Chapter 140

Chapter 140: The Beginning of a New Term

“Wu wu…”

After the final ensemble performance at the summer camp gala, the dazzling Xia Yuan held her dress and was carried down by Mei Fang from the stage. Lin You Xi and Mei Fang both came up to congratulate her.

“Your performance today was amazing!”

However, Xia Yuan’s reaction seemed somewhat dejected:

“Don’t comfort me. Singing solo with a guitar on stage was really foolish!”

“It’s not like you overestimated yourself. Look how enthusiastic the applause was below the stage.”

“And also… When you sat cross-legged and played ‘Lan Shan Yi’ at the end, it was the perfect touch. I saw everyone listening very attentively, completely immersed in your emotions.”

“Hehe… That’s because Fang’s lyrics were so good that I couldn’t help but get absorbed.”

Xia Yuan then pulled Lin You Xi’s hand, “If You Xi sang this song, she would definitely have more emotion and be more suitable.”

Lin You Xi smiled and shook her head, “I think you did great. You can fully represent me. I wouldn’t be able to sing as well as you.”

“No way… We must perform together sometime. Do you remember? In elementary school, we practiced together, and we said we would perform together.”

“Of course I remember. It was then that we started using nicknames for each other.”

“So, the regret from our elementary school days, now at this high school—”

“Sure,” Lin You Xi didn’t refuse Xia Yuan’s invitation, “As long as you invite me, I will definitely go with you.”

Mei Fang watched contentedly as the two girls got close, then invited Xia Yuan to take pictures around Jiangcheng Shi Yi Fu with her current outfit.

With Xia Yuan’s consent, Mei Fang and Lin You Xi uploaded a six-minute video of the gala to C Station under their ordinary member account, “Reversing Heaven Xiao Fang Fang.”

Although Lin You Xi had done her best with the filming, she wasn’t a professional, so the video quality was average, and Xia Yuan appeared a bit blurry.

Fortunately, Xia Yuan’s performance and singing were captured perfectly, and there was little background noise during the performance. Soon after uploading, the video started receiving comments and being shared repeatedly.

[You’re too cool, Yuan Yuan!]

[I love you, Yuan!]

Mei Fang glanced at the user ID, [Penglai no Snow], with a non-mainstream girl’s profile picture, undoubtedly Peng Xue, Xia Yuan’s junior high friend.

When did this Peng Xue discover my ID…

After the summer camp gala, the school announced the class assignments on its website.

To reduce academic pressure in high school and better manage extracurricular activities, Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and Lin You Xi all applied for parallel classes before the class assignment exam.

After the class assignments were announced yesterday, Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and Lin You Xi were placed in Class 3, Class 5, and Class 11 respectively.

Lin You Xi used her qualifications as one of the top ten graduates and the top ten special county students to apply for a transfer to Xia Yuan’s Class 5. Although they might only spend one year in the same class, it fulfilled their dream of having been in the same class together.

On September 1st, the official start of the new term at Jiangcheng Shi Yi Fu.

Early that morning, Mei Fang was awakened by the sound of car horns outside his neighborhood. Standing by the window, he saw the streets crowded with cars in front of the school entrance.

The summer camp mainly organized by Jiangcheng Shi Yi Fu for special county students meant they actually met twice as many classmates compared to the summer camp period.

After September 1st, another 55% of local students in Jiangcheng, as well as some special county students who couldn’t attend the summer camp for other reasons, would officially enroll.

Though Jiangcheng couldn’t compare to megacities like the capital or Shanghai, it was still a provincial capital. The local students’ families were noticeably wealthier.

The three of them, along with Liang Meijuan, went to register at the school. The difference in the vehicles passing by made the disparity clear.

Xia Yuan’s Benz Audi was a rare sight in Bai Mei County; it was easy to tell who owned it.

But in front of the parents here, these were just common models.

Several freshmen ahead of them were excited to see luxury cars they had never seen before.

“Is that a Rolls-Royce? I saw the little golden statue.”

“What little golden statue? The golden statue refers to the Oscar, while the Rolls-Royce has a flying lady statue…”

Though Liang Meijuan was the only adult among them, this was her first time bringing them to school alone.

After a month of schooling, she naturally wasn’t as familiar with the campus as Mei Fang. They often got separated in the crowded crowd.

“Auntie, this way.”

Seeing Liang Meijuan’s embarrassment, Lin You Xi stepped forward, took her hand, and walked together. Xia Yuan followed suit, holding her arm.

“Auntie Liang, let’s go to the new student registration desk first. After paying the tuition and school uniform fees, we can directly go to our classes.”

“Mm-hmm… Do you have enough money with you? If not, Auntie still has some…”

“It’s enough, it’s enough!”

