaking...

What exactly was she and Yu Changning now?

At first, she thought that since the breakup back then had involved her mother’s interference and hadn’t truly been Yu Changning’s intention, it shouldn’t count. In theory, she and Yu Changning should have been able to return to the close friendship they once had.

But it was obvious that Yu Changning had made her stance clear.

She didn’t want to be friends with Chu Yunmiao.

Yet if she completely followed Yu Changning’s wishes...

Every time Chu Yunmiao thought of that, she wanted to curl up with a blanket and roll around.

She should have rejected Yu Changning and made her cut off those improper thoughts sooner, but whenever she imagined that after rejecting her, their relationship might go back to what it had been when they’d fallen out before, never speaking to each other again for the rest of their lives, she felt unbearably reluctant.

If she accepted Yu Changning...

Chu Yunmiao buried her face in the blanket, shutting out sight, sound, and smell, and lay there motionless for a long time.

After a while, she escaped into sleep, putting off the question she had never managed to understand.

Soon, the Imperial fleet delivered the Long Princess back to the university campus.

Chu Yunmiao returned two days early and immediately threw herself into the training ground. At first, she was still on edge, afraid she might suddenly run into Yu Changning there. But whether it was luck or misfortune, she didn’t run into her for a full two days.

At last, the semester began. The first class was the instructor setting the students’ study plan for the new term.

Class 1 had excellent discipline; everyone arrived ten minutes early. In the past, Yu Changning would also come early to prepare, but today she arrived almost exactly on time; just as she pushed open the door, the class bell happened to ring.

Inside the classroom, the students who had been chatting moments before all fell silent and turned toward the door. To their surprise, Yu Changning hadn’t come alone today; there was a stranger following behind her.

Of course, to the others, that person might have been a stranger, but Chu Yunmiao recognized him immediately.

The one who had entered the classroom with Yu Changning was the prince of Mingxing Empire, Xibin, whom she had met not long ago at her own birthday banquet. At that time, the person who had appeared at the banquet besides him was his Beta younger sister. Chu Yu had specifically asked Chu Yunmiao to show the two of them around, so Chu Yunmiao still remembered him very clearly.

Yu Changning’s expression remained unreadable, but Chu Yunmiao could tell that her mood was poor.

She walked up to the podium and briefly introduced the stranger to the class. “Xibin, an exchange student sent by Mingxing University. Starting today, he will join Class 1 as a first-year student for a period ranging from one semester to one academic year.”

The students all froze, but because of their class’s excellent discipline, no one started whispering.

Yu Changning said nothing else. She let Xibin join the lineup, then began teaching as usual and issued the new semester’s training arrangements.

After the ninety-minute lecture ended, Yu Changning picked up her lesson plan and left. Before she went, she only instructed, “Take a break. Gather at B2 Training Hall in thirty minutes.”

After she left, everyone immediately crowded around Xibin.

At an institution like Huaqi University, transfer students were almost unheard of; as one of the rare exchange students, Xibin naturally drew quite a bit of attention.

Ling Hongqiang’s focus was relatively serious. “You’re from Mingxing University? Exchange student, exchange student... then who from our school is going there? I’ve never heard of the school selecting exchange students before.”

Before Xibin could speak, Lin Mo rolled her eyes. “Which school’s educational resources are better than ours at Huaqi? If the school held a selection process, would it be picking some unlucky bottom-ranker to send off as an exchange student?”

Everyone burst out laughing at that.

Lin Mo’s words weren’t exactly nice, but they were true. For students from other schools, being exchanged into Huaqi was good luck; for Huaqi students, being sent out as exchange students...

That would be pure misfortune.

Hearing this, Xibin smiled along with them a few times. His temper seemed quite good, and he quickly won over many of Class 1 with a favorable first impression.

Someone else asked, “Is it only you who came over?”

Xibin perked up and shook his head. “There are two exchange students this time. Besides me, there’s my younger sister, Lucy.

“But she’s a Beta, and she’s studying command at the neighboring campus.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Xibin found Chu Yunmiao, who was preparing to leave, and took the initiative to greet her.

“Long Princess, we’ll be relying on you to take care of us for the next while. May we exchange contact information?”

Given his special identity, and the fact that he was not only an exchange student but also a guest of the Huáqí Empire, Chu Yunmiao had no reason to refuse. She nodded and added him. Xibin immediately sent over his sister’s contact as well, and Chu Yunmiao added that too.

