After the tense monthly exam weekend, students started returning to school one by one on Sunday afternoon.
According to school regulations, classes were scheduled for Sunday evenings.
Especially after a monthly exam, results were usually out by Sunday evening. Everyone eagerly awaited their test scores. Whether they brought disappointment or joy, these scores were the results of their own efforts.
Lin Feng returned to the classroom, gave his notebook back to Tang Rou, and then promptly put his head down on his desk to sleep. Of course, when Tang Rou asked how he'd done on the exam, Lin Feng simply replied, "Not bad." After all, the scores weren't out yet, so guessing was pointless. It was a common occurrence to feel you'd done very well, only for the results to be devastatingly low.
The first class of the evening was English, and without a doubt, Cao Ying would announce the English scores.
Cao Ying had a habit of reading students' scores aloud in class and having them come forward to receive their tests. However, to protect the self-esteem of students who failed, she would not announce their scores.
Since Cao Ying came to Jiangzhou No.1 Middle School, Lin Feng had always been under her "self-esteem protection."
Clutching a stack of test papers, Cao Ying, dressed in a white shirt, walked into the classroom. As soon as everyone saw the papers in her hands, they immediately sat up straight, alert.
Many students had become numb to tests and didn't really care about their scores. However, this didn't mean their parents didn't care. On the contrary, their test scores were often directly correlated with their pocket money.
"This time, everyone did quite well, especially in English. Although the inter-class rankings aren't out yet, I don't think we'll be fifteenth among the twenty-four classes anymore. I did a rough calculation of the class average, and it has improved by at least two points since the last monthly test!"
Cao Ying seemed to be in good spirits, a charming smile on her beautiful face.
"Of course," she continued, "with exams, there's triumph and disappointment. I hope students who did well this time will continue to strive and not become complacent. After all, this is just a monthly test; the college entrance examination is your real battlefield. As for those who did poorly, you must thoroughly review your performance. With the college entrance exam approaching, it's crucial to summarize your successes and failures, identify your weaknesses, and make up for them to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the next exam…"
"Alright, according to the usual rules, I won't announce the names of the top ten students for now, nor will I announce the names of those who failed. Next are the students who passed. When I call your name, please come up and get your test paper. Wang Fang, 91 points…"
As Cao Ying began reading the students' names one by one, those seated grew nervous, and a strange tension filled the classroom.
Tang Rou sat in her seat, pursing her lips and occasionally glancing back at Lin Feng. When she saw him sleeping at his desk, she felt an inexplicable pang of disappointment.
She was never nervous when the teacher announced scores because her English results were always among the top three in class. Therefore, she usually read with her head bowed, not really listening until her name was called.
But this time was different. She listened attentively to each name Cao Ying announced—these were the students who had passed but weren't in the top ten. She was filled with anticipation, hoping to hear Lin Feng's name. If Lin Feng passed, she thought, it means he really has been studying hard.
However, to her dismay, she didn't hear Lin Feng's name.
"Song Yunfeng, 122 points… Alright, I've finished announcing the students who passed but didn't make it into the top ten. The remaining students are those in the top ten and those who didn't pass. As usual, I'll start announcing from tenth place. For those who didn't pass, I won't call out your names. I'll distribute your test papers in a moment, and students in the front can pass them back."
Cao Ying's gaze swept slowly across the classroom. She wore a smile, but her expression froze when her eyes landed on a figure in the back row. Lin Feng is actually sleeping! she thought, incredulous. How can he possibly sleep in this atmosphere?
"You all probably know who the top ten students are. However, this time, there's a new face… Lin Feng, 125 points…"
"Huh?"
"Wha—What?"
"Lin Feng?!"
When Cao Ying announced the most unlikely name, the chatter in the class instantly vanished. Everyone was stunned. Lin Feng scored 125 points in English? How is that possible?!
Upon hearing Lin Feng's name, Tang Rou was visibly stunned. She had initially felt disappointed at not hearing his name, but now, hearing he had scored 125 points, she was utterly shocked. She couldn't believe her ears and quickly looked at Cao Ying on the podium, wondering if she was joking.
"That's right. Lin Feng, 125 points, tenth place." Cao Ying's expression was complex, a mix of emotions. Like Tang Rou and the rest of the students, her gaze shifted to Lin Feng's seat…
The guy who usually sat in the last row, so low-key he was practically invisible, was currently asleep!
The students exchanged glances, unsure whether to laugh or cry. This guy, of all people, scored tenth in class with 125 points? Did he really not cheat?
"Boss, Boss…" Yang Tao, sitting next to him, whispered, shaking Lin Feng's shoulder.
Lin Feng, who had been deep in conversation with Lord Zhou, groggily lifted his head. He rubbed his eyes, and when they focused, he saw—holy cow, what was going on? The entire class was staring at him!
Lin Feng was startled. Seeing Cao Ying on the podium also looking at him, he quickly managed a smile.
"Boss, you scored 125 in English, tenth in class!" Yang Tao hastily explained.
"Really? I scored that high?" Lin Feng asked, genuinely curious.
The surrounding students were speechless. He didn't even know how well he did? We might as well go bang our heads against some tofu! Could this have been a complete fluke?
"Lin Feng, come up and get your test paper," Cao Ying said calmly from the podium, her arms crossed.
Lin Feng responded with an "Oh," stood up, stretched, and walked to the podium to take the test paper from Cao Ying.
"Wait a moment."
Just as he was about to turn and return to his seat, Cao Ying called out sternly, stopping him.
All eyes in the class snapped to Cao Ying, wondering what she was about to do.
"Lin Feng, please take a closer look at your test paper," Cao Ying said.
Lin Feng flipped through the paper, looked it over, but found nothing amiss. He then looked at Cao Ying, puzzled.
"Did you find anything?" she asked.
"No."
"Take another good look at your test paper. Are you sure you didn't find anything?" Cao Ying insisted, tapping the lectern with her hand, her expression somewhat displeased.