Xiao Yan: “……”
The person in front of him was a textbook example of someone who did problems without using his brain.
Gunpowder Everywhere: What are you doing?
Cicada: Memorizing. Midterms are coming up. I still have to memorize what I’m supposed to. You really think I got first place by taking the exam with my jio?
Cicada: Oh, right. Don’t let anyone else know about you doing my homework for me.
Gunpowder Everywhere: No problem. As long as you don’t tell, I won’t tell. The only one who knows about this is the IOU.
Xiao Yan took a photo of the pre-class quiz and sent it to Luo Zhiyu—
Cicada: Is there something wrong with it?
Gunpowder Everywhere: Nothing wrong with it? Take another careful look.
Luo Zhiyu read the question three times.
Cicada: ……Why did they make this question so damn malicious?
Cicada: Brother Yan, since you’re already doing a good deed, see it through to the end. Find some tape and help me cover up that “not.”
Gunpowder Everywhere: How did I manage to find myself this much trouble? I should’ve never told you.
The teachers in the office had not returned yet. Xiao Yan helped Luo Zhiyu correct the answer to the last question. He rarely made mistakes when writing, and even when he did, he usually just crossed them out with a line. He hardly ever used transparent tape.
The “not” was supposed to become “should,” and the answer was indeed correct, but the paper underneath the original “not” got pulled off along with the tape, leaving a hole in Luo Zhiyu’s pre-class quiz.
Xiao Yan: “……”
Gunpowder Everywhere: [Photo] Finished. Upside-down smile.jpg
Cicada: Your craftsmanship isn’t very good, brother.
Gunpowder Everywhere: No criticizing. Upside-down smile.jpg
Cicada: Put mine in the middle. Don’t put it on top.
Director Xu finally finished being held back and walked into the office from outside with a triangular ruler in his hand. “I almost forgot. Was I supposed to sign some documents for you guys?”
“Yes.” Xiao Yan put Luo Zhiyu’s pre-class quiz in the middle of that stack of test papers. “I only got here not long ago.”
Director Xu signed his name on the Student Union documents. When he caught sight of the calendar on the desk, he looked up and asked Xiao Yan, “After the midterms next week, isn’t it time for the parent-teacher meeting?”
Xiao Yan was looking at the document Director Xu had casually placed on the desk. It was a proposal for an event, submitted by Director Wu. The general idea was to invite the parents of outstanding students to give a presentation to the other parents in the auditorium, while also displaying the outstanding students’ daily performance, including homework, student activities, appearance and grooming, and so on.
“I think so.” Xiao Yan nodded. “But Director, what I remember more clearly is the midterms.”
“That’s how a student should be. If all the students at the school were like you, they’d be so easy to teach.” Director Xu could not have been more satisfied with his answer.
With the midterms approaching, Luo Zhiyu went out during break to get some hot water. The corridors were filled with the buzzing sound of students memorizing their books. The hot-water machine on the second floor was broken, with a note reading “Awaiting Repair” stuck on it. Both hot-water machines on the east and west sides of the second floor had stopped working, so Luo Zhiyu went upstairs to the third floor along the way.
Sure enough, everyone from the second floor was lining up on the third floor, and several first-year students had mixed in among the blue-uniformed second-year students.
Luo Zhiyu estimated the number of people ahead of him. There were probably more than a dozen. With only three minutes until class, he definitely wouldn’t make it in time. His math teacher, Teacher Zhang, was strict and had a particularly strong impression of him. Being late to class was absolutely out of the question.
Luo Zhiyu turned around to leave, only to happen to meet the lucky person who had just finished getting water and was also turning around to leave.
“Brother Yan.” Luo Zhiyu grabbed Xiao Yan’s school uniform. “What a coincidence. We meet again.”
“Not a coincidence.” Xiao Yan knocked on the doorframe of Class 3, Grade 2. “This is the entrance to my classroom, and you’re telling me it’s a coincidence?”
Most of the students in Class 3, Grade 2 were in the classroom. Taking advantage of the break, they were all hurriedly burying their heads in their books to memorize and review. With the two of them talking at the classroom entrance, it was inevitable that some people inside would secretly peek over.
