You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Big Shot Restarts

July. Midsummer. The cicadas were shrieking.

The admissions office at Dong’an No. 2 High School was nearly being blown up by phone calls.

In previous years, No. 2 High was on par with the nearby No. 5 and No. 3 schools—which is to say, they were all equally mediocre. But this year, No. 2 High was different. They had struck gold.

The school had produced a student ranked in the top 100 of the province. While not as “god-tier” as the provincial top scholar whom reporters fight over, for a small county like theirs, it was an incredible feat.

The school leadership was over the moon. They had already hung a giant banner over the entrance, terrified that a single person at the neighboring schools might not know. Parents from a hundred miles around were calling in, drawn by the school’s new reputation.

Knock, knock, knock!

A series of short, sharp knocks rang out.

Ding Zi, who was busy juggling calls from inquisitive parents, looked up and met a familiar, cold face.

The boy had narrow, upswept phoenix eyes that should have looked gentle and affectionate, but his heavy eyelids gave his handsome, fair face an air of indifference and detachment. A faint, one-centimeter scar on his left temple added a touch of grit—a “don’t mess with me” vibe.

Who else could this be but No. 2 High’s “Top 100” legend?

Qin Mian was brief: “Reporting in. I’m here to submit my paperwork.”

Oh, right, right. Good.” Ding Zi hurriedly hung up the phone and straightened his back. Looking at the calm boy in front of him, he started to fret.

The reason for his worry? Qin Mian was here to register for a repeat year.

A student in the provincial top 100 was a shoo-in for prestigious universities like A-University, yet this kid refused to go. He insisted on coming back to repeat his senior year.

Are you really going through with this? Look, repeating is high pressure. it’s a massive test of your mental state, and if one thing goes wrong.

Ever since they found out Qin Mian wanted to repeat, everyone from the Principal to the Dean to the homeroom teacher had taken turns bombarding him with dozens of phone calls. None of it worked. They asked a thousand times why he wanted to do it, but he wouldn’t say.

The teachers generally assumed there was an issue with his university applications. Finally, Qin Mian had shut them all up with one sentence: “If No. 2 High won’t let me repeat, I’ll just change schools.”

The school folded instantly.

Was this a joke? How could they let a talent like this go to another school? They had just finished mocking the other schools; they weren’t about to slap their own faces next year by losing their star student.

Qin Mian nodded without hesitation. “No need to try and convince me.”

Seeing his persistence, Ding Zi stopped pushing and took the documents to process them.

When did you get an ear piercing? Ding Zi asked, making small talk.

Qin Mian: Just for fun.

His hand brushed the silver stud he’d recently put in, feeling a slight sting.

Ding Zi glanced at him. “It’s hot out. Take care of it, it’ll infect easily.”

Qin Mian nodded. The air conditioner hummed, blowing cold air through the office as Qin Mian scanned the room. His eyes landed on the desks and chairs by the wall.

He knew this office well. Back when he hated the broken fans in the classroom—which were loud but moved no air—he often snuck in here to “borrow” the AC. He had a decent relationship with several teachers; Ding Zi was one of them.

Ding Zi: “All set. Come back in August when school starts.”

Qin Mian: “Thanks.”

Just as he turned to leave, Ding Zi asked, “Are you repeating for yourself, or just to spite your father?”

Qin Mian paused. He let out a cold scoff. “He doesn’t deserve the effort.”

The smirk hadn’t even fully formed on his face before it vanished, replaced by a scowl as he spotted a figure at the door.

Ding Zi was about to nod in relief at Qin Mian’s answer, but then he saw that “stink face” return—the look Qin Mian gave people who owed him millions.

Ding Zi was confused. He followed Qin Mian’s “murderous” gaze to a tall boy standing in the doorway. He was dressed in light blue casual wear with a white baseball cap. He looked clean and refreshing, holding a stack of documents in his hand.

