2333 was a dedicated and quite experienced system.
2333 had also guided several repairers. Whether they were hedonistic or diligent, exceptionally intelligent or extremely foolish, they all had one thing in common—that is, none of them had ever gotten stuck on the first level.
After all, the first level was really very simple. Most started during their school days, and just by following the plot, they could always achieve a decent outcome.
Although Wen Qianshu’s line was a bit difficult to handle, her current identity was truly advantageous—in the original book, she was both someone who hindered the relationship between the male and female leads and the female lead’s best friend. Logically speaking, as long as Wen Qianshu didn’t snitch to the teacher, didn’t spread rumors about Shen Ting inside and outside the classroom, and later created more opportunities for the male and female leads, whispering in the female lead’s pillow—ah, no, in her ear, the mission would be more or less completed.
As for the family background, 2333 felt it was a difficult point, but by no means a dead end. Although the Fang family was wealthy, they weren’t so top-tier rich that they had to marry some princess, nor were they unreasonable. As long as things were well-concealed at the beginning and the relationship between the male and female leads was deepened, once Fang Wenyuan made a name for himself, he would naturally have a say in the matter.
2333’s analysis was logical and well-founded.
2333 had calculated everything perfectly.
2333 felt this was a sure win.
But one doesn’t fear a god-like opponent, only a snake-like teammate. We agreed on a five-person premade team, but in the end, I ended up fighting one against nine.
Wen Qianshu praised, “What you said makes a lot of sense.”
2333 frantically shook her, “Then listen to it!”
Wen Qianshu smiled lazily, “Relax, I’ve got the mission under control.”
2333 couldn’t agree.
On the way to the hot pot restaurant, 2333 had been extremely excited—it thought the male and female leads were finally going to get to know each other, leaving the second female lead behind.
But as soon as they arrived at the restaurant and saw the other three people, it didn’t know if the male and female leads had gotten familiar, but the female lead had definitely gotten familiar with Luo Qing.
Luo Qing was a classic social butterfly, nicknamed “No. 1 High School’s Roster.” Across all three grade levels, with twenty classes in each, she wished she knew everyone and could exchange a few words with them. Class 6 generally believed that if Luo Qing were willing to devote some of her name-remembering memory to English, she could memorize the entire Oxford dictionary.
So by the time Wen Qianshu and Jiang Mingyue took their seats, Fang Wenyuan was sitting alone on the outside, handing them the menu. Luo Qing, who had once sworn a solemn oath—”If I can’t finish it, I’ll just say I don’t know how”—had her workbook spread out on the table, drafting in pencil and then filling in the answers with a pen. Her mouth wasn’t idle while she wrote, and she said to Shen Ting, “Really, you haven’t seen him. Next time during activity class, I’ll point him out to you.”
Jiang Mingyue lowered her head to look at the menu, while Wen Qianshu asked curiously, “See what?”
Luo Qing said, “The new transfer student in Class 12, named Tang Ying, is super handsome—handsome in an indescribable way, he’s almost like a doll.”
Wen Qianshu said, “For real? Take me with you next time, I want to see too.”
2333: “?”
What are you doing?
Jiang Mingyue asked, “Do you want shrimp paste?”
Wen Qianshu paused for a moment, realizing the question was for her. “Yes, yes.”
So Jiang Mingyue ticked it on the menu. Wen Qianshu leaned over, also looking at the menu, “Let’s order some potatoes.”
Luo Qing put down her pen and counted on her fingers for Shen Ting, “There’s also the Class 1 monitor, Lin Qinyuan. Good grades, very gentle and refined, and has a nice voice. She’s the announcer for the Monday after-class broadcast. Then there’s Wen Xue from Class 18. Wow, that girl’s literary talent is amazing, she even got a perfect score on a composition…”
Fang Wenyuan said, “How come you not only like guys, but girls too.”
Luo Qing said righteously, “I like anyone who’s good-looking and talented.”
Shen Ting couldn’t help but laugh and added, “Wen Xue’s composition was amazing. I’ve been wanting to get to know her.”
