Transfer

September marked the start of school, yet the heatwave remained relentless.

The ground shimmered with heat, like a scorching grill.

The first-year students, undergoing military training, were the most unfortunate, their skin darkening layer by layer until they were practically unrecognizable.

Meanwhile, the older students, having already endured their turn, now leisurely enjoyed ice cream, watching the spectacle unfold.

Third Year, Class Five.

The math representative happened to be absent, so Ji Ze, as class monitor, stepped in to collect homework.

He first approached the students in the front row, expecting to collect only a few books.

As anticipated, only a handful were turned in; everyone was still suffering from “summer vacation syndrome,” their minds adrift, truly unwilling to do homework—especially math.

The most common lament was, “Ah, damn it!”

“Math again next period!”

A chorus of groans filled the air.

A group of boys, roughhousing together, only belatedly paused their antics when Ji Ze approached to collect homework.

They bent down, rummaging through their drawers for their notebooks.

One boy suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning, his eyes wide as he clutched his head and roared, “Damn it!”

“I forgot to do it!”

He then pleaded his case to the class monitor, promising to copy it immediately.

Ji Ze’s expression remained calm.

“It’s fine,” he said placidly.

“I’ll take it to the office after you’ve finished.”

The boy waved his hand, grinning.

“No, no, that’s too much trouble for the class monitor.”

“I’ll deliver it for you next period.”

Without another word, he boldly snatched the stack of homework from Ji Ze’s hand.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he bellowed, “Hand in your math homework, guys!”

“I won’t wait around; I’m leaving soon!”

His deskmate pressed a hand down on his head, laughing.

“You have the nerve to lecture others when you forgot yours and need the class monitor to wait.”

“Why don’t you ever forget to eat?”

The boy swiftly swatted his hand away, snorting.

“Are math and eating the same thing?”

“People die if they don’t eat, but not having to do math feels like heaven!”

Ji Ze stood rooted to his spot.

His dark hair framed a complexion much paler than that of most boys, suggesting he rarely spent time in the sun.

His features were exquisite, yet not ambiguously feminine—he was a truly rare and handsome youth, every contour seemingly meticulously sculpted, leaving an unforgettable impression.

His eyelashes lowered as he gazed at his suddenly empty palm.

He subtly pursed his lips, nodded in assent, and then turned to leave.

After another class, Ji Ze sat by the window, listening intently and taking notes.

Occasionally, his thoughts would drift, and he would prop his chin on his hand, watching the figures running on the sports field below.

They were vibrant, overflowing with youthful energy, their sweat glistening.

This, perhaps, was a unique mark of boys in their school years.

After a while, Ji Ze turned his attention back to the blackboard, listening to the teacher explain the concepts.

Once class ended, the teacher, while tidying her books, suddenly remembered something and looked up.

“Oh, right, Ji Ze, your homeroom teacher is looking for you.”

“They want you to come to the office.”

Ji Ze looked up.

“Understood.”

“I’ll go immediately.”

The teacher’s gaze softened as she looked at the well-behaved, intelligent student.

She unconsciously added, “No rush, it’s not urgent.”

“Just take your time walking over.”

Ji Ze paused.

“…Okay, thank you, teacher.”

The teacher smiled, picked up her books, and exited the classroom.

Inside the office.

Homeroom Teacher Tian stood facing an unfamiliar boy, engaged in conversation.

Jiang Hao had officially transferred to this boarding high school today.

His parents were often away for work, and with the college entrance exam not far off, they hoped enrolling him here would help him rein in his wild tendencies.

Jiang Hao had largely been left to his own devices, cultivating a free-spirited and unrestrained personality.

He had tried everything from fighting and truancy to defying teachers, reaching a point in junior high where teachers could no longer control him.

Yet, he possessed a keen mind.

Even without paying close attention in class, his grades remained excellent.

His parents sent him here hoping he would turn over a new leaf and not waste his clever brain.

While the college entrance exam wasn’t everything, it was a crucial test, and they naturally hoped their son would get into a good university.

Teacher Tian knew Jiang Hao’s parents and had been asked to keep a close eye on him.

Fortunately, he was already acquainted with the boy, and they got along reasonably well.

With his own plan in mind, he said gently, “I’ll have the class monitor show you around the school… Oh, speaking of him, here he comes.”

Jiang Hao followed Teacher Tian’s gaze.

His first impression was of a very fair-skinned, quite handsome boy.

Jiang Hao paused, then turned to Teacher Tian, leaning against the desk with a teasing tone.

“He’s so small.”

“Aren’t you worried I’ll bully him until he cries?”

The “small” Ji Ze was 175cm tall, which was not short among high school boys, but Jiang Hao himself had shot up quickly and was nearly 190cm.

Teacher Tian listened to his words, sighing helplessly as he massaged his forehead.

“His name is Ji Ze, and he’s two years younger than you.”

“He’s very sensible, and his grades are much better than yours.”

The last sentence was heavily emphasized, intended to ignite the boy’s competitive spirit.

Jiang Hao, however, merely shrugged, unconcerned.

Teacher Tian knew it was impossible for Jiang Hao to suddenly become obedient, but he also knew Jiang Hao always had a limit to his actions and would listen to reasonable advice.

This was why he dared to pair Ji Ze with Jiang Hao.

