Chapter 35

【ps: Thank you to Xiejun Yimei and xunqianmo for your generous donations. Starting tomorrow, I will resume two updates per day~】

At this moment, the class teacher had not yet arrived, but the vice principal, Mr. Niu Tiehan, had already quietly appeared at the back of Class 2 and was gradually approaching Tong Yan.

With every step he took, the students on either side of the aisle straightened their backs a bit more. When Dong Mian realized that Mr. Niu was behind him, he wanted to wake up Tong Yan, but Mr. Niu spoke first.

"What's this student's name?" Mr. Niu asked softly, as if he was afraid of waking Tong Yan.

Tong Yan was quite famous in school, and Mr. Niu knew him, but with his current sleeping posture, with his head buried in his arms, Mr. Niu couldn't recognize him, hence the question.

Dong Mian was still hesitating about whether to tell Mr. Niu. If he did, Tong Yan might be reprimanded, but if he didn't, Mr. Niu would find a way, and the result would be the same, and he might even get involved himself. However, thinking about his own glorious record of being first in the grade, occasionally second, and rarely third, Dong Mian felt he had some capital. So he mumbled and refused to cooperate. At this moment, Huang Yelou, who was in front of them, turned around with a loyal expression, "Mr. Niu, this is Tong Yan."

The usually gentle Dong Mian glared at Huang Yelou, but he was unmoved. Huang Yelou felt that as the class president and the only party member in the class, he should be fair and just, not covering up for any classmate. Moreover, he believed that under Mr. Niu's education and help, Tong Yan could reach greater heights. He thought everything he did was for Tong Yan's good, a noble and upright act.

"It's Tong Yan, huh," Mr. Niu's stern, chubby face immediately softened, "He must have studied too late last night. Let him sleep. It's self-study class, so it's fine."

Mr. Niu scanned the classroom and said to Cheng Weiqing, who was by the window, "It's too cold in the morning. Close the window." The window was right in front of Tong Yan, who was sleeping with his head buried in his arms.

Huang Yelou was stunned. Damn, this is possible! Can you sleep in class just because you study well!

Dong Mian was delighted. It really is true that the fortunate don't worry. He had worried unnecessarily.

Wang Ping, who was behind Tong Yan, was envious to the point of being jealous. Usually, when I sleep, the teacher kicks my chair and pulls my ear, making me stand as punishment. But when Tong Yan sleeps, the vice principal is worried about him catching a cold. Comparing people can be deadly! What's most infuriating is that this guy didn't even study last night!

The first self-study class was for math. Before Mr. Wang Dahao entered the classroom, Dong Mian woke up Tong Yan and told him what had just happened.

Tong Yan stuck out his tongue. Mr. Niu was indeed quite reasonable.

Sunday wasn't too agonizing. If there was a teacher on the podium, Tong Yan would prop his head up and listen half-heartedly, showing basic respect. He wouldn't sleep in front of a teacher.

During breaks or when there was no teacher, Tong Yan would bury his head in his arms and quickly fall asleep. He even managed to snatch a yolk pie from Dong Mian, as the bread he ate at 3 AM wasn't enough for a big guy like him.

The plan for dividing the classes into science and arts was finalized after discussions among the school leaders and teachers. Yangping No. 1 High School's Grade 04 originally had 32 classes with 2203 students. Now, they were divided into 24 science classes and 8 arts classes. Many classes were mixed up, and many students would meet new friends, classmates, and teachers.

Classes 1, 2, 3, and 4 were less affected. The class structure remained unchanged, and the teachers didn't change. Only two students from Class 2 chose to go to the arts class, and only Duan Hou from Class 1 did the same. Classes 3 and 4 had similar situations, but the vacant spots were filled by top students from other classes, so Class 2 had two new students.

The issue of Tong Yan's new partner was also resolved today. The chosen one was Luo Xiaoxu from Tong Yan's dormitory. The usually quiet and introverted Xiaoxu surprisingly volunteered, which greatly surprised Tong Yan. Moreover, this guy had never revealed his true colors before.

