Chapter 10: Second Year of High School

Teacher Yu nodded. “His math and physics grades are very good. If you have any questions, you can ask him.”

After receiving the textbooks, Teacher Yu took Jiang Mingzhi around to introduce her to the class.

In the second year of high school, there was evening self-study. It was dinner time now, so there were only a few students in the classroom.

When the homeroom teacher walked in with a new student, a bold student asked, “Teacher, is this a new classmate?”

Teacher Yu nodded and immediately assigned a task to another student: “Yang Hui, bring a desk over. The new classmate will sit in front of Guan Jingxu, and let Wei Daiqing sit in that spot.”

There were a few empty single desks at the back of the classroom, so Yang Hui simply moved one.

Yang Hui immediately stood up. “Okay! What’s the new classmate’s name? Where is she from?”

The tall, muscular boy carried a desk in one hand and lifted a chair with the other, bringing them to the designated spot.

Jiang Mingzhi smiled at him. “Thank you, my name is Jiang Mingzhi.”

Yang Hui wanted to say something more but was interrupted by Teacher Yu. “I’ll formally introduce the new classmate tomorrow. For now, don’t ask so many questions, and remember to tell Wei Daiqing.”

“Got it! Task complete!”

After putting her books down, Jiang Mingzhi left the school gate with Qiu Tang.

Today, she had officially become a second-year student, and Teacher Yu excused her from tonight’s evening study session.

Qiu Tang said she would take her out to celebrate with a nice meal.

She had already booked a fancy restaurant before leaving home. Now, she was being driven there. When they arrived at the private room, Jiang Mingzhi was surprised to see Uncle Pei there as well.

Pei Zhaohua handed her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. “Congratulations, Zhi Zhi, on successfully skipping a grade.”

“Thank you, Uncle Pei.”

Qiu Tang added, “It’s a pity that Jinyang is in evening study.”

Jiang Mingzhi thought: Not a pity. It’s actually better that he’s not here.

Before the dishes arrived, Jiang Mingzhi sent a message to Lin Wan.

Her desk mate, who had barely known her, was now even more enthusiastic than in the past life.

Perhaps it was because Jiang Mingzhi was skipping a grade, and due to her admiration for strength, the naturally outgoing and enthusiastic Lin Wan was now incredibly lively. She would hug Jiang Mingzhi’s arm and call her “deskmate” eight times a day.

“Deskmate, want to go to the bathroom together?”

“Deskmate, what will I do now that you’re going to second year? How will I survive?”

“Deskmate, call me deskmate quickly.”

“I’ve been sitting next to the academic god for a few days. Will my test scores be better in the future?”

Lin Wan, writing her homework at home, received Jiang Mingzhi’s message and let out a strange cry. She slammed the desk so hard that her mom came out to ask what happened.

“What’s going on? Why are you making such a noise?”

Seeing her daughter looking at her phone with a frown, she asked, “I told you not to play with your phone while doing homework. You can check it after you’re done.”

“Mom!” Lin Wan wailed. “I won’t have a deskmate starting tomorrow!”

Her mother, seeing her daughter’s sad face, thought something terrible had happened to her deskmate. She quickly asked, “What happened to your deskmate?”

“She really skipped a grade to second year! Waaahhh.”

Lin Wan felt both sad and happy.

She was happy for Jiang Mingzhi, but sad for herself.

She had thought that with a genius deskmate, she could improve alongside her, but now her deskmate had moved on to second year, and she couldn’t keep up!

---

In the classroom of Class 9, Second Year, the atmosphere was lively.

Wei Daiqing noticed that her desk had been moved and slammed her hand on the table, looking around angrily. “Who moved my seat?”

In second year, they didn’t allow desks for opposite genders, so the desk in front of Guan Jingxu was highly coveted.

Her eyes scanned for potential suspects, and Yang Hui, sitting behind her, suddenly slapped his forehead, stood up, and pointed to the seat to her upper right. “Teacher Yu moved your seat there. That spot was reserved for a new classmate.”

Wei Daiqing asked, “New classmate? I didn’t hear anything about a new classmate coming to our class.”

“Yeah, it was really sudden. Teacher Yu brought her in after putting down her books and left. He said he would formally introduce her tomorrow.”

Yang Hui’s deskmate patted him on the back. “Did you see the new classmate? Is she a guy or a girl?”

