When Shang Xi woke up, he peered over the railing toward the side, yawning lazily.
“Morning, Stinky-Faced Senior,” Shang Xi said. “Up at six to write a paper? That’s some serious dedication.”
Fu Congxiao had his back to him, his fingers never pausing on the keyboard.
He ignored him completely.
Shang Xi thought to himself that the guy’s aloofness was kind of childish.
“Your hair’s a mess,” he said anyway, out of the goodness of his heart.
The other finally turned around, his hair a chaotic bird’s nest as he shot back a glance.
Shang Xi immediately ducked under the covers.
…I was just trying to help—why glare like that?
He still hadn’t entered the stabilization period. Per school rules, he could take approved sick leave without attending classes, up to fifteen days at most.
Transformation required a sealed, eggshell-like environment. As long as he didn’t wrap himself in a blanket, he wouldn’t suddenly turn into a bird mid-stride with a pop.
Shang Xi just felt like he could never get enough sleep. Every time he woke up, his limbs ached, his whole body feeling like it’d been run over by a truck.
He was starving and decided to head to the cafeteria for something to eat.
As he went down the stairs, the ID tag by his bed was already in place.
[Name: Shang Xi
Age: 16
Gene: Night Song Robin
Mentor: Zhou Baofu]
Shang Xi stared at it for a moment.
Great, he thought. I can’t even read my own species. Total illiterate.
“Stinky-Face,” the young man said casually while looking up a dictionary on his phone, “I’m heading to the cafeteria. Want me to bring you something?”
The senior didn’t reply, his back still turned. His long, pale finger gestured vaguely to the side.
Shang Xi glanced over and spotted a box that looked like strawberry daifuku—freeze-dried pinky rats.
Six or seven little mice were neatly arranged, pale with a hint of pink, their tiny tail tips looking soft.
Snap out of it, Shang Xi told himself. Have some dignity. Why does everything look tasty to you?
The cafeteria was indeed divided into two areas.
One was the standard zone for human teachers and students to eat and drink.
Rumor had it that it was government-subsidized, so the food was cheap. You could order single items like grilled fish or steak, or get weigh-by-the-box rice meals.
Shang Xi’s intense curiosity drew him to the other side, where the bold “Flavor Zone” sign caught the eye.
There were aquariums where you could net live fish big and small for sashimi or stew.
He personally witnessed a chubby senior buy a bag and toss live fish into his mouth like sunflower seeds.
…Maybe his true form was an osprey.
Insect and rodent products were naturally abundant too.
From freeze-dried pinky rats served plain or with jam, to skewered grilled locusts and dry-pot silkworm pupae—the varieties stretched as far as the eye could see.
Shang Xi snapped a few photos and sent them to his parents.
While chatting with them, Professor Zhou pulled him into the mentor group.
【Seven O’Clock Sunrise (19)】
[Zhou Baofu]: #rose#rose, welcome the new student, Shang Xi!
[Wakes Up at Midnight]: Welcome welcome—feel free to ask me anything!
[Bear on the Loose]: So many freshmen this year.
[Hedwig0v0]: Little Xi is super cute! He gave me an oat cookie yesterday!
…
Shang Xi scrolled through the group members and added the one with a plain black avatar as a friend.
[Endless Night]: ?
[Xi]: Senior, I got you some roasted pigeon.
[Xi]: Please take good care of me from now on. Little Bird obedient.jpg
With the formalities done, he received a friend request from his senior.
She enthusiastically sent over two invite codes.
“These are apps still in beta. Download and play around with them.”
He scanned them in: one was the Dawn Star Campus Forum, the other the OAC Official Mutual Aid Station.
While queuing for food, Shang Xi browsed idly.
[Secondhand Swap] Snake cage/heat mat/water dispenser, nine-tenths new, direct sale, small knife OK.
[Secret Tree Hole] Raised a parrot for five years and ended up turning into one myself. Damn it!