Many changes occurred in the sophomore year that day. When Tong Yan and Luo Xiaoxu went to Mr. Lao's office to meet, they also saw Ye Qingzhu's new partner, a plain-looking and seemingly gentle girl. Mr. Lao always believed in the scientific principle that a mix of genders made work easier, but this time, he assigned same-sex partners, which seemed a bit dull.

As they entered and exited the office, they saw many students moving from one classroom to another, very lively. Some were reluctant to leave their original classes, while others looked forward to their new classes. Tong Yan coincidentally met Duan Hou, who was carrying a thick stack of books to Class 25. Tong Yan wanted to help, but Duan Hou still looked at him with disdain. Tong Yan was puzzled but didn't bother with him anymore.

Since it was the first time having classes on a Sunday and with the division of science and arts classes, the outside was quite chaotic. The teachers mostly let the students study on their own or do practice tests, so the day passed quite leisurely.

After dozing off during several breaks, Tong Yan's spirit was well-restored, and he began to outline a new short story.

Sister Gua was urging him, so Tong Yan had to complete it as soon as possible. He could outline a long novel in three days, but he couldn't sketch out a short story in one day.

Tong Yan never thought short stories were easy to write. The smaller the length, the more it tested the writer's skills. This is a bit like painting. Anyone can paint on a canvas a few feet wide, but the quality varies. A good painting can give a sense of grandeur. However, if the painting is limited to a small hollow glass ball, not everyone dares to try. That's why traditional crafts like internal painting and micro-carving are becoming rarer, and their skills are even more astonishing.

Because short stories are short, they must convey characters, settings, and plots with limited words, and they must be engaging. Readers should be able to finish them in one breath and savor them for a while.

The three famous short story masters—Chekhov, Maupassant, and O. Henry—have only a few works that can be savored for a long time, showing how difficult it is to write a standout short story.

Tong Yan didn't aim to write a timeless masterpiece, but he at least wanted to justify the minimum 80 yuan per thousand characters. For this, he burned countless brain cells.

After a day of self-study, the evening self-study session was no exception. Afterward, Tong Yan didn't immediately return to the dormitory but went to the track to run.

He had two goals for running: one was to improve his ability to climb walls faster and more steadily in the future, building a solid physical foundation; the other was to brainstorm ideas for his story.

Although there were many people on the track, they were all busy with their own activities and wouldn't question Tong Yan's whereabouts the previous night. For Tong Yan, who was in a state of fantasy, it was a peaceful place.

The tranquility was soon disrupted by a dog's bark. The dog belonged to the cafeteria owner, Master Ma, and was named Ma Da. It was an Alaskan Malamute, known for pulling sleds, with questionable intelligence but high energy. It would get cranky if not taken out at night.

The dog was quite large but not aggressive. It wouldn't bite people, and at most, it would chase pretty girls, earning it the nickname "pervert dog." When scolded, it would tilt its head innocently, which was quite popular.

Seeing it, Tong Yan thought of the large black-and-white cat near the water room. It was also a school pet, large but very agile. The cat and the dog often interacted well.

Thinking of the cat, Tong Yan thought of Tian Xiaoni. The cat was very cautious around people, but Xiaoni was one of the few who could pet it. She often boasted about this achievement, but Tong Yan knew how many small fried fish she had sacrificed.

The cat seemed to have Cao Cao's attributes, rarely coming to crowded places. Today, however, it strutted onto the track. When Ma Da saw its friend, it excitedly pulled its owner toward the cat. The cat sat steadily and, when the dog approached, swatted it with a paw. The dog immediately retreated, and the students on the track burst into laughter.

Watching the comical interaction between the cat and the dog, Tong Yan suddenly had an inspiration. The story of the cat and the dog seemed heartwarming, but could an ordinary cat and dog story make it to the pages of a fantasy magazine?

Thinking about his ongoing "Little Soldier's Wild History," a science fiction novel with various aliens, he began to conceive a story about cat aliens and dog aliens. Later, while refining it, he changed it to "Miao Star" and "Wang Star" aliens. Eventually, people forgot about the story, but the terms "Miao Star" and "Wang Star" became widely used...

【ps: The origin of the internet terms "Miao Star" and "Wang Star" is unknown. If you know when you first heard these terms, feel free to share~ Meow~】

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