“Jiang Shi, when does our grade organize exams? Is it a monthly exam?” Shen Ying asked Jiang Shi after returning to the classroom from the restroom and secretly stuffing his phone back into Jiang Shi’s school bag as he sat down.
Jiang Shi watched his self-aware actions, waiting for his hand to come out of the bag before asking, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Ying shook his head. “Not much, I just want to know how far I can catch up to you guys before the monthly exam. Since the exam is after National Day… that leaves about a month until then.”
“Monthly exams aren’t major exams, so you don’t need to put too much pressure on yourself. The questions won’t be exceptionally difficult,” Jiang Shi stared at Shen Ying for a few seconds before speaking in a calm voice.
“That won’t do. Studying still needs a bit of pressure. I want to get a solid score in this monthly exam, and I definitely cannot drag Class 3 down this time. Jiang Shi, based on your current progress and my situation, what percentage of a chance do you think I have of achieving this goal?” Shen Ying was asking completely sincerely.
Even if Jiang Shi told him the probability was below fifty percent, he figured he would just have to tie his hair to the beam and pierce his thigh with an awl to study day and night. If he couldn’t do it, he would…
“One hundred percent,” Jiang Shi gave Shen Ying an exceptionally firm answer.
“Really?” Hearing this, Shen Ying’s heart skipped a beat with joy. Jiang Shi’s evaluation held immense reference value for him.
Jiang Shi looked at him. “Mhm. And there is simply no way you will drag Class 3 down. You might not be able to catch up to the scores of the top two key classes right away, but your current situation is definitely the most suitable for Class 3. Shen Ying, you have to believe me.”
Hearing these words from Jiang Shi, Shen Ying could not hide the smile blossoming across his face. “Alright!”
If Jiang Shi said it was so, then he could definitely do it.
Watching the fighting spirit ignite in Shen Ying and the smile lift his face, Jiang Shi turned his gaze away, a trace of coolness flashing deep within his eyes.
Before evening self-study.
“You’re giving up on participating in the physics competition?” Liu Yingjie looked at Jiang Shi, who had broken precedent by proactively coming to the office to find her. Hearing his thoughts now, a look of surprise crossed her face.
“Yes.”
“Why? You haven’t spent a short amount of time preparing for the physics competition, and the physics teacher has always been very optimistic about you. Although I know your situation allows you to be this willful, don’t you think it’s a pity?”
“There’s nothing pitying about it. I originally only planned to focus exclusively on the mathematics competition. The only reason I decided to join the physics competition in the first place was because Teacher Wang strongly recommended it, wasn’t it? Right now, I have a more important plan.”
“What plan?”
“That’s my own business.”
Hearing this, Liu Yingjie felt utterly helpless.
When it came to academics, Jiang Shi could easily be called the student whom all the subject teachers worried about the least. However, in daily communication, Jiang Shi was the one all the teachers found the hardest to pin down, and the one from whom it was hardest to offer constructive advice.
After all, not only were his grades stellar, but his family background was also very affluent. No matter what he did, his trial and error margin was remarkably high.
As for the decision he had just announced, it wasn’t really a huge deal, Jiang Shi focusing solely on mathematics was indeed his original plan from the very start.
“Jiang Shi, tell me honestly, did you suddenly make this decision because you want to free up the time you spent preparing for the physics competition to tutor Shen Ying? So that he can catch up with our class’s curriculum faster?” Liu Yingjie decided to cut straight to the point.
Hearing this, Jiang Shi opened his mouth to speak.
“To be honest, when I received the grade head’s notification that a transfer student was being assigned to our class, I didn’t know it went through your hands. It wasn’t until yesterday when you agreed to be desk mates with Shen Ying that I realized. The school is certainly glad you finally have a friend you’re willing to interact with at school, but I feel the primary purpose of school is to provide a place for learning. Shen Ying’s academics can be handled by us teachers, you shouldn’t divert your own study time to invest in him. Don’t you think so?” Liu Yingjie spoke to Jiang Shi with a very patient tone.
