Volume 3: High School Arc - Mirror Game
“Here.”
I already knew I was the only one left, so even before the teacher called my name, all the students were already looking at me.
I could tell that I had the best looks in this class.
Although I hadn’t compared with the entire grade, at least in this class, I should be considered the class beauty.
So actually, a lot of people had been glancing at me for a while, but I didn’t pay them any attention.
Since I had decided to live a new life, then what was the harm in being a little flashy?
But in the end, I decided not to dance.
A little flashiness was fine, but if a talent scout showed up tomorrow, then it would really become a scene.
After the teacher called my name, I stood up and walked to the front of the class at an unhurried pace.
I nodded at the teacher.
“Hello, teacher.”
“Hello, Liu Yunyan. You’re so pretty. Looks like you’re definitely our class belle, huh? Since you’re the finale, you’ve got to give us something spectacular, right?”
“Teacher, you flatter me. How could I possibly be considered the class belle?”
I smiled slightly and didn’t respond to the latter half of the teacher’s sentence.
Then I casually picked up the chalk and wrote my name on the blackboard.
“Hello everyone, my name is Liu Yunyan... ‘Liu’ as in the willow swaying with the wind, ‘Yunyan’ as in clear skies and peaceful seas. Things I like... many. Things I’m good at... also many.”
“Isn’t that the same as saying nothing...”
“Puhahaha~ Looks like our class belle isn’t easy to mess with!”
“Well said!”
“Hey hey hey, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?? At least say something!”
“Nothing else matters. Hey, class belle, do you have a boyfriend? If not, what do you think about me?”
A bunch of the boys in class immediately started jeering, and the girls began looking at me with some hostility.
That couldn’t be helped.
If no one envies you, you’re probably a nobody.
But... you guys getting rowdy like this is a bit too much.
“Boyfriend? Sorry, I’m still too young. You all... are also too young.”
I deliberately emphasized the last two words—“too young.”
Immediately...
“What the hell just flew past my face?”
“Open the gate! This isn’t a kindergarten bus!”
“Over the speed limit! Over the speed limit!”
“Kiddo, do you even understand what you’re saying?!”
Understand?
Of course I understood.
But I couldn’t say it outright.
If I did, it’d be too much.
Didn’t you see the female teacher beside me already had a stiff face?
“Uhm... Liu Yunyan, this is still a classroom, after all. I’m still the homeroom teacher here. Can we... maybe talk about something a bit more positive?”
As expected, the teacher caught the underlying meaning too.
Tsk tsk... truly a group of modern gentlemen.
However, as soon as I said that, the way the girls looked at me dropped another notch.
Felt like... they were looking at me like I was some kind of slut.
Well, they could think whatever they wanted.
If we could be friends, then great.
If not, then just stay out of each other’s way and don’t mess with me.
“Uhm, Liu Yunyan, what would you like to perform?”
It felt like the atmosphere was getting a bit out of control, and the female teacher couldn’t help urging me.
Seeing the commotion in the classroom, I knew that if I didn’t rein it in, it could really spiral.
“I already said, I’m good at a lot of things. So... what would you all like to see?”
My words left many of the students stunned.
All the other students had chosen their own performances.
But I was letting the others choose, which instantly set us apart.
This... felt like I had outshone the whole class.
“Hey... kiddo, don’t talk big.”
“Yeah... what if you mess up?”
“Yeah right, anything’s fine? Pfft...”
“Exactly...”
The boys all had that protective knight attitude, while a few of the girls began mumbling some snide remarks.
“Anything really is fine. What would everyone like to see?”
“Dance?”
“No no no, dancing is too ordinary, right? Are there even any girls in this school who can’t dance?”
“There might be...”
“Wait, how about singing? Her voice sounds really clear.”
“Singing is way too plain! Pass!”
“Then what else could she do? Maybe play an instrument? But we don’t have any here.”
“If you’re so amazing, why don’t you do a martial arts demo like Lu Haochen?” said a chubby girl who clearly didn’t like me, rolling her eyes as she spoke.
As soon as she said that, the entire classroom fell silent.
“Damn...”
“Does she have some eight-lifetimes’ worth of grudges?”
“Was that really necessary? I mean... Liu Yunyan’s all slender arms and legs, doesn’t look like someone who practices martial arts.”
“Hey! class belle, don’t listen to her. Ugly people like to stir up trouble!”
The female teacher behind me immediately panicked, but I just smiled slightly and looked at the chubby girl.
“Since someone made a request, I’ll go ahead and perform a bit. Of course, my martial arts might not be as visually pleasing as Lu Haochen’s, so I hope everyone goes easy on me~”
Since someone called it out, I might as well go for it.
I might not know everything, but doing a set of Bajiquan was still pretty easy for me.
Of course, Bajiquan wasn’t exactly graceful—it was all about explosive force, not like the visually aesthetic Tai Chi.
But... since that chubby chick wanted to see it, then I’d let her “see”!
Thinking that, I turned to the female teacher and raised my hand.
“Teacher, could you please make some space?”
Bajiquan required solid footwork and needed a fair amount of room to perform.
The female teacher looked a little dazed at the situation, but still obediently stepped aside.
Then, I reached out, grabbed underneath the podium, and—under a chorus of gasps—lifted the solid wood desk off the platform.
The desk itself had to weigh close to sixty jin, and with all the teaching materials inside, probably over seventy jin.
Even for a man, it would’ve been difficult to lift, especially since the desk was made of solid wood with a smooth surface and nothing to really grip.
Yet I picked it up so effortlessly that the whole class was stunned.
“Hm?”
Seeing the shocked looks on everyone’s faces, I responded with a smile.
“I eat a lot, so I’ve gotten pretty strong. So... don’t think I’m an easy target just because I’m a girl!”
Then, under a sea of dumbfounded stares, I stepped into the center of the podium and slowly raised my hand.
Next up... a full set of Bajiquan.
Each punch cut through the air with a whoosh, the stomps thundered against the concrete floor, shaking the windows with each strike.
Of course, I made sure not to do any high kicks—those explosive moves would’ve definitely flipped my skirt.
I wasn’t some railgun girl—I wasn’t wearing safety shorts!
Three minutes.
The whole set was done.
The classroom was dead silent.
That chubby girl from earlier was completely dumbfounded, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
I finished the set, raised my right hand on top, and clasped my fists together toward the class.
“My skills are lacking. I’ve made a fool of myself.”