6

In September, Xicheng was still unbearably hot. The heat waves blew along with the wind, and even though it was only 9 a.m., the sun had already covered the entire sports field.

Today was the opening ceremony at No. 10 Middle School, as well as the high school freshman pledge ceremony. The school required all students to wear their uniforms for the ceremony, making the large sports field look like an ocean of blue and white from a distance.

Before the ceremony began, Director Li Kun and members of the student council were checking attendance and dress standards for each class.

Class 28 of the second year was located directly below the stands. Lin Tiao stood in the girls' lineup, wearing an ill-fitting uniform, which drew some attention.

She didn't mind much, pulling her earphones out from her uniform sleeve to block out the noisy crowd and immerse herself in her own world.

As the song in her headphones played, "…Once upon a time / Someone loved you for a long time / But gradually / The wind blew the distance away…" Lin Tiao looked up and saw Jiang Yan standing at the front of the line.

Under the bright and intense summer sun, he stood there, as if glowing.

Lin Tiao suddenly remembered what happened earlier in the classroom that morning—

He had reached into his desk and pulled out his uniform jacket, handing it to her with his usual tone, "Wear mine first. There will be a check this morning."

Lin Tiao didn't dare take it at the time, unsure of what he might be up to.

Seeing her wary expression, Jiang Yan chuckled and said, "What, afraid I poisoned the uniform or something?"

Lin Tiao curled her lips and asked, "You gave me yours, so what will you wear?"

"You don't need to worry about me," Jiang Yan said, and without further ado, threw the uniform at her.

Lin Tiao instinctively reached out and took the oversized uniform, which fell over her head, filling her senses with the distinctive smell of new clothes.

She draped the uniform over her arm and, for the first time, sincerely said, "Thank you."

Jiang Yan shrugged nonchalantly, picked up his phone from the desk, and walked out of the classroom. He was tall and thin, walking with a straight back like a bamboo stick.

As Lin Tiao thought about this, she realized that the image of Jiang Yan from earlier in the classroom blended with the one standing at the front of the line now.

At that moment, Jiang Yan, wearing a borrowed uniform, stood in front of Class 18, holding the class sign with one hand. He occasionally turned to chat with the boys beside him. His profile was clear and graceful, and his inadvertent smiles had captured the hearts of many female classmates.

Lin Tiao lowered her eyes and turned up the volume, the song in her headphones becoming even clearer.

"...On this windy day

I tried holding your hand

But the rain grew so heavy that I couldn't see you

How much longer until I can be by your side..."

-

The long opening ceremony ended with the high school seniors' cheers. Mr. Yu had instructed them to return directly to the classroom after the ceremony, as he had something to announce.

After sending a message to Meng Xin about not having lunch together, Lin Tiao headed back to the classroom.

When she arrived in the classroom, Lin Tiao saw that the names of all the students were written on the blackboard at the front of the room, arranged in pairs of two per row and eight per column.

There were two extra names placed at the left and right of the teacher's desk, which could be considered the class's VIP seats.

At the top of the list were the six large characters: "Class 18 Seating Chart."

Lin Tiao glanced at the list and quickly found her name in the second-to-last row of the first group, also noticing the name of her desk partner.

Jiang Yan!?

Jiang Yan!?

Lin Tiao was stunned, a question mark hanging over her head. The sip of water she had just swallowed got stuck in her throat, leaving her feeling completely dazed.

Mr. Yu really was someone who always kept you guessing.

Soon, the other students returned from the sports field and were equally surprised by the seating chart on the blackboard.

"Damn, why did Mr. Yu put me and Liu Tianrun together? Doesn't he know we fought back in the first year?" one of the boys complained upon seeing his name paired with someone he had a conflict with.

Another boy, seeing his name at the VIP seat, cursed in frustration, "Damn, does Mr. Yu have something against me? I need to have a serious talk with him."

Of course, some students were thrilled with the new seating arrangement.

Xu Yichuan, who had just returned with a drink from the snack shop, saw that his new desk partner was the former class flower from Class 7 in the first year. He couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Hahaha, Mr. Yu really knows me well."

"I love him."

"My springtime has arrived."

Nearby, Hu Hanghang and Song Yuan, who saw they were paired together again, exchanged eye rolls. "Damn, I must have been incredibly unlucky. We were desk mates in the first year and now again in the second."

Song Yuan also showed his displeasure, "Do you think I want to be your desk mate, Hu Fatty?"

"Damn, Princess Song." The three of them had grown up together and had a nickname for Song Yuan, "Princess Song," because when they were young, Song Yuan was often dressed up like a girl by his mother.

"Hu Fatty!"

The two of them started bickering like kindergarteners.

