Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1696 - 924: Heart-Piercing Pain (2)

Neatly arrayed in lines, three thousand students fixed their gazes on the petite figure atop the stage.

Wearing a pink cotton jacket, Xue Yuantong deftly fiddled with the microphone before inhaling deeply.

Afraid of large crowds, she still mustered the courage to address thousands, caught in a profoundly conflicting mindset.

Her eyes swept across the packed audience below, swiftly locating Jiang Ning amid Class 8's ranks: ’Hmph, annoying Jiang Ning, now you see my status!’

Murmurs persisted among the crowd, creating a scattered hum of voices.

Chen Siyu sighed: "She stands so high up there, such a tiny figure."

Xin Youling gazed at the small figure, eyes filled with admiration: "But her grades are really good!"

Bai Yuxia, who had been quite relaxed before, noticed the awe in Xin Youling’s eyes and felt a brief daze.

Over a year of close company had made Bai Yuxia a friend to Xue Yuantong, familiar with her everyday mischief.

Yet right then, beholding Xue Yuantong’s dominant aura over the assembly, Bai Yuxia abruptly recalled her parents’ words about Yuzhou’s education falling short amid Hui Province’s sixty million souls and sixteen cities. Innumerable prodigies awaited, battling for gaokao glory.

The mere thought filled Bai Yuxia with a sense of the daunting challenge.

No matter the number of mock exams, Xue Yuantong invariably claimed first place, like a towering mountain rather than a mere stream, surveying the humble vales from its heights.

Bai Yuxia: "She’s very smart."

Xue Yuantong kept it brief, dashing back to the classroom right after her address.

Principal Yu took the stage next with a long-winded talk, first hailing the top achievers, then spotlighting the greatest progress-makers in every year group.

"Let’s congratulate Luo Jun from Class 11 of Year 2. In his final exam, he jumped from 376th in the whole school to 76th in his grade, a huge improvement!"

Amid waves of astonished glances, fair-skinned Luo Jun mounted the stage.

Aware of the situation, Zhang Chi muttered: "He must have copied, copied!"

Liu Chuandao: "Isn’t this obvious? The school definitely knows he copied but just lets him go on stage to receive the award."

Guo Kunnan speculated: "Probably hoping he’ll have a conscience and study well in the future."

Cui Yu dug into his ear: "Guys, is anyone jealous of him?"

Zhang Chi froze for a moment, then broke into a smile.

Laughter exploded nearby; as desk mates, Luo Jun and Shen Xinli ranked among Pang Jiao’s favorites.

Gong Jin felt perplexed—curses just moments ago, now sudden chuckles?

…

The day’s timetable brought real pleasure: post-assembly, students had scarcely settled when the tough PE teacher Gu Wei vigorously herded Class 8 into two back-to-back gym periods, offering a thrilling rush.

PE done, classes ended, and pupils scattered in all directions.

Zhang Chi bolted toward the cafeteria on reflex, then remembered the small meal table system remained inactive, slinking back outside school in disappointment.

Jiang Ning, meanwhile, had already escorted her personal chef Tongtong to the River Dam Bungalow, bossing her around in the kitchen.

Time drifted lazily onward until afternoon dismissal arrived.

Thirty minutes later, Jiang Yanan and Shen Qing’e hauled food back to class, weary from the effort.

Jiang Yanan griped: "The cafeteria isn’t open, there are so many people buying food outside, I was almost crushed to tears!"

Shen Qing’e remained quiet, lost in memories of middle school when another had shouldered the load for her.

Slurping instant noodles, Cui Yu replied casually: "It should open soon, probably the homeroom teacher will notify us about paying fees tonight."

"It’s still better to eat in the cafeteria." Jiang Yanan beamed happily, hooked on the small meal table routine and genuinely missing it.

Gong Jin asked curiously: "What’s the small meal table?"

Fourth Middle School felt bizarre; it was his first encounter with a term starting sans cafeteria.

Friendly and mild-mannered, Jiang Yanan took time to describe the small meal table’s workings to him.

Gong Jin’s lips curved: "It sounds interesting."

Overhearing while dumping trash at the back, Liu Chuandao scowled: "What’s interesting about it, every time you depend on luck, if the assigned meal buddy doesn’t work out, you can’t even eat!"

