On the last day of summer vacation, Qide School’s entrance was decorated with banners welcoming new students, marking the true beginning of the school year.
Zhao Binlin was drinking soy milk, lazily leaning against a stone pillar. After waiting for what felt like forever, he finally saw Jiang Wen getting out of his car.
He ran over and playfully elbowed Jiang Wen in the chest, “Brother Wen.”
Jiang Wen reached for his backpack in the car and pushed him away, “Get lost.”
Zhao Binlin wouldn’t let go and jumped around in frustration, “Jiang Wen, why are you being so proud? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? I’m definitely sticking with you today!”
A fresh breeze carried the sweet scent of osmanthus flowers as they entered the school together, still wrestling. Zhao Binlin’s dimples showed as he smiled, forcefully holding onto Jiang Wen’s shoulder while gossiping about recent rumors, “Let me ask you, what’s the deal with that Mexican mixed-race girl?”
“Don’t know her.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t she your girlfriend?”
Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow, his expression cold, “Since when did I have a girlfriend?”
“Someone saw you playing basketball at AU, and she was sitting on the sidelines handing you water.”
“Such imagination.” Jiang Wen was getting annoyed and removed Zhao’s hand.
Again with that attitude, as if he couldn’t be bothered even if someone threw themselves at him.
Zhao Binlin couldn’t take it anymore and looked him up and down, saying sarcastically, “Bro, don’t be such a prude. Hopefully your sister won’t have to worry about your sexual orientation in the future.”
They walked side by side, both tall and slender with youthful handsomeness, walking against the ten o’clock sun, quite eye-catching. Even in school uniforms, they somehow matched the school’s prestigious atmosphere.
At the stairway, they ran into Xi Gaoyuan, who casually put his arms around their necks, “My good brothers, I’ve been waiting so hard for you.”
“Why were you waiting for us?”
Xi Gaoyuan’s face twitched, “For the completeness of our F31.”
“F3? You think you qualify?” Zhao Binlin’s mouth twitched as he laughed mockingly, “With your looks, aren’t you embarrassed to compare yourself to me and Jiang Wen?”
“The acknowledged handsome guy of Qide Junior High hasn’t said anything yet, right, Top Model?”
“Don’t call me that, and also,” Jiang Wen lost his patience and pushed Xi Gaoyuan’s neck away, “stop trying to associate with me.”
When the three entered the classroom, several people who were talking stopped and stood up to greet them. Zhao Binlin and Xi Gaoyuan returned their enthusiasm with equal warmth, but Jiang Wen showed little interest.
They came from excellent families, their parents’ businesses were connected, and they’d played together since childhood – even their watch styles were similar. They all had older siblings and were the most pampered youngest children in their families. Life had been smooth sailing for them, so they carried a hint of indifference, not caring much about how to interact with others.
Among them, Jiang Wen was the most aloof. He spoke little and basically ignored people he wasn’t familiar with, making no effort to respond.
The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and the classroom was noisy. A girl wearing black-framed glasses stood up from the back, pointing to the stack of papers on the podium, “Everyone, please take one sheet, fill it out, and return it to me.”
Jiang Wen hadn’t brought a pen, so he borrowed one from someone. He bent over the podium filling out the form, his eyebrows lowered, looking very focused.
This would have been a normal scene. But when the clean, transparent sunlight fell on his delicate hair tips, the group of girls chatting in the front row lowered their voices demurely.
His nickname wasn’t given without reason.
Both inside and outside school, boys and girls alike loved to stare at Jiang Wen’s face. However, his beauty had a hint of feminine quality that made it somewhat androgynous – a delicate nose, dark eyebrows, and long eyes, creating a cold yet gorgeous young face. Rather than being called an “idol,” the nickname “Top Model” seemed more fitting. There was also a hint of regret and teasing in it, that such a face would be “wasted” on a man.
Jiang Wen really hated being called that. Usually, only Xi Gaoyuan and the others dared to use it playfully.
The form only asked for high school entrance exam scores, graduation school, and family contact information – it was quick to fill out.
While writing, he accidentally glimpsed another form. The whole page was filled with wild cursive writing, and the name section was particularly bold and fierce, as if about to tear through the paper – Feng Ning.
He finished writing, handed in the form, and sat down randomly. Zhao Binlin couldn’t sit still, threw his bag on the nearby desk, and went to join the crowd to chat and joke with acquaintances.
Amidst the chaos, Jiang Wen spread his books on the desk, lazily propping his head up and spacing out when someone suddenly poked his back.
“Oh my, it really is you!”
Jiang Wen could hardly believe his ears. After a moment, his gaze shifted and he turned his head, frowning, “Why are you here?”