Xu Yichuan glanced at the blackboard again and suddenly made a discovery. He patted their shoulders, "Hey, hey, hey, stop arguing. Look who's sitting next to Brother Yan."

The two looked at the board and, upon seeing the name, said in unison, "Impressive, Mr. Yu."

Xu Yichuan laughed uncontrollably, "I've got a whole new outlook on high school life starting today, hahahaha."

As they were talking, Jiang Yan returned from outside, his uniform jacket replaced by a short-sleeve shirt. "What are you laughing about?"

Xu Yichuan leaned in, "Bro, do you believe in fate?"

Jiang Yan pulled out a chair and sat down. "I believe in your mom."

"My mom believes in fate too." Xu Yichuan moved aside and, along with the other two, pointed at the blackboard, mimicking the sound of a drumroll, "Look! Freshly baked Mr. Yu's seating chart!"

Jiang Yan glanced up lazily, squinting his narrow eyes. Spotting his own name and seeing his desk partner, he let out a light chuckle, "Mr. Yu really is something."

-

It wasn't until the afternoon physics class that Mr. Yu brought up the new seating arrangement. "When class is over, everyone should switch seats according to the seating chart I put up on the blackboard at lunchtime."

With a smile on his face, Mr. Yu looked very amiable. "This seating chart was custom-made overnight based on each of your characteristics. The partners I've assigned are carefully selected and absolutely suitable."

Everyone: "..."

Lin Tiao: "Suitable my foot."

As the end of the period approached, Mr. Yu stopped teaching. "Alright, everyone, let's get moving. Try to get your seats sorted before the break so it doesn't disrupt your rest."

Lin Tiao's desk mate, Du Wenbo, didn't move his seat. As Lin Tiao prepared to leave after just one day with him, he finally looked up briefly before quickly lowering his head again.

"..."

Well, well, the seats change, but the desk mates stay the same—it's all just fake.

However, when Lin Tiao turned around to see her new desk mate, Jiang Yan, she felt a twinge of wanting to drop out.

Jiang Yan, who had been sitting at the back of the first group, only shifted one seat forward. Seeing Lin Tiao approach, he politely asked, "Which side would you like to sit on?"

Lin Tiao, wanting to avoid causing trouble, placed her bag on the desk near the aisle. "This side is fine."

Jiang Yan nodded and took the inner seat with his long legs. Lin Tiao followed and sat down.

Since there weren't many books at the start of the school year, other students quickly adjusted their seats.

Mr. Yu, standing at the podium, observed everyone settling into their new seats and said, "From this moment on, you are officially classmates and desk mates, protected by my rules and regulations."

At these words, Lin Tiao and Jiang Yan exchanged a glance, lasting about two or three seconds, before each looked away.

Hu Hanghang, sitting behind them, remarked, "Doesn't Mr. Yu's announcement sound like something from the Civil Affairs Bureau?"

He imitated the tone, "From this moment on, you are officially husband and wife, and from now on, whether in poverty or wealth, you shall not part."

Lin Tiao: "..."

Minutes after the seat change, the bell rang for a ten-minute break. The classroom buzzed with activity, except for the area in the back of the first group, which was as quiet as a graveyard, with occasional chilly drafts sweeping through.

Lin Tiao and Jiang Yan remained seated, awkwardly, as their casts occasionally bumped against each other.

With a soft "thud" on the left and another on the right, it was a bit unsettling.

Hu Hanghang and Song Yuan crowded around Xu Yichuan's seat.

Hu Hanghang patted his fleshy chest and remarked, "That area feels like a frigid winter, even though it's summer."

He then added, "Rather than sitting behind them, I might as well switch to Huang Jiji's SVIP spot."

Their conversation continued animatedly.

Meanwhile, Lin Tiao and Jiang Yan maintained a silent and reserved approach.

Lin Tiao was seated at her desk, pulling out textbooks for the next class and pretending to review them, while Jiang Yan was absorbed in his phone.

After a while, sensing the awkwardness, Jiang Yan put his phone down, glanced at Lin Tiao's cast, and decided to break the silence. "How did you hurt your arm?"

Caught off guard by the question, Lin Tiao instinctively replied, "I fell off a bike." She then added, "An electric bike."

Jiang Yan leaned back against his desk, his long fingers drumming on the surface, waiting for her to inquire about him.

A minute passed without any question from Lin Tiao.

Jiang Yan stopped drumming his fingers, propped his arm on his head, and tilted it to look at her. "Aren't you going to ask about my arm?"

Lin Tiao turned to him and asked, "Ask what?"

Jiang Yan clicked his tongue and blinked a few times as if to jog her memory. "About my arm."

"Oh," Lin Tiao said, looking away. "I don't want to ask."

"....."

Jiang Yan was left speechless.