Chapter Three: I Want to Sit with Him

Wang Yuqing could feel the inquisitive gaze of the homeroom teacher upon her. Her cheeks flushed, and indecision flickered in her heart. At last, she bit her lip, raised her head, and declared resolutely, "I want to sit next to him," her delicate hand pointing to Xiao Lin's seat.

"What? Who do you want to sit with?" The teacher thought he must have misheard.

"With Xiao Lin," Wang Yuqing repeated firmly, her face full of determination.

The classroom instantly erupted into chaos. Students exchanged bewildered looks, unable to believe that the newly arrived goddess would choose to sit next to Xiao Lin.

"What just happened? Did I hear that right? She wants to sit with Xiao Lin?"

"My world has just been turned upside down."

"This must be a dream—I have to be dreaming."

"I don't agree!" The teacher's voice thundered across the room.

Realizing he had been too harsh, he softened his tone and added, "Yuqing, that's not an option. Take another look; you can sit with anyone except him." There was no way he would allow such an outstanding student to sit with Xiao Lin. He feared Wang Yuqing might be led astray by him.

Xiao Lin, having heard Wang Yuqing's words, was just as perplexed. Why would this beautiful new girl want to sit with him? He was hardly vain enough to believe his charm was that great. Perhaps he had a bit of allure in the past, but no one at this school should know anything about his history.

He stared at Wang Yuqing, her face flushed red as she stood at the front, racking his brain to recall her, scanning through memories of familiar faces, but still found no trace of her in his past.

Wang Yuqing lingered at the front, wanting to speak yet too embarrassed, her face as red as a cherry, lips parted in hesitation—a picture of youthful beauty.

"Teacher, let Wang Yuqing sit with me," a slightly chubby, endearing girl suddenly stood up, breaking the tense silence.

Her name was Tan Linlin. Because of her baby fat, she was affectionately nicknamed "Little Chubby." Born and raised in Beijing, she loved good food and had a straightforward, guileless nature. She and Wang Yuqing had met by chance during a trip to Donghai to see the sea. Both were then in their first year of high school and immediately hit it off. Since then, every holiday, either Tan Linlin would travel to see Wang Yuqing, or Wang Yuqing would come to Beijing to see her.

On one occasion, Tan Linlin mentioned that she attended Innovation High School. Wang Yuqing suddenly thought of someone she held dear who also attended that school. She slyly asked, "Who's top of your grade?" In her heart, she was certain that exceptional boy must be number one, and this would be a chance to inquire about him. But fate rarely follows our plans—Tan Linlin named someone other than Xiao Lin as the top student. Wang Yuqing felt a pang of disappointment.

Later, during the summer of their second year, Tan Linlin casually mentioned there was a legendary figure in her class whose grades were abysmal—his name was Xiao Lin.

Wang Yuqing was stunned. In her memory, that boy had been so outstanding; how could he be the person Tan Linlin described? She pressed for a description, and as Tan Linlin spoke, Wang Yuqing became more and more certain—eighty percent sure, she thought—that this was the Xiao Lin she remembered.

She couldn't understand how someone once so remarkable could have changed so much. Determined to find out the truth, she decided to transfer to Innovation High School.

When she told her parents she wanted to transfer to Beijing, they were, unsurprisingly, against it. She argued passionately that Innovation High had a better academic environment and would help her studies, but her parents remained unconvinced. After all, it was almost the third year of high school—who would allow such a risky move?

In the end, Wang Yuqing put her foot down: "If you don't let me go, don't blame me if I can't get into a good university." She could be a bit headstrong. Her parents, hearing this, had no choice but to relent. Fortunately, her father's younger brother also lived in Beijing, so she would have family there. Her father approached the principal about the transfer, but the principal was reluctant—who would willingly let such an excellent student go? However, as a close friend of the family, the principal eventually gave in after persistent persuasion and called a former classmate now at Innovation High. And so, the scene in the classroom unfolded.

Of course, Tan Linlin had no idea of the true reason for Wang Yuqing's transfer. She thought Wang Yuqing had come just to be with her, and was overjoyed when Wang Yuqing entered the classroom. But when Wang Yuqing asked to sit with Xiao Lin, she was baffled. Still, seeing her friend's flushed cheeks and shyness, she stood up to help, despite her own confusion.

The teacher took note of Tan Linlin's thoughtfulness. If Wang Yuqing insisted on sitting with Xiao Lin, he really couldn't keep refusing her in front of the whole class—she was, after all, the class star, and his year-end bonus depended on her success.

"Well, Yuqing, how about sitting with Tan Linlin?" the teacher said.

"Um..." Wang Yuqing hesitated, not entirely willing, but seeing Tan Linlin, she couldn't bring herself to object. She walked over and sat beside her friend in the second row, where a seat was free. Though she sat down, she was already planning when she could talk to the teacher about sitting with Xiao Lin.

Seeing Wang Yuqing seated, the teacher let out a long sigh of relief and spared Xiao Lin a fierce glare, as if to say, "You, I'll deal with you after class."

Xiao Lin caught the look and shrugged indifferently, laying his head back down to sleep. The teacher, seeing this, couldn't be bothered to scold him further.

When the classroom remained a bit rowdy, the teacher strode to the lectern.

"Bang! Quiet! What do you all think you're doing?" he rapped on the desk, face stern. Combined with his rigid manner, he truly looked the part of a classic, old-fashioned scholar. The students immediately quieted down; they still had some respect for their strict teacher.

"All right, class begins now. Last time, we discussed systems of linear equations in two variables. Let's review."

The shuffle of books echoed through the room as Wang Yuqing pulled her math textbook from her backpack.

As the teacher explained the problems at the front, the students gradually regained their focus and returned to their studies. For seniors, academic work was paramount, and soon an atmosphere of studious diligence filled the classroom.