Chapter 216: Fencing Is My Talent, ... Also My Hobby

A group of students ran back from exercise and immediately started taking off their clothes as they entered the classroom.

"Open the windows! Open the windows!"

Qian Bao still used the classic opening move of "open the windows"—other teachers would shout "stand up," but Qian Bao always walked in and said "open the windows" right away.

"It's so hot!" Li Hua rolled into the classroom from the door, flashy and round-bodied.

Jiang Nian was still standing by the podium helping out, pinching his nose.

"Get away with that sweat smell."

"Damn, you really should've gone into the palace—you're wasted here," Li Hua suspected Jiang Nian had already become "Qian Bao-ized," "Old Ma, this is beyond shameless."

Negative comments—Jiang Nian ignored them.

Anyway, there'd be a segment later where someone gets randomly picked to perform, using an electronic spinning wheel—it was supposedly random, since physical cheating was nearly impossible.

Of course, Jiang Nian was the exception.

Opening a little doesn't count; if it's not fully open, it's not open.

With five or six minutes left before class, a large crowd had gathered in front of the classroom to chat with Qian Bao, due to the upcoming themed class meeting.

The noise was like a pot of boiling water, bustling and chaotic.

Among all the subject teachers, Qian Bao's popularity was terrifyingly high.

Besides her unique fashion sense as an English teacher, she also possessed the calmness of an old artist—loved to spend money, loved to gossip, the joker of the teaching staff.

Surrounded by the crowd, the Gao San students were at an age of intense self-expression. As the saying went: fencing was his talent, but being a smartass was his hobby.

"Teacher, are there prizes for playing games?"

"Teacher, I'm reporting—Tao Ran has serious psychological issues."

In a corner no one noticed, Jiang Nian was writing blackboard notes about mental health. He carefully copied from the material—Qian Bao said she'd take photos during the activity.

Jiang Nian's blackboard writing was average—not pretty, but neat enough, the kind of standard, unremarkable style.

He turned his head and saw Chen Yunyun standing beside him watching him work—he immediately grinned.

"Perfect! It's the peeping little brat—we're saved!"

Chen Yunyun was put off by his awkwardness, slightly turning her head away. In the white-gold sunlight, a faint blush crept across her cheeks.

"What peeping? I'm supervising your work."

"You're the farm owner now? No need—I'll still slack off," Jiang Nian shook his hand, "Copying this material's tired me out—you write the rest for me."

"Me?"

Chen Yunyun instinctively wanted to refuse, but Jiang Nian pulled her up. Before she could speak, a candy was shoved into her hand, followed by the pen and material.

"That's it, good luck—I'm going to take a piss," Jiang Nian said, then left.

"Ah," Chen Yunyun froze, but finally just pursed her lips and turned to do the work he'd left unfinished.

In the hallway, Jiang Nian returned after relieving himself.

He realized the entire grade seemed to be holding mental health themed class meetings, almost all led by female teachers—next door in Class Two, it was biology teacher Zhong Qing organizing it.

Perhaps the administration thought mental health was too serious and assigned a female teacher to handle it—better suited for such a task.

Zhong Qing was organizing the pre-meeting preparations in a tense but orderly manner; even though it was a school assignment, she took it seriously, silently reciting her lines.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jiang Nian standing outside the door.

Oh no, the bandit's here—we're doomed.

Zhong Qing's silently recited lines stopped dead as she locked eyes with the rebellious student outside.

All she saw in his eyes was a clear, dumb innocence.

What is he doing here?

Forget it—just ignore him. Pretend he isn't there.

Two seconds passed—why is he still standing there?

Zhong Qing was starting to crack—was Jiang Nian really going to linger in Class Two all day?

Given his personality, he might actually do it.

Zhong Qing didn't want to hold a mental health class meeting while being stared at by the rebellious student—it'd make her even more withdrawn.

Thinking of this, she grabbed a few fruit-filled candies from the prize pile.

Then she walked out of the classroom, planning to offer tribute to Old Master Jiang Nian to get him to leave.

Jiang Nian intended to stay until the class bell rang—he wasn't being filial, just curious.

He usually saw Qing Bao with a serious face, so he wondered how she'd run a mental health meeting—surely she wouldn't keep that same expression?

Suddenly, Qing Bao walked toward him, her face no longer tense.

"Here, that's all I've got."

"Huh?" Jiang Nian was stunned.

He was getting fed again—but not by his own design.

Whatever, fine.

"Thank you, Teacher—I'm heading back now," Jiang Nian said, then turned as if to leave.

He turned right into Ji Jiayu's gaze—since she and her boyfriend transferred classes, the atmosphere had grown calmer, so he ignored her outright.

Sorry, Miss, your charm has faded.

Seeing Jiang Nian leave, Qing Bao finally exhaled, turned back to the podium.

Ding-ding-ding—the class bell rang.

Qing Bao looked up, revealing a soft, warm smile utterly unlike her usual expression.

"Alright, class, today we…"

Crack!

A lone figure slipped in through the back door of Class 2 — a bolt from the blue to open the show!

He raised his hand and snapped a photo with a click.

Qingbao froze for a second, but quickly picked the thread back up.

In her heart, though, she grew even more speechless — that rebellious disciple, despised by all, she'd truly misjudged him back then.

Back in her own class, Qian Bao was also leading a class meeting on the theme of mental health.

"Reporting!"

"Come in." Qian Bao let him in and went on with the class-meeting content she'd prepared in advance.

