Ding-ling-ling!
The Class Bell rang.
In the past, Ye Chen had always felt gloomy at that sound.
Now it felt crisp and pleasant.
A middle-aged man walked in, Lesson Plans tucked under his arm.
Seeing the familiar figure, Ye Chen felt a surge of warmth.
It was Wang Chao, his High School math teacher.
"Good morning, teacher!"
The students rose.
Wang Chao waved a hand and they sat again.
"Let's begin. Take out yesterday's Monthly-Exam Papers; we're going over the questions," Teacher Wang said flatly.
Rustle—everyone spread out their sheets.
Wang Chao's gaze swept the room and settled on Ye Chen. "The results are out. Someone actually scored fifty. You all know who I mean."
Every eye snapped toward Ye Chen.
Ye Chen was bewildered. Why's everyone staring at me?
"Ye Chen!" the teacher barked.
Ye Chen stood up.
Wang Chao slapped the desk. "The National Higher Education Entrance Examination is almost here. With marks like this, how will you even sit it? Fail to get into University—what then?"
Ye Chen lowered his head. "Sir, I know you mean well. If we don't study hard, we'll have no status in society, we'll be looked down on—dignity itself will be gone."
Wang Chao froze at the reply.
The heck—kid just stole my script?
Ye Chen meant every word; back then he'd thought the teacher's warnings were nagging.
Only after stepping into society did he regret not heeding those earnest lessons.
Wang Chao gave him an odd look, his tone softening. "Good, as long as you understand. Sit."
"We all know what those results mean. Let's start reviewing."
Sheets rustled out again.
Ye Chen stared at the big red 50 and gave a bitter smile.
I really was trash back then.
Such simple questions, yet I couldn't solve them.
A glance showed Li Sitong's 108—already top-tier in class.
Wang Chao began explaining, pausing to quiz students as he went.
The high-scorers looked relaxed; the stragglers cowered, trembling.
At the final Big Question he wrote it on the board. "No one in our class solved this. It's been a day—anyone care to try?"
The room fell pin-drop silent; even the Top Students lowered their heads.
No one volunteered.
Smack!
Wang Chao slammed the eraser on the desk, frustration written across his face.
"A whole day and still no takers?"
Deathly stillness filled the Classroom.
The teacher's eyes swept like blades over the students.
Heads drooped, everyone chanting inwardly:
"Don't pick me, don't pick me."
Wang Chao's gaze halted toward Ye Chen's row.
"Li Sitong, come up and work it out."
Li Sitong's silent prayer failed; her name was called.
She rose, her pretty eyes fixed on the board.
She'd studied the problem all day yet still couldn't crack it.
All eyes shifted to her.
Drawing a breath, she said, "Sir, I can't do it."
Hearing even Li Sitong admit defeat, the rest exhaled in relief.
If she couldn't, their own failure felt justified.
Wang Chao frowned. "Sit down, then."
Watching her escape unscathed, the others burned with envy.
Had it been them, Teacher Wang would've scolded them raw.
Wang Chao's eyes moved to a corner.
"Xia Yingluo, can you solve it?"
"I… I can't either," Xia Yingluo whispered, standing.
Wang Chao's brows knit tighter.
"Is there no one in this class who can?"
"Sir, I'd like to try."
Wang Chao brightened—then sagged when he saw who'd spoken.
"Ye Chen, didn't I just spare you? Feeling itchy for a scolding? Quit fooling around."
Laughter rippled across the room.
Neither Teacher Wang nor the students believed Ye Chen capable.
Li Sitong stared in speechless dismay; even Xia Yingluo lifted her gaze.
Three years of High School had made everyone's level crystal clear.
Ye Chen was the famous Tail-Ender; math marks never above sixty.
If the class's two Top Students couldn't do it, how could he? Ridiculous.
Li Sitong studied Ye Chen, puzzled.
His expression was calm, even confident.
A shaft of sunlight hit him, outlining him in a faint glow.
Suddenly Li Sitong sensed a change.
The once-slacking boy now radiated sunshine and self-belief.
For a moment she was transfixed.
A secret had long lain in her heart.
As children, Ye Chen and Li Sitong had been neighbors.
Whenever she was bullied, Ye Chen stepped in, driving the boys away.
In her naive heart, a boy had always guarded her.
Later they'd ended up at the same High School.
She'd always seen Ye Chen as her dearest friend, though she'd never told anyone.
Xia Yingluo, too, gazed at Ye Chen in a daze.
His features were strikingly handsome.
In class, Xia Yingluo was an outcast.
Because of a body odor, classmates shunned her—only Ye Chen, under the pretext of copying homework, would give her an egg for breakfast.
One egg meant little to others, but to her it was priceless.
Today Ye Chen had claimed he'd declare his feelings for her in front of everyone—could it be true?
She looked at him, a strange brightness in her eyes.
Yet thinking of her smell, she lowered her head and buried the budding fondness.
"Sir, let me try. This question isn't hard."
Not hard?
The class erupted again.
Was he nuts?
A problem even the Top Students couldn't solve—dismissed as easy by the perennial last-placer.
Absurd.
Wang Chao stared at him. "Ye Chen, you'd better not be joking."
Confident, Ye Chen walked toward the platform.
Several girls whispered:
"Suddenly I think Ye Chen looks so cool."
"Yeah, he's always been handsome; if only he were a Top Student too."
"Ha, he's just grandstanding—wait till Teacher Wang explodes."
Some boys glared at Ye Chen, irritated.
"Hah, once he fails, he'll be crying."
"Exactly—ever passed math? And he's showing off."
"Let's see how Teacher Wang tears into him."
Ye Chen listened to the chatter, secretly amused.
Want to watch me crash? Dream on.
He picked up a half-stick of Chalk, glanced at the board, and seconds later the Chalk began