Ch. 126 - Two Students Missing (Part 1)

I stepped out of the research building, feeling a strange sense of vertigo. Had the day really gone by that fast? It felt like I’d barely done anything.

Wait—that wasn't true. I’d actually completed a research paper. I was still a little skeptical about the quality, but I trusted Ji Niang to take my rough draft and fluff it up... excuse me, refine it into a professional-grade thesis.

Just thinking about it gave me a little buzz of excitement.

I clutched the ten printed papers to my chest. I could have easily tucked them into my storage thigh-strap, but I’ll be honest: I wanted to carry them.

There was a petty sense of satisfaction in showing off, even if the older students on the campus shuttle had no clue what I’d accomplished today.

After getting off the shuttle, I found a nearby bistro and absolutely demolished a meal.

I have to say, this place was leagues better than that "new stall" at the cafeteria. Maybe it was just my palate, but the ingredients felt top-tier.

"I’m back!"

I made sure to be loud when I opened the dorm door. I’d been so MIA lately that I was starting to feel like a stranger in my own dorm.

If I didn't start putting in some "friendship hours" with my roommates, things were going to get awkward.

"Yuehan! Where have you been all day?" Hong Chenyi was the only one in the living room, sprawled out on the couch, lazily snacking on sunflower seeds and scrolling through the TV.

Her outfit—if you could even call it that—was... minimal. She was showing so much skin that it was practically a landscape.

The way she was lounging, she looked more like a seductive siren than a student. I had to keep reminding myself: Was this girl really a guy not too long ago? She was pulling off "femme fatale" better than most biological women.

"Handling Class Prez business," I said, waving the stack of papers in my hand without going into detail. "And what are you doing? Is this some kind of performance art? Put some clothes on."

"Ugh, but clothes are such a hassle~" Hong Chenyi looked at me with an expertly crafted pout, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "We’re in the dorms, Yuehan. Why be so formal? I just want to be comfortable~"

She shifted slightly, giving me a look that was half-shyness, half-challenge. "Besides... does seeing me like this make you want to do anything? Any... primal urges?"

"I have an urge to smack you, if that counts," I said, plopping down on the couch. I wasn't going to lie, though—she was distracting. If I weren't so exhausted, I might have actually been tempted to see if she was bluffing.

I guess I knew why she was the only one in the living room. "Where are Dongli Yiren and the others?"

"In their rooms," Hong Chenyi sighed, looking genuinely puzzled. "I have no idea what’s so interesting in there that they have to hide away."

"In their rooms... heh... there’s plenty of 'interesting' things to do in a bedroom." I caught Hong Chenyi’s gaze, and a split second later, we both shared a look of pure, unadulterated mischief.

I mean, we both knew what people did behind closed doors, right?

"Yuehan... you want to go take a peek?"

"Peeping is a crime, you pervert," I said, reaching over to give her a light rap on the head.

"Fine, fine. No peeking," she grumbled, rubbing her head and looking away.

"Anyway, I have a question. Did you get the system alert? The one about the Section 14 mandatory assembly tomorrow morning?"

"Oh, that? Yeah, it popped up a bit ago. It was one of those 'forced' notifications—you can't even clear it until you hit the 'Confirmed' button. Super annoying."

"Good." I nodded. If even a space cadet like Hong Chenyi got the message, then nobody had an excuse for missing it.

Ji Niang had made it very clear: if someone didn't show up, it was my job to use my admin privileges to hunt them down and drag them to class. That sounded like way too much work.

I pulled out my phone and checked the class roster. While on the shuttle, I’d done another sweep to make sure everyone was added to the group chat.

It was officially night now, and according to my screen, everyone had been issued a contact ID. That meant everyone in Section 14 had arrived on campus and received their devices.

But the group chat only had 104 people.

We were supposed to have 106. Two stragglers were still off the grid.

Out of a hundred people, you’re bound to get a few wild cards. I had no idea why these two hadn't joined the group chat yet. When I sent the invites, I’d attached a very clear note: Section 14 Official Class Group.

If you wanted to skip the "Help & Chat" group, fine—that’s just for casual banter. But ghosting the official class group? That was just making my life difficult for the sake of it.

"Yuehan, what's wrong?" Hong Chenyi slinked over like a boneless snake, peering curiously at my phone screen.

As her bare arm and waist brushed against me, I couldn't help the goosebumps that prickled across my skin.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that she was as flat as a board, I really wouldn't be able to convince myself she used to be a guy.

Apparently, when a guy decides to be "thirst-trap" material, girls don't stand a chance.

Maybe I should start a private group chat just for our dorm and call it The Flatland Club. We were all "scenic" in our own... two-dimensional way.

Even if my early Witchification had given me a slight head start, I was still barely hitting the national average.

"Nothing. Two people are still missing from the group chat. I'm cross-referencing the roster to see who the stragglers are."

"Huh? Two people? Who’s got the nerve to give my Yuehan a hard time?" Hong Chenyi squawked, then paused. "Wait, our class has 106 people?"

"Obviously. Did you think we were a private seminar?" I shot back.

"Man, the competition is going to be brutal." Hong Chenyi shook her head, then lowered her voice. "By the way, Yuehan, some people in the chat were questioning your 'Class President' status today. They were complaining that since other classes haven't picked theirs yet, it wasn't fair for ours to be 'hand-picked' already. Sounds like sour grapes to me."

"Oh? Is that the drama of the day?" I arched an eyebrow. I wasn't exactly shocked.

"Oh, it’s a whole thing! The Class Prez role has so many perks; everyone wants a piece of it. I saw a few girls already trying to form 'cliques' and stir up trouble in the chat. They definitely aren't fans of yours."

"Let them talk," I said with a cold shrug. "I don't have the energy for petty high school drama. If they have enough time to be keyboard warriors, they clearly aren't working hard enough to actually surpass me."

"Damn, Yuehan! Ice cold!" Hong Chenyi giggled, clearly loving the tension. "You should totally give them a 'wake-up call' at the assembly tomorrow. Show them who’s boss!"

"Knock it off. Stop trying to start a riot."

I’d finally narrowed down the two "missing persons" on the list. Since they were ignoring the digital invites, it was time for a manual summons.

I dialed the first number and put a finger to my lips, signaling Hong Chenyi to shut up.

"Hello? Is this Ming Yun?" I asked politely once the line picked up.

"Uh... hello... yeah. Who's this?" The phone had rung for an eternity before a voice finally answered. She sounded completely drained, like someone who had just woken up from a week-long coma.

"This is Yang Yuehan, the Class President for Section 14. Ming Yun, you’re aware you’ve been assigned to our class, right?"

"Oh... Section 14... right. I remember now..."

"Are you okay? You sound like you’re half-dead," I said, trying to keep my patience. "We have the first mandatory class assembly tomorrow morning. You got the notification, right?"

"Oh... I know now..."

"Right..." I took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of irritation. What was this girl's deal? Who sleeps that hard at this hour? "Look, just accept the invite to the Section 14 group chat on your phone. All the advisor’s announcements go through there. It'll make everyone's life easier."

"Mm... okay... anything else...?"

"No, but I was going to—" I started to ask if she needed help or if she was actually sick, but the line went dead. She’d hung up on me.

I stared at my phone in disbelief. If the member count hadn't ticked up to 105 a few seconds later, I probably would have called her back just to annoy her.

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