Xu Zhiye · Chat

The midsummer wind came rushing in, carrying rolling waves of heat that slapped against their faces. The air shimmered with scorching warmth, and the cicadas in the treetops chirped raucously and without end, adding an inescapable layer of irritation to the entire summer. A stuffy, sweltering season always brings all kinds of fresh news with it. Early that morning, Xu Zhiye, Jiang Shuyi, Cai Jiayan, and Chen Qingrang walked together along the sidewalk toward Qingjiang High School. Students hurried past in groups along the way, and fragments of hushed conversation drifted into their ears—everyone was talking about how the school would be welcoming a new transfer student today. Chen Qingrang and Cai Jiayan were betting on whether the transfer student was a boy or a girl. Jiang Shuyi watched them mess around with a smile, while Xu Zhiye seemed completely uninterested today. The four split up and headed to their own classes. Xu Zhiye and Cai Jiayan walked into the Class 13 classroom together and took their seats. The noisy morning reading period hadn't started yet, and the classroom was in complete disarray. Before long, their homeroom teacher, Teacher Cheng, pushed the door open and walked in, followed by an unfamiliar figure. Qingjiang High School had always had a clear rule: all new students transferring in mid-term had to be placed in Class 13 for a one-week adaptation period, and only after the monthly exam results came out the following week would they be reassigned to classes matching their individual levels based on their score rankings. In the now-quiet classroom, the transfer student's steady, clear self-introduction rang out from the podium, each word landing distinctly in everyone's ears. Xu Zhiye, seated by the window, lounged lazily over his desk, too lazy to even lift his eyelids, showing no intention of looking up at any point. Cai Jiayan, sitting beside him, stared at the person at the podium with keen interest. He turned sideways, raised his arm, and gently nudged Xu Zhiye's arm with his elbow, grinning as he lowered his voice: "Xu Shao, you sure you're not going to look up? If you don't look up, I guarantee you'll regret it!"