Wen Chengye remained silent for a while.
The autumn night was clear and tranquil, with the rooftop garden bathed in moonlight like a veil of white gauze. The hanging vines swayed in the wind, lending a touch of desolation to the scene.
Fortunately, the lettuce and scallions planted by the students were thriving, and autumn was also suitable for the growth of Hangzhou cabbage. So, as far as the eye could see, the rooftop garden was still vibrant and flourishing.
The main caretakers of the garden were Lin Lu, Yu Ming, and Feng Suo. Lin Wanxing had assigned them to explain the layout of the garden to Wen Chengye.
The air was filled with the mingled scents of soil and vegetable sprouts. The students chattered animatedly, each adding their own details about their plans for the garden.
Wen Chengye stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze aloof. Though his expression was disdainful, the richness of the rooftop garden still managed to astonish him.
From the vegetable plots to the greenhouse area, Yu Ming showed Wen Chengye the freshly planted radishes and lettuce, remarking that Wen dog was lucky—soon he’d get to enjoy the fruits of their new varieties.
Wen Chengye automatically ignored the nickname.
Then, in front of a large collection of wooden structures, he paused again.
There were wooden sofas, a long wooden table, a wooden swing, two hanging hammocks, and a massive wooden frame standing against the wall.
The space was crowded with wooden furnishings.
Wang Fa hadn’t joined the tour, having settled early at the long table to drink tea.
Lin Lu demonstrated the wooden sofa and retractable dining table they had built themselves.
Young Master Wen was even forcibly pressed onto the sofa, stepping on the tire footrest, half-reclining as he felt the night breeze and gazed at the starry sky above.
In the darkness, the Crimson Cherry Blossoms on the wooden frame behind him bloomed brilliantly.
“Feels great, doesn’t it? You don’t have this at home, do you?” Qin Ao said proudly.
Finally, Lin Wanxing introduced Wen Chengye to her and Wang Fa’s two rooms, and they eventually made their way to the railing.
All was silent under the night sky, as the vast football field stretched out slowly before them.
The moonlight flowed like water, glistening on the tips of every blade of grass. A string of streetlights dotted the outer edge of the track, their soft glow encircling the field like a pearl necklace.
The wind brushed past their ears, cool and refreshing.
“That’s the field where we train every day,” Lin Wanxing said.
All the boys stood by the railing, and at that moment, all the noisy chatter faded away.
The serene and magnificent field occupied everyone’s vision. The air was filled only with the sound of their breathing. Yet, in an instant, it seemed as if all the cheers that had echoed there over the past century rose up together.
The starlight twinkled.
Rising and falling.
Wen Chengye finally looked at her.
“Welcome aboard,” Lin Wanxing said, extending her hand to him.
—
Of course, just like with Wang Fa, Lin Wanxing ultimately didn’t manage to shake Wen Chengye’s hand.
Though Lin Wanxing was certain that, for a moment, Wen Chengye had been moved by the field and the vast emotions it held.
But he wasn’t the type to be easily swayed, so soon enough, those unnamed feelings dissipated into the wind.
A banner hung on the courtyard wall: “Warmly Celebrating Hongjing No. 8 Middle School’s Football Team’s Victory Over Yuzhou Silver Elephant!!!”
Wen Chengye’s gaze fell on the red synthetic fabric, and he softly muttered, “Idiots.”
Those words instantly ignited Qin Ao.
He strode over in one swift movement, grabbing Wen Chengye by the collar: “What did you say, idiot? Watch your mouth!”
As expected, the earlier harmony and camaraderie had been nothing but an illusion.Just as the boys were about to start arguing again, the uncles and aunts sleeping in the building at night wouldn’t tolerate such a commotion.
Lin Wanxing had no choice but to start shooing them away: “Alright, the welcome ceremony ends here. Let’s all head home.”
“What do you mean, ‘ends here’!” Qin Ao, his anger still unvented, turned to glare at her, clearly dissatisfied.
“It means there’s plenty of time ahead.” Lin Wanxing gently patted Qin Ao’s shoulder, signaling him to let go of Wen Chengye.
Though very reluctant, Qin Ao still released his grip.
The students were unwilling to leave, dragging their feet as they went.
Their eyes flickered, and each of them looked back every few steps, as if saying—
“Teacher, how on earth did you manage it!”
