I'll Wait for You in the Future - Chapter 4: This World Feels Fake, Yet I've Unexpectedly Fallen for It

If you had a chance to know
everything that will happen in the future,
would you want to know?

“It’s often not dislike that destroys relationships,
but misunderstandings.”

After the public lesson, Hao Huigui felt like he’d shed a layer of skin, leaning against the dorm balcony, looking at the quiet campus. Two younger students were sitting on the playground steps, playing with matches. They stood on the same line, competing to see who could flick their matches farther and burn longer. Watching them, Hao Huigui couldn’t help but go downstairs and buy a box of matches, pouring them all into his hand, flicking them one by one on the balcony. The sparks echoed the sunset.

Chen Xiaowu was particularly skilled at this; he’d just use his thumb to rub the match head against the striking surface, and the match would fly straight out. Many tried this trick, but most would burn their fingers. Only Chen Xiaowu was so cool, throwing matches like darts. After these days of interaction, Hao Huigui deeply felt Chen Xiaowu possessed a simple and kind nature. Although mischievous, it was simply boyish. But remembering Chen Xiaowu at the 100-day banquet, Hao Huigui felt a pang of regret.

Someone knocked on the door.

Hao Huigui opened the door; Miss Yang stood at the entrance.

Hao Huigui hastily turned around in a fluster: “Let me put on a shirt!”

Miss Yang confidently walked in: “Congratulations, Teacher Hao! I heard your public lesson was exceptionally well-received; even Principal Zhou heard about it. I think you’re definitely one of the three teachers who’ll be staying on. Those other intern teachers from the science classes who were just looking for a spectacle are now seething with jealousy. Come, come, we just made dumplings, knowing you haven’t eaten yet.”

Hao Huigui, while putting on a T-shirt, replied, “I passed?”

“Director He praised you to Principal Zhou, saying he gave you an excellent direction, and you completed it exceptionally well. The liberal arts department is so short-staffed now, and the Education Bureau leaders remember you; it’s hard not to keep you on,” Miss Yang said, glancing around as she spoke. She then sat on the bed, legs crossed, watching TV. Half of the weight on Hao Huigui’s heart lifted.

“Teacher Hao, come sit. Do you like watching *My Fair Princess* too? I love Zhao Wei. If I’d been born a few years earlier, I could have been an actress. Even if I couldn’t play Xiaoyanzi, I could definitely play Jin Suo, right?”

Hao Huigui chuckled inwardly; playing Jin Suo wasn’t that easy. Who would have thought that 20 years later, the meek maid would become the powerful Fan Bingbing [范爷 – Fan Ye, a nickname for Fan Bingbing, implying she’s powerful and influential like a “爷” (ye) – master or boss]?

Hao Huigui didn’t dare sit on the bed, so he sat at the desk.

Miss Yang also came to the table, picking up a dumpling and handing it over: “The young teachers made these; try one.”

Hao Huigui found it awkward to open his mouth, but equally awkward not to, so he took it with his hand and ate it.

With a “bang,” the door was pushed open, and Wang Weiguo, the PE teacher, entered carrying a pot of aged vinegar.

“Teacher Wang?” Hao Huigui was a little surprised. Wang Weiguo, his face full of jealousy, said, “Miss Yang said she was bringing dumplings to you, leaving us aside, but she forgot to bring the vinegar.” Miss Yang looked disgusted. Hao Huigui found it funny; he’d actually gotten involved in Wang Weiguo and Miss Yang’s relationship. Back then, everyone thought Miss Yang was throwing herself away when they heard she was marrying Wang Weiguo. Hao Huigui was also curious; what exactly about Wang Weiguo attracted Miss Yang? From the current situation, a big, burly PE teacher, jealous and petty, didn’t seem very manly…

In the dorm, the three of them ate dumplings and watched *My Fair Princess*, the atmosphere rather awkward.

Wang Weiguo and Hao Huigui tacitly ate their dumplings as quickly as possible, then one said “thank you,” and the other said “we’re leaving.” Wang Weiguo gave Hao Huigui a grateful smile.

Miss Yang whispered to Hao Huigui, “Thank you. You remembered my birthday.”

“Ah? I didn’t know your birthday.”

Miss Yang smiled, “Don’t pretend. You have a circle drawn on the calendar behind you.”

Hao Huigui looked back at the calendar and suddenly understood. Were the circles drawn by Janitor Zhou related to Miss Yang? Thinking about Janitor Zhou’s words, actions, the circles he drew, and the word “Careful” he wrote, he felt increasingly uneasy. Miss Yang was still staring at him, so he had to say, “Oh, yes, happy early birthday.” Miss Yang blushed. Wang Weiguo kept coughing in the corridor.

“Miss Yang, how many years has Janitor Zhou been at this school?”

“Janitor Zhou? I haven’t been here long either. Weiguo, do you know? Huigui’s asking.”

Hearing Miss Yang call him Weiguo, Wang Weiguo was happy. But hearing her address Hao Huigui in the same way, his face immediately fell: “He was here when I arrived; he’s a veteran employee, eight or nine years, I think.”

Veteran employee?

“If you had a chance to know everything that will happen in the future, would you want to know?”

At 10:30 PM, Hao Huigui decided to visit Janitor Zhou.

Hao Huigui borrowed a bicycle for a long time, sighing inwardly that the era of shared bicycles was much better; they were everywhere. Janitor Zhou had fallen from a nearly ten-meter-high staircase while painting the school building, suffering comminuted fractures in his arm and leg. Fortunately, he was out of danger and was now sleeping in the monitoring ward.

Hao Huigui pushed open the door and walked to the bedside.

“Janitor Zhou, Janitor Zhou.” Hao Huigui called softly.

Janitor Zhou slightly opened his eyes.

Hao Huigui was overjoyed: “Janitor Zhou, do you remember me? I’m Hao Huigui, the new teacher. The calendar is the one you gave me. I want to ask, why did you circle those dates on the calendar? On the day you fell, you also wrote ‘Careful.’ And at the end of this month, you also circled a date; will something else happen?”

Janitor Zhou seemed not to have reacted yet, looking dazed. After a few seconds, he seemed to understand Hao Huigui’s meaning, nodding, his throat a little dry, softly saying, “I was careful, I really was. Don’t blame me, really don’t blame me.” Hao Huigui picked up the water cup on the bedside table and gave him a drink. After drinking the water, Janitor Zhou suddenly became very scared and nervous, tearing off his monitoring equipment. The alarm sounded.

Hao Huigui was at a loss.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” A nurse and doctor rushed in.

Hao Huigui hurriedly explained: “I’m a teacher at the school; I just came to visit Janitor Zhou. I didn’t expect him to suddenly become like this.”

The nurse said sternly: “Visiting hours are over. The patient has comminuted fractures; you can’t affect his emotions. If his position shifts and he can’t recover, who’s responsible?! Please leave immediately.”

Hao Huigui looked at the dazed Janitor Zhou, feeling he couldn’t ask anything. Leaving the ward, he recalled Janitor Zhou’s words. Janitor Zhou was preventing something from happening to himself; why was he afraid of being blamed? Or was the “you” someone else? Could he really predict the future? But he was a veteran employee of the school, not from the future, so how could he know what would happen in the future? Or had he been here for eight or nine years but couldn’t return to his own world? Thinking of this, Hao Huigui shivered. And even though Janitor Zhou knew what would happen in the future, why couldn’t he avoid it? Hao Huigui couldn’t help but worry about himself: Would I also repeat the same mistakes?

“I made this decision, so I could meet you. Therefore, I don’t think it was a bad decision.”

The Class 1, Senior Three Science classroom was bustling with people; everyone was looking outside from the doors and windows.

Chen Tong, carrying his schoolbag with one hand, walked past the Class 1, Senior Three Science classroom without looking back, about to enter Class 1, Senior Three Liberal Arts.

Someone reached out to stop him.

“What are you doing?” Chen Tong said coldly.

“You really transferred to the liberal arts class?” Zheng Wei asked incredulously.

Chen Tong nodded: “The top spot in the science grade is yours now.” After saying this, he walked straight into the liberal arts classroom, leaving Zheng Wei with mixed feelings. He hadn’t expected that after competing with Chen Tong for so many years, he would finally get first place in this way; he was very unhappy.

The noisy liberal arts classroom suddenly fell silent.

There was an empty seat next to Liu Dazhi. Chen Tong glanced at it and sat down.

