novelraw Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Chapter 63 When the second semester of the second year began, students immediately felt the first wave of pressure from the college entrance exams.
The early self-study period in each class was adjusted for the first time. Although the homeroom teacher, Niu Zhihuai, appeared to be a kindly, smiling old teacher and used a very polite tone to discuss this with the students of Class 1 in the humanities, everyone had already figured out his personality after a semester of interaction.
—
While he was still smiling, the most sensible choice for the students was to agree.
Thus, the decision to move the early self-study period forward by half an hour was finalized through a “democratic” vote.
This was only the first unfortunate event experienced by the students represented by Class 1 in the humanities.
The second wave came quickly.
When students saw the subject teachers carrying thick stacks of papers into the classroom, they nearly cried—
In their previous impression, weren’t final exams supposed to be over once they were taken and the parents were notified?
Why, after a winter break, were all the exams that many of them hadn’t enjoyed during the New Year coming back?
A slight consolation was that the most intimidating math teacher in the class came into the room with a smile.
Standing at the podium, the math teacher placed the papers on the desk, and the math class representative went forward to distribute the papers. It was at this moment that the math teacher spoke.
“Our class’s math performance improved significantly last semester. You didn’t disappoint me.”
The students in Class 1, who rarely saw the math teacher smile, all let out a sigh of relief.
The math teacher’s gaze fell directly towards a certain direction in the classroom, and his smile was so broad his eyes were almost closed—
“What especially makes me happy is that in the ranking of math scores for the humanities class, our class occupies two of the top three positions.”
The teacher’s gaze was fixed on the desk where Qin Qing and Wen Yufeng were sitting.
All eyes in the class turned towards them.
“Qin Qing’s math scores have always been the top in the grade; I’m used to it,” the math teacher said, shifting his focus to the boy beside her.
“However— Wen Yufeng, you have truly given me a pleasant surprise!”
The boy directly named didn’t even lift his head, showing no reaction to the math teacher’s praise.
Seeing the math teacher’s smile falter slightly, Qin Qing subtly moved her right leg under the desk and gently kicked Wen Yufeng’s long leg that was curled up under the desk.
“……”
Wen Yufeng’s gaze flickered, his legs shifted slightly, and he looked up at the podium.
The math teacher, satisfied, withdrew his gaze and continued his speech.
In this corner of the room, Qin Qing frowned and lowered her voice, “Wen Yufeng,… let go of me.”
On the desk, the boy propped his cheek with one hand, turned sideways towards the girl, and his thin lips curved into a slight smile.
“I’m not holding you.”
As he spoke, his free hand tapped on the desk, as if to show his innocence.
“……” Qin Qing could only struggle to retract her leg, her beautiful eyes showing irritation. “I was just reminding you.”
“Ah, you mean down there.”
Wen Yufeng’s smile was insincere, and feeling the girl’s calf trying to break free from his legs, he slightly increased the pressure.
His legs moved closer to the girl.
The curve of the boy’s lips grew wider.
“Sorry, I can’t stretch out.”
If this weren’t a classroom, Qin Qing might have truly jumped up in anger.
Even knowing it was a classroom, she still couldn’t suppress her annoyance. “Is it just because of your long legs…”
As soon as she asked, Qin Qing regretted it.
—
She had asked this question during the sports meet last semester.
At that time, Wen Yufeng didn’t say a word but simply stood next to her in the front row.
Qin Qing still remembered that hurtful difference in length.
Thinking of this made her even more depressed.
Wen Yufeng, who had been observing the whole scene, vaguely guessed the girl’s current mood.
He lifted the corners of his lips, and while the math teacher on the podium wasn’t paying attention, quickly leaned towards the girl—
“Yes. But I prefer short legs.”
“……”
In less than two seconds, Qin Qing’s cheeks turned red.
— Out of anger.
In the following classes, almost every teacher’s list of commendations had Wen Yufeng’s name added to it.
However, it was well-deserved.
First in the comprehensive humanities exam, third in math, and sixth in Chinese; before this, he had never been in the top twenty in any subject.
In comparison, Qin Qing, who was genuinely first in the grade, received less attention.
Until English class—
“Wen Yufeng, when did I offend you?”
Before the English teacher had even fully stepped onto the podium, she spoke with a forced smile.
Without waiting for Wen Yufeng to answer, she continued.
“Before the school started, your homeroom teacher held a meeting with the subject teachers, and I was too embarrassed to go—total grade score sixteen, sixth in Chinese, third in math, first in comprehensive humanities, and English? Ah? Not even in the top one hundred? — The English department has made a name for you!”
After a long rant, the English teacher took a breath and continued, “If it weren’t for me dragging you down, your scores could have competed with Qin Qing for the top spot in the humanities—tell me, when did I offend you so badly that you have to pass the blame onto me?”
The young English teacher, despite her youth, was quite formidable with her words. After she finished, the whole class struggled to suppress their laughter and couldn’t bring themselves to look up.
Only the person concerned seemed unaffected.
Once the English teacher had finished her barrage, Wen Yufeng lazily smiled.
“Sorry, Teacher Ge, my English foundation is weak and I can’t make up for it.”
