th him indirectly bringing Old Zhao onboard. However, upon reflection, he shook his head; perhaps what mattered most was the talent and determination displayed by Su Licheng and his team in tackling m...Chapter 100: Most Infectious Personality

Erxian's account profile picture flickered and jumped, opening the visitor record to find "provocative" actions from Jingzhong attacking him.

Amidst all the information nearly overwhelming him from his Exeter High School classmates, Su Cen finally saw a message from Zack. There was also a photo of himself at the hotel: "Hey, are you home yet We went to White Mountain National Forest on Thursday. The oak leaves on Washington Mountain have turned red already! You can see in this picture that I’m hugging the pumpkin man. Can you imagine how crazy Exeter High is Over thirty people joined our trip plan. Their only regret was that King isn't here; every year, he would spend time with us during the ball!"

White Mountain is located in central New Hampshire and is an important tourist attraction. It offers activities such as summer retreats, autumn maple leaf viewing, winter skiing, and spring flower watching throughout the four seasons.

Washington Mountain belongs to White Mountain and is the highest peak in northeastern America. Su Cen had heard about White Mountain National Forest from students during his exchange student program. It was a scenic place ideal for couples to spend romantic time together. He could imagine standing with Tang Wu amidst the red maple leaves under an awe-inspiring cloud layer, where red and white intersected—endless romance.

However, he had already returned home. On Weibo, many American high school friends left comments; Zack specially made a video in which some familiar figures from his American high school appeared: the manager of the Asian club, the British male student wearing glasses at the Investment Club, and the handsome Jewish boy trained by Su Cen in the Swordsmanship Club. They wandered around under maple leaves and natural scenery.

They took photos beside small waterfalls, ponds, piles of grass, and a famous wooden bridge on campus, looking down at the picturesque river below.

Then they stayed in the largest and most luxurious Washington Mountain hotel built privately. From the outside, it looked incredibly huge with a total area of ten thousand acres. The students from Exeter High School did not have to pay for their stay because of the Queen of the Ball, Ginny. Her family was part of an ancient noble family in New Hampshire; her mother was even a board member at this giant hotel.

Under Zack's organization, American high school students collectively shouted "Are you okay" in broken Chinese with irregular tones for Su Cen.

This moment of their liveliness touched Su Cen deeply.

The video was originally very touching, but Zack ruined it by secretly telling the camera at the end: "Do you know Ginny is indeed a good girl. But you missed out."

Su Cen left messages for his American friends one by one, knowing they might be sleeping at this moment.

In 2001, the platform's advanced nature integrated resources and connected the world.

"You joined a student organization that isn't allowed in America, and you were caught by the school authorities soon after joining" Su Cen was submitting his exchange student report to Mr. Yuan Zhaoyin, the International Department head at Class 27.

Mr. Yuan gestured for Su Cen to sit down and kindly asked him.

Su Cen hesitated before saying, "It was a misunderstanding."

The International Department head nodded in agreement, "That's what I said. When you first went there, you weren't familiar with the environment at all. You wouldn’t know which activities were allowed or prohibited by the school to maintain good relations, so it’s understandable that you participated in some of them. Additionally, I heard you used a poetry book for solving problems"

"Well..." Because he needed to explain his problem-solving process and his English wasn't very good, some steps were difficult to write clearly...

Mr. Yuan hummed thoughtfully: "Indeed, it was quite challenging under those circumstances in America. It's understandable that your mindset might differ there, but regardless, the American high school’s evaluation of you is positive. In recent years, only you and Tang Wu received such praise."

"The American high school also expressed satisfaction with our recommendation from Class 27," he added.

As Su Cen left the International Department, he encountered a group of familiar male and female students who seemed to be from classes seven through fourteen in external buildings. They were good friends with Sun Man; Zhang Ke was among them—she was one of the girls that Su Cen knew.

Su Cen walked past them and smiled at Zhang Ke, saying, "Hello."

Zhang Ke looked a bit stunned for a moment before smiling back, "Oh, you're back."

They weren't very familiar with each other to begin with. They had met due to a conflict, and after Su Cen’s three-month exchange program abroad, their relationship naturally became even more distant. After exchanging brief greetings, Su Cen went to his classroom.

The group of students behind him whispered secretly: "We can't believe it; we didn’t think that Su Cen and Tang Wu would already be back."

"Haha, they weren’t idle even in America..."

"Oh, the one who went to America last time is him."

