This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 185 Let's go check on your dorm
The classrooms quieted down after school, free from the daytime noise.

As the evening sun shone through the glass windows, it cast streaks of orange light on the floor and desks.

Along the path of light, the drifting dust particles are clearly visible.

This was the second time Lin Mengqiu and Chen Shi'an had worked together on cleaning duty, and they seemed much more in sync than the first time.

Lin Mengqiu started sweeping from the fourth group, while Chen Shi'an went to the first group to start sweeping.

The girl swept very seriously, holding the broom with both hands, bending down and carefully sweeping along the legs of the desks. The broom head made a slight clicking sound when it collided with the desks and chairs.

With only the two of them left in the large classroom, Lin Mengqiu seemed very relaxed. Occasionally, when she straightened up, she would check where Chen Shi'an had swept.

The two people, who were cleaning at opposite ends of the classroom, gradually met in the middle.

Lin Mengqiu asked him:
"when are you free?"

"Ok?"

Chen Shi'an looked up. "What's wrong, class monitor? Is there something you need?"

"...Didn't you sign up for the school sports meet? If you have time, try to practice a bit."

"We probably don't need to practice for the 3,000 meters, but we haven't even gathered enough people for the 4x100 meters yet."

Chen Shi'an smiled and said, "I was wondering when the class monitor is free. If he is, we can practice the three-legged race and the back-to-back ball relay."

Lin Mengqiu swept the floor, seemingly not listening to him, but her eyes lowered, and she replied softly:

"Anything is fine with me, depending on your schedule."

"Then let's find some time after school another afternoon to practice together."

"...You're not playing basketball with Wen Zhixia anymore?"

"Even the little cicada needs to practice."

"?"

Lin Mengqiu then looked up at him and asked, "Wen Zhixia also signed up for the school sports meet?"

"Ah."

What did she participate in?

“Three-legged race, ball relay, and then there’s the 4x100m relay.”

"...Who is she partnered with?"

"Xiao Yan, please."

Ah.

well.

Lin Mengqiu was still regretting that she didn't have a chance to teach her a lesson, but unexpectedly, the annoying cicada delivered itself to her door.

When she heard Chen Shi'an mention the projects Wen Zhixia had signed up for, she knew perfectly well that this annoying cicada was targeting her!
How could we let her succeed so easily?
Absolutely can't lose!
Thinking of this, Lin Mengqiu's expression turned serious, and she looked up at Chen Shi'an and said:
"You'll have to train hard then."

"..."

The floor had been swept clean, so Chen Shi'an went to set the table, while Lin Mengqiu took a dustpan and broom and put the trash they had swept up into the trash can.

The girl was a bit of a perfectionist, and it was unclear whether Chen Shi'an's eyes were made of rulers, but the chairs were arranged so neatly that it was truly pleasing to the eye.

When Chen Shi'an finished setting up the chairs and came over, Lin Mengqiu was already waiting for him to take out the trash together.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but the girl had to confess that going to take out the trash with Chen Shi'an was the thing she looked forward to most during her duty day.

I don't know what I'm happy about, I'm just happy.

She had already wrapped tissues around the two pull tabs of the trash can beforehand, as if she was in a hurry. She first lifted the trash can by one side, causing it to tilt.

When Chen Shi'an finally lifted the other side, the trash can tilted slightly towards her because of the height difference between the two.

Chen Shi'an thought she was in a hurry to take out the trash and go to eat and return to her dormitory, so he walked a little faster. However, he found that the girl was not only not walking fast, but also walking very slowly. So he had no choice but to match her speed and slowly sway the trash can with her as they went down the stairs and walked together to the road leading to the north gate of the school.

Unlike the main road, this school path is exceptionally quiet, with a row of camphor trees planted along the wall.

When Chen Shi'an arrived here, he could clearly hear the girl take a deep breath in relief. When he turned to look at her face, the aloofness she had shown in the classroom had disappeared, replaced by a soft and lovely look in her eyes.

The leaves of the camphor trees gradually turn red in autumn. Last month, when we were on duty together, we walked along this camphor tree-lined school path. The leaves on both sides were still lush and green, but now they have turned red and green, creating a unique autumn landscape.

"It smells good."

After taking a deep breath, Lin Mengqiu said this softly.

"Ah."

Chen Shi'an nodded. "Camphor trees do smell quite nice. The leaves and branches release camphor oil throughout the year, which also has the effects of repelling insects and regulating qi and blood circulation."

"Why didn't it smell this good in the morning?"

"The temperature was low in the morning, but now that it's evening, the smell is stronger after being in the sun all day."

The students on duty have to take out the trash twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Now, walking with him on this school path again, watching the changes in light and shadow, Lin Mengqiu felt even more real that she had spent a day there.

The setting sun shone through the interwoven green and red leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The girl looked down at the scattered gold on the ground, then stepped onto it with her white shoes.

Occasionally, a fallen leaf would drift down to her feet, and she would step on it.

Chen Shi'an turned his head and glanced at her.

Lin Mengqiu snapped out of her daze and quickly suppressed her mischievous and childish behavior.

……

After dawdling through cleaning and taking out the trash, the two returned to the classroom at 5:40 p.m.

There were still fifty minutes before evening self-study, and Lin Mengqiu needed to eat and go back to the dormitory to wash up. There was no time to practice the three-legged race today.

"Let's go eat, class monitor."

"Ah."

