Shang Xue and Fang Jia’s first question for her when they met was:
‘Is it true that Han Shi Yu isn’t as smart as a border collie?’
Yang Han thought deeply about it and analysed this problem from many different angles before finally answering, “Yes.”
School resuming also meant that seats would be shuffled. Yang Han still sat with Xu Jia while Fang Jia and Shang Xue moved to their front.
Behind her were two other new students that Yang Han got excited over – Lu Yue Ming and Liu Zuo Ye.
The two of them were going to be seatmates for almost six months long in the coming semester.
Yang Han couldn’t wait any longer anymore when she saw the seating order. As they started changing seats, she lightly tapped on her table like a child excitedly looking forward to the meal.
Liu Zuo Ye placed her school bag down as Lu Yue Ming and Yang Han both greeted her at the same time.
Yang Han smiled and waved, “Xiao Ye!”
“Hello.” Lu Yue Ming saw his new seatmate carrying a stack of books and wanted to reach out to help.
Liu Zuo Ye replied with a ‘en’ and glanced at the helping hand from Lu Yue Ming. She then placed the stack of books on her raised knee, freeing up one of her hands to give him a high five.
Lu Yue Ming: “……”
He held up his hand, awkwardly retracting his fingers back and said, “…Do you need my help?”
Liu Zuo Ye had already finished carrying over this stack of books and were getting ready to return for the next stack. She said, “Thanks, but it’s alright.”
Yang Han turned to the side and stifled a laugh. She then rested her chin on top of Liu Zuo Ye’s books, shaking her head slightly as she spoke.
Yang Han asked, “Which three subjects will this young miss be choosing in the future?”
Liu Zuo Ye raised an eyebrow, then gave a quick rub on Yang Han’s head, causing some of her stray hairs to stand up messily.
The corners of Liu Zuo Ye’s lips curved up when she saw this sight. She said, “I’ll choose whatever you choose.”
“Wow,” Yang Han said, “Like a domineering president.”
“……” Liu Zuo Ye couldn’t free up a hand so she pointed at the door with her chin and said, “What I meant to say is, I saw what the plans you hung up on your cupboard. I’m the same as you.”
Yang Han said disappointedly, “Ah.”
Liu Zuo Ye came in later than them so she went out to clean her cupboard next. Yang Han continued to ask Lu Yue Ming, “Then, what will this gege here choose?”
Liu Zuo Ye applied what he just learned and joked, “I’ll choose whatever you choose.”
Xu Jia: “……”
She pulled Yang Han back, who was bantering with Lu Yue Ming, and asked in a whisper, “Eldest princess, when did you take in two more members for your harem?”
Xu Jia stole a glance to the back where Lu Yue Ming was full of smiles and then looked out the door while saying, “When did you…have such a good relationship with that Liu Zuo Ye?”
Yang Han explained to her in details. Xu Jia still did not look convinced. After all, Liu Zuo Ye’s reputation wasn’t that good so it was inevitable that Xu Jia’s view of her was a little biased.
Yang Han took out the notes she received from Liu Zuo Ye during the Yue Kao incident for Xu Jia to see. She treasured all of these things and kept them in a plastic file. Aside from a single fold crease, there was no other wrinkles on it.
Xu Jia started believing in her words a little after she read through the notes and tried to talk to Liu Zuo Ye who returned just then.
The four of them are in a group now, so there will be plenty of opportunities for them to bond.
During the first class meeting of the new school semester, before their homeroom teacher entered, the class president put up the printed list of breakout groups on the blackboard. Then, he read out the group names.
At the start, there were names like Qinghua Academic Affairs, Office of Peking or even Chunhua Qiushi, Don’t Leave Behind Regrets. When it came to the last two groups, the class president’s lips struggled to move before they were forced to read it out.
“Energetic guy’s professional team, group nine, leader Shang Xue.”
Shang Xue patted the shoulder of his good friend, Fang Jia, who didn’t look like he wanted to react to all this.
Yang Han let out a snort, then poked Shang Xue who was in front of her and said, “The teacher will definitely call on you a lot more with such a name…”
“Yang Han and her harem, group ten, leader Yang Han.”
The class exploded with another burst of laughter.
Yang Han: “……”
Lu Yue Ming: “……”
Liu Zuo Ye: “……”
The three of them looked over at Xu Jia, who was in charge of naming the group.
Xu Jia innocently said, “You guys told me to write whatever I wanted.”
Honestly speaking, the group names were made up only for fun. Their teachers will still call upon them based on the group number. But their language teacher was a very playful middle-aged man and he would read out the group names every time he did the roll call.
And so, when it came to language class, Shang Xue became energetic boy number one.
Yang Han was still Yang Han. While the remaining three became harem member 1, 2, 3. Out of shame, they started paying extra attention in language classes from then.
Yang Han told her two dads about this matter with her head hung low, dejected.
Yang Mo made a feasible suggestion: she could apply for a change of group name, retype the form and relabel the already recorded weekly points and finish it quickly while the records aren’t that many yet.
Han Shi Yu made a ground-breaking suggestion: she could set up the positions of the Queen, specific concubine titles. Since things had come to this point, might as well have more fun with it.
Obviously, Han Shi Yu’s idea was rejected by his daughter with contempt.
“This is just a trivial matter. It’s fine if it doesn’t interfere with your studies.” Yang Mo said.
The three of them were eating when they talked about this matter. Yang Han lived at Old Yang’s home for most of the winter break and got used to eating with a border collie lying by her feet, wagging its tail. Now it felt like something was missing.
Yang Han ate a mouthful of rice, bit the edge of the bowl and looked at Yang Mo with the widest eyes she could muster. Then, she said what she had always wished for, “Dad, how about we get a dog?”
Yang Mo placed a piece of vegetable into her bowl that was full of meat and said, “We already have one.”
Yang Han understood what he meant in an instance and frowned, “Ah, I don’t want this one.”
Han Shi Yu was puzzled, “Since when do we have a dog?”
The father and daughter pair stopped moving and looked at him in sync.
Han Shi Yu: “…….”
“First things first,” He said in defense, “I don’t need any of you to feed me or walk me, it’s a lot less work than raising a dog.”
Yang Han realized he was hinting at something else with those words, exacting revenge over having his suggestion being shut down earlier on. She turned to Yang Mo and said, “Dad, don’t listen to him. I’ll take care of it well and won’t trouble you two…”
“You’re living in the school dorms,” Yang Mo said. “And the two of us are not always home. We can’t raise a pet at the moment.”
Yang Han looked at Yang Mo.
He continued, “Raising a pet is not just for fun. You have to be responsible for it.”
Yang Han thought about it and realized it did make sense, so she lowered her head in disappointment and said, “Okay…”
Yang Mo glanced at her and said, “We can bring one home during summer break. This way, you will have enough time to grow close with it. Then when school reopens again, we can send it to the pet shop to be taken care of.” Yang Mo placed a few more mouthfuls of vegetables in her plate and frowned, “Still so picky about food at your age. Eat some vegetables too.”
Han Shi Yu and Yang Han have an established competitive relationship – so every time Yang Mo was educating her, Han Shi Yu would watch with a gloating smile.