The shrill sound of the class bell echoed, heralding the arrival of the homeroom teacher, known grimly as 'Extinction Shitai', who entered clutching a bundle of test papers.
An immediate hush fell over the classroom.
Yet, in the ensuing silence, a peculiar rustling noise began.
Scratch, scratch, scratch~
All heads turned towards the source, and eventually, every gaze settled upon Lin Yi, seated in the back row.
Lin Yi, however, was utterly engrossed in the notebook before him, completely oblivious to the bell’s summons.
Observing Lin Yi’s absorption from the teacher's podium, the homeroom teacher’s brow immediately furrowed.
With the college entrance examinations just four days away, marking the end of their high school journey, she opted against her usual public reprimand.
Still, she could not permit Lin Yi to disrupt the others. Moreover, his recent submission of a blank test paper, resulting in a score of zero, had left her deeply displeased. Thus, with a displeased frown, she called out:
"Lin Yi, come here and distribute the test papers."
However, the moment her words fell, an even more peculiar atmosphere descended upon the classroom.
The reason was simple: Lin Yi completely ignored her instruction, appearing neither to hear nor acknowledge her presence.
"Wow, boss, you're fearless! This is a tough battle ahead!"
Glancing at 'Extinction Shitai' on the podium, her face contorted with anger, and then at Lin Yi, who continued nonchalantly turning pages, Li Huiqun couldn't help but secretly offer a nod of admiration.
But how could the homeroom teacher possibly tolerate such blatant disregard from Lin Yi?
Predictably, in the very next instant, the homeroom teacher erupted in fury.
With a resounding crash, she slammed the stack of test papers onto the podium and then yelled furiously towards Lin Yi, still engrossed in his reading at the back:
"Lin Yi! Stand up this instant!"
The sudden, thunderous command startled Lin Yi, who was deeply focused on his reading. He looked up towards the podium with a bewildered expression, taking in the homeroom teacher's enraged face.
He genuinely couldn't fathom the source of her fury, even finding himself wondering who was foolish enough to provoke 'Extinction Shitai'.
Yet, noticing the collective gaze of his classmates fixed upon him, a sense of foreboding suddenly washed over him.
"Lin Yi, you've really gotten bold! Don't think just because the college entrance exam is near, you're untouchable!"
Every student in the classroom instinctively drew their necks in, recognizing the signs that 'Extinction Shitai' was truly incensed this time. After all, her use of English typically signaled an impending call to parents.
In the past, Lin Yi would have been utterly lost amidst the homeroom teacher’s English pronouncements. However, things were different now; his command of the language had seen a dramatic improvement.
Nevertheless, faced with this sudden outburst, Lin Yi felt utterly confused. Wasn’t he being unfairly targeted? How could simply reading a book lead to such a scolding?
"What is the matter, teacher? I am diligently studying here, not causing any trouble... (in English)"
As if by instinct, a torrent of fluent English words spilled from Lin Yi's lips. Having spoken, he innocently held up the half-read chemistry textbook for the teacher to see.
The classroom fell into stunned silence at Lin Yi's pronouncement, every student gazing at him in utter bewilderment.
What in the world was happening? Lin Yi had just uttered a sentence with impeccable English fluency?
This defied all logic! Having been classmates for three years, everyone was acutely aware of each other's academic standing. How could Lin Yi, consistently ranking among the bottom three, suddenly speak English with such mastery?
However, the homeroom teacher, still positioned on the podium, was perhaps too blinded by her anger to truly register the shift. Hearing Lin Yi's unexpected defense, she became even more incensed and berated him:
"Reading a book? Who are you trying to fool? You call that reading? In the past, you at least made an effort; this time, you submitted a blank paper! I will call your parents, let them witness their son's study habits! (in English)"
This time, 'Extinction Shitai' unleashed her reprimand entirely in English.
Fueled by her rage, she spoke at such a rapid pace that even Xiao Zihan, seated in the front row, struggled to grasp a few words, let alone the other students.
"Uh, teacher, there seems to be a slight inaccuracy in your phrasing; it should be expressed as follows. (in English)"
After he delivered this correction, the homeroom teacher on the podium retorted in English once more:
"Stop playing games with me, I will say it as I intend (in English)... Wait a moment! Did you just speak English to me? (in Chinese)"
Midway through her furious retort, 'Extinction Shitai' finally registered the impossible and turned her gaze upon Lin Yi with disbelief, her words abruptly switching back to Chinese.
By this point, the classmates were utterly dumbfounded, their eyes fixed on Lin Yi as if he were some alien creature.
My goodness, this guy had been hiding his true abilities far too well! With English like that, he could easily conquer an Level 8 proficiency exam!
Beside him, Li Huiqun let out a nervous gulp, his mind reeling with disbelief.
While others might not know Lin Yi intimately, Li Huiqun, who had grown up alongside him, understood him like the back of his hand.
Could this truly be the same Lin Yi who once swore beside him, saying, "I am a Huaxia person, I will not learn the language of birds"?
Drat, it turns out I was the one being fooled all along...
"Your English is..."
"Extinction Shitai" paused mid-sentence, unsure how to continue.
Fundamentally, this turn of events completely shattered her prior perceptions.
"Come here and take this test paper. Do it again! Let me see your actual capabilities."
Suddenly recalling yesterday's examination, "Extinction Shitai" swiftly retrieved Lin Yi's previously blank test paper.
Do it again? Won't this encroach upon my precious reading time...
Lin Yi felt a pang of reluctance, yet he understood the necessity of obeying the homeroom teacher. Thus, he made his way to the podium.
However, to maximize his efficiency, upon reaching the podium and noticing Xiao Zihan's seat nearby, he casually extended his hand and took the pen from her grasp:
"Let me borrow it for a moment."
He then accepted the test paper from the homeroom teacher and, without returning to his seat, bent over Xiao Zihan's desk and began to fill in the answers.
Perceiving the sudden absence of her pen, Xiao Zihan was visibly taken aback, gazing at the pen now in Lin Yi's possession with a trace of dismay.
It wasn't that she objected to Lin Yi using it, but primarily because Lin Yi was now casually chewing on the pen cap...
[To be continued...]