**Chapter 160: The Trouble with Paperwork**
After finally figuring out Xia Yu’s identity, the homeroom teacher couldn’t help but grumble, “Why on earth is a perfectly nice boy like him sporting long hair? Get it cut tonight, or it’s bad for the school’s image!”
Great, just what Xia Hong needed—more hair drama involving his son! He sighed at Xia Yu’s long, flowing locks. If only Xia Yu had agreed to the haircut earlier, this whole mess could’ve been avoided. But since Xia Yu was dead set against it, the father had to step in and fight for his son’s right to… well, have long hair. “Isn’t it okay if he doesn’t cut it?”
“Why not? Your kid isn’t a star or anything, needing long hair for a big break in showbiz! Unless you have some special reason, you’d need to report it to the dean at the academic office.”
Ignoring the teacher’s unnecessary chitchat, Xia Hong felt relieved to hear that boys could indeed have long hair. Otherwise, he had no idea how to handle the situation—especially since a trip to the academic office was already sounding like a headache. But, hey, it was just paperwork once, right?
He stashed away the forms Xia Yu and Xia Ling filled out, and the teacher pulled out a few schematics—not for more paperwork, but to share some vital intel.
“I’m He Gongxing, the homeroom teacher of Class Fifteen. This is our classroom—Room 204, on the far west side of the Yuying Building. Feel free to snap a photo with your phones!” Upon his prompting, the three kids except Xia Yu whipped out their phones and snapped a few pics of the diagram.
Next up, He Gongxing flipped to another page and pointed at a location, informing Xia Ling, “This is a girls’ dorm. Room 304 still has an empty bed; you can move in there.”
Xia Ling nodded and took another picture of the floor plan.
Then it was time for Xia Yu’s boys’ dorm. It was on the 5th floor of the first boys’ dormitory—Room 501. Xia Yu didn’t say a word, just quietly noted down the key phrases: first boys’ dormitory and 501.
“Alright, that’s all the info for now. Your meal cards and campus IDs will be ready tomorrow when school officially starts, so you can go tackle your other business for now.”
With that, the homeroom teacher wrapped up his little briefing, and Xia Hong led his wife and kids to the academic office to sort out Xia Yu’s hair situation. They needed to hustle before the bigwigs wrapped up for the night!
Luckily, when they reached the academic office, the dean was still at his desk, tapping away on the computer, seemingly oblivious to the dinner bell.
Seeing the nameplate on the desk, Xia Hong marched over without wasting time. “Hi, my son is transferring here to 6th grade this year. We heard we need to report so he can keep his long hair, so we’re here to handle that.”
The dean raised his gaze from the screen, finally noticing Xia Hong and the kids. “Where’s your son?”
Xia Hong forced a smile, then placed a hefty hand on Xia Yu’s head. “Right here.”
“That’s your son? Doesn’t look like it!”
Oblivious to the gender mix-up, the dean tossed a form at Xia Hong. “Fill this out.”
No questions asked because… well, the dean wasn’t blind. Upon seeing the wristband Xia Yu wore, he was instantly drawn in by the English text. He figured out what it meant without breaking a sweat.
Sure, other teachers might struggle with English, but if he’s in this position, his English had to be on point, right?
And at that moment, the dean felt a bit frustrated—why do the finance guys accept every odd student? A troublemaker like Xia Yu landing here would surely require his intervention if something went south!
Surprised by how smoothly things were going, Xia Hong didn’t pry further. He skimmed the form with Xia Yu and signed it. And then, it was off to the dorms!
First stop: the nearest girls’ dorm, where Xia Ling would settle into Room 304 on the third floor.
Since it was still the enrollment period and school hadn’t officially started, parents could tag along to check out the living situation.
Not surprising for a top-tier city school, the dorms, though slightly dated, were reasonably well-equipped. With twelve kids in a dorm, all single beds, it was a far cry from the dreary experience Xia Yu had at his last school.
