Chapter 14: Freshman Opening Ceremony  

The excitement from the class committee elections had barely faded when the school bell rang, accompanied by the crisp sound of chalk on blackboard and the rhythmic chorus of cicadas outside the window—a symphony unique to the start of the school year.  

Lin Yumo twirled her brand-new pen, her notebook filled with neat handwriting.  

After the class committee elections, the students resumed their regular lessons. By the mid-morning break, the school held the freshman opening ceremony. Li Xuanxuan organized the class into formation and led them to the auditorium to take their seats.  

When the bell for the second class rang, the entire school building erupted with noise.  

Li Xuanxuan stood on the podium, her ponytail swaying gently as she waved her arms. “Line up properly, in the same order as during military training!”  

Her voice carried a natural authority, and the noisy classroom quickly fell into orderly silence.  

The sea of blue-and-white uniforms flowed like a river as Class Seven wound their way along the tree-lined path. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the students’ shoulders.  

Inside the auditorium, crystal chandeliers illuminated the polished marble floor.  

Lin Yumo followed the line to her seat and looked up to see the golden school emblem hanging at the center of the stage, gleaming under the lights.  

When the principal stepped onto the stage, the entire room erupted in synchronized applause. His voice echoed through the speakers: “Students, high school is a new beginning in life…”  

During the lengthy speech, Lin Yumo’s gaze unconsciously swept across the auditorium—until the announcement, “Now, let us welcome the outstanding student representative from Class One, Grade One, Chi Miao, to deliver a speech,” struck her like a hammer, making her heart skip a beat.  

With that, the principal stepped back and took his seat.  

The auditorium lights dimmed softly as a tall, slender figure emerged from the side door.  

Chi Miao wore his neatly pressed blue-and-white uniform, the cuffs buttoned precisely, the silver school emblem at his collar gleaming coldly.  

His striking brow bone and deep, icy eyes gave him an aloof demeanor, his thin lips pressed together in an unapproachable silence—yet the slight droop at the corners of his eyes added a faint trace of gentleness.  

His steps were unhurried as he approached the podium, his long fingers resting lightly on the edge. His calm gaze swept across the room, and without a single word, the noisy auditorium fell silent.  

Then, in a low, cool voice tinged with a faint magnetism, he began his brief yet powerful speech: “It is an honor to stand here…”  

Soon, Chi Miao’s speech concluded, and thunderous applause surged through the auditorium like a tidal wave. A few girls in the front row flushed with excitement, clapping until their hands turned red.  

Chi Miao bowed slightly in thanks, a strand of glossy black hair falling over his brow.  

As he turned to return to his class section, Jiang Bozhou bounded up like an overexcited monkey, slinging an arm around his neck and grinning as he whispered conspiratorially:  

“Lord of Zero! A pretty girl from Class Three was secretly taking pictures of you just now!”  

He even mimed a money-transfer gesture, waggling his eyebrows. “Give me five of your WeChat contacts, and I’ll treat you to drinks for a whole month!”  

Chi Miao frowned, tilting his head away from Jiang Bozhou’s hot breath. His uniform collar was slightly askew, and he shook his shoulder in mild disgust. “No. Get your hand off.”  

Jiang Bozhou’s arm slid off like a flimsy leaf.  

“No way, Lord of Zero!”

He leaned in close to Chi Miao’s ear and asked mysteriously, “Do you really have someone you like?”

Chi Miao’s expression remained unchanged, his voice as cold as a soda just taken out of the fridge, devoid of any warmth: “No one gets through except my mom and classmates. Which one do you want?”

“Hey hey hey, wait up!”

Jiang Bozhou chased after him unwillingly, grabbing Chi Miao’s sleeve urgently. “Do you have the WeChat of that little fairy from Class 7? The one I pointed out to you guys last time—”

Before he could finish, Chi Miao coldly cut him off.

“Go ask for it yourself. And stop harassing girls.” Chi Miao didn’t pause his steps, his tone flat but leaving no room for argument.

“Harassing? This is an exchange of aesthetic appreciation!” Jiang Bozhou clutched his chest dramatically.

……

The lingering echoes of the opening ceremony faded like scattered petals, quietly slipping into the crevices of time as Lin Yumo’s high school life began.

On campus, the students, like seedlings brushed by the spring breeze, gradually shed the shyness of their initial encounters.

At first, there was still a sense of unfamiliarity and restraint among everyone. But as time passed, this distance slowly dissolved, replaced by familiarity.

The lively academic life of the first year of high school thus kicked off, and Lin Yumo settled into a regular routine.

At six in the morning, the alarm woke Lin Yumo. She got up quietly and began twenty minutes of yoga practice.

After yoga, Lin Yumo washed up efficiently.

Once school officially started, she politely declined Uncle Wu’s offer to drive her.

After all, the school wasn’t far from home, and during the morning rush hour, the streets were crowded with students hurrying to class, traffic jammed.

Walking was actually faster and had the added benefit of exercise—killing two birds with one stone.

During daytime classes, Lin Yumo was like a dry sponge, absorbing the sweet rain of knowledge with rapt attention.

Her eyes closely followed the teacher, her pen constantly jotting down key points. Every ounce of her focus was concentrated on each piece of knowledge, missing no detail.

At noon, Lin Yumo didn’t eat at school. Since her home was nearby, it was more convenient to eat there. After lunch, she would take a short nap to recharge for the afternoon classes.

Between the last afternoon class and evening self-study, there was only an hour. Going home for dinner would be too rushed, so Lin Yumo chose to eat at school in the evenings.