In front of the school gate, the two walked in together.
Jiang Nian took a bite of his roll and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You weren’t reciting at the pavilion this morning?"
"Yeah, only persisted until the provincial joint exams." Zhou Haifei nodded.
"Oh, I see."
After a few steps, Zhou Haifei couldn’t help but turn her head and speak softly.
"Can I ask you sothing?"
"Sure, what is it?" Jiang Nian looked curious, seeing her hesitate, "You can speak directly."
"Do you know when the winter holidays start?" she asked, "And also, how many days can you stay in the dorm?"
This stumped Jiang Nian.
Zhou Haifei saw that he hadn’t spoken for a while and thought he was contemplating. In reality, Jiang Nian knew absolutely nothing about the school’s arrangents.
But, Jiang Nian answered right away.
"Around the 20th, maybe they’ll announce it in two weeks. As for how long you can stay in the dorm, I’ll ask for you."
A man can’t say he can’t; even if he can’t, he will.
Jiang Nian knew nothing about holidays, but he rembered that last year’s seniors got their break around Little New Year.
The reason he rembered so clearly was that Tingzi had asked him out at that ti and brought along a senior.
"Okay, thanks."
Zhou Haifei looked at him with an admiring gaze, probably imagining Jiang Nian as soone with connections.
"Hey." Jiang Nian lifted his head, looking as if it was no big deal, "We’re friends, it’s nothing."
After going upstairs.
Jiang Nian entered the classroom and greeted Huang Fang. He thought about when to find a chance to ask Lao Liu.
It was sothing he could do conveniently.
After a while, Wang Yuhe arrived early at the classroom. However, she didn’t see Chen Yunyun, which seed a bit strange.
"How co you’re here so early by yourself?"
"Woke up early." Wang Yuhe was a bit bashful.
She heard her roommates talking about mice last night, and out of fear, she dreamt of mice.
She couldn’t sleep from three in the morning, and quietly washed and left the dorm in the morning.
"Oh, I see." Jiang Nian continued to work on his questions.
Wang Yuhe stood by and watched for a couple of glances. Since there weren’t many people in the classroom, and she was idle, she simply sat down to watch.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Nian looked up.
"Watching you do the questions."
"What’s so good about watching this?" Jiang Nian felt it was strange and just continued writing his questions, "Force analysis of the slide... "
"Wrong." Wang Yuhe suddenly pointed out while staring, "You analyzed it wrong, the direction of that force."
Jiang Nian conceded, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"You..."
"No need to thank , why haven’t you corrected it yet?" Wang Yuhe kept her eyes on the test paper, seemingly waiting for him to correct the force analysis diagram.
"Then I’ll correct it."
"Okay."
Jiang Nian basically stumbled through finishing the questions and noticed Wang Yuhe still hadn’t left, so he stopped writing to ask.
"Don’t you have questions to do?"
"Finished them."
"Where’s your test paper?"
"Completed them all during class." Wang Yuhe seed a bit smug, "I work through test papers quickly."
"How did you do them in class?"
"Secretly."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian couldn’t help but express envy.
"That’s great, if only I had your foundation, everything in senior year would be smooth sailing."
"So what were you doing before senior year?"
Jiang Nian couldn’t hold it, "I... obviously handling serious matters, everything other than studying."
"Oh, alright." Wang Yuhe got up and left.
Not long after.
Zhang Ningzhi arrived in the classroom with her backpack, only greeting Huang Fang because soone had said sothing too harsh.
"Hello, hello, morning Fangfang."
"Uh, morning." Huang Fang looked up, her expression also a bit complex, thinking how these two had a similar habit.
However, she had no objections.
Eating the food of others, you speak softly; taking things from others, you tread lightly. Everyone in the group had received the rich girl’s favors either actively or passively.
Jiang Nian asked, "Hey, why aren’t you greeting ?"
"Hmph!"
Zhang Ningzhi hugged her bag in front of her, planning to bravely step over Jiang Nian, but things didn’t go as planned.
She miscalculated the distance and got stuck halfway.
Jiang Nian was looking at the problems and instinctively looked up. He t with the top of her head, feeling sothing soft on the back of his head.
"Ah!" Zhang Ningzhi let out a small exclamation, and out of embarrassnt and anger, she squeezed her way through with a rush of energy.
Initially not squeezing through, the backpack that got pushed to the side followed suit.
"What the hell?" Jiang Nian was still in a daze, and suddenly the side of his face was hit by the backpack, "What the heck!!!"
Completely wiped out.
He realized what the soft thing on his head was and to avoid Zhang Ningzhi getting angry like an annoyed pig.
He quickly slumped onto the desk.
"Hiss ha~ hiss ha!"
Sure enough, Zhang Ningzhi was originally puffed up with anger.
But after she accidentally knocked Jiang Nian over with her backpack, and saw him slump onto the desk, she suddenly panicked and hurriedly asked.
"Are you okay?"
"Not gone, just a little dizzy." Jiang Nian weakly said, "Don’t mind , I’ll be gone after lying down for a bit."
"Then... huh?" Zhang Ningzhi was confused.
What on earth does "lying down for a while is dead" an? Doesn’t it imply sothing serious?
"Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
"My hand feels a little off, probably because the headache is causing poor blood circulation to my upper limbs," Jiang Nian replied weakly.
"It seems to have lost feeling; I can’t tell soft from hard."
Zhang Ningzhi: "....."
As soon as Jiang Nian ntioned his hand was uncomfortable, she knew she had been tricked by this expert liar.
Every day, a new trick gets played on her.
She bit her lower lip, "Stop pretending. You’re perfectly fine, yet you tricked again! Big liar!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian imdiately got up from the desk. As a ’dical fee,’ he pinched her thigh on the way up.
"You caught ."
....
During the big break, in the math office.
Jiang Nian, carrying his math howork, loitered at the door for a bit. Only after seeing Qi Xue did he knock and walk in.
"What brings you here?" Qi Xue saw him and felt a bit awkward, finding it hard to maintain a stern face.
Even an iron plate can’t stand up to this kind of flattery.
Of course, as for Jiang Nian, he didn’t consider this being obsequious. Flattery is when you have a goal but no talent to back it up.
Hoping to achieve your goals through pleasing others.
He’s different; he respects his teacher and values education.
Critically, whether in organizing or serving tea, he’s leagues ahead of the senior students.
That’s authority for you.
So, this is what you call managing upward relationships.
The reason is simple, Qi Xue is pretty and, in math teaching, is undoubtedly a top military general.
Jiang Nian figured that even without him, other students would harass Qi Xue, so it might as well be him.
Impertinent?
How is that the sa?
"Oh, I finished the howork you assigned yesterday, teacher," Jiang Nian said, presenting his notebook with a seemingly flawless excuse.
"I wasn’t sure when they’d co looking for you, so I thought I’d take the ti to co over myself."
Indeed, he was the only outsider from another class.
"Oh, let have a look then." Qi Xue took the howork, noticed him standing there, and casually said,
"Don’t just stand around, find a seat."
Outside the office.
A boy with a notebook and red pen was pacing back and forth in the corridor, looking a bit conflicted.
His na was Cheng Zihao, a student from another of Qi Xue’s classes.
Due to Qi Xue’s crisp teaching style, the atmosphere was quite tense, making him sowhat afraid of the Qi Demon King.
Yesterday, his brain malfunctioned.
He actually borrowed a pen from another teacher’s desk right in front of Qi Xue, only realizing his blunder after leaving the office.
With a peer’s guidance, he realized he’d acted foolishly.
"It’s okay, Sister Qi won’t mind."
Though consoled by his companion, Cheng Zihao felt uneasy. He wasn’t afraid of being targeted but feared leaving a bad impression.
After all, which young man doesn’t carry a torch, and Qi Xue, with her Great Demon King persona, perfectly fit his appeal in so odd way.
After pondering all night, he decided to attempt redemption. He took a deep breath and murmured to himself.
"Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous, you’re already here."
Despite this, his heart felt like a heavy stone was weighing him down, smothering and sour.
Everyone in his class was out doing exercises. If he gave up now, he’d have to wait until the afternoon to co by again.
But in the afternoon, Qi Xue had no classes.
In the end, Cheng Zihao took a deep breath. Nervously, he headed towards the math office, so tense he moved awkwardly.
Just as he was about to knock, he heard Qi Xue’s voice from inside.
"Don’t just stand around, have a seat."
He was stunned, thinking to himself that he hadn’t even entered the office yet. Was there soone from his class who cut running practice and ca early?
Looking up, he saw an unfamiliar boy standing by Qi Xue’s desk.
"No need, I’m just helping the teacher tidy up," Jiang Nian said with a smile. "I might as well, since I’m free."
Qi Xue showed a hint of a smile, more of a helpless one, knowing he would pull sothing like this.
Thicker skin seems invincible indeed.
Despite knowing Jiang Nian was currying favor, Qi Xue still felt a bit pleased, as this boy wasn’t the type to butter her up.
He simply did the task and didn’t chit-chat.
"You don’t have to help tidy up next ti. I can handle it easily myself. If you have ti, do more problems instead."
Qi Xue said, "I’ve looked at your grades. Your foundation isn’t very solid; you lose points on dium-level questions."
Jiang Nian was a bit surprised at this.
"You’ve seen my exam papers, teacher?"
Qi Xue looked puzzled, "Can’t I see them?"
"No, I an... thank you, teacher," Jiang Nian chuckled, inwardly thanking Lao Liu as well for a job well done.
At the door, Cheng Zihao swallowed hard. Standing rigidly, he was completely stupefied.
Who is this guy anyway?
He recognized Jiang Nian, rembering he wasn’t from his class. He was brought in by a teacher, skipping the line.
People from other classes were just so rude!
He rarely saw Qi Xue smile. Only occasionally, when a joke was shared in class, would Qi Xue smile faintly and then continue teaching.
A teacher who never uses class ti for chitchat, serious enough to evoke fear, the Great Demon King was actually smiling.
More importantly, this guy was sucking up to her.
Cheng Zihao felt his inner resolve break a little, his throat involuntarily making a slight sound, instantly drawing the attention of the two inside the office.
Qi Xue looked up and saw it was a student from her class.
"What’s up?"
"No, I... teacher, I ca to ask about the howork," he stamred, feeling slightly hopeless.
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