Just as Lin Yu walked to the classroom entrance in a daze, he heard Zhu Xing’s words.
First place? How could that be? How could Zhu Xing possibly get first place? He was obviously good for nothing, nothing more than an ignorant young master relying on his family’s background. The more Lin Yu thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.
Sensing Lin Yu’s resentful expression, Zhu Xing felt somewhat baffled. He had practically offered his face up for Lin Yu to slap, so what else did the person want?
Lin Yu looked at Ying Chi’s seat next to him with a dark gaze. As soon as Ying Chi arrived, he noticed that something was off with Lin Yu. “Xiao Yu, what is wrong?”
Lin Yu looked at the wealthy youth whose eyes were entirely filled with him. Why was the world so unfair? People with good family backgrounds found everything easy, while he had to live with such cautious care. He knew Ying Chi paid attention to him because he seemed so different. Every penny Ying Chi spent on him, he would return. Lin Yu had originally thought about tossing a bit of bait so the relationship could last, but Zhu Xing was simply too excessive, even competing with him for first place in this competition.
Seeing Lin Yu suddenly start crying, Ying Chi was at a complete loss. “What is wrong with you? Who bullied you?” Lin Yu did not answer, only saying in a low voice, “Ying Chi, my bonus for placing first in the competition is gone, and my living expenses are gone too.”
“A poor performance once is completely normal. Do not worry about your living expenses. I told you not to take on part-time jobs, but you refused the money I tried to give you.”
Wiping away his tears, Lin Yu said word by word, “The first place belongs to Zhu Xing.”
Ying Chi was stunned. “Do you mean that Zhu Xing stole your first place?” Lin Yu remained silent.
Ying Chi turned his head and glared at Zhu Xing with a frown.
What? Lin Yu crying had what to do with him? Zhu Xing was completely bewildered. It truly seemed that whenever anything happened, he was the one to blame. Ignoring the two freaks in front of him, Zhu Xing leisurely continued eating his breakfast.
Seeing Zhu Xing’s indifferent attitude, Ying Chi made up his mind. He knew Zhu Xing’s grades could never earn him first place, so the only possibility was cheating.
He went straight to the competition committee members. Although this was an internal school competition, the school’s penalties for cheating were extremely severe. If caught, one could face a major disciplinary demerit. Even as the second young master of the Zhu family, it would be impossible to escape; the school board was not run by the Zhu family alone.
Ying Chi did not bluntly accuse Zhu Xing of cheating to the committee members; he merely stated that he suspected there might be some issues with this round’s scores. Of course the school would listen to Ying Chi, especially since matters involving cheating carried a heavy impact.
Soon, the students participating in the competition received a notification that their scores needed to be re-evaluated.
Zhu Xing felt entirely unperturbed upon seeing the message. No matter how they checked, his score as dead last could not possibly change.
Shortly after, the school issued an announcement stating that an act of student cheating had been discovered in the competition and the corresponding score had been voided.
Lin Yu and Ying Chi rushed over to check the notice board, but the name displayed was not Zhu Xing.
Both of them were somewhat surprised. Just as Ying Chi wanted to go look for the competition committee members, Lin Yu pulled him back.
“Ying Chi, when I left the exam room that day, I saw Zhu Xing take something out and put it inside Qu Qingyu’s book. I do not know if it is still there.”
Hearing Qu Qingyu’s name, Ying Chi had no idea how he had connected with Zhu Xing, as the two had never spoken before. However, if he could seize leverage against Qu Qingyu, he would gladly take it.
Watching the aggressive approach of Zhu Xing, Zhu Xing muttered inwardly about what kind of madness was breaking out now.
Ying Chi’s gaze swept past Zhu Xing to land on Qu Qingyu, and then onto the book Lin Yu had mentioned, which was sitting right on the desktop.
The moment Ying Chi reached out a hand, he was blocked by Qu Qingyu.
“Trying to rummage through my things right in front of my face? Ying Chi, do you suffer from a lack of affection, have no privacy of your own, and can only covet other people’s belongings?”
Failing to grab it on the first attempt, Ying Chi tried to reach for it again.