Liu Dazhi said disdainfully: “What are you doing?”

Chen Tong didn’t speak, opening his bag and taking out brand-new textbooks.

Dingdang and the other girls’ expressions froze: “Chen Tong really came, oh my god!”

In Teacher Zhao’s math class, the last exam papers were handed out. Dingdang got 90 points and smiled; Liu Dazhi got 60 points and looked relieved.

Teacher Zhao exploded: “If Weixiao hadn’t scored 120 points, I would have thought the total score for your liberal arts papers was 100 points. Someone in the science class scored 145 points; do you know that?!”

Liu Dazhi whispered: “Wow, who scored 145 points?”

“Chen Tong.” Teacher Zhao said expressionlessly, clearly still angry at Chen Tong.

Liu Dazhi glanced at Chen Tong, muttering: “How could he score 145 points?” Chen Tong looked at his own paper: “Just don’t answer one multiple-choice question.” Liu Dazhi felt that chatting with Chen Tong was raising his life’s humiliation to new heights. Ever since Chen Tong transferred to the liberal arts class, the girls in the class had been talking about him every day. After school, Dingdang would chat with Weixiao about Chen Tong. Liu Dazhi and Chen Xiaowu were almost driven crazy. In English class, Miss Yang and Chen Tong sang English songs together. On the playground, Chen Tong performed a slam dunk, and Feng Meili was so amazed she almost cried. It was the same in other classes; the ones answering questions were either Weixiao or Chen Tong, and the two would occasionally exchange knowing smiles.

“Chen Tong, do you regret transferring to the liberal arts class?” Weixiao asked while handing out homework.

“It’s more interesting than the science class; that place was too boring.”

“When the next monthly exam comes, and you get second place, you won’t think it’s interesting anymore, will you?” Weixiao smiled.

“Then it’ll be even more interesting,” Chen Tong said calmly.

“Forget it, just go easy on us,” Weixiao said, returning to her seat.

Every time Liu Dazhi saw this, he felt like he’d eaten a fly, his expression contorted: “How can someone be so annoying?!” Chen Xiaowu was feeding milk to the puppy he’d rescued, casually saying, “No way? Are you cross-eyed? Everyone thinks Chen Tong is quite handsome.” Liu Dazhi imitated Chen Tong, saying expressionlessly: “You got 60 points because you can only get 60 points; I got 150 points because there are only 150 points… How vicious must your heart be to say that? Tell me!” Chen Xiaowu looked up: “What he said makes sense; if there were 200 points, you’d still get 60, and he’d definitely get 200.”

“Get lost!”

“Having someone like that in the class only affects the top students. We’re always at the bottom; our positions will never be affected, so don’t worry about it.”

Liu Dazhi was speechless.

Chen Xiaowu very affectionately hugged the puppy: “What’s your name?”

“Wooden Bucket!”

“Ah?”

“Let’s call it Wooden Bucket!”

“Why Wooden Bucket?”

“Chen Mu Tong! Get it?!” [陈木桶 (Chen Mutong-wooden bucket) sounds like 陈木同 (Chen Mutong), a play on Chen Tong’s name.]

In the classroom.

“What? Suddenly not interested in Teacher Hao?” Weixiao teased.

Dingdang felt embarrassed to be exposed: “No way, Teacher Hao is untouchable. But don’t you think Chen Tong is perfect? Good family background, top student, handsome, stable personality, and most importantly, he bravely opposes evil forces and chooses his own ideals. If only I could be like him.”

“You can be like him.”

“Not everyone can do whatever they want; they need the confidence.”

“But Chen Tong always looked down on the liberal arts class; why did he suddenly transfer here? Does he genuinely like the liberal arts, or is there something else?”

“Could he be secretly in love with me, and that’s why he transferred?”

“I think you two are a good match.” Weixiao smiled.

“Really? I think you two are a better match.”

“Okay, okay, I’m not desperate to get married yet.”

Dingdang said happily: “How about, in today’s broadcast, we, the girls in our class, dedicate a song to Chen Tong? It shows the girls in the liberal arts class are considerate, and it also lets him feel our warmth.”

When the broadcasting station played “High School Senior Three Liberal Arts Class girls dedicate a song ‘I Just Happen to Like You’ to the transferred male student,” Liu Dazhi said angrily: “Why are all the girls dedicating a song to Chen Tong? Chen Xiaowu, you should also dedicate a song, ‘Wishing You a Smooth Journey.'” Chen Xiaowu put down the few-months-old Wooden Bucket, looking at Liu Dazhi questioningly: “Why are you always against Chen Tong? He’s just a different person from us.”

This question stumped Liu Dazhi.

Yeah. He’s different from us; why should I be angry?

He’s a good student; I’m not.

He has a good family; mine is average.

Many people like him; few like me.

He’s tall; I’m not.

I’m different from him in every way; why should I compare myself to him?

Is this pointless comparison because I think Weixiao likes Chen Tong…

He remembered Hao Huigui asking him: “Is it because you’re inferior to someone like Chen Tong in every way that you play video games, seeking a sense of accomplishment and existence?”

He suddenly felt deflated, walking forward without looking back. Chen Xiaowu quickly followed, anxiously asking: “Dazhi, let’s keep the puppy. It can’t find its mother, and my family won’t let me keep it; can I keep it at your house?” Liu Dazhi said without looking back: “No, I’ve always wanted a dog, but my dad eats dog meat!”

“Then what should we do?”

“Let’s find an abandoned classroom, make a nest for it, and visit it every day.” Liu Dazhi suddenly stopped and turned to Chen Xiaowu, “Xiaowu, what are my strengths?”

“Ah?” This question startled Chen Xiaowu.

“None, right? I see.” Liu Dazhi continued walking.

Chen Xiaowu, seeing something was wrong, quickly caught up: “Smart, interesting, loyal friend.”

“Can I surpass Chen Tong?”

“Yes!” Chen Xiaowu said bravely.

“In what way?”

“In every way!”

Liu Dazhi looked at Xiaowu sincerely: “I’m going to find Teacher Hao; I want to work hard! Do you want to join me?”

“Ah? No, I need to go to the market to help my family with the bean sprout stall.”

Liu Dazhi walked towards Hao Huigui’s dorm. He wanted to find Hao Huigui, tell him he was truly willing to change, and experience the feeling of having a song dedicated to him on the radio.

“I really want to change myself, can you help me?”

Hao Huigui had just left his office when he saw He Shifu walking towards him.

“Teacher Hao!”

“Director He, hello.”

He Shifu affectionately put his arm around Hao Huigui’s shoulder: “Teacher Hao, come, come, let’s chat for a bit.” He mysteriously pulled Hao Huigui to a corner of the hallway. Hao Huigui felt uneasy.

“Director He, just tell me what’s up.”

“How is Chen Tong doing in the liberal arts class?”

“He’s doing fine.”

“I know it’s not easy for you to manage the liberal arts class. Chen Tong is a promising student; he’ll definitely get into a key university and bring honor to the liberal arts class.”

“Yes.” Hao Huigui nodded.

“Who’s he sitting next to now?”

“Liu Dazhi.”

He Shifu looked incredulous: “How can he be sitting next to Liu Dazhi?! Liu Dazhi’s grades are so poor. Besides, other students also need Chen Tong’s help.”

Hao Huigui asked in confusion: “Other students?”

“For example, Feng Meili. Her mother proactively suggested that Feng Meili sit next to Chen Tong. Her mother is an accountant at the Education Bureau.”

“What does an accountant have to do with changing seats?”

“Every department in the Education Bureau settles accounts with the accountant in the end. She can easily say a few words, and it’ll only benefit, not harm.”

“Changing seats?”

“Yes!”

Hao Huigui slapped his forehead: “How could I not have thought of that!” If he could get Liu Dazhi and Weixiao to sit together, it would naturally improve their relationship. Moreover, with Director He’s suggestion, it would be perfectly reasonable. Thinking of this, Hao Huigui envied Liu Dazhi for meeting himself. Sitting next to Weixiao had been a daydream of his for years!

Liu Dazhi, wanting to improve himself, proactively came to Hao Huigui’s dorm.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Liu Dazhi.”

Before opening the door, Hao Huigui got up, took something out of his wallet, and threw it near the door. Liu Dazhi stood at the doorway, looking righteous.

“What? Did your mom beat you up again?”

