"Who are you going to vote for?" Su Yue whispered, leaning slightly toward Lin Feng.
He just smiled. "Guess."
She studied him for a moment.
"Sun Xiao," she said.
Lin Feng's eyes widened.
"How did you know?" he asked in surprise.
She shrugged. "It's not that surprising. All the guys seem interested in her. I figured you were too."
She tilted her head.
"Do guys really like that kind of girl?"
Lin Feng considered the question.
"Xiaoxiao is a really kind and sweet girl," he said. "That's why everyone likes her."
He remembered that she had been the class monitor in his previous life too. She had always been nice to him - well, more like she was naturally nice to everyone. Warm. Approachable. The kind of person who made you feel at ease just by being around her.
Now that he thought about it, he never really heard about her after university. Maybe something happened.
"You seem to know an awful lot about her," Su Yue said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're even on first-name basis."
Lin Feng froze.
"Umm, well... it's just what I've heard," he said quickly.
He sighed internally.
I need to be more careful about what I know and what I should know.
"Ho..." Su Yue said, but she didn't pursue it further.
A beat of silence passed.
"So what about you?" she asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"You said people like her because she's sweet and kind." She looked at him. "Do you also like that kind of girl? The kind and sweet type?"
Lin Feng held his chin in thought.
"I don't know..." he said slowly. "But if I had to choose, I'd say I'm more into the elegant and mature kind."
"Mature?" Su Yue repeated.
A faint blush crept across her cheeks.
She remembered - he had called her mature earlier.
Was he... flirting with her?
"Stawp," she said in a playful tone, hitting him gently on the back.
Lin Feng smiled, but internally, he was being honest.
Since he was mentally forty years old, he didn't really find any of his classmates attractive. Someone more mature would be…
His gaze drifted unconsciously toward the front of the room.
Toward the counselor.
He quickly shook his head.
What am I thinking? I'm here to study.
…
The voting continued.
When the final tally was complete, Liu Mei called the candidates back and announced the results.
Just like in the previous timeline, Sun Xiao won the class monitor position.
She accepted the role with a humble smile and a small bow to her classmates.
Liu Mei glanced at her phone.
"Would you look at the time," she said. "Your first class is about to start."
She began packing her things, then turned to Sun Xiao.
"Meet me after classes today. We have a few things to discuss."
Sun Xiao nodded.
With that, the counselor left, and the first official day of university truly began.
…
A few minutes after the counselor had left, a middle-aged man walked into the classroom.
The chatter died down immediately as everyone turned to look at him.
He moved to the center of the room, set his laptop on the desk, and pulled a marker from his breast pocket. Without a word, he turned to the whiteboard and wrote in large, clear strokes:
College English - 大学英语
First with English characters, then in hanzi.
As he finished writing, the door opened again and more students filed in - two more classes' worth, by the looks of it. They filled the remaining seats quickly, and the room became noticeably more crowded.
Once everyone had settled, the teacher turned to face them.
"Good morning," he said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "I'm Professor Wang. I'll be teaching your English course this semester."
He scanned the crowd.
"Class monitors, please stand."
Three students rose from their seats - Sun Xiao among them.
"Introduce your classes," he instructed.
Sun Xiao spoke first. "2020 Finance Major, Class 03."
The second monitor followed. "2020 Finance Major, Class 01."
"2020 Finance Major, Class 02," the third finished.
Professor Wang nodded and gestured for them to sit.
"Now, I should mention - this isn't actually your first class." He paused. "Well, for some of you. Or most of you, rather."
A few confused murmurs rippled through the room.
"Due to the delayed semester and the complications from the lockdown, the administration wasn't able to conduct placement exams as usual," he explained. "But we'll make up for it. Tomorrow has been designated as the day for placement exams. We'll conduct tests and provide you with updated timetables afterward."
"Well, technically, the timetables won't change, just that some of you won't be here when it's time for English classes. You'll still have English, just not here." He quickly added.
He then offered a small, apologetic smile.
"Thank you for your understanding."
Lin Feng nodded quietly.
This happened in the past too.
"That said," the professor continued, "since you're all already here, I might as well introduce the course and tell you what to expect."
The next hour and a half was spent on exactly that. Professor Wang walked them through the course structure - listening comprehension, reading, writing, and oral practice. He explained the grading system, recommended textbooks, and gave them a brief overview of the topics they'd be covering throughout the semester.
It was all introductory material. Nothing too demanding.
By half past nine, the class concluded.
Before dismissing them, Professor Wang called the three class monitors forward again.
"You'll likely have most of your classes together," he said. "For efficiency's sake, you should pick a group representative among yourselves. I'll leave you to sort that out."
With that, he gathered his things and left.
…
The break that followed was a long one.
Lin Feng made his way to the library, found a quiet corner, and settled in with his textbooks. He had studying to catch up on - relearning material his younger self had once known but his older mind had long forgotten.
About an hour in, a familiar figure appeared.
"Mind if I join you?" Su Yue asked, sliding into the seat across from him.
"Help yourself."
She set her bag down and pulled out her own materials.
The two of them studied in silence, occasionally exchanging quiet comments about the readings or asking each other questions.
Before Lin Feng realized it, lunchtime had arrived.