A Grudge Between Strangers (Continued)
The atmosphere in the Ancient Pattern Class was unusually heavy. It was the first day of class, which should have been the most lively day, with everyone introducing themselves, getting to know each other, and making their presence known and gaining favor. But at this moment, the new students in the Ancient Pattern Class were whispering and talking quietly, not daring to speak loudly, and occasionally glancing at Nie Wanzhi sitting in the middle.
Clearly, they were all wary of his reputation as the fiercest and most unruly freshman, worried that if they spoke loudly and displeased him, they might get beaten up for no reason.
As the saying goes, "three men can make a tiger," and "public opinion is a fearsome thing." Moreover, it is a fact that Nie Wanzhi provoked a group of people and beat them all down. There are too many eyewitnesses. As long as she pats her chest and says, "I saw it with my own eyes," she can silence other people's doubts. Although the rumors later became more and more exaggerated and tended to demonize people, they were ultimately based on facts, unlike those unfounded rumors. Therefore, it is very difficult to refute the rumors.
More importantly, the person involved didn't seem to have any intention of denying the rumors. She just sat in the middle of the classroom, arms crossed, with a serious expression. Her eyes, fixed on the blackboard, seemed to burn with anger, and she exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, like a sign in a zoo that read "Danger: Wild Beasts, Keep Away."
So even those classmates who didn't really believe the rumors hesitated when they saw Nie Wanzhi's posture. After thinking it over, they decided to talk to other classmates. As the saying goes, it's better to avoid trouble. There are so many new classmates waiting for them to get to know. There's no need to go looking for this seemingly troublesome one. What if the rumors are true and they get beaten up for nothing?
Although Nie Wanzhi is naturally beautiful and petite, unless one is a die-hard lolicon, no one is usually willing to stoop to flattering a stranger and offer their affection in return.
We are all elites who were able to get into Linked Mountains University, so who would consider themselves inferior to others?
Finally, the classmates sat in a circle around Nie Wanzhi, and no one wanted to sit next to her.
Si Ming didn't care about being the fiercest or most vicious freshman, but there was no need to deliberately cause trouble, so he just found a seat and sat down.
Ancient runes is an unpopular major. There is only one class in the entire school, with a total of twenty-five students. Si Ming glanced around and found that they were basically ordinary people with nothing outstanding about them. Their character attributes were weak, belonging to the level where they only had a code name "Classmate A" in the game and didn't even have a character portrait. They were not as good as the outgoing Hao Shuai, who at least had a blond hair attribute, which increased his presence.
Come to think of it, since it's an unpopular major, it means the admission score is lower than other majors. Even though they are still top students among all college students, they become "poor students" among the freshmen at Linked Mountains University. Some of them must have even filled in "willing to accept major assignment" and were unwillingly assigned to this class.
Hao Shuai leaned close to Si Ming's ear and whispered, "That girl named Nie Wanzi has such fierce eyes, like she's about to hit someone at any moment. It's really strange, she's so short, how come she's so good at fighting?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Nie Wanzhi turned her head and glared fiercely at Hao Shuai, frightening him so much that he stiffened up, like a frog being stared at by a snake, too afraid to move.
At this moment, the teacher walked in, Nie Wanzhi had no choice but to turn her head, straighten her back, and sit up straight.
Hao Shuai breathed a sigh of relief, no longer daring to speak openly, and instead used Secret Voice Transmission, "How terrifying! It felt like being stared at by a lion or tiger. Luckily, the teacher came, otherwise I might have gotten a beating."
Si Ming smiled and said, "Is that so? I think she might actually be a serious and good student. Look at her posture, how she sits up straight reflexively when she hears the teacher come in, and the notebook she keeps tucked inside her textbook—these are habits that only model students have."
"Ha, that sounds pretty convincing, but unfortunately your reasoning has an obvious flaw," Hao Shuai said, mimicking a detective character by making a hat-pressing gesture. "What if she's a scheming woman who intentionally curries favor with her teacher and has developed a habit of deceiving her superiors and subordinates?"
Si Ming shook his head, feeling that such speculation was too malicious, but he did not continue to argue. After all, this was someone else's business. Being too enthusiastic and proactive would easily make people suspect that he had some ulterior motives towards Nie Wanzhi. Relationships between the sexes are always easy for people to misunderstand, whether it's elementary school students or college students.
The course on Ancient Pattern Studies is very dry, mostly consisting of the analysis of patterns and texts. Few students listen attentively, since learning this stuff doesn't help with future employment unless you become an antique appraiser.
The teacher was neither a short, legally-born Lolita, nor a cold-on-the-outside-but-warm-on-the-inside older, unmarried beauty, nor an approachable, hot-bodied, gentle older woman. He was just an ordinary-looking old male professor, wearing aging glasses, with slightly gray hair and worn-out cuffs, but his clothes were very clean. He gave the impression of being knowledgeable and living a simple life.
Ultimately, being a teacher isn't a bad profession. The social status is not low, and there are plenty of summer and winter vacations to find a partner. Most of the slightly pretty ones are already taken in by the school, and those with average looks don't have to worry about getting married as long as they don't have too high standards. The idea of a beautiful teacher waiting for the main character to come and woo her is just wishful thinking on the part of male otaku.
