Saturday had the Weekly Test.
Zhu Zhixi had been studying these past few days, having little interaction with Zhu Huaiqian, Gu Qishen, and that group.
Zhu Huaiqian had been like a firecracker lately, exploding at the slightest touch: the little girl was actually giving him the cold shoulder.
The two of them rode in the same car and sat at the same dining table every day, neither willing to acknowledge the other.
The Weekly Test was nerve-wracking, even more so than the college entrance exam back then.
Even if she came in last, the score couldn’t be too far off.
She had her pride.
Results came out on Monday, with each class going over the test papers.
During the break, the papers were handed out early. Zhu Zhixi’s heart raced up and down—she had failed physics and chemistry, barely scraped by in biology and math, while English and Chinese were considered overachievements given her current level.
She spread the stack of papers openly on her desk.
Zhu Huaiqian, thick-skinned, pretended to wander over casually, circling again and again, probably wanting to see the results of Zhu Zhixi’s week of hard work, comfort her a bit, and seize the chance to make up.
Zhu Zhixi directly told him to get lost.
The two were still in the middle of their cold war.
Meeting Gu Qishen’s gaze, Zhu Huaiqian hissed repeatedly, tapped his temple with his index finger, and shook his head.
Finally, he phrased it tactfully: “Pretty stable.”
So, last place again.
Gu Qishen’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Zhu Zhixi. She was tilting her head slightly, propping her chin, her eyes looking out the window as if she didn’t care at all.
The two hadn’t spoken for a week.
Usually, it wouldn’t last more than two days.
He didn’t even know why Zhu Zhixi was angry.
Was it because he sat next to Qiao Baifei?
Or was it that she really had her eye on Xie Jin?
Unknown, panic, tangled with unnamed emotions, weighed on his chest.
It was irritating, deeply unpleasant.
Zhu Zhixi thought about it for two days and decided to withdraw from the Advanced Class.
She approached the homeroom teacher privately.
“Actually, you’re quite smart, Zhu Zhixi. You’ve worked hard this week too, I’ve seen it. If you can keep it up, you’ll definitely improve. Learning is a gradual process; you can’t rush it.”
Zhu Zhixi nodded. Having lived a second life, she knew there were no shortcuts in studying.
If there were, talent counted as one.
Zhu Zhixi wanted to transfer classes, and every homeroom teacher wanted to snatch her up.
Zhu Zhixi’s grades were average, but Gu Qishen and Zhu Huaiqian’s were excellent.
Get one, get two free—two aces with a three.
The three wasn’t important; who wouldn’t fight for the two aces?
Teacher Li set his thermos on the table: “Our class is the key class. Besides, Gu Qishen and Zhu Huaiqian haven’t said they want to transfer.”
The other teachers chuckled: “Then transfer Zhu Zhixi to our class. We don’t want Gu Qishen and Zhu Huaiqian, just Zhu Zhixi. She looks cheerful.”
Anyway, if Gu Qishen and Zhu Huaiqian wanted to transfer later, who could stop them?
The next day, the homeroom teacher talked to Zhu Zhixi about transferring.
“Class Eight has a good overall learning atmosphere. Plus, the physics and English teachers are the same as here, so you’ll adjust faster. If you have any problems later, come find me anytime.”
“Thank you, Teacher Li.”
Class Eight, Class Eight—wasn’t that Xie Jin’s class?
Two classes, one at each end.
That was fine. It would also reduce her chances of running into Gu Qishen at school.
During lunchtime, the classroom was almost empty.
Zhu Zhixi moved her things away.
Whether it was being advised to leave or leaving voluntarily, in others' eyes, transferring from the Advanced Class to a regular class could only mean being forced out—especially since her poor academic performance was well-known.
She didn't want to draw too much attention.
Xie Jin and Wu Liang returned to the classroom, where the empty desk behind them was piled high with belongings.
"Oh, someone's here."
Wu Liang casually flipped through a few items, trying to see the name of their new deskmate, when someone hooked an arm around his shoulder and pulled him away.
"Hey, hey, let me at least see if it's a guy or a girl. Don't you want to know?"
Xie Jin replied, "No."
"Hurry up and help me get the leave slip."
Zhu Zhixi wandered around outside, buying some nice gel pens and highlighters. Moving to a new place always made her want to add new supplies.
A psychological effect.
Usually, she would turn right after going upstairs, but this time, she turned left.
Zhu Zhixi felt uneasy. She disliked unfamiliar environments. Every new semester, Gu Qishen and Zhu Huaiqian had always provided her with a sense of security.
This time, she had actively escaped their protective shield.
And they didn't even know about it.
Zhu Huaiqian—even if they were in a cold war, he would still come and scold her. He was the most annoying, with his handsome high school boy face and a nagging mouth.
As for Gu Qishen, time would fade all emotions. Their ending had long been decided, and leaving each other's lives early was the best outcome she could think of.
Zhu Zhixi's appearance in Class Eight caused a stir.
She quietly sat in the last row by the window, organizing the messy pile on her desk: textbooks, test papers, small trinkets, stickers, water bottles of various sizes…
"Wow, what's going on? Why is Zhu Zhixi in our class?"
