Chapter 21: On the Eve of the Exam

After waking up, it was still the same repetitive necessities, returning to class.

Then, the morning reading began.

Loud reading voices rose slowly, Feng Yan picked up his Chinese textbook and began his recitation. He knew the class representative would definitely come looking for him; this had become routine. Because Chen Hao was the Chinese group leader, everyone in their group could pass, and over time the class representative stopped believing Chen Hao. Feng Yan still remembered what the class representative asked Chen Hao back then: the class representative said, 'Have they all memorized it?' 'Yeah, they all have.' Chen Hao blinked his eyes, and the class representative couldn't take it anymore, saying directly, 'Why don't I believe you? There are still a few who haven't memorized in the other group, while your side passes every time—are you messing around?' 'That only proves our group is better, right?' Chen Hao answered her. The class representative laughed, showing two dimples, and said, 'Last round, did you all pass?' 'Yeah, we all passed.' Chen Hao answered the same way.

As sentence after sentence of classical Chinese came from Feng Yan's mouth, she opened her book, watching him finish bit by bit. 'Ah, encountering someone like this, I really suffer.' Feng Yan sighed. 'How is it?' Chen Hao asked him. 'Done, settled!' Feng Yan replied. The matter had already passed more than half a semester; after a while, it would be winter break. 'Ah, finally it's vacation, the winter break homework is so touching it piles up like a mountain!' Feng Yan complained, sighing helplessly. 'What? You haven't even started vacation yet and you're already worrying about homework?' the class representative said. 'You don't understand the feeling of a child who loves to play being crushed under a pile of homework—that's a bit-by-bit pain that gradually accumulates into a mountain; when that mountain rises from the ground, there's no more joy.' Feng Yan said.

'Hahaha, you really dare to say that.' The class representative laughed, 'Today I said I'd check your recitation, but I'm in a good mood, so I won't look for you.' The class representative slowly walked away; Feng Yan watched her retreating back and thought, 'This Xuan Wenwen just has nothing to do, right?' Feng Yan felt helpless and continued studying. After class, Chen Hao asked, 'Feng Yan, may I ask you something?' 'What?' 'Do you think Xuan Wenwen is pretty?' 'Just so-so; why do you care about this? She probably already has a boyfriend.' 'Really?' Chen Hao continued, 'Don't you think girls with dimples are cute? Oh, right, you already have someone you like.' Hearing this, Feng Yan fell silent, preparing the things he needed for class. Seeing Feng Yan ignore him, Chen Hao seemed to realize he'd said something wrong and also began preparing what he needed for the lesson.

This class was math; the teacher slowly walked into the classroom and said to the students, 'Classmates, we're about to have the final exam!' Those below remained silent, but everyone could hardly contain their joy at the thought of the upcoming long vacation. The students opened the material the teacher was going to lecture on, and the teacher continued, 'Starting today, math class will no longer teach new knowledge; we will review what we've learned before, preparing for the final exam! I roughly calculated the time for you, adding in meal and sleep time, you still have nearly a month, but your study time isn't that much—after subtracting two weeks of vacation, meals, and sleep, you only have about half a month left; after subtracting time for other subjects, your math study time is less than a day. So, classmates, seize the time!'

The teacher spoke a lot on the podium, and Feng Yan also understood—basically just emphasizing that everyone should study well. Feng Yan listlessly slumped on his seat, 'Feng Yan! Are you getting ready to sleep again?' the math teacher shouted loudly. Feng Yan stood up; the teacher gestured for him to sit down, then continued, 'These points should actually be said by the homeroom teacher, but I'll make it short: in the coming days, don't be late; the grade director has been strictly checking attendance lately, and lateness will deduct from the homeroom teacher's quantified score. Alright, no more nonsense, let's start class.' The teacher lectured on; Feng Yan didn't understand what the teacher was saying, but he still listened hard, thinking, 'What if? They say they'll definitely understand that day! They can all get it, so why can't I?'

