“Although I greatly admire your perseverance in constantly wanting to surpass me, there’s nothing that can be done about it. It has been clear since childhood that the gap between us is massive, so your dream is difficult to realize.”
“I heard that you’ve been working relentlessly to help the students in your class recently? When did you become so friendly? This really doesn’t look like you.”
Guan Yinqi feared Wen Xiaoyue’s cold expression and tugged at Gu Yingyu’s sleeve. “Stop talking, Yingyu. We should be polite among classmates.”
“It’s fine, she and I are old friends. Saying a few words won’t hurt our relationship.”
Hearing these words, Guan Yinqi suddenly felt a wave of desolation in her heart. It appeared that Gu Yingyu’s true, sharp-tongued face was only shown to Wen Xiaoyue. Toward her, Gu Yingyu only maintained a superficial layer of refined politeness. In the end, she was still inferior to Wen Xiaoyue.
Wen Xiaoyue had absolutely no desire to pay attention to a certain arrogant, showy person and another person who had become inexplicably downcast.
Wen Xiaoyue thought to herself that they were both idiots.
Not long afterward, the head of the grade arrived with a few people, holding several sheets of paper in their hands.
“They are here, they are here!”
The teachers, who had also come to watch, cleared out the students who wanted to crowd into the front row. “Quiet down. Do not worry. Maintain your etiquette and demeanor.”
However, the students who were desperate to know their grades had no patience to listen to their advice. They squeezed forward so hard they were on the verge of losing their tempers. “Everyone is in such a hurry because the results used to be released very early, but this time it was delayed for so long.”
“Exactly. Why has the grading efficiency dropped so much? Otherwise, I will just have my mother fire you and replace you with faster teachers instead.”
The teachers stood in silence. They did not dare to provoke this group of little ancestors, so they could only transfer the pressure to the people who were currently busily posting the results on the board. “Hurry up, the students cannot wait any longer.”
Following that, they explained to the anxious students, “A small mishap occurred during this monthly examination. After grading the test papers, the teachers carefully checked the surveillance footage, which is why we arrived a step late.”
“What small mishap? Why did you need to check the surveillance?”
“Did someone cheat?”
“How could that be? Every classroom in our school is equipped with the most advanced surveillance equipment. It is impossible for anyone to be so desperate as to cheat.”
Faced with their questions, the teachers, who had already anticipated what would happen shortly, revealed a mysterious expression. “You will find out very soon.”
The results were posted from the bottom up, and the first sheet put up showed the people ranked at the very back.
Du Na’s eyes scanned back and forth like a pair of scanners, but no matter how hard she looked, she could not find You Xinghai’s name anywhere. Her face wrinkled up like a walnut. Damn it, You Xinghai escaped again!
“Oh no, I failed my physics exam this time. I am doomed.”
“Strange, why is Tang Kexin not here? Could it be that she did well this time?”
The gazes of the people around them instantly focused on Tang Kexin’s fake young lady sister, Tang Lingyi. True to expectations, she spoke up at the right moment, “You should not pay too much attention to my sister. She came from the countryside and could not receive a good education. She can only rely on her hard work later on to make up for it. I truly feel bad for her.”
“Lingyi really is kind-hearted. She can actually feel bad for such a useless sister.”
“Yes, if it were me, I would definitely be ashamed to death.”
Hearing them speak ill of her friend, Guan Yinqi could not help but clench her fists. However, before she could claim justice for her close friend, the grades for the middle ranks were already released.
Right in the center of the rankings, Tang Kexin’s name was written clearly!
Guan Yinqi blanked out for a moment, and then a look of joy surfaced on her face. Tang Kexin had actually moved from the second-to-last place to the median rank of the grade. How could that not be considered a massive improvement? It seemed that her tutoring of her close friend during this period had been effective!
Others also noticed Tang Kexin’s rank and murmured quietly.
“Tang Kexin has made such a huge improvement. It seems her brain is quite smart after all.”
