The news that Zhou Xiu might transfer to the Rocket Class had already spread throughout the entire class.
During registration, after the Rocket Class homeroom teacher finished outlining the new semester’s plans, he inadvertently let slip:
“There might be a new student joining our class this semester, and you probably won’t find them unfamiliar.”
The top students fell into an uneasy silence.
Could it be Zhou Xiu?
It wasn’t uncommon for students to be shuffled around after exams. Sometimes, even Rocket Class students who performed poorly would be moved to a parallel class. However, due to the need for maintaining discipline and a high college admission rate, the Rocket Class had remained stable for the past two years, with very few new additions.
If this new student was indeed Zhou Xiu, even the usually aloof top students couldn’t stay calm.
Lu Lingshan remarked, “I just saw the homeroom teacher hand the application form to Zhou Xiu in the office. It’s almost certain that she’s the new student.”
The Rocket Class exploded with chatter, the students secretly discussing the news with fervor.
The scene from the gymnasium’s year-end awards ceremony, where the top students had walked past while being thanked one by one by the underachievers from Class 24, was still fresh in everyone’s minds.
The mocking voices from that day seemed to echo in their ears. If Zhou Xiu transferred to the Rocket Class, a dramatic clash was almost guaranteed.
Li Simiao, who had performed poorly on the final exams, and a few other students had been preparing to redeem themselves in the upcoming monthly exams, but this sudden news left them feeling awkward.
Li Simiao and Xu Haobo exchanged looks.
Li Simiao sighed, “Does this mean that before we’ve even defeated our opponent, they’ve become one of us?”
Xu Haobo could only shrug helplessly.
Qi Yaguang was surprised, “Is Zhou Xiu really transferring to the Rocket Class so soon?”
Wouldn’t that mean they’d see her every day from now on?
Qi Yaguang had thought they would wait until after this semester’s midterms to determine whether Zhou Xiu was qualified to join the Rocket Class.
While her final exam results were impressive, her monthly exam scores were hardly noteworthy.
One of the top students questioned, “Isn’t it a bit hasty to let her into the Rocket Class based on just her final exam performance?”
Someone else murmured, “It might be good to have her, though. Her science scores seem pretty strong.”
A student turned to Xie Cheng and asked, “Xie Cheng, what do you think about us possibly getting a new classmate?”
Xie Cheng, twirling his pen between his fingers, responded nonchalantly, “What could I possibly think?”
Xie Cheng had been out of town when Zhou Xiu had challenged the Rocket Class, so he hadn’t participated in the agreement.
Zhou Xiu’s success had no impact on him.
His voice was calm, “She’s more than welcome.”
The top students were taken aback.
Xie God, you can’t just side with Zhou Xiu like that—just because she’s good at math doesn’t mean you should be so easily swayed!
On Monday, as Qi Yaguang was reading in the corridor, he sighed to Lu Lingshan, “Zhou Xiu is going to join our class. It feels so strange—I’m not ready to be her classmate.”
Lu Lingshan frowned slightly and said, “I’m not too keen on her joining our class. She seems like someone who stirs up trouble.”
One of Lu Lingshan’s admirers nodded in agreement, “She gives off an unapproachable vibe. Last semester, when Shanshan had a stomach-ache and didn’t perform well, Zhou Xiu scored full marks in math.”
“And then, her classmates spent the entire winter break belittling Shanshan for it. What’s so great about being good at math? Zhou Xiu’s English is still terrible, isn’t it?”
The underachievers in Class 24 were really petty. They aced one or two exams and their egos inflated to the sky—so arrogant.
The top students of the Rocket Class were still processing the idea of Zhou Xiu potentially joining them when, after morning reading, the underachievers from Class 24 lazily made their way downstairs in pairs or groups to the school store.
Just as they were brimming with pride, they overheard the Rocket Class students badmouthing Zhou Xiu.
The underachievers were stunned.
They were reluctant to let Zhou Xiu go, and yet the Rocket Class was actually dismissing her?
Yu Qingyan said, “Sorry to disappoint you, but Zhou Xiu really doesn’t care about joining the Rocket Class. She’s staying in our class.”
