034 | (Thirty-three) Returning to School
In late August, the long summer was drawing to a close. The sweltering heat was about to dissipate, and the humid air was gradually fading. The crape myrtle outside the eaves had already finished its first bloom, leaving fallen petals scattered all over the ground, and the paulownia trees were also bathed in the twilight light, their branches stripped of their green.
At night, the crickets and cicadas continued their incessant chirping, disturbing her sleep.
Xie Jinyu returned to Jincheng from Shanghai after her business trip, marking the end of Xie Qingyan's good days.
Fortunately, all the assignments required for the inspection were complete. Although Xie Jinyu looked suspicious, after flipping through a couple of pages and pondering for a moment, she didn't say anything else.
As if knowing they couldn't get anything out of her, they grabbed Su Xingmao and interrogated her one by one. Xie Qingyan was eavesdropping through the wall, her heart pounding with anxiety. Her fingernails dug into her flesh until they ached, fearing that Su Xingmao would say something she shouldn't.
However, Su Xingmao was even more tight-lipped than she had expected. He answered her questions meticulously and deliberately, keeping his mouth shut and refusing to reveal a single word.
We finally got through this hurdle without any major incidents.
After wasting a few more days at home, the holiday is coming to an end, and the second year of high school officially starts.
On the first day back to school, there was no new atmosphere in the new semester. Xie Qingyan was listless and dragged her heavy steps into the classroom. Class 8 of Grade 11 implemented single seats. Xie Qingyan's seat was in the last row by the window. She slumped into her seat, feeling no energy at all.
In Xie Qingyan's words, she was naturally allergic to the air at school; the smell would make her bones go weak.
She disliked school, like a plant transplanted to unsuitable saline soil. Stepping into the classroom made her feel drowsy, and seeing the whiteboard full of formulas was like reading gibberish; she just wanted to fall asleep.
The classroom was noisy, with the constant rustling of pens under the brush in the back row.
No sooner had they sat down than the class representatives from each subject came one after another to collect summer homework. Zhou Hanyu squeezed through the front row, glancing at Xie Qingyan with a smile, surprised that this perpetually procrastinating "stubborn" student had actually finished the entire math test?
"Look at your dark circles, did you finish copying all night last night?"
"Copy what?" She yawned repeatedly. "The game rankings were finalized yesterday, and I stayed up all night to climb the ranks, you know?"
Zhou Hanyu bent down to look through her notebook and gave her a surprised look: "I really didn't realize you had been working hard during the summer vacation."
"Hmm, she is quite... hardworking." Xie Qingyan pouted and shook her aching wrist. "I'm exhausted."
"This is nothing." Zhou Hanyu quietly leaned closer to her and delivered a bombshell to Xie Qingyan: "Teacher Li said there will be a quiz in the next class."
Xie Qingyan didn't care at all. She tapped her pen and said quite calmly, "Let's take the test. I'm going to fail anyway."
The preparatory bell rang, and the homeroom teacher peeked out the window. The crowd was put on pause, and the hustle and bustle instantly fell silent.
Class 8 of Grade 11 is the elite class of Jincheng Middle School, which is slightly lower than the competition class but better than the regular class.
The homeroom teacher's surname is Qin, given name Xin. He teaches English and is about forty years old. He has a thick head of hair, which is quite impressive among the group of male teachers who are experiencing a midlife crisis and are balding. He wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses and is a strict and serious person.
The first lesson followed the usual three points: how important the second year of high school is, how to study more efficiently, and that it's time to get back to studying after a fun-filled summer vacation.
Xie Qingyan, an art student who was at the bottom of the class, was not bad in other subjects, but her English was exceptionally good, consistently ranking around 140, which greatly dragged down her math score of less than 90.
Therefore, during Qin Xin's class, she openly daydreamed, her gaze wandering from the exam paper to the window. Jincheng was covered with ivy everywhere, even the teaching building was no exception. However, as September approached, the ivy also had to rest. Its leaves climbed up to the red edges, and its toes curled up to the color of withered wood, no longer covering the lush green of spring and summer.
A bird perched on a vine, flapped its wings, and flew away into the vast white clouds.
Xie Qingyan thought regretfully, why didn't she have wings and could fly out of the classroom? Why did she have to listen to these boring lessons day after day?
Her gaze was still fixed on the window when Qin Xin singled her out: "Some students aren't even enthusiastic on the first day back to school, still looking out the window! Xie Qingyan, what are you looking at? What's so interesting outside?"
"—Look, a handsome guy?"
