The Tender Beauty is Sweetly Doted in the 20th Century Novel!-Chapter 197 - 196: Evening Self-Study on the First Day of School
His appearance isn’t particularly handsome, but his tall, strong build, those long legs, and his cold demeanor all together enhance his overall attractiveness and appeal significantly.
He’s really eye-catching.
Several girls even debated whether to speak with him as they passed by.
But people of this era are mostly conservative, especially girls who excel academically in school. No matter how much they like this type of man, they’re still reluctant to make the first move; they just quietly run away while whispering amongst themselves.
He Chen didn’t notice these people at all; his attention was entirely on the school building.
Just attending a class, or going to evening self-study, requires navigating many buildings and classrooms. His last impression of a school was Ye Manman’s high school during the entrance exams.
And that school had only one building; three floors made up the entire school.
Comparing it to here is like night and day, there’s simply no comparison.
He is somewhat nervous inside.
In this vast Jing City, even with a clever mind, starting from scratch is far less simple than he imagined.
Meanwhile, Ye Manman has already stepped into her new world, and with time she’ll only become more exceptional, possibly even venturing abroad.
Yet he is only just beginning, and the lack of connections or resources makes every step very challenging.
However, He Chen was not discouraged by this; he is no longer the child who couldn’t even argue back with oppressive relatives. Now, all he needs is effort; society still offers plenty of opportunities waiting for him to seize.
...
Ye Manman entered the classroom and casually chose a seat near the front door; this area is usually avoided since all the classmates are strangers, and those who sit here are the first ones seen by classmates entering the room.
But she doesn’t mind this; on the contrary, the fewer people around, the more comfortable she feels. Sitting here allows her to be the first out the front door when evening self-study ends.
The bell signaling class-start rang, and Mrs. Chen entered the room, prompting Ye Manman to glance back at her classmates.
The classroom wasn’t full; roughly half the seats were taken, indicating the acceptance rate this year is indeed low.
"Good evening, everyone. I’m Chen Yuqing, dean of the Foreign Languages Department, and also your advisor and homeroom teacher. If you have any issues in the future, feel free to come to the Foreign Languages Department office. I’m generally there when not teaching."
"Today, we’re distributing textbooks. Would anyone like to help with picking up books? As there are quite a few, it’s best to have about five or six male students help."
Soon enough, several boys stood up, and Mrs. Chen directed them on where to go, then continued speaking.
"Students, getting into Qing University means you’re among the pride of your local areas, possibly your entire province. You are intelligent and eager to learn, but I hope you don’t become arrogant. Now that we’re in a new school and class, everyone is at the same starting line. I hope for healthy competition and that you carry forward the spirit of diligent study you had in high school..."
Mrs. Chen’s opening remarks were quite lengthy, the kind every school advisor seems to have. Ye Manman’s eyelids grew heavy, nearly causing her to fall asleep at her desk.
Fortunately, those boys returned with the textbooks.
Mrs. Chen then picked up the books on the lectern, "Alright, I won’t say much more. Let’s distribute the books according to seating order, from right to left, front to back."
By coincidence, Ye Manman’s seat positioned her as the first to receive the books.
Showing no hesitation, she gracefully went to the stage to take the books Mrs. Chen handed her.
Once she collected the books, she smiled at Mrs. Chen and said, "Thank you, teacher."
That set a good precedent.
From then on, each student followed suit, thanking Mrs. Chen after receiving the books; initially, Chen Yuqing’s expression was quite stern, but soon softened considerably.
Once everyone had their books, Chen Yuqing spoke again.
"It’s the first day you’re meeting one another; you’ll spend the next few years with your classmates here. So let’s do some simple self-introductions now so everyone can get to know each other. Let’s follow the previous order, starting with Ye Manman."
Her impression of Ye Manman was already excellent.
Ye Manman not only excelled academically but was also beautiful and polite, prompting Chen Yuqing to quietly consider appointing her as class monitor or academic representative.
Yet, Ye Manman was unaware of this, thinking only her seating position made her the first to present.
"Hello everyone, I’m Ye Manman, from xx province..."
Ye Manman, facing a roomful of strangers, didn’t feel nervous at all; she even smiled at everyone after introducing herself.
Immediately, applause thundered.
Her sweet smile won over many innocent boys’ hearts; many regarded her bashfully, silently memorizing her name and interests.
Thanks to her perfect start, everything after went smoothly; although many students still felt nervous or blushed, generally, it was well managed.
Chen Yuqing didn’t show Ye Manman any special treatment, not even speaking with her privately after leaving the platform. Yet, she kept smiling, quietly pondering Ye Manman’s greatness and considering how to encourage her to run for class committee.
But by the time all introductions were complete and Chen Yuqing gave the closing remarks, Ye Manman was the first to leave the classroom.
Her manner and speed showed no signs of being pregnant.
Chen Yuqing paused in surprise, then laughed, shaking her head.
Of course, why burden a pregnant woman? Committee work demands too much, and she might not enjoy such tasks; with a child, she’d likely have even less time.
With that thought, Chen Yuqing felt relieved and immediately appointed other more active students as class leaders and committee members.
Ye Manman sped out quickly upon leaving; realizing it wasn’t ideal, she slowed her pace, walking downstairs normally.
Individually the books were fine, but together, they weighed heavily. She hadn’t carried such a load at home, making her struggle now.
A few boys followed her closely behind, encouraging each other to offer assistance, but none mustered the courage until reaching the ground floor when she was about to exit the building.
Finally, the one with the reddest face couldn’t hold back, fearing he’d miss his chance, and he rushed towards Ye Manman.
"Ye, Ye, are those books difficult to carry? Would you like my help to take them to your dormitory?"
Just as he caught her attention, a tall, robust guy walked in confidently through the door.
He Chen smoothly took the books from Ye Manman’s hands, and his gaze toward the boy was rather unfriendly.
Ye Manman knew the boy was well-intentioned but worried about a potential conflict, so she quickly grabbed He Chen’s hand to squeeze it, then apologized to the embarrassed boy.
"I’m sorry, my husband will help me carry them to the dorm. Thank you!"
