Take a Whiff: The Alpha's Hidden Scent | Chapter 6 | A Costly Note | Novela.app

"Ring—!" True to everyone’s expectations, just as more than half the class looked up to count down the final second, the bell chimed right on time. "Alright! Clear everything unrelated off your desks! Once you're all set, I'll hand out the papers." Boss Shi stood up, stretching as he spoke, and gave the stack of exams and answer sheets a crisp shake. Jiang Wei jolted awake the moment the bell rang. He looked around with a guarded, dazed expression before finally coming to his senses and relaxing. After receiving his paper, he flipped it over to check both sides, focusing particularly on the final essay prompt. Only then did he pick up his pen, flip back to the front, and begin the first multiple-choice question. *Not bad,* Jiang Wei thought as he skimmed the reading passages. Today’s paper didn't seem particularly difficult. Tang Zihe truly lived up to his reputation as the "Academic God" everyone in Class One raved about. When Jiang Wei stole a glance to check his progress before starting his own essay, he realized the guy had already silently finished half of his. *That speed is just ridiculous,* Jiang Wei thought, his mind wandering as he scribbled down his essay title. Though the placement test was framed as a formal exam, there were certain aspects that felt less than official. For instance: Tang Zihe put down his pen as soon as he finished, turned in his paper early, and pulled out a physics review sheet from his desk to prepare for the second session. Jiang Wei was clearly lagging in speed, and he certainly didn't have the confidence to turn his paper in early. But he was never one to follow the rules too strictly. Using a ruler as a guide, Jiang Wei tore a small rectangular strip from the scratch paper on his desk. He scribbled a few words on it and, seizing the moment Boss Shi’s back was turned as he walked toward the front, flicked it in a perfect arc onto Tang Zihe’s desk. Tang Zihe met Jiang Wei’s eyes. The latter gave a little nudge with his chin, and Tang Zihe opened the note. [Cafeteria together at noon?] Tang Zihe scrawled a few large characters in the blank space, crumpled it back into a ball, and tossed it back. [I suggest you don't pass notes unless you're asking for answers.] Jiang Wei: "..." *Wow.* Would he really ask Tang Zihe for answers? He’d have to be possessed to do something that pathetic. Wouldn't that be the same as admitting he was inferior? Jiang Wei huffily stuffed the note into his pocket and turned away, burying his face in his arms on the desk, intending to ignore the other boy. Tang Zihe hadn't expected his teasing to actually make the guy angry. Realizing he needed to make amends, he tore another small piece from his scratch paper, wrote a single word, and prepared to toss it over without even checking where Boss Shi was. As luck would have it, he got busted. "And what is this?" Boss Shi asked with a beaming smile as he intercepted the little paper ball from Tang Zihe’s hand. His voice drew the attention of several students who had finished their papers; they stopped checking their work and turned to watch the drama unfold. Tang Zihe hadn't expected to "flip his car" like this. He could only watch helplessly as Boss Shi unfurled the tiny note. "Student Tang Zihe, why are we passing notes during an exam? Surely you aren't being so kind as to help a certain anonymous classmate of ours?" Boss Shi prattled on while opening the paper. The "certain anonymous classmate" was currently looking back and forth between Tang Zihe and Boss Shi with an innocent expression, completely unaware of what he had missed. "Good?" Boss Shi read the note aloud, his voice trailing off in confusion. "Good what?" Whether it was because Boss Shi’s rhythmic reading was inherently funny or for some other reason, the spectating students all burst into laughter, regardless of whether they understood the context. Jiang Wei knew exactly what it meant the moment he heard it. He joined in the laughter without giving Tang Zihe any face. Even Tang Zihe himself couldn't keep a straight face; a trace of a smile broke through his usually expressionless features. "Student Tang Zihe, care to explain why you're passing such vague notes during an exam?" Boss Shi asked, raising an eyebrow. Tang Zihe glanced at Jiang Wei, who was practically vibrating with laughter, and replied ruthlessly, "Student Jiang Wei said he wanted to treat me to lunch at the cafeteria today. I was just agreeing." The few hecklers in the class—who knows if they’d even finished their papers—let out a synchronized "Oooooh—!" Jiang Wei’s eyes widened. He never imagined that Tang Zihe would not only sell him out but also fabricate a half-truth just to swindle a free meal out of him. Unfortunately, Boss Shi seemed to trust Tang Zihe quite a bit. "Getting along with the new student so well already? Student Jiang