Chapter 39

The next morning, as dawn broke.

When Xie Qingyan pushed open the classroom door, she was surprised to find that the seat by the window was already occupied. Jiang Ci was looking down at "Introduction to Calculus" when he heard the sound and looked up. Their eyes met briefly in the air.

"Good morning," Xie Qingyan said first, her voice still carrying the freshness of early morning.

"Good morning," Jiang Ci replied, her gaze falling on the familiar food container in his hand, a faint smile, almost imperceptible to herself, flickering in her eyes.

Xie Qingyan walked over and placed breakfast on his table. Today it was shumai and soy milk instead. Jiang Ci didn't say much, picked it up and started eating, his movements faster than usual, as if he was in a hurry to complete a task so that he could have time to do other things.

The classroom was empty except for the two of them; it was so quiet that you could hear the chirping of sparrows outside the window and Jiang Ci's soft chewing. Xie Qingyan took out a thick Oxford dictionary and began memorizing words, her expression focused.

After Jiang Ci finished eating, he wiped his hands and his gaze fell on Xie Qingyan's slightly moving lips and furrowed brows. He suddenly reached out and snatched the dictionary from in front of Xie Qingyan.

"Random check." Jiang Ci casually flipped to a page and recited a few complex, long words.

After a moment's thought, Xie Qingyan answered with perfect pronunciation and accurate meaning, even down to the part of speech.

Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow and handed the dictionary back: "Your memory is indeed quite good."

Xie Qingyan showed no pride. Instead, she sighed, closed the dictionary, and said with genuine distress, "I can remember the words and understand the grammar, but when it comes to writing English essays, I always feel that my words don't express my meaning and my sentences are stiff. It's like having bricks and tiles but not knowing how to build a suitable house."

Jiang Ci leaned back in his chair, looking at his troubled profile, and suddenly said, "Since you have such a good memory, why bother building a house yourself?"

"Huh?" Xie Qingyan asked, puzzled.

“Just memorize hundreds of excellent model essays.” Jiang Ci said matter-of-factly, “Memorize all kinds of genres, themes, and classic sentence structures. When taking the exam, you can select appropriate parts to recombine and adapt them, like building blocks. It’s much faster and more reliable than figuring it out from scratch.”

Xie Qingyan's eyes lit up. Although this method was somewhat "clumsy," it was perfect for someone like him who possessed an exceptional memory and imitation ability but lacked a foundation in modern language. Just like when he was preparing for exams in his previous life, he had thoroughly studied and memorized countless essays by ancient sages.

"Great idea!" He nodded immediately, then hesitated, "But where am I going to find so many model essays?"

“Class representative Liang Ying should have some.” Jiang Ci gestured with his chin toward an empty seat next to him. “She likes to collect all kinds of teaching aids and model essays. I’ll ask her to borrow them later.”

"Thank you," Xie Qingyan said sincerely. Jiang Ci always managed to provide the most direct and effective solutions when he encountered bottlenecks.

Before long, the other students arrived at the classroom one after another. To avoid suspicion, Xie Qingyan and Jiang Ci stopped talking and quietly read their books.

Before the bell rang for morning reading, Xie Qingyan suddenly stood up.

I went to the principal's office. He sent Jiang Ci a message.

Jiang Ci paused in his reading, surprised that Xie Qingyan was about to tell the principal about his decision so soon.

---

After listening to Xie Qingyan's clear and quick statement, the principal was somewhat surprised: "Xie Qingyan, it's only been one day. Don't you need to discuss this carefully with your parents? After all, this concerns your future."

“Principal, I’ve made up my mind.” Xie Qingyan stood straight, his attitude respectful yet unquestionable. “My decision to stay in Class 12 is not impulsive, but based on the following considerations.”

