The midterm exams had just ended thus the mood of the third year students varied. Some were exuberant while some were depressed. Still, they didn''t have time to digest it as a new wave of tryouts wasing soon. The school was rowdy except for the third year block. It was tranquil, serene yet slightly gloomy. Only the sound of papers being flipped and hushed discussion could be heard.


    Yao Xiurong''s heels echoed throughout the hallway in a steady and calm manner. She pushed open the door and greeted. "Good morning, students."


    The ss monitor stood up and shouted. "Greeting to Teacher Yao."


    The rest of the students followed. "Good morning, Teacher!"


    Yao Xiurong nodded and stepped onto the podium. "Today, we will have a new ssmate." Without waiting for the students in the ss to react, she beckoned for Shi Nian toe over. "Come in."


    Shi Nian stepped forward gingerly and took in the entire ss'' surroundings. There were around thirty students in the ss, all of those eyes staring straight at her. Shi Nian gulped nervously and stood beside Yao Xiurong.


    She whispered. "Can you introduce yourself?"


    Shi Nian took a deep breath and nodded. She epted the chalk from Teacher Yao and wrote her name on the ckboard. Below it, she added [Please take care of me.] After that, she turned around and bowed deeply, her lips lifted into a bright smile.


    The students were dazed and in the next second, the silence exploded into an uproar.


    The gossiped transfer student went into their ss!


    Yao Xiurong tapped on the podium. "Alright, is there something you want to ask?"


    "Me, me!"


    "Shi Nian, is it? Why did you suddenly transfer schools?"


    "Which school did youe from?"


    "Who is the man that came with you this morning?"


    "Do you have a boyfriend?"


    Thest question was received with multiple boos, followed by giggles and unrestrainedughter. The heavy atmosphere dissipated slightly and Shi Nian was relieved to see such a weing atmosphere.


    Yao Xiurong''s face darkened and she massaged her brows. "I didn''t see you so energetic when you did practice papers. Shall I add five more?"


    "No, no Teacher. Please don''t! We have had enough!" The whole ss was wailing out loud.


    "Silence." Shemanded coldly and continued. "Take care of your ssmate well, got it? Shi Nian has some special circumstances so her study might begging quite behind. I hope that the ss will unite and help her as much as possible."


    Everyone: "Yes, Teacher! Don''t worry!"


    The ss monitor, a girl with thick sses, raised her hand.


    "Yes, Chen Jiawei?" It was obvious that Yao Xiurong liked this student judging from her patient tone.


    "Shi Nian," Chen Jiawei asked. "Do you have practice papers ready? How far along are you?"


    Shi Nian scratched her nose and wrote. [I don''t have any…but I do study regrly, now I am not very far from the current curriculum.]


    The whole ss saw Shi Nian busily writing and the atmosphere shifted for a moment.


    Yao Xiurong spoke out. "As you can see, ssmate Shi Nian has some special circumstances so get along with her, okay?."


    Chen Jiawei and everyone else was simrly stunned.


    Shi Nian had already known that she would be the center of attention when she carried a board everywhere. Still, the stares and gazes were so sticky that she became quite nervous.


    [Yes, I am unable to talk. Please take care of me, everyone.]


    ***


    By lunch break, the whole school had already known that the new transfer student was ced in ss 1, Year 3 and moreover, she was a little mute.


    The school bell rang and everyone in ss 1 collectively sighed in relief. Yao Xiurong closed the notebook and nodded. "Then, we will stop here. Don''t forget to do the practice papers for tomorrow. If you have time, memorize more vocabry."


    Shi Nian almost copsed onto the table, her head buzzing in pain. She had spent these past few months so leisurely that she had forgotten this Spartan-like study. No, this was worse than that because they were already in their third year. Time was tight and everyone wished that there would be 52 hours a day. Shi Nian didn''t even have any chance to get to know her ssmates because the lesson had started in a rush.


    Sheid like a salted fish until a chuckle was heard above her head.


    It was Chen Jiawei. "Shi Nian, are you hungry? Let''s go to the cafeteria together, shall we?" Shi Nian btedly discovered that under her thick sses, Chen Jiawei had very beautiful apricot eyes which color was simr to a ss bead.


    She was caring, passionate, mature and calm. It''s no wonder that she was the ss monitor.


    Shi Nian nodded and then two more people came to gather around her. The slightly chubby girl with dimples on her cheek was Li Qing and the twintails girl with a bright smile was Mo Ling. They were Chen Jiawei''s close friends. Now that Shi Nian joined them, the two girls automatically came to introduce themselves.


    "It''s really rare for a transfer student toe after midterm." Mo Lingughed cheerfully. "Do you know how much of an uproar you have caused in the school forum? It''s fortunate that my uncle upholds tight rules and maintains regr checks, if not maybe the school forum would have exploded and crashed!"


    Shi Nian tilted her head. [Your uncle?]


    "You don''t know?" Mo Ling''s eyes turned eager. "Of course, it''s the national treasure, our one and only Principal Mo! He''s my blood rted uncle, my father''s younger brother."


    "Ohe on." Chen Jiawei rolled her eyes and said to Shi Nian. "Don''t bother with her. She has been telling everyone that Principal Mo is his uncle until the whole school has gotten bored of it."


    Mo Ling: "Hey! You''re jealous, aren''t you?!"


    Who didn''t want to have such a cool, handsome and charismatic rtive like Mo Qingshan? Of course, Mo Ling had to boast about it, it''s best if the whole world knew!


    Li Qingughed lightly, as if she had seen amon reurrence. "Come on, or else we will not be getting any food."


    Shi Nian looked at the three girls'' dynamics with interest. They joked and teased each other, but in the end, their rtionship was really good. In her previous school, Shi Nian was so upied with part time jobs that even if her ssmates wanted to get close to her, they would gradually drift away because she always rejected their invitation.


    She trailed behind them with a smile, her steps were light and airy.. The rows of maple trees in the school courtyard painted a magnificent scenery, each leaf was like a small petal of me floating around.