The scene instantly fell silent, even the birds in the trees seemed unusually loud.
Student Council President Jin clutched the back of her head as she rose from the ground, shouting wildly, “What is going on here?!”
Lu Jinlan quickly explained, “The Student Council is collecting fees without authorization. They wouldn’t let us enter the dorms if we didn’t pay, and they were the ones who started the physical confrontation.”
Han Li immediately denied it: “We were just following the usual procedure. They forced their way in—they’re the ones who hit first, right?”
The Student Council lackeys hurriedly nodded: “Yes!”
“Lies!” Yan Wuxin snapped. “You clearly hit first! Everyone saw it—we can all testify, right?”
Among the onlookers, there were only four or five Student Council members; the rest were new students. Even if others stayed silent, the ten or so out-of-town classmates who had shared rooms for three days would never remain quiet. They were itching to raise their arms and shout: “Right! The Student Council hit first! We saw it!”
Student Council President face turned ashen. “All of you, shut your mouths!”
She cast an annoyed glance at Lu Jinlan. “You again? Why is it always you causing trouble?”
Lu Jinlan stood her ground: “If there’s unfairness, naturally there are people who will stand against it. If everything is fair, just, reasonable, and lawful, no one would make a fuss.”
Student Council President snorted coldly and addressed the crowd: “Collecting dormitory fees has been a tradition of the Student Council for years, and it is with my approval.”
The scene fell silent, the tension so thick even the birds in the trees seemed loud.
Just as Student Council President Jin finished speaking, someone behind her said, “So what?”
The sharp intake of breaths around made President Jin spin around in disbelief, eyes wide. “Xiang Ruzhen, are you crazy? I’m the Student Council here!”
Xiang Ruzhen’s words rang out clearly, each syllable crisp and authoritative: “You’re the Student Council—so what? A fee that no one dares to clearly document, with vague excuses and no proper record, where it goes nobody knows. No receipts, no proof, just a few people blocking the way to demand money—how is this different from highway robbery?”
She pressed on, her tone righteous: “Just because the Student Council allows it, does that make it right? Just because it’s always been done, does that make it correct?”
President Jin laughed, more out of anger than humor, so much that she barely felt the pain in her still-tender wound. “Ha! I am the Student Council, you are students—if you don’t listen to me, who else will you listen to?”
“To the law!” A voice finally rang out from the crowd.
Everyone turned to see a young student, about seventeen or eighteen, exuding a maturity beyond her years. Her sharp, slightly upturned eyes made people hesitate to meet her gaze.
Yan Wuxin tugged at Lu Jinlan’s sleeve and whispered, “Isn’t she the same surname as you…?”
Lu Jinlan nodded slightly. The girl strode forward and respectfully cupped her hands toward the Student Council: “Student Yan Yu, versed in the law. According to Article 167 of the State of Hua Code, no one may fabricate fees to extort citizens. Violators are treated as thieves: for sums under five hundred wen, forty strokes; over five hundred wen, three months imprisonment.”
Jin Yihuai and the others showed nervous expressions and glanced at the Student Council.
Yan Yu continued, “Last March, the Ministry of Rites issued the Notice Prohibiting Unauthorized Fees in Public Academies across the Seventeen Provinces. All charges must be reported and approved by the Ministry, with no arbitrary or excessive fees. All fees must be posted publicly with receipts. Violators are punished under the State of Hua Code for illicit taxation of citizens.”
Student Council President body shook. Whether it was from a headache or sheer fear, she staggered back two steps.
Jin Yihuai and Han Li quickly steadied her. She took a deep breath: “Ignorance is no crime. Since no fee has been collected today, this matter is dropped. But assaulting others is another matter—who threw people out just now?”
Xiang Ruzhen and Lu Jinlan stepped forward. “We did.”
Looking at her bloodied hands, President Jin ground her teeth. “You will clean classrooms for a month as punishment.”
Yan Wuxin quickly raised her hand. “Me too! I helped!”
In truth, Yan Wuxin had only been lifting the table, but she thought she might as well grab some of the punishment opportunity.
President Jin glared fiercely. “Then all three of you will clean classrooms for a month.”
She was truly bloodied, her face pale. Jin Yihuai and the others escorted her to see a doctor, and the Student Council members slunk away.
Once they were gone, the nearly hundred new students erupted in cheers. Lu Jinlan kicked aside the obstructing table. “Into the dorms!”
Xiang Ruzhen finally smiled and happily carried the three girls’ luggage. “I’ll go claim our spots first.”
The crowd surged in, rushing to their rooms.
Lu Jinlan whispered to Yan Wuxin, “This Yan Yu, same surname as you—is she your relative?”
Yan Wuxin shook her head repeatedly. “In Shenjing, the surnames Ling, Yan, Zhao, and Chu are all common, just like Lu in Yunzhou. How could I know them all? At best, maybe distant kin. But given our past, claiming kinship now would be too late.”
Lu Jinlan’s eyes sparkled. “She certainly won’t admit going to Fengchun House. Let’s pretend we don’t recognize her and slip by.”
Yan Wuxin nodded, and the two approached to greet her.
“Student Yan, thank you just now. I am Lu Jinlan, pleased to meet you,” Lu Jinlan said.
Yan Yu smiled faintly. “I’ve seen you before.”
Lu Jinlan blinked in surprise. “Ah?”
