Chapter 2: "The Boy Everyone Fears"
People say high school life is the best phase of life for any teenager, because in this phase we can find friends, best friends, and make best memories for the rest of our lives. Does it really happen?
September 1, 2000
After returning from school, Su Nian was so tired and got home, knocked at the door. Her mother opened the door and saw her restless and sad face, and her father was cooking in the kitchen. She walked to go to her room. Suddenly her mother said:
> "How was your first day at your new school? Did you have fun?"
Su Nian just nodded her head.
Her father said:
> "Did you make any friends? I hope you attentively focused on the class. Dinner will be ready, go and freshen up and come to join us for dinner."
Su Nian went to her room and locked the door, put her bag on the bed and lay down on the bed, thinking all the things that happened to her today, and said to herself:
> "My everyday is going to be a tragic experience!"
After that, she went to the dinner table to have dinner with her parents. Father Su was serving dishes to the table and mother was putting the chopsticks for each person on the table. By seeing Su Nian's face, her parents looked worried about how her first day went. Her mom again said:
> "How was your day?"
Su Nian said:
> "Mom, it was a great experience. I had so much fun, they were so nice behaving, I had made so many friends, my classmates were really nice to me. Don't worry about me mom, I'm just a little bit tired."
Then she started eating fast (was nervous).
After hearing that, the mother was relieved.
September 4, 2000
Su Nian woke up with a fresh mind. She got ready for her school, had her breakfast and had to take the bus on time, so she went outside. After reaching school, she went to her classroom and sat in her seat. Some girls came to bully her. A girl named Chen Yuqi, she is a daughter of a multi-millionaire businessman, showed off her expensive shoes and school bag that her dad bought for her from another country and was showing those things in front of Su Nian's face and making her more sad. Chen Yuqi said:
> "Look guys, my dad brought an expensive bag that is limited in the world. There is someone in our class who doesn't even get a local cheap school bag, hahaha."
And then she hit the chair where Su Nian was sitting.
Su Nian suddenly got angry and stood up, splashed the water on Chen Yuqi's face. Su Nian said:
> "Don't show off your expensive things to others who don't have, and you don't have what they have got."
The bully girl was raging in anger and said:
> "You don't know who you messed up with. You have to regret it later."
Then she went outside the classroom.
The door creaked open again.
But it wasn't the girl.
Wang Zixuan walked in, eyes bored, one brow slightly raised as if he could already sense something interesting had just happened.
The entire class straightened in their seats. The room fell dead silent. Everyone sat on their own seat quietly.
He looked around once.
Then his gaze landed on Su Nian—still standing, still holding the empty bottle.
He tilted his head slightly.
> "Already causing drama, transfer girl?"
Su Nian stared at him.
This wasn't fear like before. This was something… colder.
Everyone feared him.
But Su Nian?
She refused to lower her eyes. She was wondering who this boy is!
They both gazed into each other's eyes.
The bell rang sharp and cold, cutting through the chatter like a knife.
> "Stand up," the class monitor called.
All thirty-seven students pushed back their chairs in unison.
The teacher stepped in, tall and thin, chalk dust already clinging to his sleeves.
> "Good morning, students."
> "Good morning, Laoshi," they echoed.
Su Nian stood stiffly, heart still pounding from what had just happened outside — her first brush with Wang Zixuan, the arrogant boy everyone whispered about. Now, he sat lazily three desks ahead, his blazer half-off, sleeves rolled, eyes half-lidded like he didn't care for anything.
> "Today we begin with mathematics," the teacher announced, scribbling on the blackboard. "Turn to page five. And you—" he pointed with his chalk, "Wang Zixuan, solve problem two."
Without looking up, Wang Zixuan tossed his pen on the desk, stood, and strolled to the board. His handwriting was sharp, aggressive, confident. The problem was done in seconds.
> "Correct," the teacher said, not surprised. "Now, Su Nian?"
She froze.
> "Problem four."
The class turned. Whispers began again.
Slowly, she stood. Her hands trembled as she walked to the board, gripping the chalk so hard it almost snapped. She tried to ignore the smirk on Wang Zixuan's face as he sat back down.
Her answer was correct — barely.
But she caught it — that flicker of something in his eyes.
Not amusement. Not mockery.
Curiosity.