Chapter 18: This Class Is Definitely Advancing; Not Even Jesus Can Keep Them Back
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“Huh? Renew for sixty lessons?!!!”
Jiang Nian was speechless. He had to admit, the system could be pretty damn shameless.
Still, a renewal was a renewal. If someone was going to make the money, why not him?
But today was Tuesday, and the results would probably be released within the next day or two. The homeroom teacher could call him in for a discussion about moving up at any time, so taking leave would be inconvenient.
Jiang Nian decided to wait until his transfer was confirmed before going to the gym to complete a few more tasks.
His Majesty had the affairs of state to attend to from dawn to dusk. He really had too much to worry about.
As for what it felt like to come first in the class, Jiang Nian felt nothing particularly special. Everyone knew he was going to move up, and they all joked that he was about to ascend to heaven.
No one stood up to question whether he had cheated. The students in the class were not fools. Over the past two days, his subject teachers had called on him more than a dozen times, and he had answered every question correctly.
There were words that even the students with the best English scores had never heard before, yet Jiang Nian could spell them off the top of his head. As for sentence grammar, anything related to memorization was answered instantly.
Mathematics and certain calculations were the only things Jiang Nian was not good at.
Some of the memorization-based material in integrated science had even slipped the teachers’ minds for a moment. Jiang Nian, however, remembered everything perfectly. Whenever the teacher interacted with the class, he could answer offhand without even opening his textbook.
With memory like that, only an idiot would have jumped out to question him.
That afternoon.
September was hot and dry, and the ceiling fan above the classroom shrieked miserably as it creaked around.
The first three afternoon periods were all integrated science. The teachers were covering the rest of yesterday’s test paper. The students were so sleepy that their heads kept drooping.
A wind rose outside, sending the curtains fluttering wildly.
Jiang Nian propped his head up with one hand, his thoughts already drifting to the ends of the earth. All three of his integrated science teachers knew he was going to move up, so they simply turned a blind eye.
Near the end of the afternoon, there was a half-hour study period.
Usually, self-study alternated with listening practice. As luck would have it, today was Tuesday, which meant English listening. The broadcast crackled with the test recording, and the classroom filled with the sound of pages turning.
“Jiang Nian, let me copy your listening answers later.”
“Uh… all right.”
In truth, he had no desire to do the listening exercise at all. But for the sake of maintaining appearances and standing his final watch, he reluctantly opened the listening workbook and stared at the questions with an unwilling expression.
The evening glow outside pierced into the classroom, covering every student bent over their desks with a layer of rosy light. Thanks to the sunset, even the pages of their books had turned yellow.
That was senior year for you: lower your head, and there was a sea of questions; raise it, and there was the homeroom teacher.
“Huh? The homeroom teacher!”
The homeroom teacher paused in front of his desk before saying, “Come to the office. I need to speak with you.”
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Jiang Nian felt somewhat relieved. It was probably a discussion about moving up, he thought. He rose calmly, left his seat, and followed the teacher out of the classroom.
Once he was gone, whispers broke out around his desk.
“The old class teacher called Jiang Nian out. He’s moving up, right?”
“Probably. If someone scored over 570 and still didn’t move up, I’d be ascending straight to heaven.”
“How did he study over the summer? How did he get so incredible? Damn, how is his brain wired? How can he remember so much?”
Zhou Yuting grew increasingly irritated as she listened, the knuckles of the hand gripping her pen turning faintly white. She wanted to shout at them to shut up, but she held herself back.
She could not show the slightest reaction in front of everyone. Otherwise, she really would lose all face.
What would the homeroom teacher say to Jiang Nian? He would probably call her in for a talk too.
Lost in thought, Zhou Yuting only realized that the listening exercise was more than halfway over when she suddenly came to her senses.
She swallowed. If only one person was destined to move up, she was not entirely without a chance.
As long as…
In the office.
