Chapter Seven: Rivals in Love and Friends

Because there was no need to assign seats, our homeroom teacher, Mr. Liu, quickly began roll call; his main purpose was simply to get to know his students. When he called out, “Student number 040, Xiao Qiang,” I was just about to stand and answer when I saw, in another row, a bespectacled boy raise his hand high, as if he had something to say.

Mr. Liu looked at him in surprise and asked, “This student… oh…” He glanced instinctively at the roll sheet, then looked up with a smile. “Xia Jianren, do you have something to say?”

This Xia Jianren shot up from his seat, pointed rather arrogantly at me and Su Xin, and said, “Mr. Liu, I don’t think this seating arrangement is reasonable. How can Su Xin sit with a self-funded student?” At our school, there was a certain convention regarding student numbers: self-funded students often had an extra zero at the front. This was because self-funded students generally had weaker academic records, so it helped the homeroom teacher identify them easily. My student number clearly had a zero in front, while Su Xin’s did not—she was number 18, which meant she was not self-funded.

Back in 1997, especially at a prestigious high school, academic performance largely determined a student’s status, and self-funded students were generally looked down upon by the top achievers. So Xia Jianren seized on this as an excuse to separate me from Su Xin.

Although I was extremely annoyed, I had no intention of making a scene. Mr. Liu, standing on the podium, was clearly embarrassed—he had only taken the shortcut of not rearranging the seats, but now, thanks to Xia Jianren, he was at a loss for words.

“I don’t mind at all, Mr. Liu,” Su Xin spoke up unexpectedly, rescuing the moment. “Even though Xiao Qiang’s grades aren’t the best, I think being his desk mate will allow me to help him with his studies. There’s no need to change seats.” Mr. Liu, delighted, nodded and smiled. “Excellent. Su Xin’s willingness to help others is admirable. Everyone should learn from her. Since we’re all in the same class, we should help each other and not divide ourselves by academic rank. From now on, we are a collective, understand?”

“Yes, Mr. Liu…” Although Xia Jianren was clearly displeased, he still joined the class in responding. I shot him a covert glance; in my previous life, I’d kept such a low profile that, even though they knew my name, none of these classmates had ever really interacted with me. But things were different now—in this life, I already knew that Xia Jianren might very well become my first rival in love.

“Thank you,” I said to Su Xin by my side, this time genuinely grateful. Just the fact that she didn’t look down on me for being a self-funded student was enough to earn my thanks. I realized now that, from the moment Su Xin and I became desk mates, my memories of my past life and my current reality had already diverged. This change was both inevitable and necessary. If I kept following my previous life’s path, how could I ever hope to win Su Xin’s heart, or change my own fate?

“No need to thank me. Even if your grades are a bit weaker, I know you’re a good person.” Su Xin glanced back at me with a smile, making my heart flutter—she really was a captivating girl, one I couldn’t help but fall for all over again.

At that moment, I sensed a cold gaze shooting across from the side. Without even turning, I knew it was Xia Jianren—undoubtedly jealous, to the point of being beside himself. I snorted softly, my expression growing cold.

Su Xin noticed my change in demeanor and asked in puzzlement, “Xiao Qiang, what’s wrong?” She seemed not to understand how the boy who’d just been smiling warmly had suddenly changed.

“Nothing,” I shook my head, unwilling to discuss Xia Jianren with her. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be easy to deal with. Of course, at a prestigious high school, many students were children of officials or business owners, while others, like me, came from poorer backgrounds. Judging by Xia Jianren’s attire and bearing, I could tell he was from the former group.

After Mr. Liu finished roll call, he selected class officers based on our entrance exam scores. The top scorer, Tian Cheng, naturally became our class monitor. Because Su Xin had transferred from another city, the entrance exam scores were calculated differently, so she could only serve as academic committee member. The Youth League secretary was Wang Zhong, a former student from the affiliated middle school, among other minor positions I didn’t pay much attention to. At thirty, returning to high school felt like child’s play—these titles meant nothing to me, and I couldn’t be bothered to remember who held them.

Once the class officers had been chosen, Mr. Liu sent them to the finance office to collect textbooks. After the teacher and officers left, the classroom instantly erupted in chatter as everyone began introducing themselves. I wasn’t interested; after Su Xin left, I simply rested my head on the desk.

“Hi, are you Xiao Qiang? Did you attend Third Elementary before?” A boy’s voice from the row in front interrupted my drowsiness. I lifted my head to see an ordinary-looking but mature classmate and asked in curiosity, “And you are…?”

“You really are Xiao Qiang?” he asked excitedly, pointing at himself. “Hey, have you forgotten me? I’m Zhang Li! Don’t you remember? Back at Third Elementary, we were in the same class and even stole watermelons together!”

I searched my memory for a moment and recalled that, perhaps in second grade, I’d had a close friend whom I often went adventuring with, but later his whole family moved away. That friend’s name, I thought, was Zhang Li. Realizing this, I was thrilled. “Zhang Li? Didn’t you move away with your family?”

“Yeah, but my dad was transferred back, so I managed to get into C City’s high school again! What a coincidence. I didn’t expect you’d be so tall—and better looking too.” Zhang Li looked at me with admiration. “When I heard your name earlier, I wondered if it could really be you—and it really is!”

“Haha, you rascal! Back then you left without a word and made me sad for ages. I can’t believe you’ve grown even stronger than me. How have you been these years?” I couldn’t help but feel emotional—it was exciting to see a childhood friend.

“I’ve been alright. Sorry, Qiang, I didn’t get to say goodbye. We left in such a hurry, and my parents wouldn’t let me go out. But now it’s great—I’m your classmate again. You have no idea how much I looked up to you back then—you led me in watermelon raids and sparrow hunts. My childhood was so much richer because of you.”

Hearing this, I almost wanted to faint—so he still remembered all those childish escapades! I chuckled awkwardly. “Never mind all that. The most important thing is that we’re friends—that’s what counts. You have to come to my house sometime! My mom always remembered you.”

“Really? Your mom still remembers me? It’s been so many years—she was always so kind to me.” Mentioning the past made Zhang Li excited, drawing a giggle from the girl sitting next to him and leaving him a little embarrassed.

With others listening, we couldn’t continue reminiscing. We agreed to have lunch together after school. Soon, Su Xin and the other class officers returned, arms full of thick textbooks, and began distributing them under the teacher’s direction. My mood lifted—though I’d gained a rival, I’d also found an old friend. I suppose everything in life is bittersweet, in its own way…