Mark Me

Chapter 3 - Oh

The students have gone back to their classrooms.

On the first day of school, from morning to afternoon, Lin Fei had a full schedule of mathematics group teacher meetings, senior 2 department teacher plenary meetings and class teacher plenary meetings.

Just after the opening ceremony, Lin Fei received a record of disciplinary list.

"Class 2, Jiang Huai, no school uniform, deducted two points."

So in his busy schedule, Lin Fei took a few minutes before he came back and said at the front door of the classroom: "Jiang Huai, come out."

Jiang Huai leaned against the edge of the back table and raised his head.

Lin Fei pointed at him, "It's you. Come out."

Jiang Huai pressed the back of his neck, which was a little sore from sleeping on his desk for too long, and lazily went out of the door.

Lin Fei threw the disciplinary list at Jiang Huai: "Do you know what this is?"

Jiang Huai caught the disciplinary list with one hand and raised his eyelids. There's no expression on his face.

Lin Fei always heard this person's title as a prickly student for a year and he's a little wary... Jiang Huai won't cause trouble, right?

If Jiang Huai stirred up trouble...

Jiang Huai glanced at the disciplinary list and nodded: "I know. Teacher, I was wrong."

Just a moment ago, Lin Fei was frowning: "?"

"I should've worn the school uniform." Jiang Huai said, "It's a disgrace to the class."

Jiang Huai did not even leave a pause in his speech: "I promise that in the future, I will not make such a serious violation of the discipline, dragging down the progress of the class and affecting the flow of school civilization. From now on, I will change and wear a school uniform every day."

Lin Fei: "..."

This was how people write a self reflection paper for so many times and the format had already been memorized.

Jiang Huai bowed deeply: "Please forgive me, teacher."

Lin Fei: "..."

Lin Fei's expression was a little complicated. He didn't know what to say for a while.

He raised his hand and patted Jiang Huai on the shoulder: "... It's good for you to have this mental awareness. In the next two years of high school, everyone should get along with each other and have a sense of class honor."

Bo Jian had just finished the matter at the school opening ceremony before returning to the class.

Chen Fengze was with him. He and Chen Fengze were classmates in their first year, and after the class is divided he is in class 2 and Chen Fengze is in class 3.

Chen Fengze said as he walked: "... Many teachers are at the meeting today. In the afternoon, our class has self-study in Chinese class. What about your class... Hey, I remember that your section has math class in the afternoon, so it must also have self-study... Fuck, the Discipline Inspection Commission has to check the disciplinary again. Let's have a meeting with the student council this afternoon..."

Bo Jian had a casual expression and responded in a tone.

They turned and passed the corner of the corridor.

Bo Jian suddenly raised his eyes.　

There's a teenager with a braid hanging behind his back, wearing a black sweater and his hands inserted in his pockets. He spoke: "The class is my family, and the honor depends on everyone... Teacher Lin, I have a strong sense of collective honor."

"Then you promise you won't make any more mistakes in the future?" Teacher Lin asked.

The teenager said: "I promise that there will be no more points deductions for three days or less."

Bo Jian turned his eyes back and passed the teenager.

Lin Fei: "... School uniforms are checked once a week. Is there anything else in which you don't want to deduct points in class?"

Jiang Huai thought for a moment: "I don't usually fight inside the school."

Lin Fei: "..."

Lin Fei looked at his watch, there were still five minutes left for the next meeting.

He clasped his hand behind his back and looked at Jiang Huai with hatred of iron for not becoming a steel[1]: "Okay okay okay... Go back to the classroom for self-study. I have a meeting today. When you go home at noon, remember to bring your school bag."

-

Going back to the classroom, Wei Heping sent a WeChat message to Jiang Huai.

- Brother Huai, will you go to the cafeteria for lunch today or go home to eat?

Jiang Huai moved his fingers.

- I'll go back to get my school bag at noon.

- Oh oh oh, I see.

Although No. 2 Middle School has dormitories, students can choose to stay on campus or return home after school. Students who applied for dormitories and students who left after school are about 50-50. Jiang Huai has always been a student who does not reside on campus. There are more Beta students who live on campus... such as Wei Heping.

Putting down his cell phone, Jiang Huai looked lazily at his seatmate.

Zhao Tianqing is a sports student. He went for training shortly after the school year started and did not return to the classroom.

Jiang Huai turned his head... at the back table.

Bo Jian lowered his head to answer his physics exercise book. His drooping eyelashes were long and thick, his shoulders and back were wide, his fingers and knuckles were beautiful, and even the letters were refined and elegant.

Just after Bo Jian raised his eyes, Jiang Huai frowned and went to face in the front.

Bo Jian is in the last row and has no seatmate.

There are only two of them in the last two rows.

Jiang Huai held his voice in his heart. He couldn't even find a person to talk to.　

Bo Jian looked at Jiang Huai's back for a few seconds.

Jiang Huai turned his head to look at the east, and then twisted his head to look at the west, in the end he took out the pair of earplugs from his pocket and put them on. He lay down and went to sleep.

