Qin Zixin tiptoed, peering stealthily into the classroom. The rag in her hand was merely for show, haphazardly wiping at the window sill, essentially just pushing the dust into a corner. It was a shoddy job, purely meant to fool.
At school, she had “condescended” to even pick up a rag, yet at home, she wouldn’t lift a finger for chores unless Tang Yuyu twisted her ear.
[Holy cow, this old hag is terrifying! I probably got half the small questions wrong on the entrance exam. If she were my math teacher, wouldn’t she string me up and beat me?]
[You know it, you should’ve been strung up a long time ago. Not just strung up, but also have your four limbs broken, your skin peeled, and then be thrown into a hot oil wok.]
[You rotten bastard, do you take me for a bullfrog? Dry-pot bullfrog, is that it?]
[What’s wrong? You got a problem?]
[Kiss my ass!]
[Swearing at me? Are your wings hardened? You son of a b*tch!]
Inside the classroom, the female teacher was roaring again, her voice so loud that Qin Zixin felt her eardrums vibrate. Seeing the senior student by the window flinching, the girl couldn’t help but recoil herself. The system, finding it amusing, watched on with interest.
Growing up, Qin Zixin had rarely encountered a teacher who could truly scold her into submission. In elementary school, when she deliberately skipped exams, it was Tang Yuyu who set her straight. In middle school, relying on her beauty and good grades, she was pampered by her teachers. It was only now, having entered a key high school, that she might finally receive some proper discipline.
[What must this old hag sound like when she’s with her husband, with that booming voice? Good heavens.]
[Don’t tell me the neighbors will call the police mid-act. Holy moly, girl, did you see that? The window panes were shaking when she yelled just now.]
[Huh? Terrifying!]
Qin Zixin pursed her lips, a hint of pity involuntarily surfacing in her gaze as she looked at the senior students inside the classroom. Li Jinjin had initially come to join the fun, sweeping rubbish at the side, but the female teacher’s roar had startled her, sending her scurrying away.
Qin Zixin noticed Li Jinjin retreating further, a flicker of disdain in her eyes.
[Tsk, System, look at that little hussy, pretending to hide. That shameless flirt usually can’t wait to cling to any man she sees in the classroom.]
[You’re speaking too harshly. She hasn’t provoked you.]
Although the system didn’t have a good impression of Li Jinjin—as the saying goes, ‘the child is father of the man,’ and one can usually tell if a person is worth befriending by their daily actions—Qin Zixin’s words were undeniably too cutting.
Qin Zixin hid behind the wall, a blind spot from the female teacher at the podium. She secretly observed the expressions of the unlucky students who had stood up in the classroom. Hearing the system’s words, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
[She has boyfriends at First Middle School and in Ningjiang, and she’s probably trying to find another one here at school. I heard that Zhao Jiajun used to pester her constantly.]
[I couldn’t care less about your classmates’ messy drama. Has that guy, Zhao, been sending you messages these past few days? What are you going to do? That clingy bastard is like a plaster; whoever he sticks to ends up unlucky.]
[I’ve blocked him. That jerk keeps harassing me in the class group chat, but I can’t exactly block the entire group chat, can I?]
Qin Zixin sighed, wiping the dust from the window sill corner and then haphazardly smearing the dirty rag across the glass itself. A senior student sitting by the window noticed the change in light, instantly realizing someone was standing in the corridor outside. He instinctively glanced over.
That casual glance proved to be anything but, as his eyes were immediately drawn to Qin Zixin’s rather magnificent, undulating peaks.
The senior student was instantly stunned. Yet, intimidated by the tyrannical presence of the ‘harpy’ at the podium, he only dared to lean his head slightly, outwardly appearing to keep his gaze down, but his eyes furtively darted, meticulously appraising the girl who had half-hidden herself behind the wall.
What an enchanting beauty, resplendent in her charm!
The beauty wore a light blue printed T-shirt that appeared well-worn, its chest area significantly stretched. Her lower half was obscured by the window sill, preventing him from seeing her full figure, though he could discern dark denim jeans. Even so, he could sense the extreme curves created by her exaggerated waist-to-hip ratio and her astonishing sensual allure.
Her jade-like arms, in particular, as they moved the rag, shimmered alluringly. With each swing of her arms, her ample ‘twin peaks’ mischievously swayed, subtly revealing a hint of their splendor.
The unlucky senior student met Qin Zixin’s gaze, which left him momentarily stunned.
Her eyes, like spring water, held a clear, expectant gleam, her fair cheeks more radiant than any flower.
****
Sensing the senior student’s impudent gaze from the window, Qin Zixin lost all interest in conversing with the system. She shot him what she thought was a fierce glare, hoping to make him rein himself in, but the fellow before her only seemed to grow more engrossed!
Qin Zixin felt a blush creep up, embarrassed by his persistent stare. She haphazardly wiped a few more times with the rag, considering her task complete. Just as she turned to leave, she paused, then brazenly flipped off the senior student who had been so openly ogling her.
Upon seeing her gesture, the senior student instinctively turned his head completely away, which, to the female teacher at the podium, simply looked like he was staring blankly out the window.
As Qin Zixin turned back, she heard the female teacher inside roar.
“Ji Wenzhou! Am I standing outside? What are you staring at so intently? Do you want me to tape your head to the window and give you a telescope to look through? What did you score this time?”