Liang Meijuan felt more at ease with her arms being held, and began to instruct the children about various matters.

“This is a very good high school. You must study hard and not waste this opportunity.”

“In school, help each other. You three are from Bai Mei County, and you are the pride of the people back home.”

“In class, don’t feel inferior to others. Don’t hide if you feel wronged; talk to someone…”

“If you don’t want to talk to Auntie, you can share more with each other. After all, you’ve known each other for ten years, right?”

“Mm-hmm! But our classmates are all very nice, we won’t be bullied…”

Though Liang Meijuan’s words were mundane and cliché, no one found them boring.

Liang Auntie had a tragic past of enduring hardship only to be abandoned. In the hearts of the already mature children, her words were not just for them but also for herself.

After completing the enrollment procedures, they prepared to go to their classrooms. This was when Mei Fang had to temporarily part ways with the girls.

“Auntie Liang, go with You Xi and Yuan Yuan. I’m fine by myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s okay, Auntie Liang. Fang has always been responsible since childhood. You don’t need to worry about him.”

Xia Yuan held Liang Auntie’s arm, “Let me show you around the teaching building later? The view is beautiful, and we couldn’t enter last time, which is a shame.”

“Oh… I’ll just take a quick look…”

Mei Fang was in Class 3, while the girls were in Class 5. Though they were only one class apart, it meant they were on different floors, making it inconvenient to meet during breaks.

Though it was less convenient than before, they would have more time together, especially during the long period between the end of afternoon classes and the start of evening self-study.

Then came the time to go home.

But now, with such late dismissals, they mostly just ate something and went straight to bed. It seemed there wasn’t much time left for work, so they could only wait until the weekend…

But on weekends, I still need to practice guitar, do homework, and spend time with Yuan and You Xi.

Damn it, why hasn’t a system come to help me manage my time since reincarnation!

Just as Mei Fang was worried about future plans, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder from behind.

“Mei — Fang!”

The heavy force pressed on Mei Fang’s shoulder, making him feel like his shoulder blade was about to shatter.

The last time he experienced such a powerful pat was in fourth grade, courtesy of Xia Yuan’s grandmother.

And now, at this moment, this powerful pat came from Xiang Bingbing, his deskmate from the summer camp.

“How are we so fated, to be in the same class again!”

“Be gentle, gentle…”

“Ah, sorry, sorry… I was too excited, didn’t mean to hurt you. Let me massage it for you…”

“No, no!”

You might break my bone, Sister Bingbing!

Xiang Bingbing scratched her head and laughed awkwardly. Mei Fang looked at her, “Your cast has been removed, are you fully recovered?”

“Yeah, almost!”

Xiang Bingbing swung her left arm to show her recovery, “But as the saying goes, ‘it takes a hundred days to heal a bone’. My left arm still can’t exert too much force, but it’s much better without the cast. You don’t know how suffocating and painful it was sleeping in the dormitory…”

Mei Fang chatted with Xiang Bingbing for a while, and the students registering gradually arrived and found their seats.

Unlike the initial scene of the summer camp class, the students in the classroom formed a circle upon entering, indicating that the local students were chatting enthusiastically.

The special county students, however, were in small groups, suggesting their enthusiasm was reserved for the initial self-introductions at the summer camp. After a month of rapid training, few were as chatty as Mei Fang and Xiang Bingbing when arriving at the new class.

“I think the local students seem to know each other before coming to class.”

“Jiangcheng Shi Yi Fu has a middle school section, so many should have graduated from there, making it normal for them to know each other.”

“So that’s it…”

Xiang Bingbing was a bit worried, “I hope the local students won’t bully us.”

It’s possible they might bully others, but bullying you seems unbelievable…

But, those who can pass the entrance exams of Jiangcheng Shi Yi Fu are the cream of the crop, even if they are local students.

While bad people can be found anywhere, the likelihood of encountering them here is relatively low.

At most, they might encounter some oddballs—

Finally, someone sat in the empty seat next to Mei Fang. A thin-framed glasses-wearing boy carrying a large, full bag sat down.

His attire was strikingly unique, from his shoes to his T-shirt, all featuring various cartoon characters, including a 1200-year-old cat that shouldn’t be easily called “Mom” without consequences.

Goodness, it’s a 2022 near-extinct Chong Ren!

Mei Fang was surprised, as if he had discovered an extinct endangered animal from the previous life.

He sat down and extended his hand to greet Mei Fang.

“I am Wan Chaoxiong.”

What a powerful name…

“Mei Fang, where are you from?”

Mei Fang shook hands with him and learned he was a local student. Mei Fang wanted to chat more, but Wan Chaoxiong interrupted.

“Wait, I’ll show you a big treasure.”

“Big treasure…”

Mei Fang watched as he pulled out a chubby orange cat from his backpack.

