Chapter 6: The New School
On Monday, Tang Huaijin got up a little late because she hadn’t slept well the night before. After hurriedly making breakfast for her sister, she knocked on her sister’s door.
My sister didn’t seem to be fully awake either; she mumbled a response and then fell silent.
After calling her several times without getting a response, Tang Huaijin didn’t have time to deal with her anymore. He reminded her not to be late for work and then left.
I ran quickly to the bus stop, only to see the No. 9 bus that had just left the Rose Garden.
Tang Huaijin noticed a figure with a ponytail in the back seat of the car that looked somewhat familiar.
After waiting for a while, Tang Huaijin boarded the next No. 9 bus.
…
Rose Noble High School has a huge campus, with its own playground, independent library, and even an auditorium specifically for giving speeches.
The gatekeeper at the school gate was no longer an old man; a tall and strong gatekeeper carefully checked Tang Huaijin’s admission notice before letting him in.
After reporting to the Academic Affairs Office, I learned that I had been assigned to the Science Class 3.
There are three classes each for arts and sciences in the senior year of high school. The homeroom teacher is called the consul, who does not teach classes but is only responsible for the students’ personal matters.
Because I arrived late, the six students should have each had their own consuls to lead them back to their classes, but the consul from Class 3 didn’t wait for me.
After all, being late on the first day was indeed inappropriate, and Tang Huaijin didn’t think the teacher had done anything wrong.
After asking the head of student affairs for the classroom location, Tang Huaijin found his classroom. The door was closed, so class had probably already started. He knocked on the door.
”Report.”
”Come in.”
Tang Huaijin pushed open the door and went in, and dozens of pairs of curious eyes looked over.
”Wow!”
”Is this a new student?”
Someone nudged their classmate who was looking down.
”Quick, look at the handsome guy.”
Tang Huaijin’s good looks caused a stir in the class.
”Quiet!”
The woman on the podium tapped the blackboard. The sound wasn’t loud, but the class instantly fell silent.
The woman was dressed in a black business suit, her long black hair cascading down her sides over her neatly buttoned blazer, giving her a dignified appearance. Her fair face was largely unmade-up, her lips slightly thin, and above her delicate nose were a pair of somewhat sharp, almond-shaped eyes.
She turned to look at Tang Huaijin, her gaze calm and composed, and said, “Hello, my name is Shen Yiqiu, and I am the consul of the third squad.”
”Hello, Consul Shen,” Tang Huaijin said with a smile.
Shen Yiqiu nodded, stepped down from the podium, and said, “Let’s start by introducing ourselves to the class.”
Tang Huaijin responded, walked up to the podium, picked up the chalk, and wrote his name on the podium with flowing strokes. His handsome handwriting surprised Shen Yiqiu.
Turning his head, Tang Huaijin glanced at the people in the class: “Hello everyone, my name is Tang Huaijin. I don’t have many hobbies, but I’m good at many things. I hope we can spend our senior year of high school together happily.”
A humble yet assertive attitude easily wins people’s favor, and many people in the audience applauded. Shen Yiqiu also nodded secretly.
”Thank you.” After expressing his gratitude, Tang Huaijin turned to Shen Yiqiu and asked, “Consul Shen, where shall I sit?”
”You can sit in the back first,” Shen Yiqiu said, her tone softening.
Tang Huaijin walked to the back row, and to his surprise, the last row of the classroom, except for the two on the far right, was empty.
Two young girls were sitting on the right. Tang Huaijin sat down next to them and greeted them.
Hello.
The girl on the left has an oval face, a gentle smile, and faint dimples. She replied, “Hello, my name is Bai Yuerou.”
After saying that, he introduced the girl next to him who was glaring at Tang Huaijin with murderous eyes: “This is Xia Xinya.”
Unable to understand the source of the malice in the girl’s eyes, Tang Huaijin still smiled and nodded.
Shen Yiqiu wrote his contact information on the blackboard and said, “This is my contact information. Students who haven’t memorized it can write it down. Also, during self-study, the class monitor will be responsible for showing the new students around the school. The rest of you can study quietly.”
“Yes, Consul.” Bai Yuerou stood up and nodded to Tang Huaijin before leaving the classroom.
Tang Huaijin also stood up and followed behind her. He never expected that this seemingly gentle and weak girl was the class monitor.
As the two left the teaching building, Bai Yuerou said with a smile, “Didn’t expect me to be the class monitor, did you?”
Tang Huaijin was indeed quite surprised and said, “Yes, I thought the class monitor would be the kind of person with a stronger temperament.”
”There’s nothing I can do, it’s a voting system in class.” Bai Yuerou seemed a little helpless. “These people probably chose me because they think I’m easy to bully.”
Tang Huaijin couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Sorry…”
Bai Yuerou gave Tang Huaijin a reproachful look, “Then I’ll go get your school uniform first.”
