Lin Youyou didn’t notice the subtle exchange between Fang Tong and Tang Leyan.

At this moment she had already organized her words, and while a boy with a humorous introduction drew attention, she approached the homeroom teacher.

“Teacher Shang, sorry to interrupt. I wanted to ask where my seat is. I checked the seating chart on the blackboard and didn’t see my name.”

Her tone was polite with a trace of nervousness, properly displaying the confusion and tension of a transfer student alone in a new environment, eyes carefully resting on the middle-aged woman.

This expression worked every time. Even her business-dominating father often yielded to it.

Like insisting on returning to Yunbin, since her father couldn’t accompany her, she had to persuade him extensively.

In the end, considering she was already second-year and needed independence training, he repeatedly warned her and assigned a nanny to accompany her before allowing the move.

From observation, this homeroom teacher was easygoing, plus she had spoken proactively, and the vice principal’s excessive friendliness that morning in the office…

Without her father leveraging connections to transfer the vice principal’s son into Yunzhou University’s elite integrated bachelor-master-PhD engineering program class, her transfer and class choice wouldn’t have been so easy.

Surely the vice principal had hinted to this teacher privately.

Indeed Shang Jing soon turned away from the student speaking and tapped the podium.

“If you hadn’t reminded me I’d have forgotten. The chart was arranged last night and adjusted this morning by the class rep. We didn’t know you’d join Class Three yet, so you weren’t included.”

Considering the vice principal’s instructions, she explained the reason.

She disliked unequal treatment but reality differed from ideals.

Her child was born two years ago, now aged two and after motherhood she understood parents more.

She used to be strict, but pregnancy advice discouraged anger, shifting her temperament and focus to her child.

Consequently class averages dropped and she gained the nickname ‘most gentle homeroom teacher.’

Colleagues joked, she was once infamous as an ‘Exterminating Nun’ (slang for a severe teacher archetype meaning extremely strict and merciless.)

“Then don’t trouble yourself rearranging, Teacher. I see an empty seat there. If no one’s assigned, I’ll sit there.”

Without waiting, Lin Youyou pointed to the fifth row by the window, Xu Yanling’s seat behind Fang Tong.

Shang Jing studied her sidelong.

‘The certainty in tone. What did she mean sit there? Seats were paired, she clearly knew someone was absent and wanted it.’

Still, remembering the vice principal’s request to accommodate her busy-parent situation, Shang Jing chose not to pursue it.

After all, the transfer involved influence.

The school wasn’t a one-man rule, but as the accommodating teacher…

She sighed.

Tang Leyan had already been willful earlier, and now another troublemaker wanted that circle.

‘Could they know each other?’

Tang Leyan she respected, polite and reasonable even when making requests.

And grouping well-known attention-grabbers together helped class order.

Lin Youyou though remained unknown, she should observe first.

But since Tang had already set precedent… another wouldn’t matter.

Just put troublesome ones together and let them handle themselves.

After adjusting her outlook, Shang Jing nodded.

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Lin Youyou returned to her spot.

Introductions finished quickly, some just stating names.

Soon Shang Jing resumed control, but saw Lin Youyou still on stage.

“Teacher, you haven’t assigned my seat yet.”

“….”

‘This girl really had schemes.’

Shang Jing intended to handle seats privately, later placing late Xu Yanling elsewhere.

‘She’d already agreed, why force public confirmation? Claiming territory? Avoiding offending Tang? Both sides were so troublesome. So young yet already learning bad habits.’