Wei, is that how it is?" Boss Shi turned his head. Jiang Wei barely had time to wipe the grin off his face before meeting the teacher's gaze. "Teacher, I was wrong," Jiang Wei said, immediately adopting his "humble penitent" persona. "Are both of your papers finished?" Boss Shi suddenly changed the subject. He glanced at the paper on Jiang Wei’s desk and nodded. "It’s best not to pull these little stunts during an exam. I don't wear these glasses just for fashion. Since you didn't actually do anything to make the exam unfair, we'll settle for a small warning: ten points off for each of you." "Huh?" Jiang Wei looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears. "The rest of you, stop laughing. Anyone else who laughs gets five points off. Go back to checking your papers. You act like you've already secured a perfect score..." Several students cast sympathetic glances toward Jiang Wei. "Ring—!" By the time Boss Shi had collected the answer sheets and left, Jiang Wei’s face was still long with misery. Tang Zihe hadn't expected an actual penalty either. While the deduction didn't matter much to him, for Jiang Wei, it could mean dropping several ranks in the standings. "I'll treat you to lunch today to make it up to you," Tang Zihe said, patting Jiang Wei’s shoulder with a hint of apology. "No," Jiang Wei huffed, swatting Tang Zihe’s hand away. To his surprise, Tang Zihe’s expression shifted instantly. "Fine then," he said with a shrug of regret. Jiang Wei: "???" "Is there something wrong with your head?" Jiang Wei grumbled, turning back around, his voice rising a few decibels. Tang Zihe breathed a small sigh of relief. *Good, good.* If he was still snapping back with jokes, he probably wasn't truly furious. He smiled. "I'll treat you to hotpot this weekend." As the bell for the second exam rang, Jiang Wei snapped his fingers—consider it a deal. Everyone seemed much better behaved during this session, not only because they didn't know the proctor, but also because the incident with Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe served as a warning. However, those who made it into Class One all possessed a level of pride that exceeded the average person. When it came to exams, most were evenly matched and naturally refused to yield to anyone else. "Win-win cooperation" was out of the question; everyone was itching to step over their peers to climb a few ranks higher. The proctor was a female teacher wearing a long red trench coat and bold red lipstick. Driven by curiosity, Jiang Wei stole a few extra glances and noticed she was wearing small black leather boots with slightly high heels. No wonder the clicking sound on the floor never faded, despite her slow pace. And for some reason, she seemed to enjoy hovering around Jiang Wei’s area. Jiang Wei frowned slightly. The teacher emitted a light, floral perfume—not overpowering, actually quite pleasant—but the rhythmic clicking of her heels on the floor seemed to overlap with a rhythm from his memory, making him feel incredibly uneasy. He pinched his thigh to force his attention away from the sound and back onto the test paper. Fortunately, after about twenty or thirty minutes, the teacher apparently had enough of wandering and went back to sit at the podium. Jiang Wei couldn't recall what that sound reminded him of, so he simply stopped trying. He was just profoundly grateful that she had finally left his side. *** "Those high heels were clicking right in my ear. I thought she was going to crack the floor," Yang Xiangtong grumbled, walking over and patting his chest. "Nothing makes the heart race more than an exam paper," Xia Shan said with a pout. "Sorry everyone, I might be taking an early trip down the Yellow Springs Road." "Stop it, I'm the one who's truly finished," Tang Wanbai said, her lip trembling as if she were actually about to cry. "It's over, so stop thinking about it. Can grades really be more important than food?" Jiang Wei joked with a smile. "If we don't head to the cafeteria now, there won't be any seats left." "Right, Academic God Tang Zihe?" Tang Zihe stood up, leaving his pens scattered on the desk. He draped his school jacket over his shoulders and started walking out. "Are you mocking me?" "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Jiang Wei shook his head repeatedly, then asked curiously, "But seriously, after losing ten points, can you still take first place in the grade?" "If a ten-point gap was all it took for the second-place student to catch me, would I even be worthy of being called an Academic God by that lot?" Tang Zihe snorted, expressing his dissatisfaction with Jiang Wei’s lack of situational awareness. "Don't worry. The only one affected is you." "I swear, you're just asking for a beating," Jiang Wei couldn't help but curse, making Tang Zihe’s eyes crinkle with laughter. Unknowingly, a sense of familiarity was gradually returning to the two of them.