You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: He Got Hit Pretty Hard

Despite the “death stare” Qin Mian was shooting him, Ding Zi unhesitatingly appointed him as the Class Monitor.

Because it was a repeaters’ class, everyone generally focused more on their studies than regular students. Positions like Academic Representative or Discipline Coordinator had zero candidates. Ding Zi, being experienced in this, simply scrapped the unnecessary roles and finished the selection after picking a Sports Representative and a Discipline Coordinator. The remaining subject representatives would be chosen by the respective teachers.

No. 2 High School did not restrict the use of mobile phones.

As soon as class ended, the “extroverts” (MBTI Type E) began socializing. One girl enthusiastically greeted her classmates and handed out chocolates. When it was Song Ying’s turn, he gave a polite smile but declined: “Sorry, I’m allergic.”

Qin Mian, who was playing a game on his phone, let out a soft sneer when he heard this. Being allergic to something as delicious as chocolate—that’s definitely a divine punishment for Song Ying.

Soon, Qin Mian’s name was called. He lifted his eyelids to see a tall, thin girl—the one Ding Zi had appointed as the Discipline Coordinator.

The girl said, “Student Qin Mian, my name is Lin Zhixia. Can I add you on WeChat? It’ll make it easier to communicate about class work in the future.”

Qin Mian had no objections and added her efficiently.

Lin Zhixia suggested, “Student Qin Mian, should we start a class group chat?”

“Sure, whatever,” Qin Mian replied with drooping eyelids, not really caring. If it were up to him, she could take the Class Monitor title too.

After getting the monitor’s approval, Lin Zhixia quickly added the rest of the class and created a group. Qin Mian looked at the group name—”The Dragon-Slaying 18th Class”—and, on a strange whim, clicked into the member list.

Since everyone had changed their nicknames to their real names, Qin Mian easily identified Song Ying’s profile picture. It was a Samoyed with its tongue sticking out. It was quite cute, but in Qin Mian’s eyes, it completely clashed with Song Ying’s “toxic-tongued bastard” persona.

Though, they did have one thing in common: they were both dogs.

Most students at No. 2 High School lived on campus, especially those in the repeaters’ class. However, Qin Mian and Song Ying were the two exceptions.

At 6:00 PM, both of them began packing their bags.

Qin Mian asked, “What are you doing?”

Song Ying glanced at him, seemingly too lazy to answer a question with such an obvious answer.

Qin Mian: “……” Dumbass, is it that hard to open your mouth? Is your tongue made of gold?

Song Ying finally spoke: “Isn’t it obvious? Do you think I’m packing my bag just because my balls itch?”

Qin Mian: “……Can’t you speak like a normal person?” Why is he so rude to me? I haven’t even settled the old score with him yet.

The other replied succinctly: “Can you ask something with actual value?”

“Tsk.” Qin Mian didn’t bother arguing.

No. 2 High School wasn’t large. Unless one went out of their way to take a detour, there was only one path to the school gate. Thus, Qin Mian and Song Ying found themselves awkwardly walking down the same path.

Once outside the gate, Qin Mian thought he could finally catch a break, only to discover with horror that Song Ying was turning east with him. Then they both walked north, turned left, turned right, and went straight—ending up on the exact same street.

Qin Mian: “……”

He couldn’t take it anymore. Walking down the same road as someone you hate, with neither person speaking, was both awkward and agonizing.

“Look, why are you following me?” Qin Mian turned around irritably. He refused to believe it was such a coincidence that Song Ying lived near him.

Instead, Qin Mian watched as Song Ying gave him another “you’re an idiot” look before turning and walking into a small restaurant.

Inside, the proprietress greeted him loudly: “Oh, Little Song is here!”

Qin Mian was left standing there, frozen in the wind.

Qin Mian: “……” Crap.

What should he do? He was embarrassed enough to dig out a whole villa with his toes. Dammit, it’s all that bastard Song Ying’s fault.

