Gu Zai'an eyed him with suspicion: was there something wrong with this kid's brain?
He gave Gu Qingbai a once-over and clicked his tongue.
Gu Qingbai looked up at him. “What is it, Brother? Is something wrong with calling you that?”
His expression was so innocent, so guileless, that even planning to tell the truth, Gu Zai'an didn't have the heart.
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just think you're a bit… mm, special.”
“Special how?” Gu Qingbai's big eyes looked up at him with unprecedented expectation. “Special-good?”
Gu Zai'an coughed lightly and could only nod.
By then they had reached the classroom door.
Class Five, First Year.
A few students stood at the entrance, ramrod straight, expressions grave.
Gu Zai'an couldn't help finding it funny. “Are they out here practicing military drill?”
The Gu Qingbai at his side was the first to sense something off; the hand hooked through Gu Zai'an's arm tightened nervously.
Through the glass panel in the door, Gu Qingbai took in the scene inside.
Every student in the class was standing at their own desk, heads bowed.
Following a few furtive glances toward the podium, one could make out a middle-aged woman with glasses standing front and center, long hair tied into a regulation low ponytail, face black, mouth opening and closing without pause.
And at exactly that moment, Gu Zai'an planted himself in the doorway and bellowed, “Reporting!”
The homeroom teacher's gaze swung over, her face blacker still, brows knitting, voice hard as iron. “Hmph. Gu Zai'an. You got into the Joint Academy and still can't shed your filthy habits! And what are you wearing today?!”
Gu Zai'an stood there, thoroughly bewildered by the scolding.
That wasn't right, was it?
The bell hadn't even rung yet?
And just how infamous was the original owner's reputation? Even the Joint Academy teachers recognized him on sight.
Gu Zai'an hee-hawed a couple of laughs and raised a hand to cut the teacher off. “Rest assured, teacher, from today onward I'm a changed man! You'll never have to worry about me again!”
The homeroom teacher turned her face away. In her field of vision, a tall boy stood in the doorway. He had Gu Qingbai blocked from view completely, but her sharp eyes still caught a corner of clothing.
“Who's behind you? A Class Five student?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Hello, teacher.”
Only after Gu Zai'an spoke did Gu Qingbai slowly emerge from behind him, head lowered shyly, introducing himself: “I'm Gu Zai'an's younger brother, Gu Qingbai.”
The classroom erupted in murmurs.
People couldn't help whispering:
“Gu Qingbai? Wasn't he this year's provincial top scorer from Linzhou Province?”
“A top scorer that brilliant, why not go to Jing University? Jing is way better than this place.”
“Why else? For the money, obviously.”
“Careful what you say. He's the Gu family's true son, only just acknowledged. You think they're short the Joint Academy's pocket change?”
“Then what else could it be for?”
Gu Zai'an badly didn't want to listen, but the two gossiping happened to sit front row, right in front of him.
He sneaked a glance their way.
“Stop looking, Gu Zai'an's watching us. If we get invited to a 'chat' after school we're dead.”
The two snapped upright and went silent at once.
“Gu Qingbai.” The homeroom teacher pronounced the name, and her expression improved considerably. “Go in and find a seat.”
Gu Zai'an answered faster than Gu Qingbai did. “Yes, teacher!”
And with that he grabbed Gu Qingbai and headed for the back row.
“Hold it!”
The homeroom teacher, whose face had barely recovered, was dragged right back down by this stunt. “Did I say you could move?!”
“Huh?”
Gu Zai'an stopped and turned, pointing at himself. “I can't go in?”
“You cannot! Door. Standing punishment!”
“Oh.”
Gu Zai'an pouted, released Gu Qingbai, and shuffled back out.
Gu Qingbai caught his hand. Facing the formidable teacher, he didn't shrink an inch, saying firmly, “If he stands, I stand too!”
“Then you can both get out!” Seeing Gu Qingbai speak up for Gu Zai'an sent the homeroom teacher's blood pressure soaring.
A perfectly good provincial top scorer, mixing with a menace like Gu Zai'an. Utter nonsense!
Gu Zai'an couldn't understand Gu Qingbai. A perfectly good seat, refused, just to stand at attention with him—the boy clearly had too much free time.
“You'll stand through this entire class. And your bags…” The teacher's gaze slid to the space behind the two of them. Empty. She drew a deep breath to keep her voice level. “Coming to school without your book bags—are you here to cultivate immortality?!”
Gu Zai'an muttered, “What's that got to do with me.”
His voice was too quiet; the teacher didn't hear it at all.
She turned on Gu Qingbai instead. “Fine that Gu Zai'an doesn't bring his bag, but how are you joining in his nonsense?!”
“Is a book bag that important, teacher? I never brought one in high school, and I still became the provincial top scorer.” Gu Qingbai's retort was deadpan.
Watching Gu Qingbai block him from harm, Gu Zai'an felt his chest clear instantly.
In his heart, he waved the flag for Gu Qingbai: “Little bro, awesome! Little bro, that was such a flex, I love it!”
The retort jammed in the homeroom teacher's throat, going neither up nor down.
Gu Qingbai kept going. “And there's nothing in the school rules that says you must bring a book bag to school.”
“I assumed a developed city would have more open-minded thinking, but even the teachers fixate on the bag you carry books in. Back in our countryside high school we never cared about any of this. Learning depends on self-discipline, not coercion.”
The homeroom teacher's face turned an ugly shade, the angry red spreading from her cheeks down her neck. The longer Gu Qingbai spoke, the redder she got, as if she were being roasted alive.
“And isn't this all so you can make it into a top school?!”
The teacher was still explaining herself when Gu Qingbai already had Gu Zai'an by the hand and was walking out the door.
After standing a while, Gu Zai'an's mouth started itching again. He'd been planning to praise Gu Qingbai, but the moment he looked down, he met a pair of reddened eyes, tears swirling, the very picture of grievance.
Gu Zai'an panicked instantly.
He'd never dealt with anyone crying—much less a boy crying.
“What's wrong?” He leaned in and patted his back. “Did she scold too harshly?”
Gu Qingbai tipped his head back. As long as nobody spoke to him he could hold it in, but the moment anyone offered comfort, the tears fell.
His cursed tear-incontinence constitution.
He'd cried in front of his brother. So embarrassing.
He buried his face in the crook of his arm, wiped the tears away, and said, “First time arguing with anyone. No experience.”
Gu Zai'an smoothed his back and said everything he'd been planning to say: “You were amazing just now! You stood up to a teacher! I'm dying of envy!”
Gu Qingbai lowered his arm a little, revealing a pair of wet eyes. “Really?”
“Obviously. What, lie to you and get rich?”
Gu Qingbai dried his tears and turned his face away, saying nothing more.
Running footsteps sounded down the corridor. Gu Zai'an followed the sound and saw a familiar figure.
Lin Qinyan came bounding up, purple hair flying, voice as loud as ever, loud enough for the whole school to hear:
“An! Finally found you!”