CS - 4

On the first day of school,

Lin Zhe Xia finished breakfast early, grabbed her unfinished milk, slung her bag over her shoulder, and rushed to the building where Chi Yao lived. “Mom, Uncle Wei—I’m heading to school!”

A short walk from their residential complex led to a bus stop. Taking the bus for eight stops would bring them to Second High. Since she was going with Chi Yao, Lin He and the others weren’t worried. “Alright, go ahead. Focus in class.”

She had received her textbooks and new uniform two days prior.

The Second High uniform was simple in design—mostly white, with red-and-black accents on the collar and sleeves.

This color scheme felt far more mature and cool compared to the pink-and-white uniforms from her previous school.

Wearing the new uniform, Lin Zhe Xia felt herself grow a little more mature.

Girls at this age were especially drawn to the idea of “growing up.”

When she arrived at Chi Yao’s door, he happened to be stepping out just as he pushed the unit door open. She bounded up the steps and jumped in front of him, smiling brightly: “Look at me!”

Chi Yao shut the door behind him without turning around.

He wasn’t startled by Lin Zhe Xia suddenly appearing close to him—and the main reason was that, even when she darted forward, her height only allowed her to reach his chin.

The girl in front of him had tied her soft, fine hair into a simple ponytail. Her face was still youthful, lacking any sharpness or definition. Lin Zhe Xia wasn’t particularly striking in appearance; she was the typical Southern girl—fair-skinned, delicate, with a pointed chin and slightly cold-looking double eyelids. But when she smiled, she resembled a mischievous little fox.

“What am I looking at?” Chi Yao lowered his head and said, “Looking at a midget?”

“…”

The words “midget” shattered Lin Zhe Xia’s good mood for the day. She gritted her teeth and said, “Look at my new uniform. It’s the first day of school, and I want to be a good student. Don’t push me to throw hands.”

“Then you’ll need to step back,” Chi Yao drawled, dragging out his words. “—I can’t see properly like this.”

Lin Zhe Xia huffed, “Then you’re pitiful. Blind at such a young age.”

Though a bit annoyed, this was Lin Zhe Xia’s first time walking to school with him in a long while. Back in middle school, though they spent holidays together, during school days, she had to go alone to her all-girls school. Thinking about it now, her irritation quickly faded.

In the distance,

He Yang and the others were also heading to the bus stop. Spotting them from afar, they waved: “Brother Yao, Brother Summer—wait up!”

Lin Zhe Xia walked alongside Chi Yao as they approached. She greeted He Yang: “You’re heading to the bus stop too? Which bus do you take?”

He Yang sighed exasperatedly, “Can you two show a bit more concern? I’m on the same route as you guys—we all take Bus No. 3.”

Chi Yao expressed his surprise in his usual manner—lifting his gaze slightly, he gave He Yang a cursory glance.

“…”

Based on years of experience, He Yang keenly picked up on Chi Yao’s subtle reaction: “Seriously? You mean neither of you knew that I got into Experimental Affiliated High School, just three stops away from Second High?”

Chi Yao retracted his glance: “Now we know.”

He Yang: “….”

Lin Zhe Xia chimed in: “Now I know too.”

“So you got into Experimental Affiliated High School,” Chi Yao said dismissively, then fell silent. Sensing He Yang’s feelings, Lin Zhe Xia patted his shoulder and added a few more words: “…Although there’s still quite a gap between your school and ours, I believe if you study hard, you can catch up with us. Keep it up, Big Zhuang.”

He Yang’s emotions grew more complicated: “Brother Summer, if you don’t have anything nice to say, maybe say less.”

But He Yang didn’t dwell on it for long before launching into another stream of chatter: “Come to think of it, you two being in the same school is really enviable.”

Lin Zhe Xia replied: “No need to envy us—you can count as our honorary alumni.”

He Yang didn’t get the joke.

Chi Yao, however, chuckled softly.

Lin Zhe Xia explained: “Because you’re at Experimental Affiliated High School, just three stops away from Second High—so you’re half an honorary alumnus.”

He Yang: “…Thanks.”

The group chatted as they walked out of the residential complex gate as usual. The blue-and-white sign reading “Nanxiang Street” stood steadfast at the intersection, unchanged for years.

But this time, as Lin Zhe Xia passed the intersection, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it—something felt subtly different.

Perhaps it was the new uniform she was wearing.

Or maybe it was the label “high school student.”

Or perhaps… it was because she was sixteen.

It felt like someone who had been living life with their head down suddenly looked up.

And realized, almost unconsciously, that they were already standing at the crossroads of the next stage of life.

After getting off the bus, the school gates were bustling with people coming and going.

The bulletin board near the entrance displayed the class assignments.

