Chapter 3: Ah Fei is Back (Seeking Reviews and Collections)

The classroom of Class 1, Grade 3 was almost full of students, but it was very quiet, with the only sound being the rustling of pens on paper.

Wang Chunlan walked slowly around the classroom, quietly observing. She was the invigilator for this exam and also the Chinese teacher for this class. In the more than twenty years she had taught at No. 8 Middle School, she had taught students of all kinds, but she was particularly satisfied with this year's students.

The students in Class 1, Grade 3 were all average students from junior high school. They were not particularly smart, but their dedication to studying was unmatched by students in other classes. If these students didn't encounter any unexpected issues, their Chinese scores in the college entrance exam would certainly be good. If one of them could achieve a top ten score in the province, she would definitely win the title of Outstanding Teacher at the end of the year. Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Wang Chunlan's face.

But just then, an unharmonious sound broke the silence of the classroom.

"Knock, knock, knock." The classroom door was gently knocked a few times, and then a disheveled, messy-haired, and listless boy entered. As soon as Wang Chunlan saw him, her face darkened.

"Mu Fei, come with me."

Wang Chunlan led Mu Fei out of the classroom and to the end of the corridor before turning around, her face expressionless. "Mu Fei, what time is it now?"

Mu Fei inwardly cursed his bad luck. Other teachers were easy to deal with, but this Chinese teacher had a particular dislike for him. However, he couldn't blame her, as he excelled in other subjects but was the worst in Chinese. Hearing Wang Chunlan's words, Mu Fei knew what she meant, but since he was in the wrong, he decided to apologize honestly.

"Sorry, Teacher Wang. I wasn't feeling well yesterday and was tossing and turning all night. I only fell asleep when it was almost dawn, so I woke up late." Mu Fei scratched his head and explained.

Wang Chunlan was the kind of person who couldn't tolerate any sand in her eyes. She could tolerate students being slow, but she absolutely couldn't tolerate smart students who didn't work hard. Mu Fei was a typical example of this. She didn't believe his words, thinking he was making excuses. She pointed at his head and scolded him harshly.

"Are you really sick? You look like you were playing and forgot about the exam. Do you even respect me as your teacher? You only have half a year left until the college entrance exam, yet you still don't take it seriously..."

Perhaps due to her professional habits, or perhaps because of her frustration with Mu Fei, she became angrier as she spoke, her voice growing louder and more continuous.

At first, Mu Fei just lowered his head and listened, but the more he heard, the angrier he became. Finally, he couldn't hold back and interrupted, "Teacher Wang, can you please hurry up? I still have to take the exam."

Wang Chunlan clearly didn't expect Mu Fei to talk back. Hearing his words, she became furious, her voice growing even louder, echoing down the corridor.

"Is that so? You dare to talk back? What exam are you going to take? It's almost time to hand in the papers. Besides, look at your attitude. Where is your schoolbag? Where are your books and stationery? As a student, you don't even bring the most basic things. Are you really here to take the exam? Mu Fei, if you can study, then study. If you can't, go home. Don't drag the whole class down. The reason the class's performance is poor is because of students like you. Do you understand?"

Mu Fei felt a surge of anger at Wang Chunlan's words. His poor grades were only in certain subjects. He always ranked in the top ten in math, physics, and chemistry, but his scores were dragged down by Chinese and English. Even so, he was still in the middle of the class. Why did she have to make him feel so worthless?

"Teacher Wang, you're exaggerating. I, Mu Fei, may not be the best student, but I'm only average in exams. Please don't call me a burden. Thank you." Mu Fei was extremely angry, but his face showed a cold smile.

Hearing Mu Fei still dare to argue and act indifferent, Wang Chunlan became furious and started to scold him harshly.

"You still dare to argue? Your science scores are good, but what about your Chinese? Look at how poor your Chinese scores are. In the three monthly exams so far, you failed twice. The only time you passed, you only got 61 points, and that was only because of a high score in the essay. You're always in the bottom three of the class. You can be slow, but why are you so smart and yet refuse to study? Are you spending all your time on dating...?"

Hearing Wang Chunlan mention dating, Mu Fei's face darkened, and he coldly interrupted her, "Teacher Wang, I am a student, here to study. If I knew everything, why would I need a teacher? If I do well, it's your duty. If I do poorly, it's your negligence. So, my poor Chinese scores are not just my fault; they are also related to your teaching ability. Ha ha!"

Wang Chunlan's face turned red with anger at Mu Fei's challenge to her teaching ability. "Mu Fei, do you think I want to teach you? Having a student like you is a disgrace to the school. You're not even a real student... You're a thug, a troublemaker. If you think I'm a bad teacher, then don't come to my class anymore. Listen to whoever you want."

"Huh." Mu Fei gave a light, cold laugh. "Thank you, Teacher Wang. I'm more than happy to."

With that, Mu Fei turned and walked back to the classroom, while Wang Chunlan, furious, threw the exam paper that belonged to Mu Fei on the ground. "Brat, I'm not finished. Come back here."

"Sorry, I have other exams to take. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."

...

Ignoring the furious Wang Chunlan, Mu Fei, who was also angry, returned to the classroom and sat down, lost in thought. Reflecting on his words, he realized he had been a bit too harsh. If it were just about teaching Chinese, Wang Chunlan was one of the best in No. 8 Middle School, and even in some key high schools, she was highly regarded. Why had he lost control and belittled her so much? It seemed he wouldn't be able to attend her Chinese class anymore—Wang Chunlan would never forgive him.