Lin Mengqiu returned to her seat, took a sip of water, put down her cup, and went downstairs with Chen Shi'an.

She had put her school uniform jacket back on, the one she had taken off during gym class. The girl liked jackets with pockets, as they provided a place to rest her small hands while walking.

Although pants have pockets, it doesn't look very ladylike for a girl to put her hands in her pockets...

"Which cafeteria would you like to eat at, class monitor? Still number two?"

"Hmm... you can have number one if you want."

"Then let's go with number two."

Chen Shi'an had eaten at Cafeteria No. 1 with Wen Zhixia that morning, so eating at Cafeteria No. 2 this afternoon would be nice too.

"Are all the people in the No. 2 canteen from Uncle Lin's hometown? I saw that the auntie who served you last time seemed to know you quite well."

"...They all know me."

"Heh, I get to eat more vegetables again thanks to the class monitor."

"..." "Does the class monitor usually take food back to the dorm in the afternoon?"

"Ah."

Lin Mengqiu always eats alone and almost never eats in the cafeteria. She usually packs her food and takes it back to her dormitory to eat. However, recently she has been taking a nap in the classroom. Chen Shi'an has been getting her lunch for her every day. She eats a full meal every day and sleeps very well.

"How about we pack some to take back to the dorm to eat later?" Chen Shi'an suddenly said.

Lin Mengqiu was taken aback, then frowned: "You're not going to have dinner with me?"

"No, let's pack some food and eat it back in the dorm. I haven't been to the teachers' dorms yet, so how about we visit the class monitor's dorm?"

"Nothing to see."

"Alright, forget it then."

"...But you can take a look if you want."

"?"

Lin Mengqiu ignored his expression and said to herself, "Then let's pack it up and eat it."

As soon as she arrived at the window, the lady serving the vegetables recognized Lin Mengqiu at a glance.

Greet her with a big smile:

"Honey, so late today? What would you like to eat?"

"Well……"

Looking at the dazzling array of dishes in front of the window, Lin Mengqiu found it difficult to make a choice.

I don't know how Chen Shi'an managed to bring back her favorite dishes every day at noon.

But when it came time for her to choose, she didn't even know what dishes she liked...

Many of the dishes were ones that Chen Shi'an had ordered at noon. They looked quite appealing at noon, but now they didn't seem so appealing.

"You order first," Lin Mengqiu said to Chen Shi'an, stepping aside.

"Auntie, I'd like this, this, and this. Could you please pack them up for me?"

"okay."

Chen Shi'an didn't have a problem making choices. He glanced at the window and casually ordered three dishes.

As expected, because of Lin Mengqiu, the three dishes were packed to the brim, and the lids of the takeout containers had to be pressed down hard to close.

After taking the packed meal from the aunt, Chen Shi'an said to Lin Mengqiu:
"I'll go get some soup first."

"Ah."

Chen Shi'an left with the food.

Lin Mengqiu stood in front of the window again.

"Honey, have you decided what you want to eat?"

"Auntie, could you please pack one just like the one he just had?"

"..."

……

Carrying the packed meals from the cafeteria, Chen Shi'an followed Lin Mengqiu toward the teachers' dormitory building.

It's really just a matter of turning a corner, because the teachers' dormitory is just upstairs from the No. 2 canteen.

The first and second floors are the canteen, while the third to sixth floors are the teachers' dormitories allocated by the school.

Many teachers live in the teachers' dormitory, which is their living area. Students rarely come and go from this area on weekdays. Just stepping into this area feels like you can feel some kind of pressure...

Chen Shi'an, however, seemed at ease, looking around curiously the whole way.

"The squad leader lives on the fourth floor?"

"Ah."

Which room on the fourth floor?

"406."

"Oh--"

"...What are you looking at?"

"I'm curious, don't the teachers hang their clothes out to dry? Aren't there any clothes in the hallway?"

Chen Shi'an had never seen the student dormitories, but even without ever entering the dormitory building, the most obvious thing he saw from downstairs was the clothes hanging all over the corridor.

"...The dormitory has a balcony facing outwards."

"Aren't there student dormitories?"

"Also."

Why are all those clothes hanging in the hallway?

"With so many people, there's not enough space on the balcony, so we hang our laundry outside."

"I see."

Chen Shi'an smiled. He had no experience with group accommodation and had never seen a dormitory, but he could imagine that it would be inconvenient for so many people to live in a small space. No wonder Lin Mengqiu wanted to live alone; it was because she had the means, while the other students had no choice.

Just as we reached room 403, the door opened, and the biology teacher, who had been in the classroom not long ago, came out carrying a bag of trash.

When Teacher Zhuang saw Chen Shi'an in front of her, she was stunned for a moment.

"Mengqiu...and Shi'an?"

"Teacher Zhuang."

Lin Mengqiu was caught red-handed by Teacher Zhuang for bringing a male classmate back to the dormitory. She was a little uncomfortable, greeted him, and then remained silent.

Chen Shi'an, however, was completely oblivious to this. Instead, he was excited to see his familiar teacher.

"Hello, Professor Zhuang! Oh, so you live in room 403!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Has Teacher Zhuang eaten yet?"

"I just finished eating, Shi'an, what are you doing here?"

“We just brought up our packed lunch from the cafeteria. I was even thinking of visiting the dorm where our class monitor lives.”

Chen Shi'an smiled candidly.

Teacher Zhuang blinked.

Lin Mengqiu lowered her head even further, wanting only to leave as quickly as possible.

(End of this chapter)