After that, she took the initiative. “Don’t worry. Just treat Huaqi like your original school. I’m the monitor of Class 1, so if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.”

Xibin smiled warmly and nodded. “Having you here is really wonderful. You’ve truly helped my sister and me a great deal.”

Chu Yunmiao adopted the polished manner she used when dealing with foreign guests as the Long Princess and gave a light smile. “It’s only right.”

That day, Xibin followed the Class 1 students and got a proper taste of Huaqi’s training difficulty. By the time dusk fell and school let out, he was so exhausted he could barely stand.

But he wasn’t the exception. For some reason, Yu Changning had been especially harsh today, thoroughly grinding down the entire Class 1, which had become a little lax after the holiday. By the end, you could count the number of people still standing on one hand. As Mingxing’s crown prince, Xibin was actually quite capable. Though he was exhausted and flattened by the training, he still made it through the entire session. As for a few of the class’s usual bottom-rankers, they couldn’t move by the time the last two events ended and immediately earned themselves a bonus package of extra training from Instructor Yu.

“After one vacation, your physical abilities drop this much?” Yu Changning looked at the roster, her brow furrowing. The entire Class 1 didn’t dare make a sound, standing there like lambs waiting to be slaughtered as they awaited her verdict. Fortunately, Yu Changning had no intention of making things harder for them. “That’s enough for today. When you get back tonight, each of you will write a holiday report, detailing exactly what you did over the break.”

Everyone shuddered and used up their last bit of strength to answer, “Yes, Instructor.”

Yu Changning’s brow didn’t smooth out, but she did relent. “Mm. Dismissed.”

The entire Class 1 let out cheers they couldn’t hold back any longer, and the formation they had painstakingly lined up in instantly collapsed.

Chu Yunmiao’s condition was still pretty good. Yu Changning’s training was exhausting, but as long as she endured it, she could clearly feel her physical fitness improving. After returning to her dorm and washing up, she had basically recovered. Her mind clear, she sat down and started typing up her holiday summary. Just as she was nearly done, someone knocked on her dorm room door. Seeing who it was through the electronic cat’s eye, Chu Yunmiao thought for a moment, then opened the door while hastening her hands to finish off the report.

By the time she typed the last character, her two guests had already entered the living area of her dormitory. The robot brought out sweet drinks for visitors, and Chu Yunmiao stepped forward to invite them to sit.

“What brings you here?” she asked directly.

Xibin smiled. “Today is our first day at Huaqi University. We’ll be relying on your care from here on, so I especially brought my younger sister to meet you and thank you for looking after us.”

You couldn’t hit a smiling face. Chu Yunmiao felt a little helpless. “Prince Xibin, Princess Lucy, there’s no need to be so polite. We’re at school now; you don’t need to use honorifics with me. Just treat me like an ordinary classmate.

“Students helping one another is only natural; there’s no need to thank me.”

“We know that,” Lucy said with a faint smile. “But the proper courtesies still need to be observed.”

Chu Yunmiao asked about their situation. “You’ve settled in already, right? Are you getting used to things here?”

Xibin nodded, and Lucy did too, though as a girl she was a bit more sensitive. Her fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt. “The classmates are easy to get along with. It’s just that this place is so far from our homeland, and so many things are different. Sometimes it all feels very unfamiliar.”

Chu Yunmiao comforted her. “The exchange period is at most one year, and the study schedule is very full. It’ll pass quickly, and you’ll get used to it slowly.”

Lucy pressed her lips together. “Is that so?”

Then she said, “Come to think of it, we came straight to school as soon as we arrived. We haven’t really had a proper look around this planet yet.”

Chu Yunmiao considered it. “Huaqi University has fairly strict management; you can’t just go out whenever you want. But... if you need it, next time there’s a holiday, I can take you around the surrounding area.”

Lucy and Xibin’s eyes lit up, and both of them agreed.

The three of them talked for a while longer. After the two left happily, Chu Yunmiao let out a breath of relief, closed the door, and shed the mask of being the Long Princess.

She glanced at the time and decided to review some humanities material before going to rest. But before she could even open a book, the light-brain terminal on her wrist began to vibrate.

【Yu Changning: Are you asleep?】