After fighting for so many years, Lin Jinglei actually called off the fight for the first time. It wasn't that he couldn't hold his ground anymore, but rather Tang Shan, that idiot, unexpectedly changed the originally agreed one-on-one duel to a group fight. Going back on his word is even more embarrassing than losing in a fight. It can't go on any longer.

After a weekend of rain, it continued to pour on Monday morning. Lin Jinglei gave up riding his bicycle and decided to take the school bus instead. The school bus at his No. 1 Middle School came every twenty minutes, the same frequency as the one at Lin Tai's No. 16 Middle School. The two brothers, after finishing their breakfast, stood at the intersection of their residential area, holding umbrellas and waiting for the bus.

Lin Tai was lucky. In less than two minutes, he got on the bus and even found a seat. Sitting inside the bus, he showed off to his brother through the window.

Soon, a black sedan slowly drove out from behind the residential area. The driver was constantly honking the horn, which irritated Lin Jinglei. He waved his hand under the umbrella and shouted to the people in the car, "I'm not getting in! I'll take the school bus!"

Lin Guodong frowned as he glanced at his watch and said, "We're going to be late if we wait for the school bus. Let's just go."

Lin Jinglei didn't want to ride in Principal Lin's car. He was afraid of being bored to death along the way, let alone the fact that he didn't even want to go to school. Being late meant nothing to him.

After the car disappeared, the school bus arrived shortly. As expected, people crowded together. Lin Jinglei closed his umbrella and ran to the front door. The driver didn't open the door for him, instead gesturing for him to go to the back door.

Lin Jing Lei grumbled as he squeezed through the back door, shaking off the water droplets from his head. As he looked up, he saw Yan Zi Zheng standing in the aisle, separated from him by a girl.

The last time these two met on the school bus was on the first day of school at Laiyi Middle School. They had a fight because of Lin Tai's issue, but they never resorted to violence again. They maintained a silent truce and continued peacefully on their journey. However, when they were queuing to get off the bus, Lin Jinglei was jolted from behind and lost his balance. The remaining half of the hand-held pancake in his hand heavily landed on Yan Zizheng's clean shirt. In response, Yan Zizheng immediately elbowed Lin Jinglei in the chest.

Lin Jinglei did not bother explaining to Yan Zizheng about the misunderstanding that he had intentionally caused. Following his principle of "if you hit me, I'll hit you back," he retaliated. As a result, these two new first-year students, who had come to report, started fighting before even entering the main gate. It was quickly broken up by several senior students from the same bus.

In fact, Lin Jinglei and Yan Zizheng had already met before the middle school entrance examination.

Lin Tai, who has a crush on a girl in his class, took the opportunity during graduation season to confess his feelings to Yan, a senior student. Unable to control his anger, Lin Tai brought two friends along to confront Yan Zizheng. Originally, Lin Tai intended to threaten Yan verbally, but somehow ended up getting beaten up instead.

Lin Jinglei knew that his idiot cousin had been beaten up and went over to find him. They started fighting with Yan Zizheng and his gang at the entrance of Shiliu High School, and from then on, their grudge deepened with each passing day. Whenever they saw each other, they all wanted to kick each other before saying anything.

Yan Zizheng also noticed Lin Jinglei boarding the bus. That person was pushing his way towards the back, and when he reached Zizheng, he rudely bumped into him with his shoulder.

"Move aside."

Yan Zizheng did not step aside to let Lin Jinglei pass. Instead, he looked straight ahead and said, "There's nothing to be proud of in bullying the younger ones."

Lin Jinglei understood what Yan Zizheng was talking about - the fight that happened on Friday night. He knew that he was in the wrong but refused to admit even the slightest bit of fault. He snorted and said, "Those who were not involved have no right to make judgments."

Yan Zizheng averted his gaze and fell upon Lin Jinglei's face. Before he had a chance to speak, the car suddenly slammed on the brakes. Due to the inertia, his body leaned forward and collided forcefully with Lin Jinglei, face-to-face.

