NOVEL WEB
Chapter 1
May, the season of academic advancement.
The gentle breeze of early summer blows.
Inside the classroom of Class 2, Grade 12, a beam of light shines on a corner of the blackboard, with "30 Days Left for the Final Sprint of the College Entrance Examination" written on it.
Classmates are frolicking, discussing their future lives.
Lin Jianzhi, wearing a white school uniform with short sleeves, tied her hair up into a simple high ponytail and was organizing her papers on the desk.
At this moment, the class monitor, Lang Shu, burst in and shouted, "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Everyone, go to the auditorium! Zhu Liheng is back! There's a speech assembly!"
Lin Jianzhi instinctively tightened her grip on the textbook, crumpling its cover.
Zhu Liheng...?!
The classroom instantly erupted.
"Zhu Liheng? Is it the same Zhu Liheng I know? How did he come back to school?"
"It's him! They say the principal specifically invited him back to cheer us on for Grade 12!"
"The genius who gave up the opportunity to be the top scorer in the college entrance examination battle back then!"
"Wow, it's him! He single-handedly raised the reputation of our school!"
"Ah! My school grass senior!"
"..."
Both boys and girls went crazy, rushing out as if afraid that Zhu Liheng would run away in a second.
Students from other classes outside the corridor were also running madly, eager to see the legendary figure of the past. Some girls were so anxious that they ran so fast that they lost one of their shoes along the way.
Lin Jianzhi was completely squeezed along, as if a swarm of Grade 12 students were passing through, almost crushing her.
The auditorium was only so big, and the front row seats were already occupied.
Lin Jianzhi was left at the back, unable to squeeze in for a long time.
Feeling flustered and with the air in the crowd becoming stuffy, her sensitive tear ducts were suddenly stimulated, and her eyes turned red.
Lang Shu, being enthusiastic and responsible, spread the news and counted the number of people.
Seeing Lin Jianzhi left behind at the back, he turned around and shouted, "Lin Jianzhi! Hurry up! Our class is the only one you can't get into!"
Lin Jianzhi: "!!!"
With a start, excessive emotions caused tears to well up in her eyes.
To prevent the monitor from noticing anything abnormal and to avoid others seeing her embarrassed state.
Abruptly, Lin Jianzhi hit the brakes and rushed towards the women's restroom!
Lang Shu was left dumbfounded, shouting from a distance, "Hey! What are you going to the bathroom for? Can't you hold it? Seize the moment, it won't come again!"
Without looking back, Lin Jianzhi shouted, "People have three urgent needs!"
Lang Shu stomped his foot in anger, turned around, and walked away, saying, "I give up, I can't control you."
As the sound of the crowd outside grew fainter and finally became silent.
Lin Jianzhi hid in the restroom, her collar soaked with tears!
Knock, knock! Is anyone in there? Knock, knock!
Damn tear ducts!
She buried her head deep between her knees, feeling even more downcast, and the tears just wouldn't stop.
She was truly so sad, so heartbroken. It was a hard-won opportunity, and she had messed it up.
When she entered the first year of high school, Zhu Liheng was already in Grade 12.
With a two-year gap between them, the two should have had no connection whatsoever.
Moreover, Zhu Liheng was a legendary figure in the school and even the entire city—a top student, a school idol, the top scorer in the college entrance examination, and a popularizer of science...
In this world, he seemed to possess extraordinary abilities, while others spent their high school years either burying themselves in studying or going crazy over exams, Zhu Liheng's high school life was filled with traveling around the world, participating in various competitions, and winning awards.
After entering A University, Zhu Liheng studied physics. Occasionally, he would publish popular science knowledge on the internet, which was highly praised by millions of online users and received great recognition from professionals in various fields.
He was too dazzling, too outstanding...
But no one knew that Zhu Liheng was the neighbor of Lin Jianzhi, living on the floor above her!
Two years ago, on a certain day, Lin Jianzhi's parents were away on a business trip, and she was in a rush and almost set the kitchen on fire.
The young man entered his own home, calmly extinguished the fire, tidied up the stove in a unhurried manner, and even cooked a bowl of noodles for her before leaving.
The afternoon sunlight shone on the young man's side face, completely disturbing Lin Jianzhi's heart.
The next day, her parents returned home and led their own incompetent daughter to thank him.
Lin Jianzhi also used up a whole bag of tissues in their house...
The past is unbearable to look back upon, the more she thinks about it, the more embarrassed she feels!
After that incident, the two of them became like parallel lines, each busy with their own studies, and they never had any interaction again.
Lin Jianzhi buried her own little thoughts deep down, hidden and undiscovered by anyone.
During this return to school speech, she heard Zhu Liheng's name once again.
Lin Jianzhi suddenly became flustered, memories surged like a flood, and that unforgettable face kept appearing in her mind.
Since Zhu Liheng graduated from high school, this was the first time she had the opportunity to see him in person.
"What the hell! What the hell!"
Lin Jianzhi cursed under her breath, hating herself.
She quietly shed tears in the bathroom, stabilizing her emotions, waiting for the tear stains on her clothes to dry before taking a deep breath and walking out.
But just as she reached the sink, she suddenly saw someone turning around.
Their eyes met!
The cuffs of his white shirt were rolled up, revealing fair, strong forearms. Perhaps it was a little hot, as the collar of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a delicate collarbone.
He had just washed his face, and there was moisture on his cheeks and hair ends. On his clean face were a pair of bright and clear eyes.
Two years had passed, and he hadn't changed a bit.
How could this torn-faced guy be so good-looking?
Lin Jianzhi's heart skipped a beat!
Almost instantly, her eyes turned red, and the emotions from her recent crying outburst resurfaced, leaving no room for any salvage.
She looked at Zhu Liheng, who was so close, and fell into his captivating face.
Only when she noticed the tear stains on her cheeks did Lin Jianzhi suddenly wake up.
What the hell!
Why was she crying again!!!
Lin Jianzhi wanted to die...
Zhu Liheng's pupils contracted for a moment, but quickly remembered.
The girl in front of him was the one who cried loudly after burning the kitchen, her crying resonated through the walls, making him, who lived downstairs, surprised and amazed.
Two years had passed, and she could still cry like this. She was indeed a talented person.
Zhu Liheng didn't say anything, silently took out a pack of tissues from his pocket, and handed it over. Lin Jianzhi wanted to die even more!
She quickly took the tissues, without looking back, and ran back into the women's restroom.
She messed up again!
Outside the restroom, in the hallway, the principal ran over and called out, "Zhu Liheng, please start."
Zhu Liheng replied, "I'm coming."
Principal: "Speak more passionately! With more fervor!"
Zhu Liheng's voice carried a hint of laughter, "Okay, Principal."
Lin Jianzhi, who had hidden herself to cry, quickly wiped away her tears and took a deep breath to calm her emotions.
The speech hadn't started yet, so she still had a chance.
Five minutes later, she composed herself and walked out, arriving at the entrance of the auditorium.
She thought she had positioned herself perfectly, but to her surprise, a crowd of first and second-year students packed the entrance, leaving no room to even see the podium.
Lin Jianzhi stared blankly at the sea of people before her, while the younger students chattered away, discussing gossip.
"Is that Zhu Liheng, the one who dominated the headlines back then?"
"He's so handsome..."
"Jingyi City is a county-level city. No one knows about this city, but everyone knows Jingyi No.1 Middle School. It's magical!"
"It's all because of him! Jingyi No.1 Middle School has almost become a mystical place. They say it has excellent feng shui!"
"The principal knows how to make things happen. He even invited the media!"