For Lin Wanxing, she couldn’t determine whether it was right or wrong to let Wen Chengye join.
Most things couldn’t simply be judged as correct or incorrect.
More often, the criteria for judgment were whether it was better to do it this way or not to do it at all.
No. 17 Wutong Road, second floor.
The room was dimly lit, with the projection screen lowered.
The beam from the projector hanging from the ceiling shifted and changed, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the screen. The space was filled with pleasant music.
The small classroom was almost full.
The front rows were occupied by younger children, including both elementary and middle school students. The boys from the football team sat further back.
In the darker corners of the room, a few middle-aged adults were present, and even an elderly couple with graying hair—all neighbors from the building.
The exact origins of this activity were already lost to time.
Sometime in late summer or early autumn, the children in the building had been drawn by the sound of a movie playing in the tutoring classroom. Then, adults came to fetch their children but ended up sitting down and watching the entire film.
Later, the children started coming every day at the same time, clamoring to watch cartoons.
But this disrupted the football team students’ nightly study sessions.
So, as the building manager (or landlord?), Lin Wanxing proposed designating two days each week as fixed screening days.
Gradually, the neighbors learned about this activity. On Wednesday and Friday evenings, everyone would gather. Lin Wanxing was even asked to place a small blackboard at the entrance of the tutoring classroom, listing the screening titles to inform the audience in advance.
The shabby residential building, the projector that automatically shut off after prolonged use, the somewhat blurry figures floating on the screen, and the music—muted yet lively orchestral melodies.
Today’s screening was the famous sci-fi film The Martian.
The reason for choosing this film wasn’t because the students were particularly interested in science fiction, but because they had recently been discussing the topic of growing potatoes and somehow stumbled upon this movie.
The entire film tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is mistakenly presumed dead during a Martian dust storm and must survive alone on Mars.
On the projection screen, the astronaut was grappling with the challenge of "growing potatoes" on Mars.
This was roughly the scene Wen Chengye encountered when he entered the classroom.
At first, no one noticed Wen Chengye.
The room was filled with lively musical notes, and everyone was captivated by the sight of potato sprouts breaking through the soil.
So, the boy with the backpack stood at the door for quite some time before he was noticed.
First, Qin Ao nudged Chen Jianghe in the front row. Then, Fu Xinshu stared in surprise at the doorway. Lin Lu had the strongest reaction, exclaiming "Holy shit!" out loud.
The boys’ reactions to seeing Wen Chengye were as if they’d seen a ghost, causing quite a commotion and drawing disapproving glances from the other viewers.
But Wen Chengye just stood stiffly at the door, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his fair face tilted upward. Though his fists were subtly clenched at his sides, he showed no intention of turning to leave.
Lin Wanxing exchanged a glance with Wang Fa, then nodded at him, pushed her chair back, stood up, and walked over to Wen Chengye.
"Welcome," she said to him in a lighthearted tone.
Of course, the boy didn’t immediately accept her invitation.
Lin Wanxing checked the time and asked Wen Chengye, "Did you talk to your parents? It’ll be quite late by the time we finish here."
The boy lowered his chin about ten degrees—which could roughly be interpreted as a nod.The classroom was in a state of unrest, and even the younger children in the front rows were affected.
Wen Chengye remained standing at the door, neither entering nor retreating.
Lin Wanxing could see what was on the student’s mind.
"Don’t worry, you’re only here because I threatened you—not at all voluntarily," she reassured him.
The excuse was sufficient, and since he was already there, turning back now would be embarrassing. Wen Chengye finally lifted his foot and stepped into the classroom.
The boy walked slowly, and for a moment, the projection light flickered across his face and school uniform, hazy as a dream.
The story in the film unfolded gradually. The protagonist documented his life on Mars, while back on Earth, his former crew members embarked on a rescue mission.
For the younger children, the plot was somewhat dull and uninteresting, and some of them eventually left. A young couple renting in the building, however, stayed huddled together from start to finish, quietly watching the entire story.
At the climax of the film, Lin Wanxing glanced at Wen Chengye and found him intently focused on the screen.
There, against the vast backdrop of deep space, two humans in white spacesuits finally embraced, with an orange-red rescue rope drifting and encircling them.
From six o’clock to nearly eight-thirty, the film lasted over two hours.
In the end, the movie concluded with the protagonist delivering a lighthearted lecture to future astronauts.
