Chapter 107: Qingbao Qingbao, Hehehe

Jiang Nian sent Zhou Yuting's QQ to Zhou Haifei: "Perfect, you're family."

Faced with this forced pairing, Zhou Haifei had been annoyed.

He thought: What the hell, you're trying to shove some black-skinned like-hua to disgust me? But fearing someone's tyranny, he dared not lash out—only suppressed a glance.

His eyes locked instantly, smiling like willow breeze in spring, brows and eyes like the moon.

"Huh? You really are family?"

"She likes proactive guys—go ahead and chase her," Jiang Nian slapped his shoulder, each blow heavy and forceful. "Work hard. I'm leaving."

"Alright, thanks, vice-class monitor," Zhou Haifei nodded like a pounding pestle.

From the moment Jiang Nian called himself vice-class monitor, Zhou Haifei had been stunned.

Zhennan High School valued strength above all, ranking solely by grades.

In this special Gao San Olympiad class, class officers were privileges within privileges. They could handle seemingly idle tasks for the homeroom teacher—entirely plausible.

When Jiang Nian approached him, he'd said: One less 985 means one less bonus.

Liberal arts and science operated under separate academic systems; their homeroom teacher, Liu Liangsong, was too lazy to cross-class hunt for people. So he was assigned to handle it—and handle it he must.

Madmen waving banners—who isn't afraid?

Still, though the guy was a bit crazy, he wasn't bad—he'd actually hooked me up with a cute girl.

Tomorrow I'll find out if he's really top-tier and rich.

Zhou Haifei wasn't like other scumbags—he didn't just pounce on any pretty face.

Wrong—he liked smart girls, pretty girls, and only science girls.

Because top science grades meant intelligence; beauty was a genetic advantage. Only the finest genes matched with his own could yield a delicious romance.

Eating everything? That's not a dog—it's a stray.

(Lin Dong: Achoo!)

Descending the stairs, ten minutes remained before evening self-study.

Zhang Nenzhi followed Jiang Nian step by step, slowly realizing he'd just stood up for her.

Others had defended her before—but only halfheartedly, or just intervened briefly. She'd been grateful enough.

But never had anyone acted like Jiang Nian—speaking up instantly, then dragging her out to confront it face-to-face. It was her issue, yet he seemed angrier than she was.

A feeling of being cared for.

In the dim stairwell, Zhang Nenzhi tugged his school uniform jacket.

"Thank you."

Jiang Nian stopped, turned to look at her.

"No need. Just a small favor—we're desk partners, and I drink your drinks every day. If you really want to thank me, treat me to dinner at Dongshun sometime?"

Dongshun wasn't a fancy restaurant—it was a newly opened Chinese fast-food spot on Zhennan Street. The food was excellent, better than cafeteria meals.

Its only flaw: expensive for students. Four or five small dishes cost forty to fifty yuan, while a chicken rice meal in the cafeteria was six.

"Okay!" She brightened again.

The girl who bought white porridge for fifty yuan didn't care about this. The moment she agreed, a thought flashed: Should I invite him to the city this weekend?

Downstairs, they walked side by side. From dimness to the stark, bright fourth-floor corridor, fluorescent lights like thick snow melted the approaching night.

"When did you become vice-class monitor?"

"Old Liu promoted me privately—didn't announce it."

Zhang Nenzhi "Ah?" then turned to look—only a beautiful profile. Seconds later she realized he was teasing her, and bit her lip.

She felt the net of friendship in her heart growing denser, the wide, bright corridor narrowing strangely—as if only two could fit.

Neither spoke. Each adjusted, preparing to enter the classroom for self-study.

In Gao San, even if the sky fell, you still did problems. The countdown to the Gaokao loomed overhead. The LED screen blazed two red lines: 【Return to Textbooks, Read Questions Carefully】.

As they entered the classroom, Li Qingrong looked up—her gaze swept over Jiang Nian and Zhang Nenzhi. Her eyes dipped for an instant, then slowly returned to her math test.

First and second evening self-study were Chinese; Chinese class representative Tao Ran brought a set of test papers.

"Tonight, complete the test—no essay. Submit by the end of the second evening self-study."

The classroom erupted in unrest, groans rising.

"Wasn't there a weekly quiz already? Why another Chinese test?"

"I haven't even finished my math papers—how am I supposed to do this?"

"Forget it. Just copy."

Tao Ran showed no expression. In Gao Er, he'd still argue, scolding classmates for laziness and subject prejudice. Now—he was numb. He gave up.

Chinese class rep? Lower than low. The lowest of the low.

I'm a grandson. Happy now?

Come on, you old Gao San relics—here comes the grandson again, annoying you.

