Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 31

“You must be Jiang Rui. Here is your set of daily necessities. Come and sign here quickly. Once you’ve collected your things, you can return to the dorm to rest first; there are no classes today.”

Yao Jilan’s gaze swept between the two boys, then she addressed Nan Hechao, who looked like an honest bookworm.

Jiang Rui gave Nan Hechao a teasing glance. The latter’s face flushed crimson, and he quickly said, “Teacher, I am Nan Hechao. The one next to me is Jiang Rui.”

Yao Jilan paused. This one is?

It doesn’t look like it.

This boy was simply too handsome. She had been teaching for five or six years and had seen many good-looking boys and girls, but few of them had good academic results. Even if their grades were good, they were very limited. At least none had achieved the city’s top score, especially in a major educational city like Qingshi, where the students who ultimately caused a sensation were mostly from humble backgrounds.

Yao Jilan knew Jiang Rui came from a small village after passing the entrance exam, so she preemptively assumed he would be an honest, simple, spiritually intelligent but poor student. Hence, when she saw Nan Hechao, she mistakenly took him for Jiang Rui.

After his trip to Yidian, Jiang Rui had grown taller, and his facial contours were more defined, yet his gentle temperament was even better than before. Standing there with a smile, he was handsome and refined, possessing a rich, warm scholarly air, as if he had stepped out of an ink-wash landscape painting. Looking at him, one’s mind couldn’t help but recall the phrase, “A gentle, modest gentleman, as warm as jade.”

“You… are Jiang Rui?” Yao Jilan still asked with some uncertainty.

“Yes,” Jiang Rui nodded.

Yao Jilan felt slightly embarrassed, cleared her throat, and said, “I apologize, Teacher made a mistake just now. But you, my boy, you really are good-looking. I imagine your parents have good genes.” She taught English, but her husband taught biology, so she understood some things through osmosis.

Jiang Rui’s face reddened slightly, looking shy from the compliment.

Yao Jilan was instantly charmed by Jiang Rui’s expression. Although she was over thirty, her long exposure to these teenagers kept her mindset young, and she couldn’t help but joke with Jiang Rui for a few more sentences.

Only after she felt she had enjoyed the student’s awkwardness enough did Yao Jilan intend to dismiss them. She checked their dorm numbers and found that the two boys were coincidentally assigned to the same room—quite a stroke of fate.

Before they left, Yao Jilan gave a few quick instructions: “Jiang Rui, your entrance exam score was first place, but as your class teacher, I must remind you never to become arrogant or complacent, and not to be stuck in your ways regarding studying. Every student in this class has great potential, and you could be surpassed by others if you’re not careful. You can’t yet grasp how intense the competition is at Thirteenth High, but you will understand after the first monthly exam.”

Jiang Rui agreed: “I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Teacher.”

Nan Hechao, whose grades were the last in the class, immediately became nervous upon hearing about the monthly exam, and he asked hesitantly, “Teacher, if the monthly exam results aren’t ideal, will we be transferred out of the experimental class?”

Yao Jilan frowned at this disheartening talk before the exam had even taken place, and she said, “I don’t know the answer to that. However, in this environment, if you don’t surpass others, others will surpass you. And if those who are surpassed don’t strive to catch up, then being eliminated is only a matter of time.”

Nan Hechao’s face turned pale at the comment but didn’t say anything more.

Jiang Rui patted him on the shoulder. Some things he could help with, but others Nan Hechao had to handle himself.

After checking in, Jiang Rui needed to find his mother first, so he let Nan Hechao go back to the dorm on his own.

He Fulan was anxiously waiting for her son at the school store. Finally seeing her son’s figure, she couldn’t help but call out excitedly, “Ruirui!”

A young man nearby, who was buying a drink, turned his head at the sound, glanced at Jiang’s mother, and then followed her gaze toward the person who had just entered the store.

Jiang Rui entered and met a scrutinizing gaze. He politely offered a slight smile to the other party, then picked up his luggage and led He Fulan away.

Duan Xinrong bought his drink and came out, only to see Xie Gaoling look displeased and say, “There aren’t many people in the store, why did you take so long? I’m dying of thirst.” As he spoke, he opened a bottle of iced juice and chugged a few mouthfuls.

Duan Xinrong, in his usual good-natured manner, smiled: “I saw someone just now and was a little distracted…”

After quenching his thirst, Xie Gaoling was less irritable. He leaned closer and asked curiously, “What kind of beauty can distract Young Master Duan like that?”

Duan Xinrong glanced at him sideways, “Stop your vulgar thoughts. The person was a male.”

Xie Gaoling’s face instantly twisted with a strange expression. After a while, he tentatively asked, “Old Duan, why didn’t I know you had this preference? I need to tell you first, I only have brotherly feelings for you, not…”

Before he could finish, the usually gentle and good-tempered Duan Xinrong kicked his childhood friend, with whom he had been close since infancy, without mercy.

He Fulan finished tidying her son’s bedding. The school only provided small daily necessities like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and meal bowls. Bedding and mattresses were brought from home.

