Chapter 1: Dreams of High School Days

*Afternoon.*

The sun was shining brightly, with not a cloud in the sky.

Inside the classroom of Class 1, Senior Year.

Guo Dimei was speaking non-stop, enthusiastically explaining the Chinese language mock exam paper. She was constantly scribbling on the blackboard, where the words “31 Days Until the College Entrance Exam” were written in bold red letters in the top-left corner.

*"Wuuuuu…"*

Suddenly, a low sobbing sound echoed in the quiet classroom. The students were shocked, and they all turned in unison, their gazes fixated on Zhao Feng, who was lying on the desk, fast asleep.

Zhao Feng’s eyes were tightly shut, tears flowing uncontrollably as he lay motionless, his face a twisted mix of anger, despair, unwillingness, frustration, and regret... all sorts of negative emotions.

“Zhao Feng, let's break up. You’re such a good person, thank you…”

“Zhao Feng, the company’s gone bankrupt. The boss owes a billion yuan and ran off with his sister-in-law…”

“Zhao Feng, the mortgage is due, and so is the car loan…”

“Zhao Feng, you’re such a good person, let’s get married…”

His short life passed before him like a fleeting dream, as various tragic moments flashed by in his mind like a revolving lantern.

The well-behaved child Zhao Feng, the honest and sensible middle schooler Zhao Feng, the hardworking high schooler Zhao Feng, the college student who dreamt of a bright future...

Graduating from university only to find himself unemployed, the beautiful future collapsed, and he was thrust into the harsh reality of society. From there, everything was a blur…

As an '80s-born Zhao Feng, what had he really experienced? The expansion of university admissions, heartbreaks, unemployment, economic crises, financial storms, skyrocketing housing prices…

Guo Dimei was furious, her eyes burning as she glared at Zhao Feng, who had fallen asleep in class and was now crying in his sleep. Her lips twitched.

Having been a homeroom teacher for more than ten years, she had encountered many bad students—hyperactive ones, truants, fighters, and even those who were expelled for causing chaos. She had seen them all.

But she had never seen… a good student fall asleep and cry during class.

Zhao Feng wasn’t a bad student. He was a well-behaved, diligent student who consistently ranked within the top 100 in the monthly exams. Although he was always near the bottom of that list, he was still one of the few good students in the class.

The classmates exchanged curious glances and whispered among themselves.

“Zhao Laoshi (the honest one) even cried while sleeping. Maybe he dreamt of failing the college entrance exam.”

“The most diligent and hardworking student in our class is definitely Zhao Laoshi.”

“I heard his family is poor. He always wears the same student uniform and never cuts his long hair.”

“The pressure in Senior Year is too much. I wake up earlier than a rooster, go to bed later than a dog, and work harder than an ox. I also feel like crying.”

Guo Dimei’s eyes darkened. With a swift flick of her wrist, she tossed a piece of chalk at Zhao Feng’s head with precision—her “secret weapon” from ten years of practice. The chalk flew up and hit him squarely in the head, bouncing off the ceiling.

Zhao Feng continued to sleep soundly, lying motionless on his desk, completely undisturbed.

“You little brat, daring to sleep during my class and cry while at it. You’ve got no respect for your homeroom teacher!”

Guo Dimei’s face darkened. With a swift motion, she threw one chalk after another at Zhao Feng’s head, each piece ricocheting in all directions and hitting innocent students nearby.

"Wuuu—"

Zhao Feng remained deeply asleep, as though he were in a different world. No matter how much noise was made, he couldn’t be woken up. The nightmare had yet to end.

“Don’t worry, teacher, I’ll wake him up.”

At the back of the classroom, the most troublesome student in the class, Hou San, stood up. With his sharp monkey-like features, squinting triangular eyes, and a wicked grin revealing his big teeth, he was tall, dark, and thin, with long arms and legs, and stood a good 1.8 meters tall. He looked like a lanky monkey as he approached.

Guo Dimei gave him a strange look and raised her hand to stop him, but it was too late—Hou San had already stood up. His gangly, monkey-like form swung his arm and slapped Zhao Feng squarely on the back of his head, making a crisp sound.

Slap!

Zhao Feng, deep in his dream, was suddenly jolted awake by the attack. His eyes shot open, red and teary, his face twisted with rage and confusion. He grabbed the pencil case from his desk, the same one he had used throughout high school—an iron “Slam Dunk” pencil case with a flashy image of Sakuragi Hanamichi dunking on the front.

Zhao Feng turned around in fury, glaring at his high school rival, the giant Hou San, who had often bullied him during their three years together, jealous of Zhao Feng’s academic success, and had used him as a punching bag.

Now, in his dream, even his old rival dared to torment him. Did they think he was just a soft target because he was a good student?

With a furious jump, Zhao Feng raised the pencil case high like a hammer and slammed it down on Hou San’s head, the exaggerated action mirroring a dunk shot from the anime character.

Boom!

The dull thud of metal against skull echoed, reverberating in the silent classroom.

Hou San, struck on the head, instantly flipped over, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor. A large, walnut-sized bump quickly formed on his head, and faint white smoke seemed to rise from it. He groaned in pain, unable to get up.

Zhao Feng felt a surge of satisfaction as he stood tall, his green rubber shoes crushing Hou San’s ugly face. He twisted his foot, looking down with contempt at his former rival, and said excitedly, “Big Monkey, I’ve been wanting to knock you out for ages.”

