Chapter 2

The first period on Monday morning was with the class teacher. The teacher appeared with a thick stack of test papers, and a faint groan of dismay echoed through the class as he entered the room.

The class teacher cast a single glance around the room, and instantly everyone fell silent, not daring to make a sound.

“The weekly pop quiz papers will be handed out now. Take a good look at where you went wrong…”

“There are several types of questions that we’ve already covered before. I don’t understand why some of you keep making the same mistakes! This shows that either you didn’t listen well during the lesson, or you didn’t even open your eyes when doing the test!”

“We will focus on the third to last and the second to last questions today. These are very important points…”

The test papers were passed back from the front row. Ying Nian received her own paper just as the teacher called her name.

“Regarding these two questions, Ying Nian did quite well. After I finish the lesson, you can borrow her test paper to take another look.”

Being called by name, there wasn’t the slightest hint of pride on her face. Of course, it wasn’t just her; all the classmates, and even the class teacher and all the subject teachers, had become accustomed to it.

Ying Nian, the outstanding student who consistently topped the rankings, had always held the top position in her grade. From the beginning of junior high to now in high school, she had always been the number one student in her year.

“In this weekly pop quiz, Ying Nian once again achieved the highest score in our class,” the teacher paused, showing a rare smile. “She also scored the highest in the grade. The monthly exam is coming up soon, and I hope all of you can get serious, focus on your studies, and look up to those outstanding students. Learn from them…”

In the first three minutes of the class, a third of the time was spent praising Ying Nian, something everyone had long been used to.

“Alright.”

The prelude ended, and the class teacher clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Now, let’s start reviewing this test paper.”

This review session spanned two consecutive periods.

When the bell rang for the end of class, the class teacher extended the session by more than half a minute before ‘reluctantly’ putting away the test papers and urging everyone to quickly head to the playground for assembly. As soon as he disappeared, the boys in the back row collectively sighed in relief.

It seemed to be raining outside. The assembly music playing on the broadcast abruptly stopped and was replaced by a female voice: “Temporary notice, there will be no exercises today. All classes, please disband. All classes, please disband.”

Upon hearing this, the boys in the class immediately slapped their desks and cheered, “Woo——”

“Want to go to the restroom, Ying Nian?”

Several girls came over to ask. Ying Nian smiled and politely declined the invitation, “No, you go ahead.” She then lowered her head and continued reading.

The break after the second period was long, and the corridors were filled with small groups of students chatting. The restroom was probably crowded at this time. Ying Nian remained in her seat, checked the exercises in her workbook, and then opened her book to preview the content for the next lesson.

The boys behind her were chatting, and although Ying Nian was usually uninterested in their idle talk, she suddenly heard them mention the game-related incident that had sparked a debate in the group chat yesterday.

“That SF support is really arrogant. Just because they won once, is it that big of a deal?”

“That’s not right. They won several matches in a row.”

“Come on, that’s because they haven’t encountered any strong opponents…”

“I watched the interview and thought it was quite good. How were they arrogant? They didn’t say anything.”

“Ugh, did you see his expression? Acting all high and mighty, smiling for no reason. He’s just using his looks to get by. No real skill, just joining the scene to attract some female fans. Just wait, he’ll definitely end up as another guy who sleeps with his fans!”

“That’s a bit harsh…”

“Isn’t it true? Yesterday, there were so many girls on Weibo saying he’s handsome. I’ve been following the game for years, and I know!”

…

Listening to them, Ying Nian unknowingly paused her writing. She slowly turned around and interjected, “Are you guys talking about the SF team?”

The boys, surprised by her interruption, paused for a moment and asked in astonishment, “Vice class monitor, you watch the matches too?”

“Uh…” Ying Nian responded vaguely, then asked, “Are you talking about the support player from SF?”

The leading boy replied, “Yes! Him, do you know him?”

Ying Nian nodded, pursed her lips slightly, and said, “I feel like he’s not that kind of person. He doesn’t seem bad.”

As soon as she spoke, Ying Nian was surprised at herself. She didn’t play the game or watch the matches and didn’t understand any of it. Why was she speaking up for a stranger?

“You can’t judge someone just by their appearance! You probably haven’t watched many matches. Let me tell you, this scene isn’t always that simple. That support player, you can tell just by looking…”

The previous boy continued to criticize SF, but another boy, noticing his lack of tact, elbowed him and made exaggerated facial expressions to signal him to stop. Only then did he reluctantly shut his mouth.

