I numbly nodded and turned to leave.
However, the surge of emotions made me careless of my footing. I stumbled, couldn't steady myself, and began to fall backward. I instantly reacted, desperately trying to control my body, but yesterday's workout had left my legs weak and my whole body aching, unable to muster any strength. So, I could only fall backward.
My huge body pressed toward Bai Manwen, and the homeroom teacher didn't react quickly enough, getting crushed beneath me. As I fell, I instinctively reached out to brace myself. With a thud, both of us tumbled to the floor, with me landing squarely on top of her.
Because someone cushioned my fall, I felt nothing. I only felt the body underneath me was soft, and a delicate fragrance reached me. However, the place my hand landed felt wrong. I moved my hand and felt something soft and slippery in my palm, which felt strange but surprisingly good, so I subconsciously squeezed it a couple of times. With the movement of my hand, the person beneath me reacted violently. I felt a hand forcefully pushing my body, accompanied by a low growl: "Get off!"
I looked closely and finally realized what I was holding—it was the Old Witch's right breast. I was grasping it through her clothes. I was instantly terrified. Wasn't this like touching the tiger's whiskers?
No time to enjoy the softness, I quickly withdrew my hand and scrambled to my feet.
Bai Manwen immediately got up, one hand covering her chest. Her face looked a bit flushed. She took a few unconscious steps backward, her high heels tapping on the floor, and looked up, her eyes showing a hint of coldness.
I quickly apologized: "Teacher Bai, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Bai Manwen didn't speak, just took a few low breaths. She looked at me with unconcealed disgust, said nothing, but began dusting off her clothes and rubbing her body where she'd been hurt from the fall.
I quickly ran back into the classroom, sweating lightly and breathing heavily. The previous scene had been too stimulating. The fearsome Mistress Extinction had been assaulted by me, probably the student she hated most in her life. Who would believe it if I told them?
After gradually calming down, a wave of fear washed over me. I had assaulted this Old Witch—wouldn't she kill me? Thinking of her harsh methods, I felt uneasy. But what truly frightened me was the parent-teacher conference this semester. If Mom really didn't have time to come, would I actually be kicked out of this class?
Holding my book, I thought for a moment. The Old Witch walked back in, looking as serious and dignified as before, scrutinizing the students. Immediately, the reading volume in the classroom increased.
I didn't know if I was imagining it, but I felt her gaze constantly, deliberately sweeping over me, making me fidget. I could only keep my head down and loudly read to myself.
After the morning reading ended, I sat at my desk, organizing the chaotic surface, stacking my books that were practically new, with no notes in them, from largest to smallest.
I planned to listen carefully in class today, so I opened the Math textbook for the next period, preparing to preview it.
I pinched a page with my fingers, the smooth feeling startling me. I looked at my right hand, clenching and unclenching my palm. The soft touch from moments ago seemed to linger, permeating my heart. I seemed to realize that no matter how fierce a woman was, her breasts were always soft.
Unconsciously, I recalled Mistress Extinction's warm breath at close range, the scent of cosmetics, and her full lips under the light. My heart involuntarily warmed up. I seemed to have discovered an unusual beauty in the usually strict and demanding Mistress Extinction.
"Ding-a-ling~"
While my mind wandered, the ten-minute break flew by. As the class bell rang, the Math teacher walked in, carrying his textbook.
I swear I tried to listen carefully, but following the lecture was much harder than I expected. Especially since I hadn't learned the long string of previous knowledge, I couldn't understand what the teacher was saying at all. It was dry, like reading an undecipherable text, and impossible to pay attention to.
This was true not just for Math, but also for Physics, Chemistry, and English. I simply couldn't understand any of it.
This feeling tormented me. I had fallen too far behind. It was incredibly difficult to catch up.
After lunch, there was a short nap time. Students could go back to sleep. Boarding students slept in the school dorms, and day students could go home.
But today was Friday, and the students were generally excited, so few went back to sleep. Most stayed in the classroom, but since this was the top experimental class, very few were fooling around. Most were either doing homework or resting their heads on the desk.
I didn't go back to the dorms either. After taking care of my needs, I sat in the classroom, spaced out, thinking about what to do.
Ask? How could I ask? Everyone was so busy, and I barely had any close friends. The few students at the bottom of the class were my fellow sufferers, and our relationship was relatively harmonious, but as I said, they were also at the bottom. Though they were much better than me, they might not be good enough.