“Exactly. Even after receiving a countryside education for so long, she can still make rapid progress. Perhaps she will be able to rush to the front after a while longer.”
Tang Lingyi discovered this matter as well, feeling as if her face had been lightly slapped. But it did not matter. No matter how hard Tang Kexin worked, she was still only at the median, and she still could not compare to herself. When she returned home tonight, her family would definitely still praise her first!
Just as she expected, when the final report card was announced, she accurately spotted her name at the tenth place in the grade. Yes!
“Lingyi is so amazing. She could actually score a hundred and thirty on such a difficult math paper.”
“Please share your learning experience with me sometime.”
Tang Lingyi gloated secretly in her heart. Praise me! Keep praising me! She shifted her gaze further up.
Ninth Place: Chen Shiru
Tang Lingyi’s eyes widened. This superficial friend of hers had actually ranked above her. She would have to endure her pretentious and overbearing attitude for another month!
Sixth Place: Ouyang Jia
Tang Lingyi thought of that cold, sharp-tongued, and mysterious Alpha. She was one of the few people who knew that Ouyang Jia was a forum moderator. Once, when she was frantically spreading rumors about Tang Kexin on the forum, this person had mercilessly and permanently banned her account. She would never forget this grudge for the rest of her life!
Just you wait. You are nothing but a barking dog expelled from the Ouyang family. Sooner or later, you will be made to regret your mistakes bitterly!
Fifth Place: Fu Dongxue
Ah, she was Gu Yingyu’s good friend, a lonely and melancholy musical girl. The way she played her instrument made her look like a celestial maiden detached from the mortal world. She truly wanted to reform her heart with love.
Tang Lingyi began to calculate. If she could not secure Gu Yingyu in the end, being able to arrange a marriage alliance with the Fu family would still be a guaranteed profit without any loss. Tang Kexin, oh Tang Kexin, what do you have to compete with me?!
Fourth Place: Gu Yingyu
Tang Lingyi’s pupils suddenly shrank in an instant. What?!
Not only her, but the people around her also began to clamor loudly.
“Gu Yingyu was actually squeezed out of the top three?! How is that possible?! This is absolutely the biggest news of the century!”
“She even defeated Guan Yinqi a few times before and never fell below the first or second place. How could she fail to even make it into the top three this time!”
The people behind heard the commotion in front and grew even more anxious to know who the top three were, crowding forward in a swarm!
By the time You Xinghai put down her school bag, drank a cup of yogurt, nibbled on a few biscuits, and finally arrived late at the bulletin board, the first thing she saw was the wall of people in the back row knocking down the people in front.
The people pressed beneath the crowd included Du Na, who had just been acting arrogant in front of her. She looked utterly ferocious, like a monster that had just returned from hell, shouting loudly, “I am in eleventh place! How dare you squeeze me?!”
You Xinghai stood in silence. She felt that this was not the right time to come. Just as she turned around, she was suddenly called out by a familiar voice.
“Aren’t you going to look at your rank?”
Wen Xiaoyue stood behind her, her face calm and her eyes devoid of ripples, looking as if she were not surprised by this ranking at all.
You Xinghai turned her head, the corners of her eyes curving. “I am waiting for you to come back and tell me.”
“Hmph, why do you think I would pay attention to your grades?” Wen Xiaoyue tilted her head slightly, her gaze bordering on contempt. “If your rank is too far from mine, I would not even be able to spot you at a single glance. Do you actually think I would waste my efforts to search for where you are?”
Why did it feel like she was a little angry?
You Xinghai approached her with small steps, saying in a pleasing tone, “I was wrong. I should not have let my matters trouble the eldest young lady. Miss Xiaoyue is busy with a myriad of daily affairs, so how could she have time to look at my measly grades?”
Whether these words were interpreted by Wen Xiaoyue as an apology or sarcasm, her face remained expressionless, but a trace of imperceptible disappointment and desolation flashed through her eyes.