Everyone crowded around, searching for their names.

Second High, officially named “Cheng’an Second High School,” was located in the center of Cheng’an District in Lianyun City—the area where Lin Zhe Xia currently lived.

Second High had a decent reputation and wasn’t overly strict, allowing students to live off-campus. In contrast, Lianyun First High School, which Lin Zhe Xia narrowly missed entering, was known for its strict, military-style management—even forbidding students from bringing cell phones.

As Lin Zhe Xia squeezed through the crowd, pulling Chi Yao along with her, she suddenly thought to herself: Perhaps Chi Yao’s decision not to attend First High wasn’t just about staying close to home—it might also be because he valued his freedom.

Excitedly, she urged, “Hurry, check which class we’re in!”

The person she was dragging clearly lacked her enthusiasm.

Chi Yao sounded irritated: “Don’t you find this crowd suffocating?”

Lin Zhe Xia retorted: “Then step aside—I’ll look myself.”

What she didn’t notice was that, despite his complaints, he still followed behind her, loosely gripping her arm to prevent her from being jostled away by the crowd.

Lin Zhe Xia quickly spotted Chi Yao’s name under Class (1).

Excitedly, she tugged at his sleeve and told him: “Chi Yao, Chi Yao—you’re in Class One!”

At the same time,

Almost simultaneously,

Chi Yao spoke: “Class Seven.”

Lin Zhe Xia didn’t understand: “What do you mean, Class Seven?”

Chi Yao: “You.”

Sometimes, the two would display this kind of eerie harmony.

Like now—they instinctively sought each other’s names first, as if picking a fight.

Lin Zhe Xia looked further down and indeed found her own name in the last row: “…Class Seven, so far away.”

Afraid her words might sound like reluctance, she quickly clarified: “I meant, being so far from you puts my mind at ease.”

Her response was met with a faint snicker.

Sure enough, Second High had divided classes based on entrance exam scores. Due to their differing scores, the two weren’t just in separate classes—they were placed at opposite ends of the spectrum, separated by the greatest possible distance.

According to Second High’s teaching model, Class (1) was likely a small, elite class, while the others were regular classes.

Lin Zhe Xia couldn’t decide whether she wanted to be in the same class as him or not.

Her relationship with Chi Yao was one of mutual annoyance when together but slight discomfort when apart.

Beyond the entrance square stood several statues of famous figures. Passing through the square, climbing the steps, and heading inside brought them to the teaching building.

Since she and Chi Yao were in different classes, their paths diverged after entering the freshman building.

At the staircase, Lin Zhe Xia had already run halfway up when she suddenly turned back, jogging down the steps. She called out to Chi Yao, her expression serious: “I have something important to say to you.”

Chi Yao instinctively sensed it wouldn’t be pleasant.

Sure enough, Lin Zhe Xia declared earnestly: “It’s the start of the semester, and everything’s unfamiliar. If anything happens, come find me in Class Seven. Big Bro will have your back.”

“…”

“Done?” After a pause, Chi Yao asked.

Lin Zhe Xia thought for a moment: “That’s all Big Bro has to say for now. Nothing else.”

Chi Yao leaned against the wall at the stairwell corner, tilting his chin slightly upward. Suddenly, he said: “Actually, I have quite a few enemies at school.”

“?”

“Not many—just over a dozen.”

Chi Yao paused, then continued: “If you’re willing, I’ll create a group chat later and have them wait for you in the woods after school. We can settle things with a fight today—to protect me, of course.”

He paused briefly, drawing out the last word: “What do you think—Big Bro?”

“…”

Without another word, Lin Zhe Xia immediately bolted.

Despite her bold declaration in front of someone who looked far more like a big bro than she did, Lin Zhe Xia wasn’t particularly outgoing by nature.

Upon entering Class Seven, she quietly sat down at the desk labeled with her name, exchanged brief introductions with her deskmate, Chen Lin, and pulled out a book from her bag to alleviate the awkwardness of being surrounded by strangers.

Her new deskmate, however, quickly warmed up and began sharing gossip within minutes: “I heard we won’t have classes today—just a diagnostic test. And it’s not entirely based on what we’ve learned before; some questions cover content we haven’t studied yet in high school.”

Lin Zhe Xia was impressed by her source of information: “How do you know?”

Chen Lin had a few freckles on her face and seemed cheerful and enthusiastic.

She waved her phone hidden under her textbook.

“The school forum,” Chen Lin explained. “Senior students from grades two and three post threads there—you can find all kinds of intel.”

Unlike Chen Lin, who was an avid internet surfer, Lin Zhe Xia rarely followed celebrities online. Her phone usage was mostly limited to searching for things, watching videos, and chatting with Chi Yao.

