Thе stаrt of the sсhool уеаr аt Меi Zhong was аlways bustling with excitemеnt.
А bannеr welсоming nеw studеnts stretсhеd асrоss the mаin gate, reрlаcing thе one that hаd celеbrated thе tор sсоrеrs оf the cоllеge еntrаnсe еxаms аll summer long.
Вut thе honоr roll areа was paсkеd with рarеnts of freshmen, а sеа of hеаds bоbbing аnd wеаving. In the еуes оf thesе middle-agеd adults, а rаrе spаrklе shоnе as they рointed at the namеs behind the glass рanels—Тsinghua, Реking Universitу, Fudan... Parents praised them eagerly, as if those were the bright futures their own children could reach in three years.
Grandpa was there too, looking on. His posture was upright, his clothes neat and clean, maintaining the dignity of a retired factory worker. Jostled by the crowd, he still craned his neck forward, straining to see the names of the outstanding students on the honor roll.
"Old man, stop squeezing in there. The important thing is to find out which class our child is in," Grandma began tugging at her husband.
There were no advanced classes for freshmen—only regular ones, assigned in order based on entrance exam scores. Once the list reached the end, it started over from Class One.
"Sweetie, have you found which class you're in?" Grandma spotted Jiang Du in the crowd, two girls huddled close together as they searched for their names.
Wang Jingjing suddenly let out a shriek, then vigorously shook Jiang Du's arm. "Class Two! Heaven must have heard my prayers—we're both in Class Two! This is just too awesome!"
Jiang Du, frail and delicate, was nearly knocked off balance by the tugging.
Hearing this, Grandma looked pleasantly surprised. "Jingjing is in the same class as us?"
Next came the search for dorm rooms. Wang Jingjing dashed ahead at lightning speed, shouting something about needing to grab a good spot.
The freshman girls' dormitory was on the way to the cafeteria. On the balconies, colorful clothes belonging to upperclassmen already fluttered in the breeze. As Wang Jingjing charged toward the dorm, her mother and Jiang Du's grandparents followed at a leisurely pace.
The bed by the door was the worst—people constantly coming and going, noisy, and cold in winter. Wang Jingjing managed to snag a bunk bed near the balcony. She tossed her backpack onto the top bunk, plopped down on the bottom one, and beamed at the other parents who soon entered. "Auntie, this bunk is taken."
Wang Jingjing was quite cunning. The boys' dormitory was right across the way, and she had heard rumors that after lights-out, boys would whistle at the girls' dorm, show off by playing guitar, or shout love poems... In short, the gossip at Mei Zhong was thrilling, and Wang Jingjing couldn't wait to dive into her brand-new high school life.
Jiang Du ended up with a bottom bunk.
The first day was a mix of chaos and excitement, with youthful faces brimming with anticipation for the future. The dorm room housed eight girls. Urged by their parents, most of them introduced themselves modestly, sharing their names.
"This girl has such fair skin—so pretty," someone complimented Jiang Du. The dorm still carried the damp, earthy scent left by the rain, no longer as intense as during the downpour but lingering in the air, making everything feel moist.
Whenever someone praised her, Jiang Du would simply press her lips together and smile silently.
During this season, mosquitoes were relentless. The mothers helped their daughters hang mosquito nets and make their beds, not forgetting to cheerfully remind them, "Get along well with your classmates, and don’t start any conflicts! You’re all high school students now—grown-ups."
Grandma held Jiang Du’s hand, gently rubbing it as she softly repeated various reminders. Jiang Du kept nodding lightly in response.
"About the military training, make sure to tell your teacher. Don’t push yourself too hard, understand?" Grandma patted her hand, still looking somewhat uneasy."I know, I won't forget," Jiang Du said.
"That's good, that's good," Grandma murmured twice.
At noon, the two families had originally planned to eat at a small restaurant near the entrance, but it was too crowded. Wang Jingjing's mother drove them to a place farther away for a meal, then dropped the two girls back at school. After that, the parents basically had nothing else to do.
Once the adults left, Wang Jingjing cheered excitedly, pulling Jiang Du around the school to explore and familiarize themselves with the surroundings.
During the evening self-study session, unfamiliar figures gradually filled the classroom.
Some were lucky enough to still be in the same class as their former junior high school classmates, thrilled beyond words. Others had come from smaller towns and knew no one, trying to strike up conversations. Wang Jingjing scanned the room and, confirming that aside from Jiang Du, she didn't know anyone else, sat down in disappointment. But she couldn't resist leaning over her desk to sneak glances behind her, checking if there were any handsome boys in the class.
Jiang Du listened as the girls chatted about TV shows they had watched over the summer, their laughter continuous. The classroom was noisy and chaotic, and no one knew where the homeroom teacher was. Everyone was talking freely, letting loose.