Lin Jinglei also couldn't steady himself and, in a state of emergency, grabbed onto Yan Zizheng's arm. The two of them, seeking support in a sudden situation, became closely intertwined in the crowded carriage. Then, like being electrocuted, they all quickly retreated and avoided each other, their faces filled with utmost disgust.

Yan Zizheng rubbed his arm fiercely where Lin Jinglei had grabbed it, and squeezed himself a little bit towards the back of the carriage after it stabilized.

Lin Jinglei also desperately squeezed towards the front of the carriage, as if he was avoiding a plague. His movements were rude and unreasonable, causing numerous complaints along the way.

Monday is the most despair-inducing day. Lin Jinglei does not enjoy the start of the week. Even though he knows he has to go to class within two minutes after getting off the school bus, he still walks slowly.

After entering the school gate, a girl ran up from behind like the wind and slowed down beside him.

"Hey! Last time when we exchanged keys, I forgot to tell you my name."

Lin Jinglei glanced at Yan Zizheng, who was quickly walking past him, and said indifferently, "Does it have anything to do with me?"

The girl ignored it and continued, "My name is Zheng Qiaoyin, from Class 1-2 in the first year of high school."

Yan Zizheng walked ahead with a slanted backpack, scoffing at the likes of Lin Jinglei and his immoral behavior with girls.

He entered the teaching building and went up to the second floor. While walking through the long corridor, the class bell rang. He continued walking steadily without any hint of haste, and arrived at the entrance of their classroom. He stepped inside and coincidentally, the bell stopped ringing.

Standing on the podium was the language teacher, the homeroom teacher of Class 18, named Qiao Fengzi. In private, the students all referred to her as "Crazy Qiao". It was rare for these two polar opposite classes to find common ground in this regard.

Yan Zizheng's seat was originally in the back row. The class teacher noticed that he always talked with You Zhaoyu, who was also in the back row, so she separated them and placed one in the front and one in the back.

After getting seated, Yan Zizheng didn't follow the other classmates' lead in listening to the teacher's instructions and flipping through their books to a certain page. Instead, he turned around to look at the empty single desk at the back row of the north side, which was supposed to be occupied by Zhaoyu. He didn't know if Zhaoyu hadn't arrived yet or if he wasn't coming at all. He wanted to send a text message to ask, but then he remembered that Zhaoyu's phone had been confiscated by the class teacher, so he had to give up.

Yan Zizheng appears to be an upright and ambitious young man, but deep down, he exudes a vibe of mischief. With a neatly cropped hair and sharp facial features, he is the epitome of a handsome guy who is worthy of keeping the cropped hair style.

He always manages to wear his school uniform neatly, even though he doesn't study. His desk and bookshelf are always tidy as well. Every book and pen of his, just like all his other belongings, are categorized and have a fixed position. If there is even the slightest mess, he will straighten it up immediately. He extremely dislikes others touching his belongings, not even a piece of eraser is allowed unless he gives permission. Otherwise, the consequences are severe.

After tidying up a few packets of snacks and neatly arranging the crumpled pieces of paper, Yan Zizheng zippered up his backpack and placed it inside the classroom. He glanced up at the teacher who was still speaking incessantly, casually pulling out a book and laying it on the table.

The First High School, abbreviated as Yizhong. The entire freshman year has a total of eighteen classes, with nine hundred students admitted based on the normal admission score line, with fifty students allocated to each class. In addition, there are over two hundred students who were admitted through lower admission score lines for children of faculty members, as well as self-funded students who bought their scores with money. They are randomly placed in the last ten ordinary classes.

Yan Zizheng had once been reluctant to come here, considering it an unlucky place, but in the end, he chose to come here anyway.

The chalk glided across the blackboard, leaving behind traces of white dust that softly fell. Some of it settled on his desk. Hearing footsteps at the door, he thought it was Yu Zhaoyu, who was running late. He turned his head to look, only to see Lin Jinglei passing by.