“No. Teacher Hao, I want to become a better person.”

“Ah?”

“Teacher Hao, you’re right. I also want to become a better person. Tell me, what should I do?”

“Do you want to become a better person for yourself, or to impress Weixiao? These are two different questions.”

“I… I think it’s one question!” Liu Dazhi puffed out his chest.

“…Okay. Do you remember promising me last time that for the next few months, you’ll diligently complete whatever tasks I give you?”

“Yes! Give me the tasks quickly. I can’t hold it in anymore.” Liu Dazhi said anxiously.

Hao Huigui casually slapped him on the back of the head: “Changing your life requires perseverance, persistence, belief, and preparation! Do you think it’s like going to the toilet? You can’t hold it in anymore!” Liu Dazhi chuckled: “To grow strong, you need to absorb good nutrients and eliminate useless parts. That’s how life thrives.” “Good. If you’re ready, tomorrow I’ll arrange for you to sit next to Weixiao.”

Liu Dazhi was stunned. Sitting next to Weixiao? This was his long-cherished wish! Heaven must have heard his prayers!

“Teacher Hao, I, I…”

“Weixiao is the class monitor, very self-disciplined. Sitting next to her will make you more disciplined. Learn from her; let her be a role model for your growth. I see you don’t interact much with Chen Tong now.”

“But… but…”

“Don’t you want to improve? Then start by changing your seat.”

Liu Dazhi’s face flushed red. He mumbled “oh” and quickly turned to leave.

“Also,” Hao Huigui called out, “Didn’t Chen Xiaowu get a dog?”

Liu Dazhi nodded.

“Remember, don’t tease the dog unnecessarily. Be careful of being bitten; if you are, get a rabies shot.”

Although Liu Dazhi didn’t understand why Hao Huigui suddenly said this, he nodded in agreement, opened the door, and was about to leave.

“Dazhi, is this yours?”

“Ah?” Liu Dazhi looked down and saw a photo on the ground. He picked it up, “Huh, who is this person?”

“Oh, that’s mine. How did it fall? Give it to me.”

“This is…? Huh, Teacher Hao, is this your girlfriend? She looks like Weixiao, just a little older and more mature.” Liu Dazhi said curiously. Hao Huigui put the photo in his wallet: “Alright, you can go now.”

“Teacher Hao, your girlfriend is so pretty.”

“What do you mean?”

“No, no, I’m just a little excited.”

“Alright, go take care of your own business.”

After Liu Dazhi left, Hao Huigui felt a little guilty: “Sorry, Liu Dazhi, to prevent Weixiao from misunderstanding me, I had to use you as a pawn.” After Liu Dazhi went downstairs, his heart was pounding. On one hand, he was finally going to sit next to Weixiao; on the other hand, he had to tell Weixiao that he’d seen Teacher Hao’s girlfriend’s photo, and she looked just like Weixiao!

Liu Dazhi was, after all, only 17 years old.

“When I stopped being stubborn and looked at myself from a higher perspective,
I could finally see the real me.”

That night, Liu Dazhi tossed and turned, unable to sleep, just like the night before a school trip when he was a child.

The next day, Hao Huigui arranged for five or six pairs of students to change seats, saying it was “one-on-one, a pair of reds”—a good student helping a poor student. Hearing that she would be sitting next to Chen Tong, Feng Meili was overjoyed. Dingdang was unhappy, muttering: “My grades are even worse than Feng Meili…”

Liu Dazhi, assigned to sit next to Weixiao, was on edge. Sitting next to someone he liked, yet pretending to be reluctant—this was probably the feeling of every middle school student. With his schoolbag, he walked over, his heart pounding, yet trying to appear confident. He felt like he was on the moon, the air thin, unsure what monsters lurked. After gazing at the moon for over a decade, he was finally about to unveil its true face. Weixiao had been rather cold towards Hao Huigui before, but after hearing that Teacher Hao really had a girlfriend, and she looked like Weixiao, she felt embarrassed. Teacher Hao hadn’t been acting inappropriately while drunk; he’d been speaking the truth. It turned out she’d misunderstood him.

Weixiao proactively raised her hand: “Teacher Hao, what if Liu Dazhi doesn’t change?”

“Liu Dazhi is in your hands; help him however you want.”

The male students let out a chorus of boos. Liu Dazhi’s face flushed. Weixiao looked at Liu Dazhi, half-jokingly, half-seriously: “Dazhi, we need to make an agreement. Any action that affects my studies, I won’t let you off.”

“Don’t worry, if I don’t study hard, I’m not a man!”

Liu Dazhi put his bag on the desk, secretly taking out a Wahaha AD Calcium Milk, discreetly opening it and offering it to Weixiao: “Please take care of me.”

“I will, but I won’t drink this today. I had a stomachache this morning and feel nauseous.” Liu Dazhi quickly said: “No wonder I felt you were nauseating this morning.” Realizing his slip-up, his face turned crimson, “That’s not what I meant…”

“Stand up.” Weixiao ignored him and stood up.

Liu Dazhi took out a new pen, new ballpoint pen, new pencil, new pencil case, new timetable, new compass, new ruler—everything brand new. He listened attentively but felt his heartbeat was so loud it would make the floor vibrate. Worried his side profile wasn’t good, he subtly turned his face thirty degrees, looking at the blackboard sideways—the angle he found most handsome in the mirror.

Weixiao glanced at him: “Do you have a squint?”

Liu Dazhi quickly straightened his face. So close to Weixiao, he could see every strand of her hair. He couldn’t relax. When the teacher was explaining two formulas, he noticed Weixiao’s ponytail had three rubber bands; when the teacher explained a multiple-choice question from the last exam, he noticed a small mole on Weixiao’s left arm; when the teacher asked everyone to preview the next chapter, he noticed Weixiao’s index finger was very tense when she wrote.

Liu Dazhi realized he hadn’t been listening to the teacher at all. This wouldn’t do! He had to focus! Focus! He noticed that when Weixiao was thinking, her lips would slightly tilt… He almost wanted to kneel. Being this close to someone he liked, he felt like a copy machine, copying every detail into his memory. He couldn’t control himself; it was an automatic process, and he could only let himself memorize everything observable. Suddenly, Weixiao turned her head, their eyes met. Liu Dazhi’s heart fluttered; he quickly focused on his textbook, not daring to look at Weixiao again. He told himself that even if they could never be deskmates again, he could remember these details forever. Now, he really had to listen to the lesson.

Hao Huigui stood at the back of the classroom, watching Liu Dazhi and Weixiao sit together, a smile playing on his lips. Helping his past self achieve a long-held dream was truly wonderful!

The first and second days, Liu Dazhi was distracted. The third and fourth days, wanting to impress Weixiao, he maintained an exceptionally serious demeanor. The teachers had never seen Liu Dazhi so focused.

“Liu Dazhi, your expression suggests you don’t understand something.”

Liu Dazhi hadn’t expected the teacher to call on him. Did he understand? Of course not. What didn’t he understand? Everything. Why didn’t he understand even though he was so focused? He was just trying to appear diligent for Weixiao.

“Where are you confused?” the teacher asked with concern.

Liu Dazhi froze; this question was difficult. Others didn’t understand specific details, so they could just point them out. But he didn’t understand anything, so he couldn’t describe it. He couldn’t accurately express his confusion.

“Some parts.” He answered hesitantly.

“Which parts?”

“The beginning.”

“The beginning? We used five formulas and five steps for this problem. Do you mean the first formula?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s review the first formula. What about the rest?”

“Um… okay.”

Weixiao glanced at him. Liu Dazhi quickly said to the teacher: “The third formula…”

“Let’s have you explain the first formula.”

Liu Dazhi trembled as he stood up. Since sitting next to Weixiao, everyone felt Liu Dazhi had transformed. Today, when the teacher called on him, everyone anticipated his change.

“I… I don’t understand…”

The other students burst into laughter. Shi Tou, in the back row, shouted: “Pretending to understand, you should be sitting in the back row, not here. Shameful!”

Liu Dazhi was sweating profusely.

After class, Chen Xiaowu approached.

“Dazhi, want to go back to your old seat? It must be painful sitting under the teacher’s watchful eye.”

“No, I feel an unprecedented power. Look at my notes!” Liu Dazhi opened his notebook, filled with class notes.

“Wow, so impressive, it makes me want to study too.” Chen Xiaowu flipped through a couple of pages, finding them incomprehensible.

