Chapter 132

"Jiang Nian, have you finished reading the 45 sets of math problems I lent you?"

Zhou Yi had flag-raising ceremony, so most of the class wore their uniforms.

Chen Yunyun was no exception; her uniform was especially clean. Her flashy, waterfall-like half-ponytail drew particular attention from the boys' high school—except from Jiang Nian.

"Not finished. Take it back, and remember to return it."

He set down his bag, knelt half on the chair, and reached into the desk compartment for his glass water cup.

"That's my 45 sets!" Chen Yunyun was stunned by his words so early in the morning, "What do you mean 'finished and returning it'? That's mine!"

Jiang Nian found the glass water cup and spoke seriously.

"Don't get too cocky—it'll be mine soon."

Chen Yunyun: "."

She shouldn't have talked to this guy so early in the morning—she'd already used up all her disbelief for the week.

But she couldn't help wanting to talk to him; the seat over there was too boring.

In short, the group leader wasn't trying hard enough, and their group's seating feng shui was terrible—why didn't they just ask the teacher to change seats?

Lin Dong was such a waste. Whatever, he's still the group leader—give him some face.

"Give it back, I need it," Chen Yunyun knew he was teasing her, biting her lower lip, "Which set are you working on? Pull it out—I'll return it tonight, no, I'll lend it to you."

"Here." Jiang Nian casually pulled out the 45 sets from his book basket, "Don't dirty it, and remember to return it on time."

Chen Yunyun snapped, "You die!"

Jiang Nian returned with his water—still before morning reading. The classroom, which had been fairly empty moments ago, suddenly filled with people, heads bent over problems or memorizing vocabulary.

"Fat Baby, why are you here so early?"

"Get lost, don't gross me out—it's the big joint exam this weekend."

Ma Guojun broke out in goosebumps. He admitted Jiang Nian had some real skill in selling swords—one line made him feel utterly uncomfortable, and he and Li Hua were truly a perfect pair of scoundrels.

Speak of Li Hua, and Li Hua arrives.

"Ooooh, what's this? Old Ma shows up so early?" Li Hua walked in through the front door, backpack slung over one shoulder, his grin as bright as a widowed old woman's wedding smile.

Ma Guojun gagged. He knew this bastard had estimated his science comprehensive score above 280 last night during self-study.

Coming here to gross people out so early—damn bastard!

"Li Hua, you should drop out already!" Ma Guojun said, "And Jiang Nian too—you two are truly a pair of cursed chickens and fish—just die already!"

Hearing this, Li Hua froze in the aisle, looking up.

"Huh? How do you know my science comprehensive score is 280?"

"Who asked you?!"

Li Hua burst into loud laughter, straddling his seat with a swagger that defied all kinship. Full of grandeur, he waited for Jiang Nian to speak to him—then he'd deliver his classic line.

How do you know

He waited and waited—Baby Zhizhi even arrived—but Jiang Nian said nothing.

This crushed Li Hua. Even showing off requires the right audience. Ma Guojun offered zero emotional value—just kept spouting nonsense.

Jiang Nian was different—he had to earn that man's approval!

Let him say one word—that's real skill!

With morning reading about to start, Li Hua was frantic, twisting in his seat like a worm.

Why!! Why won't he talk to me!!

Ma Guojun, squeezed beside them in the narrow aisle, was thoroughly disgusted, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably—until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Li Hua, are you having a hemorrhoid attack?"

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding students burst into laughter.

"You're the one with hemorrhoids!" Li Hua flushed red—why was everything going wrong this morning?!

Wearing brocade in the dark? That's the same as wearing nothing at all!

Likewise, if Jiang Nian isn't stunned, envious, jealous, and furious—his green-eyed glare blazing—then wasn't his 280 science comprehensive score wasted?

Jiang Nian was busy helping Zhang Cezhi with a problem—he hadn't noticed Li Hua's frantic scratching and fidgeting.

"Because of input compensation, without going through"

"Mm-hmm." He smiled faintly, hehe, Baby Zhizhi smells so good, "By the way, why is the answer B?"

Zhang Cezhi: "Huh?"

Her cheeks puffed slightly, yet she still spoke softly and gently.

"Then I'll explain it again."

This time he truly understood—but he just wanted to stay beside Zhang Cezhi. After asking, he didn't move back to his seat, instead begged stubbornly:

"I think I get it mostly—I'll repeat it back, see if I got it right."

Zhang Cezhi nodded seriously, her small face solemn.

"Okay."

She genuinely worried Jiang Nian wouldn't understand—after all, his science comprehensive score was truly worrying.

The big joint exam was coming this weekend. For native students in the class, it was just another major test—but for her and Jiang Nian, who had transferred in,

it was both an inspection and a trial by fire.

So they couldn't lose!

Seeing her serious expression, Jiang Nian froze.

Shit, she actually believes me.

Better explain the problem quickly—before she really thinks I'm an idiot.

Jiang Nian quickly summarized it simply—Zhang Cezhi's eyes instantly lit up, as if she'd just saved an idiot.

Forget it, I won't play like this anymore.

Getting all abstract, they're really going to think I'm a retard.

Ring ring ring, morning reading has started.

Tuesday's morning reading was Chinese. Jiang Nian had long since memorized everything he needed to, so he was still going over his test papers. Watching him, Li Hua beside him grew increasingly restless.

Why won't you talk to me!

During morning reading, Li Hua had no heart for reciting either, and started singing loudly.

"The sparrow after its fun, sleeps naked on the telephone pole."