"Gao San is the most stressful period of high school life, and also the time when self-awareness"

Back at his seat, he poked Zhang Ningzhi's arm.

"Want some candy?"

Zhang Ningzhi was curious, looking at the fruit gummy in his palm.

"Where'd you get it?"

"The biology teacher gave it to me — she's holding a class meeting next door." Jiang Nian gestured for her to hold out her hand; if she didn't, he wouldn't give it to her — actually, he just wanted to pull the same old trick.

"The biology teacher?" Zhang Ningzhi whispered, recalling the stern biology teacher.

She hadn't expected Jiang Nian to be on such good terms with the biology teacher. But then again, it made sense. His biology grades had shot up so fast — getting a few candies was nothing.

"Oh, then I'll have one." She opened her fair, soft palm.

Jiang Nian didn't just place the candy on her hand — instead, like the claw of a claw machine. Five fingers pinched the fruit-filled gummy, lowered it slowly to the bottom, then let go.

A small fan of fingers spread like a lotus, brushing across Zhang Ningzhi's soft, fair palm.

Zhang Ningzhi flinched, her palm snapping shut.

"Ah—"

The word reached her lips, but the thought that this was the classroom made her swallow it back.

Jiang Nian was purely bullying her — so many classmates around, lucky no one was paying attention to this corner by the wall, or that one touch would've been social death.

She pressed her lips together, about to properly admire the candy.

Suddenly, she heard Jiang Nian's voice again.

"Class monitor, want some candy?"

"Mm."

Zhang Ningzhi suddenly didn't feel like looking at the candy anymore; she set the gummy down on the desk. Then she leaned against the wall, tilted her head up, and pretended she was seriously listening to Qian Bao's themed class meeting.

Li Hua also got a candy, quite pleasantly surprised.

"Eating this won't send me to hell, right?"

"Ah, right." Jiang Nian stroked his chin, lowered his voice, and said, "What if I told Yao Bei Bei that you said last time she was a judo master?"

At that, Li Hua's hand trembled, and the candy rolled across the desk with a clatter.

"Bro, have mercy on me."

"Kneel! Otherwise no one in heaven or earth can save you!" Jiang Nian seized the chance to chuckle, not daring to laugh out loud — afraid Qian Bao would make him stand outside.

She might not be this strict with anyone else — after all, the Laozu Sect has an old saying.

On a festive occasion

Although today isn't a festive occasion, today they're holding a mental-health-themed class meeting. She'd probably say one line and let it go, out of respect for the class meeting.

But with me it's an exception — if I get teased into a Zhou Yuting, I'm done for.

Li Hua yielded to her tyranny, but on second thought, he didn't seem to have ever said anything that outrageous.

"A judo master. Damn, wasn't that what you said?"

The opponent activated the Time-Reverse Magic Card.

Up at the podium, Qian Bao was still running the PPT — one of the mandatory steps of a class meeting.

"Gao San is a time when youth stirs, and also the easiest time to fall in love. Especially in the three months leading up to the college entrance exam, many classmates will confess because of the pressure."

"Puppy love is like a little cake."

Halfway through, she suddenly saw Jiang Nian raise his hand and couldn't help feeling a bit speechless.

"Didn't you just go to the bathroom?"

Jiang Nian stood up, squirming as he spoke.

"Teacher, you've been keeping that close an eye on me? I didn't want to go to the bathroom — I just wanted to ask, are there little cakes as prizes? You made me hungry, teacher."

Qian Bao was speechless — the last time she was this speechless, it was also because of Jiang Nian.

"There are no little cakes. You could try puppy love."

"Then forget it." Jiang Nian waved his hand.

His bros are already mooching off their seatmates — and he still wants puppy love? Besides getting slobbered on. Wait, wrong — he prefers licking other people.

"Jiang Nian, do you have any puppy-love experiences you'd like to share with everyone?" Qian Bao smiled mysteriously. "Or someone you like — you can share that with everyone too."

Hearing that, the class immediately started egging him on.

Zhang Ningzhi didn't dare lift her head — after all, she was too close to Jiang Nian. Afraid of becoming collateral damage, of dragging the whole class into the teasing, just thinking of that scene made her face flush.

Jiang Nian thought for a moment. "Not yet, but I'll work on it, teacher."

Qian Bao didn't intend to keep harping on Jiang Nian — she took it as a little interlude to liven the mood. Reading the PPT straight through was indeed dull, but this segment couldn't be skipped.

Zhou Yuting heard Jiang Nian say "not yet," and felt a little uneasy inside.

He really doesn't care anymore.

But she didn't dwell on it — for now, keeping out of each other's way was fine. She wouldn't bring up the past herself; neither of them felt it was something to be proud of.

Yu Zhiyi heard Jiang Nian deny it and narrowed her eyes.

Who are you trying to fool?

Jiang Nian is something else — I refuse to comment.

She rubbed her shoulders, thinking she had to go buy it at noon today. Eat first, then slip off campus during the lunch break — that way she could avoid being spotted by classmates.

Yao Bei Bei was listening to the PPT and getting drowsy, so she quietly tapped her phone open on the desk.

Her Xiaohongshu name had changed again: 【Cute Pretty Girl Who Loves Eating Chicken Ass with Toes】. She scrolled to the comments and replied to the idiot she'd been beefing with lately.

What's with a name like "Kick the Cripple's Good Leg" — sounds low-IQ at first glance. What era is this, still using such a bot-tier ID?

"Did you get used to your bros bending you over, so your knees can't straighten?"

(End of Chapter)