The teacher spoke a lot on the podium; Feng Yan also understood—basically, he was just emphasizing that everyone should study well. Feng Yan slumped listlessly in his seat, "Feng Yan! You're about to sleep again?" the math teacher shouted loudly. Feng Yan stood up; the teacher gestured for him to sit down, then said: "These should originally be said by your homeroom teacher, but I'll keep it brief: don't be late these days; the grade director has been strictly checking records lately, and lateness will deduct from the homeroom teacher's quantified score. Okay, no more talk—let's start class." The teacher lectured in class; Feng Yan didn't understand what the teacher was saying, but he still tried hard to listen. He thought: "What if? They said they'd definitely understand that day! They can all get it, why can't I?"

During evening self-study, everyone was busy with their own things, doing homework. The homeroom teacher walked into the classroom, took out his notebook, looked at the content, then coughed and said, 'Everyone, pause what you're doing for a moment; I have something to tell you.' The students stopped their activities and looked at the homeroom teacher, who pulled out a chair from under the podium table, sat down, and said, 'The weather has been getting colder lately; students, pay attention to dressing warmly, try to wear thicker clothes—don't ruin your health just for a little beauty, or it'll be a loss. Now I'll mention a few things; please listen carefully. Soon it will be the final exam; even if I didn't say it, your other teachers would have. Also, regarding tardiness and early departure, the school attaches great importance to this. At the end of term, everyone thinks about vacation, possibly becoming so excited they can't sleep, leading to difficulty getting up the next day. For this, I especially emphasize: we must enter the classroom at 6:30 a. m.; after that time, the director of academic affairs will block people at the teaching building, and anyone caught will have points deducted from the homeroom teacher's quantified score. So I hope you won't be late, and boarding students shouldn't cause me trouble at night. With that, go ahead and attend to your own affairs.'

'Not being late?' Feng Yan whispered. He thought silently, 'Who cares? Not being late is fine enough.' Feng Yan mused, the after-class bell rang, Feng Yan walked out of the classroom and stood on the balcony; the wind blew across his face, a chill hit him. 'Yeah, it's winter now—wonder if it'll snow?' He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps to someone. 'Do you like snow?' a voice replied. Feng Yan drifted off a bit; hearing the voice, he was startled, and as he slowly regained his composure, he saw the Chinese class representative, Xuan Wenwen, standing right beside him. 'Yeah, I like snow,' Feng Yan answered, then continued, 'I feel this world is too dirty, but when white snow covers the earth, I think the world is still somewhat clean.' 'Somewhat clean? Why do you say that?' Xuan Wenwen asked him. Feng Yan raised his head and said, 'Ah, there are no stars tonight; the sky is all black. Why would I say that? Do you think snow looks beautiful? There's an indescribable beauty, mysterious, pure, as if everything is nothingness.' 'Why is snow white? Probably because it forgot its own color,' Xuan Wenwen muttered to herself.

The bell rang, Feng Yan returned to the classroom and sat in his seat. Chen Hao called him; Feng Yan turned his head and said, 'What's up?' 'You can, you know—flirting with the class representative on the balcony.' Chen Hao said with a goofy smile. 'No, you're overthinking it; from now on don't say these things anymore—I don't want to hear them.' Feng Yan replied. 'Why? Isn't she pretty enough?' Chen Hao asked Feng Yan. 'Then what part of her do you find pretty?' Feng Yan grew impatient and directly asked Chen Hao. 'Don't you know? She's our class belle! Look, when she smiles she has two dimples, her eyes are especially lively, wow! And that figure…' 'Alright, alright, enough—class is starting.' Feng Yan turned back, opened his book, and thought, 'Is she pretty?'

After school, Chen Hao and Feng Yan went together to the convenience store, bought some snacks. On the way, Chen Hao asked him, 'You really don't think she's pretty?' 'No, not at all.' Feng Yan replied. 'What if I told you she broke up with that boyfriend?' 'Her affairs are none of my business.' Feng Yan answered, 'My only goal right now is to study well when studying, and to play freely when playing—that's all. As for the girlfriend stuff you mentioned, I won't think about it, nor will I act on it; it's meaningless.'

'Feng Yan, what's wrong with you? Is it that?' Chen Hao asked him. 'Yeah, that's it.' Feng Yan gave a wry smile, 'Let's hurry up and go; we need to quickly discuss what comes next.'

Feng Yan, what's wrong? Is it? Chen Hao asked him, "Yeah, that's it." Feng Yan forced a smile, "Let's go quickly, we need to discuss what comes next."