The next day, You Xinghai arrived at school just in time as usual.
Humming a song while recalling her dream from last night, she felt exceptionally cheerful.
She had actually dreamed about keeping Wen Xiaoyue as a mistress. That was truly far too bold.
Although the dream was amusing, she could not quite control her words and actions once she entered the role. When she thought about how she could actually display such a rough and gloomy side, You Xinghai could not help but want to laugh.
Oh my, President You. She really wished people would call her that in real life too.
Savoring Wen Xiaoyue’s blushing and panicked expression in her mind, she arrived at the classroom before she knew it.
With the monthly exams approaching, the number of people doing unrelated things during their spare time had decreased significantly. Most of them were studying diligently.
The most conspicuous person in the elite class was, naturally, the girl sitting in the second-to-last row by the window. The bright morning light added a touch of freshness to her, and her slender neck glowed like ivory.
She focused intently on the task before her, looking as if she would never be disturbed by anything else, completely steadfast in her goals.
Yes, she was still that excellent and proud eldest young lady. She had not turned into a pitiful and helpless dodder flower yet.
You Xinghai smiled in her heart. She really did not know why the Wen Xiaoyue in her dreams was always in such a wretched state. Could it be that her subconscious mind simply wanted to bully the other party?
That kind of cute, bashful expression was something she would probably never see in real life.
You Xinghai shook her head, slung her single-shoulder bag, and walked straight past Wen Xiaoyue’s side.
Screech!
The moment You Xinghai’s scent drew near, Wen Xiaoyue instinctively jerked backward, causing a sharp friction sound between her desk, chair, and the floor.
Not only You Xinghai, but the other students around them were also startled by the sudden noise.
You Xinghai turned her head automatically, but Wen Xiaoyue turned her face away as if purposely avoiding her, hiding her expression.
You Xinghai was thoroughly confused.
She returned to her seat, not knowing what to make of it.
In a place out of You Xinghai’s sight, Wen Xiaoyue brushed away a stray lock of hair that had fallen, placing her icy palm against her burning cheek.
Ever since she had that dream last night, she was out of it again, feeling exactly as she did on the very first day she dreamed about You Xinghai.
It had been quite a while since she last had a dream, ever since that dream where they played the piano together. Why did she suddenly encounter that kind of plot last night?
The family conglomerate went bankrupt, she became homeless, and then she was kept as a mistress by the very person she had looked down upon during high school.
What kind of melodramatic and foolish plot was that?
Wen Xiaoyue thought to herself that even if her family was ruined and its members dead, she would never subject herself to someone else or beg for scraps. She would absolutely rely on her own strength to make a comeback. How could she possibly be as useless as she was in the dream?
However, the pheromones You Xinghai unleashed at that time had left her without even the strength to resist. She was completely controlled in a daze, left with no choice but to submit and sway beneath her.
No, no, no! What on earth was that?
Wen Xiaoyue bit her teeth, her face flushing crimson.
It must be because she cared too much about the monthly exams and took winning and losing too seriously, which made her constantly wonder what would happen if her life ended in failure.
She had to devote her entire body and mind to her studies, fiercely defeat everyone, and ensure that none of them could step on her head to bully her!
Wen Xiaoyue’s learning soul burned furiously. She buried her head in solving questions from morning till night, completely indifferent to her surroundings.
When You Xinghai played games, she was studying. When You Xinghai went out to fetch water, she was studying. Even when You Xinghai was so tired that she slumped onto her desk, she was still studying.
You Xinghai genuinely admired Wen Xiaoyue’s sustained capacity for studying.
Being both talented and hardworking, it was no wonder Wen Xiaoyue became the strongest love rival to the female protagonist of this work.
By evening, a withered, yellow leaf slid down to the window sill outside, and a few strands of the setting sun dyed Wen Xiaoyue’s profile the color of an egg yolk.
Just as she was pondering how to draw an auxiliary line, she suddenly felt a sudden chill on her cheek. The cool sensation revived her stiff body, and her thoughts jumped out of the sea of questions back to reality.
Wen Xiaoyue turned her head and saw a bottle of ice-cold mineral water pressed against her cheek.