After entering the classroom, Su Cen carried his schoolbag and placed it on the table. Wang Weiwei, Lin Zouwu, and Lin Ge Ran were already smiling at him from their seats. He approached Teacher Wang Guiwen and took several documents from him. Wang Guiwen gave Su Cen a look implying that since he had returned to this class, shouldn't he say something

Su Cen turned around, bowed respectfully to the entire class looking at him eagerly, and said, "Hello everyone, it's great to be back in our Class 3 of Senior Year 3. I feel that domestic life is more親切 than overseas. There are only four months until高考now; I hope we can work hard together here. I believe these days will be the most fulfilling and memorable."

Wang Guiwen nodded, satisfied with Su Cen's encouraging speech.

The whole class erupted into enthusiastic applause as the celebrity of the class returned. In fact, they had all heard during the holiday that it was about time for Su Cen and Tang Wu to return to school. Each phase at No. 27 High School has endless stories; this news was one of the more eye-catching recent events.

Jiang Mingjun had become even fatter, wearing a simple light blue T-shirt with holes in the cuffs. However, he treated Su Cen quite casually and said, "You finally came back. Our classmates are all very fierce; their later performance has been outstanding. Their grades have reached an incredible level. How can you catch up after spending three months in America"

Su Cen looked at the pile of review materials and試卷in his hand and smiled, "I will do my best."

He had received a full evaluation during his time at Exeter High School, which could serve as a direct entry qualification for top universities. Therefore, he didn't need to worry about his academic performance. His American life hadn't been in vain; if he hadn't gotten this qualification, returning might have been more troublesome.

This period abroad had certainly caused him to regress in many ways. Besides English, other things learned previously would be forgotten to some extent. Using the remaining time to catch up, his grades could only reach around 80-90% of what they were before he left. After all, there was a foundation, but it wouldn't be at the top anymore.

After class, Su Cen naturally attracted many people. Xiao Yunyun, Wu Shimiao, Guo Zhong, Jiang Mingjun, and others formed a circle around him.

Xiao Yunyun had gained weight and had several pimples on her forehead. Therefore, when she saw Su Cen, she was somewhat evasive.

Wu Shimiao seemed closer to Su Cen recently; she had become close with Guo Xiaozhong and distanced herself from colleagues like Zhao Xin and Yang Zhao. Perhaps there were some things everyone preferred not to talk about, but considering the ability of Guo Xiaozhong to endure pressure and hardship, Wu Shimiao might have developed trust in him during their stressful senior year.

After chatting for a while, they talked about how Su Cen missed many exciting events at school.

The school arts festival in late November had produced several dazzling campus stars. Sun Man won the most popular program with her rendition of Yang Qianbo's solo song "Prayer of a Teenage Girl." Without Tang Wu to compare her against, she was unstoppable and smoothly became the queen of the entire school.

She was rated by many boys as the most unforgettable and desirable girl in high school.

The Teacher-Student Gathering New Year Party on December 30th was also full of exciting moments.

In January, there were club activities.

There were various competitions both within and outside the province. The school's journal covered them in each issue, highlighting many outstanding figures. No. 27 High School never lacked such風雲人物as it was a top source of talent for national universities. These people would become elite members serving different sectors of society.

During the holidays, selections were being made for the 52nd Intel International Science and Engineering Fair—an important competition where global participants from many countries competed. The Chinese team had seventeen projects in categories such as biochemistry, engineering, zoology, and computer science.

No. 27 High School sent six students to the national team, taking up six of the seven provincial slots and a quarter of the nationwide quota.

Once again, No. 27 showcased its strength.

During their overseas presentation, Chinese students set up booths at the San Jose Convention Center, with coverage from provincial TV stations, city TV stations, and campus TV channels.

The six overseas students naturally became hot topics; compared to Su Cen and Tang Wu's return, they were much more prominent.

"One of our school’s projects that went abroad is 'A Mathematical Model-Based Real-time Closed-loop System Study for Stable Braking of Metro Trains.' The person involved in the project would surprise you—it's Yang Cheng. He's so handsome and has shone brilliantly on this world-class engineering academic stage, truly impressive!"

The praise from girls like Wu Shimiao towards Yang Cheng represented a common type of infatuation among many female students.

"They’re reportedly going to have a simulated defense presentation for the whole school’s TV station tonight."

, "By the way, Su Cen, did you see the bulletin board"

,"Bulletin board ", Su Cen was puzzled.

The teaching building of the school had various bulletin boards at its main entrance. The news of the school was roughly posted there. However, it was unlikely for Su Cen to take a look.