He analyzed the situation clearly and logically:

"First, environmental adaptation. My foundation is weak, so I need gradual guidance and targeted remediation. The advanced class is fast-paced and difficult. If I force myself to enter it, I may lose confidence because I can't keep up, which would be detrimental. The pace of Class 12 is more suitable for my current level, and I can make steady progress."

"Secondly, mental state. Frequent changes in environment require time to adapt, and with the college entrance examination approaching, time is the most precious thing. Staying in a familiar class and with classmates, I can maintain a more stable mindset and devote all my energy to studying itself."

He paused, his voice becoming more sincere: "Principal, I understand the school and teachers' good intentions, hoping that I can receive the best education. But I believe that 'best' does not necessarily mean the best external conditions, but rather the most suitable for my current situation and pace of development. Staying in Class 12 is the most rational and advantageous choice for me at present. Please believe me, and please believe in the teachers and students of Class 12."

After listening, the principal remained silent for a moment, then a look of approval appeared in his eyes. This student not only possessed talent, but also a clarity and independent thinking beyond his years. He finally nodded: "Alright, since you've considered it so thoroughly, I respect your choice. I hope you won't let this clarity go to waste and truly create a miracle in Class 12."

"Thank you, Principal." Xie Qingyan bowed deeply.

Stepping out of the office, I could already hear the lively sounds of people in the hallway. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a bright glow on the floor.

Xie Qingyan took out her phone and sent Jiang Ci a message: "I've made it clear to the principal that I won't be transferring classes."

Almost the second after the message was successfully sent, the notification sound rang.

Jiang Ci replied quickly, with just one word: 【Mm.】

Simple, yet seemingly carrying immense weight, it finally put Xie Qingyan's anxious heart at ease. He stared at the word for a few seconds, his fingertip hovering over the screen. He typed and deleted the question "Will you go abroad?" in the chat box, but ultimately didn't ask it.

Back in the classroom, Xie Qingyan went straight to Liang Ying's seat.

"Liang, excuse me," Xie Qingyan said politely. "I heard you've collected a lot of English sample essays. Would it be convenient for me to borrow them?"

Liang Ying looked up in surprise, adjusted her glasses, and before she could answer, a sneer rang out from beside her.

"Oh, even the top student is starting to cram at the last minute, wanting to borrow an essay book?" Li Ming crossed his arms and said sarcastically, "But will borrowing it be of any use? Some things are innate. If you're not smart enough, memorizing a lot of model essays is just a poor imitation."

Zhang Qiang laughed in agreement from the side.

Liang Ying frowned immediately. She had always disapproved of Li Ming and his gang bullying their classmates, and now her anger flared even more. She slammed the book she was reading shut and glared at Li Ming: "Li Ming, what was your score on the last monthly English exam? How many points did you lose on your essay? You're only half-baked, what right do you have to laugh at hardworking classmates? Xie Qingyan is willing to put in the effort to study and is willing to borrow materials; isn't she a hundred times better than some people who just gossip all day?"

She spoke quickly and clearly, leaving Li Ming speechless, his face turning red and white in turns.

Xie Qingyan looked at Liang Ying gratefully and nodded slightly: "Thank you."

Liang Ying's expression softened slightly. She took out two thick binders with categorized labels from under the table and handed them to Xie Qingyan: "Here, these are sample essays and classic sentence structures on frequently tested topics in the college entrance examination that I have compiled, as well as some of my own notes. Take your time to look at them, no need to return them in a hurry."

"Thank you very much." Xie Qingyan accepted the gift with both hands and expressed her gratitude solemnly.

---

After school in the afternoon, Xie Qingyan packed her schoolbag and headed to Moyunzhai.

The bookstore recently received a large batch of ancient county gazetteers, and Xie Qingyan needs to classify and price them.

The wind chimes tinkled softly as Wen Heng pushed open the door and walked in. He seemed to be in a good mood today, his eyes behind his glasses smiling.