Nan Hechao looked at the row of lifelike green bamboos hand-embroidered by He Fulan on Jiang Rui’s sheet and said with some envy, “Auntie’s embroidery work is really good. Those bamboos look real.”

He Fulan was very confident in her craftsmanship, and hearing this, she beamed: “I started learning embroidery from Ruirui’s grandmother when I was sensible. I’ve been embroidering for over thirty years. These bamboos are nothing. If you like it, I can embroider one for you another day. It will definitely look even better than Ruirui’s.”

Nan Hechao was not shy this time and immediately said, “Of course I like it, I love it very much!”

Jiang Rui walked over and slapped him on the back: “Even if you like it, you can’t ask my mom to embroider it for you. This work is strenuous for the eyes. I see your duvet cover and pillowcase are quite nice; why would you replace them?”

Nan Hechao was hurt by the slap, but since Jiang’s mother was present, he could only glare at Jiang Rui, dare not to be angry but dare not speak.

He Fulan watched them and quickly said, “Ruirui, don’t bully him! Nannan is an honest child. You should take care of him more often.”

Nan Hechao instantly revived with full energy.

Jiang Rui gave him a side-eye and unwillingly mumbled, “Got it.”

Since Jiang’s father was waiting for Jiang’s mother to return home to cook, Jiang’s mother didn’t stay at the school for long. After giving her son numerous instructions, inside and out, she went back.

Thirteenth High had many students and limited dorm space, so all rooms housed eight people. Aside from Jiang Rui and Nan Hechao, the rest of the roommates also arrived one after another.

New textbooks were due to be issued tomorrow, followed by the official start of classes, but Nan Hechao realized he had lost the two new pens he bought. Jiang Rui also needed to buy something at the store, so the two went out together.

When they returned and reached the hallway, they heard a commotion and people talking amongst themselves.

“I don’t want to live with these people. Tell them all to move out.”

“Student Cheng, this is a collective dormitory. You don’t have the right…” The speaker was Yao Jilan.

“I do!”

Cheng Yuean interrupted Yao Jilan impatiently.

Some students who couldn’t stand it spoke up: “Based on what? The school isn’t owned by your family!”

This time, before Cheng Yuean could retort, the middle-aged man beside him said, “Based on the fact that our young master’s surname is Cheng.”

The middle-aged man addressed Yao Jilan: “Teacher Yao, if you can’t make the decision, why not consult your superior about how to handle this matter? In any case, it is impossible for our young master to live with others.”

Hearing this, Nan Hechao couldn’t help but whisper to Jiang Rui, “If he can’t live with other people, why live in a school dorm? Why doesn’t he just stay home?”

Jiang Rui chuckled softly, noncommittal.

Yao Jilan was well aware of how bad it looked to involve the leadership on the very first day of school, but she truly couldn’t handle this matter. She could only return to the Grade One teachers’ office and use the landline to call the principal’s office. As a municipal key high school, Thirteenth High was better equipped than other schools, with a landline in every grade’s office.

“Hello, Director Hu? I’m Little Yao. I have a student here, he…”

“What? You want me to arrange for students to move out and vacate a dorm for him?”

“Director Hu, this can’t…”

“What about the Cheng family? Our Thirteenth High has never had such a student.”

“I should watch my words? Director Hu, you…”

Yao Jilan listened to the dial tone on the other end, her heart heavy with complex emotions. She didn’t know how she was supposed to explain the situation to the students who had already settled their bedding in the dorm.

The final outcome was that Yao Jilan had to arrange commuting permits for a few students whose families lived in Qingshi and who were willing to live at home. Theoretically, Thirteenth High did not allow commuting, but some students would apply for commuting permits for medical or other reasons, though they were usually difficult to approve.

Director Hu knew Yao Jilan was in a difficult position, so he didn’t hold up the commuting permits and approved them directly.

Jiang Rui was one of the students who processed a commuting permit this time. Initially, Yao Jilan was very reluctant to let Jiang Rui suffer this inconvenience, fearing most of all that it would affect his studies.

However, Jiang Rui insisted, and his mother confirmed again that they already had a residence in Qingshi, which was very close to the school, only a few minutes away, and would not delay his studies.

Since Yao Jilan truly couldn’t find anyone else to vacate the remaining spot, she ultimately had to agree.

On the way home with He Fulan, Jiang Rui sighed inwardly, thinking he had wanted to experience high school boarding life, but before his bed could even get warm, he was back home.

But this was probably for the best; living at school was ultimately not as convenient as being at home, and it was also inconvenient for his cultivation.

His original plan was to live at school for a while and then request a commuting permit anyway; this was just an early arrangement.

Nan Hechao had just gotten familiar with his roommates when Cheng Yuean came along and forced the teacher to reshuffle the entire class’s dorm arrangements.

Especially since Jiang Rui was forced to move back home because of Cheng Yuean, the honest Nan Hechao felt annoyed for the first time by a stranger he hadn’t even spoken to.

To top it all off, when he checked in today, he saw on the seating arrangement list in Teacher Yao’s hand that he and this irritating Cheng Yuean were desk mates!

Nan Hechao felt uncomfortable just thinking about Cheng Yuean. How could someone so good-looking be so nasty?