"Was she kicked out of the Advanced Class and sent here?"
"I wonder if Gu Qishen and Zhu Huaiqian will come too?"
"Definitely not, but we'll probably see them around often."
Suddenly, someone bumped into her desk with a loud clatter. The lone water bottle wobbled a few times before Zhu Zhixi swiftly caught it.
She had several cups—thermos cups, regular cups. She cared about aesthetics and would buy any that looked good.
She looked up at the culprit.
The boy raised an eyebrow, his expression full of indifference. "Sorry about that."
A completely unfamiliar face, no memory of him. There was a hint of provocation in his eyes.
No one would deliberately trouble her for no reason unless they had a grudge against Zhu Huaiqian and were taking it out on her.
She had encountered this before—bullies who picked on the weak.
In her previous life, hadn't she been dragged into it and died?
Zhu Zhixi looked up. "Do fewer things you need to apologize for."
Unexpectedly, she looked sweet and delicate but spoke with such sharpness.
The boy scoffed, turning to laugh with another boy. "I really don't know what our homeroom teacher was thinking. Our class isn't a garbage dump to take in all kinds of trash."
Zhu Zhixi pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, a cold expression appearing on her sweet face.
"Whose mouth is so foul?" A careless tone drifted in from the doorway.
Zhu Zhixi looked over—it was Xie Jin.
Xie Jin walked leisurely, his leg still not fully healed, leaning on the shoulders of two boys for support as he passed through. His handsome, well-proportioned face showed disdain. "Kang Mingxing, Li Tu, if you're ugly, cause less trouble; if your mouth stinks, talk less."
Li Tu and Kang Mingxing felt their shoulders were about to be crushed.
But they didn't dare complain about the pain.
"Jin-ge, it's not my fault I'm ugly," Li Tu grinned, trying to cozy up to Xie Jin.
Damn, even he knew being ugly was annoying.
Who wouldn’t want a face like Xie Jin’s? Even when he’s cold and aloof, people still flock to him, like some male enchantress.
Li Tu whispered, “Kang Mingxing’s crush was swept away by Zhu Huaiqian, so he can’t stand Zhu Zhixi. Don’t you dislike her too, Jin? You’re on good terms with the homeroom teacher—why not suggest she transfer to another class? She’s an eyesore.”
Xie Jin’s eyes lifted slightly, a careless smirk playing on his lips. “I find you quite the eyesore.”
Li Tu didn’t dare say another word.
Students at Yizhong either got in on their own merit or through family investments.
Only Xie Jin’s background was a mystery—no parents, running a small stall by himself, and transferring in out of nowhere in his first year of high school.
He usually seemed easygoing, cracking harmless jokes, but in reality, he was arrogant as hell. If Xie Jin looked down on someone, not even the heavens could change his mind.
At first, a few idle rich kids at school tried to befriend him. Xie Jin ignored them, which pissed them off, and they decided to teach him a lesson.
In the end, those kids ended up in the hospital until they transferred out, never to be seen again.
Xie Jin remained completely unaffected, attending school as usual.
Kang Mingxing clenched his jaw, disdain flashing in his eyes. “If the homeroom teacher wants to take in whoever she likes, even Jin can tolerate it. Why shouldn’t I?”
Everyone knew about the relationship between Xie Jin and Zhu Huaiqian.
Zhu Zhixi calmly rose from her seat, walked to the back, and splashed water right into Kang Mingxing’s face.
Kang Mingxing froze in shock.
Xie Jin’s slightly darkened expression instantly cleared. He tucked his hands back into his pockets, casually sitting on a desk in the last row, lips curling as he watched Zhu Zhixi.
So the new transfer student was the young miss.
A rare flicker of excitement stirred in his heart.
“Sorry, I didn’t see anyone—just some trash next to the trash can. Thought I’d clean it up a bit.”
Her tone was light and dismissive, dripping with arrogance.
Calling Kang Mingxing trash.
Zhu Zhixi hooked her finger through the handle of her ceramic cup and tossed it straight into the trash can behind Kang Mingxing.
Then, with exaggerated disgust, she wiped her index finger twice, furrowing her delicate brows, her voice soft and sweet. “Trash really does attract trash.”
Calling Kang Mingxing a pretentious piece of garbage.
Xie Jin raised an eyebrow, watching the scene unfold with an amused smile.
She really did look sweet and delicate, but in reality, she was fierce and sharp-tongued.
This young miss wasn’t someone to mess with.
But he liked it.
Kang Mingxing wiped the water off his face, his chest soaked through, glaring fiercely at Zhu Zhixi.
“Zhu Zhixi.”
The lazy, careless tone carried a mix of anger and helplessness.
Zhu Zhixi’s scalp tingled.
She turned around to see Zhu Huaiqian standing at the doorway, his jaw tight.
He strode in boldly through the front door, moving with purpose, anger written all over his face. Everyone else instinctively gave him a wide berth.
His gaze swept around the room—Kang Mingxing’s chest drenched, standing face-to-face with Zhu Zhixi.
Xie Jin sat to the side, lips curved, watching the show.
