Chapter 6: Is... that all there is?

The next morning, Jiang Mo woke up at six o'clock. The first thing on his mind was to save money to help Jiang Wanfeng buy a more soundproof door.

“Oh, vaguely~”

The experiences of the past few days had been overwhelming for a passionate high school boy like him. After all, as the saying goes:

“Golden leaves flow back to the brain, the pro gamer begins to think; the small head controls the big head, the body obeys the bull.”

Jiang Mo was temporarily in the stage of “brain backflow,” fiercely contesting for control of his thoughts with his smaller head. With that in mind, he finished washing up and went out for a run, releasing the energy leftover from last night. Only after his pocket contained five hundred yuan did he stop.

On the way, he bought two breakfasts. Given the chain reaction caused by the steamed buns two days ago, Jiang Mo decided to try the pancake shop next door instead. But anyone who often buys breakfast knows that if you always buy from the same place and suddenly switch shops, you must endure the dark resentment of the shop owner.

There are rivalries even among breakfast vendors; this world is full of twisted comings and goings.

“Xiao Mo, pancakes today?” The steamed bun shop owner peeked from behind the steaming basket, eyes kind but scrutinizing.

“Ah… haha, just changing up the flavor,” Jiang Mo replied awkwardly.

“What do pancakes taste like? Better than buns?” the owner pressed on.

“So-so…” Jiang Mo answered stiffly, thinking to himself that the old man was pretty good at playing the victim despite his age.

“Well, a change of flavor isn’t bad,” the owner said.

Jiang Mo found it hard to keep a straight face, forced a fake smile, and hurried home.

As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Wanfeng dragging her toothbrush around the living room. The little brush rubbed between the girl’s lips and teeth.

A girl in the early morning always had a kind of disheveled beauty—messy shirt tails, tangled hair strands, slippers worn inside out, toes curled up, and with Jiang Wanfeng’s usual disdainful gaze, a strong sense of world-weariness settled in.

It was hard to imagine that this girl, whose face screamed “keep away,” had last night...

But, well, it was a natural thing, just a casual affair.

Seeing Jiang Mo, Jiang Wanfeng tilted her head, foam from toothpaste clinging to her lips, and mumbled:

“Going for a run again?”

Seeing her like that, Jiang Mo was somewhat startled.

“Why don’t you finish rinsing before talking to me?”

“Huh?”

“You’re all fuzzy like that; it makes me embarrassed,” Jiang Mo pointed at the foam on her lips, shyly.

Jiang Wanfeng froze for a moment but quickly caught his meaning and turned beet red.

She rushed to the bathroom, rinsed her mouth, cursing under her breath, “Damn it!” She was so anxious she even choked and retched a bit—only making it more awkward.

Jiang Mo thought to himself that rinsing didn’t need to be so violent; toothpaste wasn’t really that bad-tasting.

Sweetheart, you’re actually a bit more twisted.

After Jiang Wanfeng finished, he took a shower and changed clothes. When he came out, she was already munching on her pancake.

She ate while blushing and sobbing softly, but the moment she saw Jiang Mo, she quickly composed herself, putting on a look that said, “This pancake isn’t that great either.”

Ha, dishonest woman!

Jiang Mo was almost used to her reactions, already desensitized—unless Jiang Wanfeng did something even more outrageous.

“Hey, how did you know I like ketchup on mine…” the girl asked shyly, chewing.

“Ketchup suits you better.”

“Why?”

“Because your face turns all red.”

At those words, Jiang Wanfeng’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Jiang Mo, her lips poised above the pancake but not biting, fingers trembling on the pancake.

Please don’t let him have noticed...

“You’re always so quick to anger, hot-tempered girl,” Jiang Mo added, “Red-faced and warm like a tomato.”

“Oh…”

Jiang Wanfeng’s eyes flickered nervously, then she exhaled in relief as her heartbeat returned to normal, though her emotions remained complex and heavy.

“Hey? Why are you even redder now?” Jiang Mo teased, pointing at her like a husky.

“What’s it to you!” Jiang Wanfeng punched him lightly and snorted coldly.

“I have morning grumpiness, okay?”

“Alright, alright.”

“Jiang Wanfeng, which hand do you usually eat with?”

“Right hand. What’s wrong with that?”

“Oh, nothing. I have a friend who also uses their right hand.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the right hand is more handy, right?” Jiang Mo chuckled.

“Yeah… what exactly are you trying to say?” Jiang Wanfeng’s cold eyes showed an innocent confusion.

“Nothing, just trying to learn the habits of a top student. I’ll start using my right hand too.”

“You’re crazy…”

After breakfast, the two walked to school together. When they reached the teaching building, Jiang Wanfeng handed him a test paper.

She was in the advanced class, separated from Jiang Mo by a whole building. Even before, they were worlds apart.