Tao Ran coughed. "Submit by end of second evening self-study. The homeroom teacher says names will be recorded for late submissions."

"Fuck! Are you insane?"

"Who can lend me a copy? Fuck—I've got six tests piled up. I can't finish them all."

"Damn, I'm still a student? I'm so tired I thought I was livestock. Put a rope around my neck—I'll go plow the fields!"

Jiang Nian showed no reaction. Just a Chinese test.

He'd spent the entire afternoon's free time slowly working through problems—two math papers were nearly done.

Since entering the Olympiad class, he'd adapted well. Knowledge stamped into his mind by memory bread never faded—he didn't follow the forgetting curve.

Ebbinghaus? Did he have Deep Blue too?

Most of his homework was copied; some—like English—he farmed out. His good daughter, Song Xiyun, did it for him, working part-time for the heartless debtor between her own studies.

In comparison, Yu Tongjie looked far more disheveled.

Jiang Nian often saw his name on the list of unfinished homework; it seemed like Classmate Jienigui was struggling a bit—every day he couldn't finish his assignments.

Those first two weeks after the class upgrade might have been due to jet lag, but once he settled in, Yu Tongjie collapsed. Every day he frantically caught up on homework, becoming much more subdued.

To be honest, Jiang Nian wanted some entertainment—he hoped to catch a glimpse of Classmate Yu secretly shedding tiny pearls.

Exam papers rustled like falling snow, passing from front to back; Li Hua's face was numb. After taking them, he handed the papers to his two desk mates, then couldn't help letting out a heavy sigh.

"Hope the reading comprehension gives me a decent little story—this is the only thing keeping me going."

Jiang Nian turned his head. "You're fantasizing again, Hua."

"Maybe," Li Hua flipped open his dictation sheet. "Let's do the other questions first. After reading the story, you won't want to write the exam anymore."

Zhang Ningzhi opened her Chinese exam paper and pulled out a pristine answer sheet to begin writing the classical poetry dictation. Her heartbeat had calmed, but her emotions still bubbled.

Her face was utterly composed, yet inside she kept replaying what had just happened.

She had always been slow to catch on, so she replayed things countless times.

The first question tested "Ten thousand li of autumn sorrow, always a guest"—she wrote carefully, elegant script appearing on the answer sheet. In the line, the Poet Saint's edges had been worn smooth by suffering.

Yet the girl in the classroom could not empathize with Du Fu; what she wrote was "ten thousand li of autumn sorrow."

What she thought of was snowfield, burning fire, boundless expanse.

Not even minutes into the exam, Ma Guojun suddenly shouted in class.

"Worri, Jiang Nian!"

Ma Guojun was used to being rowdy—he shouted across an entire group during self-study. Some classmates looked up, drawing the ire of the discipline committee.

Jiang Nian turned instinctively to look at him.

"Fat Baby, what's wrong?"

The phrase "Fat Baby" sent half the class into fits of laughter. Even the discipline committee couldn't hold it together—his lips twitched, and he stopped bothering to enforce silence, lowering his head to continue the exam.

"Damn, you guys are disgusting."

Ma Guojun couldn't take it either. "Dude, look at your multiple-choice questions—your QQ!"

Jiang Nian was still writing the dictation, so he flipped over to check the multiple-choice section.

It read: "Select the option(s) whose implication of one-dimensional time resembles that of 'Generations come and go without end; the river moon year after year looks the same.'"

The choices: "Dark hair knows not to study early; only when white-headed does one regret not reading." / "Idle clouds, pond reflections, days drift on; things change, stars shift, how many autumns have passed?"

Li Hua turned to look at him. "Bro Jiang, which ones do you pick?"

Jiang Nian: "All of them."

He had barely finished speaking when Zhang Ningzhi poked him, whispering:

"One of them can't be selected."

"Then let me see yours." Jiang Nian leaned over, his head just two fingers' width from hers. "ABD? Fine, I trust you—I'll copy blindly."

Li Hua watched from the side, feeling slightly broken. He really wanted to report them.

Seriously? Are they pulling this crap during an exam?

Doesn't this feel more like dog food?

After the second evening self-study, they handed in their Chinese exams. While Zhang Ningzhi went to the restroom,

Li Hua grabbed Jiang Nian. "When did you two start dating?"

"At Chi Shi, during Gao San," Jiang Nian gave Li Hua a strange look. "Hua, you're fantasizing again?"

"Do you think I'm blind? Just now, when you leaned over, Zhang Ningzhi's face turned red." Li Hua's voice grew uncertain as he saw Jiang Nian's lack of reaction.

"You really aren't dating?"

"Huh? Look at my eyes." Jiang Nian glanced at Wu Jun Gu's seat—seeing the man was absent, he added, "Dating in Gao San is just raising someone else's wife."

