34

Early the next morning, the last exam room in the Experimental Building was pretty lively.

A dozen or so guys were crowded around the last desk in the second row, chattering nonstop.

'I've got a friend in the same exam room as Ding Xiao. He says that bastard still hasn't shown up at School.'

'What's the rush? The monk can run but not the temple. We'll block him at his classroom door on Monday!'

'He can wait. Let's pick a time to go beat up that other school first. A dozen people ganging up on one guy—only a bunch of cowards would pull that shit...'

The group got more and more worked up.

Only the guy at the center of it all looked totally calm, sitting in the middle reading physics formulas without a word.

Zuo Kuan summed it up: 'Either way, we're settling both scores.'

'Exactly!' Wang Luan'an yelled. 'Look what they did to my bro's handsome face!'

Yu Fan finally looked up. 'Go check out that other school right now.'

Wang Luan'an: 'Check what?'

'See who's more banged up—me or those losers.'

Wang Luan'an: '...'

A man of Nancheng No.7 Middle School, always gotta be tough.

'Alright, can we focus on what's in front of us?' Zhang Xianjing sat on the desk next to them, leaning against the wall with her legs crossed. 'You guys all skipped the exam yesterday. Hu Pang's probably sharpening his knife right now.'

Of the people gathered here, only her and Wang Luan'an had been stuck in Zhuang Fangqin's exam room and couldn't escape. The rest had all slipped out yesterday.

A dozen people bolting from the Experimental Building at once—that scene was something else.

'I don't care. Taking the exam or not, it's the same for me...' Zuo Kuan thought of something and changed the subject. 'But I didn't expect that nerd from your class to be so loyal.'

When a slacker skips an exam, nobody cares except the teachers.

But the top student's seat had been empty yesterday, and by last night, half the School knew.

Yu Fan had gotten so many questions last night that he finally just said, 'Chen Jingshen took me away,' and that's how they found out the grade-one student had skipped the exam for him.

Wang Luan'an: 'Of course! The nerd's always been a good guy.'

'But...' someone pictured the scene, 'Chen Jingshen can't fight. How'd he dare charge in against a dozen people?'

The hell he can't fight—he kicked someone right over—

Wait.

Yu Fan suddenly realized something, and his train of thought on the formulas stalled.

Yeah, how did Chen Jingshen know how to fight?

No matter how strong you are, it's hard to kick someone away without some technique, let alone a weakling like Chen Jingshen...

'Don't ask, just say it's a desk-mate bond that moves heaven and earth,' Wang Luan'an said. 'I heard he walked out right in front of the proctor. That's insane. Hey, let me tell you, yesterday Fangqin was proctoring me, sitting at the podium, and her face was so dark—'

'Hold on.' Yu Fan frowned. 'Chen Jingshen left after the exam started?'

'Pretty much... Later, Fangqin even came down from the podium to ask if I knew where you two went. I said no. I snuck a peek at her phone, and she was on a call with the nerd's mom.'

Ten minutes before the exam, the School gates were already locked.

Did Chen Jingshen climb over the wall?

'No big deal.' Zuo Kuan waved a hand. 'Missing out on being grade one once—he's had it so many times before, just let the others have a turn.'

'But when you always get first, suddenly not getting it once is way more disappointing,' someone next to him said. 'And he's definitely gonna get chewed out at home.'

They kept chattering on about something else, but Yu Fan stopped listening closely.

He stared at the physics formulas, reading them over and over without getting them into his head. Until his Mobile Phone buzzed in his pocket.

[s: Did you get to the exam room?]

[-: Yeah]

[s: Good. Exam's about to start, don't run off.]

Yu Fan: '...'

What kind of tone is that? Are you my parent?

Yu Fan shoved the phone back in his pocket and suddenly stood up.

The people chatting around him all stopped to look. 'Where you going?'

Yu Fan didn't look back, just tossed out: 'The teacher's office.'

-

That afternoon, after the last exam was over, Chen Jingshen picked up his pen and walked toward the Classroom hallway.

He put his stationery into his backpack and pulled out his phone to check. In the hour-plus exam time, he'd gotten eleven texts.

[Mom: Your dad and his family all know about you skipping school, including that woman.]

[Mom: Are you trying to embarrass me in front of them?]

[Mom: I'll finish things up and come back as soon as I can. Then you need to explain this situation to me properly. You've disappointed me.]

...

Same as yesterday's call, more or less.

Chen Jingshen read through the texts coldly, then exited the interface and opened WeChat to ask the person pinned at the top if he'd filled in at least half the paper.

No reply from the other side. Chen Jingshen slung his backpack over his shoulder, turned to leave, and was stopped.

'Chen Jingshen,' the proctor tapped him from behind. 'Director Hu wants you in his office.'

Chen Jingshen reached the director's office door and was about to knock—

'Director, I want a Make-up Exam.'

Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Jingshen paused, his raised hand slowly lowering.

He looked through the window.

Wang Luan'an and Zuo Kuan were standing not far from the door, apparently there to keep someone company.

The guy who hadn't replied to his messages was standing right in front of the desk.

Hu Pang rubbed his aching head as he looked at the person in front of him. 'How many times is this? Huh? How many times have you come to me today? I told you this morning—no way!'

