Chapter Forty-One: Xiao Lin Makes the List

Wang Yuqing’s cheeks were now like ripe peaches, glowing with a rosy blush upon her fair skin. She kept her head bowed, almost as if she wished she could disappear beneath the desk. Her heart pounded wildly; the entire class was watching her, murmuring in admiration as though appraising a perfect work of art. The attention was overwhelming, and like an ostrich, she could only hide her head away.

Xiao Lin had already picked up the sheet of stationery, examining the photograph of Wang Yuqing with great care. “Truly pure and innocent. These guys sure are resourceful—where did they find this photo?” he muttered to himself. He was certain it wasn’t from their junior high days; back then, Wang Yuqing had a mushroom cut, not the flowing hair in the picture. Xiao Lin’s guess was correct: the photo had been stolen from the academic office’s archives by a student on the review committee. It was taken during Wang Yuqing’s high school years in Donghai City.

At that moment, Tan Linlin was so excited she was flitting around the classroom, telling everyone that Wang Yuqing was her little sister, boasting about her achievements.

“Our class finally has a campus belle. It’s been so many years,” Xu Tong sighed nearby.

Class One was the honors class—its students were diligent and focused, rarely paying attention to their appearance. The girls all wore large glasses, their youthful charm worn away by endless study.

“Should we celebrate this?” Wang Tao suggested from the side.

“What is there to celebrate? Let’s not,” Yuan Weiye replied, far from pleased. His goddess, Meng Ranran, hadn’t made the list this time; only one student per grade could be chosen, and Wang Yuqing had taken the spot.

“Haha, our Young Master Yuan is heartbroken—his beloved Ranran has been photoshopped out,” Xu Tong said loudly on purpose.

“You…” Yuan Weiye flushed with embarrassment and annoyance. He clenched his fists and raised them threateningly, but dared not hit Xu Tong—he wouldn’t win anyway. Instead, he sulked and rifled through the stack of stationery in his hands. Suddenly, a black sheet caught his eye: the list of campus heartthrobs. He unfolded it, glanced at the top, and scoffed, “Him again. I really don’t get why so many girls like him.”

“Who?” Wang Tao squeezed over to see. In Yuan Weiye’s hand was a black sheet with a photo at the top—a handsome young man with a signature gentleman’s smile, exuding an air of natural nobility. It was Gao Zheng.

“Maybe the girls who like him are just not right in the head,” Wang Tao whispered. He didn’t dare say it loudly; even in Class One, there were girls who liked Gao Zheng—more than a few, in fact—and he didn’t want to invite trouble. His words were meant to comfort Yuan Weiye.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Weiye’s expression finally improved a little. He tossed aside the black stationery without reading further. As for the other two names on the heartthrob list, everyone already knew—those spots never changed hands, so there was little interest.

He picked up the last sheet, orange in color—the Storm List. Unlike the belle and heartthrob lists, the Storm List wasn’t about grades or looks, but about causing a sensation in the school. There was no limit to the number of names; anyone who’d made waves, for better or worse, could appear, and once there had even been four versions in a single term.

Yuan Weiye had barely glanced at the orange sheet before he shouted toward the back, “Boss Xiao, you’re on the Storm List again—ranked number one this time!” The heading on the orange sheet read: Storm List Number One, Class Three-One, Xiao Lin.

No sooner had he spoken than a rustle swept the room. Everyone had been focused on the belle list, but at Yuan Weiye’s words, they all rushed to examine the orange sheet, searching for Xiao Lin’s name.

Xiao Lin, hearing this, managed a wry smile. These guys were relentless, never letting him off the hook, and this time they’d gone so far as to put him at the very top. He stood and walked over to Yuan Weiye, curious to see what had earned him the number one spot.

Wang Yuqing finally lifted her head from beneath the desk, her face still tinged with a faint blush. She, too, had heard Yuan Weiye’s voice. Brushing her bangs aside, she edged forward, eager to read what was written. But before she could get close, Xu Tong began reading aloud from the sheet:

“Xiao Lin, male, Class Three-One, currently residing in Longtan District, Beijing. He has appeared on the Storm List five consecutive times; for details, see previous editions. A few weeks ago, he was invited onstage by Teacher Yan Zheng as a negative example, but instead, Xiao Lin broke character. He exuded charisma, and the girls dubbed him ‘the boy like the wind.’ After the lecture, this notorious non-studier began attending the self-study room of his own accord, reportedly being the last to leave every night. Classmates have revealed that since the lecture, Xiao Lin has also been attentive in class. In the recent joint exams, he ranked first on the Progress List and 29th in the entire school, transforming brilliantly from an underachiever into a top student. His improvement was so great that the Director of Academic Affairs said it was a first in the history of Innovation High. According to the math teachers, the odds of such a turnaround are about the same as a comet hitting the earth. Amusingly, Xiao Lin entered Innovation High as the top scorer, a veritable genius, but after his first exam, he was dead last in the school—thus making the Storm List back then. For details, see Issue 868: ‘A Genius Becomes a Dunce.’

‘This bird does not fly; when it does, it soars to the heavens. It does not sing; when it does, it startles the world.’ Xiao Lin is hailed as the real-life King Zhuang of Chu. After a review by the Student Committee and broad consultation, it was unanimously decided to crown Xiao Lin ‘The Dark Horse Prince,’ placing him at the top of this term’s Storm List.”

“Tsk tsk, Boss Xiao—the real-life King Zhuang of Chu, the Dark Horse Prince, the new generation’s top scholar. One just has to admire you!” Xu Tong finished reading and let out a dramatic sigh. The surrounding students looked at Xiao Lin with open admiration; a few girls even cast him shy, longing glances.

Xiao Lin, however, simply touched his nose and replied indifferently, “Not bad. At least they didn’t use any derogatory terms this time.” At his words, the others were momentarily stunned—this guy truly was cut from a different cloth.

Standing off to the side, Wang Yuqing regarded Xiao Lin with a gaze unlike the rest—a mix of awe, excitement, gentle affection, and a hint of worry. As she watched the handsome youth surrounded by his peers, she murmured to herself, “You’ve finally returned; the halo of your past brilliance shines around you once more. With you being so exceptional, will you still remember me in the future?”

At that moment, Xiao Lin, chatting casually with others, happened to glance at Wang Yuqing standing quietly nearby. Noticing the delicate, radiant girl, his once-calm heart suddenly stirred with emotion. Yuqing, thank you—truly, thank you! he thought silently.