The next morning, before the early reading bell even rang, Class Six was already buzzing like a boiling pot.
After what happened the night before, everyone was still talking about the so-called “challenge letter.” Yuan Weining clung to the doorframe like a gecko, peeking outside for a long while. Suddenly, she turned back and made a “quiet” gesture at the class.
“He’s here!”
The noise stopped instantly.
Su Yunluo looked up and saw the same cold, composed boy she had met earlier on the way to school—stepping into their classroom and walking straight up to the podium with long, steady strides.
Every eye in the room locked onto the top student from the neighboring class.
He stood quietly on the stage, facing the silence head-on. His phoenix eyes swept across the classroom—calm, steady, unreadable. His thin lips were slightly pressed, his expression faint and distant.
Just like his voice yesterday—polite on the surface, but carrying a subtle cool detachment.
But because he was the “enemy” from the other side, that calmness only looked like provocation in Class Six’s eyes.
Under the weight of hostile stares, the “provocateur” calmly unfolded the paper in his hands.
“Good morning, Class Six. Sorry to disturb you.”
“I am here under the instruction of Teacher Sun from Class Five to deliver the challenge letter…”
“As for the opponent I will be facing, I believe everyone already knows—it is the top student of your class.”
His tone became more formal as he continued. It was no longer cold, just proper and clear—the kind of standard delivery that would make a Chinese teacher nod in approval.
But that very polite tone, used to read such an arrogant challenge letter, made everything feel oddly mismatched. It was like a well-mannered gentleman using a news broadcast voice to read out an insult.
When he reached “the top student of your class,” his eyes briefly swept across the front rows without focus, as if even he wasn’t entirely sure who he was referring to.
“First, I will admit,” he continued, holding the edge of the paper loosely between his long, pale fingers, “your entrance exam ranking was indeed ahead of mine. But that is already in the past. High school is a completely new track, and what matters now is no longer memorization ability.”
A few dissatisfied scoffs came from below, but Xie Chen acted as if he didn’t hear them.
“Although I am the one issuing the challenge, it was you who initiated it yesterday. I respect your courage. After all, talent does matter in studying, and you have to admit—”
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
That immediately triggered another wave of murmurs.
What now? Did he get stuck?
His expression didn’t change. He simply lowered his gaze slightly, scanning a few lines down the page, then continued reading.
“I suggest that the top student of Class Six use the time before the monthly exam not only to prepare seriously, but also to prepare a talent performance. That way, after losing, you won’t be caught off guard. At the same time, it will let us see whether you have any strengths beyond academic performance.”
Su Yunluo quietly watched him from the stage.
At the back, two girls whispered:
“Honestly… he’s actually pretty handsome.”
“He’s the quiet, bookish type—just a little cold…”
“And his voice sounds really nice too…”
Su Yunluo had to admit, they weren’t wrong.
Her opponent’s first impression—and even second impression—weren’t bad at all.
And yes, his voice wasn’t unpleasant either.
But no matter how nice the voice was, it couldn’t save what came next.
“Regarding Class Six as a whole, I would also like to add a reminder. Yes, everyone in your class seems to be working very hard. But a truly excellent class is never built on effort alone. It also depends on whether there is a top student who can lead the direction. Unfortunately, we do not see that possibility in your class. This competition will serve as a lesson for you. Through the comparison between the top students of both classes, you will understand what kind of class truly produces top-tier students.”
He read this part quickly, almost slightly rushed. Even so, as protests grew louder in the room, he still maintained that strange politeness and added lightly:
“Wishing you all a pleasant time preparing for the exam.”
Then he neatly folded the paper with precise movements and put away the challenge letter that had clearly already angered everyone.
Yuan Weining immediately rushed forward.
“Wait! According to yesterday’s rules, the challenge letter has to stay in our class! It’s a trophy… no, evidence!”
Xie Chen lowered his eyelids slightly and looked at her, then glanced past her toward the Class Six students who were clearly ready to explode. A faint, unreadable smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“You’re sure you want to keep it?” he asked.
Yuan Weining straightened instantly. “Of course!”
He didn’t insist further and simply handed it over. As he stepped down from the podium, his gaze briefly passed over the second row by the window. His steps paused for a fraction of a second—so slight it was almost unnoticeable.
But it was only a moment. Then he walked out of Class Six.
At the entrance of Class Five, a group of boys were already waiting, leaning against the doorframe. When they saw Xie Chen return, they immediately gathered around him.
“Xiao Xie, how did it go?”
“Just listen to the noise—you can tell.”
Xie Chen tilted his head slightly toward Class Six, where things were already exploding, his tone relaxed, like someone who had just finished a routine task.
Right now, Class Six looked like a bomb that had just been lit.
“Damn, he’s so arrogant!”
“He’s lecturing us? Who does he think he is!”
Especially Yuan Weining—she raised her voice and repeated the “key part” that Xie Chen had skipped. After that, the entire class of girls completely lost their temper.
That section of the letter went like this:
“…You have to admit that in terms of brain structure, boys do have a natural advantage. As for you, as girls, even if you are slightly weaker in this aspect, there is no need to feel discouraged. This is not something you can change, nor can it be compensated for by education. It is an objective biological difference between males and females…”
“Are you serious? Can anyone tolerate this?”
“This so-called top student is just like their teacher—pure sexism!”
“This isn’t even about Yunluo anymore. It’s an insult to all of us girls!”
“What brain structure? Is his brain broken?”
“He’s asking for a beating!”
All the girls—and even some boys who still had a sense of justice—were completely enraged. Their anger burned even hotter than before. Even the girls who had earlier said Xie Chen was handsome no longer thought so.
Every hostile gaze turned toward Su Yunluo, placing all hopes of revenge on her.
As the main character of the challenge, Su Yunluo should have been the angriest of all. But her first reaction was actually disbelief.
Is this guy sick or something?
She still remembered the banquet balcony scene—how he spoke to his mother in that cold, almost mocking tone, telling her not to go around mentioning his grades. At the time, he had seemed restrained and polite. So how did he turn around and write something this arrogant?
But what exactly was he being arrogant about in front of her?
Did he forget their entrance exam rankings?
“Natural advantage”? “Objective difference”?
Fine. At this point, it wasn’t even just “sick” anymore.
She didn’t say another word. She returned to her seat, pulled out a sheet of draft paper—one hand pressing it down, the other holding a pen.
The frustration in her chest turned into sharp, forceful strokes on the page. Within minutes, a sharp counter-challenge letter was written in one breath.
Ideas flowed nonstop.
Surrounded by voices like “That’s amazing!”, “That’s exactly how you respond!”, “Hit them harder!”, and eyes full of admiration, she capped her pen neatly, stood up, and walked toward Class Five.
Yuan Weining hesitated for a moment, worried she might not be able to handle the situation alone. After all, those Class Five boys didn’t look like they played fair.
So she quickly followed after her.