“You’re clearly on our side, so how come you have a little secret with Wen Chengye!”
Lin Wanxing, however, merely glanced at the boy beside her and smiled without answering.
Wen Chengye, of course, wanted to be the first to leave, but she stopped him.
“How did you feel today?” Lin Wanxing asked.
“What could I possibly feel?” Wen Chengye adjusted the backpack on his shoulder and retorted.
“Well, it’s fine if you don’t feel anything.” Lin Wanxing chuckled. “Can you make it on time tomorrow? It just occurred to me—would your parents disapprove of you coming to our classes? Do I need to check in with them?”
Wen Chengye actually laughed at this. “Do you think they care about me?”
Lin Wanxing understood implicitly and called out to his retreating back: “Then remember to hand in your homework. We start at 6:30 in the morning, so make sure to come tomorrow.”
Wen Chengye didn’t even look back, heading straight for the rooftop door without acknowledging her.
The iron door slammed shut. With everyone gone, the rooftop finally returned to its usual tranquility.
A warm cup of tea was handed to her. Lin Wanxing turned her gaze and found Wang Fa standing beside her, holding the tea.
The tea was a honey-yellow color, and its sweet, fruity aroma filled her senses.
Lin Wanxing took a sip and discovered it was passion fruit and lemon with a bit of honey, leaving a tangy sweetness on her lips.
Logically, Lin Wanxing knew very well that Wen Chengye wasn’t a good fit for their group.
Although the other students often argued, it was just normal disagreements among boys.
But Wen Chengye was different. This boy had a very weak sense of morality and concepts of right and wrong.
He could harm others for his own preferences and showed little interest in most things, making it hard to motivate him.
Even watching a movie together was never peaceful. The idea of Wen Chengye joining the football team, cooperating and playing with others, seemed even more like a fantasy.
Lin Wanxing could easily imagine how, once he joined, everyone would end up arguing with Wen Chengye every day.
She took another sip of tea and said to Wang Fa, “Even though I know it’ll be troublesome and difficult, I still want to give it a try. Isn’t that strange?”
“Not strange at all,” Wang Fa replied, gazing at the distant football field.
“Will it cause trouble for you?”
Wang Fa seemed surprised by this question. His light-colored eyes lifted slightly as he raised his cup and gently clinked it with hers. “Teacher Lin, you’re being too formal. Actually, I have plenty of free time.”
—
Wen Chengye’s reflection on The Martian was a drawing.
The next day, when Lin Wanxing was collecting homework, it was clear Wen Chengye had no intention of handing anything in.
Lin Wanxing stood by his desk.
Seeing that she wasn’t leaving, Wen Chengye took out a blank sheet of paper from his backpack right in front of her.
He clicked his mechanical pencil and drew a circle on the paper.
Little Wen then handed the paper over, his gaze full of defiance."Mm, well drawn." Lin Wanxing took it and commented, "Still quite round."
She collected the "homework" handed in by Wen Chengye, then looked at the other students.
Different students had submitted various "reflections."
As the person in charge of the vegetable garden, Lin Lu submitted his "potato planting plan" organized after researching last night. He still drew a four-panel comic with a very clear flowchart, showing considerable potential for implementation.
Fu Xinshu, as always, earnestly wrote a reflection on the movie, discussing his thoughts on "people overcoming difficulties after encountering them."
Qi Liang raised a very interesting question—what would be the difference in taste between potatoes on Earth and potatoes on Mars?
Lin Wanxing posed this question to Wen Chengye.
Wen Chengye was clearly taken aback. However, since Qi Liang was the one who had accepted him the most in the entire team, he didn't criticize the question itself but remained silent.
Silence was, of course, part of the rebellious phase, but to a large extent, it also meant concession.
"He can't possibly think of these things in his head."
"It's useless to ask him!"
Seeing this, Qin Ao immediately started mocking.
"The stuff made up in movies is just for entertainment. Let humans land on Mars first before discussing this. What's the point?" Wen Chengye couldn't hold back and retorted sarcastically.
"What do you mean 'made up'? This is science fiction!"
"Without imagination, how can there be scientific progress?"
"Just because we haven't landed now doesn't mean it's impossible in the future. His brain just doesn't work that way."
The boys immediately started arguing logically, collectively criticizing Wen Chengye.
While the others were aggressive, Wen Chengye frowned tightly, as if he hadn't expected them to be so vocal, and for a moment, he couldn't find a rebuttal.