The senior student was so startled by the shout that he nearly jumped out of his seat, his face flushing from white to red. Seeing the teacher flipping through the grade book, he began to tremble.
“One hundred forty-five, oh, so high? The class average is one hundred sixty-three; you’re only one major question away from catching up. How dare you space out like that? If I were you, I wouldn’t be able to sleep! You, too, stand up and listen!”
In Jiangsu Province, after students choose their specialization in the second year of high school, there are additional papers: a forty-point supplementary math paper for science students and a forty-point supplementary Chinese paper for humanities students.
The female teacher’s voice was so loud that both Qin Zixin and Li Jinjin flinched. This time, Qin Zixin genuinely noticed the window panes shaking. Hearing the senior student get scolded, Qin Zixin’s mood significantly improved, her almond eyes crinkling into slits with delight. She quickly covered her mouth, having almost burst into laughter.
Just then, Zhou Dahong arrived, carrying a freshly washed mop, having just cleaned it in the restroom.
Stepping out, he saw Qin Zixin laughing unreservedly, her dark eyes playfully darting about like a charming cat. Noticing Zhou Dahong approaching, and having nothing else to do, Qin Zixin proceeded to explain to him why the unlucky senior student had been scolded. She looked as though a great wrong had been righted, beaming with delight, her face brimming with triumphant expressions, utterly adorable in her naivety.
The bright-eyed, charming girl giggled behind her hand, speaking at length, but Zhou Dahong heard not a single word. His eyes were entirely captivated by the ‘snow-capped mountains’ that heaved and swayed with her laughter and mirth.
At that moment, Zhou Dahong’s head was entirely filled with ‘boobs.’ He felt his mouth go dry, swallowing hard, and managed a few noncommittal grunts and ‘uh-huhs’ in response. This was the first time since school started that he’d seen such a ‘sight’ up close. Remembering how Qiao Hua, that scoundrel, would constantly boast in the dorm about sitting close to Qin Zixin, Zhou Dahong’s thoughts then drifted to the three oddballs sitting next to him, and an inexplicable sourness welled up in his heart.
****
Qiao Hua was on the verge of tears, consumed by envy for Zhou Dahong, that lucky bastard. Why had what was supposed to be a simple, playful cleanup turned into such a mess?
Qiao Hua couldn’t comprehend it.
Even if Tan Peiyue and Chu Keke wanted to goof off, they should have at least finished the work first! It had been nearly twenty minutes since they went downstairs, and those two ugly ducklings, who claimed they were just getting water, still hadn’t returned.
Consequently, he was the only one sweeping this stretch of pathway.
The other two groups assigned to sweep the tree-lined path were not far off. While they, too, were laughing and joking, at least their members were all present, and they appeared to actually be sweeping.
Qiao Hua felt utterly numb. Being assigned to the same group as those two irritating individuals was already an eyesore, but they were actually treating the massive cleanup like an autumn outing, utterly devoid of self-awareness. He had previously enjoyed listening to Zhou Dahong complain in the dorms, but sometimes he wondered if such words were too harsh for two girls.
Now, however, Qiao Hua felt that Zhou Dahong’s insults should have been even more cutting.
If it were a great beauty like Qin Zixin, not only would he be happy for her to act a little spoiled or try to slack off, but he, Qiao Hua, would even be content if she just stayed in the classroom and didn’t come out. But did Tan Peiyue and Chu Keke deserve such treatment?
To say nothing else, simply putting those two next to Qin Zixin felt like an insult to Qiao Hua’s own eyeballs.
If one were to speak of gentlemanly conduct, he truly should brainwash himself into believing it was his duty to help female classmates.
But did Tan Peiyue and Chu Keke even fall into the category of “female classmates”?
Ah, sh*t! Aside from lacking a ‘handle’ down there, what else about them resembled a woman? For a ‘looks-obsessed’ and ‘simp’ like Qiao Hua, chivalry was reserved for beauties, not for these anthropomorphic monsters.
Qiao Hua was brimming with complaints at that moment.
Large clumps of leaves were stuck together, making them difficult to sweep. It required considerable effort to pry them apart, scatter them, and then put them into the dustpans.
The bad news was that one dustpan couldn’t hold much, but at least there was good news: Qiao Hua had three dustpans. He first pushed all the leaves into a small pile, filled all three dustpans, stacked them, and walked towards the large trash can. He made two round trips, but half the leaves still remained.
He was drenched in sweat, and ultimately, it was with the help of the other two groups that he managed to finish. Checking the time, forty minutes had already passed, yet Tan Peiyue and Chu Keke still hadn’t arrived.
Qiao Hua’s anger flared instantly. He had assumed those two were just slacking off for a bit, but what did it mean for them not to show up at all?
As he stormed upstairs, running breathlessly, Qiao Hua’s eyes swept the classroom the moment he entered. He spotted Tan Peiyue and Chu Keke, each wearing a single earphone, engrossed in their phones, their heads close together as they focused on the screens.
The two heads, distinct in their ugliness but each uniquely hideous, huddled together, presenting a peculiar visual impact. Qiao Hua’s eyes turned red with fury at the sight. He forcefully threw the broom and dustpan into a corner. He had intended to stride purposefully to their desks and loudly reprimand them, but the closer he got, the more his confidence waned.
Those two were simply too ‘abstract’ in appearance; if he argued with them, he would only end up feeling worse himself.
Qiao Hua decided that a wise man avoids immediate trouble and slunk back to his seat.