"Deng Zhiqiang, come here." I waved to a male student nearby who was reading an extracurricular book.
"What's up, Fatty?" Deng Zhiqiang was also a big high school student, but he was small fry compared to me. He looked at me.
"Your grades are better than mine. Come take a look at how to solve this problem." I motioned for him to come over.
"Are you crazy?" Deng Zhiqiang glanced at me, ignored me, and continued reading his book.
"I'm not kidding. I'm serious." I held up the textbook to show him.
"I don't know," Deng Zhiqiang said dismissively after a quick glance.
"This problem is simple. You should know it."
"Are you messing with me? Stop pretending to be a good student. Here, take a new comic book and read that." Deng Zhiqiang pulled a Zhiyin Mank comic from his drawer and tossed it onto my desk.
This type of comic was something Mistress Extinction vehemently hated in the top class. If she caught anyone reading such "trash," she would confiscate it and give them a harsh lecture. Playing on a phone was even worse, resulting in her calling the parents to pick them up for a few days of reflection. But students still secretly brought them and played with them.
I said nothing more and handed the comic book back to him.
"Don't read it then!" Deng Zhiqiang took the comic back and continued reading his novel.
I was silent for a moment, not trying to ask anyone else. My popularity in the class was average. Although the last few of us shared the same tastes, we all had one trait: we were lazy. Asking them for help with problems was a joke. And if I wanted to turn my life around by asking these bottom-ranking guys, it was wishful thinking. Could the last few in the class really help me climb into the top ranks?
I thoughtfully looked toward the front of the classroom, where several figures were writing diligently. These people were Mistress Extinction's darlings, true candidates for elite 985 universities, unlike people like me.
I hesitated, giving up the idea of asking them. First, we weren't close. Second, I felt too ashamed to ask them such simple questions, and they looked busy, so I decided not to bother them.
I spent the entire lunch break trying to solve that problem, but even when the class bell rang, I still hadn't figured it out.
The afternoon class was Chinese Literature, which was relatively less stressful than other subjects. After all, you could usually pass Chinese as long as you didn't completely mess up. However, since this class belonged to Mistress Extinction, it added a sense of solemnity, unlike the happy, lively atmosphere in other classes.
"Tap-tap-tap..."
The rhythmic sound of high heels tapping on the floor echoed clearly. Even before she arrived, Mistress Extinction's footsteps could be heard, carrying a strange deterrent power. The large classroom gradually fell silent. By the time the figure in high heels appeared at the doorway, the classroom was completely quiet.
Mistress Extinction walked directly to the podium, standing on the specially raised platform. With the double boost from the podium and her high heels, her height dominated the room. She placed both hands on the podium and didn't immediately start the lecture. Instead, her sharp eyes swept across the classroom. Immediately, all the subtle movements below stopped, even the hands of students who wanted to drink water involuntarily froze on their water bottles.
The entire classroom was eerily quiet. Looking at the cold expression on Mistress Extinction's face, everyone immediately began guessing why the Old Witch was angry. Did someone upset her again?
Since everyone had heard her scolding this morning, they inevitably thought of me. I felt several vague glances land on me, making me uneasy. I could only lower my head and nervously fidget with my pen, feeling my face heat up.
At that moment, I also felt a sharp gaze settle on me. The feeling made me instantly prickle all over, and I lowered my head even further.
"The study atmosphere in the entire class is quite good, but recently, I see there's always a rotten mouse spoiling the soup. I hope that person will pay attention. If you don't want to study, fine, but don't affect others." Bai Manwen didn't name names, but I felt the eyes of the entire class on me. Everyone knew who she meant. My heart automatically sped up. My head was almost touching the desk, and sweat broke out on my forehead. The air conditioner was on, but I felt like I was in a large oven, and those eyes were the source of the heat.
Bai Manwen's eyes landed on the large, bowed figure in the corner. She let out a cold "Hmph," then finally spoke: "Class begins!"
"All rise!" The study committee member took the lead and stood up.
"Good afternoon, Teacher!" All students stood up and bowed to the teacher. Among all the teachers, the Old Witch, Bai Manwen, had the most rules for her classes. She even required the class to treat every teacher and every class this way. In her words, it was to show respect to the teacher.
"Please sit," Bai Manwen said softly. The students sat down in unison.
"Today we are going to study a new ancient poem, 'Jian Jia' (Reeds)."
