"It’s about that time. Shall we head to lunch?" Ding Banfan pulled a mesh ball bag from his pocket and stuffed the rebounding basketball inside.
"Well, the cafeteria's probably empty by now," Xia Shan remarked, glancing at the students milling about the playground.
"Let’s go."
Sports were undoubtedly one of the easiest ways for boys to get to know each other—at least, that was Jiang Wei’s philosophy. After just half an hour on the court, they already felt like old pals who could walk to the cafeteria with their arms draped over each other's shoulders, humming a tune.
Of course, Jiang Wei avoided any actual physical contact, even trailing a few steps behind the other two as they walked.
He pressed the back of his cold hand against his cheek, the smile on his face fading slightly.
As soon as they entered the cafeteria, Xia Shan unexpectedly sprinted toward a certain direction. "Brother Tang! Why are you only eating now?"
The cafeteria was mostly empty, save for a few scattered groups of students lingering over post-meal chats. Tang Zihe, sitting alone in such an environment, stood out like a sore thumb.
"Mr. Shi called me to his office earlier." Tang Zihe’s gaze swept over the three boys standing before him, finally coming to rest on Jiang Wei’s smiling face.
Tang Zihe couldn't quite put his finger on why he was so bothered by what had happened earlier.
*Tsk.*
After Jiang Wei and the others got their food, he realized those two rascals had very deliberately left the seat right next to Tang Zihe open for him.
He stole a glance at Tang Zihe’s expression before cautiously setting his tray down and taking the seat.
Xia Shan didn't know how anyone else felt, but this was definitely the quietest lunch he had ever eaten.
He nudged Ding Banfan with his elbow.
Ding Banfan caught the hint immediately. "Tang Zihe, did you look at the homework Mr. Shi assigned today?"
"I did. The data for the fifth problem seems off." Tang Zihe picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. "I’ll go ask Mr. Shi about it during a break this afternoon."
"Mr. Shi’s eyesight must be failing him; he probably made a typo. Anyway, Jiang Wei, our class moves a lot faster than most schools. Since you’re already familiar with Brother Tang, you can just ask him if there’s anything you don't get," Xia Shan said through a mouthful of rice. "I remember when I first met him, I thought he was so cold and aloof. I had to have a whole mental battle with myself for half a day just to ask him about one problem."
"And then?" Jiang Wei asked.
Tang Zihe glanced at Jiang Wei; the newcomer seemed to have a penchant for these little anecdotes.
"And then, just as Brother Tang was about to explain it to me, The Mystic swooped in and took over. That’s how I got close to him instead," Xia Shan said, unable to help a chuckle at his own story.
Jiang Wei laughed along.
The atmosphere lightened considerably. Jiang Wei reached out to grab a napkin but found it just out of reach. Tang Zihe, unable to watch him struggle any longer, reached over, pulled one out, and handed it to him.
The moment their fingers brushed, Tang Zihe froze.
Realizing something, Jiang Wei abruptly retracted his hand. Acting as if nothing had happened, he offered a smiling "Thanks."
*Ice cold.*
Tang Zihe frowned. Was it just his imagination? Jiang Wei had been playing ball for so long; even if he didn't sweat, how could his hands be freezing?
He stared at Jiang Wei’s face, searching for a crack in his composure.
There was none.
Jiang Wei calmly wiped his mouth, stood up, and followed Xia Shan and the others to clear their trays.
***
The first period of the afternoon was Mr. Shi’s class again. Jiang Wei couldn't help but slump onto his desk.
"There’s something I forgot to mention this morning, so I’m announcing it now." Mr. Shi cleared his throat, leaning his hands on the lectern. "Due to the specific dates of this year’s school opening, the Opening Test you’ve all been so eagerly anticipating is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow. There will be no evening self-study tonight, so you can head back to your dorms early to review on your own."
"Tomorrow?!" The news hit like a stone cast into a still pond, sending ripples of shock through the room. Even Jiang Wei looked on in disbelief.
