The teacher announcing the results was not from Lin Jiang Sixth High. However, he read the name of the second place winner twice and noticed that the entire gymnasium had fallen silent. He didn’t understand what was going on, so he cleared his throat and read it again, “Second place goes to Xu Sheng, from Lin Jiang Sixth High.”
This time, the audience finally reacted.
Someone in the audience shouted, “Impossible!”
The teacher announcing the results, “…?” What was going on with Lin Jiang Sixth High? Shouldn’t they be happy that they got second place?
The gymnasium became even noisier than when Shao Zhan won the championship.
“Is this for real???”
“The school tyrant got second place?!”
“Our school’s school tyrant is actually a hidden academic genius?”
The entire school had heard legends about Xu Sheng, but the students from Class Seven, who spent time with Xu Sheng every day and saw him sleeping and playing games in class, were the ones who least wanted to face this reality. “I’d rather believe that I’ve gone deaf. No, the teacher who was grading it could have mistaken the name, right? Could they have graded the wrong exam paper? How is it possible that it’s Sheng ge?”
Tan Kai said, “Stop talking. Maybe I’m dreaming.”
Yuan Ziqiang added, “Even if you were dreaming, this situation would be unbelievable.”
Hou Jun remained silent for two seconds, then nodded, “Ziqiang, I think you’re right.”
Xu Sheng himself also found this situation unbelievable.
The grading teacher could only continue reading out the rest of the list. “Third place goes to Duan Yaosheng from Ying Hua Experimental High.”
Duan Yaosheng was still holding back his tears.
The grading teacher flipped over another page, “Fourth place, Xing Jian High…”
“That student is from your school?” Sitting next to Gu Yanwang, the Ying Hua director who had been boasting about their outstanding students the whole time, couldn’t sit still.
They were familiar with several of Lin Jiang’s well-known contestants, having met them in official competitions. However, where did this Xu Sheng come from?
The Ying Hua director seemed to have found the second Shao Zhan and thought Xu Sheng had made a remarkable debut as a freshman in high school and achieved outstanding results. “This student is a first year at your school?”
Gu Yanwang, “Uh, well…”
Gu Yanwang couldn’t continue.
This student was ranked last in their school year and was Shao Zhan’s deskmate. He had joined the competition team less than ten days ago.
“This year’s Four School Competition League’s overall winner is Lin Jiang Sixth High.”
“The individual competition winner is Lin Jiang Sixth High.”
“Congratulations to Lin Jiang Sixth High for winning both championships once again this year!”
“The 15th Four School Competition League has successfully concluded. All schools are requested to leave in an orderly manner. Thank you to Lin Jiang, Ying Hua, Song Ye, and Xing Jian for your active participation.” The commentator read the concluding remarks according to the script. “Let us progress together through friendly competition, and let’s shake hands as a symbol of friendship. See you next year.”
The participants on the field left in the order they had entered in.
Xu Sheng no longer needed to sit obediently in his designated seat. He moved forward a few spots and when no one was paying attention, sat down in the empty seat behind Shao Zhan and tapped him on the back.
The feeling of returning to his own body after a long time felt both liberating and strange.
Xu Sheng tugged at his collar. “Study god. Do I look like someone who could get second place? How am I supposed to live on now?”
At that time, Shao Zhan had no choice, but now, faced with this question, he also realised that the situation was somewhat bizarre. “The questions were too easy, and I couldn’t help myself.”
Xu Sheng: “…”
While Xu Sheng was worrying about his life, Gu Yanwang called out to him, “Xu Sheng, stay back.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Half an hour later, inside the gymnasium.
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After Gu Yanwang had finished checking the exam paper without finding any anomalies, he put down Xu Sheng’s paper and asked, “What’s going on with you?”
After the switch back, the Xu Sheng in front of them didn’t seem as cold as before. He lazily stood in front of the teachers, just like the first time Gu Yanwang saw this student without a school uniform.
After a year of struggle, Gu Yanwang couldn’t do anything about Xu Sheng not wearing a school uniform.
Xu Sheng didn’t mind writing disciplinary letters, but Gu Yanwang and all the teachers and students in the school were tired of it.
Gu Yanwang’s imagination about “Xu Sheng is actually a top student” wouldn’t stop. Then he recalled what ‘Shao Zhan’ had said when he recommended Xu Sheng in the office; Xu Sheng had talent in competitions.
Moreover, Xu Sheng’s answers to the competition training papers were also remarkable.
Could it be… Xu Sheng was really…
Gu Yanwang cautiously asked, “Have you been hiding your abilities all this time?”
