Chapter Seven: The Goddess Su Xiang
In his past life, Lin Cheng once looked up Su Xiang’s background online.
Su Xiang was a United Nations staff member seconded by the state.
It’s worth noting that there are very few UN employees holding Chinese nationality—only about sixty—and their backgrounds are quite complex.
Su Xiang was one of a dozen or so individuals recommended by the government, all of whom held high ranks and had a distinctly political appointment flavor.
Before this, Su Xiang had served as the Investment Director at Hesheng Group and was well-known in investment circles...
People with such backgrounds typically had their personal gossip automatically filtered out.
Therefore, all rumors about her came from Zhao Guangtao—whose version was: Su Xiang might have died in a crime of passion...
Su Xiang once had a romantic relationship with a classmate, but it couldn’t withstand the test of time and space, and they ultimately broke up.
Later, Su Xiang met someone who resonated with her on the same frequency.
Suddenly, one day, she perished in a tragic car accident.
In those years, young scientific leaders from the University of Science and Technology also died mysteriously in car crashes; the reasons were simple yet enigmatic.
A tide of memories surged in, deeply moving Lin Cheng!
This was a seemingly ordinary yet profoundly magnificent life!
Lin Cheng smiled bitterly at this thought. In high school during his previous life, he had no interaction with Su Xiang.
This time around, if he had the chance, he vowed never to let a goddess like Su Xiang fall like a shooting star.
This sudden thought startled even Lin Cheng himself!
The morning exercises ended, and everyone dispersed on the spot.
Four thousand one hundred boys and girls streamed away like a tide.
Some returned to classrooms, others to restrooms, some wandered aimlessly, and others headed to the snack bar.
These young youths might not realize that this fierce vitality, even if they boarded a time machine, could never be chased back.
Ahead of Lin Cheng and Zhao Guangtao, two girls walked arm in arm, their clear laughter ringing out like tinkling bells.
Zhao Guangtao nudged Lin Cheng and winked mischievously.
Lin Cheng responded with a hum. For some unknown reason, Zhao Guangtao’s voice grew louder:
“That’s Su Xiang!”
Su Xiang’s name was extremely sensitive on campus, and the surrounding classmates all overheard it, even Su Xiang herself turned around.
Zhao Guangtao, normally quite mischievous, suddenly looked as if he had caused a major disaster and kept his head down, unwilling to say a word.
Had it been before, Lin Cheng would have been just like him when meeting Su Xiang.
But now, Lin Cheng was no longer a boy. Gazing at those bright eyes ahead like a streak of fire, he cursed Zhao Guangtao for meddling, then boldly greeted her:
“Hello, Su Xiang…”
“Lin Junjie! Oh, and Zhou Jielun!”
“…”
At that moment, Zhou Jielun and Lin Junjie both felt the atmosphere freeze.
No one expected these two superstar idols to flirt with Su Xiang!
“Why don’t you spend that time studying properly? If you can’t get into a top university, at least get into a second-tier one—that would be a fair return to your parents’ genes. Don’t act like fools flirting everywhere!”
The girl beside Su Xiang fired off words like a machine gun, indiscriminately sweeping through the air, then twisted her slender waist and pulled the composed Su Xiang away.
This “machine gun” girl was Su Xiang’s deskmate, Liu Sisi.
Liu Sisi had always been a barrier between the boys and Su Xiang.
She never dared to imagine what kind of person a girl like Su Xiang would fall in love with in the future:
If one day Su Xiang really did fall in love with a classmate, it would feel like...
Like... glass suddenly cracking in winter.
The surrounding classmates smiled, watching these two fools.
Zhuang Sijing came over quietly and said, “Let’s go! You’re not the only guy she’s annihilated.”
“Okay.”
Lin Cheng didn’t explain much; the smile full of determination and carefree confidence in Su Xiang’s eyes as she glanced back lingered in his mind.
Zhao Guangtao stammered an apology:
“Sorry, I didn’t expect Liu Sisi to be so fierce.”
Lin Cheng walked on expressionless.
Zhao Guangtao had no choice but to say, “Big bro, don’t be mad. How about I treat you to an all-night session?”
“Ah~”
Lin Cheng finally sighed and said, “Don’t call me big bro. I want to study! I want to break out of my cocoon and become a butterfly, so just call me Butterfly.”
“Butterfly?”
Such an awkward nickname?
Zhao Guangtao still shouted loudly, “Alright, alright! Butterfly, Butterfly, Butterfly—happy now?”
“Okay.” Lin Cheng nodded.
Zhuang Sijing suddenly glanced at Zhao Guangtao...
“What’s up?” Zhao Guangtao asked, noticing her strange expression.
“Pfft! Idiot!” Zhuang Sijing spat.
Zhao Guangtao: “......”
“Ring ring ring...”
A vigorous young man of twenty-seven strode in;
He was Chen Yan, the Chinese teacher and homeroom teacher of Class Five, a top graduate from Huashi University.
Lin Cheng had a deep impression of him!
Because Chen Yan was young, everyone enjoyed joking with him; but when it came to class, he was very serious—you could ignore him, but not sleep.
If he caught someone sleeping, he’d say, “If the principal saw you sleeping in my class, he’d be furious!”
He confiscated students’ copies of “Soul Land” and other novels, yet he loved reading them himself and joked about scenes from the stories.
For example, if a student pointed out a mistake he made in class, he would helplessly scold:
“Wicked disciple! How dare you rebel against your teacher? Are you trying to destroy your master’s legacy?”
Students would respond with resigned compliance, “Master, your disciple has been taught...”
Thanks to Chen Yan’s playful teaching style, Class Five was lively.
“Second Brother, Master has been captured by demons.”
“Master, take care. The years ahead promise only fleeting good times...”
These were their class catchphrases...
Chen Yan opened the book, looked around the classroom, and said:
“Zhuang Siqi, translate this: ‘I have often reflected deeply but it does not compare to the learning of a moment; I have often stood on tiptoe to look afar...’”
“I once pondered all day, yet it was not as profound as the insight gained in an instant; I once stood on tiptoe gazing afar, but it was not as broad as viewing from a high place...”
Zhuang Siqi answered crisply.
At this moment, Zhao Guangtao nudged Lin Cheng’s back from behind:
“Look, look, Chen Zishi just passed a note to He Yueyue!!”
“Get lost!” Lin Cheng growled softly.
He didn’t want to see He Yueyue at all right now.
How strange it was that in his previous life, he obeyed her for over ten years?
Damn it!
Why did Chen Zishi manage to drag the “rich woman” He Yueyue into scamming him out of his money?
As he thought of this, his mind shifted to the absurd scheme of the rising star Wang Baoqiang’s young wife and manager Song Jiji transferring his assets...
At that moment, he empathized with Wang Baoqiang!
Damn... this is infuriating...
Just as Lin Cheng was gnashing his teeth, a piece of chalk flew toward him...
“Lin Cheng, continue the translation: ‘Accumulating earth forms mountains, from which winds and rains arise...’”
With a sigh, Lin Cheng stood up amid the laughter of his classmates and began translating:
“Piled earth and stones become high mountains, where winds and rains arise; water gathers into deep pools, where dragons are born...”