Chapter Twenty-Seven: Taking the Exam for Someone Else
In the depths of winter, Zheng Qi was wrapped in a short, fuchsia down jacket. The vibrant color, set against his delicate and androgynous features, did not appear out of place at all.
Standing beside Chen Guang, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes as his slightly smiling gaze fell upon Lin Yu.
She has changed quite a bit in the past six months.
The frizzy high ponytail of my memory has been replaced by smooth, flowing hair, with light wisps falling across my forehead, allowing my bright almond-shaped eyes to see the light of day. She wore light makeup, which made her appear even more pitiful against the backdrop of the snow.
Zheng Qi was slightly taken aback. Lin Yu's features seemed to have undergone some subtle change in his hazy memory. Her contours were more refined, and her expression held a more indescribable charm. He couldn't figure out where this change came from, and unconsciously glanced at her a few more times.
Chen Guang realized that his words were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, leaving no echo. Zheng Qi and Lin Yu's gazes met silently, passing over him.
This sudden tacit understanding made Chen Guang somewhat displeased, a subtle sour feeling spreading in his chest. He reached through the iron fence and hooked Lin Yu's scarf, trying to cut off their seemingly tangible line of sight.
"Hey!" He raised his chin, deliberately drawing out the sound. "I'm really good at kicking shuttlecock, why don't you ask me for help?"
Lin Yu snapped out of her daze, tilted her head, and asked him, "How can you help? Take the exam for me? If you get caught, I'm finished."
"You haven't even asked me yet, so I might not help you." Lin Yu ignored Chen Guang and continued to ponder the possibility of taking the exam for someone else.
At this moment, Yao Fangfang walked over from not far behind Lin Yu and stared intently at the two people outside the iron fence. "Long time no see! What brings two handsome guys here all of a sudden?"
Lin Yu muttered in a low voice, just loud enough for Yao Fangfang to hear, "It's the evil wind from the Spider Cave!"
Yao Fangfang covered her mouth and chuckled, then lowered her voice and said, "The teacher said there are too many people taking the exam, so we have to divide them into groups of five. The students who finish the exam are responsible for counting for the next group."
She winked mischievously. "I'll test you first, then count for you, and secretly count two extra."
"No, I can only kick three at most, but the passing score is ten." Lin Yu bit his lip and shook his head. "Even if you kick two more each time, it won't be enough. If the teacher finds out, I'll be ruined again."
"Tsk!" Chen Guang interjected impatiently, "All you talk about is being useless, so much psychological burden at such a young age." He raised an eyebrow, glancing at the crowded court. "Look at this sea of people, how can the teacher remember anyone?"
"Since your name is so neutral, I'll take the exam for you later. I'll kick out ten people for you, no more and no less. Yao Fangfang will be in charge of counting. It'll be a perfect cover-up."
Lin Yu frowned, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. "But you're too tall, you'll stand out too much in the line," she muttered to herself, weighing the risks in her mind.
Chen Guang casually brushed aside the newly grown stray hairs on his forehead, revealing his full forehead. "You should just say I'm too handsome, I'd like to hear that more." His smug expression made Yao Fangfang chuckle.
Lin Yu glanced at Zheng Qi, who remained silent, as if he were the only one among the four who appeared somewhat composed. All three eyes turned to him simultaneously, and Zheng Qi immediately felt uneasy. He coughed lightly and slowly spoke amidst the expectant gazes of the others.
“Theoretically... it’s not entirely impossible.” Before he finished speaking, Chen Guang snapped his fingers triumphantly.
Ultimately, this hasty cheating ended with Chen Guang being caught red-handed. It wasn't that the teacher had a particularly strong memory of Lin Yu's name, nor was it that Chen Guang's behavior was particularly flamboyant.
In fact, he hadn't even touched the shuttlecock's feathers yet; he was just standing there when a girl suddenly rushed out from the crowd, pointed her finger at Chen Guang's nose with unwavering certainty, her flushed face filled with the satisfaction of avenging her great grudge.
"Teacher, he is not Lin Yu."
Chen Guang had planned everything meticulously, but he hadn't anticipated that there was a vengeful spirit hidden within the team. Lin Yu slapped him hard on the back, stomping his foot in anger. "Next time you receive a love letter, could you at least wait until you've turned the corner before throwing it in the trash? You're usually so considerate, bro!"
Yao Fangfang and Zheng Qi laughed so hard they almost fell over, but Chen Guang looked like a wilted eggplant, his head drooping. As the exam drew to a close, he followed Lin Yu step by step to apologize to the PE teacher.
The PE teacher's reaction completely surprised Lin Yu. He looked at Lin Yu with loving eyes, his gaze as gentle as if he were looking at his own daughter. "Student, are you feeling unwell?" This caring tone instantly touched Lin Yu.
"Teacher..." Lin Yu, in a dramatic display, suddenly swayed weakly, his voice trembling just the right amount.
"I suddenly had a hypoglycemic attack today. I was so afraid of failing my exam that I made a mistake..." As she spoke, she secretly pinched her thigh and actually managed to squeeze out two crocodile tears. Crystalline teardrops hung on her eyelashes, and even her breathing became rapid.
Chen Guang, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he would have applauded and cheered for this award-winning performance, declaring that the Chinese film industry was saved! Lin Yu subtly nudged him with her elbow, and he immediately understood, quickly getting into character and taking over Lin Yu's role.
"Teacher, it's all my fault." Chen Guang put his arm around Lin Yu's shoulder. "She's been practicing late every night for the scholarship, and as her boyfriend, I can't help her at all. I can only worry helplessly. Today, seeing her pale face but still trying to stay strong, I just..."
