Chapter Six: The Midterm Exam

As the midterm exams approached, a tense atmosphere pervaded the campus of Zhenhua High School, especially among the first-year students. Being the first major test since the start of the term, the top scholars rubbed their hands in anticipation, while the underachievers trembled with anxiety.

Li Jie felt indifferent about the upcoming midterms. After all, he had always ranked first in his previous studies, and in university, he was a frequent recipient of national scholarships. Were it not for the pressures of life, he would have easily held at least an associate professor title by now. Returning to high school was like a max-level character ravaging a newbie village—there was nothing to be nervous about.

However, seeing Geng Geng lately looking somewhat flustered, it seemed that after this midterm, it was time to tutor her properly. It wasn't about aiming for perfect scores, but she couldn't do too poorly either. University didn't matter much to him; he didn't need credentials to prove himself. But for Geng Geng, experiencing this for the first time, it was undoubtedly important.

“Lu Xinghe, the midterms are coming up soon, why aren’t you nervous at all?” Geng Geng asked with a worried expression.

“What’s there to be nervous about? It’s just an exam, easy as pie,” he replied.

“Hmph, all talk! You’re either reading extracurricular books or scribbling something during class. How can you possibly do well? Have you given up on yourself?” she retorted.

“That guy got into Zhenhua through connections, so of course he doesn’t care about grades. Just a loser, not worth a single finger to beat,” the bespectacled boy from the back row suddenly interjected, clearly still resentful of Li Jie’s earlier disregard.

Li Jie ignored him completely and said to Geng Geng, “I don’t pay attention in class because I’ve already mastered the material. But there’s no need to worry about exams. You should relax and trust yourself—you’re one of a kind.”

“You’re like a cooked duck, just stubborn!” the glasses boy grumbled in frustration.

“Why are you like this, never stopping? Lu Xinghe doesn’t even want to acknowledge you, so why do you keep pestering him?” Geng Geng whispered, unable to stand the behavior.

“It’s fine. After this exam, he’ll see what I’m really capable of,” Li Jie said, waving his hand dismissively.

On Wednesday, November 12, the first-year students at Zhenhua High School began their midterm exams.

The subjects included Chinese, Math, English, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Politics, and Geography—nine in total over three days—bringing a serious tone to the campus.

The first exam was Chinese. Li Jie performed as usual—steady as ever—completing all questions except the essay within an hour and a half. The essay topic was quite interesting, so he put some thought into it and finished it well. No doubt it would score high.

The first exam in the afternoon was Math, which was even easier for him.

Functions like sine α and tangent β were a gift to Li Jie; he could complete the paper with his eyes closed.

He finished all the problems in just 40 minutes and double-checked his answers. However, since Zhenhua High School did not allow early submission, Li Jie spent the remaining time thinking about the sequel to "The Devotion of Suspect X."

The second exam that afternoon was Physics. After finishing his paper, Li Jie looked down on Zhang Ping’s exam paper slightly, thinking the questions were far too simple—hardly fitting the spirit of Zhenhua.

On Thursday morning, they took English and Biology, followed by Chemistry and Geography in the afternoon.

On Friday morning, Politics and History were tested. After three days, the midterms ended. The students breathed a collective sigh of relief and returned to their usual activities. Top students busied themselves at lunch reviewing questions and answers, while the underachievers lamented how difficult the exams were, barely able to solve anything. In the exam rooms, many were left in a daze, wondering who they were, where they were, and what they were supposed to do.

“Ah, Lu Xinghe, this exam was so hard. I’m doomed—I’m going to fall back to my true level,” Geng Geng said gloomily as she slumped into her seat.

“Yeah, I couldn’t answer a lot of questions either. I’m probably doomed this time,” Beta agreed, standing beside her.

“Really? I thought it was easy; I finished almost everything,” Li Jie replied casually.

“Heh, this exam was tough for sure. I bet you just scribbled nonsense,” the glasses boy sneered, still unable to forget Li Jie’s earlier indifference.

Ignoring him, Li Jie continued, “Once the papers are back, I’ll help you review the questions you got wrong to deepen your understanding. You should keep a notebook of your mistakes; I’ll tutor you from now on.”

“Forget it. Judging by how you don’t study, you probably won’t do much better than me. Better just sign up for a tutoring class,” Geng Geng said as she packed her bag, ready to enjoy a peaceful weekend and soothe her exam-tortured soul.

“Ah, Geng Geng, what should we do? Zhang Ping is announcing the results next Monday. I’m dead meat,” Beta said nervously.

“The exams are over. Now let’s face the coming storm.”

“Lu Xinghe, Beta and I are leaving first. We planned to have a good meal and buy some things to comfort our wounded spirits,” Geng Geng said as she stood up, slinging her backpack.

“Alright, enjoy a quiet weekend. Be careful on the way,” Li Jie replied.

“Got it. You’re always nagging like a mother. I’ve walked this road countless times,” Geng Geng said, but she actually enjoyed Li Jie’s motherly concern. She knew it was his way of showing he cared.

******

On Monday, Li Jie entered the classroom and immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere. Small groups of students gathered here and there, discussing the recently concluded midterms. The underachievers looked ashen, like prisoners awaiting their verdict, while the top students were visibly eager, like farmers eagerly anticipating their harvest.

Click-clack, click-clack—the school administrator Zhang Ping, dressed in work clothes, walked toward the podium and said steadily, “Students, the midterm results are out. I want to commend some and criticize others. Now, let’s start handing out the report cards.”

“I’ll announce the top three first. I especially want to praise Lu Xinghe, who scored first in the entire grade. Here are the top three results.”

“Lu Xinghe: Chinese 146, Math 150, English 148, Physics 100, Chemistry 100, Biology 100, History 95, Politics 93, Geography 98, total 1030. First in class and first in the entire grade.”

As the words fell, the classroom fell into stunned silence, as if a mute button had been pressed. The bespectacled boy, upon hearing the score, felt utterly ashamed of his previous taunts.

“Wow! Amazing! A real scholar!”

“Lu Xinghe, you’re incredible!”

“How did he do it? So strong!”

...

“Han Xu: Chinese 130, Math 145, English 130, Physics 95, Chemistry 90, Biology 93, History 88, Politics 91, Geography 89, total 951. Second in class.”

...

“All right, everyone, those are the top three scores in the class. I hope you all keep working hard. Those who didn’t do well, don’t be discouraged. Those who did well, don’t be arrogant—keep it up. Let’s begin class; today we’ll review the exams.”

Only after the announcements did Geng Geng finally come to her senses.

“Lu Xinghe, you’re amazing! So what you said before was true! You weren’t lying!”

“Of course, it’s a piece of cake. Now do you believe in my ability? Later I’ll tutor you—learning is simple,” Li Jie said lightly.

“Mm-hmm! From now on, my grades are in your hands!” Geng Geng clasped her hands with an admiring tone.