What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 1

September 1st, 3:50 AM. The forum of First Interstellar Alliance High School was already buzzing with activity as if it were business hours.

【Last few hours of vacation, and you can still sleep?】

OP: [Of course I can’t sleep. Let’s have some fun while it’s still dark! How about a survey? It’s senior year,the final year. So here’s the question: Do you want to focus on studying or keep having fun?

Ahem, aside from those options, everyone can also discuss other topics, like certain celebrities in our school. God Lu, a certain Chi, right? Summer break is over. Who’s got the tea? Spill it!]

The post title was eye-catching, the content captivating. Those who were asleep couldn’t see it, while those awake grew even more restless.

4:00 AM, “I see the begonia flowers sleepless.” Over the years, First Interstellar Alliance High School had cultivated countless “sleepless begonias” who tirelessly burned the midnight oil. The post’s view count skyrocketed in an instant.

1L: [First! Everyone who enters, call me Big Bro!]

2L: [Hey, Big Bro. Pfft, study? I’ve got a huge family fortune waiting for me to inherit.]

3L: [Agreed.]

6L: [Is Second Bro still half-asleep? If you’ve got a fortune to inherit, why are you even here?]

7L: [Don’t we have to complete the Alliance’s nine-year compulsory education first? (Acting cute)]

Every comment typed, every thread browsed, brought them one second closer to the start of school.

Those who entered the post seized every second to voice their opinions, then spent ages debating a topic before smoothly transitioning to the next.

They went from the earth to the sky, from the sky to the atmosphere, from the atmosphere to ancient planets, until they strayed so far they hit their knowledge limits. With nothing left but wild guesses, they circled back from ancient planets to humanity.

As alumni of the same school, whether they truly knew the person or not, if a name was famous enough, elaborate stories would instantly materialize.

Especially since the original post had hinted so obviously.

888L: [It’s the final year, of course I choose to keep watching the comedy of Chi Jinxian failing to catch up with God Lu!]

889L: [Cough, same here. Honestly, this guy’s perseverance is ironclad. After two years of being ignored, he’s still trailing after Lu Zhi.]

890L: [Who is this?]

891L: [Oh ho, some freshmen have snuck in! Come here, let your senior enlighten you.]

Two years ago, most of the seniors now gossiping in the thread had entered First Interstellar Alliance High School as freshmen, silently vowing to study hard in the years ahead.

They kept their vows for about a minute, persisted for a week, and then their promises detached from their spirits like separate entities.

With so many diverse faces in the school, the annual “Beauty Pageant” determined who would take the crown.

Everyone was instantly captivated, casting votes with a tap of their fingers. Who cared about studying?

A few freshmen lived up to expectations and were pushed onto the forum for everyone to admire.

Among them were two individuals: God Lu, Lu Zhi, and a certain Chi, Chi Jinxian.

Their looks were each uniquely stunning, leaving everyone envious.

After the pageant ended, the entire student body debated whether these two would focus on their studies throughout high school or end up dating someone.

Before anyone could even begin to wildly speculate, a scene that would shock the entire school unfolded.

Despite the school’s explicit ban on early romance, right after Lu Zhi finished his speech as the freshman representative and the principal had just announced an orderly dismissal, Chi Jinxian stood before him holding a fiery red rose.

Lu Zhi ignored him, not even sparing him a glance, and turned to leave. But Chi Jinxian thrust the rose right in front of him, blocking his path, and declared loudly, “Classmate Lu, you’re so good-looking, like the Snow White Prince! Can I pursue you?”

Even as he asked “Can I pursue you?”, he shoved the rose even closer, his demeanor fearless as if ready to die for the cause.

The majority of the teachers and students still left in the auditorium, along with the principal, were frozen in place by this passionate and cringey confession. The previously noisy environment fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Lu Zhi’s eyes were sharp, his brows tightly furrowed clearly, he had never encountered such an awkward situation in his life and couldn’t muster any kindness toward the other party.

Suppressing his anger, he gritted out, “Are you insane?”