To avoid leaving school at the same time and walking the same path again, Qin Mian stayed in his seat when the bell rang. He used his peripheral vision to watch Song Ying pack. He only started packing when Song Ying was almost done, aiming for a specific time gap.

However, as Song Ying passed by the “busy” Qin Mian, he let out a short, mocking laugh. It was a laugh of ridicule—he had clearly seen through Qin Mian’s little trick.

Qin Mian gnashed his teeth, staring at Song Ying’s back. “Laugh at your own farts.”

But after that, Qin Mian didn’t have to worry about this problem for a while. Because Song Ying took a leave of absence. That’s right—a student in the repeaters’ class had only attended for two days before taking leave.

He was gone for three days.

When Song Ying returned, it was during Biology class. He slipped quietly through the back door without disturbing many people. But some students still noticed the injuries on Song Ying’s face. They exchanged surprised looks, unable to believe that Song Ying was the type to get into fights.

Qin Mian also raised an eyebrow in surprise. From his angle, he could see a red mark on the back of Song Ying’s neck that looked like it had only recently scabbed over.

He got hit pretty hard.

Song Ying hadn’t been sitting for long before Ding Zi called him out from the window. He didn’t return until the next Physics class began.

Qin Mian knew it was bad to kick someone while they were down, but after holding it in for half a period, he couldn’t resist. He didn’t used to be like this—he used to be a man of few words—but Song Ying was an exception.

He leaned forward and mocked heartlessly: “Yo, look at the ‘Ambassador of Justice’ getting into a fight. Haven’t seen you for three days; did you go back to the station for more tea?”

Song Ying’s pen paused, but he ignored him.

Seeing Song Ying’s silence, Qin Mian grew even more arrogant, his phoenix-eyes narrowing. “Why aren’t you talking? Don’t want to?”

Song Ying gripped his pen tightly but still didn’t give him the time of day.

“Tsk, your combat stats must be trash. You’re covered in marks.” “You’re no good. If it were me, I’d have made the other guy call me ‘Grandpa’…”

Song Ying finally reached his limit: “Can you shut up?”

“Beg me. Apologize to me. Say: ‘I’m sorry, Great Handsome Qin, I was blind before and wrongly accused the heroic Great Handsome Qin. I beg for your mercy…'”

Qin Mian’s eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth curling higher as he spoke. Before he could finish, Song Ying dropped a “Dream on” and turned back around.

“Tsk.”

Qin Mian hadn’t expected anything pleasant to come out of Song Ying’s “dog mouth,” so he didn’t mind. He slumped back over his own desk and continued grinding through practice problems. He didn’t really care who Song Ying had fought or why he ended up looking like that.

Unexpectedly, he found out the answer that very night.

Usually, when Qin Mian got home, he would make instant noodles for dinner. But today he realized he was out. Not feeling very hungry, he decided to finish two sets of practice papers first. By the time he was done, the hunger hit him like a freight train. He checked the time: 10:00 PM.

Qin Mian went downstairs, hoping to find a restaurant that hadn’t closed yet.

This area was an old residential district with poor infrastructure. At night, many alleys were pitch black. Restaurants closed early, and the streets were silent. He circled the block but couldn’t find a single open door.

“Tsk, I should have stocked up on two more boxes of noodles.”

Disappointed, Qin Mian floated toward home like a ghost. As he passed a small alleyway, the sound of a scuffle caught his attention.

“Let you slip away last time, let’s see where you run now!” a vicious voice rang out.

In the dim alley, four or five sparks of fire flickered. Qin Mian narrowed his eyes and realized they were cigarette butts. Occasionally, a cold white light flashed in the darkness—the moonlight reflecting off steel pipes.

The leader crushed his cigarette and extinguished it. “Surname Song, don’t think that just because you hid in Dong’an, we brothers wouldn’t find you.”

“With the disgusting things your mother did, the Zhou family won’t let you off!”

“You son of a bitch, I’m doing the world a favor by dealing with you!”