Qu Qingyu had initially just swatted him away casually, but he hadn’t expected Ying Chi to push his luck. Qu Qingyu already held a strong dislike for Ying Chi, and instantly an atmosphere of swords drawn and bows bent erupted between the two. Zhu Xing watched the scene with sparkling eyes.
Such prime drama, he loved it!
“Did you help Zhu Xing cheat?”
Ying Chi’s words silenced both Zhu Xing and Qu Qingyu. The two exchanged glances and simultaneously turned to look at Ying Chi.
Damn it! Not even a gold miner could unearth a lunatic like this.
Zhu Xing asked the system, [If I did not do a single question, is that considered cheating?]
[520]
“So you came over specifically to look for evidence of cheating?” Qu Qingyu looked at Ying Chi with the gaze of an absolute fool.
“You are not letting me flip through your things precisely because the evidence is hidden inside, right?” Ying Chi replied with complete self-assurance.
Looking at the cover of the book, Zhu Xing recalled that, hypothetically, roughly speaking, as it turned out, he actually had slipped something inside. Zhu Xing’s expression became somewhat conflicted as he looked at Qu Qingyu.
Qu Qingyu was shocked. Did Zhu Xing really put something inside his book?
Despite his internal doubts, his hands did not loosen their grip. Seeing the expressions on Zhu Xing and Qu Qingyu’s faces, Ying Chi became even more certain that the book contained evidence of cheating.
Unable to hold back, Zhu Xing blurted out, “Just who gave you this level of confidence? That there is evidence of cheating in here? And why on earth would you assume I cheated?”
“Never mind who told me. Do you really expect anyone to believe your scores could win first place in a competition?”
A competition actually had two first-place spots; did he not know that?
Why on earth did the original host like such a bizarre specimen? Zhu Xing felt it was as embarrassing as having a criminal record.
The two sides remained at a deadlock while the surrounding classmates did not dare to utter a sound, as the Ying family, the Qu family, and the Zhu family were none of them entities they could afford to offend. However, the speed of their fingers typing away on their phones did not slow down in the slightest.
The Ying-Qu official war has begun! Who will overpower the other? This title was instantly dispatched into the large school group chat. Of course, Zhu Xing, Ying Chi, Qu Qingyu, and Lin Yu were not in it. Originally, because the Ying and Qu factions mutually despised each other, everyone had been waiting for the day of the outbreak to madly consume the gossip. Zhu Xing, acting as Ying Chi’s dog-licking follower, had naturally been excluded. Lin Yu had initially been in a different chat, but given that the third party entangled with Zhu and Ying made him a primary protagonist of the gossip, a new chat was promptly re-established.
Study Hard: [Oh my god, Young Master Qu is seriously so handsome.]
Dad Do Not Hit Me: [Is this really the time to be a fangirl? Broadcasting their showdown is what matters!]
Bald Qiang’s Rose: [Goodness me, Young Master Ying just claimed Young Master Zhu cheated to win first place in the competition.]
Simps Will Be Simps: [Could Young Master Zhu possibly be that foolish, plagiarizing to get first place? Also, Young Master Zhu is so gorgeous ah ah ah, why on earth did he take a fancy to that green-tea-loving dog-licker?]
Study Hard: [Dangerous statement, dangerous statement right there!]
Gossip messages flew chaotically through the chat. Zhu Xing originally intended to tell Qu Qingyu to just hand the book over to Ying Chi, since it was nothing more than a piece of paper covered in drawings of pig heads anyway.
“Zhu, cheating is explicitly prohibited by the school. Putting your items inside classmate Qu’s book like this, you are dragging him down with you.”
Lin Yu acted as though he had firmly concluded Zhu Xing had cheated. Zhu Xing began to understand where Ying Chi’s unwavering source of information came from, and the words he meant to say drifted back down his throat.
“Oh.” Turning his head with a green-tea-style tone toward Qu Qingyu, he added, “I am sorry, classmate Qu, I dragged you down.”
Qu Qingyu ignored Zhu Xing’s green-tea act entirely, pinning his hand firmly on the book atop the desk so Ying Chi could do nothing about it.
“Fine, since you refuse to produce the evidence, I will call the competition committee members over to check.”
With a quick message sent out by Ying Chi, two teachers from the school competition committee quickly arrived.