Xu Sheng: “What?”
The lights around the gym were turned off, leaving only a few bright lights on the competition platform.
In Xu Sheng’s eyes, those lights seemed like the bright lights used for interrogating prisoners in a prison.
Gu Yanwang had heard stories about top students pretending to be underachievers. His eyes flickered, and he took a deep breath before asking a soul-searching question, “You never seemed to focus on your studies, you don’t pay attention in class, and you don’t turn in your assignments. Were you pretending to be an underachiever before?”
Fuck.
Xu Sheng’s current mood was more panicked than when he was at the competition earlier. “Director Gu, I’m not…”
I’m not.
I didn’t.
Don’t say nonsense like that.
Gu Yanwang tried to persuade him gently, “You can let teacher know, why have you been concealing your abilities all this time?”
Xu Sheng: “…”
He had no idea what was going on in Gu Yanwang’s mind.
Xu Sheng realised that these teachers had quite an imagination.
Xu Sheng felt like he was going crazy.
He thought to himself, “I really am an underachiever, it can’t get more real than this.”
In the gymnasium, apart from a few teachers, there were only workers left in the audience seats removing chairs and cleaning up.
Xu Sheng had no idea how to explain the current situation at all.
“Gu laoshi.”
At this moment, a familiar voice came from behind, and that voice said coldly, “I’ve tutored him with a few similar problems.”
Gu Yanwang, “Shao Zhan?”
Class Seven had organised a celebration banquet. Before Shao Zhan could leave the stage, Hou Jun and the others had pulled him over. However, he felt uneasy after leaving, so he had left the main group and walked back along the corridor.
Shao Zhan added, “They are all very typical foundational questions. I didn’t expect the exam questions today to match so well.”
Shao Zhan’s predictions about exam questions were usually accurate. Gu Yanwang was momentarily stunned and said, “…I see.”
Shao Zhan’s appearance was incredibly timely.
Xu Sheng felt as if he had witnessed a miraculous intervention.
Xu Sheng asked in a low voice, “Why did you come back?”
Shao Zhan glanced at him and said, “If I didn’t come back, how would you have explained yourself?”
“…” Xu Sheng thought for a moment. He had been close to death in the situation just now. “I might just have ended it all, and from then on, there wouldn’t be a person named Xu Sheng in this world.”
Shao Zhan’s explanation could only semi cover for Xu Sheng, making his second-place position seem reasonable, but it couldn’t erase Xu Sheng’s “talent”.
Gu Yanwang had already decided in his heart that the Xu Sheng of their school had innate talent. Otherwise, even if Shao Zhan’s predictions had been accurate, he couldn’t have scored this high. It had to be known that the full score was out of 100 points, and Xu Sheng scored 98 as second place. “But no matter what, even if Shao Zhan’s predictions were accurate, you wouldn’t have achieved today’s result without your inherent talent.”
Xu Sheng: “…” His inherent talent wasn’t important.
Gu Yanwang added, “It seems Shao Zhan was right. You really do have talent. Your logical thinking ability is extraordinary!”
Xu Sheng, who had never experienced this kind of thing before, “…….”
Fortunately, Gu Yanwang didn’t detain them for too long.
Knowing that Class Seven was planning a celebration banquet, he quickly released them. “Alright then, I heard Hou Jun shouting just now. Isn’t your class also going to hold a celebration banquet?” Gu Yanwang glanced at the time. “It’s a little after four. It’s almost dinner time. You should go.”
With that, Gu Yanwang finished speaking and pointed at Xu Sheng. “I’ll find some time another day to have a proper chat with you.”
The idea of “concealing one’s abilities” was not merely Gu Yanwang’s own speculation. Coincidentally all the students at Lin Jiang Sixth High had begun discussing this matter, and Xu Sheng had firmly established his identity as an “academic genius”.
In the school forum of Lin Jiang Sixth High, a new post quickly emerged among the numerous hot topics.
——Shocking! First, we had study god taking second to last place in exams for love, and now, the school tyrant has snatched second place for love too. What exactly happened between study god and school tyrant?
1L: As the title says.
2L: I’m the one who said in the previous school beauty contest thread that Xu Sheng had no chance. I was wrong. I apologise to Xu Sheng.
3L: Could it be that school tyrant has always been smart? Didn’t he join the competition group before? Let me guess, study god tutored him.
4L: I’m going crazy. When the results were announced, I couldn’t believe that Xu Sheng was a hidden academic genius. He’s too awesome!
18L: So, this is an inspirational (love) story of two people encouraging each other?
