The Unveiling of a New Jiang Zhe

After swiftly resolving the disturbance, Jiang Zhe casually flipped through the desk’s contents. He was already well aware of the original owner’s academic struggles, noting that every textbook was pristine, not even bearing a name.

He did find a notebook with some handwriting, but the moment he opened it, a wave of melancholy, rebellious teenage angst instantly washed over him. Jiang Zhe couldn’t bear to read past the first glance.

It was an eyesore.

The original owner, it turned out, was quite the brooding, artistic youth.

Jiang Zhe tidied everything, then decided to discreetly dispose of these notebooks after class. He had no desire to keep them.

He was Jiang Zhe now, unfettered by past constraints, and naturally intended to live as himself.

“Oh no, I think Jiang Zhe just got even more handsome.”

“Girl, I thought the same thing! Did he just eat pretty for breakfast?”

The girls in the front row, who had been diplomatically persuaded away by Jiang Zhe’s ‘tea-like’ charm, were now replaced by two girls across the aisle, who resumed their chatter.

They poked and nudged each other, giggling and chattering without any attempt to hide their antics. Their gazes, occasionally darting towards Jiang Zhe, were filled with awe and admiration.

Jiang Zhe was accustomed to such attention and paid them no mind.

However, Liu Jinglin, sitting in the front row, overheard their words and couldn’t help but turn to glare at them. She wanted to say something, but remembering what had just transpired, she could only bite back her words, unwilling to incur Jiang Zhe’s displeasure.

She needed to learn to be magnanimous and considerate, not disfigured by jealousy.

Yet, the two girls were not easily intimidated by Liu Jinglin’s glare. They knew Liu Jinglin’s fiery temper but chose to ignore her, continuing their hushed whispers.

“Sigh, Ning Ran is truly fortunate to have such a handsome young man.”

“Right? I wouldn’t even dare dream of something like that.”

Jiang Zhe, who was quickly flipping through his textbook, felt a surge of speechlessness. The two girls at the neighboring desk were whispering so loudly it was akin to broadcasting their conversation, audible to students several rows in front and behind.

He couldn’t tell if they were simply boisterous or if there was a hidden agenda at play.

“Hello, Jiang Zhe! My name is Ruan Ling, and the girl sitting next to me is Zhou Liu. Let’s get acquainted!”

The girl next door amplified her ‘broadcast,’ soon leaning forward with an easy familiarity. She openly introduced herself and her deskmate, completely devoid of shyness.

During previous classes, Jiang Zhe had always worn headphones, ignoring everyone, sleeping until dismissal. Now that they had finally caught an opportunity, they had to seize it!

It had been over two months since the start of the second year of high school. After the class reshuffle, students were reorganized, but due to their usual social circles and complex relationships, most already knew each other.

This excluded the scholarship students, who had no prior connections.

As one of Fenghua High School’s campus heartthrobs, Jiang Zhe, despite being a scholarship student, still attracted many who wished to befriend him. Unfortunately, he was perpetually gloomy and aloof, ignoring anyone who tried to strike up a conversation, constantly immersed in his own world.

He was particularly evasive with girls, as if encountering a fearsome tigress.

If anyone else had been so dismissive, they would have been met with immediate grumbling and curses. But Jiang Zhe was different.

Faced with such a strikingly handsome face, whatever he did was forgiven!

Of course, this only applied to girls. Boys, on the other hand, felt quite the opposite.

They had long since grown tired of Jiang Zhe, this pretty boy.

They couldn’t understand why girls were so enamored with a guy like Jiang Zhe, who was as unresponsive as a stone. Was it really just about his looks?

Did inner beauty mean nothing?

Were girls truly that superficial?

“Jiang Zhe, my name is Liu Jinglin!”

After the girl next door introduced herself, Liu Jinglin in the front row immediately followed suit, fearing she might be too late. This prompted the girl sitting with Liu Jinglin to introduce herself as well: “I’m Ye Qian.”

The consecutive self-introductions from the four girls drew attention from around the classroom. Other boys waited, anticipating a spectacle. Given Jiang Zhe’s usual silent and unresponsive demeanor, they knew he was difficult to approach, yet these girls were practically begging for rejection.

They wanted to know Jiang Zhe, but Jiang Zhe clearly didn’t want to know them!

The boys settled in, waiting for these girls to be turned down.

Meanwhile, though unsure why the sudden wave of introductions, Jiang Zhe didn’t dwell on it. Never one to adopt an aloof or arrogant persona, he promptly stopped flipping through his textbook, looked up, and responded with a smile.

“Hello, everyone.”

His gentle demeanor, reflecting a willingness to engage with the crowd, immediately sparked quiet gasps.

The boys who had been expecting Jiang Zhe to ignore them were disappointed, while the other girls who had been observing secretly regretted not speaking up themselves. They, too, wanted to talk to Jiang Zhe and get acquainted.

“Oh my god, to see Jiang Zhe’s smile… my life is complete!”

“AW SL.”

Ruan Ling and Zhou Liu played off each other, one plump and one slender, looking like a comedy duo.

Liu Jinglin, seated in front, was utterly entranced, her soul seemingly having floated away. Even her deskmate, Ye Qian, was greatly surprised, wondering what had gotten into Jiang Zhe today. He had completely changed!

Not only was he looking at textbooks, but he was also interacting with people. Had he been possessed?

“Jiang Zhe, you’re so different today—you’re smiling more! Is it because of Ning Ran?”

After her introduction, the plump Ruan Ling, noticing Jiang Zhe’s continued friendliness, immediately seized the opportunity to ask the question on her mind.

Although Jiang Zhe had just used ‘tea-like’ language to claim they were merely friends, it was clear to any discerning eye that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

Otherwise, why would Ning Ran speak so vaguely about Jiang Zhe during her live stream? And Jiang Zhe’s tone when he called Ning Ran a friend also felt strangely ambiguous.

In short, there was definitely something going on between them!

Hearing Ning Ran’s name, Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. He didn’t remain silent, however, and simply nodded.

Jiang Zhe had already decided to ‘bind’ himself to Ning Ran; having made his choice, he wouldn’t hesitate now.

This wasn’t some secret affair.

However, recalling Ning Ran’s awkward and tsundere personality, establishing a relationship with her would undoubtedly be a hellish challenge, likely requiring a prolonged battle.

That was fine, though. The higher the difficulty, the more exhilarating it was.

“Yes, because my relationship with Ning Ran has improved, I’m in a very pleasant mood right now.”

Jiang Zhe wasn’t lying. Every time he recalled Ning Ran’s tenacious stand during her live stream, he couldn’t help but smile.

He didn’t see Ning Ran’s awkward, stubborn, and determined-to-win personality as a flaw. In fact, for his goal of fostering a good relationship with her, it was nothing short of a divine assist.

Otherwise, given his background, approaching Ning Ran would have been quite challenging, but now he wouldn’t have to waste time devising strategies.

With Ning Ran’s live stream and his own subtle push, it would be difficult to deny their connection later.

They were already ‘good friends’!

“Damn it, don’t take a chicken feather for an imperial decree! Ning Ran already has a fiancé—are you trying to be a homewrecker?!”

In stark contrast to the girls’ gentle demeanor towards Jiang Zhe, a loud bang suddenly erupted from the back row. A red-haired boy, fuming, kicked over his desk and chair, instantly drawing the attention of the entire class.

Though he hadn’t called out any names, the keywords ‘Ning Ran’ and ‘homewrecker,’ especially after the morning’s live stream, were enough for everyone to know who he was referring to.

Jiang Zhe!