“When flowers first bloomed on the roadside, I secretly held onto the hem of your clothes—a joy quietly hidden away in spring.”
In the small grove near Duxing Building at Jiangcheng University, summer cicadas clung to the branches, their shrill cries piercing the air. Jiang Wenyan casually wiped the bloodstain from his forehead, his gaze icy as he stared at a few junior-year male students.
His backpack was unzipped layer by layer, and his exam papers, pencils, textbooks, black gel pens… were slowly tossed into the trash heap.
Jiang Wenyan had no strength left, so he simply sat on the ground, feeling indifferent. After all, they couldn’t beat Jiang Wan.
In the middle of the grove lay He’an Lake, where Jiang Wenyan’s backpack had been thrown. Still unsatisfied, someone hurled a few insults at Jiang Wenyan.
“Think you’re so great for skipping grades? Why don’t you jump now!”
“What’s so impressive about being a junior at eighteen?”
“Still acting all high and mighty? We’re talking to you, kid! Cat got your tongue?”
Among the group, a tall boy reached out and lifted Jiang Wenyan’s chin. “Speak up, huh?”
The midday sun was blinding. Jiang Wenyan squinted and thrust his knee forward forcefully.
“You think you’re worthy?”
Xu Boran winced in pain, tightening his grip on Jiang Wenyan’s chin. “Don’t you dare act all high and mighty.”
No sooner had he spoken than Xu Boran kicked Jiang Wenyan hard behind the knee, shoving him into the water.
“What a damn loser.”
“You like studying so much, right? Then study with your backpack in there!” Xu Boran spat out each word, his tone dripping with venom.
They were all students, juniors at that, and didn’t dare cause too much trouble. Likely frustrated by their poor exam results a few days prior, they vented their anger with threats before leaving, causing no real harm to Jiang Wenyan.
But he certainly couldn’t let it slide.
Just as Jiang Wenyan was stewing in irritation, voices drifted over the cicadas’ noise. The summer heat was stifling, making even the voices sound muffled.
“Jiang Wan, a few new students are joining the class this afternoon. Show them around and help them get their textbooks.”
“Got it, Sister Yun.”
Jiang Wenyan’s heart skipped a beat—the voice sounded a lot like his brother.
Feeling guilty, Jiang Wenyan propped himself up against a lakeside rock engraved with “Cultivate Virtue and Temperament” and slowly climbed out.
Junior-year classrooms and study halls were all in Duxing Building. Jiang Wenyan silently lit a candle in his heart.
Jiang Wan wouldn’t pass by He’an Lake… Jiang Wan wouldn’t pass by He’an Lake…
The sound of high heels gradually faded into the distance. Jiang Wenyan sat on the ground for a moment to catch his breath. Just as he was about to stand up, a pair of blue canvas shoes appeared before him. Looking up, he saw loose-fitting blue-and-white school uniform pants, the jacket zipped neatly all the way up, covering half of the wearer’s chin.
Jiang Wenyan closed his eyes, deceiving himself.
“Jiang Wenyan.” Seeing Jiang Wenyan drenched from head to toe, Jiang Wan frowned slightly.
Jiang Wenyan felt awkward and pursed his lips. “Bro.”
“Holy shit, Class Monitor, your brother fell into the lake!” Xu Yichen shouted, momentarily drowning out the cicadas’ cries.
Jiang Wan: “Damn it, I’m not blind.”
From the sound of it, his brother seemed to chuckle. Jiang Wenyan felt emboldened. “I twisted my ankle and fell in by accident.”
Jiang Wan didn’t say much else, draping the thick jacket he was wearing over Jiang Wenyan’s head.
“Damn, Class Monitor, is that really okay?” Xu Yichen blurted out. “Maybe your brother should wear mine instead.”
“Wear yours?” Jiang Wan glanced at the short sleeves on Xu Yichen. “Then you go back shirtless?”
Before Xu Yichen could say more, Jiang Wenyan shoved the jacket back into Jiang Wan’s hands. “It’s thirty-eight degrees today.”
Jiang Wenyan’s tone was stiff. “You trying to kill me with heat?”
Jiang Wan: “So you plan to sun-dry yourself before going back?”
“Tch.” Jiang Wenyan pushed the jacket toward Jiang Wan. “You wear it properly. I’m not lying, I’m really hot.”
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Xu Yichen bent down and pulled Jiang Wenyan up, picking the worst possible topic. “Is that backpack yours?”
Jiang Wenyan turned his face away. “No.”
Jiang Wan walked forward a couple of steps, crouched by the lake, and casually glanced at the scattered book covers. “Third Year, Class A, Jiang Wenyan.”
“Definitely not yours.”