Bringing a cat to class?

“Such a face, is this cat a Garfield?”

“Yes, it’s a British Shorthair. This is our ‘Bawang’, help me hold it.”

Wan Chaoxiong put Bawang into Mei Fang’s arms, and the cat didn’t mind, staying still.

Xiang Bingbing, sitting in the back, saw the cat and exclaimed, “Oh my God, you brought a cat to school!”

“This cat is so fat! My Ah Hua is already the fattest cat around, but this one is even fatter!”

“That’s the normal body type for a British Shorthair. Don’t say things you don’t understand. It’s just a big face, not necessarily fat…”

“Mei Fang, give me a hug, give me a hug!”

“Wait, let me take a video first.”

Wan Chaoxiong took out his kidney machine iPhone 4 and started recording Bawang, adding some commentary.

“Today is Bawang’s first day at Jiangcheng Shi Yi Fu. Facing the challenges of a new environment, it looks quite calm…”

Though Wan Chaoxiong and Mei Fang spoke casually with Xiang Bingbing, they used a very cute voice when recording videos, causing Xiang Bingbing to cover her mouth and try not to laugh.

After the recording finished, Xiang Bingbing asked curiously, “What are you doing? Are you a blogger?”

“Now I’m a UP Master, UP Master! Blogging is old-fashioned. Do you just have internet access in your hometown?”

“Hehe… Actually, we just got internet last year. After all, we’re in Shennongjia, where the internet speed is slow.”

“Wow, you’re from Shennongjia? That’s impressive.”

Wan Chaoxiong immediately became interested in Xiang Bingbing, “Next episode, I’ll interview you about the mystery of the wild men of Shennongjia.”

“Come on, there are no wild men there!”

Xiang Bingbing pushed Wan Chaoxiong’s shoulder with a force that seemed like a tidal wave, making him feel his shoulder blade was shattered. He nearly collapsed with a dramatic performance.

“I… I understand… You’re the legendary… Shennongjia… Wild man…”

Mei Fang gently stroked the dazed Bawang, watching Wan Chaoxiong’s dramatic performance end with a blank expression.

“So, which platform are you posting these videos on? I don’t understand.”

“Now? Now it’s C Station. Do you know the value of C Station?”

“C Station? I’ve only heard of A Station… Doulouge and such.”

“You’re talking about N Station! A Station is ancient history. C Station is the king of bullet-screen video websites now!”

“Oh oh, it sounds impressive!”

Xiang Bingbing was very interested, “Why is it so impressive?”

“All aspects! Strict membership rules, pure bullet-screen environment, complete anime list, and absolutely no ads!”

“No 60-second ads at the beginning! That’s really impressive. But how do they make money?”

“Of course, through the love-powered station manager!”

Wan Chaoxiong started preaching, “The C Station station manager, Shan You Xi, is said to be a very wealthy rich girl. C Station’s success is all thanks to her hard work. Xi is the light of C Station!”

“Hold on…”

Listening to this for a while, Mei Fang couldn’t help but complain, “What rich girl? When did this rumor start?”

“I don’t know, but everyone says so! Hey, isn’t this typical of the anime world! Oh, do you also like C Station?”

“For me—” Mei Fang smiled slightly, “I just play around a bit.”

“Do you have a formal membership? How many followers do you have? Let’s follow each other.”

“I don’t have many, just six or seven.”

“It’s fine, that’s still impressive. What kind of videos do you create?”

“Mainly some guitar performances, me and my childhood friend.”

Mei Fang was asked questions by Wan Chaoxiong for a while, during which he passed Bawang to Xiang Bingbing, who was clinging to his back.

They stopped talking when the new homeroom teacher entered. Wan Chaoxiong quickly told Xiang Bingbing to put Bawang on the ground.

Despite looking fat, Bawang was surprisingly agile, slipping out of the classroom unnoticed.

“Aren’t you worried the cat might get lost?” Xiang Bingbing asked curiously.

“Bawang has its own great journey.”

Wan Chaoxiong went back into his theatrical mode, watching Bawang leave silently.

“When it gets tired of this campus and its clingy female cats, it will return to me.”

Mei Fang cruelly added, “Doesn’t Bawang need to be neutered? How—”

“Uh, yes…”

Wan Chaoxiong pushed his glasses nervously, “But it’s Bawang. Its aura alone is enough.”

Today, I’m a bit worse off than yesterday, so the update is a bit late. Sorry.

Also, this chapter is a transitional one, and I didn’t write much interaction with the girls. I’ve been thinking about whether to introduce a true Deus ex Machina to advance the plot. Adding one might make the girls too good and cause readers to doubt the balance of the dual female leads. But not adding one means I can’t resolve the earlier foreshadowing. It’s tough to handle.