This surprise test caught everyone off guard. By the time the papers were collected, the classroom was filled with gloom.
“Old Jiang is way too ruthless for doing this on the very first day,” Zhang Chifeng sighed, slumping in his chair with a look of utter despair.
“The answers for the multiple choice questions were sinister too,” Dai Lin said, walking over from the front row and unceremoniously occupying the seat in front of Zhou Fan. “AAABBBCCC. It was basically designed to make you second-guess yourself.”
“Go away, shut up, and do not compare answers,” Zhang Chifeng waved him off. “I do not want to hear it. I am already feeling dead inside.”
As he spoke, he fished his phone out from under his desk and lowered his head, likely messaging his new girlfriend for comfort. A few other boys gathered around, complaining one after another about Old Jiang’s lack of humanity.
Zhou Fan, however, felt nothing.
This was not because he was particularly confident. Although he attended a top high school, he had neither the motivation nor the interest to study hard. He consistently ranked in the lower middle of the class.
His parents were the open-minded type who believed that as long as their child did not break the law, he could do whatever he wanted. Coupled with his family’s comfortable financial situation, Zhou Fan had developed a carefree and idle personality over time.
He stretched, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the new figure in the front row.
It was break time and the test had just ended, so many students had left their seats to compare answers with friends. The classroom was noisy, but Chi Hanqing seemed completely unaffected, as if separated from the environment by a layer of transparent glass. He sat perfectly straight like a poplar tree.
“Brother Fan? Brother Fan?” Dai Lin called out twice. Seeing that Zhou Fan did not respond, he followed his gaze and looked back, immediately understanding. He gave a mischievous grin. “So? Our transfer student is pretty handsome, right?”
Zhou Fan withdrew his gaze and gave a lazy smile, spinning a ballpoint pen between his long, agile fingers. “He is indeed quite good.”
“But it is actually kind of strange,” Dai Lin rubbed his chin. “I originally thought his grades were poor and that he had been demoted from Class 1 to our class upon returning to our school. I did not expect him to answer so quickly during the test. His pen never stopped. When the papers were being collected, I caught a glimpse of his answers. They looked very professional. He is clearly an honor student.”
Dai Lin was the highest achiever in their small circle. If he said someone was an honor student, it was true.
Zhang Chifeng looked up from his phone screen. “He probably has money and felt the pressure in the top class was too much. A friend of my dad has a kid like that. They will likely go abroad after the college entrance exam, so they do not care much about rankings.”
“One thing is certain: he is definitely a rich second-generation heir,” Dai Lin pointed downward. “Those shoes are limited edition, worth at least twenty thousand yuan.”
Zhou Fan raised an eyebrow. He said nothing, and his gaze fell back on Chi Hanqing.
The youth was slightly turning his head, focused on previewing the textbook. The contours of his fair profile looked soft in the light, revealing a slender neck and a meticulous white shirt. Everything about him was completely different from the environment Zhou Fan knew.
Something stirred vaguely in his chest, both familiar and strange.
Zhou Fan knew his own character better than anyone. In the past, when he encountered a boy he was interested in, he would at most think that he was interesting and that he wanted to get to know him. It was no different from seeing a new game console; it was just a way to pass the time.
But this time felt different.
Zhou Fan could not explain exactly what was different. But one thing was certain: he wanted to hold this person in his arms. That impulse was something he had never experienced before, and it was clearer and more urgent than ever.
Was this what they called love at first sight? Zhou Fan studied Chi Hanqing’s beautiful face and smiled. Perhaps calling it an attraction based on looks was more appropriate.
Math class was second period.
Old Jiang walked into the classroom with a stack of graded papers. He waved his hand for the class representative to distribute them, then used a ruler to tap the podium amidst the sounds of groaning.
“I told you before the break not to forget your studies during the summer. But look at you! Every single one of you went wild the moment the holidays started and gave all your knowledge back to your teachers! You are already in your senior year, yet you still do not know how to work hard.”
The familiar lecture began again.
Just as Zhou Fan was getting drowsy, Old Jiang changed the subject. “However, some students performed exceptionally well. For example, our new student Chi Hanqing received a perfect score on this quiz.”
As soon as he spoke, a low murmur of amazement and gasps filled the classroom. Old Jiang had clearly intended for this surprise test to be difficult, with tricky questions and many distractions. To get a perfect score under such circumstances was impressive.
It seemed Dai Lin was right; he was indeed a top-tier honor student.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the slender figure in the front row, but Chi Hanqing remained calm and gave no reaction.
“Now look at the rest of you!” Old Jiang slammed the desk, silencing the murmurs. “Hardly anyone even passed! Out of more than forty people in this class, only about a dozen passed! Especially you, Zhou Fan!”
Zhou Fan was suddenly called out and froze, a trace of helplessness flickering in his heart. His parents did not care about his grades as long as he was healthy, but he was stuck with a stubborn old man like Old Jiang as his homeroom teacher. Zhou Fan could not even slack off in peace.