Feng Ning had stayed up late eating street food until midnight, hadn’t slept well, and was forced to wake up early by Qi Lan. She had no choice but to come to the classroom and catch up on half an hour of sleep. Now she was drowsy, sprawled lifelessly on the desk with red marks pressed into her face.
Hearing Jiang Wen’s words, Feng Ning propped her chin up with one hand, wearing a roguish expression and speaking proudly, “I’m here to attend class, got a problem with that?”
Feng Ning was used to flirting with any good-looking person around her, and she did it without any shyness.
So she smiled. Her smile was natural, intense, and direct. Her eyes curved like crescents, carrying a burning warmth with a hint of desire, “Since we’re so destined to meet, why don’t we get to know each other, handsome? What’s your name?”
He remained silent.
Having expected this attitude, she continued her self-introduction casually, “I’m Feng Ning – the ‘Feng’ from ‘chance meeting’ and the ‘Ning’ from ‘rather break than bend.’ Remember that, okay?”
He frowned slightly, with a half-smile, “‘Ning’ from ‘rather break than bend’?”
“What about it?”
After a pause, Jiang Wen smirked, “It’s pronounced in the fourth tone.”
“Hmm?” Feng Ning found it interesting that someone was correcting her pronunciation for the first time, and she was intrigued, “Then can you think of an idiom for me?”
She thought there wouldn’t be any more response.
But within seconds, Jiang Wen gave her a fleeting glance, his eyes mixed with mild contempt, turned his head back, and said, “Restless as a hen and dog.”2
The homeroom teacher barely said two words before announcing that everyone should go to the small auditorium for the opening ceremony.
The areas were divided by class, and the place was packed with students. Before it officially began, the LED screen in the center was cycling through presentations of several outstanding new student representatives.
The shy girl from yesterday sat beside her. She had been the first to arrive in the classroom, with Feng Ning being second, so they naturally became desk mates. Meng Taoyu particularly liked keeping her head down, including while walking, and barely talked to others.
But Feng Ning was good at conversation. She actively opened up, talking about everything from her previous hair-pulling fights over a hair dryer to comedy manga, speaking non-stop like a stand-up comedian. Meng Taoyu would occasionally laugh at her jokes. Just then, a girl with a bob cut standing a few steps away called out, “Meng Taoyu, come out for a moment.”
Meng Taoyu’s expression froze, and after a few seconds of silence, she got up with hunched shoulders.
Feng Ning was sitting by the aisle and observed her pale face for a while. Only after the bob-cut girl called several times did she slowly stand up to let Meng Taoyu pass.
After people left, there was even less to do. Feng Ning was very sleepy but couldn’t sleep. To stay awake, she started listening to the people chatting behind her.
“I just met Pei Shurong, she looks so mature and has such presence, really doesn’t seem like someone our age. Oh, and surprisingly, Cheng Jiajia was chatting and laughing with her.”
“Really?” The female voice was full of surprise, “Cheng Jiajia? Wasn’t she super arrogant before? She never voted for Pei Shurong as grade beauty and privately said her hawk nose looked mean?”
Another person sneered, “Isn’t it obvious? She’s trying to climb the social ladder.”
“What do you mean?”
“Zhao Binlin, Jiang Wen, and Pei Shurong from Class 7, they all hang out together. Very few people can get into their circle. Cheng Jiajia has her eye on someone, so of course she needs to get on Pei Shurong’s good side first, you know what I mean?”
“Who?”
“Jiang Wen, of course. Do you know him? Look, that’s him on the screen right now.”
Feng Ning casually looked up.
“Jiang Wen has such a strong personality. In junior high, he was often cornered by people confessing their love or giving him love letters, but he never accepted any.”
Someone else joined in, contributing more gossip, “You know what? That really weird girl in our grade also confessed to him. God, her family can’t even afford a used car, what was she thinking trying to pursue Jiang Wen?”
The girls lowered their voices, laughing with weird tones, their sense of superiority evident. It was a boring topic, always coming back to the same points, chewed over and over, never getting tired of it.
Boring. Feng Ning had no interest in continuing to listen.
“So that sharp-tongued young master is called Jiang Wen,” she thought coldly, even with some malice, “No wonder he’s developed such awful habits, being pampered by so many people!”
The lengthy opening ceremony finally ended after the principal’s speech, but Meng Taoyu never returned. Shuang Yao came to find Feng Ning, and they followed the crowd out.
Someone pulled Jiang Wen’s clothes from behind. He turned around to find Xi Gaoyuan hooking an arm around his shoulder, showing him photos he’d just taken on his phone, “You really looked like you were putting on airs during your speech just now, tsk tsk, looking all high and mighty, just short of waving to your female fans down there.”
Jiang Wen’s family had military background for generations, so he’d been trained in proper posture since childhood, as strict as military drills. He had to stand straight, keep his back unbent, and shoulders unslouched.
