The winter vacation of the first year of high school passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Zhong Qi often went to Lin Shiyu’s house, teaching Lin Wanyue while practicing the guitar, and helping Lin Shiyu with his homework. Zhong Qi said the former was easier, and Lin Shiyu didn’t talk to him for three days after hearing that.

After school resumed, the weather warmed up, and Class Seven was officially divided into the science class, still led by Li Zhong as the class teacher. Some people left, and some new faces came in. So when Lin Shiyu walked into the classroom, he was once again greeted with a wave of gazes.

Lin Shiyu wasn’t dressed unusually; he was just wearing an oversized pink-green women’s jacket with a bow on each side of the hood and his usual pink bunny-head backpack. The original members of Class Seven were used to it, but the new ones were stunned. Looking at his face, then at his clothes, it was as if they had seen a ghost.

“Shiyu!” From the seats against the wall, Mao Silu waved vigorously. “Here! Let’s sit together.”

Lin Shiyu was still a bit sleepy, hesitated for a moment at his words, and then walked over sluggishly, subconsciously scanning the classroom as he did so. He saw in the middle of the back rows, Zhong Qi and Ruan Zhikai were sitting together. Zhong Qi seemed to be dozing off, and when he heard Mao Silu’s voice, he raised his eyes slightly, meeting Lin Shiyu’s gaze.

Lin Shiyu quickly averted his gaze, walked to his seat, and sat down. Next to the wall by the window, he could turn his head and see the sky outside and the playground below.

“Good morning, Shiyu. Do you want me to—” Gao Jie’s familiar loud voice came from behind him, making Lin Shiyu’s temples throb—it was too noisy.

Gao Jie was still sitting with Chen Xiaoxin. They were sitting behind Lin Shiyu and Mao Silu. Gao Jie sighed. “Ah, fate has determined that I have to keep studying math well. Xiaoxin, why don’t we try being math class representatives this semester?”

Chen Xiaoxin pushed his glasses and replied, “It’s unlikely. Someone from the top of the grade transferred into our class, and I’m pretty sure my first place in the class is not secure now.”

“Who?”

“Don’t you guys check the grade ranking after every exam last semester? It’s Zuo Xiang.”

The other three looked puzzled.

Chen Xiaoxin continued, “Forget it. Just know that Zuo Xiang always ranks first in the grade in every exam. His class was split into a liberal arts class last semester, so he transferred to our class. This guy is a genius player. He scored over thirty points higher than the second place in the final exam last semester.”

“Oh,” said Gao Jie.

Mao Silu said, “Zuo Xiang, even his name sounds like a top student.”

“Your name also sounds like a top student, but what about the result?” Lin Shiyu teased.

Mao Silu felt wronged. “Huh? Shiyu, why are you saying that to me?”

Gao Jie added, “Shiyu, it’s not me saying this, but ErMao’s grades are much better than yours.”

Chen Xiaoxin remarked, “This is what they call ‘newbies pecking at each other’.”

After Lin Shiyu received his final exam results from last semester, he fell silent.

Gao Jie was specifically looking at them, and exclaimed, “Oh my god, Shiyu, you scored… 59 points in biology?!”

Lin Shiyu remained silent.

Seeing his expression, Mao Silu hurriedly tried to comfort him. “It’s okay! There’s still progress. You almost passed, don’t, don’t be discouraged, Shiyu!”

Gao Jie also realized, “Yeah, yeah, even one point is progress!”

Lin Shiyu felt like punching someone. At this moment, a voice came from the classroom door: “Lin Shiyu!”

The noise stopped, and they saw Li Zhong, who they hadn’t seen for a month, still holding a stack of teaching materials under his arm, beckoning to Lin Shiyu. “Come here, Class Representative for biology, let’s talk.”

Lin Shiyu, rarely feeling guilty, and followed reluctantly amidst sympathetic glances from those around him.

After Lin Shiyu left the classroom, Mao Silu and the others gathered together to discuss papers, when someone approached from the corridor.

Zhong Qi stood in front of them. “Let me see Lin Shiyu’s papers.”

Mao Silu handed Zhong Qi the scattered papers on Lin Shiyu’s desk and casually asked, “Zhong Qi, did you do well this time?”

Gao Jie added from the side, “Of course, Brother Qi is always in the top ten. So proud!”

Zhong Qi didn’t say anything, just quickly flipped through Lin Shiyu’s final exam answer sheets, put them back, and walked away.

Gao Jie commented, “I feel like Brother Qi’s back looks like it’s saying ‘a leopard can’t change its spots’.”

Chen Xiaoxin remarked, “Teacher Li especially gave him extra lessons, and Zhong Qi also teaches him every day. In the end, he only improved by one point. Personally, I find it very puzzling.”

Li Zhong was also very puzzled.

“Lin Shiyu, you’ve really made me speechless.” Li Zhong patted Lin Shiyu’s shoulder with the teaching materials, looking very disappointed. “You ranked last in the class again this time. I tried to improve your biology score by 20 points, but you wouldn’t even give me 2 points. What’s wrong, do you have a problem with me?”