There were fewer girls in the science class, and Qiu Yinglei really hoped it was a female classmate.

Yang Hui sat down and grinned lewdly. “A beauty! We’re in luck! The new classmate is a big beauty!”

When several boys heard the word “big beauty,” they all excitedly shouted.

Guan Jingxu was casually flipping through his book, immersed in the cool and powerful illustrations of fighter jets.

Without phones, the students either discussed their studies or exchanged various small gossip and rumors. Class 8 and Class 9 had always been in fierce competition.

Yang Hui, that loudspeaker, couldn’t wait to spread the word to everyone that their class had a beautiful girl.

After evening self-study began, the loudspeaker finally quieted down.

In Class 6, Chen Zhanbei quietly leaned over to Pei Jinyang and whispered, “Yang, have you heard? Class 9 is getting an incredibly beautiful girl.”

Pei Jinyang asked, “Who told you?”

“That guy, Yang Hui.”

“You’re listening to him? He’s just making stuff up.”

Chen Zhanbei nodded. “Yeah, probably. He tends to exaggerate. Maybe it’s just a girl. You know how Yang Hui is.”

They had played basketball together and were familiar with Yang Hui’s personality.

Pei Jinyang’s mind inexplicably flashed to Jiang Mingzhi’s face. Is she going to Class 9?

He had thought she would come to Class 6. Pei Zhaohua had repeatedly told him to look out for Jiang Mingzhi in the new environment. Wouldn’t it be better if they were in the same class to take care of her?

Then he remembered Sun Shiyao saying that Jiang Mingzhi knew Guan Jingxu. Slamming his pen on the desk, he stood up and left the classroom.

Chen Zhanbei quietly called from behind, “We’re in self-study. Where are you going?”

“To the restroom.”

---

Lin Wan held back her curiosity and finished her homework before asking her mom for her phone. She immediately called Jiang Mingzhi via voice message.

As soon as the call connected, Lin Wan’s scream came through the phone: “Deskmate~~~”

Her voice was long and high-pitched, almost like a soprano.

Jiang Mingzhi laughed: “What’s wrong? Deskmate.”

Lin Wan cried, “Aaaah! Starting tomorrow, you won’t belong to me anymore! I’m heartbroken, I’m so sad.”

“It’s okay. Once a deskmate, always a deskmate.”

Lin Wan nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at grain. “Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm. I have a second-year deskmate now. I can brag about it for life! By the way, which class are you in for second year? Is it Class 6?”

She blinked, teasing her.

“Class 9.”

Lin Wan was surprised: “Huh? Guan Jingxu’s class?”

“Mmm.”

Lin Wan was puzzled. “We all thought you’d go to Class 6. Some people even said that you and Pei Jinyang like each other, and that you skipped a grade for him.”

Jiang Mingzhi: “……”

Can the rumors get any more outrageous?

“Don’t believe in rumors, don’t spread them,” Jiang Mingzhi said. “I have nothing to do with him.”

Lin Wan didn’t believe her. “But he came to find you this morning. That doesn’t look like nothing’s going on between you two.”

Jiang Mingzhi sighed, “Alright, I’ll tell you the truth. He’s my half-brother, and he came this morning just to give me my grade-skipping application.”

Lin Wan’s mouth dropped open, and she paused for a moment, trying to understand what “half-brother” meant.

“You’re a step-family?” she asked.

Jiang Mingzhi nodded. “Yeah, but he doesn’t like me.”

As for her feelings toward Pei Jinyang, they were a bit complicated and couldn’t be sorted out in an instant.

But those complexities were related to the Pei Jinyang from her past life, not the Pei Jinyang who was just 17 now.

After hanging up, Jiang Mingzhi picked up her pen again and continued doing her homework.

The past was behind her. This time, she wanted to live fully for herself, choose the major she liked, and pursue a career that interested her.

The clock’s hands pointed toward 10 when there was a knock on her door.

She thought it was her mom and didn’t look up, just calling out, “Come in.”

But the person outside didn’t open the door. Instead, they knocked again.

Jiang Mingzhi got up to open the door, only to find someone she hadn’t expected standing there.

Pei Jinyang, with his hair slightly damp and water droplets forming at the ends, likely just out of the shower, stood in black pajamas. His lean, slender figure exuded the fresh scent of youth that was almost tangible as he came closer.