Luo Zhiyu had no idea anyone was watching him. “Brother Yan, you’re a good person today.”
“Support your friend downstairs who has no water to drink.” Whenever Luo Zhiyu needed a favor from someone, his voice became soft and sweet, completely different from his usual style.
Xiao Yan: “?”
Luo Zhiyu took the water cup from Xiao Yan’s hand and, using their classroom windowsill, poured out half of Xiao Yan’s hot water into his own cup. Not more, not less—exactly half.
“Put it all on the IOU. Write whatever you want.” Luo Zhiyu boldly patted his Brother Yan on the shoulder. “I’ll pay you back this afternoon.”
The class bell rang at exactly that moment. Luo Zhiyu rushed downstairs with the bell, while Xiao Yan carried his cup, now containing only half as much water, back to his seat. He stared at the plain water for a long time.
Class 3, Grade 2 was more restless during class than it had been during the break. Several students were secretly exchanging comments.
Student A: “After they started over, are they really this close?”
Student B: “I don’t understand, I don’t understand. Since when can an alpha and an omega drink from the same cup? Forget it. Just remember one thing: premarital medical examination.”
“What are you thinking? The premarital medical examination was a misunderstanding. It’s already been clarified.” Fan Yue joined the conversation. “This is called their relationship easing up. They’re not as hostile toward each other as they were at the beginning of the school year. No. 1 High School has entered a new era of peace. Their pheromone compatibility is basically nonexistent. It’s completely innocent, so don’t overthink it.”
“Come on.” Tang Yuan turned around and whispered, “Do it with Alpha Meng. Put ‘innocent’ on the public screen.”
“They can do whatever they want.” Zhang Shu also joined the conversation. “You don’t have to believe us, but you have to believe in science.”
Class 3, Grade 1 was having Teacher Zhang’s math class. Luo Zhiyu held his little cup and listened attentively.
“Where did you get that water?” Jing Ximing poked his deskmate with his pen. “The second floor’s water was shut off, so I ran to the first floor and waited in line forever. Then the hot-water machine didn’t even have hot water.”
“I went to the third floor.” Luo Zhiyu tried to blow on his hot water to cool it down a little. “There were too many people in line, so I robbed the indigenous resident of the third floor.”
“The indigenous resident of the third floor?” Jing Ximing asked. “Xiao Yan? You two have been getting pretty close lately, haven’t you? Your relationship isn’t as bad as before either?”
“I find him especially pleasing to the eye today.” Luo Zhiyu put down his water cup. “I won’t beat him up for the whole week.”
During evening self-study, the school scheduled Teacher Xu’s physiology class for them. With the midterms approaching, the entire class was reluctant. They didn’t even want to open their books.
Teacher Xu also knew that the students were under a lot of pressure right now, so he said, “Take this seriously. We’ll finish in half an hour, and I’ll leave the rest of the time for you to review. Is that okay?”
“Okay, okay.” Luo Zhiyu enthusiastically supported Teacher Xu.
“Everyone did pretty well on the pre-class quiz.” Teacher Xu gave them the results. “Everyone got full marks. Some students need to pay attention to the questions, though. Fortunately, you noticed it in time and corrected it. But these are all basic concepts, so I don’t need to keep emphasizing them.”
Teacher Xu’s lesson was very basic. Luo Zhiyu and Jing Ximing listened while doing their homework, and neither of them felt that there was anything difficult about it.
“It’s all common sense. Anyone who doesn’t know this is a dumbass.” Luo Zhiyu finished grinding through a physics assignment and lent it to the student in front of him to copy.
“You’re right.” Jing Ximing was working on a solid-geometry problem, flipping the test paper back and forth.
Teacher Xu drew various relationship diagrams between Little Red and Little Blue on the blackboard, but very few people were taking notes.
“Why does it have to be Little Red and Little Blue? Just listening to this makes my head spin,” Luo Zhiyu asked.
“Ask whoever wrote the textbook. Ahhh, I don’t know either.” Jing Ximing kept yawning. “Damn school. Right after the exams, there’s a parent-teacher meeting. It never gives us a moment’s peace.”
“Luo Zhiyu?” Teacher Xu called on him.
