Logan Wright walked over to the shelf, not noticing anything unusual at all. "Are the rackets put away? Let's go back to the classroom together? Ratty and the others are waiting outside."

It wasn't until Ethan Young kicked Henry Howard that Henry Howard finally reacted. "Ah, back to the classroom? Sure, let's go then?"

With midterm exams approaching, Class 3 of Grade 2 had become much quieter. Even during breaks, there was no more horseplay. Everyone was cramming at the last minute, hoping that a few days of intense review would bring unexpectedly good results.

Xavier Stone's seat was constantly surrounded by students asking questions, leaving him no time to catch the two main troublemakers in the class.

Wanda was at the end of the line and figured he wouldn't get his turn this break, so he found an empty seat in front of Ethan Young, sat down, and sighed. "You two actually have the leisure to play games."

As for the unprecedentedly tense atmosphere in Class 3, Ethan Young seemed very calm. "What's the point of reviewing? Might as well burn incense and pray."

Henry Howard was even more laid-back. "A few days ago, I bought some 'guaranteed to pass every exam' couplets online. They should arrive before the midterms. They're blessed by a master. I'll give you two when they arrive?"

Wanda: ""

These two aren't even human.

Blessed by a master, my ass.

That's what Wanda thought, but he was honest with his words: "Well, then give me two."

The couplets Henry Howard bought arrived the day before, ten in a bag, bright red with bold gold characters, looking a bit luxurious. In the bottom corner, four small characters: Master Sage.

Everyone in Class 3 was amazed, feeling their imagination was too limited—who knew you could do this kind of thing.

It rained all day the day before the midterms, and the roads were still wet in the morning.

There was no extra time to prepare. They hadn't even stayed up late enough to get dark circles to prove their hard work—before they knew it, the exams had arrived.

"Students, the weather is getting colder, remember to wear an extra layer and greet today's exam with a warm heart." Mad Dog sent his usual well-wishes to all examinees over the broadcast. "As the saying goes, 'Train for a thousand days, use it in one moment.' Don't leave yourself with regrets. Good luck, everyone!"

Ten minutes before changing exam rooms, Thomas Thompson was posting the seating chart on the podium. After everyone changed seats, they crammed poems and formulas until the bell rang, then grabbed their stationery and headed to their assigned rooms.

Ethan Young and Henry Howard were still in the last exam room, exactly the same setup as the last monthly exam.

There weren't many changes among the people in the underachievers' corner—at most, the seats were different.

Even if someone cheated last time, the answers they copied were from the same room, so the scores didn't go up much. Moving up a few spots from the bottom was already worth celebrating.

Ethan Young sat down, with Henry Howard behind him, the two of them side by side. "Old Young, I feel like I'm in great shape today, like I can score high."

"Then just keep feeling that way," Ethan Young said. "That's all you can do—live in your feelings."

Henry Howard: "Second to last, and you still feel superior?"

Ethan Young: "Still better than you."

Henry Howard reached out and patted Ethan Young's head.

After a while, Henry Howard asked, "What do you want to eat after the exam?"

"Anything's fine, just don't invite Sean Parker," Ethan Young said, spinning his pen out of boredom. "Every time he comes, we end up fighting."

Henry Howard remembered those two times they ate together, never reflecting on himself or his little buddy, and still thought Sean Parker was the problem. "Alright, we won't bring him."

The midterms were much more important than the monthly exams, directly related to their survival. After the scores came out, there would be a parent-teacher meeting waiting for them. So this time, the underachievers' corner wasn't satisfied with just copying each other—they came up with a new idea: "Hey, selling answers. Save yourself a beating. Anyone interested?"

Everyone swarmed over. "What answers? How much?"

"Two hundred per set, sent to your phone, lightning fast."

"Two hundred? You're taking advantage of us!"

The answer seller said, "I am taking advantage of you."

But the underachievers had some backbone—thought it was too expensive, and no one bought.

"First subject, Chinese. Write neatly, answer according to the rules, exam time is 120 minutes."