Seats were chosen randomly. Wang Jingjing preferred hanging out with boys, so as soon as she entered the classroom, she headed toward the back, where almost all the students were boys. When Jiang Du walked over with her eyes lowered, the boys noticeably whistled.
She didn't say anything, just opened a book. A boy behind her gently poked her back, and Jiang Du turned halfway around. At that moment, the boy got a clear look at her face.
"Hey, what's your name? I'm Lin Haiyang," the boy introduced himself openly.
Wang Jingjing had already turned around and giggled, her expression full of gossipy curiosity.
Jiang Du's face flushed slightly. "I'm Jiang Du."
"Your name is quite unique," Lin Haiyang started chatting. "Is it the 'Du' with the three-dot water radical? That's a coincidence—my name also has characters with the three-dot water radical."
Wang Jingjing, listening nearby, curled her lip. "Lin, you really know how to stretch things, huh? Even the three-dot water radical isn't spared. Are you lacking water in your five elements?"
Lin Haiyang responded seriously, "What, are you lacking water too, classmate?"
"I'm not lacking water. My mom says I lack common sense," Wang Jingjing joked about herself without hesitation. Sure enough, the boys behind her burst into laughter, and she quickly struck up lively conversations with them.
Eventually, Wang Jingjing turned her whole body toward the back. She was the type who could easily get along with anyone.
Jiang Du, on the other hand, was the kind of girl who had always been shy. She didn't like talking and could never blend in with her classmates as effortlessly as Wang Jingjing did. She preferred quietly observing everyone from the sidelines, but hypocritically, she didn't want others to pay attention to her.
The classroom remained noisy, but Jiang Du's heart was quiet.
She watched Wang Jingjing chatting animatedly with the boys, lost in the moment, and didn't disturb her. In her desk drawer was a plastic bag from a clothing purchase. Strangely, after entering high school, no one liked carrying backpacks anymore—they preferred using plastic bags to hold scattered school supplies. And after a while, some wouldn't even bother with plastic bags anymore.
Jiang Du pulled out a small pack of tissues, took one, and placed it in the pocket of her denim skirt.
The hallway was empty.
The classroom was brightly lit, filled with chattering first-year high school students under the stark white light. Every classroom was the same—lively and chaotic.Jiang Du did not share Wang Jingjing's habit of boldly peeking into other classrooms whenever she passed by. She had just reached the corner, about to go downstairs, when she almost collided head-on with a figure.
It wasn't her fault—she wasn't walking hurriedly. It was the boy who was taking two steps at a time, rushing upstairs, and they happened to meet at that exact moment.
Jiang Du took two steps back.
Almost simultaneously, both uttered the words "sorry." She instinctively looked up, her pupils trembling slightly.
The boy didn't even glance at her. He apologized hastily and brushed past her.
It was him. His face wasn't bloody, and he looked completely clean.
Jiang Du couldn't help but slowly turn her head, resting her chin on her shoulder, and cautiously watched to see where he was heading.
But whether it was the back door of Class Three or the front door of Class Four, a figure suddenly emerged. Jiang Du froze, quickly retracting her gaze. In her panic, she guiltily crouched down, pretending to tie her shoelaces. The sudden change flushed her face bright red.
Once the person passed, she glanced over quickly and realized the boy had already disappeared.
Was he from Mei Zhong? A first-year? He looked completely different from last time... Last time, she thought he was a delinquent—the kind with poor grades, attending a vocational school, idle all day, dating, smoking, fighting... Like her peers, Jiang Du held a stereotypical impression of vocational school students.
Although he didn't seem like a delinquent this time, he also didn't look like... a good kid? Jiang Du's mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. She turned on the faucet, gently cupped her hands to scoop up some cold water, and splashed it on her face.
She was curious about him—the first time she had ever felt curious about someone else.
This curiosity was a very subtle feeling, like a thin layer of mist spreading across her heart, yet not strong enough to disrupt her normal life. When she returned to the classroom, she couldn't help but glance toward the boys in the back row—very quickly—before pretending nothing had happened and looking away.
"Jiang Du, were you looking at me?" Lin Haiyang had been staring at her since she entered. Suddenly, he joked loudly. Jiang Du was instantly flustered. She shook her head, smoothed her skirt, and had just sat down when a man walked into the classroom, and the room fell silent.
It was the homeroom teacher, surnamed Xu. He was slightly plump and looked older than his age, though he claimed to have graduated from university just two years ago. Teacher Xu was humorous: "I'm twenty-five this year. You might think I look forty, but I'm actually young. It can't be helped—I aged all at once. But the biggest advantage of looking old is that I'll still look like this when I'm forty. Believe it or not? When I'm forty, come back and see if that's the case."