"Now, the school magazine 'Morning Flowers' has launched an emotional campaign because all the old members have prepared themselves for the college entrance examination. A new batch is taking over and every issue of 'Morning Flowers' in that period is worth reading. It's also the last issue to showcase the excellence of the old members! There's already a selection made by 'Morning Flowers', titled 'Moving China, Moving Chengdu, Nostalgia for the Passing Years: The Most Influential Figure at No. 27 High School'. You're among the candidates because you've published articles before. This election could even be recorded in the school’s history! It's quite impressive! However, according to the current voting results announced, Yang Cheng and Class Seven, Class Six, Class One, and a few students from Class Fourteen are leading now. You must strive for our Class Three!"

No. 27 High School was bustling with activities, some students busy studying while others were involved in recent school events. Even the campus radio station, which usually played soothing or popular music every afternoon as a routine, had changed its content to promote the mock defense speeches for tonight's evening study session.

Students participating in this international science and engineering competition would hold their last mock defense before heading off to America on the school’s television channel. This was a significant event at No. 27 High School.

The judges were composed of Principal Cai Guotao, Party Secretary Liu Zhengjian, vice-principals, and guiding teachers, with the whole school watching live.

Many people didn't care about this so-called defense session; instead, they felt excited because during evening study sessions, they finally had a chance to rest and watch the defense rather than burying themselves in exercises or listening to lectures.

The defense meeting became a hot topic around the school. Such an exhibition under the leadership of the whole school was naturally eye-catching and could make people famous, especially for Yang Cheng with his striking looks, who was very popular on stage.

A small incident occurred during the defense process, which ignited the originally dull atmosphere of the meeting and put the entire school into an inexplicable excitement.

Miss Sun Man naturally hosted this event. After a long time apart, Miss Sun let her hair fall over her chest and wore a delicate butterfly clip on her head, embodying the typical gentle and refined image that suited her temperament. As Yang Cheng was adjusting his boutonniere, she stepped forward to put it on for him and straighten his bow tie.

This scene was transmitted live through all closed-circuit TV monitors across the school.

It shook many people's eyesight.

"A demonstration! It must be a demonstration against you." Jiang Mingjun pointed at the table with a pen, analyzing Su Cen in a very mature and perceptive manner.

Su Cen glanced at him. Jiang Mingjun didn't seem good at playing coy; he couldn't hold back from elaborating, "Let me tell you, I know this school well. Although Yang Cheng did indeed stand out with his project group studying the entire subway system, it's definitely not the reason why Sun Man suddenly liked him. Before you left, many people knew that Sun Man liked you. But then your relationship with Tang Wu was exposed later on. Everyone knows that whether or not you're a couple, there’s no denying that you are close to each other. And after that, both of you went to the US for exchange programs. Think about it, wouldn't Sun Man be angry If she's angry and doesn’t retaliate, how face-saving would that be! If she genuinely liked him, she wouldn't need to express herself in a live broadcast watched by the entire school!"

"Moreover, don't forget when you first transferred here, you embarrassed her through the weekly exposure platform visible across the whole school. Now what she's doing is demonstrating against you and indirectly declaring to everyone that her heart isn’t with you anymore!"

“Oh.” After thinking about it, Su Cen seemed to realize there was indeed a possibility like this. Through his interaction with Sun Man, he knew she was a very intelligent, independent, and excellent girl. If she really wanted to counterattack from that corner, she could indeed do so.

Moreover, because of this bizarre triangular relationship, many circles' relationships had become tense. For example, the people who supported Sun Man were closely connected with Zhang Feifei, Zhang Xian, Zhu Zhiyu and others. Although these feelings cooled down along with his departure to America with Tang Wu, their return inevitably brought them face-to-face with this awkward situation.

And Tang Wu and Sun Man were still in the same class and classroom; they saw each other every day whether looking up or down.

This girl was actually very clever.

In the following few days, Su Cen occasionally spotted Sun Man's figure around school. Comparing her to a butterfly might accurately portray his impression of her.

She walked easily through various places on campus, mingling among her supporters, always surrounded by people flattering her.

It seemed she had returned to that radiant image, ignoring anyone unrelated and not paying special attention to anyone. She also wouldn't stand at the entrance of a shaded path or a small shop looking for someone she was expecting.

Hers cheerful smile and always efficient and capable image made many people believe her return did not affect Su Cen in any way, that those slight good feelings derived from their student days were crushed underfoot as they faced impending separation.

