My Desk Mate is My Fiancée - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Brave Badger, Not Afraid of Difficulties…

The day after the monthly exam ended, the timetable showed two consecutive periods of Chinese self-study.

Only Lin Xi was estimated to be working on the Chinese newspaper assignment; everyone else was diligently tackling Math, Physics, and Chemistry. Zhong Xiu was redoing the problems she couldn’t solve on yesterday’s comprehensive science exam paper.

The classroom was quiet. The scratching sound of pens on paper was clearly audible, accompanied by the clamor of cicadas outside and the occasional birdsong—the unique summer concerto.

A black figure silently approached the window, like an embodiment of the grim reaper, the legendary, elusive homeroom teacher of the senior class.

The window seats often offered this kind of “perk,” which was quite a test of one’s courage. Startled by Old Tang, Zhong Xiu accidentally caught sight of another figure on the sixth floor.

Everyone was busy organizing their exam papers, with few people making mischief. Old Tang stood for a moment and then left, but that figure was still slowly pacing toward the classroom, having reached the corner staircase.

As soon as Old Tang left, Zhong Xiu quickly slid the comprehensive science paper underneath and replaced it with a Chinese review book. The entire action took no more than 0.5 seconds. Lin Xi, beside her, didn’t even have time to see the switch before a different subject appeared on her desk.

She happened to flip to the poetry appreciation that had been taught a few days ago. The Chinese exam paper and the newspaper assignment were folded inside.

Perfect switch.

No sooner had she finished these movements than the exceptionally clever Chinese teacher appeared at the front door with his hands behind his back. The sound of books being stashed away was a chaotic rush, like a war breaking out. In the blink of an eye, you couldn’t find any content unrelated to Chinese on the desks of the Science Class 1 students.

Tsk, the main force was a step too late.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing! Chinese is the first subject in the college entrance exam, with a total score of 150. How many points can you even get?”

Old Yu slowly walked to the armchair on the podium and sat down, his gaze projecting over the top of his reading glasses, which were about to slip down his nose, onto the students.

“If you’re going to outwardly agree and inwardly disobey me, how will you buy vegetables with trigonometry or find a partner with universal gravitation when you enter society? You need EQ! Chinese is the foundational course for EQ…”

This EQ foundational teacher was wearing a pair of long Western trousers, with his left pant leg rolled up to his knee. On his feet were a pair of flesh-colored short socks, the cuffs of which extended past the edge of his black leather shoes, covering his ankles.

—It’s flesh-colored today! It’s actually flesh-colored! Oh my god! Help me!

—His leg hair is quite dense, like wildly growing weeds.

The last row soon received the frantically scribbled note passed from You Tian in the front. It was a piece of paper torn from a Chinese exam sheet, with the dotted line reading “Do not answer within the sealed margin” still visible. The latter sentence, written in slightly neater handwriting, was Gao Lan’s concise commentary.

Zhong Xiu stifled a laugh. She had seen her grandmother wear this kind of flesh-colored sock when she was little. Old people liked to tuck cash into the top edge of the sock; it would never get lost. Zhong Xiu used to think the smell of the R.M.B. came from being next to the socks.

Inexplicably, she could almost smell it in her head.

“If you all were like the class rep and could get this many points in Chinese, I wouldn’t force you to study it.” Teacher Yu smiled at Zhong Xiu’s direction, though he only saw the top of her head.

His class representative, Zhong Xiu, sent a fifty-cent red envelope to the “Three Little Tigers” group chat.

You Tian: OMG, Gao Lanlan, how did you guess something like flesh-colored socks?

Zhong Xiu: Seconded, Curious.jpg

Gao Lan: To be honest, I ran into Old Yu at the market last week when I went grocery shopping with my grandpa. He bought three pairs at once. Thanks for the red envelope.jpg

You Tian: Tsk…

The table was gently shaking. Zhong Xiu was struggling to hold back her laughter, but when she looked up and met the Alpha’s gaze, she immediately became obedient.

Is it that funny? Lin Xi glanced at Old Yu, who was still spitting while talking, and didn’t understand.

“The class rep has told you, right? The newspaper assignment will be collected next Monday after the morning self-study class. You have to write an essay.”

Time is like water in a sponge; when the teacher squeezes, the students will always have some.

In the Chinese exam, only Zhong Xiu didn’t have to write an essay. Under the gazes of everyone, which were a mixture of resentment and envy, she twirled her pen once. Only Lin Xi knew that the paper beneath her Chinese test was the Comprehensive Science Exam!

Compared to other subjects, there was very little room for Chinese to pull up scores, and it was so esoteric. Every time students left the exam room feeling like they were going to be the top scorer, it often delivered an unexpected “surprise,” and when they felt terrible about it, they might actually pass with flying colors.

Otherwise, why did the comrade named Fan in the textbook go crazy?