The compositions at No. 1 High School were bizarre and varied, a style that Wen Qianshu couldn’t comprehend.
The composition topic for the last monthly exam was Gu Cheng’s “Far and Near”: “You, one moment look at me, the next look at the clouds. I feel, when you look at me, you are very far; when you look at the clouds, you are very near.”
Wen Qianshu could have pulled her hair out and still not figured out how to write about that. She managed to cobble together an argumentative essay about “communication” and turned it in, barely scraping an average score of 45.
Luo Qing said, “Wow, then I’ll take you to find her next time. Didn’t your composition also get a high score and get printed and distributed? She also told me before that Shen Ting from Class 7 writes superbly.”
Shen Ting was both embarrassed and happy, her cheeks flushing red. “That’s really—that’s really great.”
Luo Qing continued, “There’s also Qiu Lei from Class 5. His composition was first in this midterm exam. Although it wasn’t a perfect score, it was also beautifully written.”
Luo Qing suddenly stopped. “Oh, my god, can I, a Chinese language failure, actually say something like ‘although it wasn’t a perfect score’?”
Shen Ting giggled, and Luo Qing added, “They have a reading club, started by the Class 5 head teacher. Do you want to go and try joining? It’s mainly about openly reading extracurricular books on Sunday afternoons and doing homework together.”
Shen Ting was a bit hesitant—no one in Class 7 participated in the student council or clubs because their head teacher didn’t allow it. Luo Qing also knew their situation. “It’s fine, it’s only on Sunday afternoons, so it won’t affect your studies. Besides, you can just join for fun and quit if you don’t like it.”
Shen Ting looked at Wen Qianshu again. Wen Qianshu smiled, “Go ahead.”
Shen Ting had always liked these kinds of things.
Shen Ting said, “Then, then—”
She wanted to ask, but felt it wasn’t appropriate. Wen Qianshu, however, understood what she wanted to say at a glance. She put an arm around her shoulder and laughed, “What are you thinking? With my Chinese skills, you want me to join the reading club with you? I’m afraid I’d be skinned alive.”
2333 frantically urged her to recommend the male lead to go along. However, Wen Qianshu said, “Don’t you really like Wen Xue? Go talk to her.”
2333: “…”
Here we go again. One against nine.
Watching this great opportunity slip through its fingers, it was the only system with a face full of tears.
Luo Qing had already jumped to another topic; she always had an endless supply of gossip. “Do you guys know Teacher Shi, the head teacher of Class 19—yes, that tall, thin female teacher, who, along with your class’s Teacher Gu, is known as the ‘Ancient History Cruel Torture’? During the last sports meet, some boys from her class were hiding in the classroom playing ‘Sanguosha.’ They got caught, and she confiscated their deck of cards.”
“Originally, the matter would have been over after writing a self-criticism, but guess what happened? At the parent-teacher conference, Teacher Shi brought it up again, opened the deck of cards and looked—and found her name written on the Zhang Fei card. She was so angry she was fuming…”
After finishing the hot pot, Luo Qing took Shen Ting to the reading club in the afternoon. Wen Qianshu and the others went back to the classroom. There were quite a few people there, most of them to copy homework, and Wen Qianshu’s was quickly all claimed.
Zhang Zisheng was munching away noisily while happily copying away.
Wen Qianshu took out the previous notebook from her drawer and handed it to Jiang Mingyue. “Here, returned to its rightful owner in perfect condition.”
Shen Ting went to the reading club, and not only did she join, but she also quickly fell in love with it.
The head teacher of Class 5 was the leader of the first-year Chinese language group, a bibliophile who loved books as much as his own life. He and their class’s head teacher were mutually disagreeable and didn’t approve of each other. He already liked Shen Ting’s writing and was very happy to see her come. He recommended many books to her and told her to just say what she wanted to read, and he would, behind Teacher Gu’s back, borrow them from the library for her.
He told Shen Ting, “Chinese language is a very fluid subject. Think about it, how many people’s lives, how many people’s experiences, are all condensed between the lines. How amazing is that? Through these books, you can know how people from all times and places once lived, you can know what their eyes have seen, what their ears have heard.”
