All morning, Jiang Nian's head was buzzing.
What's the situation?
The words Xu Qianqian said in the morning were still ringing in his ears, "Her original ID name is Zhou Haifei, but because the college entrance exams are coming up soon, she never changed it, so she's usually called Haifei."
WTF, Zhou Haifei is a girl?
No wonder from high school to college she never expressed her feelings, Jiang Nian thought, what else can be said?
To say my chemistry is good, that's like aluminum copper!
But on second thought, it also made sense.
Jiang Nian knows Xu Qianqian; her orientation is certainly not an issue. Even if a successful CEO came, there would be no chance, that's a fact.
This system benchmarks another version of himself in the future, a defeated 38-year-old Luther just starting out, competing with a successful person.
Besides, the task reward is so low, only five thousand bucks.
After the second class during the long break.
Jiang Nian wandered around Xu Qianqian's class and, seeing no teacher, went in directly. Generally, hopping classes isn't allowed, but thick-skinned exceptions exist.
After all, Xu Qianqian ranks at the top even in the Olympic class and is a beauty. No class monitor goes suddenly mindless to jump out and say, miscellaneous people are not allowed inside.
"Hey, Qianqian, your little bamboo horse is here."
Girls familiar with Xu Qianqian joked, and suddenly the place broke into laughter. This is a common interaction among high school girls, pointing at a boy and saying "your husband, your husband."
But this isn't a teenage idol drama, no one uses silly terms like "school heartthrob," being called "husband" often isn't a flattering label.
Xu Qianqian blushed and gave her female desk mate a light slap.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Jiang Nian looked indifferent; he stood right in the aisle. Starting with Xu Qianqian's deskmate, he cracked a few jokes that delighted the girls.
One of the benefits of mingling is being good at socializing.
But it's not much use, except for Xu Qianqian's deskmate, no one cares about this guy from the parallel class.
It's not discrimination; reality is schools talk by grades, or family background. Excelling in either makes you popular.
"Oh, oh, to ask a math question, this....." Jiang Nian wrote the problem on her scratch paper, genuinely lost in math, he had to ask more.
Xu Qianqian tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned over to take a look.
"Oh, this one uses....."
Deskmate Song Xiyun's eyes sparkled, darting between the clean and good-looking Jiang Nian and Xu Qianqian, with a smile involuntarily spreading.
Finally, Jiang Nian asked one more question.
"Which one is Zhou Haifei?"
Xu Qianqian's eyebrows unnoticeably furrowed but she still quietly told him.
"Third group, fifth row by the wall, wearing glasses... don't directly stare at the girl, Jiang Nian, are you a pig?"
Jiang Nian just glanced once, over on the side of the classroom at a girl with glasses, looking thin. Head down doing homework, hair covering half her face, not clear.
Seemingly by fate, the girl with glasses looked up in this direction. Her gaze collided with Jiang Nian's for a moment, revealing an ordinary face, before nonchalantly bowing her head again.
After Jiang Nian left.
Song Xiyun poked her deskmate's waist, "Hey, Qianqian, you guys really grew up together?"
"I heard when Li Bai married Qing Mei, he didn't turn back in the bridal chamber, probably too embarrassed," Song Xiyun rambled, amusing Xu Qianqian to the point of blushing.
"What are you talking about!"
"Li Bai." Song Xiyun looked innocent, eyes holding a smile, "What, who did you think I meant, could it be you....."
"Are you crazy, Song Xiyun!"
Jiang Nian returned to his class, temporarily without a good way for the system task. The person hasn't even spoken to Xu Qianqian, so what could he do?
The most direct way is to make Xu Qianqian someone else's flower, visible only to one (Zhou Haifei).
But such things can only be thought of as daydreams.
Better to watch and see first.
For three days in a row, Jiang Nian was busy with math tutoring.
The first monthly exam of senior year, commonly known as the senior year's preliminary exam, was happening the next day. Compared to the system's five thousand bucks, this seemed more important.
He didn't want to stay in this class anymore; the first preliminary exam had the privilege of changing classes. The top and bottom layer of students swap, that's the unwritten rule.
As for why not tutoring physics, let's just say, the physics exam setters were a bit mischievous, causing quite a few in the class to score single digits.
His physics score isn't bad, around a sixty, no need to waste time.
"Jiang Nian, why start studying now?" Le Zhi with a cheeky grin leaned over, sitting in front of him showing a smile that all boys understand, "What's got into you?"
Jiang Nian lifted his head, thinking about how to respond, definitely couldn't say he wanted to stay away from this bunch of losers.
"Oh, nothing, just studying for fun."
"Stubborn, that's a typical sign of post-breakup." Le Zhi, thin like a bamboo pole, with a voice like a Fruit Special Attack character 'The Thief of No Thieves', "Still hung up on that?"
Jiang Nian smiled, saying out loud nothing happened, but inwardly cursing everyone's mom here.
"Everyone's just kidding, just find a chance to clear things up." Le Zhi crossed his legs, grinning, "Feels odd missing a person."
"Well, after the exam the day after tomorrow, Zhou Yuting suggested we have a barbecue together at night, you in?"
Jiang Nian didn't even look up, "Not going."
Le Zhi didn't get any fun out of it and left directly.
Jiang Nian sat at his desk, gripping his pen tightly. Suddenly thinking of the past, he felt like a complete fool, how could he have played with this group.
Ultimately, this group gathered only to show off, one second making arbitrary judgments of others.
If in a bad mood, the next second, when asked by someone kindly, they'd immediately put on a stupid cold face.
This group even admired this abrupt coldness, thinking they're cool while being flattered. Carried a false sense of superiority, truly snobby.
In the end, just fools, mixing with them would eventually turn into one too.
He deeply inhaled, and continued reviewing.
The next day, the day of the preliminary exams arrived.
First-year students had the weekend off, leaving the teaching building for the senior's exam venue. Because of class changes involved, the school put great emphasis on this, monitoring unprecedentedly strictly.
Jiang Nian carried a pencil pouch, having already located the exam room earlier.
The exam arrangement mirrored the college entrance exam, with Chinese as the first session, with very wide seat intervals. In front of him was a quiet girl in a summer uniform, her arms fair.
While passing the test papers, the girl turned around. A delicate face, gentle eyebrows, wearing jeans with a summer white school uniform, her skin appeared very fair.
When handing over the answer sheet, strands of bangs like brush tips draped over her cheeks, slicing through the hot summer with a breezy style.