On top of that, Tangtang caught a whiff of the sweet scent of White Rabbit milk candies—a popular sweet in China—coming from him.

When she glanced over, she saw his cheeks puffing in and out—he was secretly chewing on candy!

Unbelievable! Not only was Fang Jinglin shirking his work while sneakily indulging in candy, but he was also breaking the rules by snacking in class!

This had to be reported.

Tangtang shot him a long, meaningful look, ready to act.

But Fang Jinglin, who knew her all too well, sensed trouble the moment her gaze Landed on him.

For the first time, his chubby body moved with surprising agility, and he intercepted her hand just as she was about to raise it.

At that very moment, a knock came at the classroom door.

The homeroom teacher walked in first.

",.. Next, let's welcome the third new student joining our class today, the teacher announced, turning toward the doorway.

All the little heads in the classroom, Tangtang included, swiveled to follow the teacher's gaze.

Tangtang was curious—who else was joining their class today?

When the figure appeared at the door, walking calmly and upright onto the podium, Tangtang's eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth forming a perfect "0."

"This is our new classmate, Meng Chenzhou. Let's give him a warm welcome!"

The entire class immediately raised their hands, clapping enthusiastically.

Among them, Tangtang was undoubtedly the most eager to applaud.

But right now, her eyes were locked on the podium, and her hands were firmly pinned down by Fang Jinglin.

Tangtang was fuming!

She turned her head, glaring at Fang Jinglin, silently demanding that he let go. Then she remembered—their game wasn't over yet.

She had no choice but to bite her lip hard and shoot him a fierce look.

On the podium, the teacher waited for the applause to die down before turning to Meng Chenzhou. "Meng, do you have a preference for which group you'd like to join?"

The classroom was arranged with desks grouped into clusters, each marked with an upright number card.

Hearing this, Tangtang immediately turned back to face the front, trying to catch Meng Chenzhou's attention.

But Meng Chenzhou's gaze swept casually over the class, as if he hadn't even noticed her, before settling on the group closest to the back door.

"I'LL join Group Four."

What?!

Tangtang's little face fell instantly.

She bit her lower lip, watching helplessly as the teacher led Meng Chenzhou to his new seat.

It was all Fang Jinglin's fault! If he hadn't held her back, her applause would've been the loudest, and Meng Chenzhou would've definitely joined her group.

But since Meng Chenzhou's group was already decided, Tangtang quickly consoled herself.

At least he was in their class now. Even if they couldn't work on assignments together during lessons, she could always find him to play during break time.

As soon as the bell rang for recess, Tangtang bounded out of her seat like an excited puppy and happily ran over to Meng Chenzhou.

"Big Brother Chenzhou! Bet you didn't expect to see me here!"

Her eyes curved into two playful crescent moons, and the little pigtails dangling by her ears swayed back and forth as she twirled in circles around him, her movements lively and mischievous.

Meng Chenzhou's gaze followed the movement of her pigtails, then shifted to her rosy, chattering lips, and finally landed on her bright, joy-filled eyes.

"I can't believe you're here too, and so close to me! Uncle Meng always said we were destined to cross paths!"

With that, she burst into a fit of giggles, her laughter crisp and sweet.

Seeing how delighted she was, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Meng Chenzhou's lips.

He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a small box of milkshake—Tangtang's favorite—and placed it on the desk beside her.