Zhao Youyue's current top priority was actually to become an honors student in the real world. In a country like China, which had valued education since ancient times, top students were always the center of attention, held up as models for everyone else. How could she possibly continue having no presence at all if she reached that level?
She also happened to be studying at a school that placed extreme emphasis on academic performance, where the rankings were posted for all to see. On top of that, she personally hated running into problems she couldn't solve during her daily homework or exams; the sight of an empty answer box felt like a personal insult. That was why she chose to become a study-obsessed super top student in the world of Pure Love.
In real life, because of her lack of perseverance, she couldn't sustain long-term effort. She simply didn't have that kind of mental endurance to grind away day after day. But when she was playing the role of "Xu Jing," things were completely different. It genuinely felt unbearable if she didn't study for even a moment, as if her very skin would itch if she wasn't absorbing new information.
Since "Xu Jing" wasn't a popular character and certainly wasn't a classic one yet, Zhao Youyue couldn't use Xu Jing's "obsessed with studying" ability in the real world. However, the knowledge she learned while playing Xu Jing stayed in her mind, etched there by hours of focus. That was why she was willing to remain a passerby character in Pure Love instead of recklessly stirring things up.
Right now, Zhao Youyue was facing a small, immediate problem: that three thousand word self-criticism. Honestly, if she were already an honors student, this wouldn't even count as a problem. What did it matter if a top student played with a phone in class? The teachers would probably assume she was researching something important.
That was simply how things were at this school. Teachers were especially lenient toward top students. As long as your exam scores were good, you could fool around however you wanted, provided you didn't disrupt the studying of others.
That was also why Zhao Youyue was so eager to become an honors student. It represented huge privileges, made her parents happy and proud, and might even increase her monthly allowance.
This was the status of honors students in China. Their sense of presence was explosive. Almost every so-called "other people's child" had excellent grades, a phrase parents used to compare their own children to the neighborhood's academic stars. It was as if good grades automatically meant noble character and a bright future. Even if someone looked plain or awkward, they could still earn widespread respect through their test scores.
It was now afternoon, and the second to last class was about to end. The final class of the day was activity period, arguably the most popular one in the entire schedule. Boys could rush to the basketball or soccer courts to work up a sweat under the late sun. Girls could play badminton, stroll around the campus paths chatting with friends, go to the quiet library to read, or even sneak back to the dorms to play on their phones. That was exactly why activity period was so beloved by everyone.
Of course, there were also some especially serious students who stayed in the classroom, their heads down as they kept studying, all to improve their grades and get into their dream universities three years later.
Zhao Youyue planned to use activity period to look for her junior high classmate, Han Leng, and see whether he was willing to start a "writing self-criticisms for others" service. The price could be negotiated, and she was willing to pay a premium for quality work.
Han Leng lived up to his name. He looked extremely aloof and radiated an unapproachable aura that kept most people at a distance. His face was tense all day long, his brows tightly knit as if he were pondering some profound philosophical question that no one else could understand. His dark circles were heavy, and his fairly handsome face carried a faintly ethereal, tired vibe. He probably stayed up very late every night working on his own projects, which also resulted in quite a few pimples across his forehead. If not for those, his looks might have been even more striking.
So, almost every time there was a break between classes, he slept alone with his head on the desk, only lazily waking up a few minutes after the class bell rang.
Logically speaking, a taciturn, expressionless cold guy like Han Leng should have had no friends and been ostracized by his peers. It even seemed that some girls had crushed on him back in junior high. Maybe this was the charm of his talent. Being cold could also be perceived as cool.
At this moment, Han Leng glanced at the digital watch on his wrist and yawned without restraint, eagerly anticipating the start of activity period. He should be able to sleep to his heart's content once the room cleared out. If anyone dared to disturb him—no, that was impossible. Anyone familiar with him knew he hated being disturbed while sleeping, and anyone unfamiliar would stay away after seeing his perpetually sour face.
He was that confident in his own solitude. He felt that aside from his own ignorance, he knew everything worth knowing.
The class bell finally rang, its sharp chime echoing through the halls. He raced against time to slump over his desk, burying his face in his arms as if returning to a warm bed. He closed his eyes, and the tension in his face finally eased into something resembling peace. It felt amazing.
Still, what felt even better to him was secretly sleeping during class. The teacher's lecture served as an excellent lullaby, a rhythmic drone in the background. Unfortunately, there was always that lingering anxiety of being caught. Then again, if there was no restraint at all, the thrill disappeared. To him, wavering between sleeping and not sleeping in class was like confessing to one's first love and waiting to see whether she accepted. Tense, sweet, and addictive.
After class ended, Zhao Youyue calmly took out her thermos, the lid clicking softly as she unscrewed it. She sipped from it in small, polite mouthfuls, looking very ladylike and well-mannered. At the same time, she subtly tilted her head and observed Han Leng out of the corner of her eye. When she saw that he had indeed gone straight to sleep, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If he had gone out to play ball with the other boys, it would have been much harder for her to find him during activity period. After all, this was an under-the-table deal. It could easily lead to misunderstandings, and rumors at school spread fast.
If he stayed in the classroom, things were much easier. After all, only a handful of students stayed behind to study in the quiet.
"How about going out to play badminton together, Xiaoyue?" her deskmate Zhou Fang invited with a smile, already packing her racket.
"Next time. You know I still have that self-criticism to write. Lao Qiu might ask for it tomorrow. I need to hurry," Zhao Youyue declined politely.
Zhou Fang showed a sympathetic expression, clearly thinking of Zhao Youyue's miserable situation with the teacher. At the same time, she couldn't help but admire her. This girl had actually bought another new phone so quickly. During breaks, as long as the teacher wasn't around, she played on it nonstop. A hardcore phone addict with nerves of steel. Wasn't she afraid of getting it confiscated again?
As classmates gradually left, the classroom slowly became empty. Slanted sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating the clean blackboard and scattering a captivating glow across the rows of desks. Dust motes floated within the light, forming a scene like a beautiful painting.
Zhao Youyue finally walked over to Han Leng and gently patted his shoulder. He was clearly not fully asleep yet and lifted his head, his hair a bit messy. His usually expressionless face now showed a trace of irritation. It wasn't because he had almost fallen asleep, but because he had been so confident no one would dare disturb him. This unexpected interruption felt like he had lost face in front of himself, which was why he was so annoyed.
Even when Han Leng saw Zhao Youyue's smooth, fair, cute face and her clear eyes filled with an apologetic look for disturbing him, he showed no reaction at all. He only said indifferently, "Classmate, which class are you from? You went to the wrong classroom, right?"
"I'm in the same class as you. We were also classmates in junior high. My name is Zhao Youyue," she quickly identified herself, her voice steady.
"Zhao Youyue? She doesn't exist. I have never heard of such a person. You must have the wrong guy," Han Leng said seriously after seeming to think for a moment.
This was why Zhao Youyue was truly unhappy with her passerby attribute.
They had been classmates for three years in junior high, and this guy claimed he had never even heard of her.
Ugh, it was seriously infuriating.