Zheng Hua was silent for a moment before saying, "Remember what I told you before: study hard. There's almost a year left until the college entrance exams. If you put in the effort, getting into an average university is still possible."
Zheng Hua hadn't planned to repeat these words to Cheng Xing. In the past, he'd said the same thing to countless struggling students, only to give up when they ignored his advice. Yet, something about Cheng Xing had shifted. His poem from earlier had impressed Zheng Hua enough to extend a hand again. As a teacher, no one wants to give up on their students if they don't have to.
This week, Cheng Xing's performance had been noticeable. Though Zheng Hua had seen him zoning out in other lessons, he hadn't been late for either the morning or afternoon self-study sessions all week—a marked improvement.
Cheng Xing nodded. "I'll study hard, Teacher."
"Good. Go and recite your lessons," Zheng Hua replied.
Cheng Xing returned to his seat, picked up his Chinese textbook, and began memorizing.
In truth, he hadn't planned on coming to school that morning. But perhaps he'd grown accustomed to waking early. By six o'clock, he was already awake, and with nothing better to do at home, he grabbed his umbrella and headed to the classroom.
Outside, the rain fell softly. After memorizing for a while, he cracked the window open slightly. A refreshing breeze carrying fine raindrops brushed against his face, cool and invigorating.
The senior-year building shared the same block as the first-year classrooms, with its four floors divided between the two grades. Behind the building ran the An River, a symbol of An City and a wellspring of childhood memories for Cheng Xing. He'd played in its waters, fishing and catching shrimp.
A small branch of the An River flowed through the grounds of An City No. 1 High School, making it unique among the city's high schools. The school's century-long history was tied to this water source, its founding envisioned as a haven for nurturing talent.
Amid the misty rain of early autumn, the An River exuded the tranquil beauty of a Jiangnan water town. The rain softened the river's northern ruggedness, cloaking it in a poetic allure.
Though Jiangnan's charm was undeniable, Cheng Xing cherished An City more. Jiangnan might be a dreamlike place, but An City was home.
As he gazed at the rain-shrouded river, childhood memories flooded his mind, and he spaced out. It wasn't until the rain intensified, stinging against his face, that he finally closed the window.
Shortly after, the bell marking the end of morning self-study rang.
"Students staying in the dormitories this weekend, come register with me. Everyone else, head home promptly. Don't linger around," Zheng Hua announced. "I'll be checking nearby internet cafes soon. If I find anyone from our class there instead of at home, you'd better pray my stick isn't as heavy as it feels."
The class erupted into motion. Aside from a few students registering with Zheng Hua, the rest scattered like startled birds.
"Chen Qing, I might not be able to walk home with you today," Wang Yan said.
"Why not?" Chen Qing asked.
"It's raining, and my mom's coming to pick me up," Wang Yan replied.
"Alright. Don't keep her waiting," Chen Qing said with a smile.
"Okay, see you next week," Wang Yan said, hurrying off.
Downstairs, the rain poured heavily. Many boarding students without umbrellas gathered under the first-floor corridors, waiting for the downpour to ease. Cheng Xing opened his umbrella and walked out.
By coincidence, Chen Qing also stepped out from the corridor. Seeing her, Cheng Xing smiled.
"What a coincidence," he greeted.
"Mm," Chen Qing replied with a nod.
"When you get home, give my regards to Uncle Chen," Cheng Xing said, smiling.
"Alright, I will," Chen Qing responded.
Realizing she didn't intend to linger, Cheng Xing said, "I'll head out then."
"You've changed," Chen Qing suddenly remarked.
"People change, don't they?" Cheng Xing replied with a faint smile.
"Why have you been coming so early lately?" she asked, curiosity evident in her tone.
"My grades were too poor before. I want to work hard now and get into a good university," Cheng Xing said, still smiling.
"Is it because of me?" Chen Qing blurted, then immediately regretted it. "I…"
"No," Cheng Xing interrupted, his tone calm. "It has nothing to do with anyone else. I just realized that wasting my youth like this would only lead to regrets later. That's why I want to focus."
"Good luck," Chen Qing said with a soft smile. Then, after a moment, she added, "If you need help with anything, feel free to ask me. We're still friends, right?"
"Yes," Cheng Xing said, his grin widening. "We've always been friends."
Meanwhile, many students in the hallway stared at the two walking side by side under the rain, chatting and laughing.
This structure breaks the text into digestible sections, emphasizing dialogue, narrative flow, and shifts in action or description. Let me know if you'd like adjustments!
The sight left the onlookers dumbfounded.
Weren't these two supposed to be at odds?
In recent weeks, the drama between Cheng Xing and Chen Qing had been the school's hottest gossip. Cheng Xing's confession to Chen Qing on the basketball court had been publicly rejected. He'd then handed a love letter to Jiang Luxi, followed by a heated spat with Chen Qing at a food stall when she tried to cut in line.
Tensions escalated further when Li Dan—Chen Qing's close friend—got her boyfriend, Zhang Qi, to block Cheng Xing's ally, Zhang Yi, outside school. But Cheng Xing's friend, Zhou Yuan, and his group intervened, leaving Zhang Qi humiliated.
Afterward, Zhang Qi reportedly scolded Li Dan, saying, "Why didn't you tell me that Zhang Yi was under Cheng Xing's protection?"
Everyone thought this incident had completely severed ties between Cheng Xing and Chen Qing. Many students had even been looking forward to more drama between the two to spice up the monotony of school life.
But how had these two suddenly reconciled?
"See? Cheng Xing likes Chen Qing too much. He was just sulking. Now that he's gotten some dignity back, they've reconciled," someone speculated.
"Just yesterday, someone in Class 3 mentioned that Cheng Xing had moved on and was now interested in Jiang Luxi. They claimed he'd been paying extra attention to her lately—helping her clean up the school's bike shed. 'Jiang Luxi might be prettier than Chen Qing,' another person chimed in, 'but Chen Qing's family is wealthy, and her father's career prospects are promising. There's no way Cheng Xing would choose Jiang Luxi over her.'"
Jiang Luxi, arriving just then, overheard the conversation. Glancing at Cheng Xing and Chen Qing chatting under the rain, she felt relieved.
This was exactly what she wanted.
So long as Cheng Xing stayed focused on Chen Qing, he wouldn't bother her.
Jiang Luxi wanted no part of the drama.
Still, as Jiang Luxi stared at the rain, anxiety crept in. It was her first day tutoring at a new family. Being late would leave a terrible impression.
If the rain didn't stop soon, she'd have to go regardless—soaked or not.