Chapter 105: Like

"Those who support Xu Youyu for president, please raise your hands."

"Alright, next, students who support Qin Yawei, please raise your hands."

"Then, from now on, Xu Youyu will be the president of the Literature Club."

Amid a round of applause, Xu Youyu stepped onto the stage and spoke some reflections.

Qin Yawei returned to her seat with a gloomy expression, clearly in a bad mood.

Li Luo had been clapping along too, until Xu Youyu finally announced that Ying Chanxi from Class 1-1 and Li Luo from Class 1-8 would serve as vice presidents for the coming year—Li Luo froze in place.

"Wait... why am I being made vice president?"

After evening self-study ended, as Li Luo walked home, he gave Xu Youyu a blank look and asked, "Why me?"

"Didn't I already promise you that?" Xu Youyu glanced at him in surprise. "When I invited you to join the Literature Club, didn't I say that once I became president, you'd be vice president?"

"... I thought you were joking."

"Ha! Joke? I always keep my word—how could I break a promise?"

Li Luo gave a cold smile, thinking of this guy who'd promised readers in Literary Era to add extra chapters but never delivered.

Li Luo then asked, "Aren't vice presidents supposed to be elected by vote? Didn't you all vote before?"

"That voting system was invented by Duan Qintian," Xu Youyu waved his hand. "Each president picks their own team however they like—there's no official rule. For years, presidents just appointed their own vice presidents directly."

"You're turning back history," Li Luo harshly criticized.

"You're blaming me?" Xu Youyu rolled his eyes. "Who didn't want to write the monthly submissions?"

"What does that have to do with being vice president?"

"Because the vice president is the one who collects the submissions every month," Xu Youyu kindly clarified. "If you don't want to write, you don't say anything, I don't say anything, and no one finds out—Teacher Kong won't check personally."

"Oh... by the way, who's Teacher Kong? I've never met him."

"... He's your homeroom teacher," Xu Youyu said flatly. "But for interest-based clubs, the teacher usually just holds the title. Only competition clubs have teachers actively managing them."

"Damn! Old Kong never told me any of this."

"Well, now you know," Xu Youyu grinned. "I'm counting on you and Xixi from now on. Of course, Xixi's still vice president of the Student Union and busy most of the time, so the main responsibility for collecting submissions will fall to you."

Li Luo: "... So being vice president just means I'm the grunt?"

"Aren't you good at remembering things?" Xu Youyu said. "Xixi told me you memorized everyone's names in class on the first day. Who better than you to chase down submissions?"

"..." Li Luo was covered in black lines, at a loss for words.

If anyone found out his Memory Palace was being used for this, every Reborn would laugh at him.

On the other side, after finishing the third evening self-study session, Yan Zhusheng packed his bag and walked downstairs alone toward the dormitory.

The dormitory complex at Fu No. 1 High School was across the street from the school gate.

Under the watch of the school security guard, Yan Zhusheng crossed the street safely, entered the dormitory complex, and glanced at the convenience store below on the way back.

After tilting her head and thinking carefully, Yan Zhusheng followed the crowd into the store, bought a large pile of snacks, and carried them back in a plastic bag.

Several of her roommates had already returned.

Some were showering, some were already lying in bed, others were secretly playing on their phones or chatting.

Yan Zhusheng placed the plastic bag on her bed, then took out several packs of snacks and handed one to each roommate.

"For me?" Zhu Huiyan, Li Luo's former desk-mate, froze in surprise—she hadn't expected Yan Zhusheng to suddenly hand her a snack.

Yan Zhusheng nodded, then gave one to everyone else too, even placing snacks on the beds of those still showering.

The dorm fell into an eerie silence.

But Yan Zhusheng simply put the remaining snacks into her bag and went to shower.

The moment Yan Zhusheng stepped into the bathroom, the dorm erupted into chatter.

"What's her deal? Suddenly handing out snacks?"

"What's wrong with that? Free snacks are great."

"One pack of snacks to buy me off? I was still mad about the military training incident."

"Besides, she never hangs out with girls anyway."

"She's always with the class monitor—I think something's off."

"Don't you know? She and Li Luo are already together."

