Chapter 34: Facing Death with Equanimity

"I have always been a fair person. You are students, and your grades are what matter most. So, don't blame me for the seating arrangement based on academic performance; blame yourselves if you haven't worked hard enough.

If you have a grievance, prove yourself. Do well on the midterm exam and earn the right to choose a good seat. Don't come to me with excuses about your eyesight, your height, or not being able to see—if you can't see, move your desk to the front of the aisle yourself..."

Homeroom teacher Wang Qi delivered his logic with a cold, merciless expression before ordering the boys and girls to form two separate lines. The order didn't matter, whether by height or otherwise, as long as it was neat and quiet. Once the class was lined up, Wang Qi pulled a grade sheet from his pocket and said:

"When I call your name, you go in and pick a seat. Consider your choice carefully beforehand; once you choose, you are not allowed to change unless there are special circumstances."

In short, the message was clear: no matter who you are, you only get one chance—don't expect any second chances!

"Song Yu!"

Song Yu had been the top student in the final exams last semester, so she had the first pick. She walked into the classroom and headed straight for the fourth row of the sixth column. Her reasoning was simple: she had sat on the right side of the classroom last semester, so she moved to the left to ensure her vision remained balanced. This was how the top students chose their seats; it had become an unwritten rule.

"Mai Sui!"

Mai Sui’s total score on the final exam was three points lower than Song Yu’s, granting her the second pick. No one paid much attention to where she would sit; based on past habits, everyone knew she would choose the fourth row of the fifth column to sit with Song Yu again. It was incredibly predictable—these two girls were always choosing each other, which, quite frankly, left no room for anyone else to get close to them.

Just as everyone expected Mai Sui to walk toward Song Yu, an unexpected turn occurred. Mai Sui stood in the aisle, gave Song Yu an apologetic smile, and chose the third row of the sixth column, sitting directly in front of her.

Song Yu looked puzzled, gazing at her friend in silence.

Mai Sui explained helplessly, "Someone bribed me with two oranges and two apples, and wouldn't take no for an answer."

Upon hearing this, Song Yu didn't ask who it was; she already had a vague idea. In Class 204, there were very few people who could make Mai Sui yield like that—Song Yu was one, Man Ning was another, and the third was Zi Jin. But Chen Zijin had left for the capital after finishing her sophomore year.

Just as the two girls faced each other, the teacher called the third name:

"Li Heng!"

Li Heng stepped out of the boys' line and into the classroom. In Class 204, if the boys were most concerned about Song Yu and Mai Sui, then Li Heng was undoubtedly the person the girls secretly paid the most attention to. Perhaps this interest wasn't intense or overt—it might just be a smile exchanged in passing, a fleeting feeling that would vanish after graduation.

Under the gaze of the entire class, Li Heng walked at a steady, unhurried pace directly to the fourth row of the fifth column. He smiled slightly, revealing neat, white teeth, and said to Mai Sui, "It's the final semester of high school. Forgive me for stealing your seatmate. I really want to study foreign languages with Song Yu."

Mai Sui didn't respond. Instead, she glanced at her friend Song Yu, observing the micro-expressions on her face. To Mai Sui's disappointment, Song Yu remained as calm as ever and greeted Li Heng with a faint nod as he sat down.

Actually, ever since her friend's unusual choice of seat moments ago, she had been mentally prepared for this result. Or perhaps, the strange behavior Li Heng had shown when he spoke to her alone yesterday had already revealed a great deal. Li Heng had chosen this seat with emotion, longing, and ambition. Song Yu knew this perfectly well. But things had reached this point; she could not stop it and could only focus on herself.

Unlike the peaceful coexistence inside the classroom, the scene outside had turned into chaos. The girls peered through the windows, astonished as they watched Li Heng, finally realizing why Mai Sui had acted so strangely. The boys, a mix of envy, jealousy, and a desire for entertainment, began to jeer in low voices.

Relying on his good grades, Liu Yejiang, who was used to being bold, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Li Heng, are you in love with Song Yu?"

The remark sent the already rowdy crowd into peals of laughter. Homeroom teacher Wang Qi frowned, looked at Li Heng and Song Yu, then turned to Liu Yejiang, his face instantly lengthening:

"Liu Yejiang, you were fifth in the final exams last semester. You can pick fifteenth."

