"No, you're stuck on this step because your understanding of this formula is flawed."
After they had both showered, Jiang Wei knocked on Tang Zihe's door, clutching a workbook. It was a competition-level problem, and halfway through, Jiang Wei realized his results were coming out wrong.
"How so?" Jiang Wei frowned, re-reading the question, still unable to grasp where he’d gone astray.
"Here." Tang Zihe picked up his pencil and pointed to a line in the calculations. "First of all, I have to wonder if there’s something wrong with your eyes—how did you miss such an obvious difference in units? Secondly..."
Jiang Wei listened to the guy drone on and on. By the time he finally understood how to solve the problem and where he’d messed up, he also realized he’d just been thoroughly roasted by this acid-tongued bastard.
"Got it now?" Tang Zihe put down the pencil.
"Got it." Jiang Wei silently retracted the middle finger he was raising in his mind and took back his workbook.
"Good. If you have any more questions, feel free to come back next time." Tang Zihe sat with his legs crossed. If it wasn't Jiang Wei's imagination, the other boy seemed to be in a particularly good mood after that round of mockery.
"Sorry, I misspoke. Feel free to come back *tomorrow morning*. I don't like staying up late to grind problems; it makes your hair fall out." Tang Zihe pointed to the top of his head and smiled. "Goodnight."
Jiang Wei rolled his eyes without reservation and let out a huff.
The door closed with a sharp *thud*.
In truth, Jiang Wei was finding it hard to fend off the encroaching drowsiness himself. Perhaps it was from overusing his brain, but he felt exceptionally tired today.
He lay on the bed, scrolling through his phone on his side, when he thought back to the person he’d met earlier that day. His chat history with Shen Yannan ended at his own reply: "I remember."
He didn't just remember Shen Yannan; he also recognized and remembered the boy named Lu beside him. It was just that Shen Yannan’s current image was a far cry from how he used to be.
*But that’s a good thing,* Jiang Wei thought. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
***
"Morning," Jiang Wei mumbled, bleary-eyed and clutching a toothbrush in his mouth.
"Morning."
Tang Zihe pulled a hoodie over his head and headed toward the living room. "What do you want to eat?"
"..." A muffled sound came from the bathroom.
"What?" Tang Zihe put on his shoes. "If you don't speak up, I'm just buying whatever."
"Fried... *cough*... Fried buns!" Jiang Wei had accidentally choked on his mouthwash and barely managed to get the words out.
A few minutes later, Tang Zihe returned with breakfast. "Go get the chopsticks yourself."
"Oh."
Jiang Wei trudged into the kitchen. Without even needing to look at the layout, he accurately located the drawer where the chopsticks were kept.
"What time is Auntie Tang coming today?"
"Don't know, depends on her mood," Tang Zihe shrugged. "Usually no later than eleven."
Jiang Wei nodded with his cheeks full of food, indicating he understood.
After finishing breakfast, they both packed their things. Tang Zihe turned on the television to kill time, but after flipping through several channels, he couldn't find anything interesting. Finally, he landed on a channel with few commercials—it was a children's network.
Jiang Wei poured himself a glass of water and sat down. After staring at the screen for a few seconds, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. "What are you doing? Watching these personified fruits hopping around? Feeling nostalgic for your childhood?"
Tang Zihe gave him a sidelong glance and said nonchalantly, "I wonder who it was that used to jump three feet high on the sofa laughing at this stuff when they were little, and insisted on snatching the remote so I couldn't change the channel..."
"Shut up!" Jiang Wei reached out to cover Tang Zihe's mouth.
This guy really had no filter. Luckily, it was just the two of them; otherwise, Auntie Tang would definitely have another reason to tease him.
"I'm helping you reminisce. Want to watch together?" Tang Zihe caught Jiang Wei's flailing hands and pinned him down on the sofa, giving him no choice in the matter.
Jiang Wei yanked his arms free and hugged a throw pillow to his chest, looking huffy. He felt like ever since he’d started school and reconnected with Tang Zihe, his emotions were easily provoked—he was constantly annoyed, yet never truly angry. It was a very delicate state of being.
But Jiang Wei was ultimately a lighthearted person. Since he wasn't the one being made angry, what did it matter? Within two or three minutes, he was giggling at the TV program.
Because he was so engrossed, he didn't notice a certain person with ulterior motives taking a photo of him leaning back on the sofa with a silly grin.
The sound of a key turning in the lock came from the front door.
Taking advantage of Tang Zihe's distraction, Jiang Wei swiped the remote and turned off the TV with lightning speed.
