Chapter 46: 11 Names That Always Leave a Lingering Regret
Chapter 46: 11 Names That Always Leave a Lingering Regret
With the matter settled, Meng Xiaoyang seemed to be in a good mood on the way back to school after dinner. The next day, he even asked Fang Yuenian if she wanted to go to class to study. Fang Yuenian thought she had nothing else to do, so she agreed. Their friendship progressed rapidly.
On Monday, when Meng Xiaoyang, the English class representative, handed out the monthly exam papers, he made a point of picking out Li Peixiang's paper first, and of course, he also picked out Li Peixiang's paper, relieving the two of them from their agonizing wait for the results.
Fang Yuenian did well on the exam, scoring 19 points on his English essay. Li Peixiang praised him highly, saying he was sure to be in the top ten of the class.
However, Fang Yuenian specifically looked at Meng Xiaoyang's test paper during break and found that his essay score was a bright red 23.
"Holy crap!" Li Peixiang wailed, "This is outrageous! Why did I only get 13 points?"
Fang Yuenian seemed to recognize the scene, so she patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid. If one door closes, another opens. It's only 10 points. You can definitely catch up in the next math exam."
So, after a whole day of wailing and lamentation from the class, most of the monthly exam results came out.
Fang Yuenian was quite satisfied with all his subjects, thinking that ranking in the top twenty of his class wouldn't be a problem. His current academic plan was to make steady progress, and he was very calm. The main concern was Cheng Bing; he wondered how Cheng Bing had done on his exams… sigh…
On the afternoon of the third day, after class, Fang Yuenian rushed to the entrance of the teaching building. Instead of calling Cheng Bing or rushing to the cafeteria for food, she went straight to the honor roll and started looking for names while silently chanting "top ten, top ten, top ten". When she looked, she found that the number before Cheng Bing's name was 11.
"Depend on!"
He said angrily.
"Who are you insulting?"
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind me.
Fang Yuenian was startled. "My God! When did you get here?"
Cheng Bing had a better location than him. As he came out of the classroom, he saw a figure rush down the stairs like the wind and head straight for the gate. He couldn't even see the hem of the figure's clothes, let alone call out to anyone.
"No, no..." Fang Yuenian chickened out, "I didn't swear."
Cheng Bing glanced at the ranking list, scanning it from top to bottom, and noticed that "Fang Yuenian" was back at the bottom, ranked 47th. He nodded: "You did very well on the exam. Aren't you satisfied?"
Fang Yuenian immediately said, "No, no, no, I'm very satisfied. I'm satisfied no matter what rank you get."
Cheng Bing glanced at him. "Let's go eat."
This person appeared calm and composed, showing no signs of disappointment or resentment.
Fang Yuenian ate her rice in small bites, glancing at him tentatively three times. Cheng Bing finally couldn't hold back any longer and put down his chopsticks: "What are you looking at?"
"Uh," Fang Yuenian grumbled, "what's your rank in the class?"
"seventh."
"Oh, well, that's alright then." Fang Yuenian smiled at him, her expression somewhat ingratiating.
"And you, where do you rank in the class?"
Fang Yuenian grinned and said, "I did really well on the test! I ranked fourth in the class! Oh my god, I thought the high school entrance exam was the pinnacle of my life, but I never thought I could actually rank in the top five. Well, even if it's only the top five in the class, it's still pretty impressive, isn't it?"
He smiled so hard his eyes curved into crescent moons, and Cheng Bing chuckled softly and nodded, "Mm."
Ranked in the top 50 in the grade, Fang Yue was definitely in the top 10 in a regular class. This was the first time in her academic career that she had made it onto the honor roll of the top 10, and she was so happy that she almost lost herself.
But he paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Are you... are you feeling alright?"
Cheng Bing's smile hadn't faded as she looked at him and asked, "What's wrong? Can't you accept that I didn't get first place?"
“No, not at all,” Fang Yuenian replied immediately and decisively. “I can accept whatever ranking you get. I’m just worried that you’ll feel bad.”
“Fang Yuenian,” Cheng Bing said calmly, “Do you remember when I told you that some people who had average grades in junior high school can still do very well in high school?”
"I remember."
"You're now in the top fifty. Do you know how many people you've surpassed in the high school entrance exam?"
Fang Yuenian realized this was a compliment, and her face immediately burned. "Ah, ah?"
"Everyone has a new beginning. I never thought I would always be number one. You once said that maybe your grades would surpass mine, and I think that's very possible."
Fang Yuenian stared blankly at the person in front of her, unable to understand why he could always be so calm and how he could have such a strong heart.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. You mentioned last time that you wanted to change your events for the sports meet. Did you change them?" Cheng Bing changed the subject.
"Oh, yes, it's changed. I didn't register for the 1000 meters anymore, I registered for the 3000 meters instead, but the long jump is still on my list."
