There were still a few minutes before class started, and the classroom was noisy. Some were fooling around, some were gathered in groups chatting, some were teasing girls, and others were buried in their books. It was the familiar life of high school.
Alex was someone who had been through high school before. Experiencing this life again, besides a bit of sentimentality, he remained calm inside.
He sat down in his seat, and no one paid attention to his arrival. He and the people around him were two distinct types of individuals.
The first period in the afternoon was taught by the Chinese teacher, who was also the homeroom teacher. The moment the teacher arrived, the class went quiet. Usually, the homeroom teacher would directly take out the textbook and get to the main topic, but today she wasn't in a hurry to start the lesson. Instead, she announced something to everyone with a smile on her face.
"Students, we have a transfer student joining our class today. Everyone, please clap to welcome her."
After saying this, the homeroom teacher started clapping, and the students below had no choice but to follow suit.
Alex found it a bit unusual. When he was in high school in his previous life, there had been transfer students, but they were always brought in by the teacher before class to move their desks in, and that was it. This was the first time he had seen such a formal introduction on the podium. He wondered if the transfer student would feel embarrassed when she walked in.
Just as he was thinking this, a girl wearing a black pleated skirt and carrying the aura of a princess walked in. Her smooth face was white with a hint of red, her small nose was slightly upturned, and her clear eyes were like a pool of fresh water, giving off an ethereal vibe.
Almost the moment the girl appeared, she became the focus of everyone in the class.
She stood on the podium without showing any shyness. As she looked around, she possessed an elegant and noble temperament that captivated people, making them afraid to meet her gaze.
She looked around at the students in the class, her gaze pausing for a moment when it landed on Alex, revealing a row of pearly white teeth as a confident smile appeared on her face.
That meaningful gaze quickly left the incredulous Alex, and the girl introduced herself with total composure:
"Hello everyone, my name is Zhang Shikou. I transferred to this school for certain reasons, and I hope we can all get along well from now on..."
The voice was also so familiar that Alex felt as if he were in a dream, his mind muddled and unable to distinguish reality.
"Student Zhang Shikou, your seat is over there. After class, come to the office to collect your school uniform. The school generally requires students to wear uniforms to class."
"I understand, Teacher."
The teacher pointed out the seat, and Zhang Shikou walked over and sat down. She sat with perfect posture, her small face looking serious; she seemed to be a very cold and aloof girl, but that didn't stop everyone from eyeing her with curious gazes.
The boys' eyes held a hint of admiration, while the girls felt a bit envious, though it wasn't serious. People generally showed kindness toward a new transfer student.
Once class officially began, everyone's attention shifted to the podium. No one paid any more attention to the transfer student who was as beautiful as a princess. The homeroom teacher was very strict, and if she caught you being distracted during her class, you would be in for it.
Alex, however, turned his head to look at Zhang Shikou, who was separated from him by one row. His heart was in turmoil, and for a moment, he even thought he was still trapped deep within the dream world.
Who could have imagined that the Xiao Kou who appeared in his dreams would actually walk into reality so grandly and miraculously become a transfer student and his classmate?
The Xiao Kou in the dream should have been a fiction created by Chen Luoqiu to keep him there, so why did such a person exist in reality?
Alex had no memory of what Xiao Kou looked like grown up, so Chen Luoqiu shouldn't have had memories of a grown-up Xiao Kou either. Yet, the Zhang Shikou before him was identical to the Xiao Kou in the dream. Could Xiao Kou have briefly entered that dream world?
Recalling the scene in the dream world where Xiao Kou mysteriously dissipated, Alex was inclined to believe this guess. In other words, were the things he did to Xiao Kou in the dream actually real?
Seeming to sense his strange gaze, Zhang Shikou turned her head and stared at him coldly. A flash of hatred flickered in her eyes, and with a light snort, she turned her head back.
Alex was stunned for a moment, retracted his gaze, and fell into deep thought with a delicate mood.
Regardless, finding Xiao Kou was ultimately something worth being happy about, even though she seemed to be hostile toward him.
Alex himself didn't have any obsession with Zhang Shikou, but as the fusion with the memories of his parallel-world self deepened, those memories unconsciously influenced him, making him care about Zhang Shikou's opinion. Therefore, when he learned she hated him, he felt instinctively sad.
However, Alex quickly recognized his situation. He and Zhang Shikou were truly strangers with no connection to each other. He only wanted to find Zhang Shikou to fulfill the obsession of the other Alex. Now that she was found and seemed to be living quite well, it was time to let go of that obsession.
Thinking this way, Alex felt much more at ease, but the scene that had occurred in the dream world remained like a thorn buried deep in his heart.
The well-behaved and gentle Xiao Kou in the dream, the cute and slightly suggestive Xiao Kou, and the cold Xiao Kou in reality—they were actually the same person.
After class, Zhang Shikou's seat was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic students, mostly girls. The boys felt unworthy in front of Zhang Shikou and spoke with stutters.
Alex noticed that Zhang Shikou's attire didn't look like she was from the countryside at all. She was using the latest Fruit Phone, and the price of her clothes and shoes probably wasn't cheap either.
Freya's intel, however, said that Zhang Shikou had been adopted by a rural couple years ago, and just a few months ago, their family was still living a relatively constrained life in the countryside.
Was Freya's intel wrong, or had earth-shattering changes occurred in these few short months?
Although Alex was curious, he decided not to probe into these secrets. If Zhang Shikou's attitude after meeting was kind, he would be willing to get along well with the girl, but since she disliked him, there was no need to do so. They should just not bother each other.
The entire afternoon, Alex had no chance to approach Zhang Shikou. She was either playing on her Fruit Phone or chatting with the girls who crowded around her about celebrities and luxury goods.
She seemed to have high social skills, knowing a lot about cosmetics, bags, clothes, and dresses. These were exactly what high school girls were most interested in. Before long, Zhang Shikou had established an image among the girls and was getting along like a fish in water.
Alex was one row away from her and heard much of what she said. He couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he always felt Zhang Shikou's behavior was a bit strange, as if she were showing off her superior life.
Though it wasn't obvious and was even seamless, not making anyone feel any resentment, there was no doubt that all her actions were aimed at triggering the girls' admiration and the boys' adoration.
Seeing the simple and beautiful little girl from his childhood memories turn into this, Alex didn't know how to feel; his emotions were complex and difficult to define.
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