Chapter 48

Chapter 48

To reassure Tian Ruan, Yu Jingmo took him to the hospital for a full-body checkup.

Having connections certainly helped—the hospital director personally accompanied them, ensuring priority for every test and the fastest results. Specialists from various departments gathered to hold a consultation for Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan asked, "What exactly is wrong with me?"

The specialists replied, "Young Master, you're in excellent health—almost too excellent. The issue is mild overnourishment, which has overworked your spleen and stomach."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Tian Ruan thought back to his time at the Yu household—eating well, drinking well, with only lighter dinners. The rest of the time, it was either fish or meat. Three servings of fruit a day, never missing snacks or tea, and a glass of milk before bed.

And this was with Yu Jingmo already holding back.

Tian Ruan stared at the weight on his medical report—a full five pounds heavier than before.

Yu Jingmo said, "In other words, if you shed those five pounds, your nutrition will be balanced."

"..."

Back at the estate, Yu Jingmo instructed Liu Ma, "From now on, cut back on the pan-fried buns. One basket is enough for him."

Liu Ma, always worried that Tian Ruan wouldn’t eat enough, had been preparing excessive portions, so Tian Ruan always stuffed himself. She loved watching him eat heartily. "One basket? That’s not enough! Young people are still growing."

Yu Jingmo: "He passed out today—nosebleed from overeating!"

Liu Ma, in all her years, had never heard of someone fainting from overnutrition. She turned to Tian Ruan, "Is that true?"

Tian Ruan nodded solemnly. "I need to lose weight."

Liu Ma looked at his slender frame in disbelief. "You’re not fat at all! You’re so thin!"

Tian Ruan poked his squishy belly, mortified. "I lost my abs..."

He’d been living too easy, and he’d grown complacent—his abs were gone. Tian Ruan resolved to get them back. If he couldn’t compete downstairs, at least he shouldn’t be lacking in another area.

Though usually lazy, Tian Ruan was shockingly disciplined once he put his mind to it. The very next morning, he got up early to accompany Yu Jingmo on a walk around the estate. He insisted on being dropped off halfway to school and walking the rest of the way.

Yu Jingmo had bodyguards follow at a discreet distance.

Tian Ruan walked down the bustling streets, surrounded by students in various middle and high school uniforms rushing past—some alone, some in groups—all bursting with energy, like the 8 a.m. sun.

It put a spring in his step, and he broke into a light jog.

E-bikes whizzed past on the non-motorized lane, while cars flowed like water on the road. The sidewalk was narrow, cluttered with bike-share cycles, but when he looked up, he saw red maples against a sky of blue and white, the blazing sunlight bathing every corner of the city.

Ring-ring!

"Tian Ruan!"

Tian Ruan turned his head—it was Lu Qiuyan, riding an old-school 28-inch bike, its throwback vibe sticking out like a sore thumb against the surroundings.

Lu Qiuyan rode up onto the sidewalk using a slope. "Since when do you walk?"

Almost no De Yin students were "hard up" enough to ride bicycles instead of being chauffeured in luxury cars. Spotting a De Yin kid on foot was like spotting a unicorn.

"I’m exercising," Tian Ruan said, pumping his arms.

"Working out? You losing your edge?"

"...I'm into fitness, nothing wrong with me, I'm good!" Tian Ruan wanted to show off his biceps, but the autumn school uniform was in the way.

Lu Qiuyan kept cruising along, pulling over by a tree fifty meters ahead, waiting for Tian Ruan to catch up. "Five minutes till class. You think you'll make it?"

Tian Ruan let out a surprised "Huh?!"

With one push of the pedal, Lu Qiuyan took off like a shot, covering seven or eight meters in an instant.

Tian Ruan snapped out of it and broke into a sprint, shouting, "Lu Qiuyan, let me hop on!"

Lu Qiuyan kept cruising along without looking back.

Tian Ruan caught up to the bike several times, only to fall behind again. With one final burst of speed, he leaped onto the rear seat like jumping a goat. "Hyah!"

The handlebars wobbled, but thankfully their long legs kept them balanced. Lu Qiuyan said, "Take it easy, will you? I'm not exactly a pro at this."

