No. 2 had a decent reputation and wasn’t managed as strictly, not forcing students to live on campus. In contrast, Lianyun No. 1 High School, which she had “narrowly missed,” was managed very strictly with military-style discipline, not even allowing students to bring phones.
As Lin Zhexia pulled Chi Yao into the crowd, she suddenly had a random thought: Maybe Chi Yao didn’t go to No. 1 not just because it was closer to home, but more because he had a free spirit.
Lin Zhexia eagerly said, “Let’s see which class we’re in.”
The person she was pulling didn’t share her enthusiasm.
Chi Yao was a bit impatient: “Aren’t you bothered by the crowd?”
Lin Zhexia: “Then you can go outside, I’ll look by myself.”
What she didn’t notice was that despite his words, he still followed behind her, allowing her to pull him along, with one hand hovering protectively around her arm to prevent her from being pushed away by the crowd.
Lin Zhexia immediately found Chi Yao’s name in Class 1.
She excitedly tugged at the corner of his clothes and told him: “Chi Yao, Chi Yao, you’re in Class One.”
At the same time.
Almost simultaneously.
Chi Yao also said a sentence: “Class Seven.”
Lin Zhexia didn’t understand immediately: “What Class Seven?”
Chi Yao: “You.”
Sometimes they would be very in sync doing this kind of thing.
Like now, as if searching for faults, they immediately looked for each other’s names first.
Lin Zhexia looked further down and indeed saw her name in the last row: “…Class Seven, that’s so far.”
Afraid her words might be misunderstood as reluctance to part, she explained: “I mean, being so far from you, I’m relieved.”
The response she received was a very light sneer.
As Chi Yao had guessed, No. 2 indeed assigned classes based on grades.
Because of their entrance scores, not only were they not in the same class, but they were placed at opposite ends, the furthest distance apart.
According to No. 2’s teaching method, Class (1) should be a small class, while the others were regular classes.
Lin Zhexia couldn’t quite tell if she hoped to be in the same class as him or not.
Her relationship with Chi Yao.
Was the type where they couldn’t stand each other when together.
But when truly separated, it also felt a bit strange.
After entering the school, there were several statues of famous figures arranged in the small square. Passing through this square and up the steps led to the teaching building.
Since she and Chi Yao were in different classes, their paths diverged after entering the freshman teaching building.
At the stairway, Lin Zhexia had already run up halfway before suddenly turning back with thumping steps. She called out to Chi Yao and said with a serious face: “I have something to tell you.”
Chi Yao instinctively felt it wouldn’t be anything good.
Sure enough, Lin Zhexia said with a serious face: “School just started, and you’re unfamiliar with everything. If you have any issues, come find your big brother in Class Seven. Your big brother will look out for you.”
“…”
“Finished?” After a moment, Chi Yao asked.
Lin Zhexia thought for a moment: “That’s all your big brother has to say for now.”
Chi Yao leaned against the wall at the stairway corner, slightly lifting his chin, and suddenly said: “Actually, I have quite a few enemies at school.”
“?”
“Not that many, about a dozen or so.”
Chi Yao considered: “If you’re willing, I can create a group chat later and have them wait for you in the small forest after school. We can fight today, so you can protect me.”
Saying this, his tone slightly paused, and he drawled out the question: “How does that sound—big brother?”
“…”
Lin Zhexia didn’t say another word and immediately fled—
Although Lin Zhexia dared to make bold statements to someone who looked much more like a “big brother” than she did, she wasn’t actually a very outgoing person.
After entering Class (7), she quietly sat down at the seat with her name on it, briefly greeted her new seatmate named Chen Lin, then took out a book from her bag and spread it on the desk to alleviate the awkwardness of unfamiliarity.
Her new seatmate, however, became familiar with her in less than three minutes, sharing insider information: “I heard we’re not having regular classes today. Instead, we’re having a baseline assessment right at the start of school, and it won’t just cover what we’ve studied before—there will be some first-year high school content we haven’t learned yet.”
Lin Zhexia was surprised by her intelligence-gathering abilities: “How do you know that?”
Chen Lin had some light freckles on her face and seemed very cheerful and enthusiastic.
She waved the phone, hidden under her textbook.
“School forum,” Chen Lin explained, “There are posts from second and third-year seniors on it. You can find all kinds of information there.”
Unlike Chen Lin, Lin Zhexia wasn’t as interested in internet surfing. She hadn’t even really followed celebrities. At most, she used her phone to search for things, watch videos, and chat with Chi Yao.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Chen Lin added: “You’re so calm.”