After the exhausting night of intense training, Zhen and his friends trudged back to their dorms, barely able to keep their eyes open, and collapsed into bed the moment they stepped inside. They slept so deeply that the world outside might as well have stopped. When morning finally arrived, the sun was already high in the sky, and unsurprisingly, all three boys—Lan Zhen, Lei Wei, and Shi Feng—only stirred awake long after most students had started their day.
Shi Feng's eyes darted to the pendulum clock, and the moment he saw the time, his jaw dropped so wide it nearly hit the floor in disbelief. Just a few moments later, Lei Wei and Zhen, already dressed neatly in their uniforms, caught sight of his shocked face and froze, instantly sensing that something was seriously wrong.
"What happened? Did you just see a ghost?" Wei asked.
Shi Feng dramatically jabbed a finger at the clock, eyes wide like it had just betrayed him. "We're doomed… I don't think we'll make it to class today!"
Both Wei and Zhen turned their heads toward the clock, and the moment their eyes landed on the time, their expressions transformed from confusion to complete shock. Their mouths dropped open, and without even thinking, all three of them shouted in perfect unison at the top of their lungs, "WE OVERSLEPT AND WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!"
From outside the dorm, the Dorm Master's booming voice bellowed, "SHUT UP YOU IDIOTS. DON'T SHOUT!"
The three boys dashed frantically toward Class 2, their feet pounding the ground in a desperate attempt to make up for lost time. When they finally skidded to the doorway, breathless and slightly disheveled, Head Teacher Guan Fang was already deep into his lesson. Inside, Naer, Queer, and Xiatao sat together, fully focused and listening closely to his lecture on bond power.
Naer sat with a small frown, clearly worried that Zhen hadn't come to class. Seeing her expression, Queer leaned closer and reassured her in a gentle whisper, "Don't worry, Naer. I'm sure they're just sleeping in after last night's tough training." The thought of that training made all three girls shiver together. Xiatao added softly, "Zhen's teacher is really scary… especially with those dark red eyes…" Both Queer and Naer nodded quickly in agreement.
Meanwhile, outside, the boys crouched low at the doorway like kids caught sneaking cookies. Wei leaned in and whispered in a hushed but urgent tone, "How do we sneak in without Head Teacher catching us?"
Shi Feng smirked, his eyes glinting with overconfidence. "Don't worry, my brothers," he said, puffing out his chest dramatically, "I've been training my whole life for moments exactly like this—stealth, cunning, and a dash of pure genius. Let me handle it, and prepare to be amazed."
The grand, foolproof plan? Shuffle stealthily to the side window like sneaky ninjas and grab Queer's attention without getting caught. Feng exaggerated each tiptoe like he was on a stage play, with Zhen and Wei creeping along behind him, trying not to giggle. "Pssst… Pssss… Queer…" he hissed in an overly dramatic whisper that could probably still be heard by half the class.
No reaction.
"I think she's not hearing you," Zhen murmured.
"Nah, she'll hear and look at us," Feng insisted with stubborn confidence. He picked up a tiny pebble and tossed it toward her. Just as it was about to land, Queer lowered her head to write something, completely unaware. The pebble smacked into Naer's hand instead, and Shi Feng's smug grin instantly twisted into a wide-eyed, oh-no-I've-messed-up expression.
Naer turned toward the window, and the first thing she saw was Shi Feng's utterly ridiculous face squished against the glass, his expression having gone from smug victory to pure panic the moment the pebble smacked Naer's hand instead of Queer. The contrast was so absurd it almost looked like she'd just seen a ghost, only funnier.
"AHHH!" she screamed.
The whole class spun around in surprise, and Guan Fang stopped mid-sentence, eyebrows raised. "What happened, Gu Naer?"
"Head Teacher, I just saw a weird face in the window!"
"Window?" Guan Fang repeated loudly, his voice carrying a note of surprise. He strode outside and was met with the sight of Shi Feng, Wei, and Zhen standing stiff as statues, eyes wide like they'd just been caught red‑handed in the world's silliest crime. "So, Gu Naer, the weird thing you saw was actually these three troublemakers?"
The class gasped. Guan Fang crossed his arms, his tone booming like a judge delivering a sentence. "You three are late—very late! And that little stunt of yours? Total failure. Now get to the field and run two whole laps, and make them fast!"
"Huh?!" the boys yelped in unison, eyes wide and voices cracking, but they quickly straightened up and nodded hard. "Yes, Head Teacher!"
Laughter erupted through Class 2, filling the room like a wave—so loud and contagious that even Queer, Xiatao, and Naer couldn't hold back their giggles.
On the field, Wei glared at Feng with exaggerated outrage, pointing a dramatic finger at him. "This is all your fault, you pebble‑throwing genius!"
"How was I supposed to know Queer would lower her head?" Feng protested.
"Come on guys, let's finish this run," Zhen urged.
By the time class ended, the boys had finished their laps. Zhen was fine, but Wei and Feng were collapsed on the ground, wheezing. It was their first time completing two full rounds.
The girls approached, and Feng's eyes lit up like he'd just spotted an oasis in the desert. He puffed out his chest and grinned, declaring dramatically, "I knew it, our angels have come to rescue us from certain doom!"
Queer smacked him lightly. "Who's your angel, stupid?"
They all laughed. Zhen asked, "Naer, how did you wake up so early?"
"Naer grinned and said simply, "Our Dorm Master is like our personal morning bell—always coming in and making sure we're up on time."
"WHAT?!" the boys yelled so loudly it could've been heard in the next province, instantly flashing back to the terrifying roar of their own Dorm Master: DON'T SHOUT, YOU IDIOTS.
Wei groaned, throwing his hands up like a man robbed of his last hope. "You girls are so lucky! We don't have anyone to wake us up—unless you count our Dorm Master's yelling as some kind of nightmare."
Zhen suggested, "Maybe our neighbor roommates can help."
Feng shook his head. "No way, they won't."
Naer smiled brightly and said, "Then we'll just come over to your dorm and tell your Dorm Master to wake you up. Simple and easy."
"Hmm, okay. Let's try it tomorrow," Zhen agreed.
Everyone nodded. With a deep breath and a determined grin, Zhen set off toward the Blacksmith Hall, his footsteps brisk and his mind buzzing, ready for whatever challenge awaited him next.