“There’s still a lot of room for improvement. Don’t get arrogant.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Mo took the test paper, watching Jiang Wanfeng stride away with long legs. He recalled how she stayed up late last night annotating, and her tentative reaction just now.

All he could say was that the room for improvement was indeed vast.

Although Jiang Wanfeng was thin-skinned, her vigilance was high. A slight probe would cause her to bleed like a peeled tomato.

For a tomato to peel itself and show its skin, it had to be cooked first.

Understanding her heart was truly difficult.

Young boys always fantasize about various heroic rescues, and Jiang Mo felt he was no exception.

After a few steps, Jiang Wanfeng turned back hesitantly.

“I’ve checked—usually, a score of 580 is enough for promotion. You should make it.”

“So you want to be in the same class as me?” Jiang Mo habitually teased, pointing and smirking, “You’re secretly in love with me, huh?”

“Narcissist.” The girl blushed and glared at him before walking away quickly.

Back in class, Jiang Mo was like a bucket of cold water scattering the lively atmosphere.

Because of his “unusual” behavior yesterday, he had effectively cut ties with this class.

The once noisy and chaotic classroom became fragmented and quiet.

Whispers surrounded him like besieging enemies.

“Five subjects have their scores out… Jiang Mo’s scores are almost the same as Hu Yuen’s.”

“Is he going to get promoted?”

“No way. Didn’t you forget his English is terrible? That score isn’t out yet.”

“Then why the sour face… Don’t want to stay in this class anymore?”

“Who knows… The more insecure people act like that. After trying to save face, it’s too late to regret now.”

“…”

Though spoken softly, Jiang Mo heard everything clearly—it was pure provocation. Most of these comments came from those he had scolded yesterday.

In this transitional stage at Dongxi High, all they could do was nag.

If scolding a stray dog once had no effect, there was no need to try again.

Jiang Mo thought about his imminent promotion and decided not to bother with these losers.

The scores for five subjects were posted on the wall.

Jiang Mo’s results were decent: Chinese 105, Math 120, Physics 84, Chemistry 66, Geography 85.

He was a typical science student—good at math and physics. Chemistry required too much memorization and understanding, so he hadn’t studied seriously. Geography was pure mysticism in high school; scores depended entirely on luck.

He chose geography to be lazy since biology had too much to memorize.

This time, he had truly outdone himself.

According to Jiang Wanfeng, as long as his English composition wasn’t terrible, he could approach 140.

Damn, Jiang Mo calculated—he was about to transform from a low scorer into a 600-point genius!

That would slap those idiots right in the face!

His lips twitched to a smile, but unfortunately, no one came to ask how he did. He couldn’t feign disappointment, waiting for the results to come out so he could boast and show off quietly, making money silently.

“Jiang Mo~ You did pretty well~”

“Ah, ah, not good,” Jiang Mo instinctively replied, then realized who was talking.

“Really?” Hu Yuen blinked her bright eyes and smiled softly.

“But then again~” Hu Yuen’s fox-like eyes curved like crescent moons, “Your English seems pretty bad?”

Jiang Mo wasn’t going to say anything, but Hu Yuen was too good at playing the game—she even gave him an excuse to boast.

No way was he going to lose this chance.

He had to keep a straight face and go along.

“Sigh, I just can’t beat you badly.”

Hearing this, Hu Yuen’s radiant smile suddenly turned sly and sinister.

“Hmm, let me think—who was bragging yesterday? Ah! I think they even cursed me…”

“Jiang Mo, is that all you’ve got? Just a little bit of skill?”

Saying this, Hu Yuen put out her hand, bringing her thumb and forefinger close together, making a gesture that would make any Korean cringe—“Is that… all you’ve got?”

“It’s okay, small is cute too!”

“If that’s the case, it’s not really impressive.” Seeing Jiang Mo’s expression helplessly speechless, she sighed.

She knew this was the look of a boy trying to act tough but lacking confidence.

In her eyes, Jiang Mo almost fit the profile of someone “out of control,” but since promotion was unlikely, everything would return to normal.

“Forget what I said yesterday, okay?” Hu Yuen continued, her smile fading.

“I thought you were cool yesterday…”

Jiang Mo made a face like Faker trying to hold back laughter, thinking how hard it was to keep up the act.

He needed to watch more of the crooked-mouth Dragon King. With all his skills and cheats, how could he not know how to act cool?

“Sigh, we won’t be classmates this afternoon.” Jiang Mo pretended to be disappointed.

Hearing this, Hu Yuen looked at him suspiciously, sensing something off—like he was holding back laughter.

“Are you sad to be apart from me?” she asked.

“Yeah, I regret being so harsh to you before.”

“Is that so…”

Her suspicion didn’t last long. Reality was clear: English required accumulation. With such a poor foundation, it was impossible to improve drastically in a short time.

Besides, Jiang Mo was inherently a somewhat innocent boy toward her.