Lin Shiyu was also frustrated. “I don’t have a problem.”

“I was thinking maybe my extra classes didn’t work, but fortunately, Ruan Zhikai scored 70 points, so I don’t doubt myself. Did you not pay attention in class at all, or did you not understand anything?”

Lin Shiyu stood silent, neither upset nor rebellious, just silent. Li Zhong was also anxious and angry after seeing his grades, feeling like he had taught him for over a month, and yet there was no improvement at all. However, seeing Lin Shiyu like this, he felt that it might be too impatient to scold him immediately.

Li Zhong softened his tone. “Lin Shiyu, I don’t want to scold you, but since you chose science, you have to study hard. Can’t you see that I’m trying so hard to teach you, and you haven’t made any progress at all? You’re not studying for others, but for yourself, aren’t you? Don’t you want to go to a good university? You’ve been neglecting your studies. Is that how you repay your mom and sister? Wasting your own life is wasting their care for you! Such selfishness, and wasting yourself, no one will respect you in the future!”

Li Zhong scolded Lin Shiyu harshly, and Lin Shiyu stood silently enduring the scolding. They were standing in the corridor by the back door of the classroom. Li Zhong’s voice got louder as he became more agitated, and people inside the classroom by the corridor windows were peeking their heads out to see what was happening, clearly hearing Li Zhong’s reprimand.

After a while, Lin Shiyu returned to the classroom. Everyone couldn’t help but look at him, but Lin Shiyu didn’t react much. He simply went back to his seat.

Nervously, Mao Silu stood up to give Lin Shiyu his seat, and after Lin Shiyu sat down, Mao Silu looked at him cautiously and said, “Shiyu, don’t be upset. You didn’t do well this time, but you can try harder next time.”

Gao Jie also lowered his voice, trying to comfort him. “Yeah, Old Li is just worried and cares about you. Don’t take it to heart.”

Lin Shiyu tidied up the papers and textbooks on his desk and said, “It’s okay.”

Then he didn’t seem to have any more willingness to communicate with them.

Mao Silu and Gao Jie glanced at each other in distress, but they didn’t want to bother him anymore.

Throughout the day, Lin Shiyu hardly spoke. No one dared to disturb him. Gao Jie tried to leave a pack of tomato-flavored crisps on his desk, but Lin Shiyu didn’t touch them. So Gao Jie glanced at Mao Silu, indicating that Lin Shiyu was really upset this time.

Lin Shiyu was indeed in a bad mood. Every time he felt down, it was as if he disconnected from the world around him, retreating into his own world, either venting his anger recklessly or sulking alone.

Why did Li Zhong get so angry? When he was in Meishui Middle School before, no teacher had ever scolded him because they didn’t even bother to look at him, didn’t care, so of course they wouldn’t get angry. Lin Shiyu was used to it and didn’t think there was anything wrong. Teachers weren’t his parents, why bother meddling in so much?

Is going to college… is it really that important? Lin Shiyu sat at his desk, propping up his cheeks, absentmindedly scribbling on the cover of his textbook. He had never been a good student. He has bad grades, fights and defies authority, therefore what’s so strange about not being able to get into college? Compared to studying, making money sooner was a more realistic thing for him.

Yet, Li Zhong’s scolding had left him dumbfounded. The word “selfish” pierced Lin Shiyu’s chest. The more he thought about it, the deeper it pierced, to the point where Lin Shiyu began to feel anxious and uneasy. He started to ponder whether he really was very selfish, to his family and to himself.

After school, Mao Silu bumped into Lin Shiyu. “Shiyu, I’m leaving.”

“Bye.”

Mao Silu packed up his bag and left with Ruan Zhikai, feeling somewhat uneasy. Gao Jie also said goodbye to him and left. Soon, the classroom gradually emptied out, and Lin Shiyu packed up his test papers and had to take them home for his parents to sign.

Footsteps sounded in his ears, stopping at the desk near the corridor. Lin Shiyu looked up and saw Zhong Qi standing there with his backpack.

“I’m leaving,” Zhong Qi said.

Lin Shiyu turned his head, zipped up his backpack, and said, “I have something to do, you go back first.”

He slung his backpack over his shoulder, ready to leave, but Zhong Qi seemed to have not heard, and stood motionless in front of Lin Shiyu’s seat. Lin Shiyu was blocked from leaving and frowned at him.

Their eyes met in the darkness.

“What’s up?”

“I’m going shopping.”

“Where?”

Lin Shiyu felt annoyed and raised his hand to push him away. “What does it matter where I’m going? Just go back first.”

He pushed against Zhong Qi’s chest, but couldn’t move him. Lin Shiyu felt puzzled as his hand pressed against Zhong Qi’s chest, but he didn’t budge.

“I asked you where you’re going,” Zhong Qi repeated, his expression and tone extremely cold, as he stood in front of Lin Shiyu, unmoving.

The two of them remained at a stalemate for a while. Lin Shiyu’s expression was almost about to explode in anger, but in the end, he didn’t know what he was thinking. Although there was still an impatient expression on his face, his shoulders relaxed slightly.

In the end, he didn’t push Zhong Qi away.

 

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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