Time Travel: The Queen's Coronation

After returning from my second year of high school, I heard that our homeroom teacher had changed. Our former teacher, Ms. Qin, had been transferred to teach the elite class because our class had performed well in the previous semester. However, I wasn't particularly surprised by this and continued to focus on my English reading comprehension.

"Wei Qing, come out for a moment." Teacher Qin knocked on my desk and said. Then I followed the teacher to the office.

"Wei Qing, you did well last semester. You scored 586 points, ranking 261st in the city, 131st in the grade, and first in the class."

"Really?" I couldn't contain my excitement.

The teacher pointed to the report card on the table and said, "Look for yourself."

I confirmed again and again that I was indeed the first in the class and my ranking was exactly as the teacher said. I could hardly suppress my smile.

The teacher also smiled and said, "Your grades are not suitable for staying in the key class, so the grade has decided to transfer you to the top class."

I declined without a second thought. The teacher was puzzled. "The elite class is full of elite students. Studying with them will create a better atmosphere, and the teacher will pay more attention to you. What's wrong with that?"

"Teacher, the elite class is indeed great, but there are too many top students in it. I'm afraid that I'll be discouraged after going there and my grades will drop. I'm a bit fragile when it comes to setbacks."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Your grades are there. Going to the elite class will at least put you in the middle of the pack. If you work harder, you can get over 600 points and enter the top 100. With your current condition, it's no problem."

"Teacher, you're only thinking the best. I'm a pessimistic person and always tend to think the worst. If I go, the students are too strong and the pace is too fast. I won't be able to keep up, which will have a huge impact on me. Besides, a semester has passed and I've already adapted to the pace of the key classes. If I go to the top class, I'll have to adapt to the pace all over again, and I'll also have to adapt to a new environment and new people. That's a bit too much. I still don't want to go."

"What's so difficult about this? We're all in the same grade. You've all known each other to some extent. You'll be familiar with each other in just a week."

"Teacher, I really don't want to go. To be honest, I'd rather be the top dog than the bottom dog. I understand your good intentions. The elite class is of a higher standard, but their standards are also high. I'm a more casual person and don't like to be too hard on myself. I like the environment of the key class. It's relaxed and allows me to relax while studying."

"Okay, then I'll pass your thoughts on to the grade level."

"Okay, thank you for your understanding, teacher."

I left the office with a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Teacher Qin didn't force me into the elite class, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to keep up. Before the class division, I'd been in the same class with some of the elite students, and I could clearly see how they studied. Some of the top students were almost paranoid, becoming consumed by frustration when their grades dropped, even punishing themselves and working themselves to the bone. Of course, there were also some more relaxed students who could easily excel, but I didn't want to be around them. The results I'd worked so hard for seemed effortless to them, and the stark contrast would severely damage my self-confidence.

Our new homeroom teacher, Mr. Lu, is a math teacher with over twenty years of experience. I used to like his classes, but unfortunately, his management was lax. Without Mr. Qin's high-pressure control, some boys began to let themselves go, and their grades continued to decline. Those who were once top students became underachievers, falling from the top ten to the bottom ten. Mr. Qin is still the chemistry teacher, but he still exercises appropriate discipline on these boys, as he was the one who brought them up. However, since he is no longer our homeroom teacher, he can't be too strict and can only give them a little attention.

The former top students fell into decline, while I steadily advanced. I was actually happy when I thought about how their decline had helped me rank a bit higher in class. But now I'm not the same person I used to be. Instead, I feel sorry for them. They had such a good foundation, yet they allowed themselves to fall. Without strict discipline, they indulged themselves. It's a shame.

I love Mr. Lu's teaching pace and rhythm. I used to be afraid to ask questions, but now I do. I visit his office after class and during study sessions, and I've become a regular. We gradually became close friends, and he was very considerate of me, often standing by to watch me work through problems during study sessions. This level of attention gave me even more confidence to tackle the immense challenge of math. I gradually fell in love with math, the feeling of solving puzzles, and the feeling of deciphering the problem-setter's intentions. Fueled by my passion and the teacher's meticulous guidance, my math grades skyrocketed. It's almost like I've unlocked my inner strengths. After just reading a question, I know the key points the tester is testing. In some cases, I can even spot the traps the tester has set, sometimes even bursting out in laughter.

Since then, math has officially become my strong point, which is incredible! I used to be terrified of math, like encountering a flood or a beast, but now I love math and have made it my strong point. In science, if you are good at math, you can sweep a lot of fields. In the four monthly exams in the first semester of my second year of high school, I took first place in math in the last two exams, both with full marks. In the second semester of my second year of high school, I even got the highest score in math every time, no matter how difficult the questions were. I finally understood what the teacher said about some people getting 150 points because the test paper was only worth 150 points! After every math test, my classmates would take my test paper to check their answers, because they knew mine was the correct answer.

With the support of my two core subjects, Chinese and math, and my relatively good English, I was able to address my previous weaknesses and easily score 140 in English. The opening of my Ren and Du meridians in math boosted my overall science score, which easily reached 200 points. My total score in the second semester of my sophomore year easily exceeded 630, making it a breeze to secure a spot in the top tier.

Because I had secured first place in math and consistently ranked in the top three in my grades during the second semester of my sophomore year, the head teacher spoke directly with me at the start of summer tutoring, asking me to join the "Special Elite Class." "Special Elite Class" stands for "Extraordinary Elite Class," a small class specifically designed for students aiming for admission to Jinghua University and Yenching University. The students in it are all in the top 600 of their grade, each with scores above . I made the same pitch I had to Teacher Qin, but the head teacher wasn't Teacher Qin; he was much more difficult to deal with. It took some convincing.

Because Teacher Lu was too lax in her class management, our grades dropped significantly in our sophomore year compared to the second semester of our senior year. So, we had a new homeroom teacher for our senior year. This new homeroom teacher was a young, female biology teacher named Wang Sisi, a recent graduate. Teacher Wang and I used to have a hard time because I arrived late twice, and she caught me both times. Since then, I've become a typical example in her class meetings, getting repeatedly criticized, and I've always resented her. But now, I'm top of the class, and in the top three in my grade. I'm curious how she'll react if I'm late again. Will she be more lenient with me? Or will I be treated as a typical example as usual? I'll have to find a time to test it out!