Si Ming listened to the content as if it were history, and he found it quite interesting. Although the ancient runes could not be used in the Sea Continent, he could go to the Barbarian Continent, where they would not be blocked as "forbidden words" by the Eternal Barrier.
After the two classes ended, Si Ming was still eager for more and asked the old professor several questions. The old professor was surprised and delighted, probably because he didn't expect that there would still be students interested in ancient patterns in this day and age. He made a point of remembering Si Ming's name, patiently answered his questions, and even recommended two extracurricular readings.
"You don't actually want to learn ancient runes, do you?" Hao Shuai asked curiously.
Si Ming retorted, "Otherwise, how about winning over the old professor and expanding my network? I'm an international student from Nation of Beauty, why would I need to expand my network in Su State?"
At this point, he remembered using his status as an international student as a pretext, since it was the truth anyway.
"That's true. Several people in the class have started preparing for the transfer exam next semester. Some of them didn't perform well on the college entrance exam and filled in 'willing to be assigned to any major' so they can get into university first and then switch jobs later. Speaking of which, as an international student, you can choose any major as long as you pass the standard test. Why choose Ancient Pattern Studies? Our major has no future and no earning potential. I'm here for the diploma, so I don't care what major I choose. That's why I picked a course with easy courses."
"I don't intend to make a living from Ancient Pattern Studies; it's purely a hobby. If you treat the course as academic learning, you'll naturally find it painful. But if you treat it as a hobby, you'll find it incredibly motivating."
"I don't have such refined interests as you. I only got into Linked Mountains University by sheer luck. On the day of the college entrance exam, I somehow had a stroke of good fortune and scored thirty points higher than usual, barely making it to the admission line."
"Luck is also a form of ability, don't be modest."
"Haha, that's what I think too. This handsome guy has such strong character that he always performs exceptionally well in crucial exams, making those top students who underperform in the college entrance exams so envious!" Hao Shuai said smugly.
He was clearly the type to take advantage of any opportunity, showing no humility whatsoever. He patted Si Ming on the shoulder and said, "Looks like you're a smart guy. I'll protect you from now on. I'll never let you graduate single. Come on, let's skip the cafeteria for lunch and get some stir-fry outside the school. It's on me."
Si Ming shook his head and said, "Let's do it another day. I have plans with someone from my hometown today."
"Hey fellow countryman, this is great. In a foreign land, with no relatives or friends, a little care will win you over, making it the easiest time to make a move," Hao Shuai completely treated Si Ming like a foreigner. "Remember to seize the opportunity. Tomorrow I'll give you a dating guide; it'll guarantee you'll win her over effortlessly."
Si Ming watched Hao Shuai swagger away and sighed, "He's not a bad person at heart, so I won't discourage you."
People who constantly talk about picking up girls are often the least likely to find one; those who are quiet and reserved are often the quickest to make their move.
Si Ming left the school and arrived at the agreed location, where he met four "fellow villagers"—Murong Qing, Liu Qingqing, Hongdou, and Yu Shuying.
"It's so slow, my stomach is starting to rumble," Hongdou complained.
Si Ming, "Aren't you capable of going three days and three nights without eating, drinking, or sleeping?"
"That's when I'm painting; once I put down my brush, I get hungry really fast."
Yu Shuying looked at Hongdou's chest and said, "It seems all the nutrients are being absorbed here."
Murong Qing brought the conversation back to the main topic. "I've already ordered the food, let's have them serve it now."
Si Ming asked, "How was your first day of class?"
Murong Qing, "As expected of Linked Mountains University, the professors are extremely capable. I estimate I'll need to preview the courses to keep up with the teaching." Her chosen major is clinical medicine.
Yu Shuying said, "I'm so disappointed. Not only are my classmates bookworms, but even the professors are all armchair strategists. The whole classroom is filled with an atmosphere of stupidity. It seems I need to think about ways to skip class in advance." Her major is business administration, and she plans to use business methods to run the gang.
Hongdou said, "I think everyone is very nice, very enthusiastic, and not at all pretentious. Even the professors asked me for autographs." Her major was naturally fine arts, and in this field, she was a true master. University professors naturally wouldn't dare to put on airs in front of her; otherwise, their social standing would be the best comparison.
Liu Qingqing said, "Everything else is fine, but they forgot about me again when they took attendance." Her chosen major is theology, which is a required course for Saintess Candidate and is also a popular major. Theology is not a theoretical subject, but a practical subject for cultivating Divine Arts.
Remembering Nie Wanzhi's previous behavior in class, Si Ming asked Murong Qing, "Did your classmates ostracize you because of the rumors?"
"Don't worry, they all voted me to be class monitor," Murong Qing said with a smile.
Thinking about it, Murong Qing's controversies are at most just about showing off, unlike Nie Wanzhi's controversies which evoke negative feelings. Perhaps some people might feel jealous, but morally speaking, whether it's dancing as a backup dancer for the diva, being elected as a student representative, or rejecting a boy's confession, there's nothing to criticize. Moreover, the two have completely different personalities. Murong Qing a natural leadership quality, a sunny personality, and is very good at dealing with people. Except for those who are gloomy and jealous, most people wouldn't dislike her. Not everyone likes to show off; having a big tree in front allows others to enjoy the shade.