You Xinghai smiled and shook the water bottle, placing it next to Wen Xiaoyue’s hand. “School is over, take a break.”
The orange-yellow sunlight illuminated You Xinghai’s smile. The corners of her eyes curved, and a watery glow shimmered in her eyes, giving her the sudden appearance of a celestial maiden descending to earth.
Wen Xiaoyue shifted her gaze to the water bottle, her expression somewhat dazed.
Had it really reached this time already?
By the time she snapped out of it, You Xinghai had already slung on her small backpack. She did not forget to wave her hand as she passed by Wen Xiaoyue. “Good luck tomorrow.”
Wen Xiaoyue nodded instinctively, watching her walk away and leave the classroom.
The way this person looked was entirely different from the wild, frantic feeling in the dream.
Wen Xiaoyue slowly twisted open the bottle cap, letting the icy liquid slide down her throat.
How could an idiot like You Xinghai have that kind of dark side? It must have been her own wild imagination in the dream.
The monthly exam on the following day threw the entire academy into a tense atmosphere, and the number of people studying properly in the morning visibly increased.
The tenacious growth of a resilient little white flower required overcoming numerous trials, and this kind of monthly examination was naturally a part of the Plot God’s troublemaking scheme.
Before the exam even started, You Xinghai repeatedly heard a series of mishaps, such as the female Omega restrooms being packed to capacity, the school supermarket being completely sold out of pens, an insufficient number of desks and chairs in the examination halls, and Guan Yinqi not having arrived at school yet.
There was even an extremely low-probability event where the school’s signal jammers malfunctioned and completely cut off all reception, causing the message about Guan Yinqi being late to fail to deliver to the teacher’s phone.
However, these matters would definitely be resolved by Gu Yingyu in the end. At this time, she had probably already contacted the telecommunications company to temporarily set up a signal tower at the school gate.
Fortunately, these plots had nothing to do with You Xinghai. As long as she did not show her face in the main storyline, she would not be affected by the mishaps!
The monthly exam rooms were divided according to grades. You Xinghai, whose performance in the entrance examination was utterly disastrous, was assigned to the very last examination room. The classroom was filled with nothing but laughter and chatter. Looking around, there was a sea of multi-colored hair, all of whom were likely members of various major families who were just idling away their time.
Therefore, the single girl in the examination hall who was still diligently reviewing her materials stood out exceptionally well.
You Xinghai instantly spotted the soft and cute girl. Her thick, curly hair wrapped around her entire neck, making her look like an adorable little lamb.
She had a frail build and a short stature. When she buried her head in her studies, her entire body curled into a ball, making her look very easy to bully.
The cute girl’s seat happened to be right in front of You Xinghai, with the two of them ranked second-to-last and dead last respectively.
You Xinghai could not help but think to herself that her arrival had at least provided a bottom cushion for the girl.
As she passed by the cute girl’s seat, she caught a glimpse of the name on the desk.
Tang Kexin
She averted her gaze.
Alright, it was another dramatic character.
She was the true wealthy young lady of the Tang family who had been left stranded outside and was only found and brought back after seventeen years. Right now, she was probably in a situation where she was being overtly and covertly ostracized by the fake young lady, unloved by her father and uncared for by her mother.
Tang Kexin was considered an important character in the novel. Her younger sister, the fake young lady Tang Lingyi, was deeply in love with Gu Yingyu. Just like Chen Shiru, she frequently tripped up Guan Yinqi behind her back.
It was just that her methods were far more advanced than Chen Shiru’s. She never acted personally, perfectly maintaining her image in front of Gu Yingyu.
The involvement of this true young lady, Tang Kexin, was the key to exposing Tang Lingyi’s misdeeds and making her exit the stage with regret.
Tang Lingyi was busy dealing with Guan Yinqi while simultaneously dealing with her unloved elder sister, stretching herself thin on both ends.
Under her push, the two victims, Guan Yinqi and Tang Kexin, gradually drew closer and became intimate friends who shared everything. In the end, they worked together to expose Tang Lingyi in front of everyone, resulting in her being magnificently targeted for revenge by Gu Yingyu until she dropped out of school.