Yan Yu explained, “I watched the martial trials. I’ve already seen the abilities of several students. Lu, your talent in both literature and martial arts is renowned. Since we are in the same class, of course I recognize you.”
Yan Wuxin smiled. “If she’s famous, then of course I’m known too—I was mentioned in a poem. Come on, let’s go to the dorm and I’ll introduce you to Xiang Ruzhen.”
Coincidentally, Yan Yu was also assigned to Room 106, so the three went together.
When Lu Jinlan opened the door, she froze at the sight, realizing the true meaning of “narrow paths for enemies.”
Room 106 housed eight roommates: Lu Jinlan, Xiang Ruzhen, Yan Wuxin, Sun Lewen, Yan Yu (with grudges from Fengchun House), Wu Qiong Meng (a local Shenjing student she kicked during the martial trial), Chu Yishu (who provoked Xiang Ruzhen before and got slapped), and Ling Zhaoren (who clashed violently with Xiang Ruzhen during the trial, leaving them both injured).
Being assigned to this room, Lu Jinlan felt she would have to sleep with one eye open.
Ling Zhaoren’s old habits flared again. Even though Xiang Ruzhen had claimed three lower beds, leaving one unclaimed, Ling insisted on taking the spot where Lu Jinlan’s luggage sat.
Yan Wuxin fumed. “Ling Zhaoren, first come, first served! If not for Xiang Ruzhen holding back, you’d be in the morgue! Now what do you want?”
Ling Zhaoren sneered. “Nothing, I just want to sleep near Xiang Ruzhen to learn from her. As for Lu Jinlan… we’ll see who wins.”
Before Lu Jinlan could speak, Yan Wuxin blurted: “You can’t even beat Xiang Ruzhen, and you want to compete with Jinlan? Our Jinlan can kick pillars apart—careful your neck doesn’t move houses! Fine, compete all you want. Jinlan, teach her a lesson.”
Lu Jinlan thought: You want to get me killed? I haven’t taken my medicine today; fighting Ling Zhaoren could easily be fatal.
She chuckled lightly, lifting her luggage onto Xiang Ruzhen’s upper bed. “From today, we’re roommates. No need to fight. You can have this lower bed; I’ll take the upper one.”
“Wow!” Yan Wuxin was stunned. “Jinlan, you’re so generous—I couldn’t manage that!”
Xiang Ruzhen patted her shoulder with relief. “Jinlan, you surpass me in tolerance. Even Shopkeeper Ping wanted me to teach you, but you’ve got more patience than I imagined.”
Lu Jinlan smiled silently. Her move caught everyone off guard. Ling Zhaoren froze, and even Yan Yu approached: “Maybe I was wrong; you don’t always have to fight.”
Lu Jinlan kept up the act, calm as ever: “Life’s too short for petty grudges; a smile can erase all enmity.”
Yan Yu muttered, “A smile to erase enmity… impressive heart.”
Lu Jinlan’s pretense was complete. Everyone assumed she could easily defeat Ling Zhaoren, yet she had spared her. Only she knew she was still relying on her medicine.
With her current life value and nightly training, eventual invincibility was inevitable. While others age, she grows stronger day by day. Living centuries, old yet strong and unkillable—she even feared herself.
For now, survival was key.
After arranging their beds, they attended the new student briefing. President Jin, her head wrapped in thick bandages, glared fiercely: “No fighting! Anyone caught again cleans the latrines.”
The three girls quietly gripped each other’s hands, barely suppressing laughter.
After the lectures and book distribution, it was finally dinner time.
Before heading to the cafeteria, Yan Wuxin warned: “Our academy’s food is notoriously bad.”
Xiang Ruzhen said, “You just haven’t eaten hardship. After some days of plain porridge and cabbage, anything tastes good.”
Lu Jinlan advised, “Let’s go eat first. If we can’t stomach it, we’ll figure something out.”
Their prepaid meal plan couldn’t be refunded, and leaving campus was prohibited outside of breaks, so they had no choice but to eat in the cafeteria.
Upon entering, the students’ expressions already told the story; Ling Zhaoren was cursing at her plate.
Xiang Ruzhen, at the front, tasted a meatless broth, nearly gagging.
Yan Wuxin asked, “How is it?”
Xiang Ruzhen grimaced. “Cabbage and tofu taste better. There may be nothing worse than this broth in the world.”
She tried a fried mushroom, her face contorting further. “I was wrong—something worse exists.”
The three exchanged bitter smiles.
Lu Jinlan, holding her empty tray, ambled to the back. Yan Wuxin suddenly turned to her, eyes shining: “Look! The man at window eight looks good! Even with only his eyes visible, you can tell he’s handsome, and his build is excellent.”
Despite her male-focused system, Lu Jinlan instinctively recoiled at Yan Wuxin’s enthusiasm. Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “Do you have a problem? Never seen a man before? Even the cafeteria uncle isn’t safe from your scrutiny.”
She casually approached, requesting, “One scoop of rice.”
The person inside hesitated. That voice sounded… familiar.
Peering through the bamboo screen, Lu Jinlan leaned forward slightly. Between the counter and the screen, she met a pair of unforgettable eyes.
He was staring right back at her, silently removing his facecloth as their gazes locked.
Lu Jinlan’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s you!”
Author’s Note:
________________________________________
I really want to hide under the bed in Room 106—I feel like there’s a show happening here every single day.