“The third item on the agenda: The teacher’s representative will speak.”

After Xu Yan announced loudly, the teacher of class 3-2, teacher Song, who is the teacher in charge of Liu Huai Shui and Shen ShaoYi’s class, walked out from behind the chairman’s desk and started his old-fashioned and lengthy speech.

“… faced with the first crossroads of our life, the third years are about to embark on a new journey, you should have new plans for the new semester…”

After teacher Song finished his first sentence, Liu Huai Shui, who was sitting on my left across the aisle, began to clap desperately, and the other students in class 3-2 followed up.

If it was teacher Yu from our class speaking on stage, we would probably also clap thunderously. Everyone had a sense of collective honor, but unfortunately, teacher Yu wasn’t very impressive. He was seldomly seen at the forefront at our school’s official events.

After teacher Song finally finished his speech, the head of the teachers, Auntie Owl (also Xing Xing’s aunt), couldn’t wait to take the position where teacher Song had just spoken.

“Everyone, please note, regardless of whether you are in first, second, or third year, put a stop to your playful mentality. School is a very serious place, where it is forbidden to giggle, whisper, and engage in private conversation.”

The more she said “forbidden”, the more I wanted to talk to Xiao Qin, so I tapped Xiao Qin’s arm and asked:

“What are your plans for the third year, have you decided which high school exams you’re going to take?”

The surroundings were quite dim and only the podium had lights. The Buddhist, Mu ZhongMing, who didn’t like gossip and was not talkative, was sitting on Xiao Qin’s right, which made her a little nervous.

Xiao Qin whispered back to me, “Any high school is fine, as long as it’s the same one as you…”

Just as I expected, it seems that Xiao Qin was determined to spend her high school life with me. One of us was awful at humanities while the other was awful at science, but our total scores weren’t far apart, so there was a high probability of us getting into the same high school.

In contrast, the class leader once mentioned that her goal was to pass the entrance examination for the best high school in Dong Shan City, Dong Shan Three High School.

In the high school entrance exams two years ago, only three top students from 28 Middle, who put their lives on the line, were admitted to that school. It was even worse the last year: only one student barely made the cut and was accepted by Dong Shan Three High School. Class leader, the goal you set might be a bit high.

According to insider information provided by Shu Zhe, the class leader has expressed in her diary that she wished to go to the same high school as me. But that wish was basically impossible to achieve. I would need Dr. Yu to install an electronic brain in me for there to be a chance of getting into Dong Shan Three High.

Furthermore, there are other variables. Apparently, if the class leader’s parents save enough money to buy a house in Shanghai, they will bring the class leader and her brother to live in Shanghai, so naturally they would also attend school in Shanghai. So even if I somehow manage to pass the entrance exams and get into Dong Shan Three High, it would be a wasted effort.

So, the first and second semester of the third year might be the last year I spend with the class leader. Thinking about it makes me feel a bit sad…

I couldn’t help but strain my neck to look for the class leader’s seat, which was far away from me. However, the class leader was not at her seat. It seems that she was called behind the curtain on the stage to prepare for the upcoming student representative speech.

The class leader’s empty seat seems to foreshadow something. A feeling of emptiness arose in my heart (it might also be because I didn’t eat enough this morning).

The voice of the head teacher on the stage became more grating:

“…We should start with the development of our behavior and learning habits in order to strive and make the third years good role models for the whole school. I hereby announce: starting today, the third years will undergo a one-month disciplinary overhaul. The disciplinary inspection team will strictly check for any behaviors that violate the school rules and regulations.”

“No playing with phones or listening to MP3 players in class, no weird clothing, no jewelry, no dyed hair, boys can’t have long hair, girls who don’t rank within the top 100 in exams for the year can’t have hair past their shoulder.”

Ah, so there was also that rule. I used to think that there weren’t any restrictions on hair length for girls because the head teacher thought it would be easier to identify boys and girls who were hanging out together. It turns out that girls in 28 Middle need to meet strict academic requirements if they want to keep long hair.

It looks like Xiao Qin and Winnie won’t have any chances of growing their hair out before graduating from middle school. Their preference for short hair is one thing, but their academic performance is another…

Xiao Qin suddenly poked my elbow and asked anxiously, “Ye Lin, the bracelet you gave me counts as jewelry, right? Will the head teacher allow me to wear it?”

I lowered my gaze and looked at the two green bracelets on Xiao Qin’s wrist. It was a birthday gift that Huo ZhenBang asked me to give to Xiao Qin, but she’s always thought it was from me.

Although compared to cancer, AIDS isn’t really considered a terminal illness anymore, it’s still like a sword hanging over Huo ZhenBang’s head. I wonder if Huo ZhenBang has had any success in finding new drugs to treat AIDS in Shanghai.

No matter what, I still hoped that Xiao Qin could wear the gift that her seriously ill biological father gave to Xiao Qin with affection a bit longer, even if she didn’t know it was from her father.