Only study geniuses like Lin Xi could accurately control their score to the 120 level every time.

Then there was Zhong Xiu, the type of person with a specialty, who was in sync with the examiner’s mind and always managed to hit all the key points that the original author wouldn’t even think of.

It was miraculous and profound.

In short, it was very suitable for a journey from “getting started” to “giving up.”

As soon as the self-study period ended, You Tian floated from the front to the window at the back door. When Lin Xi was present, he didn’t dare walk down the aisle to get over there.

“Class rep, can we negotiate? Can we submit it the week after next?”

He was wearing a pink floral shirt under his school uniform today, deliberately using a high-pitched, childish voice to appeal to Zhong Xiu. Zhong Xiu felt a chill run down her spine.

“Are you even an Alpha? Flamboyant and O-like all the time.”

Gao Lan couldn’t stand it. He placed his milk tea on the windowsill, grabbed a book, and smacked You Tian on the back of the head.

“Ouch! Gao Lan, did you hit me because you have a crush on me? I’m not into AA romance, not even male-female AA!”

You Tian hugged himself, earning an eye-roll from Gao Lan.

“Go to hell. I’d never be interested in you.”

With the teacher out of the room, everyone laughed at their antics, including the Betas who were so antagonistic yesterday. Some Betas even helped You Tian negotiate with Zhong Xiu.

“Yeah, class rep, let’s turn it in a week later. Essays are really hard to write!”

“Stop arguing! You should be quietly working on the exam paper instead of pushing everything onto Zhong Xiu.” Seeing them pestering Zhong Xiu, Zhai Yong slammed the podium.

“Ooh~ He’s already getting protective.”

Many people in the class started cheering. Zhai Yong glanced toward Zhong Xiu, but unfortunately, Zhong Xiu wasn’t looking at him, busy with something else.

“Submit the Chinese newspaper on time next week.”

After saying this, he sat down, and the entire class groaned.

Everyone always liked to procrastinate when submitting papers, delaying for as many days as possible. Zhong Xiu was used to it. In any case, the teacher wouldn’t scold her. This was one of Old Yu’s few advantages: he wouldn’t vent his anger on the class rep for not collecting all the papers. Submitting them early or late didn’t matter; they still had to spend at least ten minutes listening to him ramble during Chinese class.

“That’s too much! That’s overstepping his authority! Is he the class monitor of the Pacific Ocean? Hmph, Zhong Xiu, I absolutely forbid this marriage! If you agree to him, I won’t pitch in for the wedding gift!” You Tian whispered jokingly.

“Since you put it that way, of course I can’t agree,” Zhong Xiu laughed and joked with him, but her peripheral vision secretly checked on Lin Xi.

The Alpha was still seriously writing the essay and should be finishing soon.

“Gao Lan, why are you drinking milk tea today?” Zhong Xiu found the milk tea familiar, and Gao Lan usually didn’t like sweet things.

“Oh, Shuwen gave it to me.”

“She’s given it to him two days in a row now. It’s the milk tea she can’t give away,” You Tian made a face. “He’s an Alpha, after all, being led around by the nose by a Beta. Alas, it seems like love is a wine that makes everyone drunk.”

“Shut up. It’s better than you reading male model magazines every day. Be careful or Old Tang will catch you.”

“That’s called appreciating beauty! What do you know!”

They bickered outside, and Zhong Xiu laughed along.

“I’m going to the restroom.” Lin Xi finished her newspaper assignment and put down her pen.

“Oh, okay.”

It was easy to get in and out from the back row, but she always announced it when she left. Actually, as long as she wasn’t back, Zhong Xiu never locked the door.

The fountain pen was placed on the desk. Zhong Xiu struggled internally for a long time before picking it up for a glance.

Then she immediately put it back in its original place.

—It’s just a pen. Is it worth being this happy? The fireworks over Hogwarts tonight were all sponsored by you.

—It is.

Zhong Xiu was lying on her bed in her room. The dazzling light of the fireworks blooming over the magical world on her tablet screen reflected her uncontrollably curving smile.

The fountain pen Lin Xi was using was the one she had given her.

—Speaking of which, I’m quite interested in the study genius you mentioned. Let’s see who has managed to completely captivate our Badger House’s magic wand.

Zhong Xiu was in Hufflepuff (Badger House) in the game and often played with the other person. They were already very coordinated teammates, even though they were in different houses.

—She presented. She’s an Alpha.

In the world, perhaps no one except this Omega named “Lion” in the game could understand Zhong Xiu’s feelings.

Because the person Lion liked was an Omega, just like her.

—It’s okay. Brave Badger is not afraid of difficulties!

On the screen, Lion set off a fireworks display for her.

—Thank you.

Zhong Xiu’s smile was as brilliant as the fireworks on the screen.