First English Class

Just as Jiang Yingqing was lost in her own little thoughts, daydreaming, the sharp sound of the school bell suddenly rang out, breaking her concentration.

A middle-aged woman, slightly plump with a face as stern as carved stone, walked onto the podium holding her lesson plans with rigid steps.

She pushed up her glasses and swept her icy gaze across the classroom like a spotlight. The faint chatter that had filled the room instantly vanished without a trace, and the air seemed to solidify.

"My name is Zhou Yuren."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. Each word landed like an ice pellet hitting the ground.

"I am your English teacher. All of you, pay attention and study hard! If I find anyone slacking off or falling behind..."

She paused deliberately, her gaze lingering on a few students in the back row for a moment, "...you can expect to invite your parents for a chat!"

This opening statement swept through the room like a cold wind. Many students instinctively hunched their shoulders, quickly lowered their heads, and dared not meet the sharp gaze from the podium.

English class, for Ling Yun, was one of the memories he least wanted to revisit from his past life.

It wasn't just the difficulty of the language itself, but more so the "teaching style" of this Teacher Zhou.

She clearly divided students into two camps: "Top students" and "underachievers."

If a top student made a mistake, she would smile kindly and brush it off. But if an underachiever slipped up even slightly, they would face a torrent of insults, sometimes even having their parents called in.

Her biased attitude was sickening.

What made Ling Yun feel even more suffocated was that after the second year's arts and sciences division, he was "fortunate" enough to be placed in a class where Zhou Yuren was the homeroom teacher.

That was the true beginning of his nightmare!

In class, whenever a difficult problem arose, Zhou Yuren's hawk-like eyes would precisely lock onto an "underachiever" in the back row and call on them.

Couldn't answer? Fine, then you'll stand for the entire class! Under the guise of "waking you up," it was nothing less than psychological abuse.

But this was far from Zhou Yuren's "peak."

During the final sprint towards the college entrance exams in the third year, in order to compete for the title of "Outstanding Teacher" (which was directly linked to the class's undergraduate admission rate), she finally revealed her most ferocious side.

Although Ning City No. 1 High School was good, not everyone was admitted to an undergraduate program.

At this point, some teachers would subtly suggest that students with weak foundations consider independent admissions or repeating the year, but it was only a suggestion.

Zhou Yuren was different.

She once summoned a group of "underachievers" who were "holding everyone back," including Ling Yun, to an empty classroom.

There was no encouragement, no analysis, only cold commands and undisguised disdain.

"You few, don't you know your own level? What are you still doing in this class? You're purely wasting time and dragging others down! Pack up and leave as soon as possible. If you're eligible for independent admissions, go for it. If not, go home! Don't be an eyesore here!"

This blatant humiliation pierced the young men's hearts like knives.

Anger and unwillingness burned in their chests! The underachievers, uncharacteristically united, stubbornly held their heads high, expressing their protest through silence: "We won't leave! We'll stay here to disgust you!"

Zhou Yuren was so enraged by this silent resistance that her face turned ashen, but she was helpless. She could only slam the door and leave in anger.

However, the real revenge had just begun.

From then on, every self-study session became a purgatory for the underachievers.

Zhou Yuren could always find an excuse to criticize them for "whispering" and "disrupting the class's learning atmosphere."

Even more malicious was that during class, she would suddenly pose difficult questions that even top students might not be able to answer immediately, specifically calling on underachievers to respond.

When the expected silence or incorrect answers appeared, what followed was her undisguised eye-rolling and cutting sarcasm: "Brain of a pig!" "Rotten wood that can't be carved!" "One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel!"

Unable to bear the humiliation, most underachievers eventually chose to leave dejectedly and pursue independent admissions.

Only Ling Yun, with a stubborn will, gritted his teeth and persisted until the college entrance exams.

The result? He successfully "dragged down" the class's undergraduate admission rate, causing Zhou Yuren's easily attainable "Outstanding Teacher" title to completely slip away!

Every time he recalled this past, the suppressed anger in Ling Yun's heart would surge uncontrollably.

In this life, he would not only change his own destiny but also make this "snobbish" Teacher Zhou truly taste the bitterness of being proven wrong!

"Classmate Ling Yun!"