He grumbled in annoyance and then averted his gaze.

Zou Jing had no classes in the morning. It happened to rain again that night in his newly rented apartment, and it leaked through the roof. He took leave from the director to deal with it before coming, so he didn't even go back to the office. He went straight to his classroom first.

He appeared at the front entrance of Class 17, still carrying a dripping umbrella. He leaned forward to look inside the room and locked onto the unoccupied seat. He didn't want to interrupt the physics teacher who was currently lecturing at the podium, so he bent down and asked the classmate at the door if You Zhaoyu had come today.

After receiving a negative answer, he nodded and disappeared at the doorway.

This is Zou Jing's fourth year teaching at No. 1 High School. He had just successfully sent off a group of students and intended to take a break for two years. However, several female teachers collectively took maternity leave, causing tension among the entire school staff, so he took on another class consecutively.

The class teacher puts a lot of effort into his work. In addition to being responsible for teaching the curriculum, he also takes care of the physical and mental development as well as the mental well-being of the entire class. Students like Zhaoyu, who do not study and instead enjoy breaking the rules, are not unfamiliar to him. Since the beginning of the school year, that kid has been getting into fights and skipping classes, but this is the first time he has been absent without reason. The teacher cannot just sit idly by when it comes to the safety of his students' lives.

He returned to the office and retrieved a handwritten telephone directory from the drawer. He found the phone number of Zhao Yu's home.

After making the call, it was quickly answered by a woman. When he asked why Zhaoyu hadn't come to school, she told him that he dialed the wrong number. After confirming and dialing again, the call was immediately hung up. He called again, but no one answered.

Zou Jing returned to the classroom, and the rowdy classmates who were causing a ruckus immediately quieted down for a moment upon seeing him. He knocked on the table next to the teacher's desk, compelling Yan Zizheng, who was currently sitting in a chair tying his shoelaces, to straighten up and raise his head.

The youth's gaze remained calm and composed as he looked straight at him.

Zou Jing opened his mouth and said, "Do you know what's the deal with You Zhaoyu not coming to school?"

Yan Zizheng looked away and continued tying his shoelaces, saying, "I don't know."

"Do you know their phone number?"

"I don't know."

Tang Shan entered through the back door and kicked Lin Jinglei's table leg, making a noisy commotion: "Leizi, Leizi, Leizi."

Lin Jinglei hadn't slept and was playing with his phone while leaning over. He was greatly annoyed by Tang Shan's sudden scare and after clicking his tongue, he stared at the person half-leaning on his desk and said, "Go sit somewhere cool."

"I heard that You Zhaoyu didn't come to school today," Tang Shan smiled crookedly and said, "Do you think he really got crippled by us and can't walk anymore?"

Lin Jinglei sneered, "Good for him to be crippled, let him show off his ignorance."

"Everyone, quiet down," Bai Xiuyuan loudly shouted while hitting the table, "I have something to say!"

Bai Xiuyuan was wearing a very masculine T-shirt under his school uniform. With his neat short hair showing his full forehead, he stood there speaking with his thin lips subtly moving, inexplicably exuding a refreshing and cool aura.

So, here's the deal. The high school first-year group of the Red Culture Month has a choir competition that requires participation from every class. If anyone has any recommendations for a catchy red song suitable for a choir, please report to the Art Committee now.

Tang Shan's excitement surged in an instant, shouting as he quickly dashed to the front, "I know!"

In terms of singing, Lin Jinglei has always admired Tang Shan from the bottom of his heart. This kid has had an unwavering passion for singing since he was young. Although he often sings aimlessly in his daily life, when he gets serious, it's like he's worth bowing down to. His numerous awards and certificates from various singing competitions are definitely not just a matter of luck, but a result of his talent and ability.

However, the quiet and artistic committee member directly dismissed Tang Shan's proposal, which made Tang Shan very depressed. His previous enthusiasm was hit, and he slumped back into his seat.