“Huh?” Luo Zhiyu pushed back his chair and stood up. “Here.”
“When Little Red is interacting with Little Blue, what kinds of things can Little Red do?” Teacher Xu read a question from the textbook as the summary for the lesson.
“Little Red can interact normally with Little Blue, study together, improve together, and enjoy a precious friendship within the boundaries permitted by science.” Outstanding student Luo Zhiyu gave the standard answer. “Students are pure. There are still many things Little Red can do.”
The midterms finally arrived. This time, Luo Zhiyu didn’t provide illustrations for his test papers. He seriously finished every subject’s exam. Only during the final English exam did he hand in his paper early and go play badminton with Xiao Yan and the others.
A new week arrived, the exam results were announced, and the students’ most hated event—the parent-teacher meeting—had arrived.
[Not Cicada]: Tomorrow, if you see me, take a detour, okay?
[Stinky Orange]: Afraid of becoming an unfilial descendant again?
[Not Cicada]: Yep. Always remember, our two families are mortal enemies and our relationship is terrible. Our own family might not say anything, but other people will.
[Stinky Orange]: Don’t worry. The auditorium is so big tomorrow. After a few outstanding parent representatives finish speaking, everyone will split up and go to their respective class parent-teacher meetings. Safe and painless.
[Not Cicada]: High five.jpg. My parents and my brother are all busy, so it should be my sister coming tomorrow.
[Not Cicada]: My sister will just show her face and leave.
The outstanding-parent presentations were held in the same auditorium that had been used for the new-student opening ceremony. Six outstanding parent representatives from the three grades went onstage one after another to give their presentations, while the electronic screen behind them displayed the students’ personal photos and introductions.
Six photographs and six sets of personal information appeared on the screen simultaneously.
“Luo Zhiyu is amazing. He already had so many awards in middle school, and he was even a Municipal Outstanding Student.”
“Xiao Yan in Grade 11 is even more impressive. Wow, whose kid is this? He’s so outstanding.”
“I heard these two students’ families have a really bad relationship, though. They’re both in the entertainment and media industry and have been competing for years. They fight pretty fiercely. I guess the students’ relationship isn’t very good either?”
“I want to see how outstanding students do their homework.”
“Me too. Can the school arrange that?”
“I’ll have the teachers from each class take photos of the recent homework and send them to the school parent group. There aren’t many students in the group; it’s basically all parents. If any parents haven’t joined, ask someone nearby to add you.” Director Wu, who was hosting the school parent-teacher meeting, said, “Although the handwriting of our outstanding students may not necessarily be beautiful, their attitude toward doing homework is absolutely serious.”
[Grade 11 Class 3 Chinese Teacher]: [Photo] This is from our class, Xiao Yan.
[Grade 10 Class 4 Chinese Teacher]: Wait a moment. I’ll go to the office.
[Grade 10 Class 4 Chinese Teacher]: [Photo] Posting Luo Zhiyu’s on behalf of the teacher. The Grade 10 Class 3 teacher is on leave. This is the weekly practice from the most recent week.
Parent 1: Wow, so neat. Unlike our kid, whose handwriting is all different sizes.
Parent 2: Director Wu, you’re too modest. Not only is their attitude good, their handwriting is beautiful too. The students at No. 1 High School have always been excellent.
Parent 3: Let’s learn from all the outstanding students. Their attitude toward doing homework is really serious. Go for it.jpg
Parent 4: Does the school have handwriting practice templates? The handwriting of two outstanding students looks like it came from the exact same mold. Applause.jpg. Please give one to my Lu Minggui too.
Director Wu: Uh……
Director Xu: This……
[Grade 10 Class 4 Chinese Teacher] recalled a message.
Parent 5 (Luo Zhiyu’s older sister, Luo Sixue): I saved the picture.
Parent 5 (Luo Zhiyu’s older sister, Luo Sixue): @Luo Zhiyu, get your ass out here. Who the hell did your homework for you?
Luo Zhiyu: Terrified.jpg. This can blow up too?
Xiao Yan: Terrified.jpg. It has nothing to do with me. I’m just a tool.
“Luo Zhiyu” left the group chat.
“Xiao Yan” left the group chat.