"Group leader, your smile looks so creepy." Zeng You chuckled, pointing at the head in the graduation photo.

"Chi Shi!!"

"It kind of does, huh. I wouldn't have noticed if you didn't point it out." Jiang Nian glanced at it and nodded in agreement.

Hearing this, Huang Fang also took a look.

"A bit silly-looking."

"You guys..." Li Hua clutched his chest, feeling the pain of a thousand arrows piercing his heart, "How much better can you guys be!"

He grabbed the graduation photo and pointed, Jiang Nian... alright, let's skip this one, Zhang Ningzhi, let's skip this one too.

Caught cheating during modeling!

"Zeng You, look at yourself, you're as stiff as a board. So serious, were you all nervous?"

"So what?" Zeng You was indifferent.

"Fangfang! You too!" Li Hua pointed at the photo and said, "Your smile is so fake, it's all stiff."

Huang Fang rolled her eyes and retorted.

"At least it's better than a silly grin."

"Chi..." Li Hua was exhausted.

Soon the bell rang, and Qianbao entered the classroom; since there was no running in the big recess today, she didn't ask to open the windows.

And because the test papers were almost fully discussed, even Little Bee was absent.

"Oh, graduation photos are out?"

The old woman looked surprised, asking for a copy from the front row. She held it and looked while chatting.

"Your class's photos turned out great—lots of little beauties and handsome guys."

Upon hearing this, the uninformed people from Class Three stirred up a commotion, becoming embryos in the old woman's teasing.

"Teacher!! Mine is the ugliest!"

"Exactly, feels so dark."

"Liu Yang's expression is the most awkward, and it was caught on camera." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Qianbao cheerfully responded, leaning on the podium to kill time, "Li Hua is smiling so brightly?!"

The class burst into laughter, tossing curious glances toward the back.

"Chi..." Li Hua swallowed his words, muttering under his breath, "Mind your own business."

Jiang Nian immediately turned his head, revealing a mysterious smile, "Teacher, Li Hua said you're old and gossipy!!"

"Crap!!"

"I didn't... damn you for getting me in trouble!"

Qianbao glanced at the corner of the classroom, then again at the graduation photo, "Wow, Jiang Nian looks quite handsome."

Li Hua: "???"

Oh, using me as a comparison, huh!!

He was angry, feeling despair toward this face-obsessed world and Qianbao, this shallow woman.

"Indeed, quite handsome." Dong Que added.

As soon as he spoke, Qianbao's gaze shifted over, the old woman covered her mouth and laughed wickedly.

She chuckled for half a minute, yet didn't respond further.

Dong Que was flustered by Qianbao's undermining move, blushing slightly, pretending to be absorbed in the class photo.

Jiang Nian: "...."

This old woman, with bad intentions.

Wishing bad things for me!

However, he reconsidered. Perhaps Qianbao hadn't thought about it that much; she's just a bloodthirsty audience.

Even more twisted.

Luckily, not many people noticed, and the topic soon shifted to others, turning out to be an uneventful scare.

Until he turned his head.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Ningzhi gave him a faint glance, snorted lightly, and then buried herself in the test paper.

Jiang Nian: "..."

In a flash, it was noon dismissal.

Yang Qiming tucked the group photo into a book, planning to bring it back to the dorm later and stash it in his luggage.

After all, the books in the classroom wouldn't be taken after graduation.

"Let's go, Cailang."

"Sure, bro." Huang Caicai mimicked the action, also slipping the graduation photo into a big math exercise book.

His photo wasn't great, a bit chubby, a bit dark. Standing beside Yang Qiming, along with Lin Dong, Zeng You.....

Even though it was three years of high school, he didn't leave much behind, spending most of the time as a side player, or a spectator.

Nevertheless, Huang Caicai didn't mind such things. He only knew that there were just twenty-two days left; graduation meant farewell.

"Come on, Cailang!"

Yang Qiming had already reached the classroom door, standing in the sunlight, stopped and turned back, waving at him.

"Coming, bro." Huang Caicai took one last look at the graduation photo, planning to look at it properly next time.

With a snap, he hurriedly closed the chapter of youth.

.....

"Damn."

"Why are you here?"

"Senior, what are you saying!" Lin Yuxi was furious, "You clearly said there'd be no discrimination!"

Jiang Nian: "???"

"No, when did I say that?"

Did you confuse me with Xun brother? Someone else's words, jibber-jabber, lumping them on me.

"You did say it!"

"Didn't say." Jiang Nian reiterated emphatically, "Do you know that I'm graduating soon."

"I know!" Lin Yuxi glared at him, "I only came out for lunch, bumped into you by chance."

Jiang Nian: "..."

If you say so, then fine.

He turned his head, glanced at the small table full of boys. Hardly any girls, really eating here?

"So, you're saying you like to eat the five-dollar meal?"

"Ye.... yeah." Lin Yuxi sat down just like that, "I quite like this place; it looks delicious."

Jiang Nian looked around, not seeing Yang Qiming and the others.

"Alright, eat up then."

"Okay."

Lin Yuxi pursed her lips, as if having won a little. Paid and got the meal, cheerfully shared the table with him.

"Senior, do you often eat here?"

"Nope, just occasionally change the taste." Jiang Nian focused on eating, not in the mood to chat, truly hungry.

"By the way, senior." Lin Yuxi whispered, "Why is the little boss's daughter always staring at me?"

"Little boss's daughter?" Jiang Nian puzzled, followed her gaze, and discovered it was that middle school girl.

She had already turned away. All they saw was the ponytail swinging back and forth.

"Um... maybe because you're pretty." He said, "This stall doesn't usually have female customers."

Not that it's not tasty, just too many boys.

High school, with ambiguous gender awareness, girls feel shy. Eating calmly in places crowded with boys.

"Okay." Lin Yuxi accepted his explanation.

Jiang Nian continued gobbling up his meal, originally wanting to breeze through this, but couldn't resist the persistent small talk from the low-score kid.