As soon as the class bell rang, the classroom quieted down considerably, though there were still faint rustlings of conversation.
Li Shu lowered her gaze. She didn’t like school, but ironically, compared to the suffocating atmosphere of the Li household, this place allowed her to breathe a little.
Bored, she continued to lean on her desk, poking at the pink pen holder with her fingertips. Inside were black pens—the same ones she had written her name on at the end of last semester on the newly issued summer homework cover.
“A few days until the start-of-term exam. Are you ready?”
“Are you kidding me? Do I look like that kind of person? How about you, have you studied?”
“Not possible.”
“Then why ask?”
The chatter from the desk in front gradually faded as footsteps approached from the corridor.
A small old man in his fifties entered.
Li Shu saw his stern face and couldn’t help but yawn.
Just as she was about to lean back down, the old man slammed a stack of summer homework onto the podium with a thunderous crash.
“Bang!” The sound startled the classmates.
A few of the spoiled brats in the last row instinctively muttered: “Whoa.”
In an instant, the classroom fell completely silent. So quiet that a dropped pin could be heard.
“Look at how lazy you’ve become! Everyone, pay attention! You played too hard during vacation. Pull yourselves together. This is the most important stage of senior year. Do I have to repeat myself?”
Li Shu was poking the pen holder when the unexpected shout made her hand tremble. Unable to stop herself, she exerted too much force.
The pen holder tipped over with a “clatter,” spilling black pens, pencils, erasers, and rulers across the floor.
The old man’s throat, full of zeal for diligence and hard work, was blocked by the commotion.
Looking at the culprit, he was furious.
“Li Shu!” he shouted.
Qiu Ning looked at Li Shu, silently mourning for her. Old homework not done, now new trouble disrupting class.
Some things are just too much.
Li Shu slowly stood up. The incident drove away most of her sleepiness.
“Here.” She spoke softly. With her fair face, looking like an obedient student, it was impossible to punish her.
The old man choked slightly, his tone instinctively softening, though still stiff:
“Why haven’t you submitted your summer homework?”
Li Shu lowered her head, watching a white rabbit-shaped eraser roll across the floor in several wide circles, finally stopping at the corner of the slanted desk. Definitely dirty.
She said weakly, almost powerless:
“Teacher, I’m sorry. I didn’t do it.”
Qiu Ning breathed a sigh of relief. At least the admission was sincere.
The old man was about to scold her, but seeing the girl wrapped in her loose school uniform, head bowed, with the red mark on her forehead—he didn’t know where she had bumped—he felt the words “obedient and sensible” radiate from her presence.
The old man thought: Li Shu really is different from other students. The school building was donated by her father. Even the principal had specifically called him over to make a point.
——“Mr. Li plans to donate a library this year. Zheng Hong, you know what I mean?”
They were basically treating Li Shu like a little emperor.
Zheng Hong tried hard to calm his temper.
He forced a smile.
“After so many days of vacation, everyone else completed theirs. I reminded you before the break not to be careless. You didn’t do a single page? You really plan to coast through senior high like this?”
Zheng Hong came over, stopping at her desk:
“I don’t believe you haven’t even started. Show me.”
Li Shu’s eyelashes fluttered. She slowly lifted her head to meet the old man’s gaze, leisurely unzipped her backpack, and handed over her summer homework, which she had never opened, to Zheng Hong.
The old man took it, glanced at the girl silently keeping her head down, feeling powerless. After all, he had seen Li Shu’s middle school grades—always first place. But high school, she had fallen dramatically…
For this, he had called her parents multiple times, but only the Li family’s housekeeper came…
She was supposed to be one of the best prospects for top universities in city A.
The old man frowned deeply, flipping through a few pages casually. Seeing clear problem-solving steps and some messy yet strong handwriting, his expression softened into relief.
“Explain yourself.”
Li Shu didn’t understand why explanation was necessary. Weakly yet seriously, she said:
“Too lazy to copy.”
Qiu Ning was shocked.
Li Shu awaited the storm, expecting punishment.
Who would have thought, she couldn’t control the situation?
Zheng Hong patted her shoulder with satisfaction. With a modulated tone, he said:
“Li Shu, I knew you wouldn’t give up on your studies! Look, you did it so well!”
Li Shu: ???
In Zheng Hong’s eyes, Li Shu had nothing to do with studying. Previously, she hadn’t done any homework during vacations or even regular assignments, including exams—she turned in blank sheets.
Zheng Hong was inexplicably moved. After all, the completely filled-in answers meant Li Shu had taken his words to heart! A child like this would never cheat. Impossible! Even if the handwriting looked like a boy’s.
Li Shu! Truly a prodigy!
Look, even if she doesn’t pay attention in class, her homework can be done so excellently! She must have attended tutoring secretly.
“The teacher knows you wouldn’t cheat. You’re not that kind of person.” He smiled, relieved, then spread the homework for the class to see. Sincerely exclaimed:
“Look at Li Shu, such a conscientious student.”
Conscientious Li Shu: …silent.
But Zheng Hong was happy. He glanced around at the class to see the spectators’ faces:
“Li Shu may have ranked last in the last exam, but I believe in the start-of-term mock exam a few days from now, she’ll shine!”
No need to announce “last place” so ceremoniously.
Li Shu: …
The old man led the applause.
The class, already rowdy at the back, joined in.
One bold student clapped loudly: “Good!”
Qiu Ning glanced at him, whispering:
“That Jiang Yi, why is he always like this?”
With him leading, the whole class joined in. The applause surged, fervent and lasting.
Qiu Ning whispered, then instinctively looked at Li Shu’s reaction for any misunderstandings.
Her deskmate wasn’t frightened. She lazily yawned—how tired must she be?
Qiu Ning frowned, incredulous under her large glasses. After hesitating a few seconds, she timidly joined in the applause.
Li Shu: …
She blankly stared at the unfamiliar yet familiar homework.
Recalling the fat internet cafe owner sighing over her homework earlier in the morning, she could not understand.
This was absurd!
Why not just open a bookstore to sell “Five Years of Simulation, Three Years of College Entrance Exam”? Why open an internet cafe?
So, even this middle-aged man has a love for studying?
……
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