"Since tomorrow is Friday, you’ll have the weekend off right after the test. We teachers can grade the papers over the break and announce the results and rankings on Monday." Mr. Shi looked at the agonized faces below and actually managed a paternal smile. "It’ll keep some of you from spending the start of the term daydreaming about the National Day holiday. Consider it a way to help you focus."
"Sir, you know too much!" a girl shouted from the back.
A few more chuckles broke out among the groans.
"I’m doomed. My physics is a total mess. One night is only enough time for me to burn incense and pray to the gods," Xia Shan said, turning to Jiang Wei with a long face.
"Don't even start. I’ve got it pretty bad too. I just took that insane entrance exam yesterday, and now I have to take the Opening Test with you guys tomorrow. If we keep testing at this frequency, my blood pressure is going to skyrocket and I'll end up back on medical leave," Jiang Wei said, caught between laughter and tears.
"This period is for self-study. I didn't write the physics exam this time, and in my personal opinion, the difficulty is on the lower side, so don't feel too pressured. When school lets out today, follow the usual routine: move your desks apart so everyone is sitting individually." Mr. Shi rolled up his lecture notes, pulled a stool from behind the lectern, and sat down, waiting for students to come up with questions.
Tang Zihe was the first to head to the front with his papers.
"How hard is 'lower difficulty'? Harder than this homework?" Jiang Wei twirled his pen in his right hand, looking at the assignment Mr. Shi had handed out that morning.
"It should be a bit easier than this. At least I might fail one less subject." Xia Shan pursed his lips, his homework already covered in such a mess of scribbles that it was impossible to tell which calculation belonged to which problem.
"That’s a relief then." Jiang Wei let out a sigh. Just then, Mr. Shi clapped his hands to get the class's attention, announcing a correction to the data in the fifth problem.
*Tang Zihe really is impressive,* Jiang Wei thought as he crossed out his previous calculations. He had only felt that the answer seemed strange, but he hadn't realized the problem's data was actually flawed.
He needed to figure out where he had gone wrong. Jiang Wei sighed, reviewing his entire process. He couldn't find the error.
He checked it again.
Still nothing.
Getting a bit frustrated, Jiang Wei couldn't resist stealing a peek at Tang Zihe’s desk to see if he had finished it.
*Man,* he had. And it was incredibly neat.
Humans are creatures with little resolve. Jiang Wei scratched his head, struggling with himself for a moment.
"Um... Tang Zihe..."
"Take it." Before Jiang Wei could even finish, Tang Zihe knew exactly what he wanted. He pointed his pen at the papers on his desk.
"Oh. Thanks."
Tang Zihe thought he detected a hint of reluctant pride in those two words.
"I bet the whole afternoon will be self-study," Yang Xiangtong said, leaning over to ask a question as soon as the bell rang. "At least it will be for Sister Yang."
"Who’s that?"
"The chemistry teacher. She’s the only Omega teacher among all our subject teachers, and she’s a super, super gentle fairy," Tang Wanbai added, joining the conversation with high praise.
"That sounds nice." Jiang Wei’s eyes brightened.
"You’ll see. Just for Sister Yang alone, I have to master chemistry," Xia Shan chimed in, managing to squeeze a comment in while still wrestling with his physics homework.
"I’m looking forward to it," Jiang Wei said, stretching his arms and humming contentedly.
"Hello, students!" The click of high heels echoed from the doorway, accompanied by a clear, bright female voice that instantly drew the entire class's attention.
"Good afternoon, Sister Yang!" the class shouted in unison.
Jiang Wei was startled by the sudden outburst, his head snapping up from where he had just started to rest it.
"I thought you’d all be a bit depressed after hearing about the Opening Test. Why so enthusiastic?" Sister Yang looked very young, her long black hair cascading down her back. She stepped down from the podium, handing out summary sheets to each row. "The chemistry exam was written by the teacher from Class 2, and it’s quite difficult. To make sure you don't develop a psychological complex about chemistry, the department decided to give you a summary of the key points and difficult areas. You can cross-reference it with your old notes."