"Kids, I'm back!" Mrs. Tang sounded like she was in a great mood. "I brought you some little cakes."
She placed two small boxes on the table.
Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe each picked one up. Jiang Wei's was chocolate; if he wasn't mistaken, Tang Zihe's would be mango. With practiced ease, the two of them swapped boxes.
Jiang Wei took a bite of his cake. Watching Tang Zihe pick off the chocolate garnish to eat and Mrs. Tang complaining as she kicked off her heels, he suddenly felt a sting in his nose.
The mango was sweet—just the right amount of sweetness.
"I have a banquet to attend today," Mrs. Tang said, jingling her car keys. "If you've got your things ready, we can head out."
With a spoon in his mouth and his backpack slung over one shoulder, Jiang Wei followed them out.
The two enjoyed their cakes in the back seat. It didn't feel like long before they arrived at the school gates.
"You two, it's a new semester for Senior Year Three," Mrs. Tang smiled and waved at them. "Good luck."
Once Mrs. Tang drove off, Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe walked into the school side-by-side. Unexpectedly, they ran into an acquaintance right at the entrance.
"Yo, Brother Tang, you're early today." Xia Shan seemed to have just finished a phone call, his phone still held to his ear as he excitedly waved them over.
Jiang Wei tossed his trash into a nearby bin and walked over, puzzled. "What are you doing standing at the gate?"
Xia Shan mouthed something, but before he could finish, Shen Yannan appeared out of nowhere, dragging a suitcase.
"Meeting again," Shen Yannan greeted them with a smile, pointing at Xia Shan. "This guy ordered a small crate of fruit wine and plans to stockpile it in the dorm. He wants us to help distribute it among our bags so the dorm supervisor and security don't find it."
Xia Shan nodded frantically beside him.
"Fruit wine?"
Shen Yannan nodded. "Yeah, I've had it before. It's only three percent alcohol; anyone can drink it like juice."
Jiang Wei patted his backpack. It was a bit empty; it should fit some.
"Quick, quick, the delivery guy is here. Get ready. The security guards are eating right now, so no one's watching the gate." Xia Shan was clearly an old hand at this. He slid his backpack off his shoulder and crouched by the main gate, watching a delivery scooter pull up.
For some reason, Jiang Wei actually followed Xia Shan's lead. He dropped his open backpack on the ground and turned his head. "Coming?"
Tang Zihe sighed and pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt.
Jiang Wei couldn't help but complain internally—this guy’s "idol baggage" weighed at least five tons. Then he silently felt his own clothes—no hood.
*Tsk.*
The delivery guy was also an experienced hand. Seeing their setup, he didn't even ask questions. He set the small crate of fruit wine on the ground, pulled a utility knife from his pocket, and sliced it open.
"Thanks, thanks." Xia Shan took the bottles passed through the gap in the gate and dropped them into Jiang Wei's bag.
One crate, twenty-four bottles—six bottles per person.
By the time the delivery guy rode off with the empty crate, everyone had finished packing. Just as they thought they’d pulled it off without a hitch—
"You lot! Which class are you from?! What are you doing?!" A security guard's voice boomed like a sudden clap of thunder nearby.
Xia Shan reacted the fastest. Without looking, he swung his bag onto his shoulder. Hearing the guard's grumbling approach, he shouted, "Run!"
The other two were already packed and followed immediately.
Jiang Wei was the unlucky one. He was the last to pack his bag, and by the time he picked it up to run, he was several steps behind the others, making him the primary target for the guard.
Even more frustratingly, on his very first step, he felt his shoelace come undone.
*Talk about bad luck...* Jiang Wei cursed inwardly. He had to slow down his pace, trying his best not to trip on the lace dragging across the ground.
Unfortunately, Murphy's Law is called a law for a reason.
Jiang Wei followed the others taking a shortcut. Although the distance was short, they had to vault over a meter-high railing to reach the teaching building. Once they crossed the first floor, they’d be in the clear and could stroll back to the dorms.
The problem was the railing.
As Jiang Wei braced himself with one hand to jump down, his right eyelid gave a nervous twitch. Then, his left foot stepped on his right shoelace. His center of gravity shifted, and he went down hard.
A glorious ankle sprain.
The other three were already a distance away. None of them looked back, so none of them knew Jiang Wei had been caught.
Jiang Wei pulled his bag from his back to his front and quickly unzipped it. Knowing he couldn't run anymore, he raised his hands in surrender, putting on a timely display of weakness. "Officer, don't chase me. I sprained my ankle. Can I go to the infirmary before I go with you?"