So I snorted and said to Xiao Qin, “It’s okay, you can wear it as usual. If the disciplinary committee or the head teacher causes you any trouble, just say the bracelet was a gift from me and let them talk to me.”

The head teacher has always been wary of me, same with the members of the disciplinary committee. So as long as Xiao Qin mentions my name, her violation of the rules by wearing the bracelet will probably be ignored.

After receiving my assurance, Xiao Qin was quite moved. She stroked the surface of the bracelet back and forth with her fingers, which made it seem like a dance of white and green jade in the dark.

“If it’s the head teacher herself, or a female disciplinary committee member, I could talk to them…” Xiao Qin hesitated for a while, “But what if I encounter a male disciplinary committee member, or a young male teacher?”

“In that case, you don’t need to say anything, just run towards me and point at me.”

I said while thinking it would be a funny sight to see.

“I understand… If Ye Lin is willing to help me, then I feel more relieved…”

The head teacher’s voice was really loud. The earlier part of her speech had already reached a ear-piercing volume, but surprisingly, she could get even louder.

“I will lead the disciplinary committee to wage war against those who seriously violate the school rules. Please remember the ‘four prohibitions’: you’re forbidden from going against teachers, forbidden from fighting, forbidden from smoking and drinking, and forbidden to have close contact between boys and girls.”

The four prohibitions might not sound like a lot, but each of them is multifaceted. For instance, the fourth prohibition “forbidden to have intimate contact between boys and girls” can be as detailed as the “100 rules that forbid intimate contact between boys and girls.” In the eyes of the head teacher, the slight movements I made with Xiao Qin earlier are enough to chain us up and parade us through the streets as an example.

Fourteen was an age when you were the most rebellious. The more the head teacher spoke like this on stage, the more I wanted to go against what she said.

“Xiao Qin, did your class implement the little red flower system when you were in elementary school?”

“Umm…” Xiao Qin recalled, “My neighboring class had that system, but ours didn’t. My mom tried it at home for a while though, where there were little red flowers for learning and daily life. Getting excellent grades in homework could earn a learning red flower, and helping mom wash dishes could earn a life red flower. A certain amount of red flowers could be exchanged for an allowance…”

Hmm, that’s quite reasonable. If it weren’t inconvenient, I’d really like to ask Aunt Ren for the specifics of this little red flower system and then imitate it.

“Auntie Ren, I want to discipline your daughter. I think your former little red flower system has reference value. Can I…”

I was kicked away before I finished my sentence. The name “Step-Sister Discipline Plan” was easy to misunderstand. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name at the moment.

The head teacher’s speech on the stage has turned into a roar:

“Once we discover a violation of the four prohibitions, we will deal with it severely, quickly, and strictly according to the rules. We hope that certain students will strengthen self-discipline, enhance self-control, improve self-love, and learn to behave.”

The head teacher on stage had transitioned from speaking normally into bellowing:

“Once we find any violation of the four major prohibitions, we will handle it strictly, severely, and swiftly according to regulations. I hope that certain students strengthen their self-discipline, enhance their self-control, value their self-respect, and learn to be decent people.”

When “certain students” mentioned, their owl-like glasses was directed at me, as if I had neither self-respect nor decency.

“Xiao Qin, the new term is here, so what do you say we come up with some new rules between us?”

“What kind of rules?” Xiao Qin asked with interest. “Do I need to change my way of addressing you to ‘master’ or ‘big brother’?”

Don’t get any weird ideas, ‘big brother’ is something you’ll naturally call me, but not in the same sense you’re implying now.

“Since you’re shaking your head, then do you want me to add a prefix to Ye Lin classmate, like ‘Excellent Ye Lin classmate’, ‘Great Ye Lin classmate’, ‘Sacred Ye Lin classmate’, ‘Unbeatable Ye Lin classmate’…like that?”

How embarrassing! Even if you’re not ashamed to say it, I’m ashamed of hearing it!

“It’s not that kind of new rule, I’m going to implement a little red flower system for you.” I said seriously. “From now on, you’re forbidden to read shoujo manga.”

“W-why?” Xiao Qin let out a pitiful moan. “Shoujo manga is my source of inspiration.”

“Then… you need to at least reduce the frequency of reading shoujo manga. If you can go a week without reading it, I’ll pat your head as a reward.”

“Eh?” Xiao Qin never expected a relationship between shoujo manga and head-patting.

“Also, if you can hold back from playing pranks for a week, I’ll hug… hug you.”

Xiao Qin suddenly shrunk back, as if I had already hugged her.

“Lastly, if you can do three good deeds to help others, I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek…”

Xiao Qin’s face instantly turned red. She clamped her legs together and her voice trembled uncontrollably:

“So, if not playing pranks for a week and doing a good deed have the value of one red flower. Then… how many red flowers do I need if I want you to have a child with me?”

“One hundred million.” I answered without hesitation.