“Liu Dazhi, which formula did you use for this problem?” Weixiao pointed to a question.

“Um, this… uh, let me think… maybe… I think…” Liu Dazhi was embarrassed.

“Just memorizing and copying isn’t enough; understanding is crucial. And the answers you copied are from the previous chapter’s long questions; you copied the wrong ones.” Weixiao looked at Liu Dazhi helplessly. Chen Xiaowu snickered.

Exposed, Liu Dazhi slumped onto his seat, feeling helpless. Before, if he didn’t understand, he simply wouldn’t listen; he had his own space and way of being happy. But now, trying to change, he found himself in a world he couldn’t comprehend. His weak foundation meant that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t understand the lessons. And because he couldn’t pinpoint his confusion, he was afraid of others knowing he didn’t understand anything. He quickly transformed from someone who admitted he didn’t understand to someone who didn’t understand but didn’t want others to know. In the following days, Liu Dazhi gradually reverted to his old habits.

Although every time he felt his mind wandering, becoming vacant, and unable to understand the lesson, he would silently remind himself to act differently this time, never allowing Weixiao to look down on him again. He wanted to become… before he could figure out what kind of person he wanted to strive to be, drowsiness washed over him like a tide.

“If I could sleep for five minutes, just five minutes, I’d do anything…” Liu Dazhi closed his eyes, preparing to rest. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his right arm.

“Ah!” Liu Dazhi jumped up. The whole class stared at him. Weixiao put down her compass, acting as if nothing had happened.

“Liu Dazhi! If you’re going to sleep, just sleep! What’s with the howling?” The politics teacher, who had just entered, demanded.

“Sorry, I had a nightmare,” Liu Dazhi quickly apologized, sitting down, his head covered in sweat. His eyes red, he whispered to Weixiao, “Why did you stab me…?”

“Your snoring was bothering me,” Weixiao continued reading, without looking at him.

Liu Dazhi was completely awake, quickly opening his book and joining the class. The teacher asked a question; only Chen Tong answered correctly. Weixiao turned to look at Chen Tong, her eyes full of approval. Liu Dazhi felt a pang of displeasure.

Before class ended, the teacher assigned homework.

“Liu Dazhi, how do you know what the homework is without taking notes?” Weixiao asked Liu Dazhi.

“I…” Liu Dazhi couldn’t say he copied his homework, so he took out his pen and paper.

During the last self-study period, Liu Dazhi, carrying new albums borrowed from the music store—Shunza, Andy Lau, and Wakin Chau—opened the lyric sheets, preparing to listen carefully. Weixiao directly pulled out Liu Dazhi’s earphones and put his Walkman in her own drawer.

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Self-study is for doing your homework.”

“Then what should I do at night?”

“Review your lessons at night.”

“I don’t know what to review…”

Weixiao directly threw a workbook at him: “This.”

Initially, Liu Dazhi thought Weixiao was helping him, but gradually, he felt she was full of contempt and disdain for him. After school, he went to complain to Chen Xiaowu: “I never thought Weixiao was like this—fierce, authoritarian, thinking she’s always right. Anyone who disobeys her seems like her enemy.” Chen Xiaowu nonchalantly said: “Then tell the teacher you don’t want to sit with her. Anyway, right now, you have a bad impression of her; if this continues, she’ll have a bad impression of you too. Eventually, you’ll both hate each other, and you won’t even be friends.”

Liu Dazhi nodded, fully agreeing. Hao Huigui was still pleased with his arrangement, waiting for Liu Dazhi to thank him. When he heard Liu Dazhi say he hated Weixiao, he wanted to slap Liu Dazhi out of the office. Hao Huigui was furious.

“Liu Dazhi, tell me clearly, you hate Weixiao?”

“I hate her very much. How can a girl be so overbearing!”

“Liu Dazhi, you’ve wanted to be deskmates with Weixiao for a long time, haven’t you? Don’t tell me you haven’t.”

Liu Dazhi felt he had nothing to hide from Hao Huigui.

“Yes, but I didn’t expect her to be like this.”

“Tell me, which of her demands are unreasonable, and why?”

“Those… her demands…” Liu Dazhi thought for a moment; Weixiao’s demands weren’t unreasonable; he just couldn’t meet them. Liu Dazhi fell silent.

“It’s not that her demands are unreasonable, but that you can’t meet them, right? The key is that you know you can’t do it, yet you give up, which means you’ve truly admitted you can’t do it.”

“I can’t admit I can’t do it; it’s too painful,” Liu Dazhi slumped over.

Hao Huigui looked at Liu Dazhi, full of emotion. Wasn’t this just like himself? When things get troublesome, he lets them be; when he feels he can’t do something, he just gives up. His life had gradually sunk deeper and deeper, ultimately unable to extricate himself.

“That’s right. You don’t actually know where to start working hard; you’re just afraid of continuing to be deskmates with Weixiao, and she’ll hate you even more. You haven’t even considered how to study; you just want to pretend to study to fool everyone. You’ve finally discovered how awful you are, haven’t you? You think if you escape, others won’t know how bad you are? You think if you go back to the back row, others won’t mock you? They’ll only think they weren’t wrong; they’ve stopped talking because they’ve realized you’re not even worth discussing! Understand? All your disguises are to escape; all your escapes are because of self-deprecation, and your self-deprecation makes you want to protect your meaningless ‘face.’ You’re like a shrinking turtle, never truly living your own life!”

Hao Huigui’s outburst startled Liu Dazhi. These were the words Hao Huigui wanted to tell him, but also the words he wanted to tell himself. Liu Dazhi hadn’t expected Hao Huigui to say these things; had he eaten gunpowder? After Hao Huigui finished scolding him, the air fell silent. Liu Dazhi didn’t dare to breathe, standing stiffly, afraid Hao Huigui would explode again. The words Hao Huigui had just said kept circling in his mind. No one had ever told him these things before. Although harsh, they seemed to reflect his true feelings. He didn’t want to study; he truly couldn’t. After years of setbacks, Liu Dazhi told himself that studying wasn’t his forte; he couldn’t keep up with others, and he definitely couldn’t get top marks on exams. So why waste his time studying? It was better to escape. He didn’t get bad grades because he liked playing games; he liked playing games because he got bad grades, seeking a sense of accomplishment and existence. But he couldn’t tell anyone this; if he did, they wouldn’t understand and would accuse him of making excuses. Liu Dazhi desperately wished he could find a friend to confide in. His only good friend was Chen Xiaowu, but Xiaowu didn’t even understand himself, let alone his feelings.

After scolding Liu Dazhi, Hao Huigui also felt uneasy. Was this Liu Dazhi’s fault? Didn’t 36-year-old himself have the same problem? Everyone thought a university lecturer’s job was good, so he’d lost the courage to resign. Everyone thought he should get married at his age, so he’d been forced to go on countless blind dates, not because he truly wanted to solve his life problems, but because refusing people was too troublesome, so he gave acquaintances the courtesy. And now, he stood before Liu Dazhi, filled with righteous indignation—what was his own position?

“Teacher Hao…” Liu Dazhi broke the strange silence in the office.

Hao Huigui turned to look at Liu Dazhi. He lowered his head, seeming to have something to say. After saying three words, Liu Dazhi fell silent again. After a while, he took a deep breath, deciding to tell Hao Huigui his true feelings.

“Teacher Hao, before I became deskmates with Weixiao, she didn’t know what I was like. After becoming deskmates, I tried hard; I really wanted to listen attentively and keep up with everyone, but I just couldn’t learn. Now, I can’t not try; she hates lazy people. Even if I try, I still can’t do it; I just can’t learn. So I can only pretend to be diligent, but I also hate this useless effort… I don’t know why; those questions that are simple for others are so difficult for me. Teacher Hao, you said I’m smart; if I put half the effort I put into video games into studying, I could do well, but I’ve tried, and it really doesn’t work. I’ve tried so hard, and I still can’t even compare to Chen Tong’s little finger. Rather than being looked down upon by myself and others, it’s better to sleep or listen to music. If I continue like this, even if I try hard, I’ll still be far behind; she’ll definitely think I’m a fool. And now I think I’m a fool myself, but I don’t want her to find out. Actually, I also hate myself like this…”

The only sound in the office was the ticking of the clock.