Others would also ask about the progress of her relationship with Yang Cheng, but she would simply smile it off.

The student council members and her assistants kept her private emotional affairs confidential; even when many people tried to pry, they did not divulge anything.

Then no one would continue asking. For in the last four months, whether or not anyone knew, it was meaningless anyway.

"Su Cen, the school's senior three assembly is about to be held soon. The administration plans for you to give a speech as one of the student representatives. You should start preparing." When Wang Guiwen said this in his office, Su Cen simply nodded and agreed.

Wang Guiwen glanced at Su Cen and noticed that there was no confusion or excessive surprise in his eyes; he continued, "If you have any questions or uncertainties, feel free to ask."

Su Cen roughly asked about the time of the assembly and注意事項 (notes), then left the office.

In No. 27 High School, being featured on the school TV station, publishing an article that could reach the highest-rated monthly platform on Chao Hua, rescuing a female student from attempting suicide, returning from an exchange program abroad—Su Cen might not be the top student academically, but in terms of reputation, he was definitely someone whose appearance would ignite enthusiasm across the school.

No. 27 High School's brilliance lay in how it seemed to take no interest in students' affairs on the surface, yet understood their psychology intimately.

In the arts building auditorium, the senior three assembly was held, filling all seats with over seven hundred students from fourteen classes, faculty members, and some parent representatives.

Leaders of the school made important speeches and gave battle calls to motivate everyone.

The student representatives were one boy and one girl. The female representative was Sun Man, while the male should have been Yang Cheng, who had recently gained a lot of popularity. However, due to participating in an American final with the international track team after his mock defense, Su Cen took over.

Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, Su Cen walked up onto the stage and stood before it, facing everyone; suddenly, there was a burst of applause.

Su Cen had been quite famous at school before going to America. While he temporarily faded from public view for these three months, his return immediately sparked intense applause. It's unknown what thoughts the just-departed school leaders would have upon feeling this even more enthusiastic response than their speeches.

"In Hayao Miyazaki's Nausica of the Valley of the Wind, there is a character named Naushika who originates from the Greek epic Odyssey. This girl has become one of the most beloved female protagonists in anime history. Today, I don't want to talk about 'striving for every moment' or how promising our future might be; what we need to do is face and overcome this challenge."

"I merely wish to tell you why this character became so popular over these six years. She possesses four qualities worth learning: strength in the face of exams, pressure, and future challenges; nobility, hoping my fellow classmates will maintain noble integrity wherever they go; optimism and beauty, facing life’s fatigue and difficulties with a serene heart for overall health and wellbeing; purity—ten years from now, when we meet again, let's find that initial innocence, as this stage of our lives can only be bid farewell once."

Su Cen stepped down the podium amidst thunderous applause. He met Sun Man’s gaze, who gave him a somewhat indifferent smile and said, "Your speech is just like you—unexpected. Like how in the middle semester you suddenly went abroad for studies, then came back to face college entrance exams right away. Also, your antics in America fit your personality."

"How did you know about my American adventures" Su Cen was surprised. If it were International Affairs Department's knowledge, that wouldn't be strange; similarly, the school leadership knowing would also make sense due to their usual exchanges with foreign schools, where they'd follow up on incidents happening at those institutions.

As for someone like Lin Luoran, she could find news through her friends abroad or local newspapers.

But ordinary students from No. 27 High School should not know about it.

Sun Man laughed and said, "You didn't know In the Chengdu University Joint Magazine ' ', the latest issue has an article about your American adventures. Since Exeter High is a partner school with ours, some students there communicated with Chengdu university student organizations, mailing you newspapers from America to the magazine's editorial department. So in this new gossip magazine, I saw your pictures on those papers—how should I say it You look much more handsome in American newspapers than here.

Phew. A two-in-one chapter today totals about six thousand words; getting out a third update might be tough, so take a breather while I delve into the subsequent plot, ensuring quality.

May ended beautifully. The strongest support from everyone deserves special thanks for making this month exciting, ushering in June's fresh start.

Thanks to Potato God’s votes and readers like Ghost Constellation, This Barbed Wire, Swing Drift, My Heart Soars, and many others whose names I can’t track—on the last day of May, you all made涅槃氣勢十足 (Nirvana's momentum fully restored), battling with dignity. We're growing stronger, though currently far from powerful.

We'll continue to grow until we pierce through clouds and reach for the sun.hen, and they had since become successful. This man called Old Zheng was also someone who had once pursued Mu Ban in school. He patted his bald head and said, "To be honest, I used to be the student u...