The proctors were still their old Thompson and the history teacher from next door. If it weren't for old Thompson, probably no one would want to seriously proctor this room.

As other teachers said: Even if you let them copy, the results would still be the same.

"Read the questions carefully, especially the essay—don't go off-topic," Thomas Thompson said, staring at Henry Howard. He was genuinely worried. He didn't ask for much, just that they do these two things. "And your handwriting—if I can't read it, I can't give you points."

After getting the test paper, Ethan Young first looked at the essay prompt, thinking about how to go off-topic, and also wondering how a certain idiot would go off-topic.

That zero-point essay from last time was still circulating among the grade teachers.

The difficulty of No. 2 High's test papers wasn't as high as other schools; the questions were pretty conservative and standard. Ethan Young finished, estimated he'd get fifty or sixty points, and planned to lay down for a nap.

He had just put his head down when he heard Henry Howard calling him.

Henry Howard called him twice in a low voice, then tapped under the desk with his finger. "Old Young."

Outside, it started raining again, tapping against the window. The wind blew in through the cracks, a bit chilly.

Ethan Young remembered the last monthly exam, reached his hand back, and asked, "Passing answers again?"

Henry Howard didn't say anything.

But Ethan Young's hand, reaching under his desk, didn't grope in the air for long before Henry Howard grabbed it. He first caught Ethan Young's fingertips, then slid up and held his hand.

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54. Chapter Fifty-Four

Although there were lots of little movements in the exam room, it was still very quiet.

Old Thompson happened to walk past their group toward the podium, completely unaware that the moment he turned his back, paper balls were flying everywhere in the exam room.

"No answers," Henry Howard's palm was empty, no little notes either. Ethan Young's hand was a bit cold, and he couldn't help but say, "I wanted to do this last time."

Raindrops made ripples on the glass window.

After a while, Ethan Young asked, "Are you done?"

Henry Howard: "No."

""

"Let me hold it a bit longer."

Ethan Young paused, a little speechless but also wanting to laugh. "Are you a rascal?"

Seeing old Thompson about to walk over, the rascal finally had to let go.

Old Thompson stopped in front of Henry Howard's seat for a few minutes, looking at Henry Howard's answer sheet. The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed. In the end, he sighed at the densely filled answer sheet, both sides covered: ""

After old Thompson left, Henry Howard poked Ethan Young with his pen. "What did that mean?"

"Bro Chao, look down at what you wrote," Ethan Young said. "Don't you have any idea?"

After saying that, Ethan Young couldn't help but think, this idiot really doesn't have any idea.

As someone whose grades are so bad that even eight oxen couldn't drag him to the passing line, he probably still thinks he did pretty well, full of confidence.

After the morning exams, everyone spent lunch break comparing answers.

"Bro Chao, your 'guaranteed to pass' didn't work. I got several math problems wrong," Wanda handed the 'guaranteed to pass' couplet back to Henry Howard. "You better keep it for yourself."

"I don't think it worked either," Henry Howard picked up his phone. "First period was Chinese, old Thompson even sighed at my test paper. I'll ask the seller."

Ethan Young didn't quite get what his boyfriend was doing. "Why ask the seller?"

"To see if I used it wrong."

"What else can you do, burn it and drink it?"

"It can't be that superstitious, right?"

The group discussed it for a while, and finally the seller replied with four words: 'Sincerity brings results.'

"'Sincerity brings results,'" Henry Howard stuffed the 'guaranteed to pass' couplet back into Wanda's hand. "Why don't you try getting in the mood this afternoon?"

Ethan Young couldn't help but feel that Henry Howard looked like he was scamming people.

But Wanda really bought it. "Okay, I'll try again this afternoon."

The exams lasted two whole days. When the last subject was over, all they felt was exhaustion. Luke Carter, wanting everyone to relax, found a comedy movie on the computer. Halfway through the movie, the classroom was dead silent. The class monitor anxiously asked, "Why aren't you laughing? Isn't it funny? Cheer up, everyone."

Wanda said expressionlessly, "Turn it off, I really can't laugh. By the way, Master Sage is now one of the people I hate most."