After composing himself, Lu Ze quickly dressed and prepared to wash up.
Though he moved quietly, the slight commotion woke the people in the bed. They opened their eyes, looking at Lu Ze not far away, their faces filled with happy smiles.
"You're all awake, why aren't you getting up? How long do you plan to laze around in my bed? And what happened last night? Confess everything, honestly."
The women looked at each other and described the events of the previous night, omitting quite a bit that couldn't be written down. Suffice it to say, it was pretty much what you'd expect.
"Pack up and let's go downstairs. What's done is done, I can't say much. We'll deal with it as it comes. Also... I'm a responsible person. Tell me if anything comes up."
Time flew by, and it was noon. Every time Xi Er saw Lu Ze, her face would turn very rosy.
He could vaguely guess the reason but didn't expose it.
Just as he was about to enjoy his lunch, the screen flickered again. The promotional poster turned black, and then a video began playing.
"No way, again? Is this damn system ever going to stop? This time, I actually want to see what you'll do to me!"
And so, a large group of people gathered around a television, resembling the 1990s when countless people would flock to watch ancient cartoons.
"It's all your fault, you bad guy, for making me stand at the door on my first day of class. You bad, bad, bad guy!"
Kiana pouted slightly, her arms crossed, leaning against the wall as she quietly waited for class to end.
"You can't blame me for that! How could I have known I'd run into you? It's strange, though, are we really fated to meet? Even at school? Could this be an opportunity Heaven is giving me?"
Kiana glanced at him and then kicked him hard in the thigh. Instantly, her leg tingled as if she had kicked a steel plate.
"Why is your leg so hard? Did you hide something inside?"
Sure enough, after a careful touch, she discovered it was indeed a steel plate. Lu Ze had a habit of doing weighted training, so he rarely removed the steel plates from his body; he usually only did so when he was on a mission.
"Why would you put a steel plate on your leg? Are you sick?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the dismissal bell rang. The teacher inside, walking in high heels, glanced at the students who were late on their first day.
"You two, come to my office with me. Being late on your very first day of school? If I don't teach you a lesson, I'm afraid you won't learn."
The office wasn't far from the classroom, about 100 meters away.
"You two, see the blank paper on the desk? I give you one hour to submit an 800-word self-criticism. Otherwise... don't even think about eating."
Writing a self-criticism? Both of them were stunned. Was it really that serious? Such a harsh punishment on the first day of school? Did being late a few more times mean expulsion?
They had nothing to say. They were each handcuffed to a wall, frantically writing on the blank paper with their pens. Lu Ze was quite experienced at this; a self-criticism was just a self-criticism, after all. He could easily fill 800 words.
About halfway through, a purple-haired girl entered and spoke to the teacher:
"I'm sorry, Teacher, I'm late... I was busy with family matters. Please don't mind me."
The teacher seemed to see a distinguished guest, smiling and patting her shoulder. "It's alright, it's alright. I know your Raiden family is busy. Don't worry about such a small matter as being late. Hurry back to class."
Indeed, the teachers at this aristocratic school were quite discerning. Raiden Mei was the biological daughter of Raiden Ryoma, and the Raiden Group was one of the foremost conglomerates in Changkong City.
Such a change of attitude was understandable. If she managed to gain favor, it could lead to a meteoric rise.
However, the negative consequences of such behavior could also be immense. If the Raiden Group were to collapse one day, she might find herself without friends, teachers would shun her, and classmates might even bully her, leaving her adrift.
"Then who are these two?"
Raiden Mei's eyes held a hint of confusion. What grave mistake had these two committed? Writing self-criticisms on their first day?
"It's fine, it's fine. Go back to class quickly, don't waste your time."
With the teacher's repeated urging, Raiden Mei could only leave the office.
"Is this what humans call hypocrisy, my companion? You are me, and I am you. Don't you crave power? With me, you will become invincible."
From the depths of her mind, those words seemed to influence Raiden Mei's attitude.
"I don't need it. I have people who love me. I don't need your power at all! Even if I did, I would rely on myself, not you!"
"Then we shall wait and see. You will eventually need me."
Meanwhile, Lu Ze, with his remarkable speed, successfully finished his 800-word self-criticism. After handing it to the teacher, he gave Kiana, who was still struggling to think of what to write, a mocking look.
The latter quickly responded by raising her little fist, as if to say, "Believe it or not, I'll beat you to death. Get out of my sight!"
He walked out of the office and back into the classroom. Following the seating arrangement posted on the blackboard, he plopped down in his assigned seat. He wondered who his deskmate would be, as the seat next to him was empty.
Upon closer inspection, the answer was easily found. Each seat was numbered, and a seating chart was posted nearby. A quick cross-reference...
Raiden Mei?
Well, well, the great Miss Raiden is my deskmate? Kiana, is it really such a coincidence? She's in front of me!
Raiden Mei returned after using the restroom and finally saw her deskmate. He was quite good-looking, a handsome young man. However, what was he doing to get himself punished on the very first day?
"Hello, please take care of me in the future. My name is Raiden Mei, you can call me Mei."
"Hello, I'm Lu Ze. We seem to be quite fated, this is our third meeting so far. I didn't expect you to be my deskmate. Please take care of me in the future, classmate Mei."
At the doorway, a clumsy girl rushed in and quickly sat down in her seat. Just as the class bell rang, she sighed in relief, glad she made it this time, or she'd be punished again.
"You! How are you here?"