The atmosphere was clearly tense.
Obviously, Xie Jin and Kang Mingxing were giving Zhu Zhixi a hard time.
Zhu Zhixi was radiant, Zhu Huaiqian sharp-edged—both had striking features, though their youthful, clean faces softened their intensity.
Zhu Zhixi had clear, innocent eyes and a soft, sweet voice, easily mistaken for a gentle, sweet girl.
At that moment, Zhu Huaiqian’s face was cold, his brow furrowed, radiating an unapproachable, hostile aura.
Especially when he spotted Zhu Zhixi’s cup lying in the trash can. He reached in, pulled it out, and held it up. The accusatory words on the tip of his tongue turned into concern. “Who’s bothering you?”
Zhao Moran followed behind through the door, his eyes questioning Zhu Zhixi: "Were you bullied?"
Zhu Zhixi raised her gaze toward Kang Mingxing.
Zhu Huaiqian and Zhao Moran’s eyes simultaneously shot cold glares in that direction.
Kang Mingxing swallowed hard, forcibly turning his head aside, his face full of guilt, not daring to meet her eyes.
Zhu Huaiqian was a doting older brother, a troublemaker.
Not someone to mess with.
"It’s nothing, just tossing out some trash,"
Zhu Zhixi brushed it off lightly, moving on.
Having lived a second life, her mindset had mellowed considerably; some things weren’t worth bothering with.
She took the water cup from Zhu Huaiqian’s hand and tossed it into the trash bin.
Then calmly returned to her seat.
Zhu Huaiqian felt inexplicably hurt and bitter inside.
He thought back to the two years he and Zhu Zhixi had been separated as children—when she was bullied, she could only endure it like this, holding it in.
She kept it bottled up until she broke. The chubby-cheeked little girl who returned had become sharp-faced, and she didn’t even come home anymore.
She didn’t want her brother anymore, either—she ran off with Gu Qishen.
And this time, she ran off with Xie Jin.
All the way here, he had been seething with anger, swearing he’d give her a good scolding when he saw her—how dare she give him the cold shoulder and switch classes?
But then he saw Zhu Zhixi’s cup thrown in the trash, clearly having been targeted and bullied.
His anger instantly vanished.
Leaving only softness and heartache.
He must have owed Zhu Zhixi in a past life, and now he was here to repay the debt.
Zhu Huaiqian shot a glance at Kang Mingxing, his face wearing the unmistakable look of someone not to be trifled with: "Got a problem?"
Kang Mingxing held back, his lips twitching: "No problem."
His shoulder was slapped heavily as Zhao Moran warned again: "Don’t go looking for trouble."
Their gazes shifted to the side, meeting Xie Jin’s playful yet sharp eyes.
Xie Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, his proper face exuding a roguish air: "Got a problem?"
Zhu Huaiqian: Damn, isn’t that my line?
But he held back, his gaze sweeping over Xie Jin’s leg. He raised an eyebrow slightly and outright ignored him.
Sitting down beside Zhu Zhixi, Zhu Huaiqian’s arrogant, indignant demeanor deflated, replaced by a resentful stare fixed directly on her.
Like a scorned woman overflowing with bitterness.
The resentment was so thick Zhu Zhixi felt her seat was being contaminated.
She spoke with unjustified boldness: "If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost. I don’t harbor evil sword immortals here."
Zhu Huaiqian gritted his teeth: "Why didn’t you tell me about changing classes?"
"Do you even know what a cold war means?" Zhu Zhixi didn’t even bother looking at him.
Zhu Huaiqian was so angry his teeth ached: "If I apologize to Xie Jin, will this be over between us?"
Zhu Zhixi’s bright, clear eyes finally looked at him: "Yes."
She had to take a stand with Zhu Huaiqian on the matter of Xie Jin—she wouldn’t allow him to hurt Xie Jin.
Although he didn’t know it, this was also indirectly protecting himself.
Furious, Zhu Huaiqian stood up, grinding his teeth.
Wu Liang entered the room, saw Zhu Huaiqian standing there with a cold, stern face, snorted disdainfully at him, and handed the leave request to Xie Jin: "Leave request, signed."
Xie Jin stood up to take it.
The moment he stepped forward, a tall, slender, and upright figure blocked his path. The two were about the same height, though Xie Jin’s physique was fuller and more defined.
The atmosphere between them clashed.
"Sorry," Zhu Huaiqian practically squeezed the words out through gritted teeth.
Xie Jin was somewhat surprised, but he had a high tolerance for such things.
"Oh, heard it. Mind not blocking a cripple’s way?" His tone was completely dismissive.
Zhu Huaiqian was furious—that was it?
His feet didn’t move, not giving an inch, though the urge to throw a punch was stirring within him.
"Don't expect me to say it's fine or that I forgive you. After all, I'm the one with the sore leg, and I take this very seriously—I hold grudges." Xie Jin's lips curved into a faint arc, devoid of any real smile. "But this matter ends here."
With that, he pushed Zhu Huaiqian aside and walked away.
Zhu Zhixi's anxious heart settled gently.
May peace endure, always.