Extra Four: Shen Mengxia & Ye Chen (2)

After rushing to the classroom, Shen Mengxia expected the homeroom teacher to be waiting for her, but the room was unexpectedly quiet.

Shen Mengxia walked straight to the empty seat next to Wen Jiu. They had selected these seats during registration the previous day, and having already written their names on the seating chart just like the other students, they were able to settle in as soon as they arrived that morning.

Truth be told, in a grade with so many students, the fact that Wen Jiu and Shen Mengxia were placed in the same class was entirely due to the financial influence of their parents, who had both donated buildings and supplies to the school. The two had been inseparable since kindergarten, remaining in the same class through elementary and middle school, so they had strongly insisted on staying together for high school. Since both were only children and their families were close, they naturally gave the girls whatever they wanted.

Wen Jiu had arrived quite early. Seeing Shen Mengxia just now, she asked with some confusion, "Xiaxia, why are you so late today?" Even on days when Shen Mengxia complained about not wanting to go to school, she had always arrived on time and never been late; today was an anomaly.

Shen Mengxia waved her hand dismissively. "Ugh, don't even ask..." She then recounted what had happened that morning, including being stopped at the stairs for registration. As she spoke, the face of the tall boy and the expression he wore at the time involuntarily surfaced in her mind. She shook her head, trying to banish the image.

Soon, the bell rang, and the two set aside their jokes to listen attentively to the teacher at the podium.

Before long, Shen Mengxia couldn't help but yawn repeatedly. She had thought high school would be different from middle school, but it was the same as ever, obsessively emphasizing discipline and school regulations. Just as she was about to doze off, the speakers mounted on the ceiling crackled to life: "Will all freshmen from the first-year classes please proceed to the conference hall in the First Teaching Building for the freshman assembly..."

The announcement instantly jolted Shen Mengxia awake. Thank goodness, she wouldn't have to stay in the classroom anymore!

Students from each class arrived at the hall and took their seats, followed by speeches from the principal, the dean of students, and a student representative. Shen Mengxia slumped against Wen Jiu’s shoulder, whispering, "Jiujiu, my focus has completely vanished over the summer break. I’ve only been listening for a little while and I already feel impatient and restless. Sigh, I guess the summer was just too much fun."

The summer after her middle school graduation had indeed been a happy one. Having finally finished the high school entrance exams, she had basically let herself run wild. She had spent the entire break either traveling or on her way to a new destination—it couldn't have been more pleasant. It was only natural that she was struggling to adapt now.

On stage, the freshman representative was speaking. Bored, Shen Mengxia scanned her surroundings. Suddenly, her gaze fixed on someone on stage. She saw a slightly familiar face—one she had only seen that morning, a face she certainly wouldn't forget.

Two minutes later, the representative finished speaking. The final segment of the event was the awarding of certificates and prizes to top-performing students from the entrance exams, and the tall boy on stage was acting as the emcee, responsible for calling out names.

"Next is the award ceremony for our school’s outstanding entrance exam candidates..."

He had a rather pleasant voice, Shen Mengxia thought.

By the time they managed to endure until the end, it was lunchtime, and Shen Mengxia took Wen Jiu to the cafeteria.

Over the following days, although Shen Mengxia managed to arrive on time, the inspections at the stairs continued. She saw the tall boy every day, though the boys accompanying him changed frequently. Each time she passed by, she would think to herself that he surely wouldn't remember her after such a brief encounter, so she decided not to initiate a greeting and spare herself the awkwardness. For once, the usually outgoing Shen Mengxia became uncharacteristically shy.