As soon as the homeroom teacher finished speaking, a girl in a simple floral dress stepped forward first.

Her outfit clearly looked inexpensive, but her face was fresh and sweet. Her lips curved into a perfectly friendly smile, just enough to leave a good impression.

Some boys couldn’t help but focus on her pure and innocent appearance, while the more perceptive girls felt that her smile was just a bit too calculated—like she knew exactly how to capture people’s hearts.

Sitting in the back rows, Jiang Mianmian showed no interest. Seeing that the first to enter was a girl—Zhou Ling’er—she quickly shifted her gaze to the doorway.

That was when she saw him.

A tall, slender boy entered the classroom, his presence as refreshing as a soft breeze.

Even just his silhouette made Jiang Mianmian feel invigorated. Whatever drowsiness had crept up on her due to the warm afternoon sunlight vanished in an instant.

Her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t bear to blink as she took him in.

The boy stopped near the podium and turned to face the students seated in the classroom.

Jiang Mianmian finally got a good look at his face.

His short, black hair was slightly tousled, his skin was pale and smooth as jade, and his nose was straight and sharp. His lips pressed together lightly, and his gentle eyes held a hint of reserved calm as they swept over the classroom.

It was clear he anticipated the awkwardness of the situation and tried to project indifference, as if pretending not to care could shield him from the sting of ridicule.

Seated at the back, Jiang Mianmian observed everything closely. She noticed that as soon as he stepped into the classroom and faced his peers, his long, slender fingers, resting at his sides, curled up ever so slightly.

As expected, being new transfer students meant they had to introduce themselves in front of the class.

The homeroom teacher encouraged them warmly, “Come on, don’t be shy. Be brave and introduce yourselves to everyone.”

Zhou Ling’er, smiling brightly, walked up to the podium with confidence. Facing the seated students, she said cheerfully, “Hello, everyone! I’m Zhou Ling’er. I’m so happy to join you all and look forward to getting along well with everyone!”

She bowed slightly after speaking. Despite her background clashing with the elite nature of this private school, her poise and grace won over most of her peers.

Aside from a few exceptions, the majority of the students gave polite applause.

Though the gap in social standing meant they wouldn’t develop deep friendships with her, they still adhered to the basic decorum of courtesy.

After finishing her introduction, Zhou Ling’er stepped to the side, and the homeroom teacher turned to Zhou Nanye, who was still standing off to the side near the podium.

Jiang Mianmian frowned slightly. Zhou Ling’er knew Zhou Nanye stuttered—why hadn’t she stepped in to help introduce him?

She could have easily framed it as shyness or aloofness, sparing him the embarrassment of exposing his speech impediment.

While Jiang Mianmian only felt heartache over Zhou Nanye’s stutter, she knew most people wouldn’t empathize. To them, it was merely a source of amusement.

Sure enough, when Zhou Nanye reluctantly stood in front of the class and began to speak in halting fragments, the disparity between his striking appearance and his stammer drew ridicule.

“What’s this? He’s even worse at speaking than the girl before him,” some boys sneered.

Even the homeroom teacher, unaware of Zhou Nanye’s condition, showed visible impatience. “Don’t be shy! Speak clearly!”

Zhou Nanye, having transferred schools with Zhou Ling’er using official documentation but no formal introduction from previous teachers, hadn’t disclosed his stutter.

He wasn’t about to draw attention to his scars voluntarily.

Pressing his lips together, he tried to calm himself and forced the words out:

“Hel…hello…e-everyone. I…I am…Zhou…Nan Nanye…”

His voice was soft, clear, and slightly magnetic—a tone that could captivate.

But no one paid attention to its quality.

Before he could finish, laughter erupted from the students below.

“HAHAHAHA! What was that? He’s a stutterer!”