Chapter Twenty: Flirting in Class

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Fu Xinxin arrived in the classroom at seven thirty in the morning. As both group leader and math class representative, she bore multiple responsibilities. Every day, she arrived early to collect the homework assigned by the teachers the day before. As the math representative, she gathered all the math assignments to hand over to the old math teacher. In truth, being a class officer was nothing but hard labor under a fancy name...

After placing her backpack at her seat, she habitually glanced at the desk behind her. It was still empty. She wondered if he would come to class today. It had been exactly a week since he last fought Wang Yu...

Last night, before going to bed, Zhuo Nan laid out all his textbooks and communicated with his super brain. The scene was as follows: Zhuo Lanlan was already asleep, while Zhuo Nan sat at his desk, spreading out his books and thinking, “Come up with something, help me get into a good high school in the entrance exams.”

As Zhuo Nan imagined it, the brain looked down on those textbooks, utterly conceited: “Pfft, what is this? How about becoming the first in the country to score full marks in the high school entrance exam? If you finish reading university-level advanced mathematics, I’ll use it to solve your middle school problems during the test. You’ll make headlines—every top school will rush to admit you…”

“Can’t you keep a low profile?” Zhuo Nan thought to himself. “Wait, you said I should study—but why not just take control of me directly?”

Still in Zhuo Nan’s imagination, the brain replied sheepishly, “I can’t do that!”

“Pffft…” Zhuo Nan nearly spat blood like a character from a farce.

“Come on, aren’t you supposed to be super? Like the kind that wears red underwear on the outside… How can you not know middle school material?”

“It’s not that I don’t know it. I need someone to input information for me to compute. If you don’t read, I can’t process anything. How am I supposed to calculate?”

Zhuo Nan finally understood—the so-called super brain was essentially a powerful calculator… “Fine, fine, you win. I’ll read right now. But you have to promise I’ll get into a good high school. I don’t need a perfect score—just a key school will do.”

The brain perked up: “No problem! As long as you input the data, I can calculate everything with all kinds of methods. Heh heh…”

Damn it, what a disappointment…

Zhuo Nan looked like a panda. Last night, he was talked into studying by his super brain, reading until past three in the morning before going to bed, only to be woken up by Wang Liru at seven. Wearing a pair of “sunglasses,” he shouldered his backpack and headed out. He’d already missed a week of classes. Still, last night’s intensive effort paid off—he’d read his math textbook cover to cover. Now, even the toughest problems were no match for him.

As Zhuo Nan walked to school, looking harmless enough, everyone on the way was filled with surprise, instinctively making way for him in the middle of the road—whether they were from the elementary, junior, or even high school division.

The moment Zhuo Nan left home with his backpack, if carrier pigeons still existed, the first person to spot him would have sent word to the school immediately. Although there were no pigeons, news still traveled fast.

“Brother Nan is out!”—this was the most frequently circulated news in the school that morning. If there were an annual top ten news ranking for the School for the Children of Steelworkers, this news would certainly be among the top three.

Zhuo Nan walked “alone” along the road to school, head bowed as usual, looking every bit the pondering scholar.

From a distance came the sound of a bell—a young woman was riding a bicycle, taking her small child to school, who looked to be in first grade. Zhuo Nan walked in the middle of the road while the woman kept ringing her bell. The students on both sides of the path began to pray for her and the cute little brother, though they were more interested in watching the show unfold. According to the usual script, it should go like this…

Everyone imagined a cloud forming over their heads, picturing the scene: “Just as the bike was one meter behind Zhuo Nan, he would suddenly turn around and kick the bicycle over, then point at the woman—now pale with fear—lying on the ground, and shout, ‘Damn it, why ring the bell when I’m walking here?’”

But for some reason, the script was changed. When the bicycle was one meter behind Zhuo Nan, it stopped. The woman put her feet on the ground, straddled the bike, and yelled at Zhuo Nan with obvious displeasure, “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me ringing so many times?”

Although things weren’t going as usual, the students believed that Brother Nan would surely treat them to an even more spectacular show. Yet…

“Sorry, I was thinking about something and didn’t hear you. Are you both alright?” Zhuo Nan asked quietly, head lowered.

