Teacher Liu was momentarily stunned. He couldn't help but be both amused and frustrated by Zhang Beixing's antics. But it did remind him of Zhang Beixing, and he said with a smile, "Zhang Beixing, so it's you. I thought you had skipped class today. You're exempt from the test too!"
"Thanks, Teacher, you're the best! I'll sit down now and stop disturbing your class!"
Zhang Beixing laughed heartily and then sat down, using his textbook to shield his face as he started chatting with Lin Siqi.
With Beixing causing such a scene, people's envy towards those who were exempt from the test dissipated quite a bit. No one could really be envious! These guys were alright; they actually showed up for class! It didn't matter whether they listened or learned anything. At the very least, they were physically in the classroom. Compared to the students who'd spent three years at school and still had no clue about their teachers' full names or appearances, they were much better off!
Soon, a long class period passed. Time moved from eight o'clock sharp to nine-forty. When the bell rang for the end of class, Teacher Liu announced the end of the lesson and began to pack up his teaching materials. Meanwhile, the students in the classroom couldn't wait to leave. Before long, only a few people remained in the large classroom.
No wonder in my past life, Teacher Liu, with his great temperament, specifically called me to his office to scold me. It turns out I was really pushing my luck back then! Zhang Beixing stretched lazily, looking at his three roommates who were still sleeping, and thought to himself.
Just as he was about to wake the trio so they could return to the dormitory, Teacher Liu walked up to him, eyes narrowed with amusement as he scrutinized Zhang Beixing and said, "Xiao Zhang, you seemed to be having a great time chatting with Xiao Lin earlier!"
"Uh..." Zhang Beixing gave a sheepish smile, his expression quite unnatural.
He knew exactly what Teacher Liu meant, because during that long class period and two short ones, he had spent at least a quarter of the time chatting with Lin Siqi. However, something puzzled him: he and Lin Siqi had kept their voices down while talking, and even though they were sitting close to Teacher Liu, how had he heard them over the noisy classroom?
Zhang Beixing couldn't figure it out, yet he still offered an honest apology, "Sorry, Teacher Liu, I was wrong. I won't talk during class again!"
"Oh, spare me that line. Do you even believe yourself when you say that?" Teacher Liu said, clearly not impressed.
As one of the few who had never skipped a class, Teacher Liu didn't know Zhang Beixing inside out, but he was well aware of his character. This kid was like a cat! Whenever he did something wrong and got scolded, he'd put on a remorseful face and listen obediently. But once the scolding was over, he'd make the same mistake the next time! He had this attitude like, "Say all you want; if I listen, I lose!" Which was a headache for Teacher Liu!
Looking at Zhang Beixing, even when his true character was revealed, he didn't feel the slightest embarrassment. Instead, he just scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, almost as though his brain stem was missing.
Seeing him like this, Teacher Liu grew increasingly irritated and grabbed Zhang Beixing's ear, not forcefully, but just twisting it slightly while scolding, "You rascal! You do nothing all day but grin foolishly. What are you going to do when you enter society? I think you've got too much time on your hands. Come on, to my office, carry some stuff for me. Look at how weak you are, consider it exercise for your body!"
After he finished speaking, he didn't care about Zhang Beixing's wails and howls and dragged him outside. Once they entered the office, he finally let go.
Zhang Beixing had a pained expression on his face. It was wrong of him to talk during class, but did it have to come to this? And now he was being made to move stuff to get some exercise. If you want a beast of burden, just say it outright, he thought.
"Teacher Liu, you're really petty!" Zhang Beixing muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Teacher Liu turned his head to look over.
Zhang Beixing didn't know if it was an illusion, but he sensed a hint of danger in Teacher Liu's eyes. Thus, he promptly chose discretion and said, "Nothing much, just marveling at how clean and tidy your office is. Even the trash cans are sorted into three types, all neatly arranged. You truly are my most respected Teacher Liu; you live so elegantly!"
"Stop your smooth talking. Come on, help me put this stack of books into the box."
"Okay!" Zhang Beixing responded, then picked up a stack of books and walked over to the cardboard box, placing them in one by one.
It had to be said, as a university professor, Teacher Liu read nothing but classics! Everything from *One Hundred Years of Solitude*, *Les Misérables*, *Hamlet*, *The Republic*, *Yue Family's Continuous Fists*...
Wait, did something strange just pop up?
*Yue Family's Continuous Fists*? Zhang Beixing paused, and then reached out to pick up *Yue Family's Continuous Fists* from the box, examining it.
The cover of the book looked very old-fashioned. To put it in high EQ terms, it had a sense of age; in low EQ terms, it was full of bookworm holes!
As soon as he opened it, Zhang Beixing instinctively took a deep breath. Smelling that decayed scent that signified the passage of years, he fell silent for a while. He felt he should probably go to the hospital to visit the respiratory department, just in case he had a lung infection from mold spores.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, Teacher Liu, how long has it been since you've read this book? This smell is pretty strong!" Coughing, Zhang Beixing held the book and complained to Teacher Liu.
Upon hearing this, Teacher Liu turned his head to glance at it, a trace of melancholy flashing in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. He said, "Oh, that book? It's been seven or eight years, I guess. I didn't expect it to have deteriorated like this. Put it on the table for me."
"Ah? It's gotten this bad and you still want it? Could it be... this really is a martial arts secret book?" Zhang Beixing exclaimed, his imagination running wild.
*Yue Family's Continuous Fists*. This sounded like a very niche martial art. Coupled with its current worn state and how much Teacher Liu treasured it, he couldn't help but be reminded of the family secret techniques in martial hero novels!
"What are you thinking about? I was just about to throw it away. If you want it, you can take it. By the way, Xiao Zhang, I've often seen you running on the sports field these days. Are you exercising?"
"Yeah, I felt like my physical fitness wasn't up to par, so I thought I'd work out a bit."
"I see, that's good. Young people should exercise more. A healthy body is the capital for striving, but unfortunately, many people don't pay attention to this. They stay up all night, recklessly ruining their bodies, and probably won't realize the importance of health until they actually get sick! Sigh!"
Listening to Teacher Liu's lament, Zhang Beixing didn't know what to say. In his previous life, he was exactly the kind of person Teacher Liu was talking about: staying up all night, recklessly ruining his body. If it weren't for the second chance given to him by heaven, he supposed by now his tombstone would have already been engraved.