As Liu Dazhi spoke, Hao Huigui felt deeply moved. These were the words he’d thought about for years but never dared to speak. Hao Huigui hadn’t expected Liu Dazhi to tell him these things; it must have taken immense courage. He suddenly understood why some people said university was useless; perhaps he truly couldn’t do it, but more importantly, no one had ever told him how to do it. They weren’t averse to studying; they hated their studying selves, so they wanted to enter society quickly to prove to others—that they could do it. Liu Dazhi was the same. He found value in fighting games, perhaps because it was what made him happiest.

Hao Huigui stood up from his chair and walked towards Liu Dazhi. Liu Dazhi was a little scared; unexpectedly, Hao Huigui walked over and hugged him. Seeing Liu Dazhi, who had lost his fighting spirit and completely admitted his inadequacy, Hao Huigui could only offer this comfort when no one else could give him courage. Liu Dazhi, hugged tightly by Hao Huigui, burst into tears. He didn’t like crying; he used silly laughter, mischievous laughter, bad jokes, and self-deprecation to solve problems. But today, he cried. Hao Huigui felt Liu Dazhi was trying hard not to cry out loud, but his whole body was trembling. He understood Liu Dazhi’s embarrassment, helplessness, and discouragement; he understood that feeling of trying his best but still failing… the person he was hugging was his own struggling past self!

Some say that at 17, one is unrestrained and free, both liberated and carefree. Seventeen-year-olds have no worries; any sentimentality is mocked as “pretentious sorrow,” self-inflicted suffering. These are the conclusions of those numb in both body and soul; they’ve long lost their own feelings. Hao Huigui was grateful that his appearance had given Liu Dazhi the security to speak his mind. Those who dare to speak their minds are strong; those who dare to expose their flaws are strong. They’re not afraid of being hurt or looked down upon. He thought of his past self, with no one to trust, all his words buried in his heart, no one to share them with. Over time, they rotted, becoming fertilizer if lucky, or polluting his entire life if not. In those days when he couldn’t find someone he could trust, every day was a struggle.

Hao Huigui pulled a long bench over, letting Liu Dazhi sit down, then sat beside him.

“Dazhi, have you ever thought that if you keep escaping, you might never have a chance to turn things around? At least, you should try. If you don’t even have the courage to face failure, how can you deserve to like someone?”

“But I think I’ve already tried my best…”

“Look, you’ve been playing games since elementary school, almost ten years now. Ten years—how many times have you lost, and how many times have you tried? You’ve only been trying hard for a week.”

Liu Dazhi remained silent.

“Also, don’t compare yourself to Chen Tong, and don’t worry about Weixiao’s attitude. Because you lack self-confidence, others’ actions affect you. First, you need to build a strong self within yourself.”

“But how can I build a strong self?”

“You can’t escape anymore. When you know your flaws, overcome them; find your confidence to reveal your true self. A person with self-confidence won’t be affected by others. Chen Tong or Weixiao aren’t the reasons you’re escaping your true self.” After speaking, Hao Huigui stood up and patted Liu Dazhi’s shoulder, then left the office. He didn’t dare look into Liu Dazhi’s eyes. Actually, many truths aren’t understood more with age; as long as the timing is right, a 36-year-old and a 17-year-old understand the same things.

The sky was overcast, the air filled with the smell of rain.

Hao Huigui particularly liked this kind of weather; it seemed that any emotion could maintain its original state in this weather. Hunan was a mountainous city; under the overcast sky, the green was even more intense. Even the gray horizon emitted a bluish-green glow.

When Hao Huigui returned to the office, Liu Dazhi had calmed down.

“Go back. Think about it and tell me. If you want to give up completely, I’ll help you change your seat.”

“Mm.” Liu Dazhi hung his head, preparing to leave.

“Right. Have you been bitten by a dog recently?”

“With me looking like this, I’m lucky I haven’t bitten a dog…” Liu Dazhi managed a wry smile.

“Everyone’s life struggles stem from
one fundamental problem.”

For three days, Liu Dazhi didn’t come to see Hao Huigui.

Hao Huigui couldn’t continue looking for Liu Dazhi either. During this time, Liu Dazhi had to overcome this himself; that was the only way he could grow. These days were also agonizing for Hao Huigui. In class, Liu Dazhi still scratched his head, grimacing at difficult problems, looking like a monkey who’d gotten a walnut but couldn’t open it.

That day, after class, Liu Dazhi suddenly rushed into the office: “Teacher Hao!”

Hao Huigui was startled; something must have happened.

“Do you remember a few days ago when you told me not to tease the dog? Today, at school, Chen Xiaowu was feeding the dog, and his finger got bitten and bled. Hahahaha, it’s hilarious.”

Hao Huigui, who had been worried about Liu Dazhi’s mood, felt relieved seeing him so cheerful. When he heard that he could use known information to change the future, a surge of excitement filled him. He wouldn’t repeat Janitor Zhou’s mistakes. At this moment, Chen Tong also entered the office, handing Hao Huigui a piece of paper. Liu Dazhi glanced at it; it was a guarantee. The guarantee stated that if Chen Tong didn’t get first place in all the upcoming exams, he would transfer back to the science class.

Guarantee first place… quite arrogant.

Hao Huigui looked at it and said: “Change ‘guarantee first place’ to ‘a total score no less than 630.’ I don’t know why you suddenly want to study liberal arts, but I don’t want this to be your escape route. With your grades, getting first place in the liberal arts class is too easy. You must guarantee a total score of at least 630 on each exam; otherwise, the liberal arts class will have ruined you. I can’t take that responsibility.”

Chen Tong nodded without hesitation.

“Your mountain bike is new, right? It’s best not to park it in the bike shed at the school gate. Although it’s more troublesome, it’s better to park it in the school’s bike shed.” Liu Dazhi immediately became excited: “Really, you must believe Teacher Hao; he’s amazing.”

Chen Tong nodded again, then left. Liu Dazhi, met with cold indifference, looked embarrassed.

“Chen Tong wants to get first place, and he will get first place. How do you feel?”

“So Chen Xiaowu wants to be last, he’ll be last.”
“Have you forgotten what Weixiao said about you? Be serious.”
Liu Dazhi fell silent.

Hao Huigui pondered, “Alright, write down everything that’s making you unhappy.”
Liu Dazhi didn’t understand what Hao Huigui meant. Hao Huigui placed a blank sheet of paper on the desk and said to Liu Dazhi, “Come, let’s clarify things. You dislike Weixiao because you’re unhappy sitting next to her. You’re unhappy because you can’t meet her demands. You clearly can’t meet her demands, yet you’ve concluded that you dislike her. Why?”
Liu Dazhi was taken aback.

“You need to confront all this, think carefully about what’s making you unhappy in your life right now. Only by understanding the root cause can you solve the problem.”
Liu Dazhi rubbed his eyes, picked up his pen, and after fiddling for ten minutes, finally finished writing.

Most girls don’t like me.
I don’t have any pocket money.
My mom doesn’t care about me.
My teachers don’t like me.
Most boys ignore me.
I don’t have nice sportswear.

Hao Huigui glanced at the answers; these six problems had plagued him deeply back then.
So Hao Huigui drew on the paper as he spoke, “The girls don’t like you because even the boys ignore you; they’re influenced by the boys. The boys ignore you because you don’t have the same sportswear, comics, etc., making it hard to find common ground. You don’t have these things because you don’t have any pocket money. You don’t have pocket money because your mom doesn’t care about you. And your mom doesn’t care about you because every time there’s a parent-teacher meeting, the teachers think you have no future, and they seem to dislike you. Do you see? These six problems are interconnected, and the main problem is that your teachers don’t like you. This problem has triggered a series of other problems, creating the situation that troubles you today.”
Hao Huigui drew a large question mark after “My teachers don’t like me.”

“Have you ever considered why your teachers don’t like you?”
“Because I get bad grades.”
“That’s right. But look, your poor grades aren’t even listed among your life’s problems. You’ve spent all your time trying to solve these six problems, but these aren’t the root causes of your difficulties; your poor grades are. You don’t want to sit next to Weixiao because you get bad grades, and you feel you can’t keep up. You don’t like comparing yourself to Chen Tong because your grades are too bad. All your unhappiness stems from this. Life doesn’t have that many problems. Heaven treats everyone equally. It’s just that some people care more about themselves and solve their problems early; others let things slide, and one problem leads to another, until they’re overwhelmed by problems, unable to identify the root cause. Seemingly complex problems often stem from a single root cause. Your root problem is your poor grades, but you haven’t realized it, wasting time on other issues.” Liu Dazhi stared blankly at Hao Huigui, as if he’d revealed a profound truth, a ray of light suddenly illuminating his long, dark, and confused life.

