Chapter 107: The Method Actor and the Idol

During the break, Zhang Ye finally realized what he had missed.

At the start of this school year, the school had specifically introduced the concept of "key classes." Across the entire First High School—both junior and senior divisions—key classes were to be established. Originally, the plan was to select students based directly on their final exam scores from the previous semester. However, after some deliberation among the leadership, it was decided that a new exam would be held to assess the students' true proficiency.

To Zhang Ye, looking back from his future life, such things were entirely standard; many schools operated this way to boost their college entrance rates. Yet, in this day and age, it was still quite rare. In particular, in his memories of his own school days, no such streaming had ever taken place.

Although he had long known that rebirth did not mean knowing everything—that the future was fluid and not every event would mirror his past exactly—the reality of it unfolding before him still left him feeling profoundly disappointed.

Of course, what disappointed him even more was his current academic standing.

Well, after a gap of more than a decade, he had every reason to believe that his grades—which might have once been decent, or at least middle-of-the-road—would be laid bare by the exam like a demon-revealing mirror. When the results were finally out, he might not necessarily be dead last, but he would certainly be hovering somewhere near the bottom of the pack.

Zhang Ye was a handsome guy. Although he denied it to himself countless times—refusing to be labeled a "pretty boy" and insisting he was a man of substance—his looks were an immutable fact.

As a "pretty boy," he always garnered more attention than the average student. His naturally fair skin had taken on a healthy, bronzed glow from his daily morning exercises throughout the summer and the minor turbulence he had navigated in the business world. This did not hide his charm; instead, the combination of a youthful face and a mature mindset gave him a poised, steady aura rare among teenagers of his time.

In a sea of peers who were just beginning to obsess over their appearance and clothing, he stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens. He was a rare hybrid of style and substance. He caught the occasional glances from the girls in his class and felt a secret sense of pride.

However, those who attract attention are often envied by those hidden in their shadow, leading to malicious intent—attempts to suppress them or make them look foolish.

Zhang Ye had been targeted. The perpetrator was the vice monitor of Class 3.

Li Qianqian was a delicate beauty. Though she was usually shy and prone to blushing, there was no denying her allure. When Zhang Ye had entered the classroom earlier, the brief exchange of glances between them had been clearly observed by Shi Lei, who sat one aisle over to her right.

Having promoted from the Second Middle School to the same class as Li Qianqian, Shi Lei had harbored a secret crush on her for three years. Because of this, he had noticed her unusual behavior today.

His academic grades were among the best. Aside from Zhou Tingting, who was always first, he had never lost to anyone, as he was consistently second. This gave him a sense of profound pride. Often, especially when report cards were handed out, he felt a sense of superiority, as if looking down from the top of the mountains. When faced with the handsome Zhang Ye, he might have felt a flicker of jealousy, but in a school where grades were everything, he felt he shone with brilliance.

Yet, seeing that Li Qianqian was among the girls he considered "shallow"—those who liked handsome boys with mediocre grades—his heart bled.

"So, what score are you aiming for in tomorrow's exam?" he asked with a fake smile, patting Zhang Ye on the shoulder with feigned intimacy.

Brushing Shi Lei’s hand off his shoulder, Zhang Ye didn't even lift his head. "I'll get what I get. I'll just do my best," he replied. This was his genuine thought; cramming at the last minute was useless, and he was acutely aware of the gap between him and his classmates.

"You look like you study hard enough. Getting into the top ten shouldn't be a problem, right? I saw you reading a book at the mall a while ago. I'm different, though. Even if I don't think there's anything wrong with reading during the summer, I prefer to play hard when it's time to play. Now that they've suddenly announced an exam, I really don't know how I'll do." He spoke loudly, and although the classroom was noisy due to the break, his intentionally amplified voice carried clearly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zhang Ye sensed something off, his eyes narrowing sharply.

"How about we make a bet? Let’s see who gets the better score on this exam," Shi Lei said, his voice rising, drawing the attention of the entire class.

"Haha, is there even a need to bet? Our vice monitor is always at the top of the class. As for him, he'll be lucky if he isn't dead last," chimed in a tall student from the back row, laughing boisterously.

"Exactly. Even if the vice monitor didn't look at a single book all summer, he’d still be one of the best in our class." The top students and the underachievers were forever like parallel lines that never met, separated by an invisible chasm.

The underachievers sitting in the back weren't friends with Shi Lei in any meaningful way; helping him was simply a form of transactional trade. Every underachiever had their own reason for disliking school, and even in a school as academically rigorous as the First High, there were those who studied only to appease their parents and teachers. To deal with the endless assignments, building a relationship with the class officials became a necessity.

The class monitor, Zhou Tingting, was entirely focused on her studies and paid no mind to such matters. Thus, Shi Lei, as the vice monitor, became highly sought after. With his protection, life for the students in the back row became much easier.

Conversely, Shi Lei thrived in the classroom. Relying on his position, no one dared to provoke him, and those rowdy students in the back eventually became his lackeys. Whenever he needed a favor, they were always there to back him up.

Seeing the situation unfold, they immediately sided with Shi Lei, pouring cold water on Zhang Ye.

"You're nothing more than the eternal runner-up, what's there to be arrogant about?" Zhao Haidong had not stepped in when Shi Lei first started bothering Zhang Ye; he had been busy asking Huang Meixia about what had happened that morning.

During the break, he had wanted to ask Zhang Ye directly about his relationship with Huang Meixia, but he felt it was wrong to believe rumors and doubt his brother. After confirming with Huang Meixia that he had misunderstood the situation, he was furious to hear others insulting his friend.

He, too, possessed a talent for a sharp tongue.

Being the "eternal runner-up" was a truth Shi Lei never wanted to admit.