Chi Jinxian, confused, delivered his second famous quote since arriving at the school: “I’m not sick; I have a health certificate. My dad said if you meet someone you like, be bold and go for it. That’s how he won over my other dad.”

The fiery red rose was practically shoved under Lu Zhi’s nose by now, earning a look of utter disgust.

As a freshman who hadn’t even been at the school for a week, openly challenging school rules right in front of the principal was a blatant provocation.

Before the Chi kid could embarrass himself further, the principal, stern-faced, walked over and grabbed him by the collar from behind, lowering his head with a furious glare, his voice booming: “What do you think you’re doing?! Go! Call your dad to come to the school!”

Half an hour later, the Chi kid was taken home.

To avoid any risk of also drawing the principal’s attention, Lu Zhi, his face wooden, immediately spoke up to clarify: “I don’t know him.”

The forum instantly went wild with laughter and shares.

From that day on, Chi Jinxian became infamous.

2000L: [The nickname “Snow White Prince” is still around to this day (wolf emoji). No idea how he came up with that back then.]

2001L: [Wow, so bold.]

2002L: [But he’s really persistent. Even after being called to the principal’s office, he didn’t hold back. For two years, love letters and roses never missed a day.]

2003L: [Does the principal not care anymore?]

2004L: [Cracking down on early romance is just to prevent it from affecting grades. If your grades are good, the principal turns a blind eye.]

2005L: [But God Lu completely ignores him. There’s zero chance for them, but it’s really entertaining to watch, lol.]

Time ticked by, and before anyone realized it, an hour had passed. The first day of school was strict, and being late meant certain death.

The active forum quickly shifted to bidding each other goodnight, and these “crabapple flowers” drifted into dreamland by 5 a.m.

They began catching up on sleep.

By 7 a.m., the sky was bright, the weather clear and fresh, with a reddish sun hanging in the east.

The protagonist of the early morning discussions jolted upright from the vibration of his Smart Ring, his messy bird’s nest hair particularly eye-catching.

His long, thick eyelashes brushed against a few stray strands of hair falling over his forehead, and Chi Jinxian blinked instinctively, a faint mist quickly forming over his eyes.

His features were delicate, even exquisite up close every line depicted a picture of attractiveness and innocence.

As if he didn’t need any time to wake up, Chi Jinxian’s eyes lit up the moment he confirmed the date in his mind. He tousled his hair haphazardly, happily got out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and quickly found his autumn uniform to change into.

He looked so joyful it seemed less like he was heading to school and more like he was going on a date.

“You’re up.” The moment the door opened, a man at the dining table downstairs looked up and greeted him.

Chi Jinxian glanced up from adjusting his zipper, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “Good morning, Dad.”

Yuan Si Bai poured a glass of milk and placed it on the seat beside him. “Hurry and wash up. It’s the first day of school, don’t be late.”

“Okay.”

Chi Jinxian slipped into the bathroom. After washing up, he discreetly placed his face towel on the back of the sofa and tiptoed out.

He dashed into the garden.

Ten minutes later, he returned, drank his milk, grabbed a sandwich, slung his pre-packed backpack over his shoulder, and headed out.

“Since it’s the first day of school, even though senior year is intense, you probably won’t have evening self-study today. Remember to come back early your dad and I are celebrating your birthday,” Yuan Si Bai called out as he was leaving.

Reminded of this, Chi Jinxian paused for a moment before realizing: today was September 1st, his 17th birthday!

He was one step closer to adulthood. Chi Jinxian responded cheerfully, adjusted his backpack, and finally set off.

Since the school wasn’t far, a leisurely 20-minute walk at most he strolled along unhurriedly.

But the further he walked, the more something felt off, as if he’d forgotten something. Even after finishing two sandwiches, he still couldn’t recall what it was.

His memory seemed to have vanished along with the sandwiches he’d just eaten not fully digested, but nearly gone.

The first day of school felt like a ceremony. The Dean of Students was already pacing back and forth at the school entrance.

“First Interstellar Alliance High School is the best institution in the Alliance. Once you step through these gates, your words, actions, demeanor, attire, and appearance must all be impeccable.”