As the closing credits rolled, the students finally snapped out of their immersion.
Lin Wanxing waited a moment longer before standing up and turning on the classroom lights.
As usual, it felt like a movie theater emptying out.
The other neighbors in the building left one by one, and many seats in the classroom were vacant again.
Lin Wanxing walked up to the podium.
Wen Chengye sat alone in one corner of the classroom, while the other students were scattered on the opposite side.
The empty desks and chairs between them were like the cosmic void between Mars and Earth. No longer obscured by the dimness of the film screening, the chasm was laid bare.
Lin Wanxing unhurriedly packed up the computer and projection screen, gradually revealing the blackboard.
"So, how did you feel about today’s movie?" she asked.
As if jolted awake from a dream, Qin Ao half-jumped from his seat, pointing at Wen Chengye and shouting loudly, "Why is he here?"
The question wasn’t directed at Wen Chengye.
Lin Wanxing knew it was an accusation aimed at her.
She turned her gaze to Wen Chengye.
The boy’s face tightened abruptly, his eyes finally betraying unease, but he remained seated, wary of what she might say next.
Lin Wanxing’s glance skimmed over Wen Chengye like a dragonfly skimming water, settling on the other students.
She didn’t mention anything about her negotiation with Wen Chengye, instead smiling and saying, "Ah, didn’t you all already know?"
"Know what? We don’t know anything!"
"Don’t play dumb, teacher!"
"Did you ask Wen dog to come here?"
"That’s right," Lin Wanxing replied calmly. "Our football team is still short one member. Weren’t you all genuinely eager to invite Wen Chengye to join before?"
"Yuck!"
"You’re so gross, teacher!"
"Who invited him?!"
"No, even if we were just trying to fill a spot, why did you bring him here?"
The boys made gagging gestures, clearly unimpressed by her diplomatic words. What they couldn’t accept even more was the intrusion of Wen Chengye into their territory.
It was probably like a pack of golden retriever puppies feeling hostile toward a new Doberman encroaching on their space.Lin Wanxing: "Our goal is to compete, but time is tight and the task is heavy. With limited time for adjustment on the training ground, I believe having Xiao Wen join our daily lives will be better..." She paused, momentarily at a loss for words, and couldn't help glancing behind Wen Chengye.
Foster tacit understanding among teammates." Wang Fa's voice chimed in at just the right moment.
Wen Chengye turned around in shock.
There, Wang Fa rose slightly from behind a desk, extended his hand courteously, and introduced himself: "I'm Wang Fa, your coach."
——
Wen Chengye's expression remained icy.
He kept a stern face, merely looking down at Wang Fa's outstretched hand without making any move.
After a moment, Wang Fa naturally withdrew his hand.
Qin Ao immediately bristled with indignation: "Coach, why bother with him? You're giving him face!"
"Don't be jealous." Wang Fa reassured Qin Ao.
Qin Ao's eyes widened, stammering: "Jealous of what? What am I jealous of!?"
"If you can't speak properly, go eat shit." Qi Liang interjected coldly from the side.
Qin Ao spun around and snapped at Qi Liang: "Your master's here, so you're picking a fight with me now?"
As the students seemed on the verge of arguing again, Lin Wanxing said: "It seems everyone is already quite familiar with each other. Should we do another round of self-introductions?"
"Teacher, stop with the awkward small talk!" Qin Ao grumbled angrily.
"Oh dear, it's rare to have a newcomer, so I'm also at a loss for what to say." Lin Wanxing looked at Wen Chengye, smiling as she pulled open a drawer. "Then let's fast-forward to the next segment."
From the drawer, Lin Wanxing produced a schedule and placed it before Wen Chengye: "This is our daily timetable, all drafted through collective discussions during our meetings. If you disagree with any content on the schedule, you can propose a motion during our class meeting on Friday evenings."
As she spoke, she glanced at the other students nearby: "They'll explain the specific procedures of our self-governance system. Once you're familiar with it, you'll know how to participate."
At this, the other football team students wore expressions of clear reluctance on their faces. No one wanted to explain anything, still displeased that Wen Chengye would actually be joining them.
Wen Chengye looked down at the schedule, his brow furrowed tightly.
Lin Wanxing gave him some time to read.
"You guys really have a lot of trivial nonsense every day." Wen Chengye said disdainfully after reviewing the schedule.
