Li Jianyue left matters with Quan Jingyi rest. Soon the homeroom teacher entered the classroom.

  “Good afternoon, Ma’am!”


  Quan Jingyi joined the chorus of greetings, though he wasn’t too loud.

  Li Jianyue thought to herself, “This guy doesn’t seem all that bad.”


  Exactly.

  People’s impression of him must have been due to a misunderstanding. Li Jianyue thought about the model pupils who had a dispute with Quan Jingyi that morning. They weren’t half as well-behaved as Quan Jingyi.

  Quan Jingyi, to say the least, would never lie to shirk responsibility.

  The homeroom teacher asked all the students to take their seats. She looked around the class. Her eyes finally landed on Quan Jingyi.

  Many of the students noticed her gesture. Taking the cue from the homeroom teacher, they too looked at him.

  Quan Jingyi lifted his head. Quizzical and brows raised, he looked at her.

  “Quan Jingyi, sit at the back. Sun Xiaoyu, move to the front,” the homeroom teacher ordered.

  Quan Jingyi and Su Xiaoyu looked at her. Quan Jingyi stayed calm, but Sun Xiaoyu looked a little confused.

  “Why?” Quan Jingyi asked.

  “Li Jianyue’s parents complained that you have been affecting Li Jianyue’s studies. They asked for a change of seats.” The homeroom teacher’s tone left no room for any objection. Next, she turned to Sun Xiaoyu, seated at the back row of the third group.

  Sun Xiaoyu was a plain and silly-looking male student. He was chubby and had small eyes. He wore a clean and starched uniform, and he looked adorable.

  Sun Xiaoyu didn’t want to change his seat.

  His seat at the back of the class gave him more freedom and much more privacy.

  Also, his actions at the back went unnoticed. His seat, in particular, was prime real estate indeed.

  Sun Xiaoyu felt aggrieved and protested, “Ma’am, I don’t want to sit in front. I think this seat at the back suits me better.”


  “Move it!” the homeroom teacher told him again. “Your parents said it was difficult for you to pay attention sitting at the back of the class. You’re now in Senior High. You’d better brush up on your studies. If you refuse to change your seat, I’ll call your parents and notify them.”


  Li Jianyue looked back and forth at them. On her part, she didn’t want them to change their seats either.

  Was the homeroom teacher acting on the feedback from her parents?

  As far as she was concerned, Quan Jingyi did not affect her studies at all. She never spoke about what happens in school at home. How could her parents possibly know anything?

  Quan Jingyi had already packed his stuff and picked up his schoolbag. He got up and flung his schoolbag on Sun Xiaoyu’s table. He tilted his head and told Sun Xiaoyu, “Just move, won’t you?”


  Sun Xiaoyu felt like crying. He wanted to resist a little more. “Ma’am……” he pleaded.

  “There’s no room for discussion,” the teacher was firm in her decision. “If you want to change your seat, it’s very simple. As long as you emerge as one of the top 50 scorers in the first mock exam, you’ll be allowed to choose your seat and your desk mate.” The homeroom teacher then addressed all the other students. “The same goes for the rest of you. But before any of you have the chance to become the top 50 scorers, you’ll only have to do as I tell you.”


  Sun Xiaoyu was about to burst into tears, and exclaimed, “How is that possible? There are more than 500 students in the whole school, divided into 15 classes. If I were to be a top 50 scorer, would I even be in the 11th class?”


  “I’m glad you know that! Now change your seats, and let’s begin class!”


  —


  Li Jianyue felt a little uncomfortable.

  Sun Xiaoyu didn’t want to change seats, and neither did she. But, Quan Jingyi had no qualms about it. He didn’t even hesitate to move to the back.

  Sun Xiaoyu was a little fat. Soon after he was seated, he leaned on the table to sleep. And sure enough, his body covered part of her personal space. Li Jianyue frowned and nudged Sun Xiaoyu to make him sit up. But after a short while, he again slumped on his table. His indolent posture raised her ire.