Lin Wanxing looked at Wen Chengye and found his perspective interesting: "Indeed, movies aren't necessarily meaningful. You're entitled to your own opinion."
Wen Chengye's shoulders relaxed for a moment, but he immediately crossed his arms, as if he couldn't be bothered with her.
Based on last night's movie, Lin Wanxing had prepared video materials about Mars exploration.
The focus of the video was to outline the major challenges of human Mars landing.
Only then did the students realize that although the Soviet Mars 3 lander had reached Mars as early as 1971, this was just a small step in the long journey of human Mars exploration.
Countries have embarked on the lengthy journey to Mars, and China plans to launch its first manned Mars exploration mission in 2033.
Wen Chengye didn't speak from beginning to end, but he was quietly listening. At one point, Lin Wanxing noticed him slightly tilting his head, attentively watching the Mars research being projected.
After a brief introduction, Lin Wanxing distributed today's reading materials to the students, also related to the "Mars Project."
The materials consisted of two Chinese readings and two English readings.
Lin Wanxing would spend some time reading quietly with the students.
The Chinese popular science articles helped students gain some understanding of the relevant content, with heuristic questions after each reading. Some required concise summarization and organizing the article's structure, while others were more complex multiple-choice questions.
The English materials were content Lin Wanxing found from some foreign English learning websites, roughly aligning with the students' interests for the day.
With the foundation laid by the Chinese readings, the students could more or less understand the English content.Lin Wanxing had previously taught everyone some techniques for reading English passages, such as how to handle unfamiliar words or tackle long, complex sentences, while grammar was the least of her priorities.
However, compared to reading in Chinese, English reading required more conscious effort—meaning the students needed to concentrate fully on the task.
So, at first, they grew quite frustrated every day when reading English.
For one, English wasn’t their native language, making it laborious to read; for another, they often encountered unfamiliar vocabulary and lengthy sentences, which left them with little patience to carefully finish an entire article.
At such times, Lin Wanxing knew she needed to lower the difficulty of the reading materials a bit and make the whole process more engaging.
The reading sessions often lasted longer than the standard 40-minute class period. The topics also frequently changed based on the students’ varying interests.
Sometimes, when the students became interested in certain questions, they would continue discussing long after watching a video, talking endlessly with great enthusiasm.
Lin Wanxing never forcibly cut this process short.
The other players were already accustomed to this routine, but Wen Chengye was participating for the first time.
From start to finish, he maintained a very "aloof and cold" demeanor.
He refused to answer or discuss any related questions and was unwilling to look at any materials, making him a complete outsider.
Lin Wanxing didn’t force him to participate either.
Only when the other students were chatting animatedly would she occasionally approach Wen Chengye and exchange a few words with him, ensuring he didn’t feel completely left out.
At the end of the reading session, Lin Wanxing would review the day’s content with everyone and continue introducing books and movies related to the Mars mission and space exploration for further study.
Most of these books could be found in her grandparents’ book collection. The students were free to decide whether they wanted to read them during the break after the morning session.
All of this constituted the students’ morning reading course.
—
It was a little past 8 a.m.
Lin Wanxing announced the end of the reading class.
The boys naturally stretched, preparing to change into their soccer uniforms for the upcoming football training session.
Everyone packed their things and left the classroom in small groups, arms slung over each other’s shoulders. Wen Chengye, with neither experience nor friends, lagged behind alone.
Lin Wanxing took out a prepared binder, placed the homework Wen Chengye had submitted that morning inside, and returned it to him.
"This is your homework for today, just for you," she said to Wen Chengye.
Wen Chengye abruptly looked up. Perhaps after more than an hour of non-stop reading in an environment he couldn’t integrate into at all, he had truly reached his limit. "Aren’t you tired? Do you really think you’re something special? What’s the use of all this nonsense you’re talking about?"
Lin Wanxing hadn’t expected Wen Chengye to react so strongly.
Wen Chengye was genuinely angry, but anger was better than silence.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Wanxing said, "To be specific, our reading class might not seem very useful because it doesn’t have a clear purpose..."
"It’s boring," Wen Chengye sneered.
"But you know what? I actually really enjoy teaching this class. For me, I need an opportunity to stay curious about the world. Every day, I look up information to learn a little more about this fascinating world."Lin Wanxing paused at just the right moment, leaving Wen Chengye alone to stare at the circle on the white paper before him.