[Commission Jobs] Custom emoji packs just for you! 5 for only 66 soft #flowers
[Gossip] Horror story: Did our school get a pelican…?
[Commission Jobs] Custom ecology room designs—greenhouse gardens, misty rainforests, underground caves, etc. Order now!
[Studies] Which survival class do you hate the most? Graduation requirements are brutal T T
Shang Xi paused, finally feeling a real sense of crisis as a student.
He tapped into the last post to see what everyone was discussing.
Survival classes covered categories like community adaptation, self-protection basics, and career deepening. Each had levels from one to five, progressing from basic to advanced, and students could choose based on their credit plans.
Avian Flight Class for feather descendants and Serpent Thermal Sensing Class for snake descendants were small seminars of just ten or twenty people.
But the one that made everyone’s scalp tingle was the Ecological Adaptation Required Class.
Regardless of grade level or racial differences, every student had to attend at least five days a week, with observers secretly evaluating and scoring them.
Shang Xi returned to the dorm carrying a grilled pigeon, only to find that Fu Congxiao had gone out for class.
He set the snacks down on his senior’s desk and accidentally bumped into the other’s water cup.
Upon closer inspection, the bird claw marks on the rim of the cup were strikingly clear.
Shang Xi felt a twinge of guilt.
No way… Had he gotten so bold after transforming that he’d dared to drink his senior’s water?
His phone buzzed twice as a message came in from his senior sister.
[An Ming]: Hey, how’s your first day as a transfer student feeling?
[An Ming]: You can wander around freely—the campus is very safe. If you run into any special situations, remember to use the emergency SOS button on the campus app.
[Xi]: Thanks, Senior Sister, but… why does the app even have a feature like that?
[An Ming]: To guard against fire, theft, and natural predators.
[An Ming]: Jungle rules are pretty common here. The school does its best to maintain order.
[Xi]: Got it, understood.
He decided to head out and take a look around.
The campus was vast. Every now and then, he’d spot a cauliflower snake coiled around a statue, dozing in the sun.
In the lake, flocks of waterfowl danced and played under the sunlight, while white cranes cried out crisply overhead, soaring through the clouds.
Shang Xi noticed that some of the wild ducks and swans didn’t have ankle rings—likely wild migratory birds drawn in by their kin.
A few students were gathered by the water’s edge, breaking up bits of bread to feed them.
Just as Shang Xi started toward them, his sharp ears twitched at the sound of a familiar low voice.
“Get lost.”
He whipped around. In the far distance, he caught a vague glimpse of figures, but they weren’t clear.
Several people were surrounding one individual, backing that person into a corner.
Shang Xi took a deep breath and hurried in that direction.
The voice drifted over from afar, but each word rang crystal clear in his ears.
“Knock out a tooth for me—I’ve got lab class and need it,” a shrill male voice demanded. “Got any venom? Squeeze some out for me too.”
The young man replied coldly, “You got a problem?”
“Fu Congxiao, you think you’re hot shit?” the girl beside him snapped. “My brother’s talking nice to you—what’s with the attitude?”
Shang Xi quickened his pace and saw with his own eyes a senior from grade twelve clamping his hand around Fu Congxiao’s throat.
“You really think everyone’s scared of you? The school’s rules are strict as hell. Kill someone with your poison, and you’ll get life in prison forever.”
“That’s exactly why,” the guy said cheerfully, “you can take out anyone you want, and no one can touch you.”
“Useless trash still acting all smug,” Yellow Hair jeered gleefully. “Hurry up and knock out that tooth, or we’ll slap you till you do.”
They were dead certain no one would stick their nose in.
Who’d believe a highly venomous carnivorous snake was getting picked on by a bunch of harmless little waterbirds?
Fu Congxiao, pinned against the wall, broke into a relieved smile instead.
His hands shot out to brace himself, and he drove a vicious kick straight at his opponent’s vital spot.
It was lightning-fast and precise, the explosive force sending the senior flying into the air.
The other two boys yelped in surprise and grabbed their racquets to swing at him.