During this process, Tang Kexin could not help but be attracted to the excellent Gu Yingyu. However, to fulfill her good friend’s happiness, she suppressed this feeling and silently acted as a well-wisher. Then, as expected, she was paired up with Fu Dongxue in the side stories.
From beginning to end, she was the standard configuration for a protagonist’s best friend!
It was no wonder she was in this examination room. During this period, Tang Kexin had likely just been brought back from the countryside, her academic level could not keep up with the main force, and her friendship with Guan Yinqi was not yet deep enough to be illuminated by the female protagonist’s academic halo.
You Xinghai sat in her seat, quietly pulling her desk and chair back a little.
She had no desire to get involved with a dramatic character who was so close to the main leads!
Sensing someone sitting down behind her, Tang Kexin turned her head to steal a glance.
She really wanted to know who else in this academy full of second-generation nobility had grades even worse than hers.
However, just as her peripheral vision darted over, she ran right into You Xinghai’s terrifying glare.
You Xinghai said, “Turn back around, you are not allowed to look at me.”
Tang Kexin quickly turned her head back like a startled rabbit.
Tang Kexin thought to herself that she was so, so fierce!
With the ringing of the bell, the monthly exam officially began.
You Xinghai browsed through the mathematics test paper in her hand, confusion arising in her heart.
Why was the difficulty level even lower than the one Wen Xiaoyue gave her a few days ago? Had they really not distributed the wrong paper?
She hesitated slightly before putting pen to paper. However, the simplicity of the questions left her no room for overthinking. Just as the exam time reached the halfway mark, she had already effortlessly capped her pen, having completed everything.
Raising her head, the other examinees in the classroom were either racking their brains in deep thought or had already given up entirely. Tang Kexin in the front row was acting particularly conspicuous, scratching her hair continuously.
You Xinghai wondered if it was really that difficult.
The same situation occurred for the subsequent subjects. You Xinghai completed the questions with a rustling speed, handed in her paper half an hour early, and slung her backpack to go sit in a corner of the campus to scroll through her phone.
These days, “Wanba” was becoming more and more popular. After she added more functions, many genuine gamers downloaded the application one after another, starting enthusiastic discussions across various sections.
To handle this wave of traffic, she completely handed over the operation of “Wanba” to Ouyang Jia, letting the company step forward to invite game manufacturers to establish a presence, publish game announcements, hold events, and exchange opinions. The number of posts climbed in a straight line.
For the next stage, they planned to integrate a genuine game download function into “Wanba” and gradually launch a popular games list and a reservation list, striving to build “Wanba” into a commercialized application created solely for gaming communication.
Ouyang Jia had obviously handed in her paper early as well. With her mind completely consumed by work, she started chattering incessantly with You Xinghai about the plans for other projects the moment the exam ended.
Ouyang Jia: The new media platform we talked about earlier is about to be officially launched. We intend to use the September Ball to conduct a full live broadcast, harvesting a wave of young traffic. At that time, we will rely on the technical support of the great Master Osmanthus!
Now they did not even use their real names when addressing each other, using ACG-style pseudonyms like “Master Ghost” and “Master Osmanthus” instead.
After reaching a cooperation agreement with Ouyang Jia, You Xinghai invested more energy into the new media platform “Baobaoshu,” adding all the elements of her vision, such as big data push notifications, live broadcast marketing, and precise searches.
This project passed the company’s internal verification in a short period. Some shareholders who originally did not think highly of the project also turned around one after another, vigorously supporting the development of “Baobaoshu.”
It appeared that Ouyang Jia was also looking forward to this project quite a bit, otherwise she would not be so eager to start a trial operation during the upcoming September Ball.
You Xinghai replied happily, “No problem, I will fully provide technical support.”
Let her see how much of a pleasant surprise this wave of dimensionality-reducing suppression could bring her.
The day after the monthly exam concluded was a day without classes, as all the teachers were dragged into a dark room to frantically grade the papers.
The students, who had just been released from a high-pressure state, had absolutely no desire to look at a book again. The entire classroom was immersed in a relaxed atmosphere, with everyone heatedly discussing the entertainment programs at the September Ball.
The post that had already generated heat on the forum was mentioned by someone once again.
“Hey, how did Gu Yingyu drop to fifth place? Why is the vote count between her and the others stretched so far apart?”