When speaking at the podium, he wore his school uniform with the school badge pinned to his chest, looking down as he brought the microphone to his lips. The freshman girls below were all whispering to each other, but he maintained his expressionless face, keeping his distance, like the tallest pine tree in winter snow.
Xi Gaoyuan dropped his playful smile and deliberately imitated Jiang Wen’s closing speech with a bit of affectation, “Life is a journey of struggle, from this moment on, let us maintain a spirit of perseverance and write a beautiful tomorrow for Qide together.”
“Hahahahaha, Jiang Wen, you’re becoming more and more like your dad.” Zhao Binlin beside them was laughing so hard he almost fell, barely managing to stop.
Jiang Wen remained refined as ever, containing his cold smile, “This is a public place. If you two want to act crazy, stay away from me.”
“Top Model, you’re so cold, I love it.”
Jiang Wen gave him a light glance, “Don’t disgust me.” As he looked up, he happened to meet a playful gaze from the side.
They were separated by several people. When their eyes met, Feng Ning raised her right hand, waved it back and forth leisurely, and mouthed something to him.
Jiang Wen froze slightly, staring at her back as she disappeared into the crowded crowd. He only came back to his senses when Zhao Binlin shouted in his ear, “What are you spacing out about?” He looked around.
With an almost imperceptible pause, Jiang Wen said carelessly, “Nothing.”
“That girl, she’s pretty, right?” Zhao Binlin secretly pointed her out to him, saying excitedly, “Seems like she’s from the class next door.”
Her figure was graceful, her arms fair-skinned – she was exactly the type of pretty but brainless girl he liked.
Xi Gaoyuan had recently started dating a new girlfriend and was in the honeymoon phase, so he didn’t join their conversation.
Jiang Wen gave a cursory glance before looking away.
“Young Master Jiang, what do you think?” Zhao Binlin pressed.
Jiang Wen responded lazily with a casual “not bad.” He recalled the scene from just now.
— She had been calling his name.
Shuang Yao grabbed Feng Ning and dragged her to a less crowded area, saying viciously, “First day of school, everyone else is being proper, but here you are acting flirty.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You like him?”
Feng Ning pretended not to understand, “What?”
“That guy just now.”
Feng Ning looked back, winking at her mischievously, half-serious and half-joking, “I don’t like him.”
Shuang Yao cursed, “You little minx, you always have that look when you’re about to mess with someone.”
“Come on, let’s go eat, I’m starving.”
Just after the lunch break, in the scorching summer, the sun outside was still blazing. Feng Ning woke up from a nap to find the dormitory empty – her roommates either hadn’t returned or had all left.
She walked to the classroom yawning repeatedly, still drowsy, and saw several boys and girls gathered around her seat taking photos with their phones.
After observing for three or four seconds, Feng Ning realized that Meng Taoyu was the one surrounded in the middle.
She also took out her phone and photographed them for a while. Then she walked to her seat and forcefully squeezed through the crowd.
Amidst sarcastic laughter, Meng Taoyu took a piece of paper and bent down to wipe the milk stains that had splashed onto Feng Ning’s chair.
“What happened?” Feng Ning frowned, pulling away her hand, “They weren’t gentle at all, who did you offend?”
Meng Taoyu’s lip was split, and she looked quite wooden, as if stuck. She looked at Feng Ning and shook her head, forcing a smile.
Ignoring the subtle stares around them, Feng Ning bent down and helped Meng Taoyu pick up her scattered books and stationery one by one, dusted off the dirt, and pulled her to sit down together.
The onlookers hadn’t left yet, still sharing their recently taken “trophies.” However, because someone had intervened, the atmosphere had cooled somewhat.
Feng Ning didn’t mind being watched at all and showed no discomfort at being pointed at and whispered about. She was a bit thirsty, so after taking a drink from her water bottle, she glanced sideways and instead asked them with genuine confusion, “Why is everyone standing punishment at my desk?”
For a moment, expressions varied, and someone couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you?”
“I’m Feng Ning – the ‘Feng’ from ‘chance meeting’ and the ‘Ning’…” Feng Ning screwed the bottle cap back on, paused for a moment, “the ‘Ning’ from ‘restless as a hen and dog.’” She licked the water from her lips and said half-seriously, “Nice to meet you.”
- This is in reference to the ‘F4’ from Boys Over Flowers, a very popular Japanese series, four young, wealthy and handsome men. It’s since become synonymous with a good looking group of men. ↩︎
- They’re speaking in 4 character idioms and pulling out idioms containing the relevant Chinese characters. Worth noting that Mandarin, a tonal language, has 4 tones – ning in the first tone and ning in the second tone, for example, will have completely different meanings. ↩︎
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