Seeing Lin Zhe Xia’s lack of reaction, Chen Lin added: “You’re so calm.”

Lin Zhe Xia hummed in agreement: “I tend to stay composed no matter what happens.”

Chen Lin had assumed Lin Zhe Xia was exceptionally quiet, so hearing such an unconventional response startled her slightly.

A moment later,

The teacher entered the classroom. As expected, after a brief introduction, the curly-haired, bespectacled homeroom teacher, Mr. Xu, began handing out test papers: “Each person gets one. Fill in your seat number as your ID. You have 120 minutes to complete the exam. Once you’re done, hand it in—I’ll grade it on the spot.”

As soon as he finished speaking, groans erupted from the classroom.

Mr. Xu warned: “No whispering during the exam. I understand your eagerness to meet new classmates, but I’ll set aside a class meeting period this afternoon for introductions.”

The test papers were passed from the front row backward.

Lin Zhe Xia gripped her black pen and scanned the entire paper upon receiving it.

This habit mirrored Chi Yao’s.

It was something she had picked up from him over the years. Though her grades weren’t nearly as outstanding as his, their problem-solving habits were remarkably similar.

After scanning the questions, she realized that many of them… were ones she had encountered during the summer.

One of them was even the question Chi Yao had dismissed as “too lazy to solve”—nearly identical, save for a few altered numbers.

“Anyway,” Lin Zhe Xia muttered quietly as she wrote her name in the top-left corner, “I guess I’ll reluctantly forgive you for calling me a midget earlier.”

After the exam ended, the papers were collected and graded on the spot.

Most students barely scraped by with passing scores, their results dismal.

Out of a maximum score of 120, Chen Lin scored 81. Upon receiving her paper, her spirits plummeted: “We don’t have to show this to our parents, right?”

Before she could finish, Mr. Xu called out Lin Zhe Xia’s name.

“Lin Zhe Xia,” Mr. Xu adjusted his glasses and gave the standing student an extra look, “110—our class’s only triple-digit score. Excellent work. Keep it up.”

After hearing a string of two-digit scores, the class erupted in murmurs when “110” was announced: “Holy crap, 110!”

“This devilish test actually produced a triple-digit score!”

“I thought the 99 earlier would be the top score in the class.”

“…”

Lin Zhe Xia hadn’t expected to receive so much attention on the first day of school due to her diagnostic test score.

Being stared at wasn’t the most embarrassing part.

The most awkward moment came when Mr. Xu, pleased with her performance, asked her to share her thoughts.

Mr. Xu: “Do you have anything to say to your new classmates?”

Standing by the podium with her test paper in hand, Lin Zhe Xia’s mind went blank for a moment. She had no idea what to say.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she blurted out: “I don’t have much to say. If I must, I can only say—everyone should learn from me.”

The classroom fell silent for a moment.

Then someone broke the silence with applause: “Amazing!”

After returning to her seat, Chen Lin couldn’t help but say: “You’re incredible.”

Lin Zhe Xia wished she could travel back in time and strangle her past self: “My brain must’ve been hit by something earlier.”

Chen Lin: “No way—you looked so cool just now. You really are unshakable.”

“…” Lin Zhe Xia tried to suppress the memory. “Just pretend you never saw me.”

Right now,

She desperately wanted to open the chat window with Chi Yao.

And send a string of “Ah” messages.

But no—she couldn’t use her phone during class.

Surprisingly, this embarrassing incident helped her bond with Chen Lin.

After class, Chen Lin struggled to grasp some of the mistakes from the test.

Lin Zhe Xia patiently explained the problems to her.

Chen Lin took back her test paper and said, “Thanks. Did you attend tutoring during the break? Like hiring a private tutor?”

Thinking of Chi Yao’s perpetually unimpressed face, Lin Zhe Xia replied vaguely: “Something like that…”

Chen Lin: “Your tutor must’ve been really thorough—these questions were all covered.”

“He’s not that great,” Lin Zhe Xia said freely, knowing Chi Yao wasn’t around. “He’s ugly, has a bad temper.”

Chen Lin: “Huh?”

“And he loves showing off.”

Lin Zhe Xia concluded: “…All in all, he’s not much to write home about. Mostly, I’m just naturally gifted.”

What no one knew was that during the break, she discreetly pulled out her phone.

Opening the chat window with a certain someone, she sent a kneeling emoji and typed a few lines:

-[Kneeling]

-Ultimate Super Handsome Guy Chi Yao

-You’re amazing

-Having you is such a blessing

-You—are—my—dad!!!

The Ultimate Super Handsome Guy responded icily with five words:

-Keep spamming, and I’ll block you.