“You can’t change your birth, your appearance, but these have nothing to do with your happiness. What you *can* change is your grades. Is studying really that hard?”
“It is hard…” Liu Dazhi whispered.
“You think something is hard because you don’t think it’s important, not worth the effort. When you realize it can ruin your life, see if it’s still hard. If you truly try your best and still can’t improve your grades, you can always do something else. Someone who gives their all can achieve a lot. But first, you need to prove you can give your all to something.”
“I…”
“I believe you can do it.”
“Teacher Hao, how do you know…”
“Because I was just like you at 17; I couldn’t figure things out, and I didn’t dare to face them.”
“Really?”
“More than just you. No one is born a Chen Tong; there are always top and bottom students. Do you think Chen Xiaowu will be successful?” Liu Dazhi pondered, unsure how to answer.

“Selling bean sprouts? How successful can that be?”
“I’ll tell you, Chen Xiaowu, though always last, knows what he wants to do and become. He knows he’s not cut out for studying, so he focuses his energy elsewhere, and he’ll succeed in the future.”
“Teacher Hao, how do you know?”
“Trust me, Teacher Hao is a good judge of character. And you can do well too; you need to believe me.” Hao Huigui said confidently.
Liu Dazhi nodded.

“Do you still want me to change your seat?”
Liu Dazhi thought, “Let’s wait until my grades improve.”
“Good!”
Hao Huigui handed him a set of math exercises, “Your math is poor, so any improvement will be significant.”
“Mm… Teacher Zhao’s explanations are all over the place.”
“Starting next week, we’ll review from the first year. You didn’t listen then, so now you’ll do every problem in this workbook, section by section. Using your high school brain to do first-year math shouldn’t be hard, right?”
Liu Dazhi thought, “Not hard.”
“Then get to it.”

“There’s a loneliness that outsiders don’t understand;
only strangers can alleviate it.”

After the second period in the afternoon, a group of girls ran from the school building to the mailroom at the school gate. Hao Huigui stood at the office window; He Shifu, holding a cup of tea, stood behind him, “These girls are crazy about pen pals, not knowing if they’re real people or ghosts, writing everything in their letters. My daughter’s the same; she won’t tell me anything, but she tells strangers everything. What’s going on?”
Li Maoyao from Class 3, Science, was the first to run out of the mailroom, excitedly holding a letter.

“Sanmao’s Love? Dingdang, this is your letter!” the class monitor shouted.
“Yes, yes, yes, it’s mine, give it to me, give it to me!” Dingdang said excitedly.

This was Dingdang’s first letter.
Her favorite radio program was “Midnight Old Times.” A few days ago, Dingdang called the radio station, saying she wanted to make a friend. The host asked if she’d be willing to receive letters from other listeners, so she left her school address. Sanmao’s works were very popular at the time, so she used “Sanmao’s Love” as her pen name.
Everyone gathered around, wanting to see who sent the letter.
“Oh, don’t look, it’s embarrassing.”
Dingdang wanted to savor the joy alone, but the letter was strange; there was no address. She lowered her head, carefully opening it. Dingdang wanted to read it alone but felt the surrounding noise was disrespectful to the letter’s sanctity, so after greeting Weixiao, she went to the playground. The playground was quiet, with a few people sitting on the grass chatting. She went to the parallel bars, leaning against them, taking out the letter. The handwriting was clearly that of a boy. Somehow, Dingdang’s hand trembled. She imagined a boy in another corner of the city listening to the radio, hearing every word she said, remembering her long address—the boy must have been very attentive. Before even reading the content, Dingdang had already imagined the boy’s appearance, personality, demeanor, and age…

“I heard your voice on the radio and liked it; I think you must be a kind and lovely girl. I heard your call to the radio station; you must be a girl who needs care… Remember, no matter how many friends you have, everyone is essentially lonely.”
When Dingdang read the opening, she felt enveloped in pink happiness. But as she continued, the sweetness on her face gradually faded.

“…I also like the name ‘Sanmao’s Love,’ but Sanmao’s love is too little; lovely people deserve five or ten cents’ worth of love… But as long as someone in an unknown corner of the world is silently watching you, you’re happy. I hope we can become good friends.” Dingdang was about to explode; this pen pal was so cheesy! Dingdang hadn’t expected her first pen pal to not even know who Sanmao was!
Dingdang reread the letter twice. Ignoring the “cents” of love, the pen pal’s words felt quite warm.
The back of the paper read: “I don’t have a convenient address. When you need to, call the radio station; I’ll listen and continue writing to you. I hope you’re happy.” This first letter filled Dingdang with happiness; she felt that in an unknown place, she had an unknown love and attention, giving her a strong sense of existence. Dingdang returned to the classroom, shyly telling Weixiao she didn’t know who wrote it. Weixiao comforted her, saying the mystery of pen pals is what makes them interesting; once the mystery is gone, it’s no fun. Dingdang agreed; this mysterious feeling of being watched was wonderful. She carefully folded the letter and put it in her book, then felt it wasn’t safe enough, so she put it in the inner pocket of her bag, as if only excessive care could match the trust.

“Real change doesn’t need to be told;
you can feel it.”

At midnight, Liu Dazhi frowned, struggling with a math problem. The formula was from the first day of high school, a simple formula, with no complex knowledge involved. Liu Dazhi was frustrated; he reviewed his notes again and again. Hao Tiemei quietly pushed open the door, walking to his side, snatching his workbook.

Hao Tiemei held the workbook in one hand, extending the other, “Hand it over!”
“Give me the workbook; it’s all I have.”
Hao Tiemei ignored him, “Stand up.” Liu Dazhi quickly stood, jumping in place twice, turning twice, “Really nothing, Mom. Your son has decided to serve the country and no longer disappoint you. Believe in your son.”
Hao Tiemei remained skeptical.
“Oh, Teacher Hao said we should start reviewing now, it’s a chance to catch up, so I…”
“Oh, it’s Teacher Hao. I thought you were actually studying.”
“It’s me studying, not Teacher Hao!”
“Don’t think five minutes of studying makes you the best in the world. I’m telling you, if you fail the exam, you’ll still be punished!”
“Mom…”

For days, the light in Liu Dazhi’s room stayed on until after 2 AM. He was delighted to find that even when his father wasn’t home, the number of dishes increased from two to three. Chen Xiaowu was also delighted; he only had to copy his own homework now, instead of two. After grading, Chen Xiaowu’s homework was almost all correct; Liu Dazhi’s was half right, half wrong. Liu Dazhi thought of Teacher Hao saying Chen Xiaowu would be successful, making him doubt Teacher Hao’s judgment.

Chen Xiaowu teased Liu Dazhi, “Look at you now, you don’t even have more correct answers than me.” Liu Dazhi replied with a touch of Zen, “When I dare to be wrong, I begin to be right.”
Chen Xiaowu didn’t understand, “Have you gone crazy since losing at the game?” Liu Dazhi sighed, “I think I have.” He looked at the wrong problems, worried. Weixiao glanced at them, “Not bad, you’re not getting them all wrong anymore.” Liu Dazhi took back his workbook, “What’s not bad? I’m such a dunce; I study so hard and still get so many wrong.”

“Seriously, how did you solve question eight?”
Weixiao got nine out of ten right, only missing question eight. Liu Dazhi got five right, including question eight. Liu Dazhi suddenly felt embarrassed, stammering.

“Did you copy?”
“Of course I didn’t!”
“Come, tell me how you solved it.”
Liu Dazhi, seeing no one was watching, began to explain incoherently.

Weixiao smiled, “Liu Dazhi, you skip class, you fight. I thought you were so manly; I never noticed you were like this before.”
Liu Dazhi gritted his teeth, “Listen! This question is simple!”
He fluently explained the solution, sweating profusely. After listening, Weixiao frowned, “Liu Dazhi, you’re strange. You get the basic questions wrong, but you got this one right, which requires more thought.”