A cold voice exploded like thunder in his ears, instantly pulling Ling Yun's thoughts back from the mire of his past life to reality.

Zhou Yuren, who had appeared at his desk at some unknown time, her eyes behind her glasses sharp as knives, asked, "What are you spacing out about during class? It seems you understand it very well? Fine, you come and answer the question on the blackboard!"

Because of his "exposure" last time when the flower list was sent, this teacher, who "paid attention" to top and underachieving students, had already remembered Ling Yun's name and face.

Now was the perfect time for her to "test" him.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire class holding their breath, Ling Yun slowly stood up.

He showed no nervousness. Instead, he met Zhou Yuren's scrutinizing gaze, a faint smile curving his lips, carrying a subtle hint of mockery.

"Teacher," he began, his pronunciation clear and fluent, with an ancient and elegant charm—a pure London accent. "It's mainly that the content you're explaining is, for me, simply too... simple. I can't muster the slightest interest to listen carefully."

The entire classroom fell into dead silence! Everyone was stunned, including Zhou Yuren on the podium!

For the first time, a crack appeared in the stern expression on her face, and she opened her mouth slightly in disbelief.

Ling Yun didn't even give her time to react. He glanced at the question on the blackboard and, in the same elegant and standard British accent, clearly, accurately, and fluently stated the answer.

Every syllable landed like a pearl, round and smooth, in the silent classroom.

"...Very good! Excellent!"

Zhou Yuren was stunned for a good few seconds before she reacted. The icy expression on her face melted away like snow in the spring sun, and she even managed a rare smile. She started clapping, leading the way.

"Student Ling Yun's answer was perfect! His pronunciation is standard, and his answer is accurate! Let's give student Ling Yun a round of applause!"

Her tone, filled with admiration and enthusiasm, was a complete contrast to her earlier coldness.

Seeing Zhou Yuren's delighted expression, as if she had struck gold, Ling Yun found it incredibly ironic.

He showed no reaction, simply sitting back down calmly.

Although the classmates were surprised by the teacher's rapid change in demeanor, they were already accustomed to Ling Yun "showing off successfully" again.

It would have been actual news if Ling Yun had failed this time!

Thus, the classroom erupted in applause, far more enthusiastic than Zhou Yuren had requested, filled with genuine admiration and the excitement of watching a show.

"It seems student Ling Yun is very popular, truly has the skill!"

Zhou Yuren smiled even more broadly. This was the first time in her teaching career she had encountered a student with such astonishing speaking skills; it was like discovering a raw gem.

Ling Yun looked at Zhou Yuren's face, which wore a smile that could be described as "kind," his heart unmoved. He felt as though he were watching an absurd monster.

In this life and his past one, this was the first time he had seen the "cold-faced King of Hell" smile so sincerely.

Heh, is this the so-called privilege of a "top student"?

Such a teacher might be a gentle breeze to good students, but to underachievers, she was an undeniable icy hell.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of class and dispelling the tension in the room.

"Phew... I thought I was going to suffocate!"

Zhou Da let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, patting his chest with lingering fear.

"Our English teacher's aura is just too intimidating! I felt like my heart stopped every time her eyes swept over me! I didn't dare look up during class!"

He shivered as he spoke.

"Simple," Ling Yun said, packing his books without looking up, "Just like me, practice your English until she has nothing to say, and she'll naturally stop bothering with you."

"Tch! Easy for you to say!" Zhou Da looked aggrieved. "Who can compare to a freak like you? You can knock out a sports student in a fight, break records in running, and now your English sounds like a BBC announcer! With your level of both academic and athletic prowess, are you leaving any room for the rest of us to live?"

As the two were talking, Jiang Yingqing, like a little bird seeking comfort, gracefully approached Ling Yun, her movements so natural as if it were meant to be.

She stood quietly beside him, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ling Yun, waiting for him to make a move.

Quite a few classmates in the room finally noticed this frequent occurrence, their gazes shifting between the two.

The girls looked at Jiang Yingqing with envy and a hint of subtle jealousy; being able to approach Ling Yun so naturally was something many dreamed of.

Most of the boys wore expressions of understanding and "it was meant to be."

After all, for an outstanding presence like Ling Yun, attracting the best girls was, in their opinion, only natural.

If they were girls, wouldn't they also wish they could surround such a god-like figure every day?