Chapter 39

Stephanie was sprawled in the restaurant, playing a reaction-speed game on her light-brain terminal. Just as she finished a round and looked up, she saw Chu Yunmiao and Yu Changning walking in one after the other.

She instinctively wanted to call out to them, but she caught the strange atmosphere between the two at once——

Chu Yunmiao’s expression was unreadable, yet her face was faintly flushed. Yu Changning was subtly shielding her from the people passing by, but Chu Yunmiao didn’t appreciate it; she kept a not-too-close, not-too-far distance from her.

The feeling was oddly like a sly cat teasing the little hamster it liked.

That moment of hesitation cost her the best chance to speak. Chu Yunmiao spotted them on her own and came over quickly.

Lin Mo, with her thick nerves, didn’t notice anything unusual at all. Seeing Chu Yunmiao, she asked, “Why did you take so long? I was about to go back and look for you.”

Chu Yunmiao pulled out a chair and sat down. “Sorry.”

Lin Mo greeted Yu Changning as well, excitement in her eyes, mixed with a little doubt. “Instructor, where exactly did you go? We didn’t run into you in the game at all.”

“In the end, we took down that dragon right in front of the castle; what a pity you weren’t there. You would’ve seen the class monitor facing the dragon head-on.”

Yu Changning gave a soft “Mm” and sat down beside Chu Yunmiao.

She explained, “I got lost in the forest.”

“Huh?” Lin Mo looked regretful, though the excitement in her eyes only grew. “Ahem, well, the forest was so big. Getting lost is only human. Mm, at least the class monitor found you.”

As she spoke, she opened her light-brain terminal and, relying on stealth mode so no one else could see her screen, quickly typed the latest update into the class chat group that didn’t include Yu Changning.

【Lin Mo: Confirmed, confirmed!!! The instructor couldn’t get to the key mission location on time because she got lost.】

【Lin Mo: Whoever bet against me earlier? Get out here and pay up!】

The once-quiet class chat group instantly came alive.

【Anthony: I don’t believe it.】

【Ling Hongqiang: That can’t be right… Someone like the instructor can get lost?】

【Luca: Lin Mo, don’t go making things up just because we weren’t there.】

Lin Mo gritted her teeth.

【Lin Mo: The instructor admitted it herself! Go ask Stephanie.】

For some reason, Stephanie had a bad feeling about this. She deliberately ignored Lin Mo’s pleading look and picked up the pre-meal drink on the restaurant table, pretending to taste it carefully.

Lin Mo was infuriated by how useless she was and could only bluff another message.

【Lin Mo: You’ll know when we get back to school.】

After sending that, she turned off her light-brain terminal and called the others over. “Let’s order. We’ve been out all day; we’re all a bit tired.”

There were five students present and only one instructor, so Stephanie didn’t even hesitate before handing the ordering screen to Yu Changning.

Yu Changning didn’t stand on ceremony and began selecting dishes. She casually picked two dishes, then suddenly asked without warning, “You should really eat something good for your brain; maybe then you wouldn’t spend more than ten minutes beating on a BOSS without noticing anything was wrong.”

Her eyes were still on the menu when she said it, but everyone immediately understood who she was talking about.

The hairs on Lin Mo’s back stood straight up at once. The soft cushion beneath her felt like a bed of needles, making her squirm in her seat. She felt strangely uneasy. Logically speaking, Yu Changning hadn’t been there at the time, so she should not have known about it. But from the sound of it, Yu Changning clearly knew something about the BOSS battle outside the castle. Lin Mo immediately thought of something and turned a wronged look toward Chu Yunmiao.

Chu Yunmiao knew she must have thought she was the one who tattled, and helplessly spread her hands to show her innocence.

But Lin Mo clearly couldn’t believe her——

After all, since they’d entered the game, the only person who’d been in contact with Yu Changning was Chu Yunmiao.

Yu Changning finished ordering, paying no mind to Lin Mo’s ashen face, and said calmly, “Train harder when we go back. I’ll arrange a special assessment for you. If you still can’t improve this semester, I’ll have to consider whether you need to repeat the year.”

Lin Mo looked like a prisoner suddenly handed a deferred death sentence. Weakly, she answered, “Yes, instructor.”

The atmosphere at the table grew a little awkward. Stephanie and the others in particular all sat very still, shrinking in their chairs as much as possible, afraid that if they made any noise Yu Changning would notice them too and slap a failing-at-any-moment debuff on them as well.

Chu Yunmiao couldn’t bear it anymore. She drew a breath and broke the silence. “We still have one more day off tomorrow. Do you all have any plans?”

