East Lake

Xu Feifei continued searching the seating chart for any remaining students from Class S, only to find herself and the male lead alone. Most were from Class A, a few from Class B, but there were truly no more students from Class S.

Back in his seat, he poked Lu Ren with his pen and asked, "How are classes assigned to S? Do the students who are ranked last go to S?"

Lu Ren looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating, and unsure of what to say, he asked in return, "Why do you think that way?"

"Because I transferred here, I didn't have any grades, so wouldn't I just be assigned to the bottom class?"

"Uh... well, all I can tell you is that Class S isn't the last class. You'll see when the time comes!"

"Couldn't you have told me beforehand? It's not a big deal, is it?" Xu Feifei became even more curious when she saw his hesitant expression.

“It’s really nothing. People who go to Class S are usually those whose families have made huge contributions to the school and who take the exam there,” Lin Yuan said from the side.

"Have made a huge contribution to the school?" Xu Feifei lowered her head and pondered this question.

Lu Ren looked at Lin Yuan with admiration. No wonder Lin Yuan made it sound so noble that she used money and connections to get in.

Xu Feifei suddenly remembered what the male lead had said before: if she failed the exam, she could just ask her parents to donate a few buildings.

Could Lin Yuan's words have been implying this? Thinking of this, he suddenly realized and said "Oh." It seems Lin Yuan was quite tactful; he almost didn't understand.

But that's fine too; if she gets the lowest score in the whole school, it won't be so embarrassing. Everyone knows she got into Class S through connections; no one knows anything about her grades.

It seems that the male protagonist and she both got into the school with their own money.

"Lin Yuan, could you come with me to East Lake this afternoon?"

"Can."

"Do you need me to be your tour guide? I have all sorts of inside information about the school and know secrets that some people don't!" Zeng Hao, who had been eavesdropping on the situation, turned around and looked at the two of them mysteriously.

Xu Feifei curiously peeked out and asked, "What secret?"

"A romantic love story, would you like me to take you?" Zeng Hao asked mysteriously.

"A love story? Could it be that Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian met at the East Lake on campus? They were accidentally seen by their classmates, and then it became a gathering place for couples?" Xu Feifei said, her imagination running wild.

“You only got the last sentence right,” Zeng Hao said, shaking his head.

"Based on past experience, as long as it is far away from teaching buildings and crowded places, places with good scenery are where young couples gather."

"That's one of the reasons. Another big reason is that if you're lucky enough to see a strange sky over East Lake..." Zeng Hao nodded, continuing to keep everyone in suspense.

"Strange sky color?"

Xu Feifei had initially thought there were some gossip stories about senior students falling in love, so her curiosity lessened considerably. Seeing a beautiful sky with someone she liked was indeed romantic, but it also seemed rather ordinary.

"Yes, and it's very pretty!"

"Zeng Hao, it's time for class. Go back!" Lin Yuan said from the side.

Zeng Hao was stunned for a moment, then obediently returned to his seat.

Their conversation came to an abrupt end, and Xu Feifei realized that she hadn't paid attention to the time while chatting and didn't expect that class had already started.

"Lin Yuan, haven't you heard the story of East Lake?"

"I've heard a bit about it. Some people say they've seen couples with unusually clear skies at East Lake, and that they'll stay together forever. It's similar to the legend of kissing at the highest point of the Ferris wheel."

When Lin Yuan said this, her gaze softened, and her tone became more serious than usual. She had never believed in this legend, but today she had a different thought.

Xu Feifei nodded, seemingly understanding, as if it were just a fabrication.

It was early summer, and the weather was very hot. The two of them came to East Lake with umbrellas.

There are two teaching buildings next to East Lake that are a bit older than the current teaching buildings, and the decoration is simpler, but overall they are still very nice.

The entire East Lake covers an area of ​​about half an acre, with a pavilion in the middle of the lake.

The pavilion is located in the center of the lake, with a winding path leading directly to its center. The right side of the lake is planted with lotus flowers. It's not yet the peak season for lotus blossoms, but a few have already bloomed, standing scattered and forlorn.

There weren't many lotus flowers on the left side of the lake; they were rather sparse, and a small boat was moored there.

It was noon, and there was a long distance between East Lake and the teaching building, so there were relatively few students at this time of day.

When Xu Feifei saw the pond full of lotus leaves, she ran happily towards the lakeside. Standing by the railing, looking at the beautiful scenery before her, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! What a huge lotus pond!"

Lin Yuan quickly followed, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips.

"I want to go to that pavilion!"

Let's go!

Xu Feifei followed Lin Yuan's footsteps. As they walked on the lake, they could occasionally see fish that had been resting at the bottom swimming away quickly.

She was now filled with a keen interest in exploring her surroundings, leaning against the railing and looking down into the water. But the fish had already fled in fright, and only the lotus leaves swayed gently in the wind.

The two walked to the end of the path and came to the pavilion, where the plaque read "Lake Heart Pavilion" in three large characters.

The pavilion is decorated in a Chinese style. It is a hexagonal pavilion with six pillars, two stories, upturned eaves, and long stone benches around the perimeter.