“You could not even guess the right answers for the multiple choice questions! You got eight out of ten wrong! As for the long-form questions, you at least tried to write a few formulas for the first few, but for the last one, you did not even bother to fake it. You just wrote the word ‘Solution’ and handed it in!”
Zhou Fan apologized sincerely. “I am sorry, teacher. Next time I will try to guess more correctly.”
“You actually want there to be a next time!” Old Jiang glared at him. “Come to my office after class; we need to have a talk. Alright, does everyone have their papers now? Let’s start from the first question.”
After class, Zhou Fan was hauled to the office for a lecture on ideological education that he had heard enough times to grow calluses on his ears. The theme was that if he did not work hard in his senior year, he would regret it for a lifetime. He was told that working hard for one minute now was equivalent to paving one more meter of the road for his future self.
Although it went in one ear and out the other, Zhou Fan maintained a polite attitude. Finally, Old Jiang tapped the desk. “Also, keep an eye on that new student. Do not go bothering him.”
Zhou Fan’s eyebrows moved. He was surprised that Old Jiang would specifically bring this up. He asked, “Which school was the new student studying at before?” He specifically used “new student” instead of Chi Hanqing’s name to prevent Old Jiang from realizing he already had intentions.
Old Jiang looked at him, likely feeling there was no need to hide it. “Boyard International Academy.”
Zhou Fan was stunned. He had heard of that school; it was a top-tier private high school in the country. The students there were either rich or influential. In such a school, family background and networking were more important than grades. Of course, the teaching resources were far superior to those at No. 1 Middle School.
Zhou Fan was puzzled. “Why did he transfer back?”
Old Jiang said, “I am not sure. I heard his parents originally wanted him to attend the international academy, but he filled out the application for our high school behind their backs. His parents did not agree to him transferring back for his senior year, but he insisted on coming.”
“So!” Old Jiang tapped the desk hard. “Do not even think about playing any tricks. His parents are not people to be messed with!”
If he were not afraid of Zhou Fan getting any bad ideas, he would not have told one student so much about another.
Zhou Fan smiled. “Okay, teacher. I understand.”
Old Jiang glanced at him, picked up his thermos, and took a sip. “Alright, go back to class. Do not let Zhang Chifeng help you with your homework anymore, or both of you will have to write self-reflection letters!”
Zhou Fan walked out of the office and closed the door. The hallway from the classroom to the office was open-air. A breeze blew past, carrying the heat of summer and the sound of cicadas.
Zhou Fan walked slowly, looking at the playground. Golden sunlight covered the rubber track and artificial turf. No classes were having gym at this hour, so the large field was empty except for the school janitors cleaning.
He wondered if there was some precious mine hidden underground here. Otherwise, why would that young master give up a much better environment to transfer from an international school to this place? It was one thing to transfer schools, but to move from a top-tier class to their ordinary one made no sense.
Zhou Fan could not figure it out. But it was very interesting. He gave a small smile.
When he returned to the classroom, only five minutes of the long break remained. Chi Hanqing was still in his seat. He did not communicate with others, and no one sought him out. He sat with his head down and an expressionless face, flipping through a notebook with one hand and holding a pen with the other, organizing notes from the previous class.
Zhou Fan had to pass by Chi Hanqing’s desk to reach his own seat in the back. As he passed, Zhou Fan paused and suddenly snapped his fingers in front of Chi Hanqing.
Chi Hanqing’s hand stopped. He lifted his head, and his clear eyes showed a hint of displeasure as he looked coldly at Zhou Fan. It might have been Zhou Fan’s imagination, but he felt that when Chi Hanqing realized he was the one who had snapped his fingers, a trace of a daze appeared in his eyes.
Zhou Fan did not take that fleeting observation to heart. He wore a lazy, somewhat rebellious smile and tilted his head. “New student,” his gaze swept over the perfect test paper under Chi Hanqing’s notebook. “Nice score.”
Chi Hanqing pursed his lips. His expression did not change, as if he did not notice the teasing in Zhou Fan’s tone. He simply said quietly, “Thank you.” Then he lowered his head.
Zhou Fan looked at Chi Hanqing’s profile as he returned to writing. He noted the slender neck and tight jawline, noticing that the boy’s eyelashes were long and fan-like. The smile in his eyes deepened, but he said nothing more and walked back to his seat.
As soon as he sat down, someone nearby teased him. “What is this, Brother Fan? Have you taken an interest in the newcomer?”
“Is the last one already history?”
“Come on, let’s place bets. How long will it take for our new top student to fall for Brother Fan?”
“Tsk, the new honor student looks straight. He seems cold too. I bet two months.”
“I bet three months.”
“Two months and four days.”
“That specific?”
“I am just making it up anyway.”
Zhou Fan lay lazily on his desk, not participating in the mindless chatter. However, no one, including Zhou Fan himself, expected that the answer to this bet would be “one day.”