The physics teacher was explaining problems on the podium, going over the small physics test paper assigned the previous night.
He Xunyan hadn’t done it. Feeling that listening without having tried it was useless, she planned to use this class period for something else.
As for the test paper, she would carefully work through it properly later on.
That’s right, rationally allocating time was a required course for a freshman in high school.
So, taking advantage of the teacher’s inattention, she secretly opened that peerless little sweet web novel, The Master Is Acting Strange.
Before the start of the semester, she had accidentally obtained a twenty-yuan coupon on a shopping app. While wondering what to buy, she spotted this book.
Opening the page to take a brief look, she saw it was a master-disciple romance set against an ancient background, and it was a GL (girls’ love) story.
He Xunyan’s understanding of this field was completely blank.
She loved exploring the blank spaces.
He Xunyan had never believed in love, or rather, she never believed she could possess it. Because of this, she very much wanted to appreciate someone else’s love.
At first, she intended to search online to see what the story was specifically about. Later, thinking that a book published in physical form should be written pretty well, she just did a rough search.
She learned it was a peerless little sweet novel, and decided not to search for the plot synopsis to give herself a sense of surprise.
She continued reading from where she had left off before the start of the semester.
“She knelt on the blue bricks, looking up at her master, the slight trembling of her voice exposing her feigned firmness:
‘Master, you once taught me: Jade hidden within stone is never willing to shatter into the chiming of gems. Rest assured, Master, I will certainly not run into danger.’
This was something her master had casually said to her when she was first brought home; that year, she was six years old.
Hearing her proactively bring it up, her master could not help but recall that year, eyes growing moist.
A gust of breeze blew past. Her master lowered her gaze to look at her, hesitating to speak several times. After a long while, her master spoke in a hoarse voice: ‘Did I teach you that way back then?’
‘Jade hidden within stone is never willing to shatter into the chiming of gems; moths burning in flames have no regrets turning into the brilliance of the sun and moon.’
Hearing this, she did not know how to respond, so she hurriedly lowered her head to avoid her master’s gaze.
Seeing her dodge, her master also turned her back, her voice shaking uncontrollably: ‘Since you are resolved to die, how could I stop you? Only,’
Her master slowly turned around, a single tear falling onto the blue bricks.
‘Even when perfunctorily dealing with your master, can you not even put in a little bit of heart?'”
Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a peerless little sweet novel?! The netizens and the author all lied to me, wuwuwuwu!
He Xunyan decided she didn’t want any sense of surprise anymore; she definitely had to search for the plot synopsis online before reading a novel.
Reading novels really affected her emotions so much! She wasn’t going to read anymore, she wasn’t. Let’s switch gears and study some physics problems instead.
That’s right, adjusting plans at any time according to actual circumstances was also a required course for a high school freshman.
He Xunyan put the novel back into her desk drawer, judged approximately where they were based on what the physics teacher had mentioned, and found the problem the teacher was reading.
Pointing at the problem with her finger, she finished reading it along with the teacher and nodded firmly.
Alright, let me study this problem.
The physics teacher looked up and happened to see He Xunyan nodding vigorously at the test paper, looking quite gratified.
“He Xunyan, which option do you think this problem is?” The physics teacher’s voice came from the podium.
Hearing this, He Xunyan was dumbfounded. She hurriedly stood up and answered in a low voice, “Option A?”
It should be.
The physics teacher sounded somewhat helpless: “Are you asking me?”
It seemed the teacher was cultivating her self-confidence.
He Xunyan nodded firmly in her heart again and affirmed, “Option A.”
The physics teacher shook her head slightly.
Turns out it wasn’t.
He Xunyan roughly looked over the options, hurried to change her answer, and said, “Option B!”
The physics teacher gently sighed.
Still not it.
He Xunyan thought to herself that no matter how unlucky she was, she wouldn’t guess wrong three times in a row, right? So she said even more firmly, “Option C!”
The physics teacher put the test paper in her hand onto the podium desk, her voice serious: “He Xunyan, if you haven’t done the problem, at least use your brain a little when guessing. Even a two-year-old child wouldn’t choose C.”
The physics teacher was seen gently shaking her head once more: “Even when perfunctorily dealing with the teacher, can you not even put in a little bit of heart?”
I’m sorry, Teacher; I’m sorry, Teacher. Next time I guess, I will definitely use my brain.
Wait, no!
“Even when perfunctorily dealing with the teacher, can you not even put in a little bit of heart?”
“Even when perfunctorily dealing with your master, can you not even put in a little bit of heart?”
Don’t play with me, Teacher!
Thinking of that scene of life-and-death farewell, tears slipped down uncontrollably. He Xunyan hurriedly wiped away her tears and said in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry, Teacher.”
The physics teacher obviously had not anticipated this situation.
My tone just now wasn’t very stern, right? How did I scare the child to tears?
The teacher saw you nodding just now and thought you were full of confidence, so she wanted to give you a chance to shine.
I’m sorry, child.
“Ahem, ahem. It’s fine, sit down. If you don’t understand, listen carefully, and you’ll eventually learn it,” the physics teacher said softly.
Then she picked up the test paper again and scanned the entire class:
“The first year of high school is the exact time to build a foundation. I hope everyone can take it seriously. If there are any issues, whether in study or in life, communicate with your teachers in time. Alright, let’s look at this problem.”
After class.
Seeing He Xunyan slumped over her desk the entire time, Qin Qianyi poked her with her elbow.