And so, Jiang Wei was escorted to the infirmary under the watchful eye of a security guard.
*No one has come to look for me yet,* Jiang Wei thought resentfully. *These people, especially Tang Zihe—how heartless can they be?! Never helping again. No matter what, I'm never helping again.*
Fortunately, the school doctor said it wasn't serious, just that he needed to be careful, avoid exercise, and it would heal in a few days. After thanking the teacher in the infirmary and making a quick stop at the restroom, he was taken to the administrative office.
Standing before the administrative teacher, Jiang Wei finally realized: why were they being chased like this over a delivery? Was this school *that* strict about outside food?
"So, what's in your bag?" The administrative teacher was a stern-looking middle-aged man. After the guard closed the door and left, he stood up and walked over to Jiang Wei, holding out his hand. The meaning was clear.
Jiang Wei currently looked like a dejected "good student." He obediently pulled a bottle of fruit wine from his bag and handed it over.
The teacher wore glasses, and from the side, the lenses looked quite thick—his prescription must be high.
Adhering to the principle that admitting fault early makes people recognize your "good attitude," Jiang Wei lowered his head and explained, "I came to school to board this morning. After lunch, I wanted a drink, but I was too lazy to walk all the way out of the gates, so I ordered a delivery and had someone bring a bottle over."
"Before this, I didn't know the school checked deliveries so strictly."
The teacher looked away from the bottle and gave Jiang Wei a long look. "Just this one?"
Jiang Wei opened his bag, which contained only a few workbooks. He said with absolute certainty, "Just this one."
The teacher raised an eyebrow, though it was unclear if he believed him. Regardless, Jiang Wei felt he hadn't left any openings.
"You're the new transfer student, right?" The teacher's tone softened slightly. "Do you know why the school has been so strict about deliveries lately?"
"No, sir."
"Because a female Omega in the second year got food poisoning from a delivery lunch. The parents made a huge scene at the school, and it was a mess to handle. You understand." The teacher’s tone shifted. "However, considering this is your first offense and you weren't aware of the previous incident or the rules, write a three-thousand-word self-reflection. Read it in front of the school during Monday's flag-raising ceremony, and we'll consider the matter settled."
He tapped the corner of the bottle where the alcohol percentage was printed and said sternly, "I'm confiscating this. If there's a next time, the result won't be this simple."
Jiang Wei's expression turned solemn as he acknowledged the gravity of the situation. "Understood. Thank you, teacher."
***
As soon as Jiang Wei reached the first floor of the teaching building, he saw the three of them waiting for him, empty-handed.
"How'd it go?" Tang Zihe was the first to speak.
Jiang Wei shrugged. "Three-thousand-word reflection, read it under the flag on Monday."
"Holy crap, that's intense," Xia Shan said, looking like he had a toothache.
"Wait, was that teacher blind? Did he not see the alcohol percentage on the bottle?" Shen Yannan asked, drawing everyone's attention.
If an underage Omega was caught drinking on campus, they could even be expelled.
"He saw it. He probably figured at three percent, anyone could chug it like juice without an issue."
Xia Shan looked at him in awe and made a gesture. Jiang Wei pointed to the flowerbed not far behind him.
"Holy shit, Jiang Wei, you're a legend." Xia Shan half-believingly rummaged through the flowerbed and found the small bottles hidden inside.
If chugging six bottles was too risky, one bottle was definitely fine. Besides, since they had bolted like that, anyone would know something was up. If the teacher didn't find at least one bottle, he wouldn't have believed a word.
So, when Jiang Wei had crouched down earlier, he used the visual blind spot created by the distance to quickly scatter five bottles into the flowerbed. They were impossible to see unless you looked closely, leaving only one for the teacher to find.
"That hand speed... you're clearly a pro at this. Truly legendary." Xia Shan gave Jiang Wei a thumbs-up.
Jiang Wei was clearly feeling the praise, looking quite smug. "Of course. You have to use your brain to break school rules."
"Yes, congratulations on using your brain to earn a three-thousand-word reflection," Tang Zihe reminded him coolly.
Jiang Wei's expression instantly wilted.
"I can check the school forum for you to see how others wrote theirs. You can copy a bit here and there, use a template, and piece together a standard reflection," Xia Shan said, gathering the bottles and putting them back into Jiang Wei's bag. "What do you think?"
Before Jiang Wei could speak, Tang Zihe let out a laugh.
"It's just a reflection; don't worry about him." He shook his head. This guy had done plenty of outrageous things growing up. "There probably aren't many people in this school with more experience writing reflections than him."