Deans of Students were the same everywhere. This style of nagging, passed down from ancient ancestors, had persisted to this day.

And had even flourished.

Listening to the Dean’s words, Chi Jinxian instinctively checked if his uniform was tidy.

Seeing that his zipper was properly aligned, he felt reassured.

Back in the summer break, the school had already released class assignments and grades. Beaming with joy, Chi Jinxian found his way to Class 10 of the senior year, his steps light and almost floating.

Because this year, he was in the same class as Lu Zhi again!

As if trying to delay the inevitable, it was now ten minutes to eight, and Chi Jinxian was surprisingly the first to arrive in the classroom.

He found the same seat he’d occupied last year in the sophomore class, by the third-floor corridor window. Before he could even start organizing his things, classmates began trickling in.

“Wow, Little Cash, you’re here so early!” Three boys in identical uniforms spotted him, laughing and joking as they came over to hug him.

“You guys are just late.”

“Ah, Cash, two months apart and you’re still this adorable. Come here, let me pinch your cheeks!”

“Ew, get away, get away.” Chi Jinxian laughed, dodging them and shooing them off to their chosen seats to get settled.

As a well-known youth who had openly confessed his crush in a cringeworthy public declaration before the principal, Chi Jinxian certainly became the butt of many jokes. Yet paradoxically, due to his innate temperament, he inexplicably maintained decent popularity.

His likable appearance certainly played a role in this.

Chi Jinxian possessed an endearingly innocent face and carried himself with transparent honesty, what you saw was what you got. It was nearly impossible to dislike him.

During the brief tidying-up interval, merely minutes long, nearly all students of Senior Three Class Ten had already gathered.

Only one seat remained conspicuously empty. Seated by the window, Chi Jinxian kept alternating his gaze between the front and back doors.

The boys who had been chatting earlier finished organizing their belongings and, noticing his behavior, exchanged knowing smirks. One quipped, “Ahem, the human ‘Husband-Gazing Stone’ is activating again.”

Having achieved forum notoriety, Chi Jinxian remained unflustered by the teasing, continuing his vigilant watch unabashedly.

The boys opened their mouths to add more ribbing, but their words died unborn.

Silence fell instantly.

Let’s face it while “Little Cash” was approachable and tease-worthy, would anyone dare jest with God Lu?

Absolutely not.

In that moment, the classroom seemed to hush collectively.

Amidst the stillness, the back door swung open under the push of a slender hand.

The newcomer closed the door behind him, a backpack slung over one shoulder. Appearing undecided about seating his tardiness leaving only two vacant spots:

One diagonally behind Chi Jinxian, the other directly behind him.

Chi Jinxian spun around, eyes brightening. “Lu, Eh?!”

“Ah! Chi Jinxian!”

Before he could utter another syllable, darkness descended as someone draped clothing over his entire head.

A furious, theatrical wail assaulted his ears.

Just as irritation surged, Chi Jinxian’s heart dropped upon recognizing the voice. Ah, he remembered, he’d forgotten about his uncle this morning!

Sure enough, when the jacket was yanked away, Qi Sui Yi’s handsome yet contorted face was fully exposed.

Leaning through the window into the classroom, he gripped Chi Jinxian’s shoulders and shook him violently, gritting out, “I was two minutes from being late! Why didn’t you wake me? Huh?!”

Dizzied by the shaking, Chi Jinxian grabbed his wrists. “I forgot, sorry.”

“Then who DID you remember?!” Qi Sui Yi demanded through clenched teeth, each word dripping with menace.

Simultaneously, the entire class’s gaze shifted with eerie synchrony toward one particular figure.

Nauseated from the shaking, Chi Jinxian pleaded, “Xiao Sui, stop shaking me. Let me talk to Brother Lu.”

The class tacitly averted their eyes, collectively feigning deafness.

Qi Suiyi finally stilled, tilting his head to cast an icy glare at Lu Zhi, who remained standing near the back, still unseated.

Whether noticing the hostile stare or not, Lu Zhi unhurriedly slid his backpack onto the desk against the back wall,

Directly behind Chi Jinxian.