"Qingyan, good news." Wen Heng walked to the counter and lowered his voice. "I've spoken to my father about your parents contracting vegetable plots and scaling up their farming. Our company's fresh produce supply chain has always welcomed local, traceable, high-quality vegetable suppliers to join us. He's tentatively agreed to sign a letter of intent first, and we'll officially start purchasing once your business scales up."

Xie Qingyan's eyes lit up instantly! This was like sending charcoal in snowy weather! Her parents no longer had to work so hard selling vegetables. With a stable sales channel and relatively good prices, the Xie family's life and future had a clearer hope.

"Really? Wen Heng, thank you so much! Please thank Uncle for me too!" Xie Qingyan rarely showed his emotions, and he was so happy that he almost grabbed Wen Heng's hand. He immediately thought of sharing this good news and subconsciously took out his phone to send a message to Jiang Ci.

Wen Heng watched his actions and smiled: "No need to rush to tell Jiang Ci, he already knows. I spoke with him on the phone this afternoon."

Xie Qingyan paused, then put down her phone somewhat embarrassed: "Ah, yes, you're friends."

“If it weren’t for you, we might not be able to continue being friends like this.” Wen Heng adjusted his glasses, his tone gentle. “After all, he used to…” He didn’t finish his sentence before the wind chimes rang again.

A boy wearing the uniform of the Experimental High School, but with a completely different demeanor, strolled in. He was not tall, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused. As soon as he entered, he looked around, and when he saw Wen Heng and Xie Qingyan standing together, his gaze clearly paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

Wen Heng's expression darkened almost imperceptibly the moment he saw the person who had arrived, but he quickly returned to normal.

"Zhou Long? What brings you here?" Wen Heng asked in a calm tone.

"Hey, Wen Heng, what a coincidence." Zhou Long grinned and approached, his eyes sweeping over Xie Qingyan. "And this is... a new friend? He looks kind of familiar..."

Xie Qingyan felt a little uncomfortable being scrutinized by him and frowned slightly.

"Here to buy books?" Wen Heng stepped in half a step, blocking Zhou Long's view.

"Just browsing, just browsing." Zhou Long chuckled and indeed started wandering around the bookstore, but he was clearly distracted, glancing at the counter every now and then.

Wen Heng and Xie Qingyan's conversation naturally couldn't continue. Zhou Long pretended to flip through books for more than ten minutes, but in the end, he didn't buy anything and strolled out unsteadily.

The door closed, but the lingering sound of the wind chimes still trembled.

Wen Heng's straight back relaxed slightly, but his brows furrowed. He spoke softly, as if reassuring himself, "We probably didn't say anything important just now. It should be fine."

Xie Qingyan keenly sensed something was wrong: "Wen Heng, what's wrong? That person just now..."

"It's nothing." Wen Heng interrupted him, forcing a smile. "Just a classmate I don't get along with. Maybe I'm overthinking it." He paused, then cautioned, "You need to be careful. Some things, once started, can't be stopped."

Tang Li? Xie Qingyan remembered this name; Wen Heng had mentioned it once when the three of them were stargazing together. This name seemed to be a taboo subject for Jiang Ci.

Xie Qingyan pressed, "What is it?"

Wen Heng shook his head: "Don't ask anymore. Just remember, don't become the second Tang Li."

Xie Qingyan's doubts deepened, but seeing that Wen Heng was unwilling to say more, she could only nod and say, "Okay, I'll remember."

He had a vague feeling that the discomfort caused by this boy named Zhou Long was not so simple.

---

Outside the Moyunzhai, Zhou Long walked out of the alley and immediately took out his mobile phone.

Instead of looking through his contacts, he directly opened a long-dormant WeChat group chat. The group name consisted of only a period, and the member list had only seven people, most of whom had profile pictures of anime or game characters.

However, one of the profile pictures was completely black, and the nickname was "Senior Chen".

Zhou Long opened the photo he had just secretly taken—Xie Qingyan was standing sideways in front of the counter, with half of Wen Heng's body in the frame. The angle was tricky, making it look like the two were very close.