“Right now, the top four are Wen Xiaoyue, Fu Dongxue, Tang Lingyi, and Guan Yinqi. Wait a minute, why is Guan Yinqi there? A funded student actually wants to be the host? What a joke!”
“It’s obvious you don’t care about gossip. The candidates were determined at the beginning of September, and Xiaoyue personally went to the international class to notify Guan Yinqi.”
“How is that possible? If Guan Yinqi can do it, then I can do it too.”
The outer attraction of a novel’s female protagonist was always an unknown exponential that grew stronger when facing strong opposition. For instance, Guan Yinqi in this work was viewed as “delicate and clean” in the eyes of passersby, while in the eyes of cannon fodder, she was “ordinary with a trace of poverty.”
However, once she stood together with Gu Yingyu, she would be a “charming little goblin” one moment, a girl with “a slender waist that could be held in one hand and skin so delicate it could be broken by a breath” the next moment, and “purely natural without any makeup, far surpassing those artificially made, coquettish wenches” the moment after that.
The evaluation of the female protagonist’s appearance determined the upper and lower limits of a certain character in this work. You Xinghai firmly believed that as long as she never participated in this type of topic, she would never be labeled!
The heat of the discussion regarding the ball host on the forum gradually grew out of control. To prevent the students from driving the trend, the teacher responsible for the ball preparations had to personally post a thread on the forum:
Official Notice: The selection of the ball host considers comprehensive factors, including grades, character, and reputation, and does not solely involve physical appearance and temperament.
The officials had spoken in this manner, which was equivalent to telling everyone openly that no matter how much they objected, Guan Yinqi would still be chosen, so those causing trouble should save their energy!
As soon as this announcement was released, it caused another uproar on the forum.
Those who failed to achieve their goals through public opinion could only bite their handkerchiefs in frustration. The questions for this monthly exam were extremely difficult, so even Guan Yinqi might not be able to secure first place!
If she did poorly this time, it would be equivalent to directly slapping the faces of the selecting teachers. Let’s see how she could still obtain the hosting slot then!
Consequently, the direction of the forum collectively blew toward the upcoming announcement of the monthly exam results. Everyone eagerly anticipated it, and some people even climbed famous mountain temples overnight just to pray that Guan Yinqi would fall from her pedestal as the top student of the grade!
The grading efficiency of the noble academy was extremely rapid. Early the next morning, many people were already waiting in front of the bulletin board for the results to be posted, chattering away.
“The math questions this time were so difficult. I feel like it won’t even be easy for me to pass.”
“Isn’t it only the first month? Why did they give questions that go so far beyond the syllabus?”
“Sigh, it’s estimated that only an academic god like Yingyu can get a high score.”
“I just don’t believe Guan Yinqi could solve questions beyond the syllabus. She doesn’t have a private tutor, so how could she learn it in advance?”
“Is that true? But I heard that Yingyu would let her own tutor bring the two of them together for remedial classes.”
“How is that possible? With Yingyu’s learning pace, can Guan Yinqi even keep up?”
You Xinghai, who arrived at school right on time, walked past the crowd from behind. Of course she could keep up; all she needed to do was preview the textbook materials in advance.
This was an era where the cost of acquiring knowledge had dropped significantly. They were simply using the internet too little.
While You Xinghai was contemplating whether to develop another learning application dedicated to solving and searching for questions, she stepped onto the stairs and ran straight into Du Na, who was walking over with her core friends.
The moment she saw You Xinghai, Du Na immediately raised her proud chin. “Oh, You Xinghai, why are you walking toward the classroom? Aren’t you going to watch the results being posted?”
Before You Xinghai could even answer, the friend beside her co-operated perfectly with a loud laugh.
“Why are you even asking her? With the level of a nouveau riche from the countryside, she can probably only compete with Tang Kexin for the second-to-last place.”
“Oh my goodness, speaking of which, both of them came from wild places. They really are a match made in heaven.”
“Clearly they both come from commoner backgrounds, so how can Guan Yinqi place first while the two of you can only nest in the very last examination room?”
“Hehehe, stop talking about it. It wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t receive a good education before.”
“The blame lies in the fact that she wasn’t born with a wealthy life like us.”