However, Jiang Shi was completely unmoved by this reminder, even turning more resolute. “Teacher, even if I were to give up the mathematics competition right now as well, it would still be my own decision. The only reason I agreed to join the physics competition back then was because I had surplus time. But right now, I have more important matters that urgently require that time.”
“…Have you really thought this through?” Realizing that saying more was useless, Liu Yingjie had no choice but to confirm with him once again.
“Mhm.”
“Alright, the teacher understands. I’ll pass this on to Teacher Wang tomorrow. I suppose he’ll be heartbroken for a while, it took quite a bit of effort to persuade you into agreeing back then.”
“Thank you, teacher. I’ll head back to the classroom first,” Jiang Shi said, turning to leave.
Liu Yingjie suddenly called out to him again. “You can choose to give up the physics competition, and I can agree to it directly today, but if you want to give up the mathematics competition later for any reason, I must first seek General Manager Jiang’s consent. Understood?”
“It won’t come to that. Shen Ying’s learning ability doesn’t require me to give up the math competition.” Jiang Shi’s tone was extremely definitive.
“Alright, the teacher trusts your judgment. I’ve learned a lot about his past academic background over the past few days, and I’m also looking forward to seeing Shen Ying’s outstanding performance at Yinan No. 1 High School as soon as possible. Go on, you’ll have to head to the tiered lecture hall for your math competition class soon. Hurry back to the classroom to get your materials ready, and don’t delay.”
Upon returning to the classroom, Jiang Shi first helped Shen Ying confirm that his self-made study plan was correct before telling him that he needed to go to the first-floor tiered lecture hall for his competition class.
“Okay, then hurry on over. The class bell is about to ring,” Shen Ying said, pausing for a moment before quickly glancing at his watch and eagerly urging him.
He had almost forgotten, Jiang Shi was a competition student.
Not long after Jiang Shi left the classroom, the evening self-study bell rang right on his heels.
Strangely enough, despite having transferred only two days ago and this being merely Shen Ying’s second evening self-study at Yinan No. 1 High School, with Jiang Shi suddenly absent from his seat beside him, Shen Ying sat alone in the classroom for just a few minutes before inexplicably feeling a sense of out of place alienation.
That sense of alienation seemed to have arrived far too belatedly.
Shen Ying shook his head, mentally rebuking and waking himself up.
The monthly exam goal a month from now was one of absolute success, with zero room for failure.
Pondering these extraneous matters was just asking for trouble.
Just as Shen Ying prepared to focus on the knowledge points in his textbook, he suddenly noticed all the students in front of him whispering among themselves while looking out the window.
Curious, Shen Ying cocked his head to look outside. The first thing he saw was two limping figures passing by the doorway. Realizing who those two people might be, Shen Ying froze in surprise, wanting to look closer to confirm, but the two figures had already vanished from sight.
“Damn, what’s up with those two from Class 4? Are they beating each other up? Tao Ruiyu in front was the first to speak after watching them pass.
“Beating each other up? Surely not,” Zhao Lingfan from the neighboring seat laughed, his tone turning somewhat sarcastic. “Aren’t those two acknowledged best buddies? What on earth would they fight over, whose grades are better?”
As soon as these words left his mouth, several classmates nearby couldn’t help laughing out loud, clearly all in on the ‘inside joke’.
Class 4. Those two foul mouthed guys in the restroom at noon were from Class 4.
Shen Ying didn’t know the shared punchlines among his classmates, but he had overheard what he wanted to know.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shi arrived fashionably late at the entrance of the first floor tiered lecture hall.
“Report.”
“Jiang Shi, what is going on with you today? You actually missed the start by a few minutes. Hurry up and find a seat, and make sure this never happens again. Being able to sit in this classroom means every single minute and second of your time is precious,” the teacher on the podium said with a very solemn expression, reminding him of the value of time.
“Understood, teacher. It won’t happen next time.”
As evening self-study neared its end, Shen Ying felt a deep sense of a productive harvest and stopped his pen, lifting his hands with a satisfied expression to massage his sore neck.