"Shut up."
Xia Shan smelled a story, but since it was Tang Zihe speaking, he hesitated and didn't ask.
"Has anyone in our class ever written a reflection?"
Xia Shan actually thought about it seriously before answering Shen Yannan. "No."
"Not in three years?"
"Never."
"Man," Shen Yannan suppressed a laugh and patted Jiang Wei's shoulder. "You're going to be famous at No. 4 High."
Jiang Wei stared dumbfoundedly at the three of them laughing their heads off, a surge of tragic indignation rising in his heart.
***
How should one write a reflection?
Jiang Wei twirled his pen, staring at the empty white paper before him. He let out a huff. *It should be written with personal style and class.*
**Letter of Self-Reflection**
Jiang Wei wrote the four large characters.
*I am Jiang Wei from Class 1, Senior Year 3...*
When he finished, Jiang Wei looked at his flamboyant handwriting and praised himself internally. *Three thousand words in an hour. I'm amazing.*
***
Because of the Monday flag-raising ceremony, all students had to arrive ten minutes early. Even the boarders had to wake up a few minutes earlier to avoid being late.
When Jiang Wei finished dressing and pushed open his door, bleary-eyed, there were already Alphas walking downstairs in small groups. Seeing him come out, some even gave him a second look.
*Good, I didn't oversleep.*
Jiang Wei forced himself to perk up, felt the reflection letter stuffed in his pocket, and rubbed his face. *Pull yourself together, Jiang Wei! You're giving a speech under the flag today; you can't be slouching!*
Jiang Wei straightened his back and ignored the gazes of those around him as he headed downstairs.
The preparations for today's ceremony finished exceptionally early. The teachers clearly didn't understand why the students, who usually had to be herded like ducks, were so enthusiastic today.
It was because someone had posted an anonymous thread last night saying that the transfer student from Class 1 was going to read a reflection under the flag today. Someone had screenshotted the post and shared it in the grade-level group chat, which immediately exploded. Everyone was amazed that the new kid had managed to smash Class 1's "no reflections" golden reputation within two days, so they were naturally at 120% attention.
Even the students from Class 2 were peeking into Class 1's line, trying to see what kind of "sacred being" this guy was.
Jiang Wei stood second to last. It wasn't his turn yet, and he wasn't about to stand under the flag in the cold wind.
"Reading a reflection and you're not even wearing your school uniform?" Tang Zihe, standing behind him, asked teasingly.
"The school hasn't issued mine yet." Jiang Wei shot him a glance. This guy clearly had no intention of lending him a jacket; instead, he looked thoroughly entertained by the situation. Very punchable.
"Then I can only congratulate you on being the second person to go up and read a reflection without a uniform."
"Oh? Who was the first?" Jiang Wei asked curiously.
"Ye Feiyang from Class 3. Also an Alpha, unanimously voted as the school's top delinquent." Tang Zihe frowned slightly when he mentioned the name.
"School delinquent?" Jiang Wei raised an eyebrow, clearly interested in the title.
"Don't look at me, look at the flag." Tang Zihe tilted his head up slightly, changing the subject. "It'll be your turn after the national anthem."
Jiang Wei rubbed his nose and gave a vague hum of agreement.
Actually, he didn't really care about the uniform, but he was worried about causing trouble right after joining the class. Adding the "crime" of not wearing a uniform made him feel a bit... embarrassed.
*Embarrassed.* Jiang Wei almost laughed at the thought. Since when did that word exist in his dictionary?
As Jiang Wei prepared to walk forward, the person behind him called out to him.
When he turned around, his vision was obscured by the scent of fresh tea.
A school uniform jacket was draped over his face, hiding the smile that was spreading across it.
*Hmph,* he thought, sniffing the fabric. *Hypocrite.*
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 竞赛题 | Competition problem | Advanced academic problems for competitions. |
| 煎包 | Fried buns | Specifically Shengjian mantou or similar pan-fried buns. |
| 果酒 | Fruit wine | Low-alcohol beverage. |
| 宿管 | Dorm supervisor | Staff in charge of managing student dormitories. |
| 检讨书 | Self-reflection / Letter of apology | A common punishment in Chinese schools where students write about their mistakes. |
| 行政老师 | Administrative teacher | A teacher handling school discipline and administration. |
| 校霸 | School delinquent / School boss | A student known for being a "tough guy" or bully. |
| 国旗下讲话 | Speech under the national flag | A formal speech given during the weekly flag-raising ceremony. |
| 四中 | No. 4 High | Short for the Fourth High School. |