Below the plaque is a couplet that reads, “People rise with the tide, the lake breeds a heart that seeks to escape the world.”

.

The pavilion had a very traditional style, which made her feel for a moment as if she had returned to an ancient pavilion she had visited before.

Lin Yuan looked at the pavilion and explained, "I've heard from others that this pavilion was donated by a woman surnamed Zhou, who was from Zhejiang. It was modeled after the pavilions in West Lake."

Upon hearing this, Xu Feifei suddenly realized, "No wonder it felt so familiar!"

Sitting on the stone bench, I gazed at the beautiful scenery of the lake. A breeze blew across the lake, carrying a refreshing coolness.

After a while, a rustling sound came from the bottom of the lake.

"Lin Yuan, did you hear any strange noises?" Xu Feifei asked, sticking her head out.

The moment it poked its head out, there was a "splashing" sound underwater, and the fish under the pavilion scattered in all directions.

"Hahaha, so there are fish down there!" Xu Feifei said happily, looking at the fish below.

"Mm," Lin Yuan replied with a smile.

Xu Feifei sat quietly for a long time before asking, "Lin Yuan, why are there so few people at East Lake now? Isn't this a romantic spot for couples?"

“It’s daytime now, and the head of the teaching department and teachers come here to patrol from time to time, specifically to catch young couples,” Lin Yuan said after thinking for a moment.

"Huh? Your school catches couples?" Xu Feifei asked in surprise.

"Go ahead and catch her! If you get caught, you might get a demerit!" Lin Yuan said, emphasizing the words "demerit."

"Ah!" Xu Feifei was greatly shocked.

According to the Mary Sue trope, how could a school forbid dating?! Even if she wasn't a divine intervention, standing idly by would be understandable. But isn't disciplinary action a unique feature of her real-world school?

That's really strange!

Xu Feifei pouted, her gaze sweeping over the small wooden boat beside her. Her eyes lit up, and she asked excitedly, "Can we row this little boat?"

"No, the boat is locked. You can only row it if you have the key."

"According to you, does that mean as long as you have a key, you can open it?"

Xu Feifei grasped the key point, and seeing her nod, an idea immediately came to her mind.

"By the way, Lin Yuan. Is Building B that one?" Xu Feifei pointed to the building closest to East Lake.

Lin Yuan followed the direction her finger pointed and said, "Mmm."

"That's Building A, right?" Xu Feifei pointed to a building further inside.

"Yes."

"The two buildings aren't far apart, so after I finish my exams, I'll ask you to have dinner together, hahaha," Xu Feifei said with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you downstairs in Building B,” Lin Yuan said.

"Okay, okay!" Xu Feifei replied happily.

Turning back to look at Lin Yuan, she saw the lotus flowers trembling slightly in the air. Suddenly, a fish leaped out of the water, biting a lotus petal, and fell back into the water with a "plop".

Seeing this, Xu Feifei excitedly grabbed Lin Yuan's hand, "Look, there are fish eating lotus flowers!"

Lin Yuan also noticed the movement on the lake. Turning her head, she only saw lotus flowers swaying on the surface of the lake, while the fish underwater had long since disappeared.

"Wow! The fish here even eat lotus flowers. Are they lotus flower fish?" Xu Feifei said with a smile.

Lin Yuan laughed and said, "I don't know, this is the first time I've seen it too!"

Xu Feifei looked at the lake, her eyes darting around, and then, somewhat embarrassed, asked hesitantly, "Can we catch and eat these lotus fish? I've heard people say that rice paddy fish are delicious! I've never tried them! Lotus fish and rice paddy fish should be similar, right? Or maybe lotus fish are even better, with a delicate lotus fragrance. I really want to eat them!"

Lin Yuan smiled brightly: "It should be fine. My Chinese teacher mentioned in class that he went fishing at East Lake and caught a whole bucketful!"

"Wow, is Mary Sue's teacher this down-to-earth?!" Xu Feifei exclaimed with delight.

Lin Yuan frowned after hearing Xu Feifei's words and asked, "Mary Sue? Down-to-earth? What do you mean by that?"

Xu Feifei's heart skipped a beat. She had been so happy that she had blurted out what was on her mind.

"I'm talking about Ma Li Su, didn't our Chinese teacher call it Ma Li Su?" Xu Feifei said haphazardly.

"I remember my Chinese teacher's name was Yuan Hai."

"I must have remembered wrong. I'm not familiar with the school yet. But I feel like I've heard this name mentioned before?" Xu Feifei turned her head and shook her head as she spoke.

As soon as he turned his back to Lin Yuan, he secretly took a deep breath, secretly congratulating himself on his ability to spout nonsense.

"What does 'down-to-earth' mean?"

"Uh...being down-to-earth means being approachable. I just didn't expect our teacher to be so willing to share interesting things about life with the students!"

Xu Feifei clenched her hands tightly, secretly pleased, and cheered herself on!

Lin Yuan lowered her head thoughtfully and said, "Is that so?"

"Of course! Let's go, I'm a little sleepy now!" Xu Feifei nodded very firmly, and pulled Lin Yuan away in a coquettish manner.