Stephanie didn’t want the room to stay dead either, so she hurried to respond. “No pla— no, ahem, I want to go back to school.”

She pressed her lips together and put on a tragic expression. “We’ve been out having fun for so long; it’s about time we went back to find some time to preview the lessons and get our training state back. I’ll head back to school after this meal and make up for training tomorrow.” Then she didn’t forget to drag Lin Mo along. “Ahem, Lin Mo, should we go to the A3 Training Ground together tomorrow? Didn’t you say last time you wanted to increase your resistance training?”

Lin Mo came back to her senses and nodded hard. “Right, I, I was thinking that too.”

Xibin followed suit. “I’ll go with you two. I don’t really know what else to do anyway…”

Stephanie grinned and nodded. “Exactly. The training ground is our final destination!”

Yu Changning just watched the act in silence. She didn’t praise them, but thankfully she didn’t criticize them either. Stephanie secretly let out a breath of relief and shot Chu Yunmiao a grateful look.

Chu Yunmiao didn’t catch it; she was browsing current affairs news on her light-brain terminal. After thinking for a moment, Stephanie opened the class chat group and sent a few seemingly random messages.

【Stephanie: Good thing we have the class monitor!】

【Stephanie: I feel like only the class monitor can really keep the instructor in line!】

The group was a little confused.

【Ling Hongqiang: Where are you guys, exactly? Why is it instructor this and class monitor that? Didn’t Lin Mo want you to testify that the instructor got lost and didn’t finish the game mission? Is it true or not?】

Stephanie ground her teeth.

【Stephanie: Don’t ask me to testify. I need to keep my distance from Lin Mo.】

Everyone popped up asking what had happened, and Stephanie, like she was enjoying a show, briefly explained the whole thing. Once they learned of Lin Mo’s misery, the group sent her a flood of “comfort.”

【Ling Hongqiang: When it comes to stirring things up, Lin Mo really is the best. Lin Mo, you’re strong!】

【Edson: I’m jealous of Lin Mo. From now on you’ll be getting the instructor’s “special care,” hahaha.】

【Tan Zhi: Lin Mo really is the only one in class brave enough to question the instructor. Lin Mo, you deserve the honor of being specially looked after!】

【……】

Lin Mo had been in low spirits to begin with, but after this round of “comfort,” she perked right back up.

【Lin Mo: Get lost!!!!】

The screen filled with scrolling “hahahahahaha” for more than ten seconds before one normal message finally squeezed through.

【Chu Yunmiao: @Lin Mo, it’s fine.】

【Chu Yunmiao: Extra training will do you good too; just endure it and avoid failing and repeating the year.】

Lin Mo replied pitifully.

【Lin Mo: @Chu Yunmiao, you traitor, how could you complain to the instructor behind my back?】

Chu Yunmiao was very innocent.

【Chu Yunmiao: It wasn’t me…】

The explanation was obviously very weak, but there was nothing she could do.

She couldn’t exactly tell the truth and say that Yu Changning had been ambushed by her and turned into that dwarf rabbit, which was why she’d created an alibi while nearly witnessing the entire BOSS battle, could she?

【Stephanie: qaq so, class monitor, you really did go a little too far.】

【Stephanie: You didn’t tell everyone that I went into the castle and, in the end, my contribution wasn’t even as much as your pet rabbit’s, did you?】

【Chu Yunmiao: No.】

Her reply was swallowed by a pile of skeptical messages, and in the end, everyone somehow arrived at a frightening truth.

【Lin Mo: We made this group chat in the first place so we could avoid the instructor and talk freely. Looking at the current situation… there won’t be an informant from the instructor mixed into our group, will there?】

【Stephanie: Lin Mo, you’re really sharp! I noticed it too!】

【Lin Mo: Looks like everyone feels it too, so this informant…】

【Stephanie: I wouldn’t dare say who it is.】

【Ling Hongqiang: Don’t dare +1】

【Anthony: Don’t dare +2】

【……】

Chu Yunmiao: “……”

Class 1’s “don’t dare” filled the entire screen, but between the lines, the words “Chu Yunmiao is the informant” were already written in bright, unmistakable capitals.

Chu Yunmiao knew they were joking and didn’t take it to heart. She was only a little helpless, then decided to let it go; since she couldn’t explain it clearly anyway, she might as well stop trying.

She never expected that this would only fuel the discussion about her relationship with Yu Changning in the group.

