After getting stumped by Ling Yun’s replies from the beginning, Mr. Wu finally calmed himself down and discreetly anticipated the show Ling Yun was going to put on.
“So, today, we will revise chapter one. Since Ling Yun has remarkably memorized the textbook, maybe we should give him an opportunity to read out what he has memorized. Everyone will have a better idea of the content as well,” Mr. Wu was exhilarated as he prepared Ling Yun for his doom.
Excluding Ling Yun, Cao Shanshan, Chai Hanlin and Zhang Dong, the rest of the class agreed without hesitation. Wei Tiangan was no exception. He was extremely supportive of Mr. Wu’s idea. He started to clap, causing everyone else to clap vigorously.
Chao Shanshan turned around to face Ling Yun. Are you dumb? Memorise every single thing? I actually want to see how you do it! While his classmates applauded for him to start, Ling Yun blushed a little as all he wanted was to stay as lowkey as possible.
“Hey Ling Yun, don’t be shy! Didn’t you already memorize everything? Just be confident and read it out to us! We will give you our fullest attention!” Mr. Wu announced as though he knew Ling Yun was about to fail. He was ready to chase Ling Yun out of the class after embarrassing him.
“I’m just afraid there isn’t enough time for me to finish reading everything…” Ling Yun replied as he scratched the back of his head. Undeniably, it would require a significant amount of time to read out twenty or more pages without missing out on anything. From how the historical homo sapiens developed their survival skills to different schools of thoughts contending for attention during the Qin Dynasty, it would take at least two hours.
A number of the students thought that Ling Yun was a joker who only started looking for excuses now when he could have saved his own face previously.
Cao Shanshan clenched her fists forcefully as if she was going to punch the hell out of Ling Yun for his silly acts. She was rather agitated. It’s obvious that Mr. Wu doesn’t mind wasting lesson time today just to watch you make a fool out of yourself! He has two long periods to play with you.
Wei Tiangan’s face was as black as the devil. He glared cunningly at Ling Yun as he could not wait for karma to befall his hostel-mate for disgracing him in public the night before. Something no one could deny was the fact that he hated Ling Yun to the core.
“You do not have to worry a single bit. You just need to read out to all of us what you have learned. In fact, we would actually have to thank you for helping instead!” Mr. Wu uttered briefly with a tinge of mockery.
Ling Yun proceeded to ponder for a few minutes before realizing that this might be a good chance for him to improve his relationship with his classmates. “Alright then,” he assured. Just as he was about to start speaking, Mr. Wu cut him off sheepishly and commented, “Ling Yun, if you stay in your seat, your classmates would have to turn around. Might you want to come to the front of the class instead? They would be able to hear it more clearly as well.”
“There’s a chair available here for you and if your throat gets too dry after speaking, I have some beverages for you here as well.” It might seem that Mr. Wu was a kind and caring teacher, but truth be told, he was preventing other students from helping Ling Yun so that he would be at the losing end. He already had everything planned out. Once Ling Yun failed to say anything, he would instigate his students to treat Ling Yun as a laughing stock till he got too ashamed and ran out of class. Mr. Wu would then make use of his departure as a reason for disrupting his lesson. Ling Yun’s reputation would then be tarnished once and for all.
Ling Yun considered Mr. Wu’s advice and found it to be workable. He gently pushed Zhang Dong away and steadily made his way to the front of the room.”
How does he stay so calm before his doom? Zhang Dong was mulling as he gazed at Ling Yun’s back view with pity and a small fraction of respect.
Mr. Wu could not believe his eyes as he agonizingly witnessed Ling Yun pick up his cup and take a drink. He told himself he would never touch that cup again.
It did not take long before Ling Yun sat comfortably on the chair.
Mr. Wu took the initiative to move beside the classroom door. He was waiting patiently for Ling Yun to start his reading, his own ‘show’. He already had everything worked out as long as nothing proper came out of Ling Yun’s mouth.
However, as a teacher, Mr. Wu would still have to abide by the teaching guidelines and get the class to follow his instructions. “Class, Ling Yun will be reading out what he memorized earlier. Everyone, take out your textbook and turn to chapter one now.”
He said all these just for the sake of it. No one bothered to take out their textbooks as they had no confidence in Ling Yun reading everything out. Cao Shanshan was in a state of panic and anxiety. It was if there were butterflies flying in her stomach. “Zhang Ling… Zhang Ling, what should we do now?” She tugged on her shirt anxiously.
Zhang Ling was happily engrossed in what was happening at the front of the class. It was as if she was watching the last episode of a blockbuster drama series, not until Cao Shanshan disturbed her. “What do you mean by ‘what should we do now’?”
“What else? Ling Yun will become the joke of the town in a few minutes time. Are we not going to help him out?” Shanshan looked doubtingly into the eyes of Zhang Ling.
