Chapter 006: Occasionally Revealing Excellence

Yang Zhiling, as steady as a mountain, would never let Qi Yue have her way so easily. She shielded her chest with both hands, blocking her friend's mischievous claws.

She whispered, in a voice only the two could hear, relentless as ever, “So, you took over her bed—did you take over her as well?”

“Oh, you sly little thing. Who knew you’d turn so quietly flirtatious these days!” Qi Yue teased, ready to make another move.

Seeing she was about to be outmatched, Yang Zhiling finally pleaded, “Alright! Alright! I’ll stop teasing you! Seriously though, is it true you can find so much information on the internet with a computer?”

“Of course! Otherwise, how do you think that dummy managed to translate that so-called ‘Chinese-style’ version?” Qi Yue replied offhandedly, unwittingly hitting close to the truth.

Lin Yu’s ability to produce that Chinese-style translation was, in fact, thanks to the powerful search engine in his mind.

Hearing this, Yang Zhiling’s eyes lit up. She spoke eagerly, “How about I come to your house every day after school? I really want to learn computers, but at home, the Empress Dowager won’t let me touch ours.”

“No problem. But after school, I go with Lin Yu to train at the Taekwondo dojo. By the time I get home, it’s usually almost eight,” Qi Yue replied casually.

“So late?” Yang Zhiling was a little disappointed.

Qi Yue grinned, fished out a set of keys, tossed them to Yang Zhiling, and said, “Here, a set of keys for you! Now the three of us each have our own. Your place is right below mine, so whenever you want to use the computer, just come upstairs. My mom’s in Australia. My dad’s at the seaside villa with some vixen, so you don’t need to worry about running into them.”

“Haha, aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your stuff?” Yang Zhiling took the keys without ceremony, joking.

Qi Yue was her only close friend. After both moved to new homes in their final year, they discovered they lived in the same building—Yang Zhiling just one floor below Qi Yue. Their bedrooms were separated only by a wall, the layouts identical.

“Then I’ll make you my concubine!” Qi Yue retorted, her hands boldly reaching for Yang Zhiling’s thigh.

Lin Yu, who had been watching their playful antics, felt a tickle in his heart, wickedly imagining what it would be like to have a threesome with these two girls. But a clear, melodic bell soon shattered his impure thoughts.

Accompanied by the crisp ring, a middle-aged woman in casual clothes appeared at the doorway of Class 7, Grade 3.

This woman was none other than He Jing, the homeroom teacher of Class 7, who had led the class for nearly three years and taught Chinese. Her stern demeanor had left a deep impression on all the students, so much so that most held her in awe.

Flipping through the faded photos of memory, Lin Yu recalled He Jing. Back then, this homeroom teacher had summoned his parents more times than he could count. Each time, she never said a kind word about him, and after every parental visit, his father would mete out a double dose of discipline—both stick and fist.

Yet Lin Yu harbored no resentment toward He Jing. She was upright, always focused on the issue rather than the person. In private, she never looked down on anyone for poor grades—a quality rare among teachers.

He Jing didn’t barge into the classroom just because she was the homeroom teacher. She waited until Tom, the foreign teacher, announced the end of class before slowly entering.

Upon entering, she immediately noticed Lin Yu standing beside the podium and asked, “Why are you being punished again?”

“Punished? Not at all! I came up to answer a question. I did well, so the foreign teacher had me stand here to receive applause,” Lin Yu shamelessly replied.

“You answered a question?” He Jing looked skeptical and quietly asked the two girls seated near the door. After confirming their story, she gazed at Lin Yu in surprise, thinking, Has he finally shown some promise? In three years, this is the first time he’s answered a question up front. Unable to resist, she looked toward the blackboard.

But once she saw what was written, He Jing’s severely nearsighted eyes couldn’t look away.

Finding Lin Yu’s scribbled handwriting hard to read, she stepped up to the podium and carefully copied out the Chinese-style verses line by line. Then she wiped away the distracting scrawl with the eraser, finally taking time to ponder the poetry.

After a long while, she looked up at Lin Yu and said coldly, “Lin Yu, you’ve lied to me again, haven’t you?”

“No, really! I wrote it myself. Everyone can vouch for me!” Lin Yu spread his hands in innocent protest, looking as aggrieved as Dou E in the heat of June.

He Jing, still stern, said, “I’m not talking about that. What you wrote is Chinese-style poetry—Tom, an American who can’t even speak Mandarin, couldn’t possibly understand it. So how could he have you up front for applause?”

“Uh…” Lin Yu was speechless, unsure how to respond.

He Jing, however, didn’t get angry or press further. Instead, she said, “This translation is excellent. Even if you memorized it, it’s not easy. Go back to your seat. Keep working hard. Many have changed their lives through effort after a turning point. I hope you make the most of your last month of senior year. Even if you score a bit higher and get into a third-tier university or college, your parents’ efforts won’t be in vain.”

After this, He Jing tapped the blackboard and said, “I originally came to take attendance. But seeing Lin Yu’s remarkable Chinese-style verses, as a Chinese teacher, I can’t help but say a few more words. So today, no roll call. I’ll analyze this poem with everyone, then dismiss class.”

Aside from Yang Zhiling and Qi Yue, who were mentally prepared, the rest of the class was stunned, nearly gaping in disbelief. They all knew how much weight He Jing’s praise carried.

Everyone now turned their attention to Lin Yu, who had returned to his seat in the last row, seeing him in a new light and quietly marveling that appearances can be deceiving.

Of course, some believed Lin Yu was simply lucky this time, catching a rare break. Others, usually top students, felt a twinge of jealousy. But as they remembered they’d likely get into prestigious universities, while Lin Yu might only manage a mediocre score and a college at best, their irritation faded.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu himself was lost in memories.

He Jing’s words reminded him of how his father, to get him into high school, misappropriated public funds to pay hefty sponsorship fees, only to be reported by rivals, causing a severe setback in his career.

At that time, Lin Yu’s parents hadn’t planned for him to attend high school. But all Lin Yu’s friends had spent a hundred thousand yuan for a chance at admission. If he didn’t go, he’d lose face. He threatened his parents with his life until they gave in.

Recalling the event that haunted him for half his life, Lin Yu felt deeply pained, unconsciously clenching his fists, vowing silently, “Since fate has brought me back to this moment, I will change everything!”

Soon, He Jing finished analyzing the poem. She praised Lin Yu as someone usually unimpressive but occasionally brilliant. Then she announced the end of class and strode out swiftly, far more briskly than when she arrived.

Now, some girls in the class glanced at Lin Yu with changed eyes. Many began to imagine him as the figure in that Chinese-style translation, seeing him no longer as the hotheaded troublemaker of before.

As soon as the bell rang, Qi Yue quickly kissed Yang Zhiling, then darted over to Lin Yu like a little bird, saying warmly, “Come on, let’s go to the dojo.”

“No, not today. I want to go home early,” Lin Yu replied, heading for the door. Since his rebirth, he hadn’t seen his parents yet and had no mood for Taekwondo.

“Alright! I’ll come to your place for dinner then. I love Auntie’s cooking the best,” Qi Yue grinned. With her parents away and only a housekeeper to look after her, she often went to Lin Yu’s house for meals and was well acquainted with his family.

“Sure, let’s go,” Lin Yu said, giving Qi Yue’s shapely figure a playful slap, to which Qi Yue responded with an uppercut to his chest.

Yang Zhiling, who had just finished packing her bag and looked up, caught their flirtatious exchange. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but her expression stayed calm. She shouldered her bag and quietly left her seat.