Numerous boys nodded emphatically, inwardly green with envy for Jiang Ning—yet powerless, given Xue Yuantong’s stellar grades allowed her to choose partners.

No one disputed that, her academic prowess being unmatched.

"Betting on luck?" Gong Jin’s face stayed impassive.

While others must rely on sheer luck, he has no such need. When the moment arrives, he'll simply forward the list to Director Yan.

The first session of evening self-study kicks off.

Gao Heshuai strides in to enforce discipline; he's the most rigorous teacher there is. No cell phones permitted, no conversations, pure studying required.

In such moments, plenty of students kill time by spacing out, yet Yu Wen stands apart. She gets to gaze at the dashing class monitor. Sadly, Huang Zhongfei is tied up in a meeting today, leaving Yu Wen to idly fondle her golden bracelet in a stupor.

Gao Heshuai strolls past, grabs a book, and thwacks Yu Wen's head, yanking her spirit back to earth with force.

Yu Wen snaps alert.

Gao Heshuai fixes her with a fierce glare: "What are you doing? Don't you know your own grades?"

With his massive ox-like eyes and a face dark as thunder, Gao Heshuai proves utterly fearsome.

Yu Wen tosses out a gripe as cover: "I'm exhausted. I can't grasp the point of studying. Certain folks just goof off and snag the top spot anyway."

Gao Heshuai holds back a reply at first, heading instead to the front platform. He surveys the entire class from above and questions, "Do you all feel studying lacks purpose, that the path ahead is unclear and progress feels impossible?"

Though a math instructor by trade, he previously acted as class supervisor.

"Yeah, folks like Xue Yuantong slack off in studies, doze off daily, yet still claim first place," Duan Shigang remarked.

Chen Siyu shoots her hand up to voice her ire for Tongtong's sake, snapping sharply: "Who claims Xue Yuantong sleeps the whole day? She doesn't just sleep—she plays games, watches films, munches snacks too!"

"Enough, take a seat!" Gao Heshuai gestures dismissively, as such talk undermines the drive!

Chen Siyu whispers to Tongtong: "Isn't he awesome?"

Xue Yuantong, mid-game: "Totally awesome."

Gao Heshuai declares: "Studying might drag on tediously, but tell me, is romance more thrilling?"

He adjusts his collar for a polished look: "Today, I'm here to guide you all..."

Pang Jiao murmurs gently: "But Teacher Gao, you ended things yourself—what wisdom can you impart?"

A sharp twinge hits Gao Heshuai's chest. Who spilled that secret?

Laughter explodes across the classroom.

Gao Heshuai, resembling the Black-faced Demon God, regains his authority by force: "The more questions you tackle today, the higher caliber of partner awaits you down the line!"

"Why claim this? The college entrance exam stands as the most equitable test on earth, unmatched. For over 90% of you here, it shapes your life's path! It forges your destiny, brings superior companions into your world!"

"Lacking innate gifts? Then grind through it again! Again!"

Gao Heshuai balls his fist and thrusts it skyward, aiming to ignite the pupils' battle fervor!

Silence blankets the room; Gao Heshuai senses the vibe's amiss.

Once his pep talk wraps, Cui Yu probes cautiously: "Teacher Gao, how exactly did the breakup go down? Rumor has it she ditched you?"

...

Gao Heshuai departs swiftly, vanishing without a word.

Chen Siyu: "He resembles a solitary dark bear."

Bai Yuxia stays quiet—how could they all lay bare the teacher's weaknesses so gleefully?

She figures at minimum, they ought to feign sorrow, letting Gao Heshuai pour out his heartbreak in tears, rather than bolt away abruptly.

Yu Wen savors bites from the hip Three Squirrels snacks, apparently mulling Gao Heshuai's lecture with indifference: "Better people this, better people that—I've already crossed paths with them."

She swivels to spot Jiang Ning at the rear, eyes shut, serenely perched in his chair.

Yu Wen wonders aloud: "Jiang Ning's spacing out too—why skip scolding him, Teacher Gao?"

Xue Yuantong catches the query and counters: "He's not spacing out."

Yu Wen puzzles: "How's his spacing out any different from mine?"

Xue Yuantong states gravely: "Yours is spacing out; his is true meditation, slipping into flow state."

Yu Wen scoffs: "Baloney."

"Medical expert" Bai Yuxia chimes in: "Truth is, meditation truly boosts bodily health."