“……” The English teacher was momentarily speechless, and after a pause, she continued, “If you can’t make up for it, then work harder! The top student in the English subject is sitting next to you. If it weren’t for the fact that the internal essay grading didn’t give full marks, Qin Qing could have easily gotten a perfect score—she could teach three of you and still manage!”
The English teacher was clearly very upset. After speaking, she started flipping through the papers, stopping after a few pages as if she remembered something.
She furrowed her brows and looked in Wen Yufeng’s direction again—
“Teacher Niu said that if you can’t be taught by the top student in English, then don’t waste resources and let Qin Qing move to another desk to tutor someone else.”
After speaking, the English teacher frowned and turned back to the exam papers.
— She really couldn’t understand the purpose of what Teacher Niu wanted her to say.
As the English teacher bowed her head, she didn’t see that the boy who had seemed somewhat casual just a moment before had now lost all trace of a smile in his eyes.
After a couple of seconds, Wen Yufeng squinted slightly and clicked his tongue.
“…… It’s not over yet.”
Next to him, Qin Qing couldn’t help but laugh.
……
After the English teacher relayed Teacher Niu’s “imperial decree,”
Wen Yufeng actually began studying English with Qin Qing.
It was only after Qin Qing started teaching Wen Yufeng English that she discovered something even more astonishing about him.
For example, although his basic vocabulary and grammar were shockingly poor, his spoken English was impressive. His pronunciation was fluent and accurate, and when conversing, except for specialized terms outside daily use, it felt like she was talking to a native Brit.
“Are you… mixed race?”
Qin Qing couldn’t help but ask her question.
Hearing the “also,” Wen Yufeng helplessly replied, “My uncle’s mother is a foreigner, and my grandfather is of pure Chinese descent.”
“So why is your spoken English so good?”
“I told you, I spent two years abroad before I entered this school…”
“……” Qin Qing’s expression slightly changed when this topic came up.
After a couple of seconds, she adjusted her mood and seemed to turn her attention back, “Well, the reason your English isn’t good is very simple—let’s start by memorizing all the vocabulary lists at the end of your English textbooks.”
“‘Start’?” Wen Yufeng raised an eyebrow.
Qin Qing, with a stern face, turned to him, “Otherwise, how about getting familiar with the latest Oxford dictionary?”
“……”
Faced with the girl’s uncompromising gaze, Wen Yufeng could only “obediently” turn back.
“Here’s the first book.”
Qin Qing took an English book and corresponding notes from her book box and placed them in front of Wen Yufeng.
Wen Yufeng said, “My English books are all here.”
Qin Qing glanced at the nearly untouched new English book.
Then she turned back and muttered softly.
“Who knows if it contains some strange magazines.”
Wen Yufeng: “……”
A month later.
After another monthly exam in the second year, Qin Qing, as the English class representative of Class 1 in the humanities, and another class representative were carrying English exam papers back to the classroom.
“Wen Yufeng’s progress is really too fast!”
The girl walking alongside Qin Qing remarked, “Now many people still can’t believe it—how can someone be so enviable?”
“Enviable?” Qin Qing, who hadn’t interrupted before, was taken aback.
“It’s an exaggeration, but there’s a bit of truth to it,” the girl said,
“His scores were very poor in the first year, but after the second semester of the second year, his progress has been tremendous—although he does attend classes now and doesn’t skip them, it doesn’t seem like he’s working too hard…”
The girl paused for a moment, and seeing Qin Qing’s unchanged expression, she continued, “Just like this time’s English monthly test, his English scores from last semester—just over a month into this semester, and his improvement is so great. They joke that he’s almost not human.”
Qin Qing smiled lightly.
“What are you smiling about?” the girl asked curiously.
“There’s one thing about Wen Yufeng,” Qin Qing continued to smile, her eyes sparkling, “He is very focused. — Once he sets his mind on something, he will definitely accomplish it.”
At this point, Qin Qing paused slightly. After a moment, she lowered her gaze. “Moreover, he truly has outstanding abilities. So… no one can stop him from moving towards his goals.”
The girl beside her was confused, but Qin Qing didn’t elaborate further, and the two continued on to the classroom.
Carrying the exam papers, as they turned to the back door of Class 1 in the humanities, they saw a group of boys standing at the front door.
The tall, well-defined figure at the front was particularly conspicuous.
The girl next to Qin Qing whispered, “Ah… are those the ones who used to fight with Wen Yufeng? They really came to find him?”
“……”
Qin Qing frowned, stopped, and turned her face, “‘Really came to find’?—What do you mean?”
The girl hesitated but, seeing Qin Qing’s determined look, could only speak reluctantly, “It seems like they came to our school from the Third Middle School twice, and the boys in the grade say they want to fight with the Third Middle School…”
Qin Qing’s expression changed slightly.
After a couple of seconds, she turned and walked towards them.
“Hey…” The girl saw she couldn’t stop her and could only sigh, returning first.
Outside the classroom door, the boys, including Li Xiang, were surrounding Wen Yufeng, who was leaning against the wall with a thoughtful expression.
He was about to speak when he noticed the silence beside him.
Wen Yufeng looked up and saw the petite girl, holding the exam papers with a serious expression, walking straight towards him through the path made by Li Xiang and the others.