He quickly sent the students back to class.
“Everyone go back to class. I’ll think about the seating arrangements.”
When the students were gone, only Zhōu Línxiāo remained, still waiting—he didn’t have a seat yet in 97 Class, so he waited for Chen Jinghua to assign one.
Ye Minjia was the Class Monitor, and since he refused to change seats, Chen Jinghua couldn’t force him.
As for Bo Jiangxin and Xiang Di, he’d have to think about who to pair them with.
There were plenty of students who’d want to be their desk-mates anyway.
As for this new kid…
Chen Jinghua actually didn’t want to give Zhōu Línxiāo a desk-mate.
First, he wouldn’t be taking the National College Entrance Examination in three months—he was only auditing, experiencing the lifestyle, and his academic pressure was on a different level.
Chen Jinghua was worried Zhōu Línxiāo might distract the other students.
Second, he was still worried about the influence on other students.
The principal had only told him that this was the grandson of his own mentor.
He’d attended elementary school abroad, went straight from international middle to high school, had gotten an offer from an overseas university last year, traveled for a few months, got bored, and came back to experience the rigorous exam-oriented life of a Chinese high school senior.
The mentor had asked the principal to help arrange it.
The principal decided to put him in Chen Jinghua’s advanced class and hadn’t even warned him beforehand that the mentor’s grandson was mixed-race—and such a strikingly attractive one, too.
Back when school first started, a crowd of girls would flock to see Bo Jiangxin every break.
As a teacher, he could understand students picking “school beauty” and “school hunk” to spice up the dull school life, but in the end, it was still a school, not a beauty contest.
With 97 Class already having the very eye-catching Bo Jiangxin, now with Zhōu Línxiāo too, Chen Jinghua was truly worried he’d lose control.
Chen Jinghua sighed inwardly.
Zhōu Línxiāo asked with concern, “Teacher, is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” Chen Jinghua shook his head and asked, “About your seat—do you want to sit alone, or do you want a desk-mate?”
Ideally, he’d have him sit alone, on the other side of the podium next to Wang Sicheng, the class’s other “guardian.”
But Zhōu Línxiāo’s answer disappointed him.
He pouted a little, his thick, doll-like lashes casting a shadow over his eyelids.
His tone was downcast, “Teacher, from elementary school to middle school, I always sat alone. Even in the dorm, I had a single room. Now that I finally made it to your school, I really want a desk-mate.”
Chen Jinghua let out a little “eh” and suddenly felt a bit guilty—he didn’t have the heart to make him sit alone anymore.
No way to let Zhōu Línxiāo sit alone, and he couldn’t bear to let Bo Jiangxin sit alone either.
“Would you like to be desk-mates with Bo Jiangxin?” Chen Jinghua asked, “The boy who was just next to you—he’s really good at English, so you two shouldn’t have any trouble communicating.”
But Zhōu Línxiāo said, “It doesn’t have to be someone good at English. My Mandarin is great, I can communicate with anyone. If you assign me someone whose English isn’t that great, I can tutor them too.”
“And I think Bo Jiangxin looks a bit aloof—like he’s not easy to get along with.” Zhōu Línxiāo tilted his head, smiled, and said, “But that Xiang Di, she looks so cute—just like my sister’s Ball-Jointed Doll. Teacher, can I sit with her?”
Chen Jinghua:
B what? J what? D?
These mixed kids talk so fancy—he had no idea what he was talking about.
But at least Xiang Di had dated Bo Jiangxin before and managed to dump him, so she must have some self-control.
After second period, Xiang Di finally got a message from her dear brother.
Xiang Sheng: [Reporting to the Imperial Concubine, your cream puffs are on their way, post-haste.]
Xiang Sheng: [Humble servant requests reimbursement for travel expenses, estimated 30 yuan, thank you, Your Ladyship.]
Xiang Di gritted her teeth. That useless brother—not only was he late, he’d just taken five thousand from Dad, and now he wanted her to cover a few dozen yuan for a ride.
She was about to reply when the Class Teacher’s voice startled her.
She quickly hid her phone in her desk.
Chen Jinghua took the podium. “Alright, while we’re between classes, let me announce something. We have a new classmate—come in and introduce yourself, Zhōu Línxiāo.”
News traveled fast among the students: a mixed-race boy had joined their year.
He’d already attracted attention in the Teacher’s Office, and now as Zhōu Línxiāo entered the classroom, he caused another stir.
Outside the classroom door, students from other classes gathered, quietly envious of everyone in 97 Class.
“Damn…”
“No way, this guy’s really this handsome?”
“He’s actually a transfer? I thought he was just here to visit.”
“Wow, the girls in our class are in for a treat.”
“I’m not happy. Why couldn’t we get a mixed-race girl?”
