C39 Who Is the Person in Charge?

Yi Lanyou was perplexed as to how the conversation had suddenly shifted to her. She stood up, still somewhat bewildered, and replied, "Yes."

"If I haven't returned by the time class starts, listen to the broadcast and lead the students downstairs to assemble. Get in line and follow the other classes to the auditorium," Bai Yiming instructed. "Understood?"

Yi Lanyou nodded. She recalled that in her past life, it was Lin Xiaorou who had volunteered and was then selected to guide the students to the designated area. Why was it now her responsibility?

Lin Xiaorou, meanwhile, pursed her lips in displeasure. True to her title as the Eldest Miss Yi, wasn't every member of the prestigious families a cunning manipulator? It seemed Yi Lanyou had deliberately switched seats to curry favor with the teacher. What a clever strategy!

After Bai Yiming exited the classroom, Yi Lanyou took her seat amidst the curious gazes of her classmates. Wang Xiaoman hurried to Yi Lanyou's side and exclaimed, "You're too naive! You gave up such a prime seat."

"It's just a seat. I have good eyesight, so sitting here and seeing the blackboard is no problem," Yi Lanyou replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Wang Xiaoman shook her head, resigned. "You can't keep doing this; you'll end up at a loss."

"A loss can be a blessing," Yi Lanyou said with a dismissive smile. As long as she was away from Lin Xiaorou, any seat would do.

"Excuse me," said Yi Lanyou's deskmate, finally addressing her.

"Sure," Yi Lanyou responded, standing up to make room.

Once Qiu Wu had left, Wang Xiaoman nudged Yi Lanyou with her elbow. "Youyou, your deskmate seems kind of intimidating, a bit eerie..."

"He's alright," Yi Lanyou replied with a smile. No matter how intimidating, he was still far better than Lin Xiaorou.

Then, Lin Xiaorou approached with a friendly grin. "You're Yi Lanyou, right? I'm Lin Xiaorou. Nice to meet you."

Yi Lanyou glanced at Lin Xiaorou's outstretched hand and subtly curled her lip. She had no desire to shake hands with Lin Xiaorou, feeling there was something unsavory about her.

A girl approached from behind Lin Xiaorou and wedged herself between the two, eagerly grasping Yi Lanyou's hand. "You nailed it! We really are in the same class!" she exclaimed.

"Zhang Ya," Yi Lanyou greeted with a smile, glad for her timely arrival. Ignoring Lin Xiaorou, she introduced Zhang Ya to her companion, "This is my best friend, Wang Xiaoman." She then turned to Wang Xiaoman and said, "This is Zhang Ya, a good friend I made right before school started."

"Nice to meet you," Wang Xiaoman said, reaching out to shake Zhang Ya's hand with a smile. "I'm Wang Xiaoman. Youyou and I have known each other since childhood."

"Hello," Zhang Ya responded with a polite nod before suggesting, "How about we grab some dessert after school?" The day's classes had ended earlier than usual.

"Sounds great!" Yi Lanyou agreed cheerfully, knowing that a girls' outing for sweets and conversation was perfect for strengthening friendships.

Wang Xiaoman hesitated, thinking about the ten yuan in her pocket. Could she really afford dessert?

Yi Lanyou, intuitively picking up on Wang Xiaoman's concern, linked arms with her and reassured, "Let's go together. You treated me last time, and I haven't had the chance to return the favor. Consider this my opportunity."

Wang Xiaoman paused, puzzled. When had that happened? She couldn't recall.

"It was right before the middle school exams; you've probably forgotten," Yi Lanyou said, gently tugging on Wang Xiaoman's arm. "Come on, let's go!"

"Alright," Wang Xiaoman agreed, nodding. She was eager to spend time with Yi Lanyou, especially since they hadn't seen each other in a while. After their middle school exams, she had tried to visit Yi Lanyou, but Yuan Hui mentioned that Yi Lanyou was upset about her exam performance and didn't want to see anyone. At the start of the new school term, when she attempted to reconnect, Yi Lanyou had already left with her father. Seeing Yi Lanyou in the classroom today had been both surprising and thrilling. She truly valued their friendship.

"That's perfect, the three of us make a good group," Yi Lanyou said, holding onto Zhang Ya with one hand and Wang Xiaoman with the other. Yet, her peripheral vision caught Lin Xiaorou, who was so upset she couldn't even speak. Yi Lanyou couldn't resist asking, "Do you need something, classmate?"

"I..." Lin Xiaorou, recalling Yi Lanyou's earlier words, hesitated but held back from expressing her desire to join them. Clenching her teeth, she managed to say, "It's nothing."

"Well, don't stand in the way then. My deskmate is trying to get by," Yi Lanyou said with a casual shrug.

As Lin Xiaorou turned around, intending to offer a perfect, apologetic smile, she was met with a pair of chilling, disdainful eyes that startled her. Before she could utter her apology, she quickly stepped aside.

Qiu Wu passed by Lin Xiaorou with a blank expression and returned to his seat.

The bell signaling the start of class rang, prompting Zhang Ya and Wang Xiaoman to head back to their respective seats. Lin Xiaorou opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately said nothing, returning to her seat with a sense of defeat.

Settling into her chair, Yi Lanyou mused to herself that having a somewhat eerie deskmate wasn't so bad after all.

Just then, Qiu Wu murmured two brief words: "Thank you."

Yi Lanyou paused, looking at Qiu Wu, trying to confirm if he was speaking to her. Catching his glance, she nodded in acknowledgment. "You're welcome," she replied.

Qiu Wu then turned his face away, and the two shared no further interaction.

The wait for the broadcast was rather dull, and the students' quiet whispers gradually grew into loud, animated conversations, likely spurred by the excitement of new surroundings and friendships.

Suddenly, the door was knocked upon, and a bald, bespectacled middle-aged man entered sternly announcing, "Your class is the noisiest in the hallway!"

His words brought instant silence.

"Where's your homeroom teacher?" he inquired.

"The teacher's at a meeting," the students responded meekly.

"Where's the class monitor?" the middle-aged man pressed on.

"We haven't elected a class monitor yet," everyone replied meekly.

"You don't even have a leader?" The middle-aged man was visibly frustrated.

At that moment, all eyes turned to Yi Lanyou.

Yi Lanyou was taken aback. Was she the leader? She didn't think so. But now, as everyone stared at her, she recalled that the teacher had indeed asked her to organize the line. Did that make her the leader? Despite her hesitation, Yi Lanyou stood up and said, "Director Li, that would be me."

Yi Lanyou's nerves were on edge. Li Baoqiang was known to be very strict and somewhat unpleasant. In her previous life, he hadn't caused much trouble for her, but he wasn't well-liked among the students, who secretly referred to him as "Bold Qiang."

"As the person in charge, can't you lead the class in doing something meaningful when the teacher is away?" Li Baoqiang glared at Yi Lanyou and admonished, "I don't want to hear about your class being as noisy as a marketplace again. Understood?"