“Are you okay now? Getting lectured by the teacher is totally normal! Who hasn’t been lectured by a teacher? Don’t take it to heart.”
“And let me tell you, you are definitely not the only one who doesn’t know how to do it; you were just unlucky enough to be called on,” Qin Qianyi said with deep concern.
Unknowing Qin Qianyi simply thought He Xunyan had been cried to tears because she was publicly criticized by the teacher.
Qin Qianyi felt she and He Xunyan were extremely fated. They were in the same school, in the same class as desk mates, and even neighbors in the same dorm.
Of course, the most important thing was that her judge of character was great. With just a single glance, she could determine that He Xunyan was definitely the best candidate to be her good friend.
He Xunyan raised her head, rubbed her eyes, and said with a wronged expression:
“It’s too much! Weren’t things fine earlier? Why did it suddenly turn so tragic in the back? The things I hate most in this life are parting ways in life and death!”
Qin Qianyi was dumbfounded. What was this girl muttering about? Being criticized by the teacher was indeed pretty agonizing, but it shouldn’t rise to the level of life-and-death parting!
At that moment, Jiang Yumo, the mathematics class representative, walked up to the podium holding a stack of test papers: “Those whose names are called, come up to collect your math test papers.”
On the afternoon of the very first day of high school freshman orientation, the school had arranged an entrance exam.
Most subjects simply tested some junior high content, while some subjects added a few high school freshman knowledge points, with the proportions decided by the teachers.
Looking at the math test papers Jiang Yumo was holding, Qin Qianyi launched a frantic combo attack on He Xunyan’s arm:
“It’s over, it’s over, it’s over, it’s over, it’s over, it’s over! What should I do, He Xunyan? The math entrance exam results are out!”
“When I was taking the exam back then, I was dumbfounded seeing the math paper. Why is a math entrance exam for freshmen entirely high school material?”
On the freshman math entrance exam, the distribution ratio of junior high school full-grade knowledge points to high school freshman partial knowledge points was 11 to 64.
“Although I bought some junior-to-senior high transition materials during the vacation, I didn’t read much of them. Who knew the math teacher would be so hardcore?” Qin Qianyi finally stopped her combo attacks.
“Sigh, since it’s come to this, let the storm rage even more fiercely!” Qin Qianyi opened her arms wide and looked up at the ceiling.
Before long, “Qin Qianyi.” Jiang Yumo’s gentle voice came from the podium.
As she finished speaking, Jiang Yumo looked up and happened to see Qin Qianyi looking at He Xunyan with a very caring expression while rubbing her arm for her.
“It’s my turn.” Qin Qianyi patted He Xunyan’s shoulder twice as she went up to get her test paper.
Qin Qianyi accepted the test paper with both hands and looked at it: “66 points. This is totally screwed.”
Saying this, she trotted back to her seat, holding the test paper, looking left and right. She quietly turned her head to look at He Xunyan, leaned her upper body slightly forward, and spoke in a devilish whisper:
“Wait, little Xunyuan, she seems to be calling names according to the scores.”
He Xunyan: !
Hearing this, He Xunyan felt like crying without tears. She had no choice but to raise her left hand. Wait, her left arm hurt so much, so she had to raise her right hand, rubbing her face three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise.
“At least you bought some junior-to-senior high transition materials. I didn’t study at all.”
“Hehehehehehe! Am I going to get a big fat zero?” He Xunyan pouted and blinked at Qin Qianyi.
For He Xunyan, who had just graduated from junior high school, those three years of junior high were undoubtedly like serving a three-year prison sentence. Having finally been released, of course she had to go wild during the vacation; how could she possibly think about previewing?
“It shouldn’t be that bad. At least you should get those 22 points from the junior high knowledge points.” Seeing how cute He Xunyan was, Qin Qianyi immediately reached out to pat her head.
Then, speaking in a voice full of doting fondness: “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
He Xunyan felt something was amiss, quickly pushed her hand away, slightly furrowed her brows, and her voice carried a trace of panic: “What are you doing? Don’t use that kind of voice to talk to me!”
The test papers on the podium dwindled one by one, revealing the very last name.
“He Xunyan.” Jiang Yumo walked directly to He Xunyan’s seat and handed the test paper to her.
“Thank you,” He Xunyan said in a low voice, taking the test paper with both hands.
As soon as the paper was laid on the desk, Qin Qianyi immediately leaned her head over: “How many points?”
He Xunyan pushed the test paper toward her, smiled helplessly, and shook her head: “Eighteen.”
I guess this is what you call being truly screwed. How did I even forget the junior high knowledge points?
Things are off to a bad start.
“Eighteen is good; eighteen is wonderful.” Qin Qianyi looked at He Xunyan with an excited gaze.
“In Hebrew, the numerical value of the word ‘life’—’Chai’—is exactly eighteen. People often give multiples of eighteen as blessings at joyous occasions like weddings.”
As Qin Qianyi spoke, she couldn’t help leaning forward.
“Do you know what Jews say when they toast? They say ‘L’chaim’, which means ‘To life’.”
“You can consider this using your score to send a blessing to life; what a sense of ritual!”
Qin Qianyi said this and once again couldn’t help patting He Xunyan’s shoulder.
“Besides, you become an adult at eighteen. Eighteen points is equivalent to holding a coming-of-age ceremony for your math score. What does this mean?”
“It means your math score has officially turned into a mature adult and is heading toward a new life!”