C11 There Was Another New Problem

Wang Feng confidently drove the vintage car Hua Moying had given him into the school parking lot.

His car stood out like a sore thumb among the others. While not every vehicle was a luxury model, they were certainly in better shape than Wang Feng's clunker.

With the engine off and the door swung open, Wang Feng's exit was seamless. He casually tossed his keys into the air and whistled at a few young women walking by, catching the keys with a strong, assured grip.

His movements were effortlessly cool.

The young women blushed as they watched Wang Feng, one even started drooling, unable to stop herself from whispering, "So handsome, absolutely stunning. How can someone be that good-looking?"

Wang Feng's grin grew wider with each compliment; he was basking in the attention, feeling on top of the world.

In high spirits, he threw a flirtatious wink at the young woman who was still murmuring to herself and strode off toward the dormitory with a beaming smile.

He couldn't count the number of admiring glances he received along the way, which only added to his joy.

As he was about to enter the men's dormitory, he ran into his dear class monitor, Zhao Xiaoying, around the corner. He greeted her cheerfully, "Good morning, dear class monitor!"

Zhao Xiaoying paused, then quickly recovered and nodded, "Yes, yes, good."

Noticing her troubled expression, Wang Feng inquired, "What's wrong, Captain?"

"It's nothing. The school is organizing a basketball event, and I'm still looking for players. Oh, are you heading to the boys' dorm now?" Zhao Xiaoying's face brightened as she spoke, her voice becoming more cheerful.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Wang Feng replied, puzzled.

Zhao Xiaoying's smile grew even wider as she explained, "Well, go and spread the word. Encourage them to take part in the basketball event."

After leaving those words behind, Zhao Xiaoying departed in high spirits, entrusting the significant yet challenging task to Wang Feng. Before she left, she gave his shoulder an encouraging pat.

Wang Feng was inwardly groaning in distress! He had no desire to shoulder this responsibility, yet he couldn't refuse it. His sorrow felt like a river flowing in reverse.

Back in the dorm, Wang Feng relayed the details of the school basketball event, as described by Zhao Xiaoying, without omitting a single detail. Everyone was quick to declare their lack of interest in participating.

Feeling somewhat resigned, Wang Feng rolled his eyes and asked, "Why aren't any of you interested in joining? Not a single one? Really? Don't any of you know how to play basketball?"

"We know how to play, but what's the point? Every time there's an event like this, we just end up as a backdrop for the pretty boy from the class next door. It's always just his one-man show. Why bother participating if we're just going to be cannon fodder?"

"Exactly, why participate just to be someone else's cannon fodder?"

"Indeed, we might as well not participate at all!"

The group vented their frustrations in a chorus of complaints.

"But..." Wang Feng attempted to interject, only to be unanimously cut off by the others, "Enough, stop talking. We're not joining in! No point in discussing it further—it's just a waste of breath."

Wang Feng found himself at a loss for words.

He was filled with a sense of melancholy, wondering how he would break the news to Li Si Tian that no one wanted to participate. Wouldn't she be furious?

Lying on his bed, lost in thought, Wang Feng soon drifted off to sleep...

He didn't wake up until five in the afternoon. Checking his phone upon waking, he found several messages from Zhao Xiaoying. All ten messages were inquiries about participation in the school's basketball competition.

Wang Feng was initially going to reply with a simple 'no,' but after a moment's hesitation, he decided on a different approach. He quickly typed out a response: "Class monitor, I'm sorry, I was asleep. Can we meet to discuss the current situation? Are you available now?"

After an anxious five-minute wait, he finally received Zhao Xiaoying's succinct WeChat reply: "Okay, yes."

Her response was as decisive as ever, true to her usual style!

Zhao Xiaoying was a model student in the teachers' eyes, an academic powerhouse with a wealthy family background and striking looks, making her the undisputed belle of the campus. Her personality was as vibrant and outgoing as her reputation suggested.

If he hadn't been blinded by his attraction to the gold-digger Xu Qian, Wang Feng might have already won over Zhao Xiaoying by now.

With a touch of melancholy, Wang Feng sighed to himself and swiftly replied to Zhao Xiaoying's WeChat message: "Okay, then after dinner, head to the classroom? I'll be waiting for you there."

Zhao Xiaoying responded almost immediately, within a minute, with a simple, "Okay."

Wang Feng didn't send another message. He set his phone aside and stretched languidly before getting out of bed to brush his teeth and wash his face.

"Wang Feng, why isn't Zhou Pangzi with you today? Where is he? What's he up to?"

The speaker was one of Zhou Pangzi's close friends, though not as tight with him as Wang Feng was.

Wang Feng pondered for a moment before giving a vague response, "Not sure, he's probably at the internet cafe."

"Really? Damn, that jerk didn't invite me? He's dead meat! I'll make him pay when he gets back!" Xiao Le half-jokingly cursed while engrossed in his video game.

Wang Feng didn't engage further, quickly finishing up his brushing and washing, and even sneakily used the Iron Chicken Ling Han facial cleanser.

Once he was all spruced up, Wang Feng bid farewell to his buddies and headed to the dining hall for a meal on his own.

With no classes that afternoon or evening, the dining hall was sparsely populated as most students opted to catch up on sleep in their dorms. Wang Feng swiftly got his meal and, after eating, arrived at an utterly deserted classroom.

After waiting alone for nearly ten minutes, Zhao Xiaoying finally made her belated entrance, clearly having run there, her face flushed and breathless.

"Boss, why the rush?" Wang Feng couldn't resist teasing her with a chuckle.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting too long. Wang Feng, how long have you been here?" Zhao Xiaoying's face was filled with remorse. "I'm sorry, I got held up and arrived late."

Zhao Xiaoying's formal tone made Wang Feng frown involuntarily. Noticing his expression, she mistakenly thought he was upset and bit her tender lip in worry, unsure of how to proceed.

The mood momentarily lapsed into an awkward silence.

Witnessing this, Wang Feng let out a silent sigh. A mischievous smile curled at the corners of his mouth as he clarified, "My dear class leader, I'm not upset. I've only just arrived."