Chapter 103: Having Affection and Responsibility

Does puppy love affect studies…

To this question, we can almost give a definite answer—yes!

For junior high and high school students in their rebellious teenage years, their minds are far from mature and steady. They can easily encounter various problems in emotional matters, which affects their personal emotional state and inevitably influences their mentality in study and life. Of course, there are extremely few exceptional genius-level students who mature psychologically early, influenced by factors such as family education. They can empathize with each other, encourage each other, work hard together, and then grow and progress together… but those are ultimately a negligible minority.

However, Su Chunfeng knew very well that he and Wang Haifei were a special case.

They were not outstanding geniuses, but Su Chunfeng had the mentality of an adult. He knew how to control emotions, guide emotions, and how to maintain the best mindset in daily study and life. As for Wang Haifei, she was naturally simple, kind, and gentle. She did not like to talk much, was friendly to others, and did not like to argue. Because her emotional mind was not mature enough, she even did silly things like being willing to share a boyfriend with her best friend.

Last time, when Su Chunfeng stood her up, Zhang Lifei was furious. But Wang Haifei?

When Su Chunfeng returned to school and apologized to Wang Haifei, she showed no sign of anger at all. Instead, she said gently, “It’s nothing. You must have had something important to do, otherwise you wouldn’t have stood me up.”

A girlfriend like this was incredibly rare.

Because after the Midterm Exam, Su Chunfeng’s grades slipped again, causing both of their Homeroom Teachers to severely criticize and scold them for their puppy love. Moreover, Su Chunfeng was busy with his studies and neglected daily communication with Wang Haifei, which sparked a small emotional storm…

For this perfectly matched young couple, it was hardly a big deal at all.

The two of them even solemnly vowed together to study hard and achieve good grades to show their teachers and classmates—those of us in a relationship can have better academic performance than those who aren’t!

With this motivation, the young couple studied diligently in the following time. They also continued to date without avoiding others’ eyes, discussing study problems together, and sometimes even half-jokingly, half-seriously conversing in English, calling it practicing oral skills.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, the Final Exam ended.

This morning, a little past seven-thirty, before class time, all the students in Class One were already present—in Class One, there had never been a case of a student being late or leaving early, and students rarely asked for leave.

The classroom was quiet.

Occasionally, a student spoke, but the voice was very soft.

Su Chunfeng was reviewing the classical Chinese texts from the Chinese textbook he had already studied. Huang Yiyu, sitting in front of him, turned her head and whispered, “Su Chunfeng, how did you feel about this exam?”

“Hmm, not bad.” Su Chunfeng smiled.

“You, sigh.” Huang Yiyu shook her head slightly with some regret.

At this moment, a tall, fair-skinned boy sitting diagonally opposite in the fourth row snorted coldly and said, “He doesn’t even listen to the teachers’ and classmates’ well-intentioned advice… It would be strange if he could get good grades. In my opinion, after this exam, he will be directly eliminated from Class One.”

This boy was called Cheng Fan. His academic performance had always been among the top five in the entire grade. He even achieved second place in the entire grade during the Final Exam of the first semester. Moreover, he was the only boy in Class One of the first year of high school with outstanding sports performance, good at playing basketball. One could say he excelled in both academics and sports. Coupled with his tall stature and handsome looks, he was quite admired by girls in the same grade. Whenever he played basketball, girls would cheer for him on the sidelines.

Therefore, Cheng Fan was quite proud and conceited. Although his teenage heart was restless, he always considered himself the best student, publicly declaring that he valued his studies and would never engage in puppy love.

In reality, deep down, he believed that only a nearly perfect girl like Huang Yiyu in the entire school was worthy of him.

But his arrogance and excellent performance did not catch the attention of the noble and aloof Huang Yiyu. She never even took the initiative to speak to him. Instead, it was Su Chunfeng, who openly dated and seemed utterly shameless, who always managed to make Huang Yiyu take the initiative to talk to him.

This was truly infuriating!

What did Su Chunfeng have?

Academic performance, height, looks, physique, family background, quality, character… Cheng Fan believed he was far superior to Su Chunfeng in every aspect!

Cheng Fan’s words immediately caused a stir in the class. The students discussed among themselves, nodding quite approvingly—in the minds of these top students of the entire grade, the issue of puppy love was as frightening and detestable as a beast, intolerable!

Look at Su Chunfeng’s continuous decline in academic performance over the past year and his example of being so caught up in dating that he couldn’t study as hard and diligently as other classmates…

Serves him right!

Su Chunfeng was somewhat surprised. He turned to look at Cheng Fan and asked with a smile, “How did I not listen to the teachers’ and classmates’ well-intentioned advice?”