With the agility unique to serpents, Fu Congxiao dodged behind them in a flash. A diagonal elbow strike paired with a side kick sent one tumbling, and he instinctively licked the tip of his fang.
Another boy hit the ground on his back, groaning in agony.
The girl burst into frightened tears and rushed over to help them up.
“You goddamn mutt, total lowlife,” the boy cursed as he scrambled backward. “Think being a venomous snake makes you special? Freaks like you should get your seven-inch spot pierced right through—go die already!!”
“Snakes are just slimy crawlers in the shadows, right? If you’ve got the guts, fly like us for once. One day I’ll grab your true form mid-air and smash you to bits!”
Before the words even finished echoing, a nimble figure darted between them.
The killing intent in Fu Congxiao’s eyes hadn’t faded. When he saw it was Shang Xi, his breath hitched abruptly.
What was he doing here!?
Shang Xi said rapidly, “No time to explain—follow my lead.”
Less than two minutes later, teachers and security guards rushed over from the other side.
“What happened?! Who’s hurt? Do we need a doctor?”
Yellow Hair thought his buddies had called for backup and prepared to lodge his complaint loud and proud, inwardly thrilled.
But the fair-faced boy beat him to it, eyes brimming with tears.
“Teacher, they were bullying me!”
“If not for Senior Fu fighting them off with everything he had, they would’ve already…”
Yellow Hair and the others froze solid.
Wait, who the hell are you?
Shang Xi huddled behind Fu Congxiao, his eyes red-rimmed as he said, “I know I’m weak and useless, without any real abilities.”
“Even if I turn into a bird, I can’t fly as fast as them…”
The boy was only sixteen, curling in on himself like he might collapse.
“Teacher, it’s only my first day transferring here… I’m so scared.”
He truly looked terrified.
Already on the slimmer side, he now clung desperately to Fu Congxiao’s arm, knuckles white from gripping so hard.
The Discipline Supervisor took one look at the boy’s tearful eyes, then at the senior sprawled on the ground, and immediately soothed him. “Fu, take him and get out of here for now. Kid, try not to wander alone from now on.”
“No, Teacher, we don’t even know this guy,” Yellow Hair spat out. “It was Fu Congxiao who kept harassing my junior sister. We came here to call him out on it. Things aren’t anything like he’s saying!”
Fu Congxiao’s aura turned abruptly icy, the chill in his eyes deepening.
Before he could snap, Shang Xi put on a look of utter panic and helplessness.
“It was clearly you…” His voice trailed off smaller and smaller, his disgust and fear impossible to hide. “You suddenly pinched my face and asked if I wanted to be friends.”
Yellow Hair shot a desperate glance at his junior sister, blinking furiously like a broken traffic light.
Don’t just stand there—act! He’s acting, so play along!
Cry! If you don’t cry now, we’re all getting thrown in confinement for real!
The girl forced out a dry sob, her voice cracking awkwardly, turning the whole scene even more uncomfortable.
The Discipline Teacher’s face hardened. “What the hell is going on here?”
“Fu Congxiao, you take him back first.”
“The rest of you, with me to the Discipline Office. You’re writing self-criticisms—right now!”
Shang Xi bowed hastily, his voice coming out soft and quivering with grievance.
“Sorry for the trouble,” he said, his words trembling at the end. “…Thank you for believing me.”
“Go on, have some hot water and take a rest,” the Discipline Teacher said with concern. “If anything like this happens again, come find us anytime. The Discipline Office has staff on duty twenty-four hours a day.”
The true victim of the bullying led a certain performer away from the scene.
Once they were out of sight, Shang Xi began humming a tune as he walked, the melody lilting and sweet, his mood clearly buoyant.
He was still clutching Fu Congxiao’s school uniform sleeve, as if he’d forgotten to let go.
Fu Congxiao glanced down at it but didn’t pull away.
Truth be told, there were times when he desperately wished someone would hold on to him just like this.