Li Hua clearly believed Jiang Nian's innocence now, and shifted to curiosity.

"Why can't it be playing with someone else's wife?"

"Pure A-Q mentality. People who think like that are basically starved for love, hoping the other person will treat them the way they treat her." Jiang Nian spoke mercilessly, cuttingly.

"In reality, no one will treat them well. Once the filter fades, you'll suffer—you can't change her, and you can't keep her. You exhaust yourself, then comfort yourself with 'at least I didn't lose.'"

Li Hua felt stabbed to the core. He waved his hand.

"Forget it. You're stabbing me right in the lungs again."

After saying that, Li Hua flipped through the self-study schedule and found that the last evening self-study session was biology evening self-study. He froze for a moment, then turned to look at Jiang Nian again.

"Next is biology—aren't you going outside again for your private tutoring?"

"Mm." Jiang Nian had already pulled out his biology review book.

"Again with his girlfriend?" Li Hua leaned in, lowering his voice and raising an eyebrow. "Have you talked to Yu Zhiyi? Doesn't Jun Gu mind?"

"Nuts, what are you talking about?" Jiang Nian glanced around—no one nearby. "To be honest, I really hope Qing Bao would pick someone else. I just feel like getting even a little involved is a hassle."

"Why?" Li Hua was stunned. "It's nothing—she's just a classmate. Yu Zhiyi greets us all the time. It's just a bit awkward for me."

Ding-ding-ding—the evening self-study began.

Jiang Nian saw Zhang Ningzhi returning through the front door, so he stopped talking. He just patted Li Hua's shoulder, picked up his stool, and walked out first.

To be honest, Yu Zhiyi had no sense of boundaries.

Jiang Nian had pursued Zhou Yuting; he knew her too well—she was a high-level little green tea. Her little circle was actually still somewhat legitimate.

In contrast, Yu Zhiyi didn't have Zhou Yuting's many tactics. Her actions were mostly instinctive—she operated by her own self-consistent logic.

For example, once she had a boyfriend, she would never cheat. But not cheating didn't mean she couldn't have male friends; perhaps she felt women were unfriendly due to her figure.

So she had a few male friends, played without boundaries, yet never crossed the line.

Jiang Nian could even imagine: if Wu Jun Gu questioned her, Yu Zhiyi would get angry, then cry, complaining about being excluded by girls—what did she even want him to do?

"Do you want me to die?!"

At the empty corner of the third-floor corridor, Yu Zhiyi looked devastated, staring at her boyfriend.

"What do you want me to do?"

Wu Jun Gu's face showed a flicker of pity, yet he still clenched his teeth.

"Why did he help you get hot water?"

"She was just helping me out—we're good friends," Yu Zhiyi took a deep breath, lifting her gaze to him. "What do you think the situation should be?"

The corner of the corridor was dimly lit. Wu Jun Gu swallowed hard, opening his mouth but holding back. He had clearly said he'd mind, yet she still interacted with the opposite sex.

As if she couldn't tell the difference between ambiguity and intimacy.

He really wanted to say it—didn't he know exactly what she was thinking? But the thought circled in his mind, and still he didn't speak.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Yu Zhiyi took another deep breath. "You come looking for me right after class, start with an accusation, and when I ask you, all you say is 'nothing'?"

"I—"

"Enough. I'm busy now—I'm already in evening bio self-study." She stepped back. "I still have remedial classes. Can we talk after school?"

"Mm."

Wu Jun Gu watched Yu Zhiyi rush up the stairs, not glancing at him once.

He wandered back to the classroom in a daze, and there at the desk by the door sat Jiang Nian, writing problems. The latter kept his head down, oblivious to the world outside.

Only when Wu Jun Gu entered the classroom did Jiang Nian lift his head.

On the other side, the adjacent classroom stirred—Yu Zhiyi brought out a small stool, holding a textbook and a dictation notebook, presumably an assignment from Qingbao.

Jiang Nian stood up immediately and turned to go to the restroom.

After all, outside the classroom, no one could control him. It wasn't until Qingbao returned from the office to the classroom that he slowly strolled back from the restroom, phone in hand.

While explaining problems, Jiang Nian either stared at the questions or at Qingbao, his smile impossible to suppress. Qingbao, Qingbao, hehe.

"Teacher, are we getting the test papers tomorrow?"

Zhong Qing's face turned serious. She paused, then asked:

"Do you want them distributed—or not?"

Jiang Nian instantly felt his soul shatter—this was a trap he couldn't answer. Sure enough, several angry shouts erupted in the classroom.

"It's been two days since we've A-Lu-Ba Jiang Nian!"