"New student, come here for a moment." After finishing the distribution, Sister Yang beckoned toward Jiang Wei.
Unsure of what she wanted, Jiang Wei walked up to the podium with an innocent expression.
"I was the one who graded your entrance exam, so I have a general idea of your current level." Sister Yang rummaged through her folder and pulled out a stack of printed materials. "Your foundation is quite solid, but I can see you haven't fully mastered some of the more difficult topics. I’ve prepared these for you to look over. A last-minute push before the exam should help you get a decent score."
Jiang Wei accepted the papers, feeling flattered. He flipped through them briefly and saw how detailed they were.
"Thank you, teacher."
"It’s what I should do. Go back and review." Sister Yang waved him off with a smile.
"What happened?" Xia Shan asked curiously as Jiang Wei returned.
Jiang Wei pulled out his chair with a grin. "I really like this teacher now, too."
Xia Shan gave him a thumbs-up.
"Want to get together and review tonight?" Yang Xiangtong leaned over and asked.
"I think that’s a good idea," Xia Shan agreed.
"Are you guys going to gather in the dorms to review? I thought the school rules said Alphas and Omegas visiting each other's dorms was punishable?" Jiang Wei asked, confused.
"I’m a Beta, and I think Tang Wanbai is the only Omega among us. We’ve actually snuck around a few times before and never got caught," Yang Xiangtong said after a moment's thought.
Jiang Wei turned his gaze toward Tang Zihe. He had figured it out by now: as long as he was thick-skinned enough to initiate a conversation, this guy wouldn't ignore him. He didn't speak simply because he was a total *tsundere*.
Jiang Wei leaned closer to Tang Zihe. "Are you going?"
"Yes."
Jiang Wei nodded. "Then I’m going too."
"Same old routine then—we’ll go to Xia Shan’s dorm," Yang Xiangtong said, giving an 'OK' sign before quietly sliding back to her seat.
"Who else is in your dorm?"
"Brother Tang, me, The Mystic, and one more guy you haven't met yet named Gu Renwen." Xia Shan pointed to a small boy with glasses sitting in the first row. "He’s alright; he won't blab."
"Oh."
If there was one defining feature of No. 4 High School, it was the sheer number of buildings.
There were five dormitory buildings alone. Aside from the male and female Betas who shared a building, the Alpha and Omega dorms were strictly separated by gender.
Word was that the Betas only shared a building because the new one hadn't been finished yet.
Jiang Wei looked up at the five buildings huddled together, then thought about his single-occupancy dorm on the fifth floor. His legs felt weak; it was as if he had run out of energy before even starting the climb.
Fortunately, when he came for the exam yesterday, he had someone help him bring his suitcase up. Otherwise, he would have been tempted to drop out of the dorms on his very first day.
When Jiang Wei finally dragged his pathetic legs up to the fifth floor and pulled the key from his pocket to open the door, he realized he was about to face a different kind of hell.
Inside the room was nothing but a solitary bed covered in a thick layer of dust, a wardrobe so flimsy it could only hold a few shirts, and a single desk and chair. There was nothing else.
Jiang Wei: "..."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 施总 | Mr. Shi | Physics teacher and Vice Class Monitor; "Zong" is a respectful/humorous nickname. |
| 小杨姐 | Ms. Yang / Sister Yang | Chemistry teacher; students call her "Sister" because she is young and friendly. |
| 半仙儿 | The Mystic | Nickname for Ding Banfan; literally "Half-Immortal." |
| 谷仁文 | Gu Renwen | A student in the same class and dormitory. |
| 开学测 | Opening Test | A standardized test given at the start of a new school term. |
| 傲娇 | Tsundere | A person who is cold/hostile but has a hidden warm side (transliterated from Japanese). |
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