Lin Jinglei never bothered with the petty affairs of school organizations, but suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he walked over to Tang Shan's seat amidst the commotion and bent down, saying, "Tell me what song you recommended to me. I'll take care of it for you. Then you can treat me to a web surfing session. How about that?"

Tang Shan sneered and said, "You think you can handle it?"

"Just say if it can be done."

"Okay."

After hearing this, Lin Jinglei squeezed through the aisle and crouched down behind the desk of the art committee. He looked up and saw a girl busy writing down recommended songs for her classmates. He snapped his fingers and said, "I'll recommend a song."

Although Tang Shan couldn't hear what Lin Jinglei was saying to the literary committee member with a smile on his face, he could clearly see that after a few words, the girl decisively nodded her head.

"Woah, how did you do that?" Lin Jinglei exclaimed, trying to pull himself back to his seat.

Lin Jinglei retracted his hand and curled the corner of his mouth, winking his right eye. "Sacrificing looks."

Tang Shan shrugged his shoulders and said, "I promise to invite you to go online after school."

Lin Jinglei returned to his seat and pulled his coat from the chair as he walked towards the door. Along the way, he motioned to Tang Shan, saying, "Why wait until school is over? Let's go now."

Bai Xiuyuan saw two people about to leave from the back door. Accompanied by the school bell, she quickly chased after them and waved her hand to stop them, saying, "Come back."

Lin Jinglei disdainfully turned his head back and then put on his coat over his shoulders and continued walking. Tang Shanshi hesitated for a moment, glancing between Bai Xiuyuan and Lin Jinglei, before ultimately deciding to follow Lin Jinglei.

Yan Zizheng couldn't focus on class and decided to go to You Zhaoyu's house to check on him. He only heard You Zhaoyu say over the phone that he had been beaten, but didn't ask how bad it was. He actually hoped that the person was hiding somewhere instead of being at home recovering from their injuries.

Outside, the rain had already cleared up. Yan Zizheng left the classroom and headed straight for the back wall of the school. He squeezed into the small grove of trees, then with a running start, he used his long legs to push off the wall and climbed up. Then, with his body effortlessly leaping, he landed smoothly.

Today, the shoelaces on his feet were either too slippery or he didn't tie them tightly enough. The shoelace on his left foot came untied again.

He squatted in place and started to tie his shoelaces. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from the wall. Before he could react, a heavy object fell from the sky and smashed into him, causing him to collapse on the ground.

Lin Jinglei was completely caught off guard by the unexpected presence on this side of the wall. He and Tang Shan anxiously looked back to see if they had been noticed by the passing PE teacher. Without even glancing, the person jumped over. As Lin Jinglei lay on the ground, his clothes soaked with muddy soil, he cursed, "Damn, what the hell is going on?!"

Tang Shan, who was following behind Lin Jinglei, stayed crouched on the wall without jumping. He watched Lin Jinglei, who was intimately interacting with the ground, and burst into laughter, saying, "Leizi, you're really damn shameless."

The two of them went together to see the person lying on the side, Yan Zizheng.

Lin Jinglei got up and brushed off the dirt that couldn't be completely brushed off his body. He snorted and laughed, saying, "I thought it was someone else, turns out it's my neighbor, Yan Tongxue."

"Leizi," Tang Shanjue sensed that something was not right, "he...he seems to be still."

Lin Jinglei approached the person lying on the ground and nudged him with his foot, asking, "Hey, are you dead?"

Yan Zizheng's lack of response made Lin Jinglei momentarily nervous. The wall was so high, and him weighing over 130 pounds, if he fell vertically, would he really smash to death?

Tang Shan jumped down from the wall and exclaimed, "What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?"

Lin Jing Lei pretended to be calm: "What's the rush?"

He grabbed the shoulders of the person lying face down on the ground, trying to flip them over for inspection.

"Don't move around. Call an ambulance," Tang Shan reminded.

Yan Zizheng endured the pain in his back and slapped away Lin Jinglei's hand, his angry eyes opening wide as his fury overflowed. "Take your filthy hands off me."