“What about you, Wen Chengye? Do you have something you’re interested in? If so, please fill it in this circle and hand it to me.”
Lin Wanxing said.
——
For Lin Wanxing, she wasn’t sure when Wen Chengye would fill in the circle that belonged to him…
It might be tomorrow, or perhaps he would never be able to fill it at all.
Cultural classes—if they could even be called that—barely managed to keep Wen Chengye and the other students peaceful enough to sit in the same classroom.
But when it came to formal football training sessions, the situation was far from harmonious or friendly.
Since no one was willing to take Wen Chengye along, Lin Wanxing had to personally escort him to the field. The school had no physical education classes during the first two periods in the morning, so Lin Wanxing had successfully requested two hours off, just in case.
On the field, the other ten players and the coach were already prepared.
She arrived late, bringing Wen Chengye with her.
Every student in the football team had their own training record sheet.
The record sheet was clipped to a file board, listing the training tasks they needed to complete each day and their daily results, allowing everyone to clearly see the progress made through daily practice.
Wen Chengye, of course, received the same file board, but his board held only a single, thin sheet of paper for now.
Although it was already deep autumn at noon, the sun still beat down with a harsh intensity.
Wen Chengye stood alone on the grass, while the other team members lined up on the turf, poised to watch.
Wang Fa briefly explained to Wen Chengye, “We’ll start by conducting a physical fitness test for you. Based on the results, we’ll design a suitable training plan. The test items are listed on the sheet. Take a look first, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll explain and demonstrate in detail.”
Wen Chengye showed little reaction. Under the direct sunlight, he frowned slightly, staring at the file board in his hand.
Though Wen Chengye remained silent, Lin Wanxing could roughly guess what was on his mind.
The other players on the field had positioned themselves to watch. She glanced back at them and promptly urged them to start warming up.
“Why can’t we watch?”
“Teacher, even if you chase us away, we can still keep an eye on him!”
“I want to see just what kind of useless thing this old guy is now!”
The boys immediately erupted into noisy protests, determined not to back down.
Lin Wanxing looked at Wang Fa with a headache.
Wang Fa blew his whistle, and the boys suddenly stiffened, instinctively falling into formation.
Though reluctant, their daily training had ingrained habits in them, and they naturally began their pre-training warm-up.
Wen Chengye’s physical test items were the same as those his teammates had once done.
After Wang Fa’s brief demonstrations, he had Wen Chengye proceed with the tests one by one.
Even though the other teammates had moved away, their earlier words had reached Wen Chengye’s ears. As a result, the entire testing process did not go smoothly.
It wasn’t that Wen Chengye raised objections or refused to cooperate—he simply acted too lazy to put in the effort.
He ran lazily, jumped lazily; whether it was shuttle runs or slalom drills, he always appeared listless.
Wen Chengye’s uncooperative attitude was the hardest to deal with.
And what about their coach?
Lin Wanxing stood beside Wang Fa, watching the young man in the baseball cap.Wang Fa remained remarkably calm. He repeatedly clicked the stopwatch, recording one exaggerated time after another on his clipboard.
He offered Wen Chengye no additional corrections or demonstrations, simply watching coldly as his new team member began his first training session with an extremely negative attitude.
Lin Wanxing wanted to speak up several times, but didn't know what to say.
Time ticked by. Wen Chengye was lazily strolling on the rubber track—this was the final classic long-distance running test.
Qin Ao couldn't take it anymore and rushed over to complain: "That guy just doesn't want to train properly. Should I go teach him a lesson?"
Lin Wanxing smiled: "Weren't you warming up?"
"Warm up my ass! Teacher, just give the word and I'll immediately give that Wen dog a kick in the butt to straighten out his attitude!"
"Too violent," Wang Fa commented.
It was actually quite amusing how Wen Chengye's negative attitude had affected the other players too. After finishing their warm-ups, the boys performed their own physical training half-heartedly. They'd do a few sets of exercises, then find time to run over to her side and mutter a few words.
They were all waiting for her command. Just one word from her, and they'd immediately mobilize to discipline Wen Chengye.
"Compared to Wen dog, we're all good kids, right!" Lin Lu said proudly, tilting his head up.