”good.”
The school uniform was simple, with an outer jacket similar to a blazer and tapered pants. It was exquisitely made and featured magenta rose embroidery.
”There’s no mandatory rule about wearing school uniforms; we only wear them when giving speeches or participating in events at school.” Bai Yuerou usually holds her hands together in front of her, exuding an intellectual and elegant aura.
After she finished speaking, she led Tang Huaijin to the library. The library was very large, with three floors, and Tang Huaijin’s eyes lit up.
Noticing the eagerness in Tang Huaijin’s eyes, Bai Yuerou smiled. “You should have had your photo taken at the registrar’s office by now. Your student card will be issued soon, and you can use it to borrow books. Do you like reading too?”
”Yes, it’s one of my few hobbies.” Tang Huaijin nodded.
”The more civilized, the lonelier.” Bai Yuerou’s smile was gentle, without showing her teeth, yet it didn’t give off a perfunctory feeling, showing her good upbringing.
Tang Huaijin replied with a smile, “Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude.”
It’s very simple; anyone who has read One Hundred Years of Solitude will have a deep impression of this sentence.
”Loneliness is the best form of socialization.”
Milton’s Paradise Lost.
Bai Yuerou’s eyes lit up, and she asked questions faster and faster, but Tang Huaijin still answered them quickly.
When asked, Bai Yuerou couldn’t recall any other good books for the time being.
Tang Huaijin added at the opportune moment, “I think what loneliness is is that the person you’re facing has emotions that aren’t on the same frequency as your own.” After saying that, he winked at Bai Yuerou, “I guess you’ve seen this before.”
”It’s ‘Eleven Kinds of Loneliness’!” Bai Yuerou’s eyes lit up with surprise. “You’re amazing.”
”You’re really impressive too,” Tang Huaijin exclaimed sincerely. He rarely encountered someone his age with such a vast amount of book knowledge.
The reason I guessed she had read this book is because this girl’s reading style is similar, with a sense of loneliness and being misunderstood.
Bai Yuerou’s smile appears gentle, but it is also a kind of politeness that keeps people at a distance, and she deliberately maintains a fixed distance on the street.
The two walked out of the library chatting and laughing. After this incident, Bai Yuerou’s attitude became much warmer, and they felt a sense of mutual appreciation for each other.
Suddenly, Tang Huaijin’s smile froze.
Bai Yuerou asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
”No…it’s nothing.” Tang Huaijin shook his head.
A notification popped up in front of him. The system had been quiet for a long time, and Tang Huaijin had almost forgotten about its existence.
”Task: Become Bai Yuerou’s deskmate.”
”Task Reward: Obtain the inspiration and outline for a book (a masterpiece).”
”Failure penalty: None”
”Accept” and “Reject”
Ah, this…
Tang Huaijin also writes novels, which are serialized on a certain website.
However, the difference between online novels and traditional books is too great, so he considered submitting his work to a publishing house, but eventually gave up.
First, there isn’t enough time and energy; second, there’s a lack of experience.
After weighing the pros and cons, Tang Huaijin chose to accept.
After chatting with Bai Yuerou for a while, Tang Huaijin casually asked, “By the way, you’re the class monitor, so why are you sitting in the last row?”
”Xiaoya pulled me to sit in the last row.” After saying that, she explained, “It was the girl sitting next to me.”
Tang Huaijin nodded thoughtfully and asked, “Can I choose my own seat?”
”Sure, those who rank high in each monthly exam can choose their seats first.”
”Then is it okay if I sit next to you?” Tang Huaijin asked with a smile.
“Theoretically speaking, it is possible.” Bai Yuerou blinked and smiled. “But you’ll have to see if Xiaoya agrees.”
”Xiaoya… her full name is Xia Xinya, right?” Tang Huaijin recalled the girl’s unfriendly gaze, “She didn’t seem to like me very much…”
”She’s just not very good at socializing, but she’s actually a very nice person.” Bai Yuerou smiled helplessly as she talked about her friend.
As they were talking, the bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class, but the two had only visited a few places.
The two exchanged a glance, and Bai Yuerou smiled shyly, saying somewhat embarrassedly, “I haven’t even taken you to see the cafeteria yet.”
”It’s alright, there’ll be plenty of time later.” Tang Huaijin smiled.
After saying goodbye to Tang Huaijin, Bai Yuerou left, as she needed to go to the teacher’s office to get the lecture notes for the next class.
Tang Huaijin returned to the classroom, and before he could even sit down, someone behind him suddenly spoke in an unfriendly tone.
”New guy, come out here for a moment.”
The students in the class looked over curiously, but when they saw who it was, their expressions froze, and they wisely turned their heads away.
Tang Huaijin found it amusing and looked in the direction of the sound. A girl with a displeased expression was standing at the classroom door, looking at him with some impatience.