“Are you trying to comfort me?”
“Liu Dazhi, don’t push your luck.”
“Do you really think I can improve? I feel like I’m worthless.”
“Look at this.” Weixiao stood up, taking a few classmates’ workbooks. Only Liu Dazhi and Chen Tong got question eight right.
Liu Dazhi’s depression lifted. He’d thought he needed perfect scores, top marks, to prove he could study, but getting one question right felt amazing. Chen Tong entered, seeing Liu Dazhi’s excitement, glancing at him. Liu Dazhi was immediately brought back to reality.

Hao Huigui called Hao Tiemei twice to check on Liu Dazhi, relieved to hear he was studying hard.

Just as Hao Tiemei was expressing her gratitude, Hao Huigui interjected, “Dazhi’s mother, Dazhi is a very sensible child. Remember, don’t save money for his marriage, and don’t force him to do things he doesn’t want to do. If he’s willing to do something, he’ll definitely do it well. You must believe in him.” Hao Tiemei laughed on the other end of the phone, “No problem, no problem, whatever Teacher Hao says is right.” Hao Huigui felt his mother was just placating him; persuading her would be a long and arduous journey.

While Liu Dazhi was diligently studying, Hao Huigui was busy preparing for his upcoming evaluation to determine if he’d be kept on as a teacher. Although many people had already congratulated him, saying the school would definitely keep him, Hao Huigui remained cautious. He’d also heard that the other intern teachers were pulling out all the stops, and that one of them had reported his video game match with Liu Dazhi to the Education Bureau, hoping to get rid of Hao Huigui. Unexpectedly…

Thinking about this, Hao Huigui became even more focused. For Liu Dazhi and the others, he had to stay. If it were just his own situation, he wouldn’t be so serious. Hao Huigui looked over the evaluation criteria: He had to complete home visits for all students within three months, remember all their names and family situations, propose new teaching methods, and suggest new ideas for improving class cohesion… These weren’t difficult for him. In the past month, Hao Huigui had lived a life 100 times more tiring than his previous one. He spent all day teaching, made home visits after school, and socialized with other teachers. On top of that, Janitor Zhou’s strange behavior was also a source of concern.

Time flew by, and the chapter one pop quiz in math arrived. Liu Dazhi had never looked forward to an exam so much. When the papers were handed out, Weixiao received hers first. Liu Dazhi craned his neck to peek at the questions, muttering something under his breath.

“Liu Dazhi!” Teacher Zhao roared.

“Huh?” Liu Dazhi was startled.

“Move your desk away from Weixiao’s! The exam has just begun; there are no answers yet, and you’re already trying to copy names?” The other students laughed. Liu Dazhi was extremely embarrassed, quickly opening his exam paper, scanning it. Many questions seemed familiar.

“When you’re not open-minded,
you often mistake others’ kindness for hostility.”

In math class, Teacher Zhao announced the chapter one exam results.

First place: Chen Tong, 150 points; The math class representative and Liu Dazhi tied for second place, 124 points. The whole class was in an uproar. Even Liu Dazhi was stunned. Weixiao got 118 points, Dingdang 78, and Chen Xiaowu 42. Teacher Zhao commented on each score. “Chen Tong, 150 points. Learn from Chen Tong! Some are speeding through the ocean of knowledge in a speedboat, while others are feeding sharks in the ocean of knowledge.”

“Second place is Liu Dazhi. Let me say this, if you know it, you know it; if you don’t, you don’t. We encourage studying, but we don’t encourage cheating. Liu Dazhi, I hope you’ll be more honest next time.”

Liu Dazhi felt like he’d been doused with a bucket of ice water on a freezing winter day. Teacher Zhao added, “Chen Tong transferred to the liberal arts class to rewrite history—to ensure that someone from the liberal arts class finally gets into a key university. He didn’t transfer here to let you cheat. If you can cheat on this exam, and also cheat on the college entrance exam, then you have skill. If not, you’re deceiving yourselves.”

The whole class knew Teacher Zhao was talking about Liu Dazhi. Weixiao saw Liu Dazhi’s embarrassment, “Teacher Zhao, I don’t know who cheated, but saying this after handing out Liu Dazhi’s paper is unfair to him and the other students. Teachers shouldn’t jump to conclusions about students.” Teacher Zhao’s face fell, “The last question, only two students got it right—Chen Tong and Liu Dazhi. Did Chen Tong copy from Liu Dazhi?”

The students burst into laughter.

Liu Dazhi stood up, his face flushed, “Teacher Zhao, I didn’t cheat; I wrote it myself.” Teacher Zhao was about to say something else. “Teacher Zhao, Liu Dazhi didn’t copy from me,” Chen Tong stood up. The students were surprised; Chen Tong was actually defending Liu Dazhi. Liu Dazhi felt a warmth in his heart; Chen Tong wasn’t as bad as he thought; he was quite righteous…

“I wouldn’t let him copy,” The students laughed again. Liu Dazhi also laughed awkwardly.

Chen Tong was really something! Teacher Zhao could only say, “Alright, Liu Dazhi, I’ll ask you a question. If you really did it yourself, you should be able to answer this.”

Liu Dazhi stood frozen. Weixiao said to Liu Dazhi, “Go on, don’t be afraid.” He looked at the podium, afraid to go up. He always felt the podium was like a backdrop for criminals taking photos; once you stand there, the blackboard displays your birthdate, birthplace, age, and details of your crime. He’d been called up many times as a “criminal,” and the fear was indescribable.

The students whispered, waiting to see Liu Dazhi’s humiliation. Liu Dazhi felt uncertain. Suddenly, a piece of chalk was offered—it was Chen Tong.

“Since you did it yourself, go answer it.”

Liu Dazhi looked at Chen Tong, thinking, *Maybe he’s not so bad? Maybe he just acts aloof, but he’s actually kind.* He was about to say “thank you,” but Chen Tong added, “If you cheated, admit it; don’t waste everyone’s time.” Liu Dazhi mentally slapped Chen Tong a hundred times.

Liu Dazhi took a deep breath and walked to the podium. Teacher Zhao read a question. It was difficult! The students also tried to solve it at their desks. After hearing the question, Liu Dazhi knew Teacher Zhao wasn’t lying; it was just a variation of the last big question.

The students didn’t know the answer, all staring at Teacher Zhao. After seeing Liu Dazhi’s answer on the board, Teacher Zhao’s face darkened, “Liu Dazhi! You’re not serious! You’ll never get into university like this!”

Liu Dazhi was startled, looking at the board. Sigh, he was still too young, easily impulsive… But this answer should be correct…

“You got this difficult question right, but you got 26 points deducted for easy questions! Do you have a problem with your brain?! If you really start working hard, you can ask the teacher if you have any questions.”

Liu Dazhi’s nose felt a little sore; he nodded vigorously. Chen Xiaowu started clapping. Many students still couldn’t believe it. Chen Xiaowu clapped alone, looking awkward. Liu Dazhi looked at Weixiao. Weixiao was as happy as her name suggested. He glanced at Chen Tong. Chen Tong was looking down, seeming to smile. Back at his seat, Liu Dazhi still felt uneasy. Before, he felt time was long, never-ending. Now, he felt time was short, fleeting. Maybe this is the difference between having a goal and not having one.

“Good things aren’t necessarily suitable for you;
things suitable for you are good things.”

Fei Jie’s hair salon was plastered with posters of popular Hong Kong and Taiwan stars.

Lin Zhiying, Aaron Kwok, Wilber Pan, Edison Chen… People didn’t say they wanted long or short hair, a side part or a flat top; they said, “Fei Jie, give me a Lin Zhiying.” “Fei Jie, give me an Edison Chen.”

Liu Dazhi decided on Ekin Cheng.

Fei Jie praised his choice, “Ekin Cheng is the most popular idol among young people now, but his hair is too long; yours won’t work. Let’s give you a Jordan Chan [陈小春 (Chen Xiaochun)], a flat top will suit your monolids, it’ll be cool.”

“Really?” Liu Dazhi was happy.

“When has Fei Jie ever lied to you? Sit down.” Fei Jie didn’t even have time for lunch, shaking out her apron and putting it around Liu Dazhi’s neck.

“Think it over? No changes?” Fei Jie asked routinely.

“No changes.”

“Dazhi, do you know what Fei Jie likes most about you?”

“I’m handsome?” Liu Dazhi sat straight, afraid of moving and causing Fei Jie to make a mistake.

“Besides being handsome, there’s another reason. You never hesitate. Fei Jie likes that about you; you do whatever you decide. No matter if it looks good or not, you think it looks good.” Fei Jie sincerely praised him.

