Chapter 20: Perhaps It's Better Not to Drop Out After All

Inside the school, word spread quickly through the other classes that Su Xue had cried in anger because Chen Fan had failed to pick her up.

At first, everyone assumed Chen Fan would resort to his usual routine of groveling, begging, and apologizing. But when they learned that not only had he refused to bow his head, he had actually been firm enough to leave Su Xue stomping her feet in frustration and sobbing uncontrollably, the reaction of every student was essentially: o(ﾟДﾟ)っ!

Is this really the Chen Fan I know? Shouldn't he be bowing down to confess his sins, spending money to beg for her forgiveness, and pleading for her to let him off the hook? How did he suddenly become so tough and principled today? He stood his ground until Su Xue was left with no way out—is this the rise of a former doormat? Could Chen Fan be possessed, or perhaps taken over by some ancient master?

These questions swirled in everyone's minds. Many regretted not being there to witness it; they would have loved to capture such a legendary moment. They were so used to seeing Chen Fan fawning over Su Xue, trailing behind her like a dog. Who could have imagined he had such a backbone?

In Class 5, Senior Year, as Chen Fan and Huang Fei returned to the classroom, the noisy chatter died down instantly. Dozens of gazes locked onto Chen Fan. Most of the class looked at him with admiration or awe, though some carried playful or schadenfreude-filled expressions, while a few remained indifferent, waiting to see how the drama would unfold.

Su Xue already knew why Chen Fan had undergone such a drastic change in personality. Although she was seething with rage, she still maintained an expression of wounded innocence.

"Chen Fan, go back to your seat," Huang Fei said, waving his hand before turning to Su Xue, who was at the second desk of the third row. "Su Xue, come out for a moment."

Su Xue, still feigning grievance, nodded obediently. As she walked past Chen Fan, she pouted and let out a soft, indignant huff. "Hmph!"

But Chen Fan stared straight ahead, not even glancing at her as he brushed past. Su Xue froze, a flicker of surprise and resentment crossing her eyes. Once Huang Fei and Su Xue left, the quiet classroom erupted into whispers, turning into a noisy marketplace in less than half a minute.

Groups huddled together, discussing the latest gossip, from celebrity scandals to the grudges of local troublemakers. But most were whispering about Chen Fan and Su Xue; after all, their drama was far more compelling.

"Do you think Chen Fan is just faking this toughness? Maybe he's just putting on a show for us, and he'll go back to apologizing to Su Xue when they're alone."

"Forget it. You were too far away. You didn't see the look in his eyes—they were as calm as water, not a ripple of emotion. I’m certain he won't back down."

"No way. He's been chasing her for so long; who would believe he'd just give up?"

"Damn, in that short time, someone has already passed him a love letter. Now that he's looking so cool, he won't lack female attention. He could have girls throwing themselves at him just by waving his hand."

"I’ll bet a breakfast that Chen Fan won't bow down."

"I’ll bet three days of dinner that he’ll cave in privately within three days. His spine has already been bent by her for too long."

A betting pool formed in the class over whether Chen Fan would apologize within three days or continue to ignore her.

At the last desk of the fourth row, Wei Xun and three other athletes surrounded Chen Fan, looking like desperate gamblers. "Old Chen, Dazhun and the rest of us have bet that you won't cave to Su Xue within three days. Don't let us down, man!"

"Yeah, don't go running to buy her lunch the moment school ends, or I'll be buying breakfast for those art students for three days," another added.

"Me too!"

Chen Fan smiled confidently. "Don't worry, boys. Since you're betting on me, I’ll make sure you win big!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, "The teacher's coming!"

Within three seconds, the room fell dead silent. Students who had been acting like a chaotic mob scrambled back to their seats. Huang Fei walked in with a stern face, told Su Xue to return to her desk, and then scolded the class: "I was only gone for a moment, and you couldn't keep your mouths shut? This room sounds like a marketplace. We're the loudest class in the whole building..."

Chen Fan, sitting in his "boss" seat in the VIP section, had a thought: The teacher is always in his office, and it's hard to hear the classroom from there, so how does he always know we're the loudest? Hmm—one of the school's ten great mysteries!

After Huang Fei finished scolding them, he continued, "The final exam results from last semester haven't been tallied yet, but you should all have an idea of how you did. I won't call out specific students here. Wang Hao, are you still talking? Stand up! You're one of the students I'm referring to. Do you know your science scores? Physics 80, Chemistry 20, Biology 65. Your scores are like a rollercoaster, and you still have the nerve to talk..."

Wang Hao, who hadn't said a word, almost jumped up to protest. But since the teacher had just finished lecturing on discipline, he was the easiest target for his uneven performance.

For the next ten minutes, excluding Chen Fan and Su Xue, who had already been lectured, Huang Fei went down the list, critiquing every student with mediocre science scores. Not even the athletes and art students were spared. Finally, with a sore throat, he took a sip of tea and began handing out the tests.