"Really? I never heard that."

"Ask Zhu Huiyan—she told me secretly before."

"Hey, we agreed not to tell anyone! You're such a..."

"You've already said this much—why hide it? Spill it!"

"It's just... it's just... you don't know, they used to... during nap time..."

"Now that you mention it, I heard something too—do you know the Rock Club? Li Luo wasn't even a member before, but then..."

"Hahaha~ No wonder. I always said good-looking people can get away with anything. So jealous."

Eating Yan Zhusheng's snacks, the dorm chatted merrily.

The water in the bathroom gushed loudly, serving as background music.

Yan Zhusheng leaned against the bathroom door, scratching her head—she felt Li Luo's method wasn't working very well.

The next day, after math class ended, Yan Zhusheng pulled a bag of snacks from her bag and handed it to Li Luo beside her.

"When did you buy these?" Li Luo took the bag of chips, opened it, and tasted one.

"Last night," Yan Zhusheng said. "I still have more."

"Here, you eat too," Li Luo offered it to Yan Zhusheng.

Yan Zhusheng lowered her head, reached out, took a chip, and shoved it into her mouth.

Then she watched Li Luo stand up, walk over to Xu Guangtao beside her, and pat his shoulder: "These chips were bought by Yan Zhusheng. Try one."

"Oh, oh oh…" Xu Guangtao, startled, picked out a chip and turned to Yan Zhusheng: "Thanks."

"Zhu Huiyan, want some?" Li Luo turned to Zhu Huiyan's desk mate.

"Huh? I… um… no thanks." Zhu Huiyan shook her head.

"Class monitor, give me some!" Zhu Yufei called out from the other side.

"These chips aren't mine," Li Luo turned around, held the bag out toward him, then pulled it back with a teasing smirk. "What should you say?"

"Yan Zhusheng, grant me a chip!" Zhang Guohuang shouted first. With Li Luo nodding in approval, he got a chip and smirked at Zhu Yufei.

"Damn! You're so embarrassing," Zhu Yufei laughed and scolded, then immediately turned and said, "Yan Zhusheng! We're coworkers at least—can't you spare a chip?"

Yan Zhusheng nodded.

Li Luo smiled and passed a chip to Zhu Yufei.

"Xu Yinghuan, want some?" Li Luo looked toward the kid in front who had turned around, looking hungry, and shook the bag in his hand.

"Hehe, class monitor's the best." Xu Yinghuan dashed over.

"What's this got to do with me? These are Yan Zhusheng's."

"Shengsheng~" Xu Yinghuan blinked her sparkling eyes and cooed at Yan Zhusheng, "I've been your fan for ten years—I love listening to your singing."

Yan Zhusheng nodded.

Li Luo gave her a chip.

Just then, Hua Xiuxiu returned from the restroom, entering through the back door. As she passed down the aisle, Li Luo's chips stopped her.

"Yan Zhusheng's. Want one?"

"Oh." Hua Xiuxiu paused, then picked up a chip and said to Yan Zhusheng, "Thanks."

"Shi Yanran, want one?" Li Luo turned to the girl beside her.

"Huh? Th-thank you." Shi Yanran hadn't expected Li Luo to call her. She took a chip with her plump little hand, then thought for a moment and quickly pulled out a bag of fruit candies from her desk. "Class monitor, do you want these?"

"Just for me?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow.

"No no no," Shi Yanran shook her head rapidly, handing out candies to Xu Yinghuan in front, Zhu Yufei and Zhang Guohuang behind, and other classmates nearby.

Finally, she reached Yan Zhusheng.

"Thank you," Yan Zhusheng took the candy, carefully tore open the wrapper, and put it in her mouth.

A sweetness she had never tasted before instantly bloomed in her heart.

Meanwhile, Li Luo had walked around once, and the whole bag of chips was gone.

Li Luo tossed the empty chip bag into the trash, sat back down as the class bell rang, clapped her hands, and said to Yan Zhusheng: "I only demonstrated it once. Next time, deliver them yourself—don't keep feeding me."

Yan Zhusheng pressed her lips together, frowning slightly in frustration: "It's hard."

"But did you like how it felt just now?"

"…I did."