Chapter Nineteen: The Lecture (II) and Xiao Lin’s Return

The hall echoed with bursts of laughter, mingling and rising in waves. Linlin Tan grinned broadly, watching Yuqing Wang laugh heartily.

"Yuqing, who would have thought Yuan Weiye would be so clueless? He actually dared to say that."

Wang Yuqing’s cheeks flushed a deep red. She lowered her head, her brows gently moving, and stealthily slipped a small hand to pinch Linlin Tan’s waist, squeezing the soft flesh there. Linlin winced in pain, but her smile never faded.

"Heh, Young Master, has that guy lost his mind from too much studying? He dares to say such things on an occasion like this," Zhao Mingliang whispered to Gao Zheng.

"I won't forget him now. He can say whatever he wants about Xiao Lin, I don't care. But why bring up Yuqing?"

As he spoke, he fiddled with a ring on his finger. Zhao Mingliang, knowing him well, recognized this gesture and understood the Young Master was a little annoyed.

Yan Zheng looked on as the previously lively atmosphere was thrown into chaos by a few careless words from Yuan Weiye. He couldn’t quite understand how this student could be so tactless. Still, having faced far greater storms, this minor mishap was nothing he couldn’t handle.

"Heh, everyone, quiet down for a moment. First, let me thank this student for his enthusiasm in answering the question. He lightened the tense mood in here, and that’s good. However, what he said just now isn’t quite right!"

Yuan Weiye opened his mouth, looking as though he wanted to say more. Unable to bear it any longer, Wang Tao, sitting beside him, stood up and forcefully pressed Yuan Weiye back into his seat.

"Sit still and keep your mouth shut, or I swear I’ll hit you."

Yuan Weiye, confronted by Wang Tao’s fierce look, moved his lips but ultimately said nothing.

Seeing Yuan Weiye sit down, Yan Zheng breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"So, what was my solution? I had their school write a sentence on every classroom blackboard: 'Why sleep while alive? There’ll be plenty of time to rest when you’re dead.' It was meant to motivate the students! Later, I asked the teachers if it worked. They said students rarely doze off in class now. This shows that the right motivation can be very effective..."

As Yan Zheng’s topic deepened, his eloquence, laced with humor, gradually drew the students back in. The incident with Yuan Weiye faded from their minds, and they listened intently.

But Xiao Lin was in no mood to listen. Yuan Weiye’s words had sent him into a reverie. He wasn’t angry with Yuan Weiye; instead, he found himself reflecting on his own recent changes.

He realized that ever since meeting Wang Yuqing, he was gradually returning to the person he had been in junior high. Xiao Lin was well aware that, in senior high, he was a shadow of his former self. Yet, he’d never wanted to dwell on the past and had forced himself to change, to become someone else, to forget his pain.

People say that experience makes us grow. After what happened with Ma Yunrou, Xiao Lin had sunk into a gloom, but now, with Wang Yuqing’s arrival, his lost soul was slowly being drawn back onto its original path.

Thoughts flooded his mind—of elementary school, junior high, senior high, old friends, Ma Yunrou, and now Wang Yuqing. Gradually, his eyes gained a spark that hadn’t been there before. Was Ma Yunrou really that important? He chuckled at himself, then looked at Wang Yuqing, who was listening earnestly at the front. The girl’s profile was elegant and serene. Xiao Lin silently admonished himself: he would not let anyone down again. It was time to become himself once more, to forget the past.

Xiao Lin, do you still remember your old motto?

"Excellence is a habit."

If Ma Yunrou could see the current Xiao Lin, she’d notice he had shed the arrogance of his junior high days and gained a touch of mature composure and steadiness. He was more reserved, his features bright and spirited—he exuded a new kind of charm.

At that moment, Yan Zheng, on the podium, said, "What, you don’t believe me? Let me tell you, there really is a difference between top students and underachievers—first and foremost, in their demeanor."

A wave of boos rose from the crowd.