“Help him out? Are you serious? Weren’t you furious at him for what he said to you?” Zhang Ling replied while a slight smirk appeared on her face.
Cao Shanshan blushed. She then retaliated, “No matter what, as the class monitress, it is my duty to speak up for Ling Yun before he gets ‘punished’ for delaying the class by one or two minutes!” Shanshan backed herself up as she found an excuse to be concerned about Ling Yun.
“If you really want to help him, feel free to do so. I won’t be able to help you with that. I’d rather spend my time listening to Ling Yun,” Zhang Ling could not be bothered. She then turned back to face him.
“Listen to Ling Yun? You must be mad! Pigs will fly before he can read anything properly from the textbook!” Cao Shanshan was stunned by Zhang Ling’s words.
“I think you should relax. Everything will be fine. Remember the way Ling Yun has been acting today? I doubt this matter would go Mr. Wu’s way.”
“Do you have that much confidence in him?” Shanshan asked. She was starting to have difficulties understanding Zhang Ling. “Yup! I might not know what his next move is, but I am pretty sure he knows what he is doing!”
Cao Shanshan was intrigued, but at the same time, she had a sense of discomfort at Zhang Ling’s dauntless eyes and tone. “Zhang Ling, have you fallen for Ling Yun?” Cao Shanshan brought this topic up out of nowhere.
“What? Please! The pot calling the kettle black!” Zhang Ling gave her bestie a displeasing knock.
“You! Okay, forget it. It’s my bad. But I don’t understand. What makes you so confident about Ling Yun?” Cao Shanshan gave up squandering with Zhang Ling.
“Intuition, my dear! Women’s intuition!” Zhang Ling’s rubbish remarks were received with a death stare from Cao Shanshan. She was done talking to her buddy.
Suddenly, she felt someone fixing his sight on her, like an eagle aiming for its prey.
“What’s wrong with me?” Shanshan hid her face away from Ling Yun subconsciously. She began to feel puzzled over her attitude towards him. She had had no reason to flare up at him in the canteen. Furthermore, there was no sense for her to worry about Ling Yun.
Ling Yun scanned the classroom, before fidgeting to find a comfortable posture. He produced a vibrant smile at Mr. Wu, “So, should I start now?” Ling Yun asked eagerly, like a five-year-old child waiting for his turn on the carousel.
Mr. Wu replied unhesitantly with a nod. He thought to himself that Ling Yun should make a fool out of himself as soon as possible so that he would be able to carry on lessons in his absence.
“Ahem! Chapter One…” Ling Yun cleared his throat, then proceeded to retrieve the content from his brain and projected them with his voice in a chronological order.
Initially, no one paid any attention to him. They did not want to waste their precious time on this clown.
However, things quickly changed when Ling Yun incredibly managed to read out the content word for word, as if he was the one who wrote the textbook.
After the first minute, there were no more discussions and banter. By the second minute, the only thing that could be heard was the rummaging of books and the flipping of pages, as well as Ling Yun’s crisp and lively voice. After five minutes, almost a thousand words had flowed out from Ling Yun’s mouth and into the ears of his classmates. There were no more disruptions as he continued to read at his own tempo.
What was magnificent and unbelievable was that he did not miss out any single word at all. If one did not see it for themselves, they would definitely think that he was directly reading from the textbook.
Both Zhang Dong and Chai Hanlin were stunned. On Wei Tiangan’s wicked face, his jeering smile froze as he sat there in disbelief, looking like a statue. Zhang Ling’s face changed too.
Chao Shanshan had unknowingly looked up at the composed Ling Yun, with her alluring eyes and mouth wide open. The word ‘unbelievable’ was written all over her face.
As for their history teacher, who had been waiting silently for Ling Yun to disgrace himself, his expression switched drastically. His mouth opened so wide even an ostrich egg could fit into it. It was as if he was a master of the art of face-changing in Chinese Opera. His initial face of mockery turned into doubt, before showing a flabbergasted look. Eventually, all that was left in the eyes behind that pair of gold-colored spectacles were excitement and jubilance derived from Ling Yun’s magnificent display.
Sitting still on the chair, Ling Yun continued reading out what he had memorized. His fluency and tone of speech were perfectly grasped as everybody’s ears twitched towards his direction. After finishing the first chapter, he went on the second.
Mr. Wu was thrilled. He could not believe what was happening before his eyes. The classroom was dead silent. Only Ling Yun’s delicate voice could be heard. Mr. Wu gingerly made his way beside Chai Hanlin, not wanting to disrupt Ling Yun’s momentum.
As he flipped Hanlin’s textbook to the second chapter, he was amazed. How could he have memorized everything word for word? He doesn’t even have to stop and think before continuing. His memory is incredible! It’s out-of-this-world! I’ve discovered a genius!
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