“That’s just how he talks, vice class monitor, don’t take it to heart!” Another boy, thinking Ying Nian was a fan of the support player, quickly tried to smooth things over.

Seeing that the conversation wasn’t going anywhere, Ying Nian smiled and turned back to her own work.

The boys behind her lowered their voices, but Ying Nian’s hearing was exceptionally good, and she still heard everything clearly.

“Why’d you bump me?”

“Are you dumb? The vice class monitor clearly likes that guy; she’s even speaking up for him, and you’re still bad-mouthing him!”

“No way. The vice class monitor, such a top student, also cares about looks? I thought she was different…”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

…

Ying Nian pretended not to hear any of it.

The boys chatted for a while and then went out through the back door for some fresh air. Ying Nian circled a few key points in her book and then put down her pen. She closed her eyes for a brief rest, took out her phone, and opened her photo album.

Yesterday, while watching the interview video, she accidentally hit a shortcut key and took a screenshot.

Ying Nian stared at the person in the screenshot, examining it carefully.

“Wow, he’s so handsome!”

A female classmate beside her unintentionally glanced at the picture on her phone and instinctively exclaimed, “Vice class monitor, who is this?”

Ying Nian looked up, briefly stunned, then smiled casually, “It’s someone from the internet.” She put away her phone and noticed the girl holding a test paper, “Do you need something?”

“Oh, right.” The girl remembered her purpose, “I wanted to borrow your test paper for a moment. I still don’t quite understand this question even after the teacher explained it…”

Ying Nian generously handed her the test paper. The girl stood by her seat, correcting her mistakes with Ying Nian’s test paper.

Suddenly, Ying Nian asked, “Do you think the person in the picture just now is good-looking?”

“Of course!” The girl glanced at her, “He’s very handsome! Don’t you think so?”

Ying Nian just smiled without responding.

That support player is indeed good-looking.

It seems not only people in the eSports circle think so, but normal girls also find him attractive.

…

Even when she got home in the evening, Ying Nian was still thinking about this.

She must be possessed!

She sighed deeply, grabbed the corner of her quilt, and rolled around on the bed, wrapping herself up like a cocoon.

Why does this person keep haunting her, haunting her! His image keeps swirling back and forth in her mind!

Is being good-looking that amazing?

Ying Nian spread her arms and lay flat, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.

The first time she saw him, she had a strong sense of familiarity. Even though he was a stranger, it felt like she had seen him many times before. She kept staring, kept staring, and finally found in his eyes that it was because of that spirit.

That confident, commanding spirit—they were exactly the same.

However, there were also some differences. Watching the interview video to the end, she felt that she was far inferior to him. The calm composure he had, she hadn’t mastered it yet, especially when facing the entire Ying family.

Time ticked by, quietly and steadily.

The plain white ceiling seemed to flicker with patterns as Ying Nian stared at it, prompting her to quickly close her eyes and rest.

She lay quietly, with each breath silently mouthing those three words.

Yu, Lin, Ran.

The new support player added to the SF team this year. His name, completely mismatched with his appearance, arrived with an overwhelming presence, anything but gentle.

…

At the breakfast table in the morning, a neatly dressed Ying Nian pulled out a chair and sat down. In front of her was a bowl of porridge, and several small dishes of her favorite side dishes on porcelain plates.

Guan Lanqiu served her a small soup dumpling. Just waking up, Ying Nian’s voice was slightly hoarse: “Thank you, Mom.”

Ying Yaoxing immediately showed concern: “Niannian, what’s wrong? Why is your voice hoarse? Are you feeling unwell?”

Being stared at by both parents, Ying Nian shook her head, swallowed a bite of the soup dumpling, and quickly cleared her throat. “No, maybe I ate something too salty yesterday.”

Hearing her explanation, Ying Yaoxing and Guan Lanqiu’s expressions eased slightly.

Since Ying Nian started high school, her courses had become increasingly demanding. To accompany her for breakfast, the Ying family couple would wake up every day according to her school schedule, just to enjoy this little moment of warmth together.

They were always considerate of Ying Nian’s feelings, like the unpleasant incident at the Ying family gathering the other day, which they hadn’t mentioned at all after returning home.