“You really are…”
The subtle emotion drifting in her heart, which would normally not be noticed by ordinary people, was suddenly caught by You Xinghai. She instantly came to a sudden realization.
Wen Xiaoyue felt that she had been too proactive and believed that You Xinghai did not care about their bet, so she was currently feeling sad! In this instant, You Xinghai even guessed exactly what the other party’s psychological activity would be.
So from beginning to end, I was the only one who wanted to deepen our relationship, while you did not care about me at all. Never mind, I am nothing but a passing traveler in your eyes, destined never to leave any trace behind. Perhaps none of this should have happened. Let us part ways from now on, as if we had never met.
You Xinghai moved herself to tears through her own speculation, scolding herself for being a scum woman who did not know how to be considerate of another person’s feelings, and felt she must quickly apply a remedy!
“Ouch!”
The sudden cry caused Wen Xiaoyue to break out of her emotions, looking with astonishment as You Xinghai suffered a sudden affliction, clutching her stomach with a distorted face.
“It is over. The ‘poisonous mushroom toxin that causes the intestines to rupture the moment a thought of checking grades arises’ that I ate last night has flared up again. My stomach hurts so much, but I really want to check the grades. I want to know which one of us won!”
You Xinghai raised her head pitifully, meeting Wen Xiaoyue’s bewildered gaze. “This beautiful young lady who looks heavenly enough to make the fish sink, the birds alight, the moon hide, and the flowers shame, can this old person trouble you to check the grades for me? Ah! I actually entertained the thought of checking the grades again! My intestines! My intestines are falling out!”
Wen Xiaoyue was speechless. She watched You Xinghai’s prop-less performance with an expression of utter disbelief. When the other party genuinely intended to start rolling on the ground, she finally spoke up, “Alright, alright, stop acting. You are such a drama queen.”
But with You Xinghai’s performance, the emotions she refused to admit vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but helplessness and amusement. She returned to her normal state, raised her hair, and passed by You Xinghai’s side, leaving behind a brief sentence.
“First place. Congratulations.”
The news of You Xinghai securing first place in the monthly exam ignited the entire academy in an instant.
Most of the students at the noble academy were acquaintances whose families had business dealings with one another. Even if they came from different grades, they were basically familiar with each other’s faces, let alone Gu Yingyu and Wen Xiaoyue, who were famous throughout the school.
Consequently, the feat of You Xinghai squeezing Gu Yingyu out of the top three and trampling Guan Yinqi and Wen Xiaoyue, who ranked second and third respectively, under her feet spread through the Romantic Noble Academy as if it had grown wings. In an instant, the name “You Xinghai” became highly renowned within the school, and many students from other grades ran over to make inquiries.
“Who exactly defeated Xiaoyue and Yingyu? Why have I never heard of this name before?”
“The You family? Does our city have such a family?”
“You all don’t know, but You Xinghai only transferred here this semester. She used to be a commoner from a rural town, and she only transferred to our school after becoming a nouveau riche.”
“Then where did she learn all this? Could she have cheated?”
“I also think she cheated. She was someone sitting in the very last examination room! There are definitely many ways to cheat!”
“Exactly. I heard she even sat together with Tang Kexin. Didn’t Tang Kexin also make progress this time? Perhaps the two of them conspired to cheat together.”
They completely forgot that not long ago, they were confidently asserting that cheating could not happen in their school.
Hearing these discussions, Du Na could tolerate it even less. She rushed straight to You Xinghai’s seat. “How did you cheat! Confess honestly!”
You Xinghai raised her head from her game, looking utterly bewildered. “I thought you came to find me to switch seats again.”
“No! It is not a matter of the seats! No, the seats must be switched too! But!” Du Na slapped the desk, acting like a messenger of justice for the entire world, and said righteously, “I will absolutely not allow cheating to appear in our school. You are simply disgracing us!”
Hearing her words, the people around them who already harbored doubts about You Xinghai also began to whisper among themselves.
