Chapter 4

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The dishes in this restaurant can’t really be considered purely Hunan cuisine, Lin Hao guessed. After all, for southern dishes to be so popular up north, there must have been some adjustments. But, to be fair, he found the food quite good, and he figured He Jiong wouldn’t be too disappointed either.

How could He Jiong be disappointed? This meal was on someone else’s tab!

And since a viewer was paying, with He Jiong’s social intelligence, even if the food wasn’t great, he’d still say it was fine. Originally, he just thought Lin Hao would take him to a regular little restaurant, and he had planned on paying himself.

As it turned out, Lin Hao was quite the young gentleman.

“So, you’re still a senior in high school?” As they chatted, Lin Hao mentioned he was in high school, which surprised He Jiong.

“Yes,” Lin Hao replied with a smile. “I’m preparing for the art exams now.”

He Jiong said, “Oh, that’s great. Do you know where you want to apply?”

“Anywhere I can get in, ideally the Central Academy of Drama or Beijing Film Academy. Central Academy would be best since it’s close to home- I live near Huguosi.” Lin Hao’s lips were already slightly red from the spiciness.

“Oh, that is close,” He Jiong remarked, mentally calculating the distance. If Lin Hao really went to the Central Academy, he could practically walk to school. Oh, so this kid has a passion for film and TV; no wonder he was so enthusiastic when he saw him.

But then He Jiong felt a bit awkward, as he himself hadn’t studied acting formally and didn’t have much advice to offer. Could it be that Lin Hao splurged on this meal just to subtly convey his intentions?

Lin Hao was sharp and could see the change in He Jiong’s expression. At this point, He Jiong hadn’t yet grown into the master of social cues he would later become. To avoid the awkwardness, Lin Hao changed the topic, and they chatted about other things instead.

After a lively conversation, they agreed to hang out again if they had time.

…

In the days that followed, there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy. Lin Hao kept up with his specialized courses and occasionally went out with He Jiong, Xu Wei, and their friends, although he didn’t meet anyone especially famous during this time.

Though, of course, there were a few braggers after drinks who, in the end, didn’t amount to much.

That was to be expected. Running into someone like He Jiong on the street was already rare enough; meeting someone like Dou Wei or Wang Fei? Not likely. Lin Hao had only heard Dou Wei’s name, not met him in person. As for Wang Fei, if she were to show up on the streets in broad daylight, the reporters would have captured it by now.

Well, it wasn’t far off, actually.

Not long after, Wang Fei was indeed photographed living in that courtyard with someone. This discovery dominated the headlines of Hong Kong’s major media outlets, creating quite a stir.

But Lin Hao never ran into them, nor did he know if they still lived in that place. It wasn’t appropriate to disturb someone’s private residence, especially now that it had been exposed.

Besides, after all this excitement, a lot of things had changed.

Xu Wei’s song “Persistent,” written for Tian Zhen, became a hit, and he was getting ready to release his own music. He moved out shortly afterward, although he began frequently coming back, saying he was still more comfortable at home. Lin Hao suspected that moving out was just an excuse to live like an adult.

Fair enough; he couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

Not that he could do much about it anyway.

School had started, and there were only about four or five months left until the art exams.

…

In the office.

Lin Hao kept his head down in silence, trying to show his determination, as adults still saw him as just a child. His homeroom teacher didn’t know what to say for a while, finally asking, “So, are you sure about this?”

Lin Hao nodded. “Yes, Teacher. I’ve thought it through. My father’s passing affected me too much, and my grades have kept dropping since. After that, I figured I might as well do something I enjoy, like acting.”

“Ah, but things don’t always work out just because you like them.”

The homeroom teacher took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, feeling sorry for him. He was such a good kid, but fate had other plans. He used to be so lively and engaged at school, but now he seemed quieter and more mature.

Not even eighteen, and he had to make major life decisions without much help. And he was so stubborn; he couldn’t be swayed.

“What does your uncle think?”

“He supports me,” Lin Hao replied. His uncle, though living far away, was quite supportive of him.

“…Alright, let me think about this. You can go back to class for now; I’ll talk to the school administration and see what we can arrange. Go back to Class 1 and find a seat, okay?”

…

Downstairs, third door on the left: Senior Class 1.

This was the top class.

It was the first day of school, and the homeroom teacher of Class 1 was talking to Lin Hao’s previous homeroom teacher, so she wasn’t there yet, and the classroom was noisy. But as soon as Lin Hao walked in, a few students noticed him and nudged their seatmates or the person in front of them, and soon enough, everyone was staring.

For a moment, the classroom went silent.

Without saying much, Lin Hao walked quietly to his seat and sat down. For a moment, no one knew what to say, thinking he was some kind of transfer student? Then soon enough, whispers began again. They knew he was the student who’d had family issues and had to repeat the year.

But, after all, he was a new classmate to them. Soon, everyone was back to chattering. After a whole summer apart, there was so much to talk about. Covering their textbooks with paper, faces full of excitement—they were high school seniors now. Along with the nervousness and the fading acne, there might even be a crush on a classmate.

The youthful energy floated through the classroom.

…

“Hello.”

Lin Hao was just reminiscing about how long it had been since he’d sat at a high school desk when he heard someone greet him.

Turning around, he saw a girl with long hair. Despite the school uniform, her good figure was noticeable, and her black hair, fair skin, and gentle expression gave her an elegance uncommon in the north.

But Lin Hao didn’t show any of this and just nodded, “Hello.”

Ah, high school life… no going back!

Seeing that he wasn’t interested in talking further, Zhang Yue didn’t press. She knew about Lin Hao’s family situation. Her mother… the homeroom teacher… had told her to help him out as much as possible. She figured they’d be arranged to sit together soon.

After a while, the homeroom teacher of the class, Ms. Zhang, came in and introduced Lin Hao to everyone. Then, she assigned him a seat and asked him to step outside for a chat.

…

“I talked it over with the administration, and we’ll keep you in Class 1. Since you’ve decided on the art exams, attend your regular classes here when you can, and for your art courses, you can leave at four. You can ask Zhang Yue, your new deskmate, for help with the academics here,” Ms. Zhang said.

The school was quite sympathetic to Lin Hao’s situation.

He had once been one of the top students, and now, out of kindness, they were willing to accommodate him.

“Thank you, Teacher, but my grades might drag Class 1’s average down.” Lin Hao knew that average scores mattered to the teachers, and he felt he might affect Ms. Zhang’s top-class reputation.

“Don’t worry about that; just focus on studying,” Ms. Zhang replied, feeling touched. Any lingering concerns she had were eased, seeing him as just a child with unfortunate circumstances.

They decided that Lin Hao would attend the regular classes in the morning and afternoon, go to his art classes at 4 p.m., and skip evening study hall. Back in the classroom, Ms. Zhang cleared her throat.

“Alright, everyone, those of you who have already paid the fees, bring your receipts for me to check…”

“Everyone received their textbooks, right? Double-check to make sure nothing’s missing.”

“Oh, by the way, evening study hall starts tonight, and remember that tomorrow morning’s assembly is at 7 a.m. on the field. Don’t be late!”