【Gossip Team Member #1: I felt a long time ago that there was something strange between the class monitor and the instructor. Tsk, between an Imperial Crown Princess and a noble knight, it really isn’t something us commoners can get involved in.】

【Gossip Team Member #2: The instructor is just especially good to the class monitor, wuwuwu; the kind of good that really makes people jealous.】

【Gossip Team Member #3: Every time the two of them appear together, even if I’m doing weighted training, I still feel like a lonely dog who suddenly got kicked in the street.】

Chu Yunmiao really couldn’t bear to read any more, so she weakly spoke up.

【Chu Yunmiao: It’s not like that…】

But the group had no intention of listening to her explanation, and even threw her a soul-searching question.

【Lin Mo: Too bad the class monitor and the instructor are both Alpha.】

【Stephanie: @Chu Yunmiao, class monitor, if, I mean if, Instructor Yu were an Omega, would you already be together? Maybe the Emperor would’ve even arranged your engagement ages ago!】

Chu Yunmiao imagined that scene and found it hard to accept.

【Chu Yunmiao: This has nothing to do with secondary sex.】

She was still typing her next line when Stephanie’s reply already appeared on the screen.

【Stephanie: Got it, your feelings aren’t affected by outside factors; even secondary sex can’t get in the way.】

【Stephanie: Don’t worry, class monitor, I understand! I strongly support the free love of Alpha and Alpha.】

The rest of the group followed her lead and started spamming the screen.

【Anthony: I strongly support the free love of Alpha and Alpha.】

【Ling Hongqiang: I strongly support the free love of Alpha and Alpha.】

【Xibin: I don’t really know what you’re talking about, but… I strongly support the free love of Alpha and Alpha.】

【……】

Chu Yunmiao: “……”

I’m tired. Destroy the world.

She turned off her light-brain terminal and didn’t even have the energy to glare at Stephanie. Turning to the server beside her, she asked, “Is the food still not ready?”

The server smiled warmly and said they’d go urge the kitchen. Very soon, one exquisite dish after another was brought out, and everyone finally shifted their attention from their light-brain terminals to dinner.

The dishes kept coming. When one particular dish was set on the table, Stephanie suddenly asked, “Class monitor, I remember you don’t eat qaqi fruit?”

“Is it that you just can’t accept qaqi fruit raw, but if it’s cooked, you like it?”

Lin Mo looked up from her bowl. “Huh? Someone’s tastes can be that weird? Why wouldn’t you like it raw but like it cooked?”

Chu Yunmiao also froze for a moment.

But then she looked up and answered, “Yeah.” She responded to Lin Mo. “Raw qaqi fruit has a slightly sour, astringent taste, so I don’t like it. Once it’s cooked, that astringency is gone, and it tastes very good.”

Lin Mo nodded in confusion. “Oh, really?”

Then she turned to Stephanie. “I didn’t even know that; how did you?”

“I knew last semester that the class monitor doesn’t eat raw qaqi fruit.” Stephanie gave Lin Mo a look, then used her chopsticks to pick up the newly served dish. “But the instructor ordered this.”

Only then did the others realize that the dish just brought to the table was actually cooked qaqi fruit.

Stephanie stuffed a piece of qaqi fruit into her mouth and said vaguely, “I feel like the instructor definitely wouldn’t order a dish the class monitor doesn’t like.”

Everyone froze, but their expressions quickly returned to normal. No one kept discussing the topic, but the people at the table kept sneaking glances at Yu Changning and Chu Yunmiao.

Chu Yunmiao held herself together and kept her expression unchanged, but she knew in her heart——

Stephanie was right. Every dish Yu Changning had ordered for this entire table was based on her preferences.

If it were Chu Yunmiao herself, no matter what she did, she would absolutely never think only of herself. Compared with that, Yu Changning was indeed a bit more overbearing and self-centered; take just now, for example, when Stephanie handed her the menu, she made the decisions herself without asking anyone else’s opinion. Of course, Lin Mo and the others certainly wouldn’t mind…

But Yu Changning’s overbearingness wasn’t for satisfying herself; she had put Chu Yunmiao’s tastes first.

In a daze, Chu Yunmiao remembered that this wasn’t some rare occurrence. Ever since the two of them had met, Yu Changning had always taken care of her this way.

It was just that before, the two of them were always glued together, and she’d gotten used to it naturally, never paying deliberate attention. Now that their relationship was, in a sense, gradually becoming closer, she only suddenly realized it through other people’s mouths.

The Imperial Crown Princess’s mood turned a little complicated; she didn’t know how to describe how she felt.

While drinking her soup, she secretly glanced at Yu Changning from the corner of her eye. The moment her gaze touched the other woman’s, Yu Changning noticed it; the two of them exchanged a brief look, and Chu Yunmiao averted her eyes.

But her mood suddenly brightened. Setting down her spoon, the corners of her lips lifted into a faint smile.