Jiang Nian turned his head at the sound and glanced at him. What the hell is he singing, that's freaking weird.

Not sure, let me listen a bit more.

"Getting laid in the wind and rain"—the gold content of Singing King Li Hua kept rising. Turning his head, he saw Jiang Nian staring at him with a puzzled face, and couldn't help but be overjoyed.

"How did you know I..."

"Stop singing your dirty songs, day after day, nothing but filthy lyrics." Jiang Nian looked disgusted. "Don't contact me anymore, I'm afraid Ma Guojun will get the wrong idea."

Li Hua: "..."

He opened his mouth, just about to say something.

Suddenly he saw Jiang Nian turn around and ask the class monitor behind him.

"Class monitor, what did you estimate for the comprehensive science score yesterday?"

Li Qingrong basically did silent reading during morning reading, staring at her book without making a sound. Hearing Jiang Nian's voice, she slowly put the book down, glanced at him, and answered.

"Maybe... 280?"

"Hiss~~" Jiang Nian sucked in a cold breath and sighed, "That high?"

Li Hua nearly vomited blood. Ask me! You bastard!

Why don't you ask me first!!

Those should be my lines, I really want to call the cops. Someone's bullying on campus, who's going to do something about it!

Li Qingrong thought for a moment and asked.

"Is that high?"

Li Hua was completely cowed now. His desire to show off was snuffed out by a single sentence. It made him miserable for half the morning self-study period. He was listless, like a frost-bitten eggplant.

The morning was basically going over test papers—explain each subject's paper from yesterday's weekly test and that was it.

Third period, the math class ended.

Jiang Nian stared blankly at the third sub-question of the derivative function the teacher had just explained. Zhang Ningzhi probably understood it, but he didn't want to disturb her nap between classes.

So Jiang Nian poked Li Hua on his left, waking him up. It didn't matter whether he was tired or not—skipping class he'd still score above 140.

"Brother Hua, emergency assist."

Li Hua was still brooding over his failed showing off that morning.

He was currently slumped over his desk, head slightly turned to glance at Jiang Nian. Only one eye was showing, looking like a total idiot, yet his voice was unusually cold.

"I'm sleepy."

Jiang Nian sighed. "Alright then, you sleep well. I was actually planning to send you some Caribbean stuff..."

Ding ding ding!!!

Li Hua's mind exploded with awareness, sharp as a sensing radar. His eyes snapped wide open, and he almost instinctively scrambled up from the desk.

"For real?"

"Mm."

After saying that, Li Hua lowered his voice again and leaned over.

"Is the picture quality good?"

Jiang Nian: "HD."

Li Hua was startled by him and hurriedly hissed.

"I really can't with you, this is a classroom!"

"Ah, right." Jiang Nian scratched his head and whispered, "Brother Hua, tell me how to solve the third sub-question first, and I'll send it to you when I get back at noon."

"Ah, we're brothers, it's what I should do." Li Hua coughed. "The third sub-question, right, f(x)"

In the same classroom, people's joys and sorrows were not the same.

Lin Dong had been trembling all noon. Just thinking about last night's scene, it felt like his head had been smashed by a heavy hammer, and he was so scared he wanted to throw up—especially in the latter half of the night.

He didn't know what Yang Qiming was doing over on his bunk, but he kept letting out these suppressed low growls.

Although the sounds were extremely faint, and the whole dorm should have been asleep. But he wasn't asleep! He didn't dare close his eyes for even a second—even blinking he only dared to do one eye at a time.

The scariest horror movie he'd ever seen couldn't hold a candle to one second of last night.

Just thinking about having to go back to the dorm at noon made his legs go weak. Maybe there was some misunderstanding, but was it really worth gambling on?

With his connections, switching dorms was as easy as drinking water.

Better switch sooner rather than later, to avoid complications.

What excuse should he come up with?

Ring ring ring, the preparatory bell for the fourth period at noon rang.

Huang Cailang rubbed his belly. He'd eaten Dong-ge's wontons last night, and had Dong-ge's breakfast this morning. Normally he'd be hungry by now, but he still felt full.

Dong-ge is so good to me.

But why isn't Dong-ge eating his breakfast? Poor appetite?

He looked from the back row toward Lin Dong's seat and saw Lin Dong rubbing his head with both hands. He looked like he was in a bad mood—clearly he was fine last night.

After thinking for a moment, Huang Cailang turned to ask his seatmate Yang Qiming.

"Brother Yang, do you know what happened to Brother Dong?"

Yang Qiming was also irritated at this moment, but his inner struggle and pain had already run their course during morning reading and the first two periods; now he was in the numb phase.

"Don't know."

After saying that, he felt he had been a bit unfair to his friend over a woman. Just because of some woman, he had ended up speaking to his brother in such a cold tone.

That wasn't right.

Women are like clothes, brothers are like hands and feet—he really was stupid.

Only at this moment did he achieve great enlightenment!

"Ahem, I mean—" Yang Qiming added, "he probably didn't do well on the exam. He came looking for me yesterday, but I didn't even see him."

"Sigh, that's true." Huang Cailang sighed, "Brother Dong is the math class representative, and above him there's a Li Hua and Li Qingrong—the two Lis are pressing him so hard he can barely breathe."

"Tsk tsk, if I were the class representative, I'd definitely shake with fear every exam—after all, the pressure on my shoulders is just too great."

Yang Qiming nodded; he had already let it go.

"We're all brothers. I'll talk some sense into him at noon."