The location of Class Seven’s celebration banquet was at a small new restaurant that had just opened on the street outside the school. The prices were reasonable, and most of the items on the menu were home-cooked style dishes. Half of the class came, and the private room was packed and lively.
Hou Jun had reserved the room in advance, and when Xu Sheng and Shao Zhan arrived, Hou Jun mysteriously motioned for them to close the door, saying to Xu Sheng, “Xu Sheng, our academic genius, please close the door.”
“…,” Xu Sheng was immune to being called an “academic genius” now. He closed the private room door and asked, “What’s going on?”
Hou Jun mysteriously took out a bottle of alcohol hidden behind the seats. “I ordered a bottle of alcohol to add some celebratory feel. Do you want to drink?”
Xu Sheng, “I don’t have a problem with that, what about you, seatmate?”
Xu Sheng thought to himself, he used to be the school tyrant of Nan Ping, what’s drinking alcohol compared to that?
Xu Sheng continued, “My deskmate doesn’t have a problem with it, but I’m discovering that you guys are disregarding school rules more and more.”
Hou Jun poured the alcohol. “Since I fought alongside Sheng ge last time, my soul was awakened.”
Hou Jun’s statement was indeed true.
Lin Jian Sixth High had strict discipline, but young people, even if they usually buried themselves in their studies, always had a rebellious spirit lurking inside them, like dry tinder just waiting for a spark to burst into flame. Xu Sheng’s unconstrained and bold demeanour had ignited that spark.
Tan Kai interrupted, “I just casually ordered a few dishes. If you want to add anything, just look at the menu and order more.”
The dishes were served very quickly.
Hou Jun poured wine for the people at the table.
The excitement from the thrilling Four School Competition League today still lingered in their hearts, and Tan Kai continued, “Zhan ge was really cool earlier. When they announced your name, my heart was pounding wildly—but Zhan ge, I’m very ashamed to say that my heart didn’t pound as wildly for you as it did for Sheng ge. When I heard that Sheng ge had taken second place, I almost had a heart attack.”
Xu Sheng hurriedly distanced himself, using the same excuse he had used to deal with Gu Yanwang. Following their lead, he called out, “Zhan ge, it was Zhan ge who accurately predicted the questions. Without Zhan ge, I wouldn’t have achieved what I did today, right Zhan ge?”
His voice naturally rose in pitch as he spoke, and he had a nonchalant smile on his face.
Xu Sheng had called him by many names, Shao Zhan, seatmate.
However, following along with Hou Jun’s playful mood, this was his first time calling him Zhan ge.
Shao Zhan looked into his eyes and replied with an “Mn.”
The alcohol Hou Jun had brought was strong.
The conversation at the table quickly shifted, and soon, it turned to gossip about the teachers.
“I heard that the teacher from Class Four is pregnant, and…”
In the middle of the conversation, Shao Zhan slid open his phone to check the time.
By accident, he clicked on an unread message notification.
It was a discussion group from Nan Ping.
The last message in his discussion group was the phrase “I do have someone I like,” from not too long ago.
Beneath that message were numerous exclamation marks.
-Who!
-What the hell is going on!!!
It was no wonder they were so astonished. After all, Shao Zhan was infamous for being cold and ruthless. When he was the school tyrant, his delinquent appearance deceived countless naive girls, making him incredibly popular. However, no one had successfully approached him before.
-Are you together? Did you confess? Ge, give us some more information.
Maybe it was because the air in the private room wasn’t circulating well, or it was because of the alcohol, but Shao Zhan, unprecedentedly, raised his hand and undid the button of his shirt before replying: Not yet.
Shao Zhan’s finger tapped on the screen a few times, and then he continued typing.
-Don’t know what he thinks.
Soon someone in the group noticed that Shao Zhan had used the pronoun “he.”
Shao Zhan wasn’t sure about Xu Sheng’s sexual orientation.
Although Xu Sheng wore earrings, could identify lipstick shades, and even helped that girl in the neighbouring class, Zhang Tong, and her girlfriends pick out clothes.
Shao Zhan let out a sigh and turned off his screen.
The youth’s heart stirred, torn between wanting to cast aside his concerns and being at a loss on what to do.
Because he cared too much, he didn’t dare to make a move. He wanted to wait for Xu Sheng to come to him. Just one step would be enough, but he found that he couldn’t wait at all.
nao: we are not promoting underage drinking DRINK RESPONSIBLY actions have consequences!!!!!!!
Yay, progress!
Thank you for the chapter. ❤️