"Hu Jiwei, 210. Li Enxu, 225. Yang Ming, 185..."

"Chen Fan, 220."

When Chen Fan's score was announced, the whole class went silent. It wasn't shock or disbelief—it was habit. Everyone knew that Chen Fan's weakest subjects were Math and English. If he performed normally, he could hit seventy in Math and fifty in English. If he failed, he'd be at the bottom of the class. His total score always hovered between trade school and third-tier college level. His science score was the only thing that gave him a fighting chance against the top students.

Chen Fan took the test and sat down. He looked calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil. He recognized every character on the paper, but combined, they were a complete mystery to him. It was truly a "heavenly book" of gibberish.

"Damn it... I'm screwed. All the knowledge from my past life was wiped clean after graduation. What am I supposed to do now? Drop out? Keep going until the college entrance exam and try for a vocational school? But at my current level, I probably couldn't even match someone else's single-subject score."

Chen Fan leaned against the wall, a bitter smile on his face.

On the podium, Huang Fei tapped the blackboard. "Since we're doing remedial lessons, we're already into the second semester of your senior year. Let’s change the seating arrangements."

The room buzzed with excitement. Those with crushes locked eyes, and friends signaled to one another. Wei Xun looked at Chen Fan, trying to communicate with his eyes, but saw Chen Fan staring blankly at the ceiling. "Old Chen, you aren't planning to use this as an excuse to make up with Su Xue, are you? If you dare, we're done... well, at least pay for the breakfast you cost me first."

Su Xue also looked at Chen Fan cautiously. When their eyes met, she blushed and quickly turned away, thinking, "Stupid Chen Fan, you're just like everyone says—acting one way in public and another in private. You definitely want to sit with me so you can apologize. Hmph, you bullied me so much; if you don't beg properly and pay back the debt in my little notebook, I won't forgive you."

Huang Fei put down his tea cup and smiled. "Go ahead and pick your seats."

The class turned into chaos as people rushed toward their crushes or friends. Only Chen Fan remained unmoved. He had accepted his reality: since he'd forgotten everything, he might as well embrace his role as a slacker. His "boss" seat was perfect for it.

Seeing Chen Fan didn't move, Wei Xun breathed a sigh of relief and scrambled over with his gear. "Son, Daddy is here!" He laughed, throwing an arm around Chen Fan’s neck. "You didn't let me down. I'll buy you a Red Bull after school!"

"Get lost, you smell like sweat. Move away."

Su Xue watched, furious, as Wei Xun intervened. Her friend Li Wan asked, "Xiao Xue, do you want me to swap with Wei Xun so Chen Fan can sit with you?"

Su Xue pouted and shook her head. "Forget it. If he doesn't take the initiative, I'm not going to make a fool of myself. Besides, I don't want to sit with him; he's just a jerk."

Li Wan could see through her, knowing her eyes were full of expectation. She sighed, "Fine, I'll go swap for you."

Just as Li Wan was about to stand up, Huang Fei tapped the blackboard again. The room went quiet. He scanned the students who had already swapped seats, a playful smile on his lips. He looked at Chen Fan, who hadn't budged, and nodded with satisfaction. This kid kept his word.

"Chen Fan, who do you want to sit with? With your score, you can still push for better."

The class turned their eyes toward Chen Fan and Su Xue. Su Xue’s hope reignited. She sat with her back to him, waiting for the words, "I want to sit with Su Xue."

"Teacher, just arrange it for me. Don't put me next to a top student; I don't want to disturb them. If there's no one else, sitting with Dazhun is fine," Chen Fan said earnestly.

Su Xue thought he was just playing hard to get. "So many hidden motives!" she thought, smiling to herself.

Huang Fei didn't dare let Chen Fan and Wei Xun sit together; they would tear the classroom down. He scanned the room and settled on the study monitor, Han Lingling. "You sit with Han Lingling."

"Fine!"

With Chen Fan's seat settled, the class lost interest. Su Xue slumped in her chair, dejected. "Chen Fan, you're so stupid. If you had just asked to sit with me, even if the teacher didn't agree, he would have placed you in front of or behind me. You're trying to play games, but the teacher sees right through you, idiot!"

After the seating was finalized, Huang Fei broke up several other couples and groups of friends. He then turned to Han Lingling, a quiet, cold-looking girl with a cute bun hairstyle.

Chen Fan set his books down and smiled at her. "Please take care of me!"

Han Lingling just stared ahead, ignoring him, before he slumped over on his desk. "Rude," she murmured, her ears turning red as she snuck a glance at him.

A few minutes later, Huang Fei shouted, "Class begins!" Everyone sat up straight, even Chen Fan, who felt a strange urge to focus.

"Open your test papers. We'll set Biology and Chemistry aside for now. Let's look at Physics..."

Chen Fan stared at the paper, his posture perfect, but as soon as he looked at the words, a wave of exhaustion hit him. He dropped his head and fell fast asleep.