Chapter 62: In a Corner Known to No One (Thanks to ewiges, the Grand Patron)
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Opinion Survey on Morning Exercises/Breaktime Exercises
In order to better understand everyone’s feelings and needs regarding breaktime exercises, and to improve the form so that everyone can have a more comfortable and effective workout during breaks, we are conducting this survey...
1. How satisfied are you with the current broadcast exercises?
A - Very satisfied;
B - Quite satisfied;
C - Average;
D - Dissatisfied
2. If the broadcast exercises were replaced with the Eight-Section Brocade, would you support it?
A...
Deputy Class Monitor Qiu Yufu distributed the freshly printed, still slightly warm survey forms to each student.
“What’s going on! Are they planning to change the broadcast exercises?”
“It’s about time! If you ask me, the exercise period should be turned into free activity!”
“Keep dreaming! Even if they cancel the exercises, they’d definitely make you run two laps!”
“Eight-Section Brocade! Absolutely Eight-Section Brocade! The Daoist master looked so cool practicing it yesterday!”
“Hah, I’ve already learned the first move. Take this—”
The “demolition effect” was on full display. As students, the preferred choice was naturally to cancel exercises altogether, but since that was impossible, replacing the tiresome broadcast exercises with the increasingly popular Eight-Section Brocade was a welcome change.
Thanks to Chen Shian’s presence, the Fifth Class had a strong atmosphere of traditional Daoist health practices. Everyone had seen the Eight-Section Brocade demonstration and subsequent videos by the Daoist master; the novelty was off the charts.
The class was lively as the surveys were filled out, with a few boys even practicing moves in the classroom.
Even Chen Shian couldn’t recognize what moves they were doing, pushing their shoulders at each other... Was this Iron Mountain Lean?
The Iron Mountain Lean he knew didn’t look like this at all—what new school or style was this supposed to be?
The girls sitting in front, Zheng Yining and Xie Mengxuan, had grown bolder. Holding their surveys, they turned around and spoke quietly to Chen Shian:
“Chen Shian.”
“Hmm?”
“If the school really replaces the broadcast exercises with the Eight-Section Brocade, could we ask you for guidance? We don’t know how to do it, but you were really good yesterday!”
“Of course, it’s not hard to learn.”
“Have you been practicing this since you were little? I looked up some videos, but none seemed as good as yours—your Eight-Section Brocade seems so different.”
“How is it different?”
“Um... Hehe, I can’t really say.”
Lin Mengqiu, who was filling out her survey nearby, paused her pen and glanced at them out of the corner of her eye.
The girl didn’t join their conversation. Once she finished her survey, she quietly opened her workbook and started solving questions.
There wasn’t much to fill out on the survey, so it was handed out and collected quickly.
Group leaders began collecting the forms.
Chen Shian thought for a moment, checked “Average” for the broadcast exercises, “Indifferent” for the Eight-Section Brocade, then signed his class and name.
“Class monitor, have you finished your form?” Seeing the group leader approaching, Chen Shian asked.
“Mm.”
“Can I take a look?”
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“...”
Lin Mengqiu said nothing, pulled out her filled form, and placed it between them.
Chen Shian picked it up and read it.
She had checked “Dissatisfied” for the broadcast exercises, “Indifferent” for the Eight-Section Brocade, and under “Any other suggestions?” wrote: “Suggest changing directly to self-study; strictly forbid students from talking.”
It seemed the class monitor truly hated the exercises!
But what was with forbidding talking...
Chen Shian couldn’t help but laugh, earning a glare from Lin Mengqiu.
The group leader reached their side. Chen Shian stacked their forms together and handed them in.
...
During the break after the third period, Teacher Wan—who was usually found on the track or basketball court—walked into the teaching building, stopped at the Fifth Class door, and called Chen Shian outside.
“Teacher Wan.”
“Shian, I posted the video of your Eight-Section Brocade from yesterday on Douyin, and it’s gone viral—twenty-five thousand likes! Have you seen it?”
“I heard about it from classmates.”
“Well, if you feel the video is affecting you, I can delete it.”
“It’s fine, Teacher Wan. Don’t worry.”
“Alright. Do you have a Douyin account? I’ll tag you in the video, so people know it’s really you.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s important. This is your traffic, and I’m just riding your wave.”
Seeing Teacher Wan insist, Chen Shian gave him his Douyin account. Last night, Li Wanyin had him download Douyin, so he registered one; he hadn’t used it, and the account name was his real name, with a blank profile.