Zhōu Línxiāo’s looks were simply too deceiving.
After he introduced himself fluently, he turned and wrote his name on the blackboard in a neat, beautiful hand, then said, “The ‘Zhou’ is the Zhou from ‘Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang.’ The ‘Lin’ and ‘Xiao’ come from the poem, ‘In the forest, a guest plays the xiao; the bamboo turns into dragons and phoenixes ascending to the heavens.’ It’s the xiao with the bamboo radical, not the one with the grass radical. I hope everyone won’t get it confused.”
The whole class silently apologized in their hearts for thinking mixed kids couldn’t speak Chinese well.
Once the introduction was done, they basically knew him. Chen Jinghua began to arrange seats.
He tapped on Wang Sicheng’s desk by the podium and said, “Wang Sicheng, remember to thank Bo Jiangxin and Zhōu Línxiāo later.”
Wang Sicheng was confused, but he’d understand soon.
“Move your desk to the back; you don’t need to sit in the VIP Seat anymore. Go sit with Bo Jiangxin. And let me warn you: if you chatter and distract him from studying, I’ll call your parents in immediately, understood?”
No more VIP Seat at last, but Wang Sicheng wasn’t as happy as he thought he’d be.
Save me. How much courage does one need to sit with Bo Jiangxin, the iceberg that ten tons of TNT couldn’t blast open?
If he ever offended Bo Jiangxin by accident, even with his toes he knew the teacher would take Bo Jiangxin’s side—he’d be dead meat.
Wang Sicheng forced a laugh. “Teacher, maybe I should keep the VIP Seat after all?”
Chen Jinghua ignored him and turned to Zhōu Línxiāo. “Go up to the fifth floor and get a set of desk and chair. Do you know where to get them?”
Zhōu Línxiāo shook his head.
“Ye Minjia, you go with Zhōu Línxiāo to the fifth floor to get a desk and chair.”
Chen Jinghua gave clear instructions. “Just put the desk next to Xiang Di’s when you come back.”
Even Bo Jiangxin, who’d shown no change of expression when told he’d be sitting with Wang Sicheng, finally frowned and looked up at this new arrangement.
Zhōu Línxiāo: “Okay, teacher.”
Xiang Di heard her name but didn’t react for a moment.
What was the teacher saying?
Ye Minjia heard his name too, equally bewildered.
What’s up with the Class Teacher now? He just sat Bo Jiangxin and Xiang Di together, and now he’s splitting them up again?
“Ye Minjia, what are you standing there for? Go with him to get the desk and chair, class is about to start!”
No time to think; Ye Minjia hurried up, leading the new classmate to fetch the furniture.
Everything settled, Chen Jinghua told everyone to take care of the new student and left.
With the teacher gone, the students finally snapped out of their daze.
So they really got a mixed-race hunk in their class?
What luck—school hunk in their class, mixed-race hunk too—now 97 Class could strut through the whole grade.
You could already predict the School Confession Wall would blow up by the end of the day, and everyone’s WeChat would be flooded with messages from friends in other classes, all fishing for information about the new guy.
If you had to pick the happiest person in 97 Class, it would probably be Xiang Di.
Liang Qianqian thumped her hard on the back.
“Damn girl, eating this good!!!”
Xiang Di felt like her spine would snap from the hit, grimacing in pain. Soon after, a bunch of girls were calling her name, saying she was too lucky.
“Willing to sell your seat?”
Come on.
“Name your price.”
“Xiang Di, when he comes back, remember to get his WeChat and have him join our class group!”
Rubbing her sore back and grinning foolishly, Xiang Di really did feel lucky.
Although she was sure her feelings for Bo Jiangxin were completely loyal and wouldn’t change just because Zhōu Línxiāo showed up, well—
You couldn’t just eat rice every meal, right? You needed some side dishes, too.
You could skip the sides, but you definitely couldn’t go without the main course.
Bo Jiangxin was her staple, her rice, the indispensable food in her life—but she needed sides too.
If only Bo Jiangxin’s seat could be a bit closer, it’d be perfect: rice and side dishes, life would be wonderful.
Xiang Di almost wanted to break into a happy dance right there.
Suddenly, someone asked her with a sinister tone, “So happy?”
“Happy, of course.”
She answered without hesitation, turning to smile at Bo Jiangxin. “You’ve wanted to change seats for so long, and now you finally have. I know you’re happy, too.”
Not being desk-mates was fine—as long as Husband was happy, she was happy!
Bo Jiangxin couldn’t even catch his breath.
Is that so?
Yes, he really should be happy—happy to be free at last, happy that someone else could take his place.
This shameless, shallow little pervert, going weak-kneed at the sight of a handsome guy—did she even know the meaning of “loyalty” anymore?