Can't Get Up

"You're not her," Ye Shuang said.

"Uncle, did you lose your mind after that last mountain hike?" An Shiyu mercilessly teased, then stretched out her leg clad in sheer black stockings, the faint hue of her skin visible beneath. "Here, just touch my leg if you want. Stop acting weird."

Ye Shuang: "..."

Since when was he acting weird?

Perhaps An Shiyu was trying to brush it off, but deep down, Ye Shuang knew—even without relying on his system—that this was the An Shiyu with hyperthymesia, not the one with a heart condition.

Though he didn’t understand why the twins insisted on sharing one identity, he sighed inwardly and chose not to press further.

After all, this fish before him showed no intention of revealing anything. No matter how much he probed, he wouldn’t get an answer.

He knew An Shiyu’s temperament well—or rather, the temperaments of both fish. They were identical.

If she wanted to say something, she’d slip it into a joke. If she didn’t, not even prying her mouth open would make her utter a word.

As much as he wanted to know what had happened to the other fish, Ye Shuang decided to push the matter aside. At the very least, he couldn’t let his emotions affect his work.

"By the way, the opening ceremony’s happening outside. Aren’t you going?" he asked.

"Boring. Standing under the blazing sun?" An Shiyu lazily played her game. "Nothing beats the AC. Hey, uncle, get me a soda."

"Slacking off as usual… And where exactly am I supposed to get you a soda?" Ye Shuang retorted. "I’m not going to the vending machine for you."

"Slacking? Who’s got grades as good as mine?" An Shiyu smirked, then tilted her chin toward him. "Soda’s right under your feet."

Ye Shuang couldn’t argue with her academic prowess, but when he bent down to check under the table, he found a small black mini-fridge.

Ye Shuang: "..."

Since when was that there?!

Opening it, he saw it was packed with drinks.

And a single chocolate bar.

"Here."

"Open it for me."

"That’s not part of the service!"

"Stingy~" An Shiyu set down her controller and popped open the can herself. "I was even considering letting you have an indirect kiss."

"No thanks."

"You’ll regret it. I’m adorable." She pointed both index fingers at her cheeks.

"..."

……

The field.

"It’s so hot…"

Tang Keke fanned herself with a small handheld fan she’d procured from who-knows-where. "Why do we have to stand outside for the opening ceremony in this weather?"

"Because there are many people," Bai Yuyou murmured softly.

The two girls stood in their new class formation, drawing countless gazes—especially Bai Yuyou, with her porcelain skin, striking features, and long legs, paired with an icy elegance that instantly captivated the freshmen from the Business Administration department.

Ohhh.

A first love at first sight.

"That girl’s gorgeous. Is she in our department? Which class?"

"No idea, but she’s unreal. Looks like some rich young miss—probably impossible to approach. Bet she already has a boyfriend."

"Shut up, that’s my wife. I’m posting on the confession wall today."

"Damn it, she’s mine."

"My wife."

"Then I’ll take the one with the big backpack."

Meanwhile, another group of girls huddled together, whispering as they scoped out the new arrivals. "Tch, not a single good-looking guy in this batch?"

"Well, there’s always your hubby."

"Your hubby."

"Your hubby…"

……

……

"Feels like a lot of people are staring at us. Am I imagining it?" Tang Keke glanced around, sensing the weight of countless eyes. It definitely wasn’t just her imagination.

"Yuyou, do you feel it too?"

"Because I’m beautiful, it’s normal," Bai Yuyou stated matter-of-factly.

"Wow, even though Brother said that first, hearing you say it so seriously…" Tang Keke rubbed her chin, unable to refute. "Alright, fair point."

"Honestly, barely anyone here compares to you."

Too dazzling.

"But Yuyou, you seem a little off today." Tang Keke studied her friend. Ever since arriving at school, Bai Yuyou had seemed… different.

"..."

"What’s wrong?" Tang Keke lowered her voice. "Don’t like the major? We can still switch, you know."

Yinshan Academy allowed students to freely change majors—once per year, with a minor exam. For specialized programs, additional certifications were required, but the process wasn’t difficult.

This policy existed to prevent students from being stuck in a major they disliked or found unpromising, leading to four years of half-hearted attendance.

Take Civil Engineering, for example.

The academy practically encouraged students to "pick up the bucket" and switch right away.

That said, the major with the lowest transfer rate was reportedly Excavator Operations. When asked why, multiple students had one answer:

【Excavators are freaking awesome! Digger, go brrr!】

Bai Yuyou shook her head at Tang Keke’s question. It wasn’t the major.

"Here… far from the infirmary."

Tang Keke immediately understood. "Ohhh, right! Compared to our old Class A, which was just a few hallways away, this building is way farther."

"Heh, still clinging to Brother, huh? Though I’m surprised you held back on your ‘energy refill’ this morning."

"Need to keep some distance," Bai Yuyou said seriously.

"Keke said… ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’"

"Mmhm! You remembered my love advice perfectly! Exactly—Brother’s probably confused right now, all anxious and overthinking." Tang Keke grinned.

"He’s definitely wondering, ‘Why didn’t Yuyou refill energy today? Did she lose interest in me?’ or something like that."

"Just a mere brother. Totally under control." Tang Keke smirked like a smug cat.

Bai Yuyou nodded. "Guaranteed win."

"Heh!"

Soon, the opening ceremony wrapped up. Since the fourth-years had separate sessions hosted by the dean, it was mostly just formalities—a rundown of the academy’s values and such.

With Yinshan Academy’s massive student body, gathering everyone in one place was impossible.

As the ceremony ended, Ye Shuang’s infirmary gradually filled with visitors, and he found himself busier than ever.

"Big Brother Ye~"

"Over here, look! The sun totally ruined my skin!"

The place was as lively as ever—practically on fire.

Meanwhile, An Shiyu glanced sideways, then tapped her phone screen—displaying a surveillance feed.

In the footage, a short-haired girl lay on a white hospital bed, an oxygen mask over her face, an IV drip beside her, and a blinking life monitor nearby.

An Shiyu propped her chin on her hand, murmuring to herself,

"Been asleep for a month… Guess she really isn’t waking up?"