A few underachievers nodded in agreement, puffing out their chests proudly, “She’ll do just fine in Class 24, and she’ll keep beating you in the monthly exams.”
The top students in the corridor, hearing the underachievers’ boastful claims, all turned to look at them.
Even Zhou Xiu herself probably wouldn’t dare to make such a bold statement, would she?
Hua Xu, having overheard the Rocket Class boys’ comments, responded casually, “Zhou Xiu’s English won’t stay weak if she stays in Class 24.”
“But as for Lu Lingshan—” Hua Xu’s tone shifted.
“If you don’t start working harder, your math might not even catch up to Zhou Xiu’s English. Xiu-xiu has been putting a lot of effort into improving her English.”
Du Feiyang whistled and walked upstairs, suppressing a laugh.
Other top students, upon hearing that Zhou Xiu wasn’t transferring, were equally surprised:
“Zhou Xiu’s not coming to the Rocket Class after all?”
The Rocket Class, a place where everyone fought tooth and nail to get in, was something she just casually turned down.
Did she even realize what she was missing out on? Was she so arrogant that she thought the Rocket Class wasn’t worth her time anymore?
The top students felt a mix of emotions.
It was truly a dilemma—whether Zhou Xiu joined or didn’t join, they were conflicted either way.
Xie Cheng, sipping his milk in the corridor, tossed the carton into the trash, a faint smile on his usually aloof face:
“That’s more like Zhou Xiu.”
If she didn’t want to come, she wouldn’t.
Someone capable of simultaneously taking on two competitions wouldn’t care about her surroundings.
In Class 24, the underachievers returned with armfuls of snacks. Yu Qingyan scratched her head, suddenly remembering to tell Zhou Xiu, “Just now, when we went to buy snacks, we ran into some Rocket Class students.”
“They seem to think your grades aren’t good enough to join their class, so I told them, ‘Xiu-xiu’s staying in Class 24, and she’ll keep beating you in the monthly exams.’”
She looked at Zhou Xiu, who was working on a test paper, and swallowed nervously, asking, “Xiu-xiu, was it okay for me to say that?”
Talking big might feel good in the moment, but if it backfired, the embarrassment would be hard to live down.
Yu Qingyan belatedly remembered that Zhou Xiu had two competitions this semester, which probably wouldn’t leave much time to prepare for the monthly exams.
Zhou Xiu’s pen didn’t pause as she glanced at Yu Qingyan’s concerned expression and said lightly, “It’s fine.”
Although this semester was packed with two time-consuming competitions, Zhou Xiu, who was always worried about her tuition fees, wouldn’t miss out on the rewards for doing well in the monthly exams. The rewards might not be as high as for the competitions, but every little bit helped.
Yu Qingyan still hesitated by Zhou Xiu’s desk.
After finishing one problem, Zhou Xiu reached out and patted her head, flashing her small canines in a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best on the exams.”
Only then did Yu Qingyan relax and return to her seat.
The boys sitting in front, behind, and beside Zhou Xiu had never really found Zhou Xiu’s gestures particularly endearing before, but now—
They quietly turned their heads back, clutching their chests:
Damn, how could a top student be so cute?
With lips as red as cherries, white teeth, and eyes that seemed to twinkle like stars when she smiled, she was simply adorable.
They all secretly wished they could be patted on the head too.
Du Feiyang, who had been complaining to Tan Ming about how his goddess had been badmouthing Zhou Xiu, suddenly turned and patted Tan Ming on the shoulder:
“I think it’s time for you to find a new goddess.”
He rambled on, “Look, isn’t Xiu-xiu exactly your type? She’s better-looking than Lu Lingshan, has better grades…”
Hearing this, Tan Ming, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, quickly averted his gaze from Zhou Xiu, not daring to look at her for even a second longer.
He covered Du Feiyang’s mouth and said through gritted teeth, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Du Feiyang glanced at Tan Ming’s face, full of murderous intent, as if he was ready to kill him if he said another word wrong.
In a panic, Du Feiyang frantically shook his head, mumbling, until Tan Ming finally released his grip on Du Feiyang’s throat.
