Lan Kexin was indeed an archeology major, but unlike Yang Le, who pursued the field due to his obsession with the novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light" and the idea of tomb raiding, her interest stemmed from a genuine love for the cultural richness and historical significance revealed through ancient artifacts. She didn't believe there was a close connection between archaeology and tomb raiding.
Lan Kexin's father was a collector of ancient artifacts and a renowned appraiser. Influenced by her father, she developed an interest in those intricate and verdant treasures from a young age. When she learned that Shuimu University was enrolling archeology students, she eagerly applied.
Unexpectedly, since the establishment of the archaeology department, there had only been two female students. The first was a beautiful senior who had already graduated and made a name for herself in the collection industry. Now, Lan Kexin was the only female student, causing the department to face dormitory arrangement issues. She had to be placed in the dormitory of the Biological Science and Technology department, another small department.
Being the only archeology major in her dormitory left Lan Kexin somewhat disappointed. After lunch, she planned to take a nap in the dormitory before heading to the classroom to register. However, she overslept and had to rush to find the location of the second teaching building, arriving out of breath.
To her surprise, as soon as she pushed the door open, she felt the burning gazes of more than a dozen eyes fixed on her. Perhaps it was because the class suddenly realized they had a beauty among them, resulting in an enthusiastic response. Some even approached her to strike up a conversation, making the well-behaved Lan Kexin uncomfortable and tempted to turn around and leave.
While hesitating, she heard a thunderous shout from Li Dazhuang. Startled, she glanced over and noticed Ye Qiu, a boy she had met on the train. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but when he smiled and nodded at her, she knew it wasn't an illusion.
With only one girl among twenty students, the male-to-female ratio was a staggering 19:1, foreshadowing fierce competition. The boys were frustrated because before they could make a move, this "prey" had already been taken by a "wolf," leaving them feeling vexed.
Seeing Lan Kexin sit in the seat Yang Le had offered, others cast unfriendly glances at Ye Qiu. Two robust students seemed ready to intervene.
"How come you're here?"
Ye Qiu and Lan Kexin simultaneously asked, then paused and laughed together. Lan Kexin felt a bit sweet inside; women cherish these small moments of serendipity.
Li Dazhuang, lying on the desk, felt another heavy blow upon hearing their synchrony. He exchanged bitter smiles with Yang Le, realizing, as Yang Le had predicted, they might need external reinforcements from other departments.
"I didn't have your contact information, and I thought I'd never see you again—didn't expect you to be a student here too—" Lan Kexin recalled Ye Qiu's shabby appearance on the train and couldn't help but laugh. This guy was quite a pretender, disguising himself as a laborer while actually being a student of Shuimu University. He even used this guise to fend off a boy who tried to hit on her.
"Better safe than sorry. My mom said it was my first time traveling alone and carrying tuition money wasn't safe, so she made me dress poorly and pretend to be a laborer—" Ye Qiu concocted a playful excuse. During his travels, he had indeed encountered a university student disguised as a laborer who got his tuition stolen by a pickpocket, and he had helped retrieve it.
"My mom said the same when I left home. She didn't let me carry my tuition and transferred it to my aunt. I was only given some living expenses and had to get the tuition from my aunt after arriving in Beijing," Lan Kexin said, feeling a deep sense of camaraderie. Ye Qiu had wondered why she came to Beijing so early; it turned out she was also staying with relatives.
While they were talking, the classroom door opened again. A young man with sparse hair and glasses entered. He scanned the room and, upon seeing Lan Kexin, looked slightly surprised but then smiled.
"Hello everyone, I'm your counselor, Chen Hailiang. You can call me Mr. Chen or Hailiang. Welcome to the small family of Shuimu's first small department." His humorous and vivid words made everyone laugh, having already heard about the origin of Shuimu's first small department during registration.
"Although you're all strangers to me now, we'll be classmates and friends for the next four years. Those interested in tomb raiding can even form small groups, like a 'Three-Five Cigarette Group' or a 'Twin Star Organization.' We can help each other in crucial moments, so let's not feel distant from each other. How about we start with self-introductions?" Chen Hailiang's suggestion was met with enthusiastic support. Some even volunteered to introduce themselves first, eager to gain the teacher's favor. Ye Qiu observed Chen Hailiang more closely, realizing this seemingly unremarkable teacher was quite capable, bridging the gap between himself and the students with just a few words.
One by one, the twenty students introduced themselves. Ye Qiu's brief introduction received significant jeers; after all, he had already "won over" the class beauty on the first day, causing a stir. With only Lan Kexin as the sole girl in the archaeology department, she naturally became both the class and department flower.
"Great. Your introductions were vivid and interesting. I've memorized your names, and we're friends now," Chen Hailiang said, smiling as his eyes swept over each student's face. "Although our class is small, we're like a small sparrow with all vital organs. We still need to establish our class committee to convey school directives and participate in school activities. Since there aren't many of us, there's no need for elections. You've introduced yourselves and should have a preliminary understanding of each other. How about we each choose one person we like as the class monitor? The monitor can then form their committee."
Ye Qiu shook his head, smiling wryly. What was the point of being the class monitor for twenty people? Besides, these were thankless tasks, and he didn't want to compete. He found it amusing that Chen Hailiang used the word "cabinet" for a small class committee.
Chen Hailiang was prepared, distributing paper and pens from his pocket. Without much thought, Ye Qiu wrote down "Yang Le," feeling he was outgoing and should organize class activities well.
Unexpectedly, the voting results were surprising. Ye Qiu, the least popular among most male students, received the highest number of votes—four. With Chen Hailiang's decision, he became the class monitor.
Seeing Li Dazhuang and Yang Le's mischievous smiles, Ye Qiu felt an urge to strangle them. Being a four-vote class monitor felt so ironic.
Ye Qiu's first thought was that Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er must never find out about this. It was too embarrassing.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8