Jiang Wenyan: “…”
“Alright, getting beaten up isn’t shameful.” Jiang Wan chuckled lightly.
Jiang Wenyan turned his head away, refusing to look at Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan gathered the books by the lake that were still usable. “Next time something like this happens, tell me earlier. I won’t laugh at you.”
“Hey.” Xu Yichen patted Jiang Wenyan’s shoulder. “Who were they? After school, the three of us can corner them.”
“Honestly, these people… did they forget to check their horoscopes before leaving home? How dare they mess with our homeroom teacher’s brother!”
“…”
Xu Yichen’s gangster-like remarks successfully stunned both of them.
After a moment, Jiang Wan replied with a smile, “What nonsense are you talking? We’re students from decent families.”
Jiang Wenyan still felt a bit awkward. He searched for something to say and asked, “Was that Sister Yun earlier?”
Jiang Wan: “Yeah, she needs help counting textbooks this afternoon. You coming?”
Jiang Wenyan raised an eyebrow: “Didn’t we just count them yesterday? Why again?”
Summer break was barely halfway over, and the school had already organized second- and third-year students to return for extra classes. Yesterday, they even had a “grand” entrance exam.
“What else could it be?” Xu Yichen said. “Transfer students for the third-year gifted class.”
“Don’t know what they’re thinking. Every year, people come asking for trouble.”
Transfer students were common every year, especially in Jiangcheng University’s Class A. Basically, every semester, someone “transferred” in.
Parents all wanted their kids in the university’s gifted class, but very few actually made it… To be precise, aside from a few who skipped grades, none ever did.
The entrance exam was truly brutal.
If your grades didn’t meet the standard… not only would you fail to transfer, but you’d also get your confidence crushed by the test.
Class A students had come to accept it. When the “prospective transfer students” left, they could even casually say, “Welcome back next time.”
Jiang Wenyan laughed. “Not necessarily. Last year, I made it.”
“That’s different. A top student’s brain isn’t a brain—it’s artificial intelligence AI.” Xu Yichen looked at Jiang Wan, then at Jiang Wenyan, and couldn’t resist teasing, “Good thing you two aren’t biological brothers, or your whole family would be cheaters.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Jiang Wan weighed Jiang Wenyan’s textbook in his hand. “I never skipped a grade.”
“Skipping grades gets you beaten up. It’s better to be like us.” Xu Yichen spoke quickly and only realized something was off after finishing, feeling a chill down his back.
Jiang Wan slowly yawned, casually hooking the banner in front of the teaching building with his hand. His voice carried a sleepy tone. “Walk softly and maintain order; enter the room and study without noise.”
When Jiang Wan withdrew her hand, she didn’t pay attention and accidentally hooked onto someone’s backpack strap. That person didn’t use much force, but Jiang Wan wasn’t exerting any either, so she was abruptly pulled off balance.
After Jiang Wenyan finished dealing with Xu Yichen, she looked up and saw Jiang Wan being forced to bend over by someone’s pull—clearly being bullied.
With that not-so-gentle tug, Jiang Wan couldn’t hold onto her textbooks, and they scattered across the ground with a rustling sound.
Now Xu Yichen saw it too.
Without a word, these two blockheads immediately pulled Jiang Wan behind them. Jiang Wenyan moved quickly, even giving the person a hard shove.
“Wait—” Before Jiang Wan could finish, Xu Yichen kicked the boy.
The situation was urgent, so Jiang Wan had to step forward and reach out to pull the person back.
Xu Yichen’s kick landed squarely on Jiang Wan’s knee. She nearly lost her balance.
“Class president, uh—” Before Xu Yichen could fully speak, Jiang Wan covered his mouth.
“Focus on studying, no noise.”
What a joke—if he shouted like that, the whole grade would probably know they were fighting. Jiang Wan didn’t really want to become famous that way.
For some reason, the boy had been standing still the whole time.
Jiang Wan glanced back at him and pointed to her own forehead with her free hand. “Their brains aren’t quite right. Are you okay?”
“No.” Lu Xingheng’s voice was faint as he used his thumb to adjust the backpack strap on his shoulder.
He just hadn’t quite processed it yet—the fleeting warmth and coolness that had brushed against his wrist didn’t seem like body temperature appropriate for 38-degree weather.
Jiang Wan was still drowsy and lethargic. After picking up the textbooks one by one from the ground, she looked up again, but the person was already gone.
Xu Yichen crouched down beside Jiang Wan. “Class president, um… does it hurt?”
Jiang Wan gave a strained smile. “What, do you want me to kick you back?”
Xu Yichen: “…No, not really.”
Jiang Wenyan still hadn’t grasped the situation. “So he wasn’t bullying you?”
Jiang Wan: “”
She really wanted to slap each of them.