Rather than doubting Jiang Mo, she simply wouldn’t doubt her own charm. This version of Jiang Mo was normal.

She thought to herself:

Yesterday’s expectations were impulsive; today’s regrets were rational choices.

Quote from Hu Yuen added!

“But sorry, no more chances,” Hu Yuen said, leaving Jiang Mo behind.

She was still quite nice.

There were three classes before English; after the last test, those who could be promoted would leave in the afternoon.

All morning, Jiang Mo barely paid attention to the teacher, realizing her lectures were not as helpful as Jiang Wanfeng’s annotations.

Childhood friends are the best!

Knowing he didn’t belong in the ordinary class and that even the teachers were subpar, he looked forward to his promotion.

Meanwhile, whispers and small collisions kept happening. Someone even bumped into him deliberately during the morning exercises.

But after a few days of extra training, Jiang Mo’s reflexes were quick. He countered with a strong elbow, sending his assailant sprawling, face red with embarrassment.

“Damn, Kobe!”

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Jiang Mo heard someone shout a name—someone calling out “Lao Da.”

Finally, the fourth period arrived, and the English teacher came in holding a stack of grade slips.

Jiang Mo felt the teacher’s gaze sweep over him as she entered—oh, the prelude to some show-off.

Sorry, teacher, I’ve been hiding my true self for two years.

“The results are out. Our class did poorly this time!”

She shook the papers to add pressure.

“First, only two people scored over 130.”

“Second… there is no second!”

“The rest all did badly!”

“I’ll call names. Come up and get your slips!”

“Liu Wei, 71 points… Did you write the English essay in pinyin?!”

“Huang Guifang, 86 points?! Come up! You were supposed to write a letter to a foreigner as Li Hua, not a letter to Li Hua! Oh my…”

“Yang Wei, 101 points! Why such a lonely score? Last semester you had 120! Were you dating?”

“…”

The scores were called from low to high. Near the end, the class grew restless.

“Hey? How much did Jiang Mo get?”

“Didn’t hear it. Maybe they skipped him? He should have been called earlier.”

“Probably…”

“Hey, Chen Jiali scored over 120!”

As they reached the high scores, the atmosphere became rowdy—each high score greeted with cheers.

As for low scores, no cheers—social etiquette. Cheering for low scores would be seen as lacking social intelligence, risking isolation or being mocked on the confession wall, with a bad song broadcasted in “celebration.”

“Ah, our class’s top scorer, Hu Yuen, 138 points, excellent!”

Suddenly, thunderous applause filled the room.

“Hu Yuen must be first!”

“As expected of her…”

Hu Yuen was beautiful, wealthy, and smart; most genuinely admired her.

She stood gracefully under the spotlight, accepting her grade slip with a smile, though only she knew how boring this was—these people hardly deserved her smile anymore.

On the way back to her seat, classmates praised her, and she responded politely.

Until the teacher spoke again, drawing the attention away from her. Her bright eyes dimmed.

“And one more student made huge progress! Also our class’s top scorer, 140 points!”

The announcement caused a stir. Everyone wondered who this amazing person was. Having Hu Yuen in the ordinary class was already shocking—could there be another hidden genius?

“Jiang Mo, come get your grade slip.”

The moment Jiang Mo’s name was called, the lively atmosphere vanished.

Everyone knew Jiang Mo broke off with the small group yesterday; troublemakers were never welcomed.

The class fell silent; even the teacher looked awkward.

Then Yang Wei, who scored 101, stood up, face red, shouting:

“Teacher! Jiang Mo couldn’t have scored that high! Something’s wrong!”

Jiang Mo glanced at him and realized this was the same guy he had elbowed during morning exercises.

Bro, go back to Gotham. Batman didn’t lie—he won’t hit you but will send Lao Da to elbow you to death.

“Yeah, teacher! Jiang Mo was always at the bottom!”

Another sharp female voice chimed in.

Hmm? What’s with that annoying noise? Try playing it at 2.5x speed.

Suddenly, the classroom buzzed with whispers like an anthill disturbed, spewing countless idle gossip.

Above me, all equal; below me, strict hierarchy.

Jiang Mo offended their social order and broke their clique rules, so naturally, they ganged up.

I once hoped to live among you as an ordinary person... but alas...

Just as Jiang Mo was about to retort with some ruthless high school insults to save face...

An untimely clear female voice rang out.

“Teacher~” Hu Yuen stood up, “Jiang Mo’s score is genuine!”

Her voice was melodious but, amid the gossip and harsh judgments, it sounded jarringly out of place.

No one expected the class’s most influential student to defend Jiang Mo. The atmosphere grew strange.

Hu Yuen ignored the stares. Her once dim fox eyes sparkled again, as if discovering a new toy.

“I know how hard he has worked!”

Jiang Mo was stunned, meeting her proud gaze.

His carefully planned act had been hijacked by someone else—and he strangely felt pleased.