The capabilities of Chengbei No. 1 High School were evident from the grading of the exam papers.
With over a thousand students in the senior year division, all the placement exam papers were graded and ranked overnight.
Chen Feng walked into the classroom holding the papers, and every student in the room tensed up.
For them, the placement exam was more important than monthly or midterm exams.
A good learning environment could truly influence a person’s habits.
They had already grown accustomed to the current atmosphere—tense yet fulfilling.
Chen Feng glanced at the students in the classroom. He was stern when the situation called for it, but he never hesitated to offer praise when it was deserved.
“This time, our class performed exceptionally well. Almost all of you will remain in this class, and the top scorer in the entire grade is also from our class.”
Having the top scorer in Experimental Class One was nothing unusual. Over the years, the top scorer had always come from their class, though the specific person varied.
In fact, it could be said that anyone in Experimental Class One had the potential to take first place.
At the end of the second year, many students’ scores were incredibly close, differing by mere decimal points.
The students below the podium looked around, both hoping to hear their own names and fearing the names of others.
Chen Feng didn’t beat around the bush and announced directly, “The top scorer in this placement exam is—” He looked toward the last row of the classroom, where a new student was holding a pen, reading a book, completely unconcerned about the rankings.
He called out her name: “Lin Yue.”
Hearing her name, Lin Yue looked up at the podium, her expression slightly dazed, almost instinctively about to respond.
Fortunately, Shen Weiwei in the front row spoke up in time.
“Damn, I never expected Yueyue to snatch Fu Yi’s first place on your second day here. That’s insane!”
Lin Yue smiled humbly, neither proud nor arrogant. “It was just luck. I happened to have seen those big questions before. I probably won’t be so lucky next time.”
Shen Weiwei genuinely felt that Lin Yue had a good personality, unlike some of the overly arrogant girls in the class who would let a first-place win go to their heads.
The others also glanced toward the back row, forming a rough impression of this transfer student.
She was impressive!!
Lin Yue was already accustomed to such looks, though she still felt a bit awkward.
Unintentionally, she met the scrutinizing gaze of the boy sitting to her right.
Lin Yue politely curved her eyes in a friendly gesture.
Seeing this, Shen Weiwei nudged Lin Yue’s foot under the desk while Chen Feng was announcing the rankings of other students and not paying attention to them.
She whispered to Lin Yue, “That’s Fu Yi, the top scorer in the second-year final exams.”
“Oh, okay.” Lin Yue glanced sideways again and noticed the boy was still looking at her. His gaze held no hostility—it was just an ordinary observation.
She even felt he looked somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.
Out of politeness, Lin Yue smiled, her dimples appearing, before turning her attention back to the front.
Just then, Chen Feng on the podium announced the names of the students who would be leaving the experimental class.
There were only two.
“Xu Sui and Liu Xi, although you’ll be leaving Class One for now, I hope to see both of you back in this classroom during the next placement exam.”
Upon hearing that he had to leave, the boy named Liu Xi immediately choked back a sob. Encouraged by Chen Feng, he packed his bag while trembling.
If it weren’t for the fact that class was currently in session, he might have burst into loud sobs.
Just as he was crying his heart out, a bright, cheerful, and joyful voice came from the classroom door.
“Reporting in!”
This voice formed a stark contrast with Liu Xi’s crying.
One person was utterly heartbroken, while another was overjoyed.
This was the cruel and realistic side of Chengbei No. 1 High School—survival of the fittest.
If you slacked off even a little, your spot might be taken by someone else.
Chen Feng looked over and saw two male students, both over 1.8 meters tall, standing at the door.
He recognized them—they were the new students who had tested into Class 1 this time.
“Come in.”
As Chen Feng spoke, the students in the classroom also turned their attention to the door.
Including Lin Yue.
When she saw the second boy walk in, her pupils suddenly widened in shock.
Lin Yue never expected it to be Xie Yan Si.
And of all people, it couldn’t possibly be Xie Yan Si.
She clearly remembered that in her past life, Xie Yan Si excelled in science subjects but was abysmal in liberal arts. This placement exam tested comprehensive abilities, with science and liberal arts each accounting for half.
Even if Xie Yan Si was exceptional in science, scoring full marks wouldn’t get him into the experimental class.
Thinking of this, Lin Yue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She pursed her lips, staring at Xie Yan Si, who stood at the front of the classroom.