The classroom erupted in laughter. Jiang Du couldn't help but smile slightly. She did a quick calculation in her head: when the teacher turned forty, it would be fifteen years later. Oh, she would be thirty then. Thirty... that sounded so old. The number thirty felt distant and ancient to a teenage girl.
She wondered what she would be like at thirty. Jiang Du thought, I don't want to perm my hair like Auntie Li next door, and I don't want to wear those body-hugging skirts. I'll still wear sneakers and denim skirts.
Next, each student had one minute for self-introductions. When Jiang Du went up, the class buzzed again. Her skin was snow-white, but her eyebrows were jet-black. Her classmates immediately understood what it meant to have "eyebrows and eyes like a painting."She was very shy, her pupils sparkling, her eyelashes fluttering, unsure where to rest her gaze, so she kept her eyes fixed on Wang Jingjing the entire time.
Teacher Xu stood nearby with the class roster, which included their high school entrance exam scores. After Jiang Du finished her brief self-introduction, Teacher Xu called out to her: "Jiang Du? Could you serve as the Chinese class representative for now? I see you have the highest score in this subject."
"Teacher Xu, Jiang Du was the Chinese class representative all three years of junior high, and she even won awards for her essays! Pick her!" Wang Jingjing cheered for her from below. At this, Jiang Du’s ears flushed red. She hastily agreed to the teacher’s request, returned to her seat, and lightly tapped Wang Jingjing.
That evening, the teacher first set up a provisional class committee, selecting representatives for each subject. Then, the boys were sent to collect the textbooks. The boys quickly warmed up to each other, chatting and laughing as they left the classroom together.
Military training at the start of the school year was a tradition. Before it officially began, the freshmen, dressed in ill-fitting green training uniforms, stood densely packed on the sports field under the scorching sun.
Everyone complained about why it hadn’t rained this week. After a brief murmur of discontent, they fell silent again under the homeroom teacher’s sweeping gaze.
The leaders on the stage took turns speaking, each beginning with, "Let me say a few words." However, everyone knew that "a few words" from adults meant at least twenty minutes.
By the time the so-called freshman representative took the stage to speak, the audience was already growing impatient.
After all, the freshman opening ceremony had lasted over two hours. Although the stage was not open-air, the students below were directly exposed to the sun, and some weaker girls had already fainted and been taken to the infirmary.
"Ugh, who knows how long this representative will talk? Weren’t we told it would only take an hour?"
"It’s so hot, can’t they hurry up? I’m so tired of hearing the same old ‘Respected leaders, beloved teachers.’"
"Hello everyone, in this golden September with its refreshing autumn breeze, I am honored to be selected as the freshman representative…" a boy chimed in mockingly, lightening the mood and making everyone stifle giggles.
But soon, the laughter died down, and everyone perked up slightly.
"It’s Wei Qingyue! It’s really him!"
"That one, the top scorer—it’s him."
"He’s so handsome! He’s in Class One, right? That’s next to our class!"
Jiang Du gritted her teeth and looked up, feeling slightly dizzy. The boy on stage was Wei Qingyue, a name known to every freshman in the grade. The reason was simple: he was the top scorer in the entrance exams and was placed in Class One of the freshman year.
She stared at the boy in surprise.
He wasn’t some troublemaker—he was the city’s top scorer in the high school entrance exams.
So, she had known his name all along.
Jiang Du wiped the sweat trickling down her neck.
After Wei Qingyue stepped onto the stage, he first bowed to the leaders seated there. Then, walking up to the microphone, he calmly tucked the speech draft reviewed by his homeroom teacher into his pocket and said:
"Hello, classmates. We’ve already been standing here for over two hours, so I’ll keep it short. I’m glad we’re all here at Mei Zhong, one step closer to our initial dreams. I hope we can all do well in our studies and lives here, staying true to ourselves and making the most of our youth. Thank you, and sorry for taking up your time."
After speaking, the boy gave a slight bow, turned, and walked off the stage.
The entire sports field fell silent for a moment.
No one had expected Wei Qingyue, as the freshman representative, to completely abandon the prepared speech draft. With just one minute of impromptu remarks, he left the leaders and teachers exchanging bewildered glances and the students in stunned silence.Someone started shouting "Bravo!" and was immediately followed by a thunderous applause. Amidst this applause, Jiang Du's body went limp, and she fainted.
This was destined to be an unforgettable opening ceremony. The unconventional speech by the top-scoring freshman of Mei Zhong, the scorching autumn sun, the restless emotions, and the fainting girl formed the first scene of this cohort's life at Mei Zhong.
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