“Real-name internet!”
Teacher Wan was astonished. “I joined a Douyin mid-length video plan. The platform settles incentive payments based on views and quality—just a few cents per thousand views, though I don’t know the exact rate. The video's views and likes are still rising, and your like-to-view ratio is high, so the payout might also be higher. I estimate it could be several thousand yuan. Don’t worry, once it’s settled, I’ll transfer it to you.”
Teacher Wan didn’t understand the rules well, and Chen Shian was even less familiar. He was surprised to hear there could be money involved.
“You can earn money from video views?”
“Yes, though the platform is stingier now, and the payout is pitifully low. I just make videos for fun, unlike the full-time Douyin bloggers who monetize in other ways. If you’re interested, you could try making Douyin videos after class, teaching exercise routines—lots of people would want to watch.”
Chen Shian smiled. “I don’t have any particular plans; sharing a video occasionally like you do is fine, but I’m not interested in making it my main thing. Besides, I have to focus on my studies—I can’t put the cart before the horse.”
With fame so close at hand, Chen Shian remained calm and composed—his mindset and self-control were something Teacher Wan admired.
“Alright, when the platform settles, I’ll transfer you the earnings. Thanks to you, I gained quite a few followers myself!”
“Thank you, Teacher Wan. It’s an unexpected windfall for me.”
Chen Shian wasn’t shy; he didn’t actively pursue fame or fortune, but what was rightfully his, he wouldn’t refuse.
“By the way, Shian,” Teacher Wan continued, smiling, “the school might soon switch the broadcast exercises to the Eight-Section Brocade. Students will have to learn from scratch, and many teachers don’t know it either—so we might need you to teach us.”
“Of course.”
...
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The morning classes ended, the bell rang, and the hungry crowd surged toward the cafeteria.
Chen Shian slipped out of his flow state, capped his pen, left his seat, and headed downstairs.
Many people in the school now recognized him; squeezed in the crowded staircase, several bold students from other classes chatted him up.
Chen Shian was used to it—he’d been the center of attention since childhood as a Daoist.
Shortly after he left the classroom, Lin Mengqiu also packed up and departed.
Just as she rounded the corner, a sudden force made her halt abruptly, nearly colliding with someone rushing past.
She felt a bit annoyed—no need to hurry, the cafeteria wasn’t going anywhere...
“Sorry...”
That clear, bell-like voice rang out. Lin Mengqiu looked up, her gaze landing on the figure’s face, and her pupils contracted—
It was Wen Zhixia.
Almost simultaneously, the apology froze on Wen Zhixia’s face, surprise rippling across her features, then quietly suppressed as her gaze slid to the stair railing.
How could it be her?
Two thoughts collided in the air.
They had once shared a desk for a semester, and now, after being split into different classes, had just happened to run into each other in the stairwell. No greetings, no small talk, as if they were strangers.
If only they truly were strangers...
At least then, they wouldn’t be pressed so close by the crowd, their uniform sleeves brushing each other’s arms in awkward proximity...
In such circumstances, whoever first escaped the awkwardness would be the loser in their silent psychological contest.
This thought surfaced in both minds.
Wen Zhixia, who had been rushing, suddenly slowed her pace, enduring the awkwardness without retreating.
Seeing her like this, Lin Mengqiu was even less inclined to yield. Her cool gaze fixed on the void, her posture straighter than ever despite the fatigue from a morning of classes.
The surrounding crowd’s footsteps and laughter surged, but couldn’t drown out the taut silence between them.
Though the stairs weren’t many, time slowed to a crawl, tightening their hearts.
Their steps, awkward yet competitive, climbed each stair, one after another.
Until the light from the first-floor corridor poured in.
The crowd dispersed like a tide.
Lin Mengqiu and Wen Zhixia simultaneously shifted sideways, putting distance between them, and as their shoulders relaxed, both quietly exhaled.
In the unnoticed corners, no one knew what kind of battle they had just fought...
Wen Zhixia hurried toward the end of the corridor, where Chen Shian stood with his back to the stairs.
Lin Mengqiu’s gaze flickered past them.
She turned and quickened her pace, her figure soon vanishing into the schoolyard...
(Thanks to ewiges for the Alliance Leader support! Generous boss! May your fortune multiply~! Heartfelt thanks for your support!)
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