As I was contemplating, Zhang Xiaoxuan approached.

I wanted to put away my notes, but it was already too late. From her perspective, she could see the notes and the words on them.

"What are you daydreaming about?" she asked me.

I casually made up an excuse and said I was reading a book. Then, her words made me both relieved and terrified.

"But you don't have anything in your hands."

The morning classes were relatively ordinary, just the usual content for the third year of high school. I kept my head down and managed to get through them.

The fourth period was a chemistry class. I looked at the lazy Zhang Xiaoxuan, and suddenly I became nervous. I kept flipping through the book and muttering key points under my breath.

As the bell rang for class, I looked up at the podium. A woman with permed hair and heavy makeup walked in. I sat in the fourth row and could smell the fragrance of her perfume wafting toward me.

Her teaching style was different from the previous teachers.

She seemed to teach for the sole purpose of asking questions. I saw Zhang Xiaoxuan burying her head under the desk, afraid of being seen.

I thought about the rules I wrote in my notes today.

"Try not to let the teacher ask you a question, even if you know the answer."

What would happen if I were asked a question? Would I die if I couldn't answer? I smiled, feeling like I was overthinking.

A while ago, Xiao Xiao couldn't answer and the teacher just smiled and let her sit down.

"Bai Qi."

I heard her calling my name and suddenly stood up from my seat.

"Come up front and write a few chemical formulas."

I nervously walked to the podium, my steps heavy. My major in college is Chinese language and literature, and I had already forgotten most of the chemistry knowledge.

I couldn't help but look back at her, watching her mouth with its greasy red lipstick opening and closing.