After saying this, Bai Manwen turned and wrote "Jian Jia" on the blackboard with white chalk. I had to admit, the Old Witch's handwriting was very beautiful—neat and upright. Every stroke was distinct, with nothing connected, everything done by the book, just like her own impersonal demeanor.
"This poem comes from the Book of Songs. The specific author is unknown. The authorship of the Book of Songs is very complex, and the geographical area it came from is vast."
"Chen Zizhan, in his Commentary on the Three Hundred Poems, said that the poem 'Jian Jia' is undoubtedly a work in which the poet longed to see a person but failed to do so. Who is this person? Is he a former elder who knows the Rites of Zhou, a former Western Zhou official who misses the capital and his former lord, a sage or hermit from the state of Qin, or a friend of the poet? Therefore, this poem was created to express the unfulfilled desire to pursue the person one admires in their heart."
In the past, I would stare blankly at the blackboard during her classes, but today, I was determined to study, so I listened intently.
Chinese Literature is a unique subject compared to Math or English. It was special in that even I, someone who never listened in Chinese class before, could quickly follow along. I didn't get lost just because I had missed previous lessons, and I found that the Old Witch's lecture wasn't impossible to follow after all.
"So, class, do you also have a person you admire, long for, or even love in your hearts?"
After Bai Manwen finished speaking, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes behind the black frames as she scanned the entire classroom.
The students exchanged smiles and laughed. It seemed most of them had one or two people they liked or loved in their hearts.
I was stunned by the question and thought for a moment. I didn't think I had ever had a crush since childhood. I had two women, Mom and Sister, at home, and they were both so beautiful, so why would I like anyone else?
In junior high, because I didn't have a phone and Mom was very strict, I didn't entertain any peculiar thoughts, focusing solely on my studies. After entering high school, exposure to certain materials and content began to spark genuinely incestuous thoughts.
Actually, upon closer thought, the whole thing started when I accidentally walked into Mom's room once. She was changing clothes and stood naked before me. I had never seen such a beautiful sight. Even though Mom covered herself instantly, the seed was planted in my heart from then on. Perhaps my descent into the forbidden path of mother-worship began then, which later led me to consciously seek out those things.
"Those boys and girls who were secretly glancing at each other, I noticed you," Bai Manwen said with a slight curl of her lips, her tone playful.
The students teased each other, laughing and winking. The classroom started to become rowdy. It was impossible to keep students at this age quiet.
"Alright, settle down."
Bai Manwen's voice wasn't loud, but it struck the classroom like a stabilizing anchor, and the room immediately quieted down.
"It's normal to have those thoughts at this age, but you should only think about it; absolutely do not act on it. Your primary task is studying, especially since you are the top students in our school's elite class. You absolutely cannot waste your energy on anything else," Bai Manwen said slowly. Her voice, even without the microphone, could still be heard throughout the classroom.
The students below quieted down. When a teacher lectured on morality, silence was always the best option, whether you were listening or not.
"Alright, I've strayed far enough. Back to the subject. Let's continue the lesson. First, read the entire text twice..."
So, the whole class picked up their books and began to read aloud.
"Jian Jia cang cang…" (The Reeds are luxuriant…)
I was determined to pay attention, and the poem genuinely interested me. I stared intently at the blackboard, perked up my ears, feeling more focused than ever before.
After the reading, Bai Manwen began to explain the meaning, and I diligently took notes.
After explaining the whole poem, Bai Manwen held up the textbook and said, "Next, let's have three students translate the newly learned text to see how well you've grasped it."
I didn't react at all. I knew I wouldn't be called on. After all, every time she had asked me to answer a question before, I would stand up and know absolutely nothing. Over time, the teachers stopped calling on me. In the Old Witch's words, it was a waste of time.
"Yue Ziyu."
A boy stood up upon hearing his name.
"Explain the meaning of the first stanza."
"Beside the river, the reeds are green and vast. In deep autumn, the dew turns to frost. Where is the person I long for? She is just on the other side of the water. I go against the current to find her, but the road is too long and perilous. I follow the current to find her, and she seems to be in the middle of the water."
"Very good. Sit down." Bai Manwen nodded.
"Cang Siqi."
A girl stood up.
"Explain the meaning of the second stanza."
"The reeds by the river are dense and plentiful. The morning dew has not yet dried. Where is the person I long for? She is just on the bank of the river. I go against the current to find her, but the path is perilous and hard to climb. I follow the current to find her, and she seems to be on a sandbar in the water."
"Correct. Sit down." Bai Manwen replied.