Chapter 9 – Returning to Campus to Resume Old Business

Time flies—it passes swiftly, yet remains equally endearing.

Why is that?

Because every scholar who has studied understands!

Ye Kuang shouldered his Pleasant Goat Backpack early in the morning and followed the flow of the crowd toward the turning point of his life!

XX Middle School!

In the prime of youth, brimming with boundless beauty, it was early September, a time when dragons lift their heads.

Tall school trees stood erect on both sides, with meticulously spaced shadows refracting dazzling sunlight, casting a figure that appeared straight and slender—very, very long…

The sunlight seemed to witness the rise of a legend, unstoppable in its momentum!

As Ye Kuang approached a classroom, he spotted a graceful figure standing elegantly.

It was none other than the homeroom teacher, Xue Yajing!

True to her name, she was refined and serene.

Dressed in a light yellow dress, she resembled a mature and steady chrysanthemum in full bloom.

From the side, her delicate, jade-like nose arched above a vibrant red lip, which moved occasionally as if she were speaking. Her beautiful eyes blinked with remarkable liveliness…

Suddenly sensing something, she turned her head toward the door and teased with a blossoming smile, “Oh… if it isn’t our little hero. You’re up quite early, aren’t you…”

As their eyes met, her delicate features seemed to glow even brighter, her beauty rivaling that of Xi Shi. Without a trace of makeup, her fair skin stood out strikingly. Beneath her graceful brows were star-bright phoenix eyes, a straight and upturned nose, and delicate, rosy lips… subtly revealing a glimpse of her pink neck, evoking endless imagination.

However, Ye Kuang was in no mood to appreciate this at the moment; he felt extremely embarrassed.

This homeroom teacher was perfect in every way, except for her love of teasing others.

Just a month ago, he had performed a heroic act of saving a girl—how could she not seize the opportunity to tease him about it?

Ye Kuang: “Old Class, could you say a little less? Are you afraid my reputation isn’t loud enough already?”

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes swept across the classroom, and he immediately felt overwhelmed.

Because all the young men and women in the class were staring at him as if he were an alien.

Xue Yajing: “Alright, alright, hurry and take your seat. There’s important business to announce today!”

Ye Kuang shot his best friend a knowing look and reluctantly sat down.

Only when Xue Yajing saw that everyone was present did she smile and begin, “A new semester marks a new beginning. This year is also a sprint year. May I ask, students, are you all prepared?”

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

“Striving without stopping, always ready to sprint—we are fully prepared…”

“Study hard and improve daily; time waits for no one. Being prepared is essential.”

“The great mountains and rivers of our motherland await our rise to contribute our humble efforts. For a bright future, we must fight even if we don’t want to…”

…

Witnessing the enthusiasm of dozens of students, Xue Yajing couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. She gently pressed her hands downward.

Once the classroom fell into complete silence, she continued with a smile, “For the first class, let’s not have a lesson. Since we are all classmates here, we will likely take different paths in the future. However, I hope you will continue to help and support each other, just as you do now—that’s what true classmates should be like… For this first class, let’s play a small game. How about everyone sharing a short story?”Noise and commotion were inevitable. To be honest, everyone was still getting into the groove for this first class, and pulling such a stunt could gradually boost everyone’s enthusiasm.

Xue Yajing: “Alright, let’s have each of you come up one by one. Let’s start with Platoon Leader Liu Dun!”

Liu Dun: “Teacher, I don’t have any short stories to tell…”

As soon as his words fell, the entire room burst into laughter. Everyone exchanged knowing smiles, revealing their most innocent sides.

Ye Kuang’s close friend Lin Qi suddenly stood up and sneered, “Teacher, Ye Kuang must have a short story to tell. Why not invite him?”

“Oh…” Upon hearing this, Xue Yajing immediately made a decision and encouraged, “Let’s welcome the iron-willed Ye Kuang from the Ye Family to share a wonderful short story!”

Ye Kuang was instantly dumbfounded upon hearing this!

He had been set up by his close friend, and now he had no choice but to fill this massive pit.

With this thought, his mind began to race—what short story could he tell? Something like “Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and in the mountain, there were three old monks”?

He was deeply conflicted. That damned Lin Qi was absolutely despicable!

But he had his own clever tricks up his sleeve—how could he let himself be trapped so easily?

Ye Kuang: “Well then, I’ll make a fool of myself. If it’s not funny, please don’t laugh at me!”

Lin Qi: “Of course, of course. I can’t wait to have a good laugh at your short story.”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang secretly flipped Lin Qi off in his mind. Then, he confidently began to recite a short story: “The Foreigner Buying a Pen!”

