Legacy of the Stars

Chapter 9: First in Class

In the corner of Class 4, Grade 12 at Ningcheng No. 1 High School, Liu Yuan was quietly studying English in his mind. Meanwhile, his classmates were animatedly discussing the entrance exam that had just ended the day before.

“This math test was just too hard. I basically left several of the big questions blank.” “Yeah, I definitely bombed this one.” “The science section was tough too. Only the Chinese test was somewhat manageable.” “Chinese is always the same, not particularly hard or easy. It's pretty consistent.” “Who do you think will be first in our class this time?” “Isn’t it obvious? It’ll definitely be Li Dan. She’s been our class's top student since Grade 11. She even ranked high in the entire grade several times.” “It's really annoying. Li Dan isn’t just pretty; she’s also very smart. I heard her goal is to get into a top university.” “A top university? I can’t even dream of that. I’ll be grateful if I can get into a second-tier one.” “...” “Hey, I heard the answers to the math multiple-choice questions were ABCCBA, ACACD, BCDCAA.” “Really? Let me check my answers. Oh no, I got four wrong.” “Me too. But I think the sixth question shouldn't be A. Li Dan chose C.” “Li Dan can be wrong too. Besides, this test was really tough. She probably didn’t do well either.” “For the first big question, was the final answer 1?” “1? That can’t be right. I didn’t get 1.” “Then you probably got it wrong. The simpler the final answer, the more likely it's correct for big questions.” “I think I got 1 too. If that’s right, I got 12 points there. I can add some points to my math estimate.” “...” “Did you hear? Wang Qiang from the neighboring class is madly pursuing Li Dan. He buys her milk tea every day, sends her cards, writes her love letters, and even swore he would get into the same university as her.” “Him? Seriously?” “He thinks he can win over Li Dan? Has he looked at himself in the mirror? His family might be rich, but Li Dan is very proud. So many guys chase her, but she throws away all the gifts, letters, and cards. She’s focused solely on her studies.” “Right, but I heard our classmates Chen Ting and Hu Shan are together now.” “Who told you that? I didn’t see it coming.” “Of course, you didn’t. But I saw them holding hands and drinking milk tea near Ningcheng Square once, not near our school.” “Then it must be true. Their secret relationship advanced pretty quickly. No one even knew.” “You don’t know a lot of things. I heard Fu Weiwei from the neighboring class won over Zhao Fei, the class beauty of Class 7, and they even slept together.” “No way! Zhao Fei seemed so innocent.” “She's just pretending. Fu Weiwei bragged about it himself.” “Wow, that’s crazy.” “...”

Liu Yuan continued studying English in his mind while listening to his classmates' discussions. His enhanced hearing allowed him to catch every sound in the classroom, even the quietest conversations, revealing many secrets.

Grade 12 is a colorful and vibrant time. Some students are passionately pursuing their dreams, while others are restless with their youthful energy. For Liu Yuan, sitting in the corner, none of this mattered much.

Liu Yuan had always been almost invisible in class. He wasn’t unattractive, but his family’s financial situation meant he wore shabby clothes and had no sense of fashion. His natural good looks were reduced, and no one paid attention to him. In high school, grades are everything. If you consistently rank first, even if you're plain-looking, many girls will have a crush on you. If you’re a girl, you’ll be the class or school beauty, attracting many admirers. If your grades are poor, having some talent like playing guitar, piano, or dancing can also draw attention.

But Liu Yuan had none of these qualities. His grades were average, and he had no special talents. As a result, he was almost invisible in class, with some classmates not even knowing he existed.

“Liu Yuan, Liu Yuan!” Next to him, Hu Huirong nudged Liu Yuan. “What?” Liu Yuan looked at Hu Huirong, who was similar to him, also lacking presence in the class. “I compared answers with some people. I might not even score 100 in this math test. Do you really think you got a perfect score?” Hu Huirong was still troubled by the math test and didn’t believe Liu Yuan’s boast about getting a perfect score. “You’ll see soon enough. You said you’d do a live stream washing your hair upside down.” Liu Yuan replied confidently.

As soon as he finished speaking, the bell rang. Their homeroom teacher and math teacher, Lu Xiao, entered the classroom holding a stack of papers and a grade report, his face stern. The classroom instantly fell silent. Liu Yuan could almost hear everyone’s heartbeats, as they anticipated the announcement of the exam results.

Lu Xiao stood at the podium, scanning the room before his gaze landed on Liu Yuan in the corner. He nodded approvingly, then began to speak. “You all should have a rough idea of how you did in this entrance exam. This test was meant to get you used to the pace of Grade 12 and to see if you studied during the summer for next year’s college entrance exam.”

“The results are out, and they’re very disappointing. Actually, they’re terrible. Let’s not talk about other subjects, just math. Our class’s average score didn’t even reach 90. More than half of you didn’t pass. It’s clear you all had too much fun over the summer and don’t feel the pressure of the college entrance exam.”

“Classmates, the college entrance exam is just a few months away. Whether you get into a good university will determine your future. The difference between a prestigious university and an ordinary one is huge. The gap between a first-tier and a second-tier university is also significant. Big companies often require at least a 211 or 985 university degree.”

“But you all had the time to play games over the summer. Don’t think I don’t know how intensely some of you played. Some of you reached the top ranks in Honor of Kings. But when it comes to exams, you performed terribly. If you can’t even pass, how will you get into a university?”

Some students lowered their heads, silently cursing whoever leaked the information. Others wondered how the teacher knew about their gaming habits.

“Some of you are not making progress, distracted by relationships and games, leading to declining grades. But some have used their time wisely, studied hard over the summer, and made significant progress.”

“This time, a few students in our class performed very well, especially Liu Yuan, who did exceptionally well.”

As Lu Xiao spoke, all eyes turned to Liu Yuan in the corner. “Liu Yuan’s grades were average before, but this time he scored a perfect score in math, 132 in Chinese, 92 in English, and 253 in science. With a total score of 627, he ranked first in the class and 66th in the whole grade!”

With Lu Xiao’s announcement, everyone stared at Liu Yuan in disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.

“Wow.” “He really got a perfect score in math!” Hu Huirong looked at Liu Yuan in disbelief, as if he had seen a monster. “Liu Yuan is first in the class and 66th in the grade?” Li Dan, who usually held the top spot, was equally shocked, staring at Liu Yuan as if she didn’t know him. “Liu Yuan?” “Perfect score in math?” “Total score of 627, first in the class, 66th in the grade. Wow, that’s amazing, such a high score.” “I never noticed Liu Yuan before. He’s actually quite handsome.” “Smart and good-looking. How did we not see this before?”

For the first time, the whole class seriously looked at Liu Yuan, many girls feeling drawn to him, some even staring at him continuously.

In this era where grades are king, Liu Yuan finally made everyone notice him.