Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 135 One region's water and soil nurture one region's people

After Ye Fan finished speaking, he did not immediately leave the stage. Instead, he turned around again and wrote three words in chalk next to his name: "Offering to the Ancestral Spirits".

"Huh? Who's this?" The students looked puzzled, their eyes searching the classroom.

Ye Fan turned around, pointed to a seat in the corner of the audience, and said in a clear and gentle voice, "This student, Xian Zuling, is sitting next to me. As for her hobbies..."

He looked at the small, thin figure who was almost curled up in a ball, and said with certainty, "I believe that her hobby is genuine and pure learning."

Following his gaze, everyone looked at the ancestral spirit and suddenly realized what was happening.

It turned out to be that "ugly duckling" who always kept her head down, dressed strangely, and looked really bad! Everyone immediately understood what Ye Fan meant. Maybe it was because she was introverted or had low self-esteem that she didn't dare to go on stage to introduce herself?

Ye Fan cleverly got her out of the predicament and, in a way that was almost a "final verdict," labeled her as a "top student" in everyone's mind, diverting excessive attention from her appearance.

Unaware of what was happening, Xian Zuling trembled upon hearing her name, burying her head even lower until it was almost touching the table. Her thick bangs and mask completely concealed her expression.

It's not surprising that the students thought of her as an "ugly monster," because Xian Zuling really did dress herself up to look ugly, with a large mole pasted on her face and wearing a mask. Out of politeness, the students wouldn't say it to her face, but they would still discuss it in private, after all, the gene for gossiping is ingrained in their bones.

In her past life, Ye Fan had helped her because of her family's difficulties. At that time, Ye Fan asked her why she dressed herself up like that. The reason was that she was too beautiful. Her mother told her that she had to learn to disguise herself, otherwise she would have a lot of trouble in the big city. Only in this way could her life be more peaceful. For this peace, she always listened to her mother and would rather pretend to be ugly.

Because of this, many people distanced themselves from her, and over time, she developed a habit of being quiet and not good at socializing.

Ye Fan put down the chalk, casually ticked "Xian Zuling" next to the name on the roster at the podium, and then smiled at Jiang Fan, saying, "Advisor, I've taken care of introducing Xian Zuling. Thank you!"

Jiang Fan looked at Ye Fan with approval and understanding in his eyes.

He instantly understood Ye Fan's intention: to protect a student who clearly had social anxiety. He nodded approvingly, skipped over the name of the ancestral spirit, and moved on to the next student.

Ye Fan returned to his seat, and Li Yifeng immediately leaned over, lowering his voice, his face full of question marks and confusion: "Old Ye, what are you up to? That girl... uh, dressed like that, why did you specifically help her? And why did you sit next to her?"

Shi Kai, standing nearby, also cast a curious glance his way.

Ye Fan simply smiled faintly, without directly answering Li Yifeng's question.

Looking at Xian Zuling's still-lowered head, he thought to himself: If I told you now that this "ugly duckling" in your eyes would become the most beautiful campus belle in the history of Nanjing University... guess if your jaws dropped to the ground?

Don't worry, time will tell.

After the class introductions, Jiang Fan called Ye Fan and Su Luming aside to the hallway outside the classroom.

Before the formal election of class committee members, he needs these two outstanding students to temporarily take on some class affairs.

Jiang Fan handed Su Luming a list: "Luming, this is the task of registering the information of the students in the class. Complete it as soon as possible, the school needs to issue student ID cards to everyone."

Su Luming took the list and nodded crisply, "Okay, Teacher Jiang, I'll take care of it!"

Then, Jiang Fan handed a stack of forms to Ye Fan: "Ye Fan, these are for you. Compile a list of students in the class who need to apply for work-study positions, have them fill out the forms, and then collect them all and give them to me."

Ye Fan returned to the classroom with the forms, walked to the podium, and said clearly, "Class, excuse me! Those who need to apply for on-campus work-study positions, please raise your hands now."

More than a dozen hands were raised in the classroom, more than Ye Fan had expected.

He stepped down from the podium, distributed the forms to the students who raised their hands, and patiently explained the filling requirements and precautions.

After handing out the forms, Ye Fan returned to his seat. He took out a blank application form and gently placed it on the table in front of the ancestral spirit. His slender fingers pointed to several key areas on the form: "Here, and here, fill in your personal information."

Xian Zuling nodded, then took the form, picked up the pen, and began to fill it out with his head down.

Her handwriting was small and delicate, revealing a sense of caution.

Ye Fan gazed at her with gentle eyes.

When he saw her holding the pen, pausing for a long time at the "Special Skills" section, looking hesitant, he gently reminded her, "If you don't have any particularly specific special skills, you can write down some of your strengths."

Upon hearing this, Xian Zuling quickly glanced at Ye Fan, as if to confirm his meaning, then lowered his head and carefully wrote four characters in the column: "Easy-going and Quiet".

A barely perceptible smile crept onto Ye Fan's lips.

This self-assessment... is so accurate it's almost amusing. Easygoing and quiet? Isn't that the most accurate description of her right now?

After filling out the form, Xian Zuling asked timidly, her voice as soft as a feather, "This... is it for you now?"

Ye Fan said naturally, "Keep it for now, I'll collect it all together later and then I'll ask you for it."

"Okay!"

She responded, her voice still low, but with a unique soft and sweet tone, the last syllable rising slightly, like a mountain stream gliding over smooth pebbles, carrying the unique charm of Zhangjiajie, Hunan.

Ye Fan instantly recalled a joke he had seen online in his previous life—getting a Hunan girl to say "stir-fried pork with chili" for noodles, just to hear that unique, pleasant, soft accent.

In his memory, it snows in Hunan in winter.

I especially remember the magnificent imagery of "standing alone in the cold autumn, the Xiang River flowing north, Orange Isle" in the great man's writing. I imagine Orange Isle covered in silver, which must be extremely beautiful.

It is precisely in such a beautiful and serene place that such a hidden beauty as Xianzuling could be nurtured.

The saying "one's environment shapes one's character" is indeed true.

Ye Fan said to the ancestral spirit, "What's your Green Bubble ID? I'll add you."

Upon hearing this, Xian Zuling awkwardly pulled out an old-fashioned mobile phone with a small screen from his pocket and gently shook his head: "I...I don't have one."

Ye Fan suddenly realized, slapped her forehead, and chuckled to herself for her oversight. Although smartphones were already widespread in 2014, it was still common for students from impoverished families like her to use hand-me-down phones handed down by their parents.