Back to My Human’s Teenage Years - Chapter 3

Normally, this would have been the limit of Shi Rang’s patience.

He would likely have slammed the books on the desk right onto the person’s head to give them a wake-up call. But looking at the boy’s face… Shi Rang couldn’t bring himself to do it.

A sudden wave of irritation surged in his chest. He turned his head away and said coldly, “Are you sick? You need to hold hands just to go to the toilet?”

!! There’s actually such a good thing!

Manman’s eyes brightened even more as he asked expectantly, “Can we?”

The anger rushed to Shi Rang’s chest, and he spoke almost through gritted teeth, “Can we my foot!”

So mean!

Jin Manman pouted. He wanted to say more, but the bell rang for class. The teacher walked in with a textbook, and the classroom fell silent. The boy could only huff and shrink back into his seat.

This session was Mathematics. The teacher handed out papers for a quick pop quiz in class. Upon receiving the paper, Jin Manman picked up his pen and began working diligently. Beside him, Shi Rang glanced at him before indifferently shifting his gaze away.

Good students should stay far away from someone like me.

Since there weren’t many questions, the teacher called for pens down after only twenty minutes, instructing desk-mates to swap papers for marking.

“Shi Rang! Here!”

The boy seemed to love smiling so much; whenever his eyes met Shi Rang’s, they always curved into crescents. Shi Rang hesitated for two seconds before casually handing over his paper to swap.

As he marked according to the teacher’s answers, Jin Manman tilted his head. “Shi Rang, why did you choose ‘C’ for everything?”

Shi Rang replied lazily, “Just wrote whatever.”

He started marking with a careless flick of his pen, but his brow gradually furrowed. This one was wrong. That one was wrong. They were all wrong.

Finally, they looked at the two papers. One was a thirty-six, and the other was a seventeen. The thirty-six belonged to Shi Rang; even by picking ‘C’ for everything, he had managed to get a third of them right.

“Holy crap!”

Chen Qian, the student in the front row, turned around and looked on in shock. “Your score is even lower than Shi-ge’s. It looks like Shi-ge’s title as ‘Ranked Last’ isn’t safe anymore.”

Chen Qian was one of the few people who could actually hang out with Shi Rang, so he spoke without much filter. Shi Rang frowned and kicked his chair. “Get lost.”

Jin Manman was at a loss for words, only able to lower his head as he took his paper back. Shi Rang stole a few glances at him. He thought that even though the new student had poor grades, he seemed to have a strong sense of self-esteem.

Fortunately, for the rest of the lesson, the boy didn’t keep staring at him. Shi Rang casually stuffed the paper into his desk and went back to sleep. Jin Manman didn’t bother him again and didn’t say a single word until lunch break.

Shi Rang’s body clock was precise. He woke up exactly one minute before the lunch bell, grabbed his jacket on cue, and headed to the canteen with Chen Qian.

The school canteen had three floors. The first floor served set meals with government subsidies; you could get a meal for just two pounds, though the variety and taste were mediocre. The second floor served fast food, where students went every few days for a change of pace. The third floor featured more expensive à la carte dishes; few students ate there, and it was usually reserved for school officials.

However, neither Shi Rang nor Chen Qian lacked money. As long as they weren’t skipping class, they usually ate on the third floor.

Chen Qian opened two bottles of soda. “Shi-ge, what’s the deal with that new student? He seems really clingy. When you left at noon, his eyes were practically glued to your back.”

Shi Rang looked at him coldly. “If you’re sick, go see a doctor.”

Chen Qian chuckled and was about to say more when he suddenly froze, his eyes twitching as he signaled toward Shi Rang.

“What, is your brain broken and your eyes followed suit?”

“Shi Rang!”

The boy’s clear voice came from behind. Jin Manman held out a cold bottle of Coke, his eyes curved into a smile. “You left so fast after class.”

He was standing so close that the words sounded like they were whispered right into Shi Rang’s ear. His tone was soft—somewhere between a complaint and a plea.

Shi Rang gripped his chopsticks a bit tighter, his face remaining cold. “Do you want something?”

“I’m treating you to a Coke.”

The boy acted as if he were already part of the group, naturally taking a seat next to Shi Rang. Shi Rang didn’t take the Coke, uttering two cold words: “No need.”

This time, Jin Manman was bold enough to ignore him. He put the Coke down anyway and said nothing more, sitting up perfectly straight beside Shi Rang.

Chen Qian watched them but couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. He let out a cough. “Uh, Jin Manman, have you eaten?”

The boy shook his head. The “Cat-Person Hero” organization didn’t have much funding. His lunch budget only covered the two-pound set meal; after buying this Coke, he had no money left for lunch.

Shi Rang frowned and glanced at Chen Qian. Chen Qian caught the hint immediately and quickly grabbed a pair of chopsticks from nearby. “Join us then. We happened to order too much today.”

Jin Manman smiled, shallow dimples appearing on both cheeks. He looked incredibly well-behaved. “Thank you.”

As he ate, he couldn’t help but peek secretly at Shi Rang. What should I do? I can’t hold back much longer. He really wanted to nuzzle against Shi Rang. Before, every time Shi Rang fed him a cat treat, he would eat and nuzzle against Shi Rang’s hand at the same time.

Feeling the intense gaze from the side, Shi Rang lifted his eyelids slightly but ultimately said nothing. The three of them finished the meal in a state of eerie silence.

Jin Manman was the first to stop eating. Having only recently turned into a “cat-person,” he hadn’t yet adjusted to human tastes. Several of the stir-fry dishes felt far too salty. His tongue felt almost numb.

Although Shi Rang had kept his head down while eating, all his attention was on the person next to him. He noticed the moment Jin Manman stopped. He turned his head and frowned.

The boy was too frail. The wrist protruding from the school uniform sleeve was just a tiny, thin bit of bone that felt like it could be snapped with a single pinch.

Shi Rang’s voice was cold. “Eating so little… do you think you’re a kitten?”

Jin Manman’s eyes widened. He was shocked. “You… how did you know?”

Could Shi Rang be a transmigrator too?

Shi Rang: “…”

He completely lost the desire to continue speaking with the new student. Grabbing his jacket, he stood up to leave.

Jin Manman didn’t forget his Coke, quickly grabbing it and offering it to Shi Rang once more. “The Coke is for you.” He looked at Shi Rang’s expression and added sheepishly, “I’m sorry.”

Shi Rang said flatly, “What are you apologizing for?”

“In the math quiz today, I stole your title of being ranked last,” the boy said earnestly. “I’m really sorry. Next time, I’ll definitely try to get a higher score. Don’t worry, Shi Rang, ‘Last Place’ will be yours again.”

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