Before the other students could retort, Lin Wanxing said: "We are indeed very busy, because everyone has many interests." She continued gently, "If there's anything you'd like to do together, you can also bring it up during the Friday meeting."
Hearing this, the boys naturally protested a bit.
Comments like "Who wants to do anything with him" were casually filtered out.
"Can I leave now?" Wen Chengye asked.
"Not yet." Lin Wanxing said.
"What else is there?"
"It's like this." Lin Wanxing slowly walked back to the lectern. "After each movie screening, we all need to write a reflection on the film."
Wen Chengye: "That boring film?"
Lin Wanxing paid no mind to his criticism: "Even if the film is boring, you can still write an interesting reflection. Our 'reflections' have no fixed theme, no set format, and no word count requirement. You can freely expand on any thoughts - write something or even draw a picture."
"Draw a picture?"
"Yes, I drew a four-panel comic last time, and the teacher said I did well." Lin Lu chimed in cooperatively."Truly impressive." Lin Wanxing nodded earnestly.
"You're really treating them like idiots," Wen Chengye said disdainfully.
"Looking for trouble, you bastard!" Qin Ao couldn't hold back again, slamming a fist on Wen Chengye's desk to stand up for his underlings.
"The grandmother downstairs is about to sleep at this hour. Keep your voice down," Lin Wanxing said helplessly. "It's about time. Everyone pack up, we'll take Wen Chengye on a tour."
——
Though clearly reluctant, Wen Chengye offered no substantial resistance to joining the tour.
To sum it up, he obediently followed along.
Wen Chengye's unusual compliance left the other students utterly baffled. As they turned a corner, Qin Ao secretly pulled Lin Wanxing aside and asked what she had "done" to Wen Chengye.
Lin Wanxing responded with a mysterious smile.
Qin Ao rubbed his goosebumps and said, "Stop smiling, it's creepy!"
The boys harbored considerable hostility toward Wen Chengye.
As Lin Wanxing introduced the living facilities, they trailed behind like a row of little tails, monitoring Wen Chengye's every move.
First stop: the tutoring center.
Lin Wanxing explained to Wen Chengye that their current classroom was run by her grandparents during their retirement, a place where they continued to contribute their energy.
Though compact, it was fully equipped. There were classrooms on both sides and a small rest area for students to relax and chat between sessions.
Lin Wanxing opened the final room—a storage closet.
"We keep many materials here for regular classes, so we organize them periodically. I'll fill you in on individual schedules later. If you're ever bored, there are plenty of magazines and books to read," Lin Wanxing concluded, pointing at two large bookshelves in the corner.
"Classes? Who teaches?" Wen Chengye cast a cold glance. "You?"
"Well, there's no one else but me," Lin Wanxing shrugged...
"You teach? No wonder they're still so useless," Wen Chengye remarked.
"Who do you think you're looking down on?" Yu Ming immediately stepped forward. "Our Teacher Lin was the top scorer in the college entrance exams!"
"And she published some S-something-I papers... and won lots of awards! She's an amazing teacher!" Zheng Feiyang added.
"Let's keep it modest," Lin Wanxing said humbly to the students.
"You know about modesty?"
"We never saw you being modest when you were bragging yourself!"
"I mean, these things I prefer to handle personally," Lin Wanxing turned to Wen Chengye and introduced herself: "I'm Lin Wanxing, a master's student at Yongchuan University, provincial top scorer in liberal arts for the college entrance exams, with nine SCI publications—six as first author—and a seven-year recipient of the National Scholarship." She paused, then added, "Your teacher."
A crack finally appeared in Wen Chengye's icy expression.
Satisfied, Lin Wanxing led the group out of the storage room, turned off the classroom lights, and headed upstairs with the students.
Ascending the steps at night, the students had grown accustomed to being considerate of their neighbors, stepping lightly.
The stairwell was filled only with the sound of breathing and faint, scattered footsteps.
Humans are instinctively conformist creatures, and in such an atmosphere, Wen Chengye found himself treading carefully as well.
It was the same iron door, though the number of students behind her had slightly changed.
Lin Wanxing pushed the door open, and the autumn night wind swept into the corridor, revealing a vast, open sky.
The rooftop was bustling and lively, full of energy.Half of the space was filled with white foam boxes for growing vegetables, while the other half consisted of various handmade living facilities.
"This is..." Lin Wanxing paused briefly before explaining to Wen Chengye, "our home."
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