Just as Teacher Zhang stepped out of the principal's office, Lu Qingyan quietly trailed behind him like a shadow, clutching the strap of her bag.
He glanced back with a polite smile.
"My names Zhang Qingzhe. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years," he said casually, leading her toward the elevator hall.
Lu Qingyan blinked. "Three years…?" Her voice was soft.
"Yes. I'll be handling Year 1, Special Class from this year onward."
That was normal… except—
Wait. Wait a minute. Zhang Qingze?!
Lu Qingyan's eyes twitched.
Now that she thought about it, the man in front of her was wearing athletic sneakers that didn't match his formal trousers. And the duffel bag slung over his shoulder looked way too worn for a regular teacher. It was him!
This man… later becomes one of the key characters in the second arc! The one who shocked the whole fandom when it was revealed he used to be a legendary cyclist nicknamed "Phantom Wheel"!
She had only transmigrated into the novel an hour ago, and she'd already bumped into one of the important characters?
At this rate, she might as well be marching straight into the plot with a flag that said "Main Character Detector."
The elevator dinged.
As they stepped in, Zhang Qingze tapped the 4th floor button.
As if to confirm her suspicions about the novel's villain-infested school, Teacher Zhang gave her a mild, almost apologetic look and said, "I just have to warn you. Your classmates… they're not exactly what you'd call normal. They're not malicious, but eccentric. Very eccentric."
Lu Qingyan nodded seriously, as if receiving royal decree.
She knew. Of course she knew.
The Special Class was the author's little zoo of prodigies with social dysfunctions, trauma backstories, or both.
The more IQ they had, the more bizarre their EQ.
Lu Qingyan had a perfectly polite smile., concealing her internal scream. 'It's the special class. That's where all the geniuses, prodigies, and future villains are stashed together like a ticking time bomb of personality disorders.'
She mentally braced herself as the elevator doors opened.
Outside, the hallway was quiet.
As they approached Room 4-S, faint chatter buzzed from within.
Zhang Qingze opened the door without knocking.
The class instantly fell into a hush.
All heads turned.
And like a spotlight had clicked on, all eyes landed on her—the petite girl standing beside their homeroom teacher, with delicate features and a pair of calm, dark eyes that blinked at them with polite innocence.
Zhang cleared his throat.
"A new classmate has joined us today. Everyone, give her a round of applause."
"Wooooah!" someone gasped dramatically. "A transfer student? And she's cute!"
"Shut up, Chen Zihao," a deadpan voice cut in—Li Xiao, the class monitor, with an expression that screamed 'I'm too tired for this.'
A boy with neatly combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses turned toward Lu Qingyan and gave her a diplomatic smile. "Go on, introduce yourself."
Lu Qingyan stepped forward
Lu Qingyan gave them her best soft, composed smile—the one that made her look like a sweet girl-next-door with a tragic backstory.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lu Qingyan. I've been living in Zeran and just returned to the country. I hope to get along with you in the coming days."
Her tone was gentle but not weak, polished but not haughty. She even gave a small, dignified bow.
The classroom erupted into polite applause, with a few whispered "so cute" and "angelic vibes" exchanged between students.
Teacher Zhang seemed pleased.
"Teacher Zhang," Lu Qingyan asked, completely ignoring the attention. "Where should I sit?"
He looked slightly conflicted, as if he wanted to warn her about something but couldn't quite say it aloud.
After a moment of hesitation, he pointed toward the back.
"Fifth row from the right. Next to the boy with red hair."
Lu Qingyan blinked. Red hair? That was not a promising sign.
Lu Qingyan nodded and began walking toward the seat.
But then she froze.
Red hair?
As she approached the desk, she saw him—the boy with crimson-dyed hair lazily sprawled over his desk like a wolf who had just woken up from a nap.
She turned to him with a polite smile.
"Hello, deskmate."
He didn't respond.
The boy turned his head to glance at her. Just a glance. His crimson eyes were cool and unreadable. He didn't reply, didn't even nod. But he didn't sneer or roll his eyes either.
It wasn't hostile, but it was still—
Cold. So cold. What is he, a refrigerator?
And that was when Lu Qingyan's heart did a backflip.
His phoenix eyes glinted with thinly veiled defiance, his long lashes casting shadows under his sharp brow. A tiny mole rested beneath his left eye like an artist's final stroke on a masterpiece. His sharp nose, sculpted jawline, and the silver chain earring swaying gently from his right ear painted a picture of calculated rebellion. His entire aura screamed: "I skipped class and I'll do it again."
Even his slouch was aesthetic.
Lu Qingyan had only seen such perfection in webnovel character illustrations.
He's way too handsome to be background decoration.
Lu Qingyan had seen fan art of this face.
Because this was THE face.
She turned rigid, like someone had poured ice water down her spine because for some reason he looked familiar.
Lu Qingyan sat down beside him, careful not to let her skirt brush his leg, and stole a sideways glance.
That side profile…
That mole…
That aura…
The faint red glint in his eyes…
And then—
"Okay, it's decided. Wang Jingyuan and Lu Qingyan will be deskmates," Teacher Zhang announced, flipping through his clipboard.
Lu Qingyan's soul left her body.
Wang Jingyuan?
You mean THAT Wang Jingyuan?!
The second male lead from "A Thorn in the Crown?!" The antagonist who was supposed to spiral into darkness and break everyone's hearts with his slow descent?!
She had only been here for an hour.
One hour!!
And she had already met TWO key characters.
She glanced at him again.
He leaned back in his seat and stared out the window like she didn't exist. His expression blank, like the villain origin story hadn't started yet.
Lu Qingyan inwardly wailed.
Wasn't her plan to stay invisible?! Lowkey?! Background character vibes?!
And now she was sitting next to the future heartthrob villain who burned down a gang headquarters in Chapter 49 and cried while doing it!
Teacher Zhang gave her an encouraging smile and walked away like he hadn't just tossed her into the lion's den.
Heaven, are you seeing this? Can I get a refund on this transmigration package?
Lu Qingyan lowered her head slowly, almost dramatically, and stared at the wood grain of her desk like it had personally betrayed her.
Forget invisibility. I've already walked straight into the epicenter of the plot.
She could already hear the gods of fate laughing.
Meanwhile, Wang Jingyuan side-eyed her once, then looked away.
She was too clean. Too composed. The kind of girl that didn't last long in this class.
He didn't care.
And yet… he looked again.
Just once