“You…” A hint of apprehension flashed across Cheng Fan’s expression. After all, Su Chunfeng had a notorious reputation, and Su Chunfeng’s good buddy, Li Zhichao, was now a famous bad student in the entire school, leading a gang of troublemakers around the school, flaunting their power. He was really not someone to mess with. However, after a moment of thought, Cheng Fan still didn’t want to lose face in front of Huang Yiyu. He gritted his teeth and looked directly at Su Chunfeng, saying, “The teacher said no puppy love is allowed, and you? Your grades keep declining, yet you show no remorse. You even date your girlfriend openly at school every day without any shame, it’s simply, it’s simply…”

“Ungrateful?” Su Chunfeng smiled and finished the sentence Cheng Fan couldn’t complete.

“Hmph.” Cheng Fan didn’t expect Su Chunfeng to have this attitude and immediately felt choked with anger, almost unable to hold back from calling him a “shameless person!”

Su Chunfeng said it for him, laughing, “Or, shameless?”

“I didn’t say that.” Cheng Fan snorted and lowered his head, not looking at Su Chunfeng anymore—he realized facing a shameless student was truly frustrating.

All the classmates also showed expressions of disdain, secretly cursing Su Chunfeng’s shamelessness in their hearts.

“It’s nothing.” Su Chunfeng smiled, his eyes sweeping over the entire class. He said calmly, “I would like to kindly ask everyone, in future private discussions involving puppy love, not to use too many insulting words or be too one-sided. Actually, I think there’s nothing wrong and it’s quite normal for boys and girls to be good friends and have deep feelings. Moreover, love is actually beautiful, something to yearn for, something that brings joy and stirs the heart… Think about it, although we are all still young, deep down, who among us doesn’t yearn for love? Who among us only thinks of love as something that defiles it, as something dirty, as an evil thing not to be touched?”

The whole class froze.

From childhood, they had never heard anyone in the school environment talk about love so openly and realistically.

Yes.

Love is beautiful, something to yearn for…

Why, in the educational and learning environment we are in, while it’s only said that puppy love is prohibited, do all classmates in their hearts regard dating as something improper, shameless, unsightly, and filthy?

Su Chunfeng then said with a sincere expression, “Since entering high school, my academic performance has declined. This is because I personally didn’t work hard, didn’t study diligently, was lazy and playful. It has nothing to do with maintaining feelings with a friend, or in other words, nothing to do with dating. On the contrary, as long as one has a correct view of love, as long as one treats emotions seriously and responsibly, then why can’t it serve as a mutual support and encouragement for studies between the two? For example, my girlfriend, I think everyone probably knows who she is. But perhaps you don’t know, her academic performance has been steadily improving. In the last Midterm Exam, she ranked sixty-fifth in the entire grade, almost making it into Class One!”

“Who among you noticed that?”

The classmates looked at each other.

“Actually, I’m saying all this today with no other intention…” Su Chunfeng smiled and said with a peaceful expression, “I just hope that in the future, when discussing such matters, or when talking about me, you won’t use excessive words to evaluate, slander, or insult my girlfriend. Her name is Wang Haifei. Thank you, everyone.”

With that, Su Chunfeng sat back down, opened his book, and continued studying as if nothing had happened.

The classroom fell into a complete silence.

Huang Yiyu remained in her previous posture, turned with her head looking back, staring blankly at Su Chunfeng—she never expected Su Chunfeng to stand up and so bravely and decisively admit his relationship with his girlfriend in public. Moreover, with seemingly profound yet practical words, he explained his personal views on puppy love and love.

Furthermore, what he said made sense.

Love, in the hearts of teenage students, is pure, beautiful, and infinitely desirable.

Why do we often yearn for it, look forward to it, yet fear it like a tiger, and also inwardly, even in daily conversations, publicly criticize love?

After a while, a buzzing of discussion arose in the class.

All the students were discussing what Su Chunfeng had just said, especially the girls. In their discussions, they would also cast respectful, admiring, and somewhat self-blaming and apologetic glances toward Su Chunfeng—he had the courage to face his classmates and openly show and admit his love with his girlfriend; he had a sense of responsibility, willing to take the blame upon himself while firmly protecting his girlfriend behind him, not allowing others to bully or hurt her; he had rich wisdom and knowledge, mature thoughts and ideas, able to explain his views on love and puppy love so incisively and profoundly.

Who could refute him?

Cheng Fan’s face was extremely ugly as he lowered his head. He could feel the disdain and ridicule in all his classmates’ eyes as they looked at him—Were you the only one showing off? Are you so great? What’s it to you? Don’t think we don’t know that you usually pretend, yet always secretly stare at Huang Yiyu!