Today, Xie Yan Si was wearing Chengbei No. 1 High School’s blue-and-white uniform, which concealed his usual arrogance, giving him a bit more of the roguish charm typical of his age.
His eye sockets were deep, the space between his brows narrow, and his gaze appeared profound and inscrutable.
Standing there lazily, he attracted the attention of all the female students in the class.
The usually quiet Class 1 students couldn’t help but start whispering.
Shen Weiwei, who sat in front of Lin Yue, turned around excitedly and patted her twice.
“Yueyue, look! That transfer student from Class 10—I never expected his grades to be so good! He’s the first ever to jump from Class 10 straight to the experimental class!”
Lin Yue didn’t respond. Honestly, she hadn’t expected it either.
Jiang Xingyang walked ahead of Xie Yan Si and, noticing that he was more popular, took the initiative.
Without waiting for Chen Feng to speak, he stepped onto the podium on his own, a bright smile on his face, and began introducing himself.
This left Chen Feng, who was standing awkwardly to the side, with no choice but to step aside.
Jiang Xingyang, acting like a lively character, recounted his exam history from Class 5 to Class 2 and finally to Class 1.
The students below listened as if they were watching a stand-up comedy, shifting their attention from Xie Yan Si to Jiang Xingyang, who amused them with his occasional dramatic intonations.
Chen Feng, hearing him ramble further and further off-topic, interrupted him, “Alright, find yourself a seat.”
Then, Chen Feng turned to the other boy. “Classmate, please introduce yourself as well.”
Xie Yan Si exuded an air of drowsy laziness. Without even stepping onto the podium, he casually uttered three words.
“Xie Yan Si.”
After these three words, the classroom fell silent for several seconds.
Chen Feng waited for him to continue, but it seemed he had no intention of doing so.
He couldn’t help but say, “Classmate, you could add a bit more, like your hobbies or favorite books.”
Xie Yan Si: “None.”
Chen Feng: “…”
Whether it was “none” or he simply didn’t want to say, Chen Feng didn’t press further.
He cleared his throat lightly. “Then find yourself an empty seat.”
The seating in their class was chosen by the students themselves. They were already seniors in high school and in the experimental class—they understood the rules of class, so he didn’t bother emphasizing them.
Only when students learned to be self-directed would they know what they needed to do.
There were originally three empty seats in the class. One was taken by Jiang Xingyang, and another was occupied by a boy who was still tearfully packing up his things.
With two of the three seats already taken, only the empty seat next to Lin Yue remained.
Xie Yan Si didn’t glance at the other seats in the classroom. Lifting his thin eyelids, his first gaze fell directly on the last row where Lin Yue sat.
Lin Yue had claimed two seats for herself, her desk piled high with stacks of test papers. She hadn’t expected anyone to come sit in the last row with her.
After all, the students in Laboratory Class One were practically fighting to sit as close to the podium as possible.
Xie Yan Si was different. Carrying his nearly empty black backpack, he walked straight toward the last row.
Seeing Xie Yan Si approach, Lin Yue instinctively stiffened her back. Her clear eyes fixed on that familiar yet unfamiliar face, growing closer and closer.
Until he stopped right in front of her desk.
The shadow cast by the boy enveloped Lin Yue.
Lin Yue didn’t look up, pretending to focus intently on the test papers spread across her desk.
But she hadn’t absorbed a single question. Only she knew how tightly she was gripping her pen at that moment.
What now? Was he going to humiliate her in front of the whole class again?
Just like in her past life?
Yesterday, he was with Xu Qiao. Was Xu Qiao behind this too?
Just as she gritted her teeth, her heart pounding like thunder, a hoarse and low voice sounded above her head.
“Do you want the left side or the right side?”
The expected humiliation never came. Instead, it was a baffling question.
Lin Yue looked up, confused, unable to process it immediately.
“Huh?”
The entire classroom fell silent, every student watching them.
Yet, it was this very boy who hadn’t shown even Chen Feng any kindness, who now seemed oddly persistent about a trivial choice—left or right.
Noticing Lin Yue’s almost imperceptible frown, he thought he might have frightened her with his intensity. Patiently, he lowered his voice and repeated the question.
“Do you want to sit on the left or the right?”
Afraid she still hadn’t understood, he added softly.
“It’s up to you.”