Lin Wanxing watched as Wang Fa recorded Wen Chengye's 1500-meter time and could only nod helplessly.
She suddenly felt that Qin Ao's suggestion might not be completely unreasonable.
By the time Wen Chengye finished all his physical tests, an exaggerated hour had already passed.
During the break, Wen Chengye drank water alone by the field.
Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa sat resting in the stands.
Comrade Wang Fa had completed all the tests according to Wen Chengye's pace without showing any reaction.
This finally made Lin Wanxing ask: "Aren't you angry?"
"Seeing Teacher Lin so calm, I have to maintain composure too."
"I'm definitely pretending!" Lin Wanxing turned away from the field, facing Wang Fa with gritted teeth. "I'd love to beat him up."
"Well I'm different. I've truly been through storms, so I'm not angry."
"Don't suddenly act all profound!" Lin Wanxing protested Wang Fa's refusal to share her agitation.
——
Wen Chengye's physical tests also counted as his warm-up.
After a short break, Wang Fa continued "unangered" to arrange for Wen Chengye to train with the team.
According to the training plan, today's basic training item was—passing and receiving practice in team scrimmages.
Players worked in pairs or trios, passing and receiving while moving—a very fundamental football drill.
The training aimed to familiarize students with their teammates while running and build on-field rapport through numerous passing combinations.
The content was very familiar to the students. Wang Fa had arranged training groups many times before, and everyone knew the entire training process.
Previously, they would automatically form groups, but Wen Chengye's sudden inclusion left the boys unsure how to begin training. Everyone waited for Wang Fa's arrangements.
"You play defender, right?" Wang Fa asked Wen Chengye, twirling his pencil around his notebook.Wen Chengye froze for a moment. He didn't recall ever mentioning his previous specific location. But considering others might have revealed it, he simply nodded.
"Then you'll be in a group with Qin Ao and Fu Xinshu," Wang Fa stated.
Hearing this, the three students simultaneously looked up, staring at Wang Fa in disbelief.
Fu Xinshu hesitated to speak, while Qin Ao was more straightforward: "Coach, how could he possibly keep up with us?"
"That's not my concern," Wang Fa said.
"But coach, Wen dog... you don't realize how long it's been since Wen dog last played football. He doesn't even know our passing routes—hell, even I don't really know them sometimes—so how is he supposed to coordinate with us in training?"
"Gradually figure out the coordination," Wang Fa replied.
When it came to training, Comrade Wang Fa was a hegemonist, the type who never tolerated dissent.
He once again explained the day's training tactic to Wen Chengye and the other students: a drill focused on rapid transition from defense to offense. The exercise aimed to quickly identify gaps in the opponent's defense before they could reposition.
Wang Fa sketched out the students' passing routes and movement patterns on his tactical board. While the others were already familiar with these, the explanation was primarily for Wen Chengye's benefit.
"You and Fu Xinshu move forward to intercept the ball, observe Qin Ao's movements, and look for an opportunity to pass," Wang Fa instructed Wen Chengye. "If Qin Ao receives the ball, he can choose whether to advance or pass back."
Solid lines represented attacking routes, while zigzagged dashed lines indicated defensive paths. After finishing his explanation, Wang Fa had the students begin the practical drill.
The defensive side consisted of the trio Lin Lu, Qi Liang, and Chen Jianghe.
Qi Liang started dribbling the ball forward. Fu Xinshu seized the moment to position himself, intercepted the ball, and made a diagonal pass to Qin Ao, who was making a run ahead. Fu Xinshu's pass was exceptionally precise—a result of their long hours of training together. Qin Ao controlled the ball with the instep of his foot. At that moment, Lin Lu began marking Qin Ao closely.
Following Wang Fa's instructions, Lin Lu focused on disrupting the play, sticking tightly to Qin Ao.
Lin Lu's interference proved effective. Qin Ao started scanning for Wen Chengye's position. He drew his leg back for a powerful pass, but in the next instant, Wen Chengye remained rooted to the spot, making no movement.
"Run!" Fu Xinshu waved from a distance, urging Wen Chengye to move actively.
Yet in that moment, Wen Chengye simply stood there blankly, staring vacantly ahead.
The football rolled across the turf.
Wen Chengye's demeanor was entirely different from his earlier laziness. In that instant, it was as if he were the only person on the entire field, his mind completely blank.
He no longer knew what he was supposed to do.
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