He selected the photo and sent it. Then he typed:

[Guess where I ran into whom? At Moyunzhai. The kid with Wen Heng is Xie Qingyan, the memory genius who's been all the rage at Ninth Middle School lately. I remember Jiang Ci still kept in touch with Wen Heng after he transferred schools, right?]

After the message was sent, the group was quiet for a few minutes.

Then, the black profile picture lit up.

[Senior Chen]: Jiang Ci actually hangs out with this kind of person.

Another one:

Take a clearer photo. It might be useful next time.

Zhou Long looked at the screen, amusement playing on his lips. He quickly replied:

[Understood. Should I continue following up?]

[Senior Chen]: No need yet. Wait for my message.

By the way, do you still have the materials from that matter?

Excitement flashed in Zhou Long's eyes:

[Of course I'll keep it. The chat logs, photos, hospital diagnoses—it's all there. Once this material is released, it can serve as a constant reminder to everyone what kind of madman Jiang Ci is.]

The light from the screen shone on his face, cold as a viper's forked tongue.

He put away his phone, glanced back at the antique signboard of Moyunzhai, and revealed an expression that mixed malice and amusement.

"Jiang Ci, Jiang Ci, you think you can hide in a lousy place like No. 9 Middle School and pretend nothing happened? You didn't expect that even God can't stand you. This time, let's see how you hide."

He whistled and swayed as he blended into the evening crowd.

——

As Xie Qingyan left Moyunzhai at dusk, the last vestiges of orange-red sunset glow remained on the horizon.

For some reason, he felt a heavy weight in his heart; he felt as if he had seen Zhou Long somewhere before…

Wen Heng's forced smile at the end, and Zhou Long's meaningful look when he left, felt like two thin thorns stuck in his body.

Xie Qingyan stared at his phone screen, suddenly feeling an urge to text Wen Heng and ask him who Tang Li was and what had happened between him and Jiang Ci.

But in the end, he didn't ask. There were things Jiang Ci would naturally tell him if he wanted to. If he didn't want to tell him, he didn't want to find out through others; that would be disrespectful to Jiang Ci.

The bus swayed and bumped as it headed towards the outskirts of the city. Xie Qingyan leaned against the window, watching the lights flow by outside.

He recalled Jiang Ci's sudden silences when he occasionally mentioned the past, Wen Heng's hesitant reminders, and the unfathomable shadows in Jiang Ci's eyes.

A vague unease, like ink dripping into water, quietly spread in his heart, spreading a dark, ominous premonition.

Something is quietly growing in places unseen.

At this moment, Jiang Ci was sitting alone in the darkness of the room.

Just a few minutes ago, Wen Heng sent him a message: [Qingyan and I ran into Zhou Long at the bookstore. He probably doesn't know Qingyan, nor does he know your relationship with Qingyan, but I still wanted to let you know.]

Zhou Long.

These two words instantly froze Jiang Ci's blood.

His phone screen was frozen on his chat history with Zhou Long—a message Zhou Long had sent three years ago:

[Jiang Ci, your senior said if you continue to harass him, he'll release all our chat logs. You'd better watch yourself.]

Below is a screenshot. A blurry, out-of-context dialogue fragment, accompanied by ambiguous interpretations.

Jiang Ci closed her eyes; her fingertips were icy cold.

Zhou Long, Chen Xuechang's most loyal follower, was one of the instigators of that farce back then.

Now, Zhou Long has met Xie Qingyan.

Fear, like a cold vine, slowly climbs up the spine and tightens around the heart.

He heard a knock on the door, and his father's cold voice came through the door: "Jiang Ci, come out."

Jiang Ci didn't move.

He only slowly got up and opened the door when the knocking turned into impatient banging.

Jiang Cheng stood outside the door, holding a document in his hand.

"Your TOEFL score is out," he said expressionlessly. "Prepare your application materials for studying abroad."