Ruan Huaning · Chat

Morning reading was still underway, and the whole classroom simply couldn't settle down — the noise rose in wave after wave. Some held up their textbooks and whispered to one another, discussing the exercises they hadn't finished writing last night; a few boys in the front rows huddled together chuckling quietly, occasionally failing to hold their voices down and bursting out with laughter; others secretly nibbled on breakfast during the reading period, the rustling of crumpled plastic bags and the faint sounds of chewing blending into the reading voices in a messy jumble. Most people had recitation content on their lips, but their minds were nowhere near their books. The entire classroom was a noisy din, without the slightest hint of the quiet atmosphere a morning reading period should have. Ruan Huaning sat in her seat, utterly unaffected by the commotion around her. She propped her textbook upright in front of her, lowered her eyes, and combed through her notes word by word. The noise around her was like a layer of blurred background sound; she stayed quiet from beginning to end, her pen tip occasionally sketching marks and annotations across the pages, wholly immersed in her own rhythm. Just when the voices were at their loudest, a soft knock came at the classroom's front door. The moment the teacher stepped in, the conversations and giggles that had been rising and falling abruptly cut off. The classmate chewing breakfast hastily stuffed the food into their desk drawer, and the hand crumpling a plastic bag froze mid-motion. Within a few seconds, the clamorous classroom quickly fell silent, and dozens of pairs of eyes turned in unison toward the doorway. The homeroom teacher led the way, with a girl in a clean school uniform at their side. The girl's posture was tall and straight, her brow and eyes exceptionally striking, her features delicate and soft, her skin fair. Simply standing there quietly, she instantly captured most of the room's attention. Unlike the shyness of an ordinary transfer student, her demeanor was relaxed and composed; her back was held straight, without a trace of unease, and her gaze was calm and open, as if she had long been used to being watched. It was only when Ruan Huaning heard the sudden hush of stifled sighs across the room that she briefly pulled herself away from her book. She looked up and cast a faint glance toward the podium, taking in the girl's stunning looks in a single instant. A faint flicker of surprise and curiosity passed through her heart, but she didn't linger on it. She quickly withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyes back into her exercises. The homeroom teacher looked at the students below, who were holding their breath as they sized up the newcomer, a gentle smile at the corners of their lips. Raising a hand to indicate the girl beside them, a clear voice echoed through the quiet classroom: "Allow me to introduce everyone — this is a new classmate who just transferred to our class. For the coming period, she'll be charging toward the college entrance exam shoulder to shoulder with all of you. Let's welcome her with applause." A neat round of applause rose in response. As the sound gradually faded, the teacher turned to the poised, pretty girl beside them and said softly: "Come on, give your classmates a brief self-introduction." As the homeroom teacher's words fell, the strikingly beautiful girl beside them stepped forward composedly and began her self-introduction with neither conceit nor timidity, her tone steady and clear, not a hint of nervousness. "Hello everyone. I've come over from the key class at City No. 1 High School. During my time at No. 1 High, my grades have consistently ranked at the top of my grade year — I'm generally recognized as one of the school's top-performing students. This time, transferring to your class isn't simply to sit in as a guest student and prepare for the exam; I've been entrusted by the principal of No. 1 High and came here carrying a mission." She paused, her gaze sweeping calmly across the senior students buried in their practice papers below, then continued: "The principal hopes that during this period I'll observe the students in this class and screen out those with exceptional all-around strength and outstanding learning potential, then later recommend them to join the key class at No. 1 High and study alongside everyone there. This also includes those who met the admission score line on the high school entrance exam back then and successfully got into No. 1 High, but ultimately couldn't enroll for various reasons. If they're willing, I'll register them all and report them together." The moment her words fell, a wave of suppressed murmuring instantly stirred through the classroom below. Everyone's gaze toward her carried a shade more awe and envy. Even Ruan Huaning, who had kept her head down reading all along, couldn't help lifting her eyes once more to take a serious look at the girl on the podium. The stifled, fragmented conversations in the classroom burst open in an instant, and the once-quiet classroom was set thoroughly rippling. Quite a few students unconsciously straightened their backs and tightened their grips on their pens, unable to hide the excitement and nervousness in their eyes. Being able to enter the key class at City No. 1 High School was an opportunity everyone dreamed of — a place with the city's finest teaching staff and advancement rates. No one wanted to miss this rare quota. Some secretly exchanged glances with their deskmates and whispered to ask whether they had made the No. 1 High admission line back then; others nervously flipped through last month's exam results, privately comparing their rankings. This time, Ruan Huaning, who had kept her head buried in her book, didn't lower her head again right away. She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze settling clearly on the calm, composed girl at the podium, and a hint of surprise rose in her heart. She had indeed gotten into No. 1 High back then, but because of family circumstances she had ultimately chosen to stay at this school. That remark just now, aimed at the students who hadn't enrolled, had pierced right into her. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the page as she quietly listened to the murmurs rising and falling around her. The homeroom teacher lightly tapped the podium to signal everyone to quiet down and added with a smile: "No need to get too worked up, everyone. This classmate will be spending some time with us, and on a daily basis she'll be paying attention to everyone's classroom performance and past exam results. As long as your own strength is solid, you'll all have a chance to be selected. It's a fair screening — nothing else is considered, only hard results." The beautiful girl on the podium gave a slight nod. Her cool, striking eyes swept over the entire class, and her tone was calm and unruffled, without a shred of arrogance: "I won't draw conclusions based on a single exam. Monthly exams, weekly quizzes, and in-class answering performance — I'll record all of it. Classmates who once got into No. 1 High but didn't come can find me after class to register their information, and I'll make separate notes. Once the screening list is confirmed later, I'll report it all to the principal of No. 1 High, and those who pass the review can go to the key class at No. 1 High to take part in the studies." The agitation below still hadn't subsided. The few students in the front rows who had long held top spots in their grade had eyes full of eagerness to try their luck, and even those with ordinarily average grades quietly tightened their grips on their practice books, silently resolving to seize every upcoming test. For a moment, within the bitter scent of test papers and ink that filled the classroom, a layer of heavy anticipation was added. The homeroom teacher raised a hand and lightly tapped the podium to press down the rising whispers. Their gaze swept around the classroom once and finally came to rest on the empty seat beside Ruan Huaning — the only vacant spot left in the entire room. The desk and chair were wiped clean, the only place in the class where someone could be settled. "The only empty seat in the class right now is the one next to Ruan Huaning. Take this seat for now, and let me know if you need anything." The bell rang before long, and the break after morning self-study officially arrived. The instant the homeroom teacher left the classroom, many students immediately crowded around the podium, surrounding the new girl to ask about the details — some pressed for the selection standards, some nervously confirmed their own admission status from back then. Ruan Huaning didn't crowd forward to join the excitement. She simply sat quietly in place, watching the bright, eye-catching figure surrounded by the crowd, her thoughts in disarray. The regret of giving up No. 1 High surged through her heart once more. She silently opened her mistake notebook — but this time, she could no longer immerse herself in the book the way she had just moments ago, single-mindedly absorbed.