Only the head teacher of Class Four, Teacher Lin, stood up. She was a doctoral graduate who had been teaching for just two years, and this was her first time being the head teacher of a senior class. In the office, she was often ostracized by the other three head teachers, who had more experience and were seen as more influential.
Adjusting her glasses, Teacher Lin asked gently, "Qin Sheng, would you like to join Class Four?"
Qin Sheng nodded. "Class Four, I'll go."
"Very well, Qin Sheng will join Class Four," the grade director nodded approvingly. "Now, come with me to complete the enrollment procedures."
As soon as Qin Sheng and the grade director left, Teacher Liang sneered disdainfully, "Picking up all sorts of rubbish."
The other two head teachers joined in with sarcastic remarks.
"Teacher Lin, now that you have taken in Qin Sheng, your class average will probably drop significantly."
"Mr. Chen, that's not quite right. Class Four is already the worst class, full of poor students. One more or less Qin Sheng won't make a difference; it's all the same."
"..."
Teacher Lin kept her head down, diligently grading assignments, circling each mistake the students made, and adding comments. Her focused demeanor was a stark contrast to the idle chatter around her.
The other teachers, receiving no response from her, soon lost interest and returned to their work. They found it easier to continue with their tasks rather than engage in further gossip.
---
After completing the enrollment procedures, Qin Sheng entered Class Four with Teacher Lin. The classroom, previously a hub of activity, instantly quieted down as the new arrivals entered.
The Chinese teacher, who was in the middle of a lesson, nodded and exited the classroom, leaving Qin Sheng and Teacher Lin alone.
As soon as Teacher Lin appeared, the previously noisy Class Four instantly fell silent. Though she appeared gentle and fragile, she was actually more fearsome than a stern disciplinarian. Her reputation preceded her, and students often whispered about her strictness and unyielding nature.
Every so often, a student would be summoned to the office for a "chat." When they returned, their expressions of fear and apprehension at the mere mention of Teacher Lin were unmistakable.
So, as soon as Teacher Lin appeared, they all transformed into obedient students, their previous rebelliousness replaced by a subdued, almost reverential demeanor.
Soon enough, they noticed the girl standing quietly beside Teacher Lin. Even while standing still, she seemed to emit a radiant glow, naturally becoming the center of attention. The students' curiosity was piqued, and whispers began circulating about the new girl.
After giving a brief introduction of Qin Sheng, Teacher Lin left, leaving Qin Sheng to navigate her new environment on her own.
Qin Sheng sat down, propping her chin up with one hand while casually flipping through her textbook with the other, her expression languid. She appeared unfazed by the sudden change in her academic environment.
She was a science student, and if she wished, she could easily score full marks in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics. However, she had a severe weakness in one subject—Chinese—which she often failed. Despite this, she had worked hard in her previous life to improve her Chinese language skills.
Now, Chinese was arguably the subject she excelled in the most. Her extensive preparation and practice had turned her weakness into one of her greatest strengths.
As the Chinese teacher passionately lectured from the podium, Qin Sheng's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Soon, she was sound asleep on her desk, completely oblivious to her surroundings.
Having been away from school for five or six years, attending classes now felt like listening to a monotonous chant. The familiar rhythm of school life was both comforting and mundane.
In Class Four, students sleeping through lessons was commonplace, and the teachers, overwhelmed, had given up on trying to manage it. Most of them turned a blind eye to the dozing students, so Qin Sheng was left undisturbed for the entire period.
The Chinese class quickly ended, and as the bell rang, Qin Sheng woke up.
"Bang, bang." A buzz-cut boy walked over to Qin Sheng and rapped loudly on her desk.
Qin Sheng glanced at him indifferently. "What do you want?"
Lin Feng's temper flared. "New student, you're quite arrogant, aren't you?"
He was the top dog in this class, and Qin Sheng's sudden appearance had triggered a sense of insecurity in him, making him feel that his position was threatened. Although Qin Sheng's striking looks matched his ideal of a dream goddess, he found her insufferable inside and out. His ego was bruised by her apparent disregard for his status.
Qin Sheng looked away, opening her textbook once more, her calm demeanor unshaken.
**(End of Chapter)**