"Ms. Liu, when is this year's Opening Test?" Yang Xiangtong asked, raising her hand.
"The papers for each subject have already been drafted. I expect the official notice will be out tomorrow." Ms. Liu clapped her hands. "Alright, alright, settle down. It’s too late to worry now. You might as well listen to a few more problems and review your material."
*The Opening Test...* Jiang Wei thought, leaning against his desk. *I have a feeling this semester isn't going to start very smoothly...*
He cautiously glanced at Tang Zihe out of the corner of his eye, only to find that he seemed to be the most unfazed person in the entire class. Jiang Wei couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged.
"If this year's test is as insane as last year's, I'm done for."
The bell ending the period hadn't even stopped ringing before the classroom erupted into chatter.
"Is the Opening Test that hard?" Jiang Wei asked, not quite following.
"It’s like a mock Gaokao, but harder. Basically, for us... it’s a total catastrophe," a girl said, appearing out of nowhere.
"Fu Cong'an, don't you start. I've never seen you afraid of any exam," Yang Xiangtong said with a pout.
Jiang Wei looked back at the girl named Fu Cong'an. She wasn't very tall and had delicate features, with a loose, low ponytail tied at the back of her head. Even when she wasn't speaking, she offered a friendly smile to those she looked at.
"Tang Zihe is sitting right here. If you say that, I’ll have to disagree," Fu Cong'an laughed, resting a hand on the back of Tang Zihe's chair.
"Come on, Comrade Jiang Wei, it’s time you learned how cruel the world is." Xia Shan tugged on Jiang Wei's arm and introduced them one by one. "The lady before you is Fu Cong'an, a permanent fixture in the grade's top five. And the gentleman in front of her is Tang Zihe, the undisputed king of the number one spot. As you can see, this is a classic case of gods masquerading as mere mortals right in our midst."
"Hearing you call me 'lady' feels weird," Fu Cong'an teased.
Jiang Wei, however, clearly missed the main point. He smiled at Tang Zihe, who had looked up at him, and said, "I didn't realize you were so impressive."
Tang Zihe gave a soft "Mm" in response.
"Is really no one as genuinely worried about the test as I am?" Tang Wanbai slumped onto her desk with a mournful expression.
"Don't be scared. At worst, it's just a little test. If it really goes south, just confess to your mom that you've been sneaking out to play with me." Yang Xiangtong tossed a piece of bubblegum to Tang Wanbai. "I'll even help collect your remains."
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Xia Shan, you up for some ball at noon?" A boy walked into the classroom, tossing a mineral water bottle in a graceful arc into the trash can at the front of the room.
"Did you bring a ball, Mystic? I'm in." After Xia Shan spoke, the boy turned to Jiang Wei. "What about the new guy? You want to play?"
"Ah, sure," Jiang Wei replied, startled for a moment before reacting to the invitation.
The boy nodded and sat down at his desk.
"That's Ding Banfan. He's our class's athletic prodigy, better known as 'The Mystic,'" Xia Shan introduced.
"The Mystic?"
"Yeah, his name is Banfan—'half-ordinary.' So the other half must be 'immortal.' Hence, The Mystic." Xia Shan smiled and pointed at Yang Xiangtong. "She's the one who came up with the nickname."
"You're introducing so many people, can Jiang Wei even remember them all? It took me half a month to learn everyone's names," Yang Xiangtong interjected.
"I'll remember. You're all so good-looking, it'd be hard to forget," Jiang Wei answered with a smile.
"Oh, right. Tang Zihe, I'm stuck on the third problem of this set you have. I got halfway through and hit a wall. Can you walk me through it?" Fu Cong'an suddenly remembered, crouching down beside Tang Zihe.
"Why don't you take my seat? It's tiring to crouch," Jiang Wei stood up, proactively offering his spot.
"In that case, Jiang Wei, why don't you just sit next to me for this period? The seat beside me is empty anyway." Xia Shan cleared his things from the adjacent desk onto his own and patted the chair.
Jiang Wei glanced at Tang Zihe. The other boy remained expressionless, his face practically screaming that he didn't care either way.
"Sure." Jiang Wei grabbed his pencil case and the notebook from his drawer. "Whose class is next?"
"Boss Wang's math class. He's our vice class monitor and a great guy, but he's absolutely ruthless when it comes to drafting exam papers. We have a real love-hate relationship with him." Xia Shan began another round of introductions.
"I swear, you're like a human reading pen," Jiang Wei joked. "Wherever I don't know, I just point and you explain. So easy!"
"You flatter me, you flatter me."
***
"Students, it's been a long time. I missed you all dearly." Boss Wang was a man whose eyes crinkled into slits when he smiled, giving him a very approachable air.
"Teacher, if you really missed us, please make the math papers easier," a voice called out from somewhere. "Otherwise, we won't be able to handle the weight of your affection."
The class erupted in laughter.