Actually, Ying Nian wasn’t that fragile, but her parents’ care was still very comforting. As she ate breakfast and noticed that Ying Yaoxing seemed to have something on his mind, she couldn’t help but ask, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

“Niannian,” Ying Yaoxing began, choosing his words carefully, “have you seen Jiashu at school?”

Ying Nian paused with her chopsticks. “Jiang Jiashu? No, we’re not in the same class. Why are you asking about him?” They all knew she wasn’t close to Jiang Jiashu.

“Jiashu had a fight with his mom and hasn’t been home for two days.”

“…Ran away from home?”

“Sort of. He’s a teenager, so it’s normal to have a temper. After being nagged by his mom, he just disappeared,” Ying Yaoxing said. “Originally, your aunt didn’t ask us, but since Jiashu hasn’t come home for two nights now, she’s worried and called us just now.”

The night before last? Wasn’t that the night of the family gathering when she had an argument with Grandpa Ying?

She didn’t run away from home, so why was Jiang Jiashu throwing a tantrum? He’s a high school freshman and still playing these games with his parents. Ying Nian was perplexed. “Didn’t they check the school?”

“They did go, but they couldn’t find him. They also informed his class teacher. They just wanted to ask you in case there were some places only you students would know about.”

“No idea,” Ying Nian shrugged. “I’m not familiar with him.”

Hearing this, Ying Yaoxing sighed and didn’t ask further.

…

Another day passed in studying, with Ying Nian focusing on her studies. Finally, the image of the handsome, aggressive eSports player, Yu, stopped wandering through her mind.

During the dinner break before evening self-study, Ying Nian left through the back door, planning to visit the newly opened bookstore on Xin Street to buy some things. She took a turn through an alley, left and right, and just as she reached the last section, her steps suddenly halted.

There were people fighting ahead.

Two thoughts flashed through Ying Nian’s mind—

Retrace her steps: too far, a waste of time and troublesome.

Move forward: how should she ask them to let her pass?

Before she could decide, the group noticed her. None of them were from her school. The leading boy’s eyes lingered on her for a moment, showing a hint of amazement, but he still kept a stern face. “Little sister, what are you looking at? Want a VIP seat?”

“I…” Ying Nian was about to take the opportunity to pass through them when her eyes caught sight of someone standing against the wall, fighting off the group. Her expression immediately changed.

Jiang Jiashu was leaning against the wall, surrounded by these people, though the situation was unclear.

Their eyes met, and perhaps feeling embarrassed, Jiang Jiashu quickly turned his head away, his expression dark and sullen.

Ying Nian curled the corner of her mouth.

“I’m just passing by,” she said with a smile to the leading boy, then swung her canvas bag and stepped forward.

She walked right through them, passing in front of Jiang Jiashu without even a glance in his direction.

It was as if they were complete strangers.

Ying Nian walked a few meters ahead, and behind her, the boys seemed ready to “get back to business” and settle accounts. She stopped, slowly turned around, and addressed one side of the group, “Does this feel good?”

The group was taken aback by her sudden stop. The leading boy frowned, about to speak, but Ying Nian didn’t look at him. She spoke directly to Jiang Jiashu, “Back when I was harassed by older girls and they cornered me at the staircase to talk, you walked by and didn’t even glance my way.”

“The buzz-cut guy who insulted me, you later played basketball with him, right?”

She smiled sarcastically, “Feeling good now?”

Jiang Jiashu’s face changed slightly, “You…”

The leading boy interrupted, “Little sister, what are you doing? I…”

Before he could finish, Ying Nian pulled out a rolled-up exercise book from her canvas bag and threw it hard at his face. It hit him squarely with a loud “smack.”

“Brother Niu!”

The boys behind him gasped in unison, rushing to help their leader, who was holding his face, stumbling, and falling to the ground.

“…Damn!” The boy covered his face and cursed, his expression twisted in pain.

How does this girl have so much strength? Did she eat a few bulls or something?!

Jiang Jiashu was stunned.

Ying Nian dropped her canvas bag on the ground, stretched her neck and loosened her muscles, gripped her right hand with her left, making her knuckles crack loudly.

She glared at him fiercely:

“Jiang Jiashu, look at how pathetic you are!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ying Nian dashed forward, leaped up, and kicked. The boy, who had just stood up while holding his face, was knocked back down to the ground with one swift kick.

“I am a sister,” her hair slightly disheveled, Ying Nian landed steadily, standing and looking down coldly at the boy on the ground, “—but not your sister!”