As she eyed the wall-mounted air conditioner, Wang Wenjuan started planning to buy air-conditioning blankets for the kids—don’t want them catching colds, after all! If the girls’ dorm was this good, the boys’ dorm must be similar, so Xia Hong suggested, “Honey, take Xia Ling and get her supplies sorted. I’ll help Xia Yu set up over in his dorm.”
Wang Wenjuan despised the idea of her new daughter living in boy territory, but what could she do? There was no way she could argue against Xia Yu staying in the boys’ dorm.
Of course, she wouldn’t expose Xia Yu’s actual circumstances; that would just leave him homeless. So, with a heavy sigh, she agreed, “Got it. Let’s meet at the school gate later.”
After gathering supplies—mats, air-conditioning blankets, pillows, and towels—Xia Hong and Wang Wenjuan split into two teams.
Finally, it was just Xia Yu obediently following his dad without any interruptions from Wang Wenjuan or Xia Ling. Xia Hong couldn’t resist asking Xia Yu once more, “Seriously, you’re not cutting your hair at all?”
Xia Yu: “…”
Noticing Xia Yu’s reaction, Xia Hong accepted reality with a resigned smile, muttering, “Alright then, as long as you’re happy.” He knew about Xia Yu’s struggles, so he wouldn’t push—hair length was hardly a big deal, after all!
Unsurprisingly, the boys’ dorm was even older and more worn than the girls’—faded, cracked tiles and beds with peeling paint, revealing grimy metal frames beneath. But for Xia Yu, none of that mattered; having a roof over his head was enough. What else could he ask for?
If only Jiang Kekai knew about this; she’d dash back to drag Xia Yu out of such a sketchy situation. The bed-making process? Not complicated—a mat on the bed, air-conditioning blanket and pillow tossed on top, and voilà!
But just then, a guy carrying a bag of blankets and a twelve-year-old boy walked in. Spotting Xia Yu and Xia Hong, the guy grinned and greeted, “Came early, huh?”
“Yeah, dropping my kid off and helping him sort his things since it’s the first time,” Xia Hong replied.
“Is your kid new here?” the man asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yep, just transferred.”
“Oh, I heard they try to keep students from the same class in the same dorm. Is your kid in Class Fifteen too?”
“Sure is. Is yours?”
As Xia Hong glanced at the rebellious-looking boy beside the man, he wondered, “Isn’t he in your class?”
Hearing that, Xia Hong immediately realized Xia Yu had been mistaken for a girl again. But he couldn’t be bothered to clarify and simply started to leave. “Yeah, I’ve got things to do. Catch you later!”
With that, Xia Hong pulled Xia Yu out of the boys’ dorm.
He felt that the boy seemed the type to be a troublemaker, and he didn’t want Xia Yu influenced by someone like that—after all, you become like those you hang around!
Plus, as they wandered away, Xia Hong reminded Xia Yu, “Once you’re in school, focus on your studies. It’s okay if you don’t understand everything, but don’t join any cliques, got it?”
He said that because Xia Yu had previously fallen in with Xia Le, and even though situations had changed, it wouldn’t hurt to keep the kid on the right track.
After the military training, there were two days off, which meant Xia Le could lounge comfortably in his room, enjoying the cool air while chatting with Lin Shao on his new high-end laptop.
Xia Le: “Lin Shao, you there?”
Lin Shao: “Yep.”
Xia Le: “Been wanting to tell you where me and my siblings are studying! We’re at Peng City No. 2 Middle School.”
Xia Le: “But why do you care? Want to swing by and hang out? I’ll take you out for some fun!”
Reading the message from Xia Le, Lin Jie felt an imminent headache.
Lin Shao: “Nah, just busy with some things. Let’s catch up later.”
Switching screens, Lin Jie didn’t hesitate to call Lin Hai, “Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I want to transfer to Peng City No. 2 Middle School.”