Cheng Bing nodded: "Understood."
Although Fang Yuenian was always disappointed with Cheng Bing's 11th place, it was still an excellent result for No. 1 High School to be ranked in the top 50 no matter what. Based on No. 1 High School's past performance of 50% exceeding the first-tier university admission line and 90% exceeding the undergraduate admission line, the top 50 universities have a wide range of choices, although it is too early to say that now.
Upon hearing this news, Li Peixiang shouted in public during a break in evening self-study: "Damn! Fang Yuenian, is your school heartthrob Cheng going to apply to Tsinghua University?"
The student in front of me, sensing the gossip, immediately came over and said, "Who? Cheng Bing from Class 18, right? He's amazing! Incredible!"
"Of course! How could our brothers from year to year not be awesome?" Li Peixiang said with pride. "He's now the school's heartthrob and academic star all in one, a true legend!"
Cheng Bing probably didn't know he was a prominent figure. Fang Yuenian thought to himself, but calmly said, "The 11th place can't get into Tsinghua University."
It's considered good if No. 1 High School can produce two or three students who get into Tsinghua or Peking University every year.
"That's not much of a difference! We'll work even harder after we choose our majors, right?" Li Peixiang laughed. "You're great, and so is Meng Xiaoyang. You're both top students."
Fang Yuenian glanced at him, then remained aloof and didn't reply.
The man then said gloatingly, "Guess what number He Linjie got, hahaha? 427! I'm dying of laughter. He's always acting like a deadbeat, he didn't even come close to a fraction of Meng Xiaoyang's score."
Meng Xiaoyang is first in his class and 25th in the grade.
Fang Yuenian asked, puzzled, "Why are you comparing the two of them?"
Li Peixiang's expression paused for a second, then he waved his hand: "Hey, that makes sense. This person is no longer a threat at all."
Fang Yue Nian vaguely felt that this know-it-all seemed to be hiding something, but given his personality, he didn't seem like someone who could keep things to himself. Besides, wasn't everyone already aware of the relationship between Meng Xiaoyang and He Linjie? What was there to hesitate about?
Li Peixiang seemed to notice his confusion and quickly added, "Never mind that. Tomorrow afternoon our class is practicing fun sports events and relays. The sports meet is the day after tomorrow. If you're not too busy, come with me tomorrow to time yourself. You should also work on your physical fitness. To be honest, I'm a little worried. Are you really going to run the 3000 meters? I'm not looking down on you, I just think you're a little... ah—"
Before he could utter the word "weak," Fang Yuenian reached out and pinched his shoulder, making him let out a ghostly scream.
"Alright, alright, let go, brave warrior, let go!"
Fang Yuenian withdrew her hand. "I've arranged to go running at the sports field with Cheng Bing tomorrow. What time are you guys?"
"Did Cheng, the school heartthrob, also sign up for the 3000-meter race?"
"He reported that he ran 1,000 meters."
“If he’s going to register for 1000 meters, then you should register for 1000 meters too!” Li Peixiang said matter-of-factly. “Such a heavy job as 3000 meters is left to us roughnecks. Wouldn’t it be better if you spent more time helping Meng Xiaoyang with logistics?”
"Don't worry," Fang Yuenian was truly exasperated with this old woman, who had been practically worshipping Meng Xiaoyang lately. "How could Meng Xiaoyang be so frail?"
But he wasn't an isolated case. Since the monthly exam results came out, Meng Xiaoyang broke through the ranks of the ordinary class and ranked 25th. Not only was the homeroom teacher overjoyed, but the classmates also looked at him differently. Not to mention his gentle, calm and slightly melancholic temperament, coupled with his refined and handsome appearance—these past few days, everyone flocked to him to ask about homework, and he explained it to them all properly. In no time, his popularity soared, and his status became extraordinary.
Although Fang Yuenian also gained a lot of attention, he was already very popular, so there wasn't such a stark difference.
However, according to Li Peixiang's inside information, the competition for the title of "class heartthrob" is now more intense than ever before, with Meng Xiaoyang emerging as a dark horse, seemingly threatening Fang Yuenian's position.
Fang Yuenian has gone mad.
It seems that the first year of high school is really not busy enough.
The next evening, many people went to the sports field. Meng Xiaoyang, as the logistics team leader, was handing out small flowers and flags to cheerleaders with the class monitor, surrounded by a group of girls chatting and laughing.
Li Peixiang endured the training sessions with the two teams participating in the fun sports activities, his voice nearly hoarse from shouting. The five-legged race was a chaotic mess, with the whack-a-mole game causing a huge uproar. Feeling dejected, he turned to look for Fang Yuenian, only to find her running side-by-side with his brother Cheng, seemingly oblivious to the onlookers chasing after the handsome men, and even more oblivious to him.
"I'm so miserable," he thought.
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