“The principal mentioned this foreign languages competition during the meeting last Friday. Although it’s on short notice, the higher-ups of the school regard this contest highly.”
“I’ll select a few students with excellent speaking skills from our class to participate in this competition. If you score well in English but don’t speak fluently, you won’t be able to join this time.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should give up. There are plenty more chances for competitions like this… Alright, I’ll be announcing the students who will be taking part in the speech contest this Wednesday.”
Their homeroom teacher, Madam Yu, spoke a lot on the lectern while the students seated down there shook their heads, some had even yawned. They would never get selected for foreign languages competitions like this, so some people let the teacher’s words enter through one ear and pour out from the other.
After announcing two names, Madam Yu took an intentional glance at Yun Jian when she was going to announce the third name. It was only then she revealed the last name with a wide smile. “Yun Jian.”
There were only a total of three slots and Madam Yu had picked three students with the best speaking skill in English.
After declaring the names, the teacher mentioned Chen Xinyi and Zhang Shaofeng’s days off from school. She had only talked about their absence briefly without explaining the reason. Initially, Chen Xinyi was also one of the candidates for the foreign languages competition but with what happened to her, she could only rest and recuperate at home.
When she had informed the class what was necessary, Madam Yu went back to the office with her textbook.
There were only three spots for Grade 9’s Class A, which was Yun Jian’s class, for the foreign languages competition and Yun Jian was one of those selected. Without a doubt, Yun Jian’s grade in English was the best out of the three; the same went for her speaking skills.
Moreover, the school had sent her overseas for a study trip not too long after she reported to Longmen Yi Junior High School. That was a student exchange program in a school abroad. Yun Jian could still remember the location of the overseas trip—Yana High School in Country Y.
Back when they were selecting students to go for the study trip, the requirement was the ability to speak English fluently. As for the speech contest this time, they did not have to travel overseas but fluency was key too. The speech competition was basically judging the contestants by their speaking skills.
After class, Yun Jian felt out of place instead without Chen Xinyi and Zhang Shaofeng’s usual banter.
…
The next few days, Yun Jian was pretty free—which meant that she was either in school, home, Falcon Hall or New Cruise; sometimes, she went training in the military.
Since Chu Ning and others went to the military school, Yun Jian did not slack in her own training as well.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was already Wednesday morning.
When Yun Jian arrived in class with her school bag early in the morning, she was greeted with Zhang Jian staring at her in bewilderment.
“Grandmaster, why are you still here? Didn’t the teacher ask the three of you who are joining the competition to come earlier and meet at the school field yesterday? It’s nearly 6am now!” Zhang Jian exclaimed in exaggeration, looking at Yun Jian like he was in disbelief that she would be late.
It was only then Yun Jian was reminded that that seemed to be the case. Madam Yu had specifically reminded the three students who were taking the school bus out for the foreign languages competition on Wednesday to come to school earlier just yesterday.
They were supposed to assemble at the field at 5:35am because the teacher-in-charge would be taking attendance there by then. Yet, Yun Jian had slept too soundly since she had slept in Si Yi’s embrace last night and woke up late this morning. Not only was she late by 25 minutes, she had forgotten all about going to the competition…
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