Du Feiyang gasped for breath, coughing for a long time before he managed to say, “Damn, I was just joking.”
“Why did you have such a big reaction?”
…
On Monday, all the students returned to school after the winter break.
Zhang Qi told his friends in class about how Zhou Xiu had become much more attractive.
“Seriously, when I saw her, I didn’t know where to look.”
The classmates who hadn’t seen Zhou Xiu since the start of the semester were indifferent.
Some even thought Zhang Qi was seeing her through the thick filter of admiration for a top student.
Zhou Xiu was just that math whiz from the class next door who had recently risen to fame, right? Could she really be as beautiful as Lu Lingshan? In their minds, she was just an ordinary girl.
The class monitor said, “Zhang Qi, I know you admire top students who are good at math, but—”
She paused, letting her silence speak volumes.
Zhang Qi shook his head, not wanting to argue. “What men find attractive is different from what women do—”
For instance, he thought Hua Xu was attractive because of her great figure.
Zhou Xiu’s beauty was pure, like water—she could be both innocent and alluring, making people want to protect her. Compared to her, Lu Lingshan seemed like just a little girl.
The monitor couldn’t help but smile, “If Zhou Xiu were that pretty, would Lu Lingshan have been able to overshadow her like that?”
“She seems so pitiful. It’s like she doesn’t know how to do anything except study.”
Another girl in the class said, “Her grades are good, but that’s because she sacrifices so much time. Every time I pass by her classroom, she’s almost always studying.”
“Living like that, clinging to every minute and second, is just like going to one of those top schools like No. 4 High School. I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
“Xi Shaoyuan doesn’t even need to study, and he still ranked fourth in the grade last semester,” another classmate commented.
Lying on his desk, Xi Shaoyuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the room. The classmates who met his displeased gaze quickly fell silent.
In the corner, Xi Shaoyuan chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head.
…
After school, Xi Shaoyuan went to play a game of basketball.
Tan Ming, who was on the school team, was utterly defeated, with Xi Shaoyuan stealing all the glory. The screams of adoration from the girls around the court were deafening.
Tan Ming asked, “What’s gotten into you?”
“It’s boring,” Xi Shaoyuan replied.
He tossed the basketball aside, didn’t even bother to change out of his jersey, and slung his backpack over his shoulder before leaving the school.
Tan Ming’s face slowly twisted into a series of question marks. “…”
Why did he suddenly feel like punching someone?
Xi Shaoyuan walked through the bustling streets, everything so familiar, except that the person who used to walk beside him was no longer there.
He went to see “Frozen II” again, even though it had already been taken out of theatres.
The cinema manager personally arranged a private screening for the young master of the company, working up a sweat to set it all up. He reserved an entire theatre for Xi Shaoyuan.
After the movie ended, Xi Shaoyuan walked out of the theatre.
A group of young girls spotted the boy in the blue jersey with a backpack, his handsome face as striking as a movie star’s. They couldn’t resist pulling out their phones to snap pictures.
“Which school’s heartthrob is this? How can someone be this handsome?”
He must be the kind of boy who leaves an indelible mark on many girls’ memories, just looking at him brings a sense of joy.
Coincidentally, the song “Chasing the Light” was playing from one of the nearby restaurants: “If you are a distant star river, so dazzling it makes me want to cry.”
A girl on her way to school couldn’t help but quietly follow the handsome boy, eager to find out which school he attended.
She followed him to the traffic light, where the handsome boy pulled out his phone, only to disappear into the crowd as the light turned green.
Xi Shaoyuan’s phone rang. It was a call from the butler: “Young Master, I’ve found a shop for the Zhou family. You can rest assured.”
The song continued, “I can follow behind you like a shadow chasing light, sleepwalking through dreams.”
“I can wait at this intersection, whether or not you pass by.”
After finishing the call, he snapped his phone shut, and the photo of Zhou Xiu on his screen vanished.
The one who shines is actually Zhou Xiu.
She was slowly shedding the dust of her past, becoming like a star, illuminating others in the night. She would become light, but she would never be the light that illuminated him.
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