Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

It was just after six in the evening.

After having dinner at home, the six of them quickly returned to school.

When Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruawen returned to class 16, nearly half of the students were already seated. Unusually, there was no loud chatter, just the sound of flipping pages.

He "thud" placed Xiao Ruawen's backpack on the stool and sat down before rubbing his shoulders to relax.

Their movements attracted the attention of only a few classmates, who merely glanced before quickly returning their focus to their books.

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan remembered his university days in his past life, where everyone was laid-back in class, not waking up for early classes, playing on their phones, and choosing to attend or skip classes as they wished.

However, when the exam week arrived, everyone would study frantically as if they were injected with steroids, and securing a spot in the library was harder than getting tickets to a celebrity concert.

Sometimes, early risers starting at four in the morning would bump into roommates who stayed up studying till four.

"Looks like everyone started this in high school, we've always been like this," Xu Qingfan thought to himself while watching Xiao Ruawen start her serious revision again.

As the sky outside slowly darkened, students in the front row turned on the lights.

Enveloped by the night, the academic building lit up brightly, resembling an all-day and night-running unscrupulous factory.

At seven in the evening, the head teacher returned to the class.

"What I'm projecting on the screen now are everyone's exam room and seat numbers, students please note them down on paper."

"After school, pull the desks apart to form single desks, take away the books in your drawers, and also move the small boxes piled in the hallway outside, monitor, you're in charge after school."

Guo Youcai finished instructing through the microphone.

After seeing Xiao Ruawen nod, he concluded, "This is the first exam of the new semester. This score is not only crucial for next year's differentiation into arts and science streams but also for university applications, direct admissions, and studying abroad. So take it seriously, that's all from me, I won't delay your revision time."

When Guo Youcai left, the previously quiet classroom immediately became noisy. Anyone who has been to school knows that it's not so easy to get back to studying right after an interruption.

"Hey Brother Fan, didn't they say the school wouldn't set key classes, why do they still consider this score for arts and science differentiation?" Wu Shichong poked his arm with a pen cap.

Xu Qingfan tilted his head, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

"Brother Fan, you don't know either? What about the direct admissions, do they really consider the midterm grades?" Lai Chenglang added.

Xu Qingfan actually knew this because he had looked into it for Xia Xiaoxiao in his past life.

"Pretty much. For places like Hong Kong University and Huagong, if you want to participate in their direct admissions you need a ticket, like winning a provincial math competition, being a national level athlete, winning first prize in the New Concept Essay Competition,"

"If you don't have any medals, your midterm and final grades can also serve as your ticket. For example, scoring over 140 in math multiple times, something like that."

After explaining for a while, he looked up and saw that students from the neighboring group had also gathered around to eavesdrop.

"I need to focus more on math then. I often scored full marks in middle school!"

"Big shot, impressive!"

"The best I ever got in middle school was 135, awesome!"

Since it was a new term, everyone was fairly friendly as they were still unfamiliar with each other's capabilities.

Xu Qingfan recognized the first speaker, a typical "B bro" who could be found in every class, academically above average but always claimed to have been careless whenever score sheets were returned, insisting that if he had checked his work properly, he could have been in the top ten.

Actually, B bro wasn't malicious at heart, and he became a source of joy among peers privately.

"Impressive," Xu Qingfan also gave him a thumbs-up.

...

After the evening study period bell rang, the crowd gradually dispersed, and the classroom quickly returned to tranquility.

Xu Qingfan held a Chinese book in his hands, but his gaze was not on it.

He glanced sideways at Xiao Ruawen's profile, occasionally getting distracted by the swarm of mosquitoes around the street lamps outside.

"What are you looking at, study!" Xiao Ruawen noticed his gaze, turned her head to glare at him, and then quickly continued reading.

Xu Qingfan flashed a light smile and stretched out his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

His sudden action silenced Xiao Ruawen.

She stiffened her body, not daring to move until she was sure Brother Chou Fan had no further actions, then gradually relaxed, but her heart remained unsettled.

[What's Brother Fan doing, so touchy-feely!]

Xiao Ruawen continued to focus on her book, but that page took her ten times longer to finish than usual.

...

The three periods of evening study soon ended, but after school, everyone tacitly continued studying, with no one leaving.

"Everyone, stop for a moment, make your desks into single desks and pick up the trash under your own desk," Xiao Ruawen stood up, turned on the microphone and called out.

Following her order, it didn't take long for the class to start rearranging.

Aside from class 16, other classes were also doing the same thing at approximately the same time, and the entire academic building was filled with the sound of desk legs rubbing against marble floors.

After being arranged into an examination layout, the previously congested classroom instantly felt more spacious. Unfortunately for Xu Qingfan, he would not be able to share a desk with Xiao Ruawen for the next few days.

"Let's go too, studying at home is just as good," Xu Qingfan picked up his meal card and phone, and approached Xiao Ruawen's desk.