Liu Yejiang was on the verge of tears. He didn't have the courage to approach Song Yu or Mai Sui, but he had his sights set on Chen Lijun, the third most attractive girl in the class. He had intended to go all out and sit with her for this final semester to plan for the future, but picking fourteenth—what was the point of that?

Liu Yejiang hung his head in defeat. "Teacher, I was wrong."

Wang Qi ignored him and continued calling out names. "Chen Lijun, it's your turn."

Chen Lijun entered the classroom and looked around. She had originally wanted to sit with Mai Sui, hoping that being near her would push her harder as the college entrance exam approached. But recalling what Sun Manning had said earlier, she gave up on the idea. Ultimately, she chose the fourth row of the seventh column, one aisle away from Song Yu.

Top students were like this—they liked to cluster together because the study atmosphere was better, and the intense competition kept them from slacking off. Just imagine: if everyone around you was frantically doing practice problems and memorizing books, would you dare to play? Would you dare to relax? The school and teachers were happy to see this; they wouldn't stop it, and would even intentionally or unintentionally move the troublemakers away to avoid distracting the high achievers.

The fifth spot, originally Liu Yejiang's, went to Liu Li. Li Heng nudged his head toward him, signaling him to sit with Chen Lijun. Facing the gazes of Li Heng, Song Yu, Mai Sui, and Chen Lijun, Liu Li, who had been tempted, habitually scratched his head with his right hand, but ultimately lost his nerve. He hung his head and sat behind Li Heng.

Li Heng whispered, "Why?"

Liu Li’s face turned red as he replied with two words: "I'm scared."

Li Heng said in frustration, "Coward!"

Liu Li rubbed his hands nervously. "Stop scolding me, I know I'm a coward."

Li Heng: "..."

Song Yu, who had accidentally overheard their conversation, offered a beautiful smile. When Li Heng looked over, she averted her gaze without a trace.

The seating process took over half an hour.

Sun Manning became Mai Sui's seatmate. As soon as the rich girl sat down, she joked, "Li Heng, you still haven't managed to escape my shadow."

To an outsider, it might have sounded like she liked him. But the truth was, in his previous life, after high school graduation, Sun Manning had slowly faded from his world. There was no romance—not even a basic friendship lasted more than a few years before it completely severed.

Because of his big mouth, Liu Yejiang lost his chance to sit with Chen Lijun. Surprisingly, his best friend, Zou Aiming, ended up as Chen Lijun's seatmate. Many thought it was a coincidence, and even Liu Yejiang and Liu Li didn't pay it much mind. But that wasn't the case. According to Li Heng's memory, Zou Aiming had been pestering Chen Lijun ever since high school graduation, chasing her for seven or eight years. Don't ask how he knew; they were junior high classmates, and Zou Aiming was from the neighboring village—a walk of at most thirty minutes.

Once the seating was finalized, the homeroom teacher stepped onto the podium and delivered a speech to motivate everyone to study hard for the college entrance exam. Then he said, "The scholarship exam is this weekend. Those ranked in the top 120 in the school should prepare early; I hear the questions this time are very difficult."

The grand prize scholarship was 300 yuan, with only six spots for the entire senior class—three for arts and three for sciences. Don't underestimate 300 yuan; in this rural area, where a laborer earned only 2 yuan a day, it would take half a year to earn that much. It was a massive sum!

However, the grand prize scholarship had always eluded Li Heng. The top two students in the neighboring Class 205 were super geniuses, and his own best ranking had only ever been fifth in the school.

After discussing the scholarship, the teacher’s tone shifted, and he said expressionlessly to Li Heng, "Li Heng, come to my office."

Hearing the "Emperor" call him out personally, the whole class looked over. They were all smart; everyone knew why the teacher was calling Li Heng to the office. It was nothing more than the seating arrangement! It was nothing more than Song Yu!

Li Heng felt the same, but with a "death-defying" attitude, he straightened his back and walked out of the classroom with a relaxed,潇洒 demeanor under the gaze of everyone.

Song Yu glanced at his departing back twice, then quietly took out her workbook, unscrewed her pen, and began solving problems.

Once the door closed, the office instantly became a small world isolated from the noise outside. Wang Qi sat firmly in his office chair, saying nothing, just looking at Li Heng with a stern expression.