It happened when Yan Zheng was talking about the prospects of the college entrance exam. He’d mentioned that the real difference in life starts now, that the lives of top students and underachievers would be separated by the exam. Some students disagreed, retorting that every field produces its own champions, and who says only good grades lead to a good future?

Yan Zheng replied, the biggest difference between top and poor students is their attitude. Top students persist and have the ability to do things well; underachievers lack both perseverance and skill.

"You still don’t believe me? Well, talk is cheap. Let’s do a simple comparison. I’ll invite some of the best and some of the weaker students up here—top students, don’t get cocky; and underachievers, don’t feel bad. Treat it as a game, and let’s see what differences in demeanor there are."

With that, Yan Zheng stepped off the podium with the microphone. "Tell me, who is your school’s best student?"

Instantly, the room lit up as if a firecracker had gone off. The girls screamed, "Gao Zheng! Gao Zheng!" The boys shouted, "Wang Yuqing! Wang Yuqing!" Some even called, "Meng Ranran!" but clearly, Wang Yuqing’s name was the loudest.

"Very well. Wang Yuqing and Gao Zheng, please come up and stand at the front."

Yan Zheng hadn’t expected three names, so he chose one boy and one girl.

Meng Ranran, sitting below, saw she wasn’t chosen. Her pretty face clouded with anger. "Wang Yuqing, just you wait. I’ll make you regret this!"

Gao Zheng rose like a gentleman, a smile on his face that could make any girl swoon. He strode to the podium like a proud prince. Wang Yuqing, pushed up there by Linlin Tan, nonetheless made her way gracefully and stood beside Gao Zheng with poise.

Next, Yan Zheng said, "Now, who would you say is a student whose grades are a bit weaker?" He deliberately phrased it mildly, not to hurt anyone’s pride.

The previously lively scene fell silent; everyone turned to look at Xiao Lin.

Yan Zheng saw the whole class look in Xiao Lin’s direction and understood at once. He walked over to Xiao Lin.

"Heh, then I’ll ask you to come up as well."

Xiao Lin touched his nose helplessly. In the past, he never would have gone, but having regained his confidence, he had found himself again.

He straightened his clothes, lifted his head, squared his shoulders, and strode up to the podium.

Yan Zheng paused, surprised at Xiao Lin’s decisiveness.

Now on the podium, Xiao Lin smiled at Wang Yuqing and stood beside her.

Wang Yuqing was shocked. She hadn’t expected the teacher to choose Xiao Lin, and even more surprising was that Xiao Lin actually went up. She looked at him questioningly and caught his gaze. His eyes shone, his nose was straight and proud, his face radiant.

Wang Yuqing’s heart trembled—this was the boy she admired: sunny, confident.

Gao Zheng, however, didn’t so much as glance at Xiao Lin. To him, Xiao Lin’s presence on stage was nothing but a self-inflicted humiliation.

"Now," Yan Zheng said, "everyone, take a look at these three students on stage. See if you can spot the differences in their demeanor."

All eyes turned to the trio, comparisons forming silently in their minds.

Wang Yuqing wore a long red sweater under a short, white down jacket. A red scarf wrapped her slender neck, and she wore brown leggings tucked into black high boots, radiating warmth. Coupled with her natural grace and intelligence, she seemed as pure and fragrant as an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, as outstanding in talent as a fairy—clever and quick.

To her right stood Xiao Lin. Though dressed casually in a black down jacket, slim jeans, and white sneakers, he was every bit the image of a vibrant youth. Having finally let go of his long-held pain, he stood tall and straight, exuding a quiet strength. His eyes gleamed clear as stars, his features were resolute and handsome, his bearing fresh and spirited—a truly striking young man.

On her left was Gao Zheng, wearing his signature smile that had captivated countless girls. Dressed in a black trench coat, he exuded innate nobility, his tall, graceful figure radiating a suave charm.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze, and the whole hall became their stage.

Yan Zheng looked at Xiao Lin and couldn’t help but smile wryly—did this seem like the demeanor of an underachiever?