With his mind blank, Xie Qingyan subconsciously replied, only realizing the ridiculous thing he had said after it left his mouth. He couldn't help but curse himself inwardly for being so stupid.
Good heavens, what is she saying?!
The classroom erupted in laughter, the noise instantly filling the air as people whispered and laughed at her.
"Xie Qingyan, you—" Qin Xin was speechless with anger.
Her face flushed red and then turned pale; she was extremely embarrassed and wished she could just disappear on the spot.
Everyone was looking at her, but one gaze, seemingly faint yet distinct, stood out. Like fine snowflakes or a cold moon, its clear coolness bathed her, making it hard for Xie Qingyan to ignore.
Xie Qingyan stiffened his neck, trying to remain calm, and refused to bow his head.
"Xie Qingyan, don't think that just because you're studying art, your academic scores don't matter. Pay attention in class." Qin Xin gave a long, earnest lecture. "And all of you, be quiet. What's so funny? You're in your second year of high school now. Your studies are much more demanding than in your first year. Listen carefully in class. I'll only explain the points once..."
The bell rang, and the two agonizing classes finally came to an end. Xie Qingyan immediately slumped onto the desk, not wanting to move at all.
During the long break, Zheng Hui, carrying a basketball, came up from behind noisily and patted her on the shoulder: "Xie Qingyan! Xie Qingyan!"
"What?" she asked impatiently, too lazy to even lift her head.
"There's a talent show on New Year's Day. The school band has been rehearsing for six months in advance. Do you want to go see it?"
Xie Qingyan then turned around. Zheng Hui had thick eyebrows and big, bright eyes. He was tall and strong, with solid muscles and a large build, looking like a sports student.
He and she were no different; they both barely managed to get into Jincheng Middle School through their artistic talents.
Zheng Hui now plays the clarinet in the school band. The two are considered to be the worst-performing brothers in the class, struggling to survive in this camp full of academic elites.
He was quite easygoing about his grades. When the school awarded Su Xingmao a scholarship, he even told Xie Qingyan, "They gave it to the wrong people; it should have been given to both of us."
Xie Qingyan glanced at him and asked why. Zheng Hui patted his chest: "Without us to make them look good, would their grades be so good? Who knows how painful it is for me to suffer from the mental pressure these top students put on me every day? Our failures are the source of their confidence. They should give me compensation for their mental distress. I want to be a paid underachiever!"
Xie Qingyan's lips twitched as she listened: "You should be grateful that I didn't ask you to pay more money. I even paid for it."
...
"Are you going or not?" Zheng Hui asked again.
Xie Qingyan was practically bursting with boredom in the classroom. Why not join in the fun? She raised an eyelid, about to answer, when Zheng Hui said with a grin, "There's a handsome guy."
It was obvious they were teasing her about the slip of the tongue she made in class. Xie Qingyan snorted and asked, "Who?"
"Me." Zheng Hui tossed his hair, full of confidence.
"Who's going to die from grease?" Xie Qingyan said disdainfully, scoffing, "You should go look in the mirror."
Zheng Hui was devastated and his confidence was shattered. He turned to another classmate and asked, "Am I not handsome?"
To be fair, Zheng Hui is handsome, but he doesn't fit her aesthetic standards. His features are strong and angular, with a sharp jawline. In ancient times, he would have been considered handsome with striking features. However, his muscles are too muscular, bulging out of his school uniform and taut, which is astonishing to look at.
The Chinese people admire the beauty of subtlety, but too much of a good thing can be bad.
In comparison, a slender, agile physique suits her better, such as Su—
etc!
Xie Qingyan abruptly extinguished the thought, unconsciously straightening her posture. How could she possibly think of that completely unrelated person?
Ever since she entered the school, she had tried her best to ignore the existence of that annoying guy. Su Xingmao sat in the second row from the front of her row, three or four heads away from her. He was tall, and whenever she looked up at the podium, she would inevitably catch a glimpse of the back of his head first.
But Xie Qingyan didn't want to look at him, preferring to stare out the window in a daze and get called on by the teacher.
Even after all this... I still find myself thinking of him for no reason.
She must have really lost her mind.
Xie Qingyan was lost in thought, her gaze drifting unconsciously forward. Just a hair's breadth away, she met a pair of bright, clear eyes with delicate brows. Through the noisy classroom crowd, amidst overlapping figures, that person was calmly watching her.
When did it begin? How long did he watch her? Xie Qingyan had no way of knowing.
Zheng Hui's hand was still on her shoulder, and he grinned from ear to ear: "I just asked, and everyone says you're really handsome! Xie Qingyan, are your eyes not working properly?"
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