Tian Ruan grabbed his clothes. "We're gonna be so late, pedal faster!"

Lu Qiuyan had to put the pedal to the metal, booking it to De Yin High in the morning breeze.

The exhausted bodyguards chasing behind: "…………"

Ah, youth—too bad it's our legs suffering.

Only Mao Qi could keep up physically. "You two are out of shape. Starting tomorrow, morning training with weights and an extra lap."

The bodyguards wailed, "Have mercy, boss!"

"Your legs or your paychecks—pick one."

Of course, they chose their well-paying jobs and continued their miserable jog.

It wasn’t until they reached school that Tian Ruan realized, "Wait, we could've skipped homeroom."

Lu Qiuyan dumped his bike by the wall. "Yeah."

"...Then why were we in such a hurry?"

"You were the one in a hurry."

Tian Ruan was speechless for a moment. "You're such a troll."

"Took you long enough."

"Still, thanks for letting me hop on," Tian Ruan said.

"Don't mention it. Just give me two chicken legs from your lunchbox at noon."

"How'd you know I brought chicken legs?" Tian Ruan sniffed his lunch bag. "Smell them?"

Lu Qiuyan deadpanned, "You've got chicken leg energy, so I figured you must've brought some."

"..."

Tian Ruan asked earnestly, "Why do you think I've got chicken leg energy? Do I look that round?"

"What, you think you're skin and bones?"

Tian Ruan: "...I mean, do I have a bit more meat on me than before?"

Lu Qiuyan sized him up. "I'm not a body fat scanner. How would I know?"

Tian Ruan gave up on the conversation.

The story’s bottom protagonist sometimes had drifting thoughts—better to wait till he’s back on earth.

At lunch, Tian Ruan passed over two drumsticks to Lu Qiuyan. Watching him eat, it seemed like he was back to reality, so he asked, "Is it good?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Nope, awful. Hand 'em over."

Tian Ruan thought for a moment, then reluctantly handed over all the drumsticks. "Perfect, I need to lose weight anyway."

Not that Lu Qiuyan could see where Tian Ruan was fat. Maybe it was somewhere *discreet*, like his ass...

Both Tian Ruan and Lu Qiuyan's phones vibrated simultaneously. Lu Qiuyan casually swiped his screen and opened the "Thursday, Third Art Room" group chat.

Guest lecturer He Lansi: @everyone, outdoor sketching from 2 to 5 PM this afternoon. Optional, but skipping costs you 1 credit. Bring communication devices, toiletries, food, and water.

Classmate A: Teacher, can we go to the scenic area? The facilities are better there.

Classmate B: Any way to skip *without* the penalty?

Classmate C: Teacher, you're so beautiful. Can I go on a date with you?

A sea of ??? followed.

Guest lecturer He Lansi: I take professionalism *very* seriously. Please behave appropriately.

Classmate C: Just joking, teacher. Don’t take it seriously.

Guest lecturer He Lansi: If I see another joke like this, I’ll skin you with my palette knife.

Classmates: …………

No one dared to tease He Lansi anymore.

"Outdoor sketching," Lu Qiuyan muttered, turning off his screen.

Tian Ruan quickly checked the message, his mental alarms went off—this outdoor sketching was a crucial plot point.

During this session, Lu Qiuyan would paint, He Lansi would hit on students, Yu Shang would organize a student council day trip, and Nan Mengyao would coincidentally be saved by a white-knight hero, creating a four-way love-square chaos.

This was a make-or-break moment to advance the relationship between the protagonist gong and shou.

Why so many twists? Who knows—the original author just loved setting up love battle royales, churning through side characters for the protagonists’ epic love story.

Tian Ruan perked up. "Sketching is great—getting close to nature. Might even get inspired, and I’ll paint a masterpiece."

Lu Qiuyan said, "Your imagination is rich, but in reality, you’ll just paint a green hat." —Chinese idiom for being cuckolded.*

"..."

Yu Shang asked, "Green hat?"

Tian Ruan changed the subject. "Does the student council have any activities this afternoon?"

"Nope."

"No? How could there not be?"

"Why would there be?"

Tian Ruan carefully recalled the original book. The student council day trip seemed to be a special reward from the school for their outstanding contributions, as their participation in the opera troupe's performance had received high praise, bringing honor to the school.