-

The class is dismissed at noon.

Jiang Huai went to the school bicycle shed and took his skateboard. He skated slowly towards the back entrance.

The school has two doors, but the back door doesn't open until around the weekend. It doesn't open when there are a lot of people. The main entrance is usually opened, which is also convenient for checking attendance. Now it's just noon after school. There are too many people at the front door. Jiang Huai is going to climb over the wall from the west of the back door.

The wall is not tall, it is less than two meters. It's been years and it hasn't been removed yet.

Usually, students who are late and skip classes go from here, but there is a risk of being caught by the student council's Discipline Inspection Commission, squatting here waiting for an opportunity to catch a student... Still, if you're talking about the danger level, the probability of being caught is not 100%.

On this side of the wall is a small forest. There are a few piles of broken bricks in the corner, and there's hardly any people.

Jiang Huai chewed bubble gum, stepped on the head of the skateboard and jumped off.

He stepped back more than ten meters to prepare for a one-way sprint... He can jump directly from the top of the wall with the help of its surface.

Only the weak use the pile of bricks in the corner to pad their feet.

The real champion can fly.

Jiang Huai just stepped back and went out a few meters away when he caught a glimpse of a man coming over the place in his peripheral vision.

He turned his head and glanced.

In line with the school's stiff and flexible regulations, who wore the complete set of school uniform, its white shirt is almost glowing in the sun, the button is fastened to the top, and even the shoelaces are tied neatly.

That person also gazed at Jiang Huai.

It just so happens that the two of them are facing each other.

Jiang Huai stopped.

The man's feet also stopped.

Jiang Huai whistled and the corner of his lips twitched: "Oh... President Bo is also coming to climb the wall?"

Bo Jian's expression was light and his face unchanged: "Passing by."

"Then your path is quite remote ah." Jiang Huai asked, "You're passing by to climb the wall in your way?"

Bo Jian glanced at him: "I don't climb the wall."

Jiang Huai narrowed his eyes: "Good students don't climb the wall?"

"Hmm." Bo Jian actually gave a "hmm", "Good students don't climb the wall."

Jiang Huai: "..."　

Jiang Huai stared at him and felt as if something was wrong... However, he didn't remember for the time being.

Bo Jian stopped talking nonsense: "I'll go first."

After saying that, Bo Jian turned back and walked in the direction of the other side, completely making it impossible to see what he was doing. Jiang Huai kicked the skateboard, backed out for several meters, made a sprint, and directly flipped to the top of the wall... At the top of the wall, Jiang Huai finally remembered.

Isn't Bo Jian the one who jumped off the top of the wall when he was in the middle of a fight yesterday?

-

Jiang Huai's home is not far from No. 2 Middle School.

The reason is that this place was chosen by Jiang Huai. His biological mother... Madam Jiang, went abroad to work. This community is close to No. 2 Middle School and also not far away from the district elementary school.

He has a sister in the district elementary school. She is eight years old and in 3rd grade.

There are many things this morning. Both Jiang Huai and his sister Jiang Xingxing went to school. An elementary school student has to clean up this and that. There were lots of troubles. Jiang Huai also has the habit of exercising in the morning. When there are many things, he forgets to take his school bag.

But it does not matter, Jiang Huai textbooks are placed in the school.

Jiang Huai arrived home to cook himself a pack of instant noodles.

On the side of the dining table, Jiang Huai saw several used up seized colored crayons and found an ugly crayon drawing.

There is a figure drawn, two lines are chopstick legs and an irregular oval head... There is also a hair made up of seven hairs, which Jiang Huai counted.

However, with the seven-hair matchstick-like hairstyle, Jiang Huai recognized that the painting must be Bo Jian: "... Fuck."

Jiang Huai has no other reason to be upset with Bo Jian.

It was this summer vacation that Jiang Xingxing played with his mobile phone. He didn't know which chat group his sister clicked to. She found a photo of Bo Jian... It's not a single photo, but a group photo of more than 40 students in the class. Jiang Xingxing is only eight years old. When she saw the other person, she accurately positioned the place where Bo Jian was located in the photo. It made her fall in love at first sight.

During that summer vacation, she still hadn't seen him actually, but kissed Bo Jian more than her brother.

Jiang Xingxing hasn't drawn him yet with crayons.

Jiang Huai stared at the ugly crayon drawing. He wanted to tear it up and tossed it in the trash can.

When he thought about it, he set aside the idea to throw it. He picked it up, folded it several times and put it in his trouser pocket.

Brotherly love obliterated.

Besides, Jiang Xingxing didn't want to take this ugly picture from school for others to see it.

-

In the afternoon, Jiang Huai went to school with his school bag.

The teacher had a meeting, and the math class in the afternoon was changed to self-study class.

Jiang Huai, as usual, took out his earplugs and slept on the table. Wei Heping sent him several WeChat messages.

- Help me go wild: Brother Huai, I'm going out for a meal with Xu Wenyang after school. Do you want to join?