“Ah? There are times when it doesn’t look good?” Liu Dazhi’s heart sank.

“Many people have hairstyles like yours, but they lack confidence, so they look bad. You’re different; you can pull off any hairstyle. Today’s Jordan Chan, Fei Jie won’t charge you; just bring more classmates.”

“Thank you, Fei Jie!” Liu Dazhi sat in the chair, admiring his new look in the mirror, tossing his hair, completely self-absorbed.

“Come, come, try Chen Xiaochun, you too!” Liu Dazhi had just agreed to Fei Jie’s offer and started bringing her customers.

“No, no, people who don’t look good with a flat top look like they’re in jail.”

“You don’t understand anything; this is called fashion!” Liu Dazhi looked at his new hairstyle in the mirror at the entrance, striking a pose, extending his hands, singing the theme song of *Young and Dangerous* [古惑仔 (Gu Huo Zai)], “Friendship Years” [友情岁月 (Youqing Suiyue)], “Let’s forget right and wrong, let’s reminisce about the past, the difficult days we spent together always had fun…”

“Hey, Fei Jie, you’re not eating that big bone, right? If not, I’ll take it to feed Wooden Bucket.”

“Sure, take it.”

Liu Dazhi and Chen Xiaowu went to see Wooden Bucket. Before reaching the abandoned classroom, Wooden Bucket came running, happily wagging its tail. Chen Xiaowu immediately lifted it, tossing it into the air twice. Wooden Bucket wasn’t afraid at all, still happily wagging its tail. Liu Dazhi called out “Wooden Bucket” and threw the bone on the ground. Wooden Bucket wagged its tail, circling the bone, unsure where to start. Suddenly, another stray dog appeared, running over to steal the bone. Liu Dazhi quickly kicked it away. The stray dog circled around, refusing to leave. Liu Dazhi picked up a broom, pretending to hit it. When Liu Dazhi wasn’t paying attention, the stray dog bit his hand.

“Ah!” Liu Dazhi screamed.

Chen Xiaowu quickly ran over. Liu Dazhi’s finger had a clear bite mark, bleeding.

“Quickly, quickly, wash it with water and disinfect it.” Chen Xiaowu immediately looked for a faucet.

“Chen Xiaowu, quickly borrow a bike and take me to the animal control center. It’s over, it’s over, I’m going to get rabies, I’m going to die!” Remembering Hao Huigui’s words, he was sweating profusely.

Chen Xiaowu quickly ran out to borrow a bike. It was afternoon class time; students were arriving on their bikes. Chen Xiaowu saw Chen Tong cycling towards them. He wanted to ask Chen Tong, but felt it was awkward, and Chen Tong might not even help, so he decided to ask someone else.

“Chen Xiaowu, what are you doing?”

This was the first time Chen Tong and Chen Xiaowu spoke. Chen Xiaowu hadn’t expected Chen Tong to know his name and even speak to him. He’d always thought people like Chen Tong lived in another world, never wasting time on things or people they weren’t interested in.

Chen Xiaowu stammered, “That, that, Liu Dazhi was bitten by a dog, I need to borrow a bike to take him to the animal control center…” Chen Xiaowu felt it was useless; he was expecting to be rejected.

“Oh, should I help you two get excused?” Chen Tong got off his mountain bike and pushed it towards Chen Xiaowu. Chen Xiaowu looked at Chen Tong’s mountain bike; it had no back seat, only a front bar for a passenger, and he couldn’t ride it anyway.

“Liu Dazhi needs to sit in front, can you ride?”

Chen Xiaowu shook his head.

“Then I’ll take him to the animal control center; you get us excused.”

“Ah?” Although a little confused, Chen Xiaowu immediately ran back to call Liu Dazhi, “Quickly, quickly, I found a really good driver for you, you’ll be satisfied.”

Liu Dazhi arrived at the school gate and saw Chen Tong with one foot on the ground, the other on the pedal, waiting for him. Liu Dazhi glanced at Chen Xiaowu, who nodded. Liu Dazhi was embarrassed, but his life was more important than embarrassment; he went over.

“Where do I sit?” Liu Dazhi pointed at the mountain bike.

“He wants you to sit in front.” Chen Xiaowu wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

“Can’t you borrow a normal bike?” Liu Dazhi turned his head and whispered to Chen Xiaowu.

“I’m afraid we’ll be late; what if the dog had rabies, and it gets into your bl00d?”

Mentioning “rabies,” Liu Dazhi didn’t dare say anything more. He stood stiffly in front of Chen Tong’s mountain bike, unsure what to do next. Chen Tong expressionlessly said to the front bar, “Sit here.” Liu Dazhi awkwardly moved closer to Chen Tong, his butt inching onto the front bar. Ugh, it felt like Chen Tong was hugging him…

Chen Tong cycled very fast.

Everyone looked over; which girl could sit on Chen Tong’s front bar? Their expressions were a mix of curiosity, jealousy, and envy. When they saw it was Liu Dazhi, they burst into laughter. Someone shouted to Liu Dazhi, “Dazhi, going on a date with the school’s heartthrob today?”

Liu Dazhi wished he could explode. Chen Tong, however, remained unaffected, weaving through traffic, taking the fastest route to the animal control center. He told Liu Dazhi to wait in the lobby, then went to register, queue, pay, get the medicine, and came back to call Liu Dazhi for the shot. Throughout the process, Chen Tong’s face remained expressionless; he didn’t ask if Liu Dazhi had money; he handled everything himself. Liu Dazhi felt both touched and conflicted; he felt so unlucky, always encountering such things.

At first, he disliked Hao Huigui, but later, when Hao Huigui took him to the hospital, bustling about, he changed his mind. He also disliked Chen Tong, but today, Chen Tong rode his bike, taking him to get the rabies vaccine, bustling about to help him.

Liu Dazhi didn’t know how to act around Chen Tong. Amidst this inner turmoil, Liu Dazhi received his first rabies shot. The doctor said there was no problem, that he’d come in time, and everything would be fine. Only then did Liu Dazhi’s anxiety subside. Thanks to Chen Tong, everything had happened so promptly.

“Thank you today. How did you know?” Liu Dazhi mustered his courage.

“I’ve been bitten by a dog before,” Chen Tong said coolly, walking ahead.

“That…” Liu Dazhi dared not walk too fast, afraid of a relapse.

Hearing this, Chen Tong slowed his pace slightly.

“Thanks for what you said to Teacher Zhao last time!” Liu Dazhi felt a little embarrassed.

“Getting second place on the next exam is your real skill.”

“You…” Liu Dazhi was speechless.

Reaching the animal control center, Chen Tong stopped. On the ground lay a broken lock; his bike had been stolen. This Teacher Hao was truly uncanny; how did he know about everything? But seeing Chen Tong’s bike stolen because of him, Liu Dazhi felt embarrassed.

“It must have been expensive… If it weren’t for me… your bike wouldn’t have been stolen.”

“Teacher Hao said to keep an eye on it, otherwise it would be stolen, so it’s your fault, not mine.” Chen Tong seemed unwilling to connect this incident to Liu Dazhi.

“Then… when I have money later, I’ll pay you back.”

“I can’t wait that long.”

“You…” In the past, Liu Dazhi would have found Chen Tong infuriating, but now, he felt that beneath Chen Tong’s cold exterior lay a kind and passionate heart. He quickly caught up, “Honestly, did you really dislike me before?”

“Still do,” Chen Tong gave Liu Dazhi no leeway.

“What about me is so dislikeable?” Liu Dazhi leaned closer to Chen Tong.

“What about you is likeable?”

“Then… why did you skip class this afternoon to take me here?”

“It was all politics class this afternoon; the same old stuff, incredibly boring.”

Liu Dazhi had intended to use Chen Tong’s help to his advantage, but found every word a sharp arrow, piercing through his defenses.

Despite the dog bite, Liu Dazhi excitedly ran to find Hao Huigui.

“Teacher Hao, you’re amazing! You predicted everything! Look, I got bitten, and Chen Tong’s bike was stolen!”

Liu Dazhi looked up at Hao Huigui with admiration. Hao Huigui’s mood, however, plummeted. Amazing? What was so amazing? What was supposed to happen, happened. Hao Huigui suddenly felt fear. If he couldn’t change the outcome, predicting the future was meaningless, rendering all his efforts futile. What was the point of his return? What could he even do?