Chapter 17   Rong Li

Su Qingtang obediently went to school. She wasn't late but was actually still a bit early. She arrived at the same time she got to school the day before. It was eerie as if the whole half hour hadn't happened at all. Su Qingtang wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.

She walked towards a boy who had big earphones on his ears and quietly made his way into school. No one really noticed him much as they went their own way. He seemed to blend seamlessly as if he wasn't there in the first place.

"Xingshen." She called and the boy turned to face her. It seemed he wasn't even listening to music at all. So what was the headphones for?

Wen Xingshen had dark shadows under his eyes and seemed to be a bit tired. It wasn't that easy to see but Su Qingtang easily noticed it. It was faint but still apparent if you looked closely enough to notice it. How does one manage to be this tired on the second day of school?

"Hey." He looks over at her. A hint of lethargy in his voice. He takes off his headphones and leaves them hanging around his neck.

"You look really tired. What's up?" Su Qingtang inquired as she matches his pace. It was a bit weird as his legs were a lot longer than hers were.

"Nothing much. I just didn't sleep much last night."

A lie. Su Qingtang didn't call him out. It really wasn't her business anyway. She hums and nods as if she believes him anyway. If he didn't want her to talk about it she'll just concede to his wishes or at least pretend to anyway.

They walk to their classroom and find the doorway blocked with girls sneaking peaks into the classroom and whispering. They seemed to be pretty invested in whatever they were staring at and gradually the crowd of curious people grew into a bit of a mob in front of the door. Making it near impossible to get in.

"System…What is this development? What's going on here?" Su Qingtang searched her memory. She clearly didn't remember anything happening at this time so what's going on?

The system was also stupefied. This definitely wasn't supposed to happen according to the plot. "…I…I don't know."

"What use are you then? Aren't you supposed to be my cheat that helps me to be in the know about plot changes. If you don't know this much what use are you?" Su Qingtang made a jab at the system.

The system was hurt. It was amazing and powerful but it was not omnipotent okay? This is bullying!

Wen Xingshen and Su Qingtang made eye contact quietly before making their way into the classroom through the forming crowd.

"Ahh~ He's so handsome, ah." A girl screamed as she clung to her friends arm shaking her to express her excitement.

"He looks like that actor from 'My Dream Fairy'… Oh my God he looked at me~" Another whisper yelled to someone beside her.

"Do you think I'd have a chance if I went up and asked for his number?" Someone asked but was quickly shut down by others in the crowd.

"His looks are on par with the school prince's! Ah! Are we going to have a change in Number 1 high school's school prince? Hey! Wait your turn! No pushing!"

We squeeze into the classroom past the other students. Wen Xingshen doesn't seem to care much and just walks towards his seat like normal while ignoring the fuss. Its in his nature, Su Qingtang concluded. He was a person who didn't like fusses no matter how small and insignificant and tended to avoid drama… So how did he get embroiled in all that drama before he died? Something about the entire situation was extremely fishy.

Su Qingtang looks up and over at the side when she hears a voice. It was a voice she had never heard before. It was smooth and light with unmistakable arrogance under a light jesting tone. She looked over and saw a boy sitting in his chair with a bored look. His legs propped up as he looked disinterestedly out the window. Totally oblivious of the stir he had caused outside the classroom.

He radiated a certain air. It was the air of the young master attitude that seemed to attract girls like moths to a flame. Su Qingtang found it a bit funny and a slight smile makes its way to her face.

She turns and walks to her seat beside Wen Xingshen softly. Doing so she completely misses the sharp glint and dark smile that spreads across the 'young master's' face as he turs to look at her. It didn't have malicious intent just a deep ingrained curiosity of a feline.

"Scrap! Why is there a new person in this classroom? This didn't happen last time." Su Qingtang asks the system.

"It seems like you have unconsciously done something which has shifted the plot slightly." The system was also very confused but it wouldn't let the host know. It'd forever be seen as a useless system if she found out.

"Shifted the plot? How is adding a whole new person a shift in plot? Don't lie to me."

"He's not entirely new. He's Rong Li. The second heir to the Rong family. He lived in overseas for a year before returning to do his final year here. Originally, he wasn't transferred in this class he was placed in class 2 but this time he used his connections with the principal to switch to this class. The reason for this change is unknown." The system explained. How am I a useless pile of scrap? Humph.

Su Qingtang leaned over to Wen Xingshen beside her. "Are you going to the set right after school?"

He looks at her in confusion but still shakes his head. "I have to head home before I go to the set."

She nods thoughtfully before going silent. "…Sys, when was the competition again?"

"In about a three weeks. Why?"

"Ah, nothing. It's just that… Isn't my birthday in a month?" Su Qingtang asks unsurely. "If so then I'll have to be at the Su mansion the entire day. I wont have time for anything else. It'd be troublesome if anything happened in that day, ne."

Su Qingtang looked up at the full classroom then at the one empty seat at the middle. "Where is Song Meishi?"