Fake Slackers

Chapter 91: I didn't make a wish

The 3rd solar term¹ approached and the weather gradually grew warm again.

The food street outside Liyang Erzhong hung banners even more celebratory than those they had over New Year's. From a distance, the whole street was filled with the words, 'Welcome back to school.'

After having run wild all vacation, many people were hurrying to finish their homework near the end of the winter break. With no regard to day or night, they did homework for several days but still didn't manage to finish. In the end, they had to accept their fate, and planned to return to school early and struggle a little more.

Xie Yu had just walked up the stairs when he heard pained shouts from Class 2.3. "We need to turn this in too?"

"There was English homework?!"

"Has anyone done their math homework? I'll trade you the literature mock paper..."

When Xie Yu passed by the rear window, he crooked his finger and tapped on the glass twice, neither forcefully nor gently.

Liu Cunhao, as the class rep, was leading the charge of copying homework. He was still shouting and holding up several literature mock papers when he heard the tapping on the window. He nearly jumped from fright. "Fuck!"

It was windy outside and Xie Yu had his hood up. He entered briskly, then remembered to pull his hood off.

They had all thought it was Mad Dog come to inspect the classrooms. The class went silent for two seconds, then continued like an exploding pot. "I was nearly scared to death... Yu-ge, you're not the Yu-ge I know any more."

"That bit of mischief makes you happy?"

"How could you bully your weak, pitiful, and helpless classmates?"

"......"

He Zhao had gotten there early and was catching up on sleep in the classroom. He heard a noise and half-opened his eyes.

He Zhao had returned to school a day early.

All the live-in students who came back early had underestimated Mad Dog's enthusiasm for broadcasting. Before six a.m., their esteemed Dean Jiang had already started shouting, "A new school term! A new starting point!"

He Zhao sat up straight and watched his little friend walk over.

Mad Dog's platitudes had not struck a chord with him. But when his gaze landed on Xie Yu, he finally felt it. A new school term.

A new day.

He Zhao smiled and greeted him. "Morning."

Xie Yu walked to the desk, bent down slightly, reached out, and pulled the zipper of He Zhao's jacket, currently situated at his chest, upward. "Morning."

Sunlight shone through the window and brightened the classroom several degrees.

Liu Cunhao was still looking for someone willing to swap homework with him.

He Zhao pulled his math exercise book from under his desk. He had picked a few questions from the book to do, but following his previous plan of steadily, gradually increasing his score, he still had a high ratio of wrong answers. "Hao-zi, I'll swap with you."

Liu Cunhao looked at him for several seconds before silently turning away and asking again, "Anyone else?"

He Zhao said, "What, you're looking down on me?"

"I wouldn't dare. You scored 49 points." Liu Cunhao was worried he would damage He Zhao's confidence and awkwardly praised him, then couldn't hold it back any longer. He had to make him face reality. "But, Zhao-ge, you can't be too sure of yourself either. Do you get what I mean?"