Ye Qi’s Exam Philosophy and Youli’s Announcement

I, in truth, only needed a slight review, a quick glance through the materials. Even with my memories somewhat dulled by growth, the wellspring of my intellect would render the entire examination ‘invalid.’

Yet!

‘But I am Ye Qi!’

I was Ye Qi, the one who lived by the motto: ‘[What needs to be done, I will complete at that precise time, with ‘second-by-second accuracy.’]’

I was the Ye Qi who always believed that one only needed to exert effort during the exam itself!

How could I possibly dedicate more than two hours to reviewing elementary knowledge, the kind only young children would bother to learn?!

Especially when so many of the texts—like ‘[Goose, Goose, Goose, raising a cup to laugh at the heavenly palace],’ ‘[I am a Heavenly Dynasty Person],’ and ‘[Darwin and the Little Bear]’—felt utterly shameful just to recite.

Therefore…

Naturally, for me, who valued both integrity and purity, the ‘formula for success’ in achieving the city’s third-highest junior high entrance exam score was simple.

‘[Chinese Class Monitor] + [Social Studies and Ethics Class Monitor] + [Science Class Monitor] + [Labor Class Monitor] + [True-Past Life: High School Student’s Wisdom] = Total Average Score greater than 140.’

As for subjects like Math and English, wouldn’t it be an insult to me to even suggest I needed to cheat?

However, the Social Studies and Ethics exam, in my opinion, proved to be incredibly difficult… truly, agonizingly difficult.

One particular question read:

‘Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong are walking down the street when they suddenly see a burly young man in a dark alley threatening an elderly woman with a weapon, demanding her cash. Yet, Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong are surrounded by a bustling street filled with people. In this situation, what should Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong do]’

‘A: Rush forward and fight the armed robber’

‘B: Ignore it, mind your own business.’

‘C: Shout loudly to attract the attention of people on the street & dial [110].’

‘D: Join the criminal, and together coerce the elderly woman into handing over her cash.’

‘This!’

‘It’s truly agonizing to choose between A and D…’

Another question was presented like this:

‘Question 6: Name two famous rivers in our country.’

‘A: Nile River, Caledon River.’

‘B: Yellow River, Yangtze River.’

‘C: Sneeze River, Kinu River.’

‘D: Mississippi River, Mediterranean Sea.’

‘What on earth are C and D?! The Mediterranean Sea is even an option, hey, hey!’

‘How to put it… this… I truly find it hard to choose…’

‘By the way, isn’t the Mississippi River part of the Heavenly Dynasty’s territory?’

In any case, the result was paramount. Though it was flawed logic, for me, it held true.

‘Flawed logic, when brimming with cruel facts and met with no retribution, becomes an unquestionable truth~!’

****

Now, it was the second day after the graduation ceremony. I, as always, lay sprawled on my desk like a dried fish. My beautiful face was pressed firmly against the surface, flattened into the shape of a sponge.

I still wore my ill-fitting, oversized school uniform. My collarbones were faintly visible through the wide gaps of the uniform, alluringly framed by my seemingly undyed, jet-black hair.

What’s more, my seat was in the deepest part of the last row, in the corner by the window.

Although my height of around 1.45 meters typically meant I was assigned to the front row, I had argued otherwise.

I declared righteously, “Teacher! I believe if a Disciplinary Committee member cannot constantly supervise the class’s discipline, then what difference is there between them and a dried fish?!”

Consequently, the teacher approved my daily habit of sprawling at the back, sleeping like a dried fish.

Even so, I still found it inconvenient to openly sleep with my eyes closed. Every now and then, I could feel several burning gazes upon me. Yet, the moment I lifted my head, that annoying, scorching sensation would vanish without a trace.

It would be terrible for a Disciplinary Committee member to be caught slacking off daily! Most importantly… there was the money! Every school-appointed cadre received some amount of scholarship.

After all, if Moonlight Academy, with its annual fees exceeding two hundred thousand, couldn’t even afford scholarships, it would become a laughingstock.

With at least ten thousand yuan in funds each month, it was only when they entered junior high that my finances became comfortable. This was also why my parents felt assured enough to leave a letter, along with several months’ living expenses, before completely disappearing one day.

Although only five thousand yuan remained after paying for both my and Ye Sakaki’s accommodation fees, even that amount was higher than the salaries of most teachers in ordinary schools.

Naturally, compared to me, the surrounding classmates—aside from the large number of scholarship students—were all rich kids who disdained spending mere thousands each month. Instead, they were the type who would swipe their cards for a favored sports car without even needing to enter a PIN!

‘But really… why do I have to pay for that guy Ye Sakaki’s accommodation? I genuinely dislike it…’

Sometimes, people are considerably harsher in their self-loathing than they are towards others.

****

Class 2-B

The final self-study period.

“Alright, everyone, please quiet down for a moment. I have some good news to announce today.”

I, who had been in a state of utter thoughtlessness, was suddenly roused by Youli’s voice.

Tenshouin Youli, the ‘Classmate Tenshouin Youli’ who had been forcefully obtained as my deskmate through the coercive statement: ‘If the Class Monitor isn’t present, I won’t feel the warmth of the school, thus losing my motivation to study, which will then drag down the progress of the entire Class 2-B, making Classmate Ye Qi the culprit for B-class becoming F-class..’ had imperceptibly left my side and quietly walked to the front of the classroom, to the podium.

I, who had been staring blankly like a soulless rag doll, my eyes open yet devoid of spirit like a dried fish, was instantly brought back to life by this ethereal voice.

The power of first love was boundless, infinite enough to transcend the gender divide.

It was an infinite power that could even make a ‘girl’ as twisted as I bow my head.

****

Today, Youli, as always, exuded the demeanor of a distinguished young lady. She wore a beautiful blazer that, compared to my unrefined male uniform, pleased the eye countless times more.

Her lower half featured an ultra-short skirt in the style of a ‘Far Eastern island nation’ junior high uniform, with red and black checks interwoven to create an indescribable, trendy urban aesthetic. This was complemented by divine over-the-knee socks that gentlemen could surely admire for a year.

Aside from not concealing any bodily imperfections, the otherwise perfect Moonlight Academy uniform fit Class Monitor Youli with astonishing precision.

Even more noteworthy was Class Monitor Youli’s aura, a blend of classical elegance and natural charm, beauty without sacrificing cuteness. Most importantly, there was the gentle tone that seemed to flow naturally from her.

If I were to try and imitate her, I would likely only produce that stubbornly tsundere, utterly detestable tone, refusing to be honest even unto death.

“Hello, classmates. Today, at the teacher’s request, I’m here to introduce a new transfer student~”

‘Hmm, who could it be?’

Unlike me, who had only just started junior high a week ago, Class Monitor Youli had already amassed a year’s worth of popularity at Moonlight Academy.

Consequently, Youli had quite a few admirers.

As Youli stepped onto the stage, not only did all the boys’ gazes shift to her with an intensity that suggested they wanted to devour their Class Monitor, but even a small portion of the girls looked at Youli with flushed faces.

Clearly, compared to the unproductive me, Youli was far better at handling people’s gazes.

She was truly worthy of being Moonlight Academy Junior High’s most popular Class Monitor.