“The long river of history flows forward, but people can always look back. This is the greatest extension of human senses.”
“At the same time, this is also what I like most about your compositions, and I hope you hold onto this—I’ve always believed that the most beautiful writing often has the most spirit. Where does the beauty of many poems lie? It lies in the animism of all things; it fabricates an unreal, highly personified world. Flowers, grass, and trees have no feelings, but people insist on giving them feelings. ‘Raising my cup, I invite the bright moon; with my shadow, we become three.’【1】—in writing, man resonates and communicates with the entire world.”
“Questioning flowers, questioning trees, facing one’s shadow, facing the moon—this is simply the ultimate romance of the ancients.”
Shen Ting recited this in Wen Qianshu’s ear every day, to the point that Wen Qianshu was about to have it memorized.
She suddenly became much more talkative during this period. She would grab Wen Qianshu and chat endlessly, talking about the books the teacher recommended, talking about Wen Xue, talking about the new people she met, and talking about Wen Xue.
Wen Xue was nice, Wen Xue had good handwriting, Wen Xue had a good temperament, and Wen Xue was also good-looking.
Wen Qianshu laughed. “You’re so biased, praising her like she’s a goddess. My deskmate is also nice, has good handwriting, has a good temperament, and is also good-looking. Why don’t I see you talking about her every day?”
Shen Ting replied, “Because you talk about her every day.”
Wen Qianshu: “?”
What’s going on? The little cutie has learned to be cheeky?
Jiang Mingyue had just returned to her seat after getting hot water when she heard Shen Ting say, “Look, your little goddess is back—mmph.”
Wen Qianshu leaned halfway out of her seat, covering her mouth, and looked up at Jiang Mingyue with a smile. Shen Ting’s mouth was covered, but her hands were nimble. She pulled a lunch box out of her drawer, opened it, and gestured for Jiang Mingyue to take one.
Inside the lunch box were two neat rows of mung bean cakes. Wen Qianshu let go, and Shen Ting smiled shyly. “My grandma made them. I just took them out of the fridge this morning.”
“I don’t know if you like sweet things. This side is sweet, and the other side isn’t as sweet.”
Jiang Mingyue put down her cup, wiped her hands with a tissue, and reached for a mung bean cake. “Thank you.”
Shen Ting said, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. My grandma also told me to invite you to our house for dinner.”
Jiang Mingyue took a bite, and after swallowing, said, “It’s delicious.”
Wen Qianshu had already reached out, grabbed one, and eaten it. “Grandma Shen makes the most delicious things.”
The young girl immediately blushed again, as if she were the grandma. Seeing that Zhang Zisheng was also back, Shen Ting said, “Help yourselves. Just leave two for me.”
2333 knew there was a similar scene in the original story, where Shen Ting had secretly given the remaining two mung bean cakes to the male lead. However, reality was like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, galloping in a strange direction.
Shen Ting said, “I’m going to give them to Wen Xue later.”
But there was something that gratified 2333—the female lead was finally getting familiar with the male lead, although Luo Qing and Jiang Mingyue were always sandwiched in between them.
They started discussing problems with each other and complaining about the teachers behind their backs. In class, they listened to lectures and did problems; after class, they shared snacks. During PE, they played badminton together, and during the foreign teacher’s class, they fumbled through conversations in English. They compared scores on weekly quizzes and rankings on monthly exams, each envying the other’s strengths while clinging to their own, thankful that “at least I still have you.”
Time passed by in a flash.
The weather grew colder and colder, and soon New Year’s Day had passed.
For the final exams, Class 6 was placed in the exam hall, and it was another bloodbath. After the exams were over, they were nominally supposed to go over the questions, but the teachers were all showing movies to the students instead.
Wen Qianshu watched movies for three straight days, with several thick workbooks and a tall stack of test papers piled in her hands.
The grades also came out one after another, and the test papers were handed back.
And then, winter break began.
Author’s Notes:
【1】Raising my cup, I invite the bright moon; with my shadow, we become three. —Li Bai
2333: I’ve worried myself to death over this.
