Huh? Renew for sixty sessions?!!!
Jiang Nian was speechless. He had to admit, the system could be pretty off-putting too.
Still, he had to renew. Someone was going to make that money anyway.
But today was Tuesday, and the results would probably come out today or tomorrow. His homeroom teacher could call him in to discuss moving up at any moment, so taking time off wasn't convenient.
Jiang Nian planned to wait until his move was confirmed before going to the gym to do his tasks.
We have countless affairs of state to attend to. What a burden upon Our imperial heart.
What did it feel like to rank first in his class? Jiang Nian couldn't say he felt much of anything. Everyone knew he was moving up, and they kept joking that he was about to ascend to a higher plane.
Nobody jumped out to question whether he'd cheated. His classmates weren't idiots. Over the past two days, his teachers had called on him at least a dozen times, and he'd answered correctly every time.
Some of the words were ones even the students good at English had never heard of, yet Jiang Nian could spell them off the cuff. Phrases, grammar-anything involving memorization, and he nailed it instantly.
Math and calculations, though, weren't his strong suit.
There were even facts in the science subjects that the teachers couldn't recall on the spot. Jiang Nian remembered them perfectly, answering classroom questions without so much as opening his textbook.
With a memory like that, only a complete idiot would question him.
That afternoon.
September was sweltering, and the ceiling fans in the classroom squeaked and groaned in agony.
The first three afternoon periods were all science subjects, with the teachers going over the exam papers they hadn't finished yesterday. The students were desperately sleepy, their heads bobbing.
A breeze picked up outside, sending the curtains dancing wildly.
Jiang Nian propped his head on his hand too, his mind already miles away. All three science teachers knew he was moving up, so they simply turned a blind eye.
There was a half-hour self-study period before the afternoon dismissal.
Self-study and listening practice usually alternated. Since today was Tuesday, it was time for English listening practice. The audio check played over the speakers, and the classroom filled with the rustling of pages.
"Jiang Nian, let me copy your listening answers afterward."
"Uh, all right."
He hadn't wanted to do the listening exercises at all, but to keep up appearances and see his final stint through, he reluctantly opened his listening workbook and stared at the questions with obvious displeasure.
The evening sunlight pierced through the windows, draping every student bent over their questions in a warm glow. Thanks to the sunset, even the pages looked yellow.
That was senior year for you: look down, and there was a sea of questions; look up, and there was your homeroom teacher.
Huh? The homeroom teacher!
The teacher paused in front of his seat before saying, "Come to the office. I need to talk to you."
Jiang Nian felt a little more assured, figuring it was probably about moving up. He rose calmly, left his seat, and followed the teacher out of the classroom.
After he left, whispers sprang up around his seat.
"The homeroom teacher called Jiang Nian out. He's moving up, right?"
"Probably. If scoring over 570 didn't get me moved up, I'd just ascend straight to heaven."
"How the hell did he study over summer break? How's he so damn good? Fuck, how does his brain work, remembering all that stuff?"
Listening to them irritated Zhou Yuting, her knuckles turning faintly white around her pen. She desperately wanted to yell at them to shut up, but she held back.
She couldn't let anything show in front of everyone. Otherwise, she really would lose all face.
What would the homeroom teacher say to Jiang Nian? Surely he'd call her in too. The thought distracted Zhou Yuting, and she only snapped back to attention when more than half the listening exercise was over.
She swallowed. If only one person could move up, she wasn't entirely without a chance.
As long as...
In the office.
The homeroom teacher was talking to Jiang Nian, first confirming whether he wanted to move up.
"Moving up doesn't mean your grades will improve. A change of environment, relationships, the pace of study, the teachers' emphasis in class-all of these can affect your grades."
"Staying in this class doesn't mean your grades can't improve, either. All our subject teachers have master's degrees and years of teaching experience. For top students, they also offer... ahem."
"Teaching tailored to the individual. What people generally call... extra attention."
All that talk. You just can't bear to let me go, can you?
Blah, blah, blah.
Sorry, but I'm moving up. Even Jesus himself couldn't stop me.
After talking at length, the homeroom teacher's mouth was dry. He picked up his thermos of goji berry tea and took a sip.
"So, what have you decided?"
"Mm." Jiang Nian nodded, then spoke as the homeroom teacher's face lit up with delight. "Can I choose which class I move to, or are students assigned randomly?"
The homeroom teacher's smile froze. All joy and sorrow drained from his life.
You little brat... Nothing gets through to you!
"Since you've made up your mind, then... ahem." The teacher cleared his throat. If he couldn't keep him, there was nothing to be done. "Students are assigned. Did you have something in mind?"
"Can that be arranged?" Naturally, Jiang Nian would rather go to Xu Qianqian's class.
"In theory, yes, but in practice..." The teacher took a drink and fell silent. "The grade director has more ways of getting things done. I'm afraid I don't carry much weight."
Damn it. Playing hardball, huh?
During the short break after afternoon classes, Xu Qianqian came looking for Jiang Nian after returning from dinner in the cafeteria.
The lights were on in the classroom building, and the two leaned over the corridor railing as they chatted.
"Yunyun said you scored 573?" Xu Qianqian turned toward him, her hair tied in a little bun. "Did you ask your homeroom teacher? Which class are you moving to?"
"Don't know. If I can choose, I'll go to yours." Jiang Nian lounged against the railing, heavy twilight clouds stretching out before him. "If I can't, I'll leave it to fate."
"Choose... our class?" Xu Qianqian was startled. "Why?"
Jiang Nian glanced at her and said casually,
"Wouldn't it be nice to be closer to you?"
Xu Qianqian's face instantly reddened. Fortunately, the dusk hid it well. Her mosquito-soft murmur drifted through the night breeze, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.
"Don't come. I don't want you."
"Tch."
During the second evening self-study period, the homeroom teacher called Zhou Yuting out too.
At the sound, Jiang Nian looked up toward the door just as Zhou Yuting turned back. Their eyes met across most of the classroom.
The coldness and distance in his gaze made Zhou Yuting's heart lurch.
Out in the corridor, she couldn't help remembering a rumor circulating in class. Something had upset Jiang Nian over summer break, and he'd buried himself in books at home for two months. That was how he'd become like this.
Zhou Yuting felt no guilt, only annoyance. She needed Jiang Nian to give up moving up of his own accord.
In the brightly lit office, the homeroom teacher repeated what he'd said that afternoon.
"With your current grades, moving up would be a stretch. Even if you scrape past the cutoff, the atmosphere in the Olympiad Class might not suit you."
"Besides, as a rule, our class only has one spot for moving up right now. Jiang Nian scored forty points higher than you, and he confirmed this afternoon that he wanted to go."
"So, you should understand."
"Yes, yes. But what if Jiang Nian voluntarily gives it up?" Zhou Yuting asked.
The homeroom teacher was momentarily at a loss. "You'd have to ask him about that. I don't recommend that either of you move up. It takes time to adjust to an unfamiliar group."
"I understand, sir." Zhou Yuting stood up. "I'll figure something out myself. Thank you."
The homeroom teacher: "???"
Before you continue