Jiang Huai pressed a few words.

- Real Champion: I can't go.

Wei Heping quickly replied.

- Help me go wild: Oh... You have to pick up A Cai from school, don't you?

- Real Champion: Yeah.

Wei Heping sent a sweating emoji after.

- Help me go wild: Brother Huai... Your sister is a girl. Are you really not going to change her nickname?

Jiang Xingxing's nickname, A Cai, was given by Jiang Huai.

- Real Champion: A lowly name is easy to raise.

- Help me go wild: ...

Jiang Huai leaned against the back table and sent a message to Wei Heping.

There was no one at the back table. President Bo is busy. He didn't come to the classroom this afternoon. Although the person didn't come, there was a lot of food on the table... Two boxes of chocolates, several small gift boxes, small pieces of paper and small envelopes.

Jiang Huai glanced and saw a small card: "Good luck with the start of the school year!"

The gifts were given at the beginning of the term.

Particularly, at this person.

- Help me go wild: By the way, do you still want a picture of the president?

- Real Champion: ... Why do you ask?

- Help me go wild: I found a picture of you and the president on the campus network.

- Real Champion: ???

Wei Heping sent the link and Jiang Huai clicked on it. As soon as he entered, he was shocked by the bold plus size headline on the mobile version of the campus network:

"Building a double first-class[2] university, a well-matched adversary!!"

A photo taken secretly when Bo Jian came to check his school uniform after the school opening ceremony this morning.

President Bo looked calm while holding the roster and when he was positioned in the sun, he had his own preinstalled holy light. Jiang Huai on the other hand had a funeral face, the braid he had tied in the morning was curled up. His head was tilted, it seemed that he didn't bother to look at Bo Jian.

During class time, the replies were quite active, and they were all hot comments.

"Love to eat spicy sticks: Damn, the two big shots in my sophomore year are in the same frame!"

"Yu without fish: ... Why does it look like a fight is about to break out?"

"I'm the most handsome in No. 2 Middle School: An equal opponent. Will the poster go to QQ tomorrow?"

"The Lord of the Shadow Stream: Build a double first-class, awesome, just because of the two included in the poll and became first...  Those Alpha got together in a 3A scenic area."

"Sweet Fairy: There is one thing I have to say, the president did a good job."

"Everyone here is younger brothers: Is it because my Uncle Jiang has no card? You secretly shot Jiang Huai. You need a spanking, are you not afraid of death?"

"Real Champion: Delete this, thank you."

However, the reply of "Real Champion" was quickly wiped down.

Jiang Huai "tsk" in displeasure and closed the campus network.

In the afternoon, the sun inclined in the west and a warm light came into the corridor window. The back door of the classroom was not closed. The light flicked from the corridor to the classroom floor and emitted long shadows from the doors and windows.

Jiang Huai cocked his head and leaned over his desk to gaze outside the door of the classroom.

The back door was facing a window in the corridor, revealing a sky that seemed to be palm-sized with thick rose-tinted clouds.

Jiang Huai squinted his eyes and gazed outside of the window. He took his phone out, switched into the camera, and squatted down to find an angle to capture a picture.

"... heck, it's better to study in the classroom." Chen Fengze walked over with a roster in his hand, "Fuck, the teacher doesn't have class. The Discipline Inspection Commission checked the discipline of the students in self-study this afternoon. I've been going up and down three times in the school building."

Next to Chen Fengze is Bo Jian and a sturdy male student who is the head of the sports department in the student council.

Chen Fengze sighed and looked at Bo Jian: "After the midterm exam, there will be a sports meeting... Bo Jian, you're going to have a meeting on the first floor later, aren't you?"

"Hmm."

Chen Fengze closed the roster: "Okay, I'll come with you on the way... I'll drop by to visit my girlfriend, she asked me to bring her food." He playfully bumped Bo Jian's shoulder, "After all, I'm not like President Bo who have little gifts from Omegas every day."

Bo Jian glanced at Chen Fengze and smiled: "Then you go to my place to get it? Anyway, I'll throw it away."

"Shit, such a waste?"

"Then I'll give it to you?" Bo Jian asked rhetorically.

"Don't don't." Cheng Fengze hurriedly waved his hand, "There is a love letter in your gift, if I give it to my girlfriend... She'll cut me off."

Several people came down the stairs and passed by the entrance of class 2.

Bo Jian walked through the back door of the classroom. He just walked past. It seemed that something flashed in the classroom.

He turned his head and saw Jiang Huai lying on his desk while in self-study class. He was holding his mobile phone with one hand, facing them and the flash of the mobile phone camera flicked again.

The author has something to say:

Bo Jian: He secretly photographed me?

Footnotes:

1. 恨铁不成钢 (hèntiěbùchénggāng) - lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel / to feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement (idiom)

2. 双一流 (Shuāng Yīliú) - Double First-Class University Plan, Chinese government project to develop both a group of Chinese universities and a group of subject disciplines to be world-class by 2050, implemented from 2017