Doug Feng didn't need a genius to tell him who Ms. Fang was talking about when she casually praised others for "doing well" but called his score "out of the ordinary."
"Seriously? When other people score well, it's normal. But when I do it, it's a miracle?"
Of course, he didn't dare talk back. He just silently cursed in his head.
Ms. Fang continued in her usual serious tone. "So don't feel pressured, everyone. Just study as usual. The grading team is composed of teachers from all over the city, and they'll be working overtime this weekend to finalize everything. Scores will be out Monday morning."
Then she dropped the real bombshell.
"We'll be holding our final parent-teacher meeting next Monday."
Boom. The class exploded like someone had tossed a firecracker in the room.
"No way! Why now? This was my worst exam ever!"
"I'm doomed! I probably didn't even hit 500 points. My mom sees that, and I'm a dead man walking."
"Why does the school always schedule the parent meeting after the hardest test?"
"Howie, what do I do? Should I bring my dad or my mom? If my dad comes and sees my grades, he's going to roast me alive! Probably banish me to the last row with the other academic disasters."
Howie looked genuinely distressed. He was no stranger to the back row — the school arranged parent seating by student rank, and Howie's family were practically VIP members of the last row at this point.
"Maybe bring your mom this time?" Doug offered with a smirk.
Howie let out a dry laugh and dropped his head onto his desk. "Then I'll be walking out with two fewer ears."
"Well, in that case, I'm afraid I can't help you, buddy."
Doug gave an exaggerated shrug.
"Oh please," Howie shot back, "you think you're safe? Your parents aren't exactly known for being chill about this stuff either. Want to pair up our parents so they can comfort each other in the back row?"
Doug rolled his eyes. "Did you forget? I told you I'm going for first place this time."
"Yeah, yeah. Exam's over, but you're still living in fantasy land? Alright, don't blame me when I make you call me Big Bro in front of the whole class."
To be fair, no one in their right mind would believe Doug could suddenly jump from the bottom of the class to the top of the grade. It'd be like watching a turtle outpace a race car.
Doug didn't bother arguing. "You'll see, come Monday. When the results come out, reality's gonna hit you like a truck."
Ms. Fang clapped her hands to get their attention again. "Everyone, listen up! This is your final parent meeting — and also your last motivational rally before the college entrance exams. I have some exciting news: Mayor Qin himself will be attending!"
The class let out a collective gasp.
Ms. Fang continued, "So I expect everyone to show the spirit of students from No. 1 High. There will be a speech under the national flag that morning, and it'll be delivered by whoever gets first place in this exam."
She turned to the class monitor. "Linda, prepare a draft for your speech. Show it to me Monday morning."
Wait… Linda? Not Lin-jie?
A hush fell over the room. That was cold. Ms. Fang had never called her full name in such a formal tone. She usually referred to her as "Lin-jie" with warmth and affection — her golden student, her pride and joy.
Doug knew exactly what this sudden chill was about. Ms. Fang was still holding a grudge over the little stunt with the test paper earlier.
What surprised everyone even more was Linda's response.
"I understand, Ms. Fang," she said flatly, not even lifting her head.
The air in the classroom dropped a few degrees. Even Howie looked shaken. "What's happening? Are we in the upside-down? Is the apocalypse early?"
Doug's classmates were all starting to panic. They'd never seen their teacher like this before. Normally, she was either a no-nonsense instructor or the kind, relatable older sister type.
But today? She looked like a woman on the edge.
Linda's deskmate, a shy girl who usually kept her head down, gently nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Linda… are you okay? That's still the teacher, you know."
Linda just grunted in acknowledgment. No eye contact. No emotion.
Ms. Fang's face darkened even more. She couldn't believe it — the girl she had nurtured, praised, and trusted had just brushed her off like that.
It felt like watching your own daughter side with her no-good boyfriend in front of the whole family.
And just like that… a strange thought crept into her head.
Am I… am I jealous?
No, no, no! Snap out of it!
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Doug is just a student. Linda is just a student. I am the teacher. End of story.
But the story in her head was anything but over.
You're being ridiculous, Fang Qingxue. He's eighteen. You're his teacher! How could you possibly…
Her thoughts spiraled into chaos, her face flickering between emotions like a broken traffic light.
Meanwhile, Doug sat back in his seat, trying hard not to laugh out loud. As the only person in the room who actually understood what was going on, he had to admit — this whole situation was starting to look less like a school drama and more like a love triangle sitcom.
And the kicker?
Thanks to the Affection System, even the smallest shift in feelings could snowball into unpredictable behavior.
Yup. Monday's going to be wild.
(To be continued…)