The homeroom teacher was speaking with Jiang Nian, first confirming that he truly intended to move up.
“Moving up does not necessarily mean your grades will improve. A change in environment, interpersonal relationships, the pace of study, and the emphasis of different teachers’ lessons can all affect your results.”
“Staying in this class does not mean your grades cannot improve either. All of our subject teachers have master’s degrees. They have years of teaching experience, and they also know how to—cough, cough…”
“Teach according to the student’s aptitude. In other words… give you special individual attention.”
He had said so much. Wasn’t it simply because he couldn’t bear to let him go?
Blah, blah, blah.
Sorry, but he was moving up no matter what. Even Jesus himself showing up would not change that.
After talking at length until his mouth was dry, the homeroom teacher picked up his thermos of goji berry tea and took a sip.
“So, what have you decided?”
“Mm.” Jiang Nian nodded. Then, under the homeroom teacher’s delighted gaze, he asked, “Can I choose which class to join, or is it assigned randomly?”
The teacher’s smile froze. For the rest of his life, he would know neither sorrow nor joy.
You little brat… Why are you so impossible to persuade?
“Since you’ve made up your mind, then… cough, cough.” The homeroom teacher cleared his throat. Since he could not keep Jiang Nian, there was nothing to be done. “The assignments are made by the school. Do you have a preference?”
“Can it be arranged?” Jiang Nian naturally preferred to join Xu Qianqian’s class.
“In theory, yes, but in practice…” The homeroom teacher took a drink of water and said nothing for a moment. “The grade director has more authority than I do. My voice doesn’t carry much weight.”
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Damn, so this was how he was going to play it? Really squeezing him tight, huh?
During the brief dismissal period that afternoon, Xu Qianqian returned from the cafeteria and sought out Jiang Nian.
The lights were on in the teaching building. The two of them leaned against the corridor railing, chatting.
“I heard from Yun Yun that you scored 573?” Xu Qianqian turned her head, her hair tied into a little bun. “Did you ask the homeroom teacher which class you’ll be moving to?”
“I don’t know. If I can choose, I’ll go to your class.” Jiang Nian leaned lazily against the railing, with heavy evening clouds hanging 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 answered casually.
“Wouldn’t it be better to be a little closer to you?”
At once, Xu Qianqian’s face flushed red. Fortunately, the deepening dusk concealed it well. Her murmur, as faint as a mosquito’s hum, drifted through the night wind at precisely the volume only the two of them could hear.
“Don’t come. I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Tch.”
During the second evening study period, Zhou Yuting was also called out by the homeroom teacher.
At the sound, Jiang Nian looked up toward the door. Zhou Yuting happened to turn around at the same moment. Across most of the classroom, their gazes brushed against each other in the air.
The look was cold and distant, and Zhou Yuting’s heart gave an involuntary lurch.
As she walked down the corridor, she could not help recalling a rumor that had spread through the class: Jiang Nian had suffered some kind of shock over the summer, then shut himself away at home and studied for two months, which was why he had become the way he was now.
Zhou Yuting felt no guilt. She only found the situation troublesome. She needed Jiang Nian to give up on moving up of his own accord.
In the brightly lit office, the homeroom teacher repeated what he had said that afternoon.
“With your current grades, moving up would actually be a stretch. Even if you just barely made it, the atmosphere in the Olympiad class might not suit you.”
“What’s more, the class currently has only one place available in principle. Jiang Nian scored forty points higher than you, and he confirmed this afternoon that he intends to move up.”
“So, you should understand…”
“Mm-hmm. What if Jiang Nian gives up voluntarily?” Zhou Yuting asked.
The homeroom teacher was suddenly at a loss for words. “You’ll have to ask him about that. I don’t recommend that either of you move up. A strange collective environment takes time to adapt to.”
“I understand, Teacher.” Zhou Yuting rose to her feet. “I’ll think of something myself. Thank you, Teacher.”
The homeroom teacher: “???”
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