After a quick dinner at QQ-E's place, Chen Yansen strolled casually toward the classroom, his mind on tomorrow's meeting with Zhao Maolin.
Hopefully that old bastard doesn't pull anything stupid…
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he narrowed them in thought.
"Hey! Senior, it's you! Are you heading to Building D too?"
A clear, melodious voice broke his reverie. Chen Yansen looked up and spotted Su Meiling, accompanied by several lively girls—clearly her roommates.
"Yes, Junior Su," he replied calmly, suppressing a smile. Most of Su Meiling's roommates had gotten campus cards from him and greeted him warmly.
They walked together, chatting lightly, until they arrived at classroom D408. To Su Meiling's surprise, Chen Yansen followed them inside.
"Senior, you…" she began, only to be interrupted by Meng Xibo's shout: "Brother Sen, we're here!"
"Junior, I'll go first. We'll talk later," Chen Yansen waved and moved toward Meng Xibo and the others.
"Liberal arts majors are so appealing! So many girls in our class. Who's the girl with Brother Sen? She's the prettiest!" Zhu Xiaopeng whispered, adjusting his glasses.
"Don't just stare! She could be your future sister-in-law," Meng Xibo nudged him.
Chen Yansen leaned back, speaking earnestly: "Looking won't get you anywhere. If you like her, go for it! And remember, the competition isn't just the boys in your class—upperclassmen are wolves in sheep's clothing. Move fast, or you'll stay single all four years."
"Huh? What if she already has a boyfriend?" Song Yang asked timidly.
"A boyfriend is just a boyfriend, not a husband. Fewer rivals make winning easier," Chen Yansen said, hooking an arm around Song Yang's neck.
"Brother Chen… you're such a jerk," Song Yang said, flushed, trying to distance himself—but in his heart, he knew Chen Yansen was right.
Curious eyes followed Chen Yansen as he entered. Realizing his "senior" persona might be exposed, he acted decisively.
"Zhe, step aside. I'll campaign for you," he said, patting Tang Zhenzhe's shoulder.
Tang Zhenzhe grabbed him, protesting: "Brother Chen, I really don't want to be class monitor!"
"No! You do!" Chen Yansen pulled free and strode onto the stage. Memories from his past life surged—Tang Zhenzhe would have run if he knew he'd spend every day with Su Meiling.
Chen Yansen smiled inwardly. Brother, this time I'll take you to the top.
"Hello everyone, I'm Chen Yansen, a freshman in the 10th Journalism class. Thank you for trusting me with your campus cards…" His calm voice silenced the murmuring crowd.
"What? Senior Chen is in our class?"
"He's a freshman too!"
The classroom buzzed. Su Meiling froze, realizing she'd been calling him "senior" that morning. Four more years of enduring him suddenly felt daunting.
Chen Yansen continued, "Tonight's class monitor election—I recommend Tang Zhenzhe. Reason one: experience, having served fourteen years since kindergarten. Reason two: excellent organization skills, always helping with financial aid and scholarships. Reason three…"
Everyone glanced at Tang Zhenzhe. Who else could earn such trust from Chen Yansen, the campus card general agent?
"Zhe, come up and greet everyone!" Chen Yansen waved.
"That bastard Chen Yansen… he doesn't want to be class monitor but is nominating his roommates?" whispered some classmates.
Tang Zhenzhe muttered under his breath: When was I ever class monitor for fourteen years? I don't even know!
He stepped up, delivering a lively speech about class activities, food, and fun around Xucheng. The students smiled; being class monitor didn't seem so bad now.
A bold girl shouted, "Tang, organize a movie for me and Chen Yansen, I'll vote for you!" Others chimed in.
"No problem," Chen Yansen nodded, effortlessly agreeing.
Just then, Guo Dongchen, the counselor, entered. He assumed Chen Yansen and Tang Zhenzhe were just breaking the ice. They greeted him politely and returned to their seats.
Guo Dongchen began introductions, asking about prior class monitor experience. Naturally, eyes turned to Tang Zhenzhe.
Little did he know, Tang Zhenzhe had already recited his campaign speech flawlessly twice.
Besides Tang Zhenzhe, Li Wenhao and Su Meiling ran as well, but Tang Zhenzhe dominated the votes, especially among the 41 girls. Su Meiling's votes were surprisingly low.
Guo Dongchen announced Tang Zhenzhe as class monitor and Su Meiling as Youth League secretary, relieved Chen Yansen hadn't jumped in.
He continued, explaining the next two weeks of orientation and upcoming military training.
"I'm sick, very sick!" Chen Yansen suddenly raised his hand before anyone else could.
Sun, attention, drills? No thanks. After pestering the school doctor, he had a stack of sick leave certificates.
"Lumbar disc herniation?" Guo Dongchen squinted at the certificates, stamped and official, but he knew Chen Yansen was faking.
Good. This troublemaker skipping military training saves me a headache, he thought.
"Chen, make sure to rest well," Guo Dongchen advised sincerely.