Are students these days all selected based on their looks? Ding Zi wondered.

“Oh, you must be Song Ying?” Ding Zi had spoken to him over the phone and rose to greet him.

Qin Mian narrowed his eyes, his tone hostile: “What the hell are you doing here?”

Ding Zi froze. The boy at the door was clearly surprised to see Qin Mian, too. He blinked, then looked away, completely ignoring Qin Mian as if he were beneath notice.

Qin Mian’s eyelid twitched. He ground his teeth. What the fuck is with that attitude?

There were a lot of thugs in this area. Two days ago, when Qin Mian came back to get his transcripts, he ran into a group of them bullying the new seniors. Because Qin Mian used to be around, the thugs didn’t dare target No. 2 High students openly. But word had gotten out that he’d graduated, and they were getting cocky.

Without a word, Qin Mian had jumped in to fight them off, calling his childhood best friend for backup.

As luck would have it, Song Ying had stumbled upon the scene. Without listening to any explanation, Song Ying had acted like a “Hero of Justice” and reported them to the police station.

Qin Mian went in at 4:00 PM and didn’t get his soul back until 10:00 PM. The 8,000-word self-reflection essay nearly broke his hand.

Song Ying turned slightly to face Qin Mian. It was only then that Qin Mian noticed Song Ying was wearing an earbud in one ear.

Under Qin Mian’s “dagger-like” gaze, Song Ying calmly took off the earbud. His eyes swept over Qin Mian’s new piercing, and he spoke in a clear, boyish voice:

“I’m sorry, what did you just say? I didn’t hear you.”

He was clearly doing it on purpose.

Qin Mian was rendered speechless by rage.

Damn it, zero respect.

Qin Mian clenched his fists at his sides and launched a deadpan personal attack: I said, you’re real ugly.

Song Ying fell silent for a moment. He glanced flickered to the scar on the other boy’s temple. He replied calmly, Thank you. You too.

Qin Mian (Cold Face): Don’t mention it, you ugly brat.

Song Ying: “My pleasure, you idiot.”

Ding Zi: “…”

Ding Zi, caught in the crossfire, went from confusion to fear that they would fight, and finally to complete bewilderment. Could someone explain if this was how normal people spoke to each other?

Qin Mian took a silent, deep breath. He chanted the “Core Socialist Values” in his head like a mantra: Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony… As a ‘Good Youth’ of the new era, I should be helpful and kind to others. Even idiots are human.

It took a long while to suppress the urge to murder.

Qin Mian turned sharply to Ding Zi. “Don’t put me in the same class as him.”

With that, he turned and left, intentionally slamming his shoulder into Song Ying’s on the way out. If he stayed in the same air as Song Ying for one more second, he was going to explode.

Qin Mian’s sharp eyes had caught the documents in Song Ying’s hand. They were the same as his. Song Ying was also here to repeat the year.

“Hey, this year—” Ding Zi tried to stop him, but Qin Mian was already gone.

Song Ying ignored the “childish” revenge. He simply brushed off his shoulder where he’d been hit, his eyes full of disdain.

But when he turned back to the teacher, he transformed:

Hello, Teacher. I’m here to submit my personal materials for the repeat year. Song Ying adopted the persona of a “Model Student,” even giving Ding Zi a slight, polite bow.

It was a total 180 from the arrogant attitude he’d shown Qin Mian.

Ding Zi: …Wow, you’re actually quite polite.

He tremblingly took the papers and processed the registration.

Just as Ding Zi sighed in relief, Song Ying spoke up: “Teacher, please put me and that student from just now in two different classes. Thank you for your trouble.”

Ding Zi opened his mouth to speak, but Song Ying was already out the door. He gave a polite nod before vanishing just as fast as Qin Mian.

Ding Zi: …Why is everyone in such a rush? Can’t they let me finish?

Was there a possibility… that according to the new standards from above, the school was only opening one repeat class this year?