Chapter 366 - 195: Perhaps This Is a Big-Game Player (2)
Chapter 366: Chapter 195: Perhaps This Is a Big-Game Player (2)
"Didn’t I tell you? If you keep bothering me like this, I’m really not going to say yes."
The girl let out a nearly inaudible huff and quickened her pace.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan quickly strode forward to catch up and grabbed her hand.
Li Zhi froze. Just as she was about to struggle, she realized they were almost at the road across from her apartment complex.
’Forget it. It’s only a dozen or so steps away,’ she thought.
Seeing that Li Zhi didn’t pull away, a subtle smile crept onto Shen Yuan’s face.
’Soon, we’ll be holding hands the moment we leave the classroom after school. Then, one day, we’ll be holding hands openly right on campus.’
Hmm... on second thought, maybe not.
If the Dean’s Office caught them, they’d get a lecture.
Of course, there was no way they would reprimand Li Zhi.
The one getting chewed out could only be Shen Yuan.
And while it might just be a few words of warning, Old Zhou might separate their seats just for appearances’ sake.
That was something Shen Yuan absolutely could not accept.
’Scold me all you want, but don’t you dare separate our seats.’
...
"DING!"
The elevator doors opened on the first floor.
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi stepped out of the elevator, and the crisp autumn air seeped into their collars, sending an involuntary shiver through them.
As they walked out, Li Zhi spoke, her voice exceptionally clear on the quiet path of the complex. "Did you rest well last night?"
She didn’t turn her head, her gaze fixed forward. It seemed like a casual question, but it held a hint of subtle seriousness, as if she were inspecting his pre-exam preparations.
Shen Yuan nodded. "Slept like a log. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if I’d dreamed of you."
He plastered on a smile, trying to keep his tone light, but he trailed off sheepishly when he caught the sidelong glance from the corner of Li Zhi’s eye.
Li Zhi huffed softly. Without breaking her stride, her uniform sleeve brushed against Shen Yuan’s. "Then just make sure you do well on the exam."
She paused for a moment. As she turned her head, the morning light traced her subtly tense jawline. Her voice dropped a notch. "Don’t come to me with a long face when it’s time to estimate your score."
Shen Yuan choked on his words, replying sullenly, "Alright, alright. Whatever you say, Li Bao."
Shen Yuan really didn’t dare to bomb this exam.
If he really screwed it up, who knew if even the "privilege" of holding her hand in the complex would go up in smoke.
Oh, no, *shaking* hands.
They walked through the cool morning air and into the science building. The moment they stepped into their temporary classroom, Shen Yuan instinctively paused.
The classroom was far more crowded than he had expected.
Seats that were normally empty until just before class were now already more than two-thirds full.
No one was chatting or fooling around. A silent, palpable tension filled the air.
Most students had their heads down, either rapidly flipping through textbooks and notes or writing furiously, the tips of their pens scratching across paper.
Others frowned at difficult problems, their fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on their desks.
Some had their eyes closed, silently reciting key concepts, their lips moving without a sound.
The usual lighthearted chatter had been completely replaced by this oppressive atmosphere, leaving only the rustle of turning pages, the scratching of pens, and the occasional hushed whisper of a student asking a question.
Even the students who were usually the most boisterous during breaks were now sitting quietly at their desks.
The digital clock above the science lab’s blackboard ticked silently. Less than three hours remained until the first exam.
Shen Yuan felt a pang of apprehension.
’The city-wide joint exam...’
It was clear that even though Jiyang Middle School was the best high school in all of Jiyang, an event this official still placed immense pressure on the individual students.
This was Shen Yuan’s first time in the advanced class, and the first time he had ever witnessed such a scene.
Everyone in Class 15 was like a tightly wound clock. Even the air felt heavier, charged with the tension of a brewing storm.
’Damn it. These guys are all jokes and laughter on a normal day, but when it’s crunch time, they all try to out-grind each other!’
’Forget Ah Jie, who’s completely useless at English. Even Sun Xiansheng, who’s usually fooling around with me, is already here.’
’He’s a boarding student!’
’It’s 6:10. The dorms open at six. Did you freaking finish breakfast in ten minutes?!’
’And don’t even get me started on Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu. When do they ever show up this early?’
’Lately, they’ve been beating me here every single day!’
Thinking about it, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
’Thank god I have Li Bao pushing me to study. Otherwise, I’d probably still be dead last in the advanced class.’
Li Zhi, as if she had expected all of this, walked straight to her seat without the slightest change in her expression.
Her movements were swift and quiet, drawing little attention. It seemed she was already used to immersing herself in studying in this kind of atmosphere.
Shen Yuan hurried to follow. He scanned the unusually silent classroom, then glanced at Li Zhi’s profile. Among the many figures buried in their books, her face remained calm and composed, a picture of pure concentration.
He took a quiet breath of the air, thick with the smell of ink, paper, and invisible pressure, and sat down beside her without a word.
The cool light of the autumn morning streamed in through the window.
But instead of bringing warmth, it only served to highlight the heavy, tense atmosphere blanketing the room, reflecting off the silently turning pages and the students’ focused faces.
The first exam was Language Arts, so naturally, the morning self-study session was dedicated to it.
The hands on the wall clock slid silently past 7:10, and the air filled with the low murmur of students reciting classical poetry and prose.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Yuan saw Li Zhi flipping through her classical Chinese notes. The silhouette of her lowered lashes was a perfectly straight, taut line in the morning light.
Just before eight o’clock, the classroom’s front door was suddenly pushed open.
The class monitor, Xu Ziqiong, stood silhouetted in the doorway, her short hair slightly tousled by the wind. She tightly gripped a stack of brand-new exam admission tickets.
She strode to the podium in a couple of steps and tapped the surface lightly. "Handing out exam admission tickets! Come and get yours when I call your name!"