As she spoke, she gently wiped away non-existent cold sweat from Lin Yu's body. "It was my insistence on taking the exam for her. If I hadn't repeatedly persuaded her, she would never have agreed to my terrible idea."
"She is truly an excellent student in both character and academics. Please give her another chance."
Chen Guang was even more outrageous than she was. Lin Yu kept her head down, her shoulders trembling suspiciously. She bit her lip hard, afraid she might accidentally burst out laughing. She absolutely couldn't make eye contact with Yao Fangfang at this moment, or the situation would instantly spiral out of control.
The PE teacher's gaze gently shifted between the two, without rushing to make things difficult for or criticize them. From his perspective, Lin Yu's lowered head and slightly trembling shoulders really did look like he was secretly wiping away tears.
He has been teaching for many years and has always treated physical education classes as a relaxing and entertaining activity for students. His students are like his children, and very few students fail his classes.
"It's alright, it's alright, classmate!" the teacher reassured Lin Yu gently. "Go over there and get a new shuttlecock, try kicking it, even just a few times."
He pointed towards the equipment basket. "Don't feel pressured, I believe you've already tried your best." He softened his tone as he spoke. "The most important thing in our PE class is participation, and given your attitude, I certainly won't make things difficult for you."
In the end, Lin Yu unexpectedly scored an outstanding 90 points with his "outstanding" performance of hitting the shuttlecock four times in a row. The surrounding classmates cast surprised glances and gathered together to whisper among themselves, all of which Lin Yu witnessed.
But at this moment, an unprecedented sense of ease filled her body, leaving her no time to care about these things. This was not only because of her groundbreaking athletic achievement, but also because of the thrill and relief of breaking the rules.
Like a body that has been soaking in warm water for a long time suddenly coming into contact with cool air, the timidity and restraint that once bound her are now evaporating along with this dishonest trophy.
This dangerous thrill made her heart race; she realized that breaking the rules could be so captivating.
"Hey!" Chen Guang grabbed Lin Yu's sleeve. With the crisis averted, he returned to his usual cheerful self.
"I never expected Lin Yu, usually so quiet, to be such a good actor!" He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "The scholarship's in the bag, right? Shouldn't I get half the credit?"
Yao Fangfang glanced at her watch and patted Lin Yu on the shoulder. "I'm going to be late for my driving test, I'll go first." After becoming single again, Yao Fangfang made a decisive move and used the money left over from selling her diamond ring to enroll in a driving school not far from her school. Today was her scheduled test day for the second part of the driving test.
Before leaving, she glanced meaningfully at Lin Yu, who was being entangled by Chen Guang, a slightly sympathetic smile on her lips.
Zheng Qi stood aside and witnessed the whole farce. He patted Chen Guang on the back and teased him casually, "Weren't you going back to the dorm to catch up on sleep? What? You perked up as soon as you saw Lin Yu?"
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Like a spark thrown into a pyre, the words instantly ignited a blush on both their faces. Lin Yu couldn't accept Zheng Qi's teasing, so she quickly pulled a shuttlecock from her pocket and shoved it into Chen Guang's hand.
"This is my lucky shuttlecock that broke my record today. Now I'm giving it to you. Isn't that more sincere than treating you to a meal?"
Chen Guang was still reeling from Zheng Qi's teasing, his earlobes burning red. "You did well on the test, wasn't it because the teacher was impressed by my acting?"
How dare you bring that up!
Lin Yu's voice suddenly rose. "Who told you to spout nonsense about him being my boyfriend? What if our classmates hear us? Are you trying too hard to be a drama queen?"
She believes that Chen Guang's actions were entirely irresponsible and mocking, showing no awareness or willingness to acknowledge the potential protection or goodwill behind them.
"Huh?" Chen Guang was furious that Lin Yu was so ungrateful. "You speak so softly to others, but why do you act like you've swallowed gunpowder when you talk to me?"
"Who cares what they think? How many people in a class do you even know by name?"
He had originally hoped that Lin Yu would at least feel some gratitude towards him, and that she would at least understand that he was helping her out of a predicament.
But her reaction completely surprised him, negating all his efforts and severely damaging his self-esteem. His shyness instantly turned into resentment, leaving him feeling only embarrassed and aggrieved.
Zheng Qi mediated, patting Chen Guang on the shoulder. "You're a boy, of course you don't care, but you shouldn't say things like that!"
"What? You look down on me?" Chen Guang was even more furious when he saw Zheng Qi turn against him, and he blurted out some irrational words.
"No, Lin Yu, do you have some misunderstanding about me? Do you think I think highly of you? That I'm practically throwing myself at you?"
"Are you crazy? I didn't say that!" Lin Yu's face instantly flushed red, his chest heaving with anger. He didn't want to be defeated like this in front of Zheng Qi.
"That would be ideal. There are plenty of people who like me. If it weren't for the fact that you have so few friends, I wouldn't have time to waste on you."
"Just you wait, my future girlfriend will be a million times better than you!"
The help Chen Guang had once given her, which she had been grateful for, now seemed like a condescending act of charity in his harsh sarcasm.
In front of Zheng Qi, his undisguised mockery cut at her self-esteem like a knife, causing shame and anger to churn within her. She bit her trembling lips tightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.
At this moment, Lin Yu suddenly began to dislike Chen Guang. Perhaps only by disliking him could he feel safe.
But she didn't seem to realize that the hatred of adolescence was actually unnamed love. And when she once again confirmed in her heart that Chen Guang didn't like her either, what she really wanted to say was probably...
"I think I'm starting to like you, this is too dangerous."
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