Summer Evening Breeze

Chapter 23: Secret

◎"I thank you."◎

The impact of the mid-term exam results gradually dissipated after the teachers reviewed the papers and Song Qiwen concluded the mid-term summary during the class meeting. Half of the semester had passed, and the atmosphere in the class began to liven up.

Chen Yimian was happy about her improvement in the exam for a week, but she knew that such moments of joy in studying were always short-lived. She thought that after this week, she would have to continue immersing herself in the monotonous and painful routine of studying. However, she didn't expect to receive even better news earlier than the autumn sports meet.

In this mid-term exam, Class 3 performed exceptionally well in Biology, even on par with the Experimental Class. The Biology teacher for Class 3 was also a young teacher with limited teaching experience but strong teaching ability. He was passionate about teaching, which made him feel proud of the good results achieved by his class.

Being young and energetic, the Biology teacher was closer in age to the students and had a more flexible mindset. He managed to secure this surprise for them—the opportunity for a half-day trip to the zoo.

However, the grade level leader made a requirement. If Class 3 maintained the first place in the whole grade except for the Experimental Class in the upcoming small quiz on Integrated Science during Wednesday evening self-study, he would approve the chance for a half-day zoo trip on Saturday afternoon. Transportation would also be provided for the students of Class 3.

So, in the first two days of the week, Zhou Yi became a busy person. During the ten-minute breaks between classes, his seat was crowded with people, all classmates who came to ask questions and seek his advice.

During the longer break and self-study sessions, Zhou Yi even stood on the podium, leading everyone in a concentrated review of key knowledge points and answering questions openly.

The enthusiasm for learning among the classmates in Class 3 suddenly surged. Teachers passing by couldn't help but take a few more glances and exchange surprised looks, then they would smile and say, "Impressive!" before leaving.

Chen Yimian was also infected by this passionate atmosphere. Although she had an average interest in studying, she had always had a strong sense of collective honor and couldn't resist the urge to join this collective "battle." She studied with extra diligence.

It was as if she wanted to thoroughly understand all the knowledge points she hadn't grasped in the past year and more.

Occasionally, scenes like this would happen: Zhou Yi would hold the chalk and quickly write a few key words on the blackboard. His train of thought connecting the knowledge points was particularly clear, but his tone was somewhat casual, and his voice carried a lazy meaning. Sometimes he would turn his head and glance back, seeing Chen Yimian biting her fingernails with a look of deep resentment. He couldn't help but curve his lips, and instinctively, he slowed down his speech and wrote the board more neatly and in more detail than before.

While the classmates below were discussing, he would occasionally walk down the aisle and stand beside Chen Yimian, glancing down and teasing her, "If you can't figure it out, don't force it. Bite your nails first."

Before Chen Yimian could glare at him, he would poke her draft paper and offer some guidance in a few sentences. After she responded with an "Oh, oh, oh," and buried her head to take notes, he would stroll to an unattended corner, smirking freely.

In this way, the entire class became unusually united. When the test papers were distributed on Wednesday, Ji Song even stood on the podium and cleared his throat, saying, "Whether we can go on the autumn trip will depend on tonight. Everyone, work hard!"