What else could Aier do? She’d already said everything she could, but Tang Juan still clung to her stubbornly.
Surely she couldn’t just peel Tang Juan off her like tearing off a sticky plaster, right?
Given the special influence of the Wei Duan family, Aier really couldn’t do anything about it.
She just felt helpless.
For the next class, since they had to switch classrooms and the seating wasn’t fixed, Tang Juan simply sat right next to Aier.
Tang Huan had no intention of studying at all. Throughout the class, she kept excitedly sharing all sorts of Academy gossip and amusing stories right into Aier’s ear.
Aier just listened quietly, occasionally responding with a few words to show she was paying attention.
By the time the third class started, Tang Juan’s enthusiasm still hadn’t waned.
Fortunately, this class was etiquette, and Aier didn’t actually need to learn anything.
She simply treated Tang Juan’s voice as background noise.
To be fair, Tang Juan’s voice was really pleasant when she spoke normally, gentle and soothing like a soft melody—no shrillness, and none of that high-pitched, grating tone—perfect for relaxing.
Come to think of it, Tang Juan’s daily routine was either chatting about gossip or pondering which pastries to eat next. She didn’t seem like a student intent on learning at all.
Aier was a little curious—if this girl never studied, how would she ever graduate? Even if you had money, you still needed to take exams, right?
Well, whatever. Everyone has their own way of living, and she didn’t need to get hung up on it.
Amid Tang Juan’s cheerful chatter, Aier’s nerves gradually relaxed, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier until, at last, she couldn’t hold on and drifted off to sleep.
Tang Juan was just getting to the most exciting part of her story when she noticed Aier had stopped reacting.
A closer look revealed that Aier had fallen asleep, so she sensibly stopped talking.
To shield Aier from the teacher’s patroling gaze, Tang Juan thoughtfully covered the side of Aier’s face with a book.
Only after doing this did she let out a sigh of relief.
Quietly sitting next to Aier, Tang Juan couldn’t help but steal glances at her peaceful, sleeping profile. For some reason, her throat went dry and she swallowed unconsciously. On a strange impulse, she quietly reached out and gently poked Aier’s chest.
That brief moment of excitement made Tang Juan’s heart race uncontrollably.
This… wasn’t something friends usually did, was it?
The bell rang for a while before Aier groggily woke up.
Tang Juan was nowhere to be seen—she’d probably gone to the cafeteria for lunch.
Aier stretched lazily and walked out of the classroom in a daze.
She strolled along the path by the playground, heading for the lakeside to get a breath of fresh air.
Just as she passed under a large peach tree, a petite girl wearing an oversized hat suddenly darted out from the shade, blocking her path.
She was actually even shorter than Aier… but her figure was surprisingly well-developed, definitely legal.
“Hey, classmate, you must be one of the new students this year, right? I haven’t seen you around before. Have you thought about joining any clubs yet?”
“Sorry, I’m not interested for now.”
Aier refused without even thinking.
She’d never been interested in club activities, probably because she’d formed that impression in her past life where they weren’t much use…
But the Senior Schoolmate wouldn’t give up. With lively little eyes, she bounced over in front of Aier again.
“Don’t be so quick to say no! How about you at least learn what we’re about first? We’re the Supernatural Research Club, dedicated to exploring all kinds of mysterious events. There are even campus ghost stories to investigate! Doesn’t that sound interesting?”
There was so much going on that Aier didn’t even know where to start.
Putting aside everything else, wasn’t this just a regular, reputable Academy? It wasn’t like it was Hogwarts—where were all these supernatural events supposed to come from?
With that, Aier couldn’t help but show a “bless your heart” expression.
“You can just come check it out, you don’t have to pay anything…”
The Senior Schoolmate, put off by Aier’s look, lost a bit of confidence, and her voice trailed off.
“No need, really. I neither want to be an investigator nor a demon hunter.”
At the Academy, you could form a club just by paying the application and equipment fees, so all kinds of bizarre clubs sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
Most clubs were still quite normal, like agriculture or animal husbandry clubs.
But she couldn’t imagine how this particular Senior Schoolmate’s club had gotten approved…
“Anyway, you can at least come visit the club and check it out! By the way, my name’s Bei’er, I’m a third-year student!”
“Sorry, Senior Schoolmate Bei’er, I’m really not interested.”
Aier refused for the third time and immediately walked away.
She really disliked overly persistent people, especially after she’d already refused several times.
Bei’er’s eyes spun as she decided to bring out her secret weapon: “Classmate, you don’t have a significant other yet, right? Our third-years are about to have a matchmaking event. Interested in joining? If you fancy anyone, I can introduce you…”
Hearing that, Aier walked even faster.
What kind of nonsense was this! Did she really want to go home and get a “hydration” lecture for this? >_<
“It’s not just for guys, girls can join too!”
Bei’er still wouldn’t give up, hustling after her on her short legs.
“Senior Schoolmate, I’m really not interested. If you have time, maybe try recruiting someone else, or just focus on your studies and enrich yourself, okay?”
Aier stopped walking, forcing a polite smile as she rejected her.
She was truly at her wits’ end—she just couldn’t handle people like this.
“But I’m ranked first in my year for pharmacology!” Bei’er puffed out her little chest with pride, striking a triumphant pose. “Any academic questions? I’m your answer! I’ve got all the notes, model answers, you name it…”
Bei’er rattled off a string of dazzling titles, leaving Aier speechless.
Was this what people meant by a “grade trap”?
“Thank you, Senior Schoolmate, but really, don’t trouble yourself. I’m not interested in people—I like other things.”
Like two-dimensional characters and cute monsters.
“What a coincidence! Our club also researches supernatural creatures, and even collaborates with the Animal Research Club!”
How is that a coincidence?!
“Enough! I just don’t like socializing and I’m not interested.”
“Then at least tell me your class and name, won’t you?”
Bei’er resorted to her last-ditch effort, looking at her with pleading eyes.
Aier was truly at her limit. This girl with zero sense of boundaries was just too much. All she wanted now was to escape, so she quickly gave her name and grade.
After tossing out a quick “goodbye,” she turned and ran.
Her weary body suddenly erupted with amazing energy.
Bei’er didn’t even have time to say which building her club was in before Aier’s figure was already gone.
She stood there in a daze, one foot raised in surprise.
Time flowed on like water, days passing in peace and routine.
Aier’s life was the same as always: she left for school in the morning, came home in the afternoon, then ate and bathed together with Xie Yier.
Afterward, they’d do things together that would make anyone blush, and finally, fall asleep in each other’s arms.
During this period, both Tang Juan and Mary had clearly changed.
Perhaps it was because Xie Yier had staked her claim, or maybe it was because Aier had made her own position clear, but now, whenever they saw Aier, Tang Juan and Mary would simply say hello, then ask if she had any free time for an outing. If she didn’t, they wouldn’t force her the way they used to.
As for Aier, she politely declined all these friendly invitations. She even made a point of saying that she’d recently taken on some part-time jobs, and her free time and weekends were all booked, so she just couldn’t accept any invites.
Of course, Donna and Mary were a bit skeptical, but no matter what they thought, at least Aier now had a solid excuse to fend them off.