You Xinghai stood in silence.
It was starting again. An automated dialogue triggers within a ten-meter radius of an NPC’s vision.
You Xinghai suddenly had a sudden stroke of inspiration.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she suddenly took a few steps back and then approached them once again.
Du Na said, “Oh, You Xinghai, why are you walking toward the classroom…”
Friend A said, “Why are you even asking her…”
Friend B said, “Oh my goodness, speaking of which…”
Friend C said, “Clearly they both come from…”
You Xinghai repeated this action, moving back and forth several times.
Du Na stammered, “Oh, ha, You Xinghai, why, ha, walking toward the classroom…”
The friend stammered, “Why, why are you even asking her…”
“I, I feel so thirsty.”
“I just feel like, I can’t catch my breath, as if, I’ve repeated this a few times already.”
When You Xinghai made the gesture to step back and move forward once more, Du Na and her friends broke down instantly, turning around and sprinting away down a side path.
You Xinghai realized that, as it turned out, NPCs in real life would get tired if they kept repeating their words.
She continued walking forward and met Wen Xiaoyue coming her way.
Before the monthly exam, Wen Xiaoyue had been acting weirdly as if she were avoiding her for some reason. Today, she had returned to normal, and the look in her eyes as she looked at her had finally become completely open and direct. “Why did you only arrive just now? Have you seen the results?”
You Xinghai stared into her dark eyes and took a step back.
Wen Xiaoyue was puzzled. She furrowed her brows. “Why are you backing away?”
You Xinghai took another step forward.
Wen Xiaoyue’s brows furrowed even tighter. “Are you stupid? Could it be that your exam results were particularly disastrous?”
After saying that, she crossed her arms again and snorted disdainfully, “You better not play any petty tricks like intentionally making mistakes on the questions. I know your true level. If you purposely do poorly, I will personally go and look at your exam paper.”
You Xinghai stopped her steps and smiled helplessly. “Rest assured, I will definitely compete with you in a fair and square manner.”
“I trust you wouldn’t dare to trifle with me.”
Wen Xiaoyue left behind a look that said “just you wait” and passed by her side elegantly like a little swan.
Pfft.
Wen Xiaoyue clearly heard a stifled laugh. She turned her head with furrowed brows, only to see that the person from just now had already distanced herself like the wind.
Hmph.
She continued walking forward and quickly arrived at the crowded bulletin board area.
The noble academy, which had always taken elegance and nobility as its educational principles, was currently as noisy as a vegetable market. The people behind were trying to squeeze to the front, while the people in front were cursing up a storm from being squeezed, showing absolutely no trace of their usual high-and-mighty appearance.
Some people noticed Wen Xiaoyue’s arrival and excitedly gathered close.
“Does Xiaoyue have the confidence to surpass Gu Yingyu and Guan Yinqi this time?”
“Goddess! You have always been the most powerful person in my heart!”
“No matter what, Xiaoyue’s comprehensive ability completely crushes them.”
Wen Xiaoyue thought about whether listening to these words would actually make someone happy.
She ignored the flattery around her and likewise disregarded the dark, envious glares cast from certain areas. She walked forward calmly, and everyone who saw her made way for her, creating a path out of thin air.
Walking to the very front row, Gu Yingyu and Guan Yinqi were already waiting there.
Guan Yinqi said, “The questions this time were very difficult. I’m so worried that I didn’t do well. If I don’t make it into the top ten, I won’t be able to keep my title as a funded student.”
Gu Yingyu said, “It’s fine, I can support, ahem, I mean, sponsor you.”
Guan Yinqi said firmly, “No, even if I cannot be a funded student, I will work part-time to earn money for my tuition myself!”
Gu Yingyu said with emotion, “As expected, this is truly you. With such determination, I believe you will definitely do well.”
Upon noticing Wen Xiaoyue’s arrival, Gu Yingyu instantly shed the gentle facade that was only effective on Guan Yinqi, putting on a provocative face instead.
“You arrived quite early today. Could it be that you lack confidence in your results this time?”
Wen Xiaoyue thought she was an idiot.
She completely ignored Gu Yingyu, but the latter kept chattering incessantly as if automatically playing out a plot.