It was a combination of quiet and active, and Ji Ze himself possessed a maturity beyond his years, which Teacher Tian hoped would positively influence Jiang Hao.

He didn’t forget to add a reminder.

“Ji Ze isn’t in very good health, so don’t cause trouble.”

“I’m telling you this very seriously, so remember it well.”

Jiang Hao frowned.

“Then why are you letting him… Tsk, fine, I get it.”

As they spoke, Ji Ze had already walked from the office doorway, stopping about two steps from Jiang Hao.

Teacher Tian smiled warmly as he introduced the two.

“This is Jiang Hao, who just transferred to our class.”

“The next period is self-study, so I’d like you to show him around the school.”

“It’s a bit hot outside, so a simple introduction will suffice.”

“He’ll naturally get more familiar with it over time.”

Ji Ze’s expression was calm, and he nodded, looking every bit the obedient student.

Teacher Tian had said all he needed to, so he sent them off to explore.

Ji Ze took the first step.

As he passed Jiang Hao, his gaze fell directly on his neck, then lifted to meet his dark, bright eyes.

He said faintly, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Hao looked at the handsome class monitor, who reached roughly his ear, and raised an eyebrow, in quite a good mood.

“Alright.”

For now, he was cooperative.

Teacher Tian watched their retreating figures, walking side by side, with a sense of relief.

‘Get along well,’ he thought.

Ji Ze led the way downstairs, past the library, the sports field, and the cafeteria, pointing out and explaining each location.

Jiang Hao walked with his hands in his pockets, listening intermittently, while subconsciously glancing at the person beside him.

The class monitor was handsome and slender, spoke slowly with pleasant intonation, and had a lovely voice—a youthful huskiness, yet as clear and articulate as a broadcaster.

It was quite pleasant to listen to.

Jiang Hao suddenly spoke.

“I haven’t received my meal card yet, so I can’t borrow books or pay for food.”

“Class Monitor, could I borrow yours for now?”

Ji Ze, mid-sentence, paused.

Without much hesitation, he nodded.

“You can.”

Jiang Hao grinned, revealing a flash of white teeth, bold and unrestrained.

“Thanks, beautiful Class Monitor.”

That appellation… Ji Ze frowned, correcting him, “My name is Ji Ze.”

Jiang Hao continued to smile.

“I know.”

Ji Ze pursed his lips, glancing at him.

The other boy’s smile only grew brighter.

Judging by his expression, he wouldn’t change his ways anytime soon.

It felt like… he had a very difficult personality.

That intuition was spot on.

Ji Ze decided to put the matter aside for now, leading him to the next location as if nothing had happened.

Moments later, Ji Ze’s steps suddenly halted.

Jiang Hao looked back, his eyes glinting.

“Are you alright?”

Old Tian had mentioned his poor health.

In the sunlight, Ji Ze’s face was somewhat pale, his lips light in color.

His slender frame, clad in a loose school uniform shirt, made him appear even more frail and sickly.

From the perspective of the robust Jiang Hao, he genuinely feared Ji Ze might collapse at any moment.

Ji Ze half-covered his mouth, coughing twice.

He shook his head.

“I’m fine.”

For some reason, Jiang Hao recalled a saying: ‘Girls are incredibly hard to read. When they say they’re fine, they’re not. When they say it’s nothing, it’s something.’

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

Ji Ze tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes—a slight shift from his usual impassive expression.

Jiang Hao looked at the few stray hairs sticking up on Ji Ze’s head in the sunlight and suddenly felt an urge to ruffle them.

He cleared his throat, covering his thoughts.

“Anyway, we’ve seen most of it.”

“Let’s just head to the dorms.”

“That’s the only place left, and Old Tian said I could get familiar with it myself later.”

Perhaps they had walked too long and been exposed to the sun.

If this small, slender, beautiful class monitor fell ill, it would be troublesome for him too.

Without knowing why, Jiang Hao suddenly felt concerned for his newly met classmate.

He couldn’t quite explain it himself; he had always acted on impulse, taking things one step at a time.

This was a private school with excellent facilities.

The dorms were two-person suites, like high-end apartments, featuring solid wood beds, desks against the wall, an independent bathroom, and a small living room.

Since Jiang Hao was a last-minute transfer, his dorm hadn’t been arranged yet.

Ji Ze merely showed him the common room, which had a ping-pong table, a TV, and a tea table with chairs.

As a new student, there were naturally some paper forms to fill out.

Ji Ze had the forms in his dorm, and was about to retrieve them for Jiang Hao, but upon patting his pocket, he realized he had left his keys in his classroom drawer.

Ji Ze said, “Stay here.”

“I’ll go back to the classroom to get the keys.”

He turned to leave, but Jiang Hao grabbed his arm.

“Couldn’t someone just bring them over when they’re passing by?”

“It’s lunchtime now, isn’t it?”

The distance from the dorm to the classroom was not insignificant, and it involved climbing stairs.

Ji Ze already had a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead from walking for so long, and his complexion had only improved slightly after being in the cool dorm.

However, Ji Ze did not react as Jiang Hao expected, nodding in sudden realization.

Instead, he frowned in disapproval, pausing where he stood.

Jiang Hao released his hand, mused for a moment, then blurted out, guessing, “Beautiful Class Monitor, you don’t happen to have no friends, do you?”