Tian Ruan froze: "…………"

He'd squandered that honor.

That Xi Qin hadn't come after him already showed remarkable restraint. As for the school giving any rewards—forget about it. They should be grateful if they weren't held responsible.

Oh no! Did this mean the student council couldn’t go on their day trip, Yu Shang couldn’t be the hero and save the beauty, couldn’t stop He Lansi from flirting, and couldn’t strengthen his bond with Lu Qiuyan?

No chance.

Looking serious, Tian Ruan put down his chopsticks and said to Yu Shang, "The student council must have an activity. Let’s call it ‘The Inevitable Connection Between Suburban Geological Surveys and the Site of Deyin School.’"

No day trip? Then they’d just make up something else. Yu Shang had to reach the romantic showdown no matter what.

Yu Shang: "? What connection is there between those two things?"

Tian Ruan: "That’s why we need to investigate. After the survey, we’ll know what the connection is."

"...That’s absurd."

"I’ll go apply with the principal right now."

"What's your authority?"

Tian Ruan cleared his throat and announced with gravity, "On the grounds that I am the student council investigator."

Yu Shang: "There’s no such position in the student council."

"Then we’ll create one. It’s settled." After finishing his meal, Tian Ruan went to the classroom and used the built-in desk computer to draft an application form, filling it with fabricated but convincing content.

He printed it out and headed straight for the principal’s office.

After two knocks, Principal Li’s polished voice called out, "Come in."

Tian Ruan entered. "Hello, Principal Li."

Principal Li adjusted her glasses, her kind face smiling warmly as she asked, "What can I do for you?"

Tian Ruan handed over the application form. "I truly need this chance to bond with the student council. It’ll help me integrate faster."

Getting inside the student council meant cracking the code for Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan’s dates. Tian Ruan was nearly bursting with pride at his own cleverness.

Principal Li read the contents of the application, her crow's feet deepening as she chuckled. "What a wonderful idea."

Tian Ruan perked up. "Does that mean you approve?"

Principal Li stamped the form. "Go enjoy yourselves."

"……"

Principal Li was no fool. Having climbed to her position, she was naturally skilled at reading situations. She saw Tian Ruan as Yu Jingmo’s partner—that much was unshakable. At the same time, she also knew Tian Ruan was still young at heart, and a bit of mischief wouldn't hurt.

With the stamped application in hand, Tian Ruan went straight to find Yu Shang.

Yu Shang was in the student council, assigning tasks for the next month, and specifically criticized Xi Qin: "Have you been slacking lately?"

Xi Qin lazily crossed his arms. "Because I haven’t gotten my pride back yet."

"Then go get it."

"I’m too scared. Who is he? Your little dad."

Yu Shang said, "I invited him to join the student council. That’ll keep him in line."

"Pfft, where is he now? Still blowing you off."

"...I’m still working on him."

"Even if you do, once he’s in the student council, who’s calling the shots?"

Yu Shang remained patient. "Obviously me. I’ll handle him."

Xi Qin nodded. "Good luck with that."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of energetic calls rang out: "Yu Shang, are you here? 'The Inevitable Connection Between Suburban Geological Surveys and Deyin School’s Location' got the principal’s stamp!"

The council: "...The hell?"

Xie Tangyan opened the meeting room door. "Hey, what’s this about? Let me see."

Tian Ruan then passed his application around.

There weren’t many people here, but everyone knew Tian Ruan’s identity. After reading it, they looked equal parts weirded out and impressed.

Xi Qin chuckled and said to Yu Shang, "Your little dad is a legend."

Tian Ruan: "Vice President, I have a name and a position. Either call me by my name or address me as Surveyor Tian."

"...I think 'Tian Koala' suits you better."

From that day on, the student council magically had a new role called "surveyor," directly approved by the principal’s stamp.

Tian Ruan had no time to banter with them—he was a guy with bigger plans.

But before embarking on his grand plan, he received a call from Yu Jingmo. His confidence instantly deflated, and he rushed outside to answer, saying, "I didn’t cause any trouble."

Yu Jingmo laughed. "So you’re volunteering info now?"

"..."