“Did You Xinghai bring the tricks from her rural school to our place? Our school is very strict about catching cheaters. She is going to be in serious trouble this time.”
“Hehehe, who told her to be dishonest? She actually cheated her way to first place, making herself a target for everyone.”
“I heard that someone has already reported her to the Academic Affairs Office. As soon as the results of You Xinghai’s cheating come out, Yingyu will return to the third place.”
“How despicable. Her actions caused our Yingyu to be hung up in fourth place for no reason. We must absolutely make her kneel down and kowtow to Yingyu to apologize in person!”
“Speaking of which, Xiaoyue actually did better than Yingyu this time.”
Everyone’s gaze secretly shifted to Wen Xiaoyue once again.
The young lady sat quietly in her seat, her slightly curly hair resting on her shoulders. One hand held her mobile phone, while the other supported her chin. Her eyes seemed to be lost in thought, and her eyelashes fluttered slightly, making her look like a natural painting of a beauty.
“As expected of Xiaoyue. No matter what happens, she will never display improper behavior.”
“I also want to be like her. She must be thinking about profound philosophical questions right now.”
In reality, Wen Xiaoyue, whom everyone assumed was immersed in deep thought, was actually staring at a chat box on her phone the entire time.
Gu Yingyu: Hehe, congratulations. You did better than me this time. Are you so happy that you are jumping up and dancing the little swan dance?
Wen Xiaoyue: Do not speak of me as if I care about this kind of thing as much as you do.
Gu Yingyu: Come off it, stop being stubborn.
Gu Yingyu: By the way, what is going to happen with You Xinghai?
Gu Yingyu: I heard that you brought her along to study before the exam. Is that true?
Gu Yingyu: Can a person like you actually be warm-hearted?
Wen Xiaoyue let out a soft click of her tongue. She simply wanted to find out if You Xinghai had cheated, so why did she have to beat around the bush like this? Every single one of them was an idiot.
Behind her, Du Na’s breakdown cries continued to stream into her ears endlessly, causing Wen Xiaoyue’s temples to throb.
“It is bad enough that you sit behind Xiaoyue without a shred of shame, but now you actually dare to cheat! Look at yourself and see if you are worthy of this grade!”
“Once the results come out, you will pack up and get out of this school immediately! I never want to see you appear before my eyes again for the rest of my life!”
However, in sharp contrast to her burning fury, You Xinghai did not take her words to heart at all. She even revealed a kind, gentle smile used to soothe a naughty child at home.
“Alright, alright, alright. Do not be angry first. We will listen to the Academic Affairs Office. Whatever the teacher says at that time will go, okay? Be good, go play by yourself.”
You Xinghai knew very well that there was no logic in arguing. The secret to placing oneself in an invincible position was not how much louder one’s voice was compared to the opponent, but making the opponent even angrier!
Just like right now, Du Na was so angry she was practically spitting blood. From childhood to adulthood, Du Na had always been the center of attention, and she could obtain whatever she wanted. Even if she wanted the stars in the sky, the Du family would build a spaceship to go up and pluck them down.
But ever since she met You Xinghai, she felt a sensation of having a body full of strength with nowhere to exert it. When she threatened fiercely, You Xinghai considered it a kitten puffing up its fur. When she threw sugar-coated bullets, You Xinghai ate both the sugar and the bullet. Even when she had already said words like “get out,” You Xinghai still acted like a preschool teacher, advising her to speak politely in kindergarten.
This feeling of punching cotton was truly infuriating. Fortunately, You Xinghai had cheated and left behind such a serious handle. This time, she must personally clean up the school, eliminate harm for the people, and exile You Xinghai to the Persian Gulf to dig for oil!
Imagine the relief when the universe balanced itself out. Right at this moment, a commotion broke out outside the classroom, and someone let out a loud shout, “The bulletin board has posted a new announcement! It says it has been confirmed that someone cheated!”