At first, the woman didn’t recognize Zhuo Nan. Otherwise, even ten times as much courage wouldn’t have made her speak to him like that. Seeing Zhuo Nan respond so politely, she stood there with her mouth forming a perfect O. The students on both sides, eager to watch the drama, wore the same expression.

Before Zhuo Nan even reached the school gate, the second rumor had already spread: “Brother Nan has lost his mind…”

Rumors spread like wildfire, and everyone speculated—had Brother Nan been beaten foolish in detention? In the end, this explanation was the most convincing… Ah, our wise Brother Nan, how could you have such a tragic fate…

Zhuo Nan glanced at the students lining the road and shook his head helplessly. Changing himself was the thought that occupied him most during detention. With the chance at a new life, he could not repeat his old mistakes. To rewrite his fate was his true mission.

Entering the school gates, the four-story teaching building came into view. The first two floors belonged to the elementary division, the third to the junior high, and the fourth to the high school. At that moment, every floor except the first was crowded with students leaning over the railings, all eager to witness Brother Nan’s return to the stage.

As he passed beneath the building, all the boys from Grade 9, Class 2—Zhuo Nan’s class—led by Shi Yang, raised their arms and chanted, “Brother Nan! Brother Nan! Brother Nan!”

In the past, Zhuo Nan would have stopped, thrown down his backpack, and basked in the attention, arms wide open to enjoy the adulation. But now, he only smiled faintly and walked upstairs without even looking up.

He left the crowd above dumbfounded… Some began to whisper, “Did Brother Nan really lose his mind…”

Shi Yang bristled at the comment. “Shut up!” At Shi Yang’s fierce glare, no one dared say another word. In the junior division, Zhuo Nan was the boss, and Shi Yang was his right-hand man.

While others thought Zhuo Nan had become a fool, Fu Xinxin believed that this was how Zhuo Nan ought to be. He was a student—why act like a gangster boss? Unlike the others, Fu Xinxin rather admired the new Zhuo Nan.

When Zhuo Nan reached the classroom door, his close friends surrounded him at once. “Brother Nan, how was it inside? Did anything happen…” Zhuo Nan simply smiled and said nothing. Shi Yang grew anxious and shouted, “Brother Nan, say something!”

Zhuo Nan smiled at his friends and said, “What’s there to say? Let’s focus on our lessons and strive hard every day.” With that, he turned and entered the classroom, returning to his seat.

Everyone looked at one another, then dispersed, each returning to their own business.

When the first period bell rang, Zhuo Nan took out his textbook. It was time for math, and the old math teacher was also their homeroom teacher. Seeing Zhuo Nan, he asked, “Zhuo Nan, you’re here?”

Zhuo Nan stood up respectfully, “Yes, sir, I’m here.”

The old math teacher was also taken aback by Zhuo Nan’s transformation, pausing for two seconds. “Good, good, you’re here.” He really didn’t know what else to say. Zhuo Nan’s case was beyond the school’s reach—so long as he attended class, nothing more needed to be said.

While the teacher turned to write on the blackboard, Fu Xinxin seized the moment to toss a note onto Zhuo Nan’s desk. Before he could look up at her, she had already sat straight, a faint smile on her lips. Opening the note, he saw: “Did you suffer inside? I heard it’s scary in there.”

Zhuo Nan quickly wrote back, “You can see I’m fine—don’t believe the rumors.”

He waited for the teacher to turn again, then tossed the note back.

“I feel you’ve changed…”

“Isn’t change a good thing?”

Fu Xinxin pondered for a long time before finally writing, “It’s very good—I like the way you are now…”

Zhuo Nan opened the note, wearing a serious expression, but inside he was laughing, “This little minx is falling for me—time to bring some joy to your lonely heart, hahaha…”

“What do you like about me?”

At this, Fu Xinxin blushed. Zhuo Nan’s question was direct, but she gritted her teeth and wrote, “I just like you—you’re special, not like other boys.”

Hmm… Haha, the little minx took the bait. This morning’s act really drew her attention…

Zhuo Nan happily wrote, “Xinxin, I like you too. Let’s be together.”

The little girl, upon reading the note, was startled. She quickly hid the note under her seat, afraid anyone else might see it. Seeing Fu Xinxin so quiet, Zhuo Nan wondered if he’d been too forward and scared her off. But soon, Fu Xinxin tossed back another note with just one word: “Okay.”

Zhuo Nan knew he had succeeded…