Mu Fei shook his head in frustration, trying to clear his mind, and prepared for the next exam. But when he reached into his desk, he realized he had nothing, not even a pen. How was he supposed to take the exam?

Just as he was smiling bitterly, a classmate in front of him passed him a pencil case. Mu Fei was surprised. Who was so kind as to know he had no stationery?

Was it Qi Ying? Mu Fei looked up at his "ex-girlfriend." She was chatting happily with another well-dressed, pretty girl who didn't look like a high school student. Sensing Mu Fei's gaze, Qi Ying turned and gave him a big eye roll.

Mu Fei felt a pang of sadness, but more anger. Qi Ying completely ignored him, yet he still looked at her. He didn't hate her for being heartless; he hated himself for being weak.

"Mu Fei, from now on, you are you, and she is she. You have no relation anymore. If you can't let go of this heartless woman, you're a coward and a fool."

Mu Fei closed his eyes and cursed himself fiercely before opening them and opening the pencil case. Inside were various pens, rulers, and erasers, and a small note was attached to the compass. It read:

"Mu Fei, these stationery items are not specially prepared for you. Don't overthink it." The note was signed by Lin Ruo Yi.

Mu Fei was stunned, with three black lines appearing on his forehead. No wonder the stationery was small and had cute pink patterns. It was from the class monitor, Lin Ruo Yi. But why did it feel like she was trying too hard to deny it?

Mu Fei looked up, and a doll-faced girl with a red face was looking at him. It was Lin Ruo Yi, the top crush of the boys in the class. Mu Fei was about to wave to thank her, but Lin Ruo Yi quickly turned away and pretended to study.

Mu Fei was both amused and exasperated. "Class monitor, you're being too obvious. Am I a monster or an alien? Am I that scary?"

Just as he was lost in thought, someone snatched the note from his hand. A fat boy read the note and slapped Mu Fei's shoulder hard. "Not bad, brother, you're already on to your second spring."

Mu Fei knew exactly who it was—his only friend in the class, Gao Yuan. Gao Yuan was 1.85 meters tall but shaped like a rugby ball because he was so fat. He weighed over 200 pounds in his first year of high school. Not only was he tall, but his voice was also loud, and his words made the whole class turn to look at Mu Fei.

"Fatso, get lost." Mu Fei laughed and cursed, snatching the note back. This guy was always talking without thinking, and he might spread some gossip. It wouldn't matter for Mu Fei, but it would be bad for Lin Ruo Yi.

"Fatso, don't say anything, or I'll be angry." Mu Fei tore the note into pieces and pointed at Gao Yuan, speaking seriously.

Gao Yuan smiled slyly, nodding. "Alright, I get it. I won't tell anyone about your affair with the class monitor. But you're really bold, insulting Teacher Wang like that. I admire you."

This fatso was too much. Everything he said sounded different. What did he mean by "affair"? They hadn't even started anything yet.

Mu Fei didn't want to argue with him. "Don't be so hostile towards Teacher Wang. Overall, she's still good to our class... She just doesn't like a few of us."

Just then, an unharmonious voice broke in. "Ha ha, idiot Fei, I heard you got dumped yesterday. How does it feel?"

Mu Fei turned to see a guy with yellow hair, clearly a troublemaker, sitting at a nearby desk, mocking him.

Before Mu Fei could react, Gao Yuan stepped in, pointing at the yellow-haired guy with a fierce look. "Watch your mouth, Li Chaonan. Try saying that again."

Li Chaonan and Mu Fei had been rivals since high school, constantly clashing over various issues. Eventually, it became a habit for them to oppose each other, and they had forgotten the original reason for their conflicts.

At first, Mu Fei and Gao Yuan had the upper hand, but after Mu Fei started dating Qi Ying, Gao Yuan's life became difficult. Despite his height, he couldn't handle a group of three or four. Li Chaonan and his gang never fought Gao Yuan head-on; they attacked when they had the numbers and ran when they didn't. After a few losses, Gao Yuan stopped fighting them, but he couldn't tolerate them insulting Mu Fei.

However, Mu Fei didn't get angry at Li Chaonan's words; instead, his smile grew wider. Li Chaonan felt a chill run down his spine. Mu Fei was smiling, but it was a chilling, eerie smile, like the evil grin of a monster in a horror movie.

The whole class was watching the three of them. Mu Fei, with an innocent smile, stood up and walked towards Li Chaonan.

"Kid, have you gone too long without a beating?" Mu Fei stood in front of Li Chaonan, smiling lightly, and pinched his face, twisting it around.

At that moment, Li Chaonan felt that Mu Fei wasn't a person but a fierce beast. Under his cold gaze, Li Chaonan lost the courage to dodge.

Mu Fei pinched Li Chaonan's face with one hand and slapped him with the other, as if playing with a cat or a dog. "Li Chaonan, I'm warning you once. Be more respectful in the future. Got it? When I'm talking to my friends, you don't get to interrupt."

Li Chaonan felt like each second was an eternity under Mu Fei's cold gaze. Only he knew that his shirt was drenched in sweat. Hearing Mu Fei's words, his body moved mechanically, nodding.

Seeing Li Chaonan's terrified state, Mu Fei smiled in satisfaction, released his grip, and patted Li Chaonan's shoulder.

Gao Yuan, meanwhile, was gaping in shock, muttering to himself, "Heaven, I swear, that arrogant Ah Fei... is finally back."

{Piaotian Literature}