'Why not?' Yu Fan didn't budge.

'What school has a Make-up Exam policy for midterms?' Hu Pang never thought he'd have to explain this to Yu Fan. 'Besides, you deliberately skipped school. What makes you think you qualify for a Make-up Exam!'

'I told you, I didn't skip school. I was tricked out, then got cornered and couldn't come back.' Yu Fan repeated himself for the nth time. 'Why would I lie to you?'

'...'

Wang Luan'an: 'Really, Director, I can vouch for him! That other school brought over a dozen people to the Billiards Hall behind the school to jump our classmate. If you're not gonna deal with that, at least don't take away a beaten-up student's right to a Make-up Exam. That's not fair, right?'

'I said I'll handle this after the exams.' Hu Pang was annoyed. 'What's it to you? Why are you here?'

Wang Luan'an: 'Standing up for my classmate!'

'...'

Hu Pang felt like the whole day had been surreal.

A problem student who usually skipped class and handed in blank exam papers was now chasing him around demanding a Make-up Exam.

Can you even score 10 points, and you're yelling about a Make-up Exam?

Hu Pang rubbed his temples. 'Get out.'

Yu Fan: 'I want a Make-up Exam.'

Hu Pang: 'The monthly exam system is about to start—'

'I want a Make-up Exam.'

'If you want to prove yourself, wait for the monthly exam. Now get out. I've got other students to talk to... What are you standing over there for?!'

Yu Fan shifted his feet, leaving the spot in front of the desk open.

'Making room so you can talk.' Yu Fan leaned back against the wall. 'If you don't agree to the Make-up Exam, I'm living here from now on.'

'...'

After a long moment, Hu Pang picked up his thermos and took a big gulp of water.

He let out a bitter laugh and nodded. 'Fine, fine...'

'Chen Jingshen has to take it too.' Yu Fan blurted it out. 'He missed the exam because he got cornered too.'

'...Fine.' Hu Pang's face was red with anger. 'If you're so set on taking it, then it's on for tomorrow. Saturday morning. I'll notify everyone who missed this exam—every last one of them! I'll go to the Classroom myself and proctor you!'

Caught in the crossfire, Zuo Kuan's eyes went wide. 'Uh, Director, actually I don't—'

'No problem.' Afraid the other would back out, Yu Fan stood up immediately and said smoothly, 'Thank you, Director Hu. You're the best, Director. Bye, Director.'

Zuo Kuan: '...'

...

Chen Jingshen walked to the other end of the hallway and only knocked on the office door after the three of them had gone far away.

Hu Pang asked about his situation yesterday. Chen Jingshen told him the truth. When Hu Pang saw that it matched Yu Fan's account, his expression turned much more serious.

Hu Pang talked with him for half an hour before letting him go, repeatedly telling him not to let this happen again, and then informed him about the Make-up Exam tomorrow morning.

When he left the office, the sky was already dyed red by the sunset.

Once he was out of the director's office's line of sight, Chen Jingshen took out his phone from his pocket.

[-: Can't finish it. A bunch of problems I don't get. Do you even know how to teach?]

[-: Make-up Exam for math tomorrow at 8 AM, Classroom 109 in the Experimental Building. Don't forget.]

[-: Did you get it?]

Chen Jingshen stood quietly in the stairwell, eyes down, reading these messages over and over.

Until a video call popped up.

Chen Jingshen pressed answer.

Yu Fan sat on that wooden chair in his room, staring blankly at the phone screen. 'I... pressed the wrong button. Meant to call voice.'

He quickly adjusted his expression and asked coldly, 'Did you see my messages?'

Chen Jingshen said, 'Just saw them. Was about to reply.'

'Oh...' Yu Fan leaned back in the chair and pulled the phone closer to confirm. 'Why are you still at School?'

'Exam's over. Helped move some desks and chairs.'

Chen Jingshen hitched his backpack strap higher and asked, 'How can you get a Make-up Exam for midterms?'

'...Who knows.' Yu Fan's gaze slid to the side, then snapped back. 'It's all Hu Pang's fault. He insisted we take a Make-up Exam, said he'd come to the exam room himself to proctor.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. Such a pain. I said no and he got all worked up—' Yu Fan's voice cut off. He frowned suspiciously at him. 'Chen Jingshen, what are you smiling at again?!'

'Nothing.'

'Nothing my ass.' Yu Fan said. 'Stop smiling. You look like you're asking for a punch when you smile.'

Chen Jingshen pressed his lips together to hold it back, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Yu Fan, for some reason, took a screenshot.

After taking it, he froze again—fuck, am I crazy?

Does the screenshot make a sound? Chen Jingshen didn't hear it, right??

'Yu Fan.' Chen Jingshen suddenly called his name.

'What?' Yu Fan decided to strike first. 'I pressed the wrong button just now—'

'I like you.'

'...'

Chen Jingshen stood in the sunset, quietly waiting for the person on the phone to start cursing.

Yu Fan stared back at him like a stunned chicken for a few seconds, then—clatter—the phone dropped.

Chen Jingshen watched the other side fumble to pick up the phone. The moment Yu Fan's face appeared on the screen—

Beep.

The video ended.