Chapter 70: Where's the Rabbit Hairpin?

First period in the morning, English.

Near the end of class, Qian Bao walked around the whole class lecturing with the textbook in hand, eventually completing a full loop. She stopped by the lectern, at the edge of the second row of the third big group.

She looked down from above, staring at a certain someone with a "Can you even do it, weakling?" expression.

Jiang Nian looked up. "Huh?"

If it were a normal teacher, they might have made Jiang Nian stand up. And casually let him share on his own what homework he'd just been writing in class.

Qian Bao had already given up, only feeling that Jiang Nian was a bit trash. For the first twenty minutes he was working on this math problem, and twenty minutes after class he was still working on this problem.

Is math really that hard? Can you even do it?

She just stood there staring for a while, originally wanting to glance at the answer and show off. She swept a look at the dense symbols—a math problem purer in bloodline than English itself.

My bad, scram scram.

Jiang Nian still found it strange, wondering what on earth was going on in this woman's head. Whatever, he'd rush to the office as soon as class ended and ruthlessly raid the snacks in her drawer!

Anyway, he's definitely going to be called on to substitute-teach in second period! Damn!

Strike first!

After first period ended, a large patch collapsed onto their desks.

Jiang Nian succeeded in plundering survival supplies from Qian Bao's office—more accurately, his wages. It had gone from "no no no" to "gimme gimme."

What? Your snacks?

My snacks!

Second period. Li Hua felt something was off. He looked up at the two people on the podium, a bit confused, and nudged Huang Fang in front of him.

"Why has Jiang Nian been standing for a whole period? Isn't the English teacher letting him sit down?"

Huang Fang wore an all-seeing expression. "Committed a heavenly offense, obviously."

Zhang Ningzhi glanced at the squeeze-pouch jelly in Jiang Nian's desk cubby and pouted. Clearly a bit unhappy, the rabbit hairpin she'd worn for the whole period had already been put away.

Ceng You had put his phone away to charge, head lowered, sleeping.

Platinum-gold sunlight fell on him, warm and toasty. About his current situation, he was actually quite satisfied—his grades were passable, getting into a university wasn't a problem.

Reality was dull and tedious, but in novels he could be a generation's prodigy, leveling up to godhood in an ancient mystical realm alongside his junior sister. He could also be a tomb-raiding heir, descending into the Nine Hells to seek treasure.

Suspense and the eerie, the Route 14 bus, homestay ghost tales... all manner of bizarre and wildly imaginative things. He only had to sit at his desk and open his phone to experience them.

Phone! The path to salvation lies within!

Wu Jun Gu occasionally zoned out in class, his brows furrowed the entire day.

The little girlfriend from the next class had recently been having tense relations with her family—her parents argued every day. She kept clamoring about switching to boarding, and every time family came up she cried.

He was still hesitating. If his girlfriend boarded, the two of them would inevitably have less to talk about.

He'd heard boarders often complained about the difficulty of getting hot water—autumn was fine, but once winter came there'd be huge lines. If his girlfriend boarded, he wouldn't be able to help.

Some guy might show up to help her get hot water and lend her a meal card.

That kind of thing! No way!

How about he just board too? Only, switching to boarding required the head teacher's approval before the paperwork could be submitted.

He planned to ask Jiang Nian for a favor—beg Jiang Nian to help sound out Old Liu. Wait until tomorrow's sports meet... Old Liu should be in a good mood then, easier to talk to.

Although he was an original resident of the Olympiad Class 3, among the people he knew only Jiang Nian had a decent relationship with Old Liu, and they were the closest in the same small group.

Otherwise... he'd have to go to the class monitor, but Wu Jun Gu was unwilling to deal with the class monitor.

Just thinking about it made him uneasy.

A morning of classes passed blandly enough—Gao San was more often weary. After class there was no mood for fooling around; whenever there was time, it was spent sleeping.

Unless it was PE class, and the kind that was the last period at noon.

"Holy shit! Where's my basketball!"

"Go grab a court! Bring Ma Guojun along—anyone who tries to snatch it gets a set of bumblebee elbow strikes!"

Li Hua had bolted the moment the bell rang, casually inviting Jiang Nian too, but was refused. Ceng You went along though—without his phone he was a bit bored.

On the seats of the sixth small group, only three people remained.

When the PE class bell rang, most of the people in the classroom had already left. Only then did Jiang Nian set his pen down, reluctantly rising from his seat and pulling his gaze away from the problem.

Damn, I've been stuck all morning.

Zhang Ningzhi beside him also stood up, and before Jiang Nian left, she slipped out of the classroom first. She flashed past him—no rabbit hairpin in her hair.

Jiang Nian didn't notice at all, turning his head to see Wu Jun Gu in his seat.

"Brother Jun, let's go."

"Oh oh, um... I have something I want to ask you." Wu Jun Gu rose slowly, and the two left the classroom together, him reciting the speech he'd long prepared.

As he spoke, he watched Jiang Nian's expression—if the other found it difficult he'd figure something out himself. Fortunately Jiang Nian's look didn't change; he even smiled.

"Brother Jun, boarding is really tough."

"Yeah, no choice."

Seeing Wu Jun Gu didn't want to say more, Jiang Nian didn't think much of it.

"Alright, I'll help you ask this afternoon. Tomorrow I probably won't have time—after the competition I have something to take leave for."

PE class, on the field.

Zhang Ningzhi stood in the assembled ranks, watching Jiang Nian and Wu Jun Gu walk over slowly together from afar. Her lips pursed involuntarily—he hadn't noticed her at all.

Gao San's PE class routine was fairly simple: the sports committee member led two laps. Then organized a set of exercises, the PE teacher came over to say a few words, then handed out sports equipment.

"Alright, everyone stay safe—dismissed!" The PE teacher was a middle-aged man in his forties, a jar filled with brown tea in his hand.

Hearing this, the students immediately scattered off in twos and threes.

Students who'd signed up for events chose to train, at the very least to warm up. Those who hadn't signed up either played ball—various ball sports—or went for walks.

A very small portion chose to return to the classroom; Jiang Nian was one of them. He'd already had his fun of it in Gao Er and Gao San, and now preferred doing problems.

Yu Tongjie noticed Jiang Nian's figure turning back toward the classroom and couldn't help finding it amusing.

Being this lazy — the attitude alone is wrong.

If Li Qingrong saw this, she'd be very disappointed in Jiang Nian.

He's different — actively contributing for the sake of the class. Rank doesn't matter; it's about the process. Isn't competition precisely about the spirit of never giving up?

He planned to run a few extra laps today, to get properly used to the long-distance rhythm.

And run together with Li Qingrong while he's at it.

Beneath the teaching building, Jiang Nian stood with one hand in his pocket, basking in the sunlight. From above came the sound of teaching, but he didn't have class — never had a moment this leisurely.

He strolled upstairs slowly, pulled out his phone for a look, and felt great.

This bro is studying on his own initiative.

Reaching the corner, he suddenly looked down. Zhang Nianzhi appeared downstairs as if nothing were up, stepping up the stairs with an utterly serious air.

Watching, Jiang Nian fell into thought — and finally realized.

Baby Zhizhi seems pretty well-endowed too.

Huh? Something seems off.

Weird — let me look again.

Where's the rabbit hairpin?