As he stretched and tilted his neck upward, Shen Ying caught sight of Tao Ruiyu and Zhao Lingfan up ahead making eyes at each other. The latter had pulled out his phone at some point, and the screen was currently glowing brightly right beneath his desk.
Shen Ying quickly averted his gaze from the phone’s glare, wanting to continue playing the part of someone completely oblivious, only to lock eyes directly with Zhao Lingfan.
Turning his gaze slightly, he saw that Tao Ruiyu had also glanced at him before frantically signaling back and forth with his eyes toward Zhao Lingfan, as if urging him on.
Anyone with eyes could tell they had something to say, so Shen Ying patiently waited a few seconds to see what they were up to.
Realizing that Shen Ying was waiting, Zhao Lingfan deliberated for several seconds before leaning his head closer in Shen Ying’s direction and tossing out five words completely out of left field:
“I am your Sheng Grandfather?”
Shen Ying’s face froze in blank astonishment for several seconds before he softly and quizzically asked, “You know Peng Sheng?”
Those five words were the exact Q chat nickname Peng Sheng used.
Zhao Lingfan was shocked. “Is he really your friend?”
“How do you know Peng Sheng?” Shen Ying was instantly hooked, asking with great curiosity.
Hearing someone mention Peng Sheng here at Yinan No. 1 High School came as quite a pleasant surprise to Shen Ying.
However, when he pressed the question, Zhao Lingfan and Tao Ruiyu exchanged a silent look before Zhao Lingfan finally spoke to him: “We don’t really know each other in person, we met in a game chat group. I told him I was a student at Yinan No. 1 High School, and he straight up mocked me, saying what’s so great about that, bragging that his good brother had just transferred to Yinan No. 1 High School yesterday. I figured, who else transferred recently besides you?”
“…Oh, well I don’t know him.” Shen Ying never expected such an origin story. Hearing this killed his interest instantly, leaving only a heavy wave of secondary social embarrassment (social death). “Tell him the transfer student doesn’t know any grandfathers.”
This response actually convinced Zhao Lingfan that the two truly knew each other, and were likely extremely close.
“…Alright, well you remember to tell him to watch his mouth too,” Zhao Lingfan muttered in reply, then turned back around and sat properly.
At that moment, Shen Ying genuinely wished he could teleport directly in front of Peng Sheng and beat him to a pulp.
A moment later, the end of study bell rang. True to form, the entire class bolted like wild horses yearning for freedom, scrambling out at top speed. In the blink of an eye, only a scattering of students remained in the classroom.
Shen Ying stayed behind to wait for Jiang Shi, who was still at his competition class. Since he wasn’t in a hurry, he casually and leisurely packed up his desk. Once he finished his own things, he didn’t forget to pack up Jiang Shi’s as well.
When Jiang Shi finally appeared at the classroom doorway, besides Shen Ying, the only people left in the room were Zhao Lingfan and Tao Ruiyu, who seemed to be waiting behind to help lock up the classroom.
With Peng Sheng using him to swagger around still lingering on his mind, and since it was already dismissal time with a notorious phone addict right in front of him, Shen Ying didn’t feel any need to be coy. The moment he spotted Jiang Shi, he called out:
“Jiang Shi, can you lend me your phone for a second? I want to send a message.”
Jiang Shi’s hand, holding his competition textbook, paused. He glanced sideways toward Zhao Lingfan before quickly retracting his gaze, too fast to catch.
Then, he asked Shen Ying. “Is it very urgent?”
That question caught Shen Ying completely off guard. Was it urgent? Not really.
“Not super urgent, no.”
“Mhm, let’s head home then. It’s getting late.”
That sounded entirely reasonable. Shen Ying immediately shouldered his backpack and obediently left the classroom alongside Jiang Shi.
Having heard their conversation with unusual clarity for the first time, the two students sitting ahead stood frozen for a moment after the pair left the classroom, seemingly absorbing the news. Once it registered, they simultaneously turned to look at each other, their tones filled with shock that was almost perfectly synchronized.
“His phone… is being kept by Shishen?!”
“His phone is being kept by Shishen?!”