"Well, to make sure you miss me just as much, I actually did go easy on the questions this time." Boss Wang pulled a chair out of nowhere and sat behind the podium. "Standard rules: for the first class of the term, if you have questions, come up and ask. If not, review on your own."
Thunderous applause and cheers broke out, the noise making Jiang Wei shrink back slightly.
"You just got here. Do you want to borrow a couple of my old papers to review?" Xia Shan rummaged through his drawer and pulled out a small stack of tests.
"Uh..." Jiang Wei thought about his empty drawer, then turned to see several papers on Tang Zihe's desk.
"Tang Zihe... could I borrow a few of your papers to look at?" Jiang Wei tapped Tang Zihe's desk lightly and asked in a soft voice.
This was the first time Jiang Wei had initiated a conversation with Tang Zihe since they met.
Tang Zihe looked up at Jiang Wei. The two locked eyes for a few seconds. Just as Xia Shan was about to sacrifice himself to break the tension by handing his own papers to Jiang Wei, Tang Zihe gave a soft "Mm" and pushed the papers on his desk toward him.
Jiang Wei took the papers and smiled, his eyes curving into crescents and revealing two sharp little canines.
Tang Zihe withdrew his gaze and picked up his pencil to continue working out steps next to a problem he had already solved, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
If you were given review papers that were practically flawless, written in neat handwriting, with even the most difficult problems explained in steps so complete they seemed intended for someone else to follow—how would you feel?
Jiang Wei's answer: You would find the review process incredibly boring and realize you'd lost any excuse to talk to the owner of the papers again.
***
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention, the Mystic and I usually play ball first and eat later." Xia Shan suddenly slapped his forehead with ten minutes left in the final period. "Are you coming with us or going to eat first?"
"Eating alone is boring. I'm definitely coming with you guys," Jiang Wei said with a smile, flipping over the paper in front of him.
The bell rang, and Xia Shan patted Jiang Wei on the shoulder. "Let's go, let's go! Gotta grab a court!"
"Tang Zihe, aren't you going to the cafeteria?" Fu Cong'an pulled her meal card out of her bag. Most of the students were already heading out in small groups, but Tang Zihe remained motionless in his seat.
"I'm not going."
Jiang Wei looked back as he left the classroom, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"There aren't many people today, so let's just do some shooting," Xia Shan said, catching the basketball Ding Banfan tossed to him. "And be careful with your hand."
Jiang Wei waved him off and did some stretching. "Will do."
Ding Banfan was indeed an restless athlete. He couldn't help but snatch the ball from Xia Shan, retreated behind the three-point line, and sank a shot. The entire motion was fluid and seamless.
"Nice one." Jiang Wei clapped along with Xia Shan.
Ding Banfan tossed the ball to Jiang Wei. "Want a shot?"
"I haven't played in ages. My aim's going to be off."
Jiang Wei rested his left hand lightly against the ball and brought his right hand back, launching the ball toward the hoop using only the strength of one hand.
It hit the backboard but missed.
Jiang Wei gave an embarrassed laugh.
Ding Banfan tilted his head toward Xia Shan. "Your aim is actually decent. Just wait until you see this guy's signature performance. He does it once every semester."
"Watch me, watch me." Xia Shan snapped his fingers, struck a deliberate pose, and then took the shot.
It was an airball.
Jiang Wei couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Not bad. It was closer to the rim than last semester," Xia Shan said, scratching his head.
"His first shot of every semester is a guaranteed airball. I hope you break that curse in this lifetime," Ding Banfan shouted as he ran behind the hoop to retrieve the ball.
Xia Shan flipped him the bird.
After a few rounds of shooting, Jiang Wei was the first to notice something was off.
"Um... is it just me, or were there not this many people watching before?" Jiang Wei tossed the ball to Ding Banfan and whispered.
"It's normal. Most of the people playing at noon are Alphas, so a lot of Omegas and Betas come to watch. The Mystic was already popular, and now that we've got two more handsome guys on the court, this kind of scene is standard." Xia Shan brushed the hair back from his forehead, trying to look even cooler.
"Oh." Jiang Wei blinked and waved toward the crowd.
"A lot of Omegas are definitely going to jump ship now. The school forums are going to explode tonight," Ding Banfan sighed, as if he had already accepted his impending drop in popularity.
"But..." Xia Shan leaned in closer to Jiang Wei, as if trying to catch a scent. "You hide your pheromones really well. Not a single drop is leaking out..."
Jiang Wei took a step back and gave a dry laugh. "Maybe it's because I don't sweat much."
Only then did Xia Shan notice that despite playing for a while under the scorching sun—where he and the Mystic had to wipe their brows constantly—Jiang Wei looked perfectly fine. Not a single bead of sweat was on him.
"That's a unique constitution. I wish I didn't sweat," Xia Shan said enviously.
Jiang Wei smiled and shook his head. "Well, keep on wishing then."
On the third floor of the teaching building, only a few scattered figures remained by the classroom windows. Yang Xiangtong and Tang