Hou San, clutching his head in agony, yelled, “Zhao Feng, you’ve gone crazy! You dared to smash my head! The homeroom teacher told me to beat you up, now get your foot off my face!”

Zhao Feng sneered, “I’m in a dream, what do I have to fear from you? Even if the homeroom teacher herself comes, I’ll still smack you!”

The entire class was exhilarated. Everyone had been fed up with Hou San for a long time. Watching Zhao Feng take action felt like justice being served. Zhao Feng had done the right thing—taking down a bully.

“Zhao Feng, wake up! Apologize to Teacher Guo right now!”

A clear, sweet voice rang out in the front row. A girl with two ponytails stood up, her thick bangs framing her forehead. Her delicate features, with bright, almond-shaped eyes and a small, perfect nose, were a sight to behold. Her skin was fair and rosy, and she wore the blue-and-white student uniform that somehow looked like it was designed just for her, giving her an almost 3D effect. Seeing her, Zhao Feng couldn’t help but think back to his wonderful first love.

“Bai… Jiaxin... you’re still as beautiful as ever.”

Zhao Feng’s eyes sparkled as he turned to look at the ponytailed girl, a deep, meaningful smile spreading across his face. This was the girl he had secretly admired throughout high school—Bai Jiaxin, the campus goddess of the first high school, nicknamed “Little Li Jiaxin.” She had appeared in his dream.

After all these years, the memory of Bai Jiaxin remained etched in his heart. His infatuation with her was unforgettable; the goddess of his high school years was forever the most beautiful in his eyes.

Back then, Zhao Feng, a shy and introverted boy, had never dared to confess to her. He spent three years longing in silence, constantly reminiscing about the good times they shared in high school, with Bai Jiaxin always standing as a distant dream, beyond his reach.

Guo Dimei’s eyebrows shot up in anger as her face darkened. “Zhao Feng… you…”

“Shut up!” Zhao Feng interrupted harshly, ignoring her fury. His eyes drifted to the blackboard, where the glaring red countdown—"31 Days Until the College Entrance Exam"—caught his attention. He stepped off Hou San’s face and walked purposefully toward Bai Jiaxin.

Guo Dimei froze, her mouth agape in disbelief. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to say anything. The little brat had changed. Had he lost his mind? He actually dared to cut her off like this.

The entire classroom fell into a stunned silence.

All the students stared at Zhao Feng, their eyes wide open, not daring to blink. Zhao Feng walked confidently, his chest out, his eyes looking at a 45-degree angle, ignoring the whole class. With each step, he emitted an air of defiance, exuding an overwhelming sense of authority.

“Bai Jiaxin, you probably don’t know, but I’ve had a crush on you for three years in high school. From the very first day of school, I liked you, but I was too shy to confess.”

Zhao Feng spoke as he walked, his voice low and firm, filled with magnetic power.

 His every word seemed to come from the deepest recesses of his heart, carrying a sense of helplessness and longing that no one could miss.

“Three years. I watched you smile every day and secretly loved you in my heart, silently…”

Bai Jiaxin was stunned, her heart racing as if she had heard something unexpected. She stood there, speechless.

Zhao Feng, without missing a beat, bent down, held her hand firmly, and stared deeply into her eyes. “But now, I’m no longer the boy you knew in high school. I’m stronger now. So Bai Jiaxin, will you be my girlfriend?”

Everyone in the classroom was stunned into silence. Guo Dimei was so furious that she nearly fell over.

But Zhao Feng didn’t care. He could do anything now, even if he was in a dream.

The final bell of the day rang, signaling the end of class.

The classroom was filled with the stunned silence of the students, still processing the unexpected drama that had unfolded before them. Zhao Feng, after his bold declaration and confrontation with Guo Dimei, had left an unforgettable impression on everyone present.

Guo Dimei, who had been angered beyond belief, was now standing in place, frozen. Her face was pale, and her hands trembled with rage. Her eyes were wide, unable to grasp what had just happened. She had spent years teaching all kinds of students, from rebellious troublemakers to academically disinterested kids, but Zhao Feng's actions had caught her completely off guard.

"That brat, how dare he..." Guo Dimei muttered, her anger barely contained.

Meanwhile, Bai Jiaxin stood there, still caught in the whirlwind of emotions stirred by Zhao Feng's sudden confession. She didn’t know how to respond. Her mind was racing, replaying his words over and over. "I’ve loved you silently for three years..." Could it be true? Had Zhao Feng really felt that way all this time? She had never noticed.

As the students exchanged curious glances, the atmosphere in the room felt surreal, almost like they were all watching a scene from a movie. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.

But Zhao Feng was already walking out of the room, his steps firm and resolute. He didn’t care about the consequences anymore. This was his chance to take control of his life, even if it was just in a dream.

"Jiaxin, I’ll wait for your answer. You don’t have to give me one now, but I’ll keep waiting."

His voice carried the weight of someone who had suffered through years of unspoken love, and his determination left a lasting impression. He didn’t look back as he walked out, his eyes forward, filled with purpose.

The classroom remained silent, the air heavy with the echoes of his words.

After a moment, Guo Dimei snapped back to reality, her face flushed with anger, but she couldn’t do anything to stop him now. "Zhao Feng..." she muttered under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief.

And with that, the class finally began to settle, but the atmosphere had changed. Everyone was left with a lingering sense of unease and curiosity about what would happen next. Would Zhao Feng's bold move work out, or was it all just a dream that would fade when he woke up?

[----------------°-------------]

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