Once upon a time, a foreigner came to China for tourism. Since his pen was broken, he needed to buy a new one. When he arrived at a small shop, he smiled at the shopkeeper and said, “I want to buy a pen.”

The shopkeeper, completely baffled, tilted his head in confusion and asked, “What do you want to buy?”

Foreigner: “A pen!”

Although the shopkeeper didn’t understand English, he was very familiar with the word “pen.” He immediately laughed and said, “Oh, you want a basin? Yes, yes, I’ll get one for you right away!”

Foreigner: “Emo… yes…”

When the shopkeeper came out again, he was holding a large wooden basin and handed it over.

The foreigner shook his head upon seeing it and laughed, “No! No! No!”

The shopkeeper grew even more puzzled and muttered, “This basin is brand new—it doesn’t leak!”

Foreigner: “A pen! A pen!”

Then, as if he understood a little, the shopkeeper smiled and said, “You want to buy a basin, right?”

Foreigner: “Pen! Yeah! Pen! Yeah!”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He went to the back again, and when he reappeared, he was holding a basin half-filled with water. Smiling at the foreigner, he said, “Is this enough basin and enough liquid for you?”

Seeing this, the foreigner shook his head again, his face crestfallen, and said, “No! It’s a pen! A pen! Yeah!”

The shopkeeper wondered to himself—did the foreigner want more than one basin?

Thinking this, he went to the back again and brought out a plastic basin and a wooden basin. Smiling, he asked, “Are you sure you want basins?”

Foreigner: “Pen! Yeah!”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper picked up a water bottle and poured some water into the basin, laughing as he said, “Is that enough liquid now?”Witnessing this scene, the foreigner couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.

The shopkeeper was truly at his wit’s end. He now fully understood that the foreigner definitely didn’t want a basin. In a hurry, he turned around and shouted, “Silly kid, come out quickly!”

As soon as the words were spoken, a child emerged. The shopkeeper immediately continued, “This person wants to buy a basin. Translate for him.”

This child was Lin Qi. Upon hearing this, he directly took out a pen and handed it over.

After finishing his story, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but summarize, “The story may seem short, but it illustrates a principle: cultural differences require a bridge for communication, and building this bridge requires relentless effort from both sides to find common ground.”

Clap clap clap…

Hoo hoo hoo!

Seeing such an excited reaction, Xue Yajing couldn’t help but marvel inwardly, “Wherever this guy goes, he stirs up a frenzy.”

Regardless of how everyone was laughing together, Lin Qi’s face turned as bitter as a bitter gourd. This was truly a miscalculation.

He had hoped to see his close friend embarrassed, giving him a reason to tease, but who would have thought the tables would turn? Ye Kuang had turned the situation around and dragged him into it, making him lose face completely.

What kind of child was this, so impressive?

Didn’t this hit right at his sore spot?

He was completely clueless about English!

It could be said that through this short story, one could almost witness the beginning of Ye Kuang’s legendary exploits.

What followed afterward was nothing more than minor antics, similar to three monks fighting over water or a group of little goats needing to be counted to be clear…

The subsequent minor stories can be indirectly omitted!

Though the days that followed were monotonous, studying was equally important. The daily routine consisted of either teasing each other or being teased, yet they lived with carefree ease.

And the rest of their lives, though ordinary, also seemed extraordinary.

Ye Kuang’s days from seven in the morning to five in the evening were quite fulfilling. While busy with studies all day long, his life was never short of excitement.

In his spare time, he would often discuss academic shortcomings with female classmates to compensate for his own weaknesses.

Little did he know, this indirectly cultivated his growth in courting, as recorded in his legendary exploits.

Life is like a dream, an illusion—no one knows what will happen next.

Why not relax both body and mind, fully immerse in it, not letting troubles confuse you, nor forgetting to seek joy amidst irritating days.

Of course, studies must come first, and fun second!

He officially returned to his hometown and began living a carefree campus life.

Here, it must be mentioned: Ye Kuang was second to none in biology class and equally passionate about chemistry.

The mysteries within cannot be spoken of nor explained—only through personal experience can one comprehend the profundity!

However, this also led to his severe imbalance in subjects. Yet, for him, it was all just seasoning in his studies or life, meant to add subtle flavors to his daily existence.

The mix of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty all held indescribable beauty.

Of course, the joy in it was utterly addictive.

As the saying goes: opposites attract, and life is mostly just that simple.

For example:

During physical education class, classmate Xiao Li accidentally injured her ankle. Ye Kuang eagerly volunteered and, amidst everyone’s pointing and teasing, supported her all the way to the infirmary.When Xiao Hui encountered difficult problems in her studies, Ye Kuang would simply toss the homework aside, claiming it was an opportunity to help those in need—something he considered his forte.