“Zhou Zhi!”
Not far away, another female voice rang out, disrupting the suffocating atmosphere and scattering the remaining traces of anger.
“Zhou Zhi! Hurry up, the homeroom teacher is checking the girls’ dormitory today!”
Zhao Zhenzhen walked over in two steps, grabbed Zhou Zhi’s arm, and hurried forward with her head down in big strides. She swallowed rapidly, her heart pounding wildly.
She was truly insane, meddling in other people’s business for no reason.
She had just seen it—Ji Xuanxu had been pressing Zhou Zhi against the lamppost, bullying her.
Ji Xuanxu…
Just thinking about the rumors circulating at school made her legs tremble. She’d heard that Liang Muye was covered in injuries, even losing two teeth, all at Ji Xuanxu’s hands.
Damn it…
Zhao Zhenzhen took a deep breath, a look of regret on her face.
The expression on Zhou Zhi’s face shifted from bewilderment to understanding, then to confusion.
She knew Zhao Zhenzhen had misunderstood.
But why help her? Just last night, she had been playing along with Wu Ya’s act, and Zhou Zhi had doused her with a bucket of cold water.
The two walked quickly, urgently, and before long they stepped into the shadows, their figures swallowed and blurred by the darkness until they could no longer be seen.
Only Ji Xuanxu remained in his original position, letting out a silent, helpless laugh.
The youth’s right hand gripped the lamppost tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, the tattoo at his wrist obscured by shadows under the dim yellow light, as if withering away.
Absurdity and irony crashed down like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
After a long moment, a low, cold laugh rang out on its own, carrying a hint of autumn night’s chill.
“Really…”
“A model student.”
The mutter dissipated with the wind, leaving only mockery and regret behind.
Ridiculous.
He really was a fool who forgot the pain once the wound healed.
“Phew… I suggest you stay away from Ji Xuanxu from now on.”
Dragging Zhou Zhi by the hand and running all the way to the bottom of the teaching building, Zhao Zhenzhen was somewhat out of breath. She had never done anything this crazy before.
Zhao Zhenzhen turned around and found that the girl behind her wasn’t even panting, nor did she have any extra expression on her face.
Fear, panic, or even shock and gratitude.
None of it.
Zhao Zhenzhen’s emotions got stuck in her chest, neither rising nor falling. She felt like she was beginning to understand why Wu Ya always had it out for Zhou Zhi.
Being around Zhou Zhi always gave normal people a feeling of…
Being a clown jumping around, and it was just plain irritating.
Zhou Zhi: “Thank you.”
Though the turn of events had exceeded her expectations and was utterly absurd.
Zhao Zhenzhen took a breath and let out a cold snort. “Don’t mention it.”
She had meddled in someone else’s business, but she just hadn’t thought before acting. She was already starting to regret it.
The two climbed up to the sixth floor in silence, one after the other.
That night, no one provoked anyone again.
But just before the lights went out, Zhou Zhi suddenly picked up the round mirror by her bed and brushed aside the long hair over her chest.
On the fair skin near her ear, faint blue-green patterns were barely visible.
The tattoo was hidden beneath her black hair, appearing and disappearing.
“Click!”
The dormitory lights went out, leaving only enough time to catch a glimpse of the veins of the branches and leaves before plunging into darkness.
No one spoke after the lights went out.
Senior year was always exhausting. Most people fell asleep quickly, and a tired yet fulfilling day ended with sweet dreams.
Two consecutive days of monthly exams cast a layer of anxious yet excited color over the entire senior class. Everywhere, there were voices discussing the questions.
“Ugh, I’m done for. Don’t ask me, I definitely failed this time. Stop asking…”
“Oh my god! B-B-B-B! The first reading comprehension passage’s answer is a demon, right?!”
“Hey… I guessed it right!”
“…”
Class 2 was filled with such chatter, buzzing with excitement for the upcoming English class.
Zhao Zhenzhen stared at her own answer sheet—A, C, D, D—and felt her vision go dark, convinced she had hit the end of the road in English.
Song Jun slumped over his desk, having lost all desire to speak.
Damn it.
He usually skipped class and got into fights, but if his grades were too embarrassing, he was genuinely afraid he’d go home and get his legs broken. Either way, his heart was full of unease.
Before class began, the school broadcast crackled to life.
It was announcing the names of students who had violated exam rules during this month’s monthly test.
Ji Xuanxu’s name was prominently listed.
Absent from the exam.
Song Jun clicked his tongue twice and shook his head.
He’d thought Brother Ji’s perfect attendance these past few days meant he was ready to buckle down and study, but it turned out he’d pulled something big instead.
Skipping class during the two exam days.
Tsk, tsk…
What a strong mental fortitude.
Zhou Zhi flipped through her English paper, her eyes darting rapidly over each question.
But her heart skipped a beat the moment she heard Ji Xuanxu’s name.
She couldn’t help but recall the confrontation two days ago.
The emotions churning in that boy’s pitch-black eyes were like towering waves in the deep sea—unclear, yet still capable of swallowing her whole.
Was there some misunderstanding between them…
No, there was no misunderstanding.
Zhou Zhi stopped flipping through the paper because the English teacher had already walked up to the podium with a microphone in hand.
“Alright, class, I’ll write the answers on the board. Quickly check your own work.”
The young woman’s clear voice accompanied the letters and words appearing one by one on the blackboard.
Zhou Zhi took out a red pen to mark her answers.
There was no misunderstanding between them.
Only a spectacular, full-scale rupture.
The English teacher’s voice cut through Zhou Zhi’s thoughts: “Anyone get a perfect score? Raise your hands.”
Zhou Zhi looked down at her paper, which bore not a single cross mark, and didn’t raise her hand.
A boy in the front row sneakily raised his right hand: “Teacher, I got them all right.”
A wave of teasing applause and cheers filled the entire classroom.
Zhou Zhi looked up to see who it was—the very same boy who, when she’d walked into the classroom, had been clutching his paper with a miserable face, declaring he was absolutely doomed.
She couldn’t help but curl her lips into a faint smile.
The lights in the restroom were bright, probably so that diligent students could clearly see the pages they were memorizing while using the facilities.
The door handles had been removed from every stall, making them impossible to lock.
As Zhou Zhi stood at the mirror washing her hands, Wu Ya walked in with her arms crossed and blocked Zhou Zhi’s path in two steps.
Few people came out to use the restroom during the first period of evening self-study, and Wu Ya had seized exactly that opportunity.
“You don’t think that little incident of you dumping a basin of water on me last time is just going to blow over, do you?” Wu Ya stared at the serene girl before her, her tone carrying a hint of coldness.
She’d been a troublemaker at school since childhood, and now that she stuck close to Gu Wan, no one dared to provoke her!
Except for Zhou Zhi!
This transfer student had ignored her again and again, and even dared to challenge her!
Zhou Zhi clicked her tongue softly, a flicker of irritation surfacing in her eyes.
Class was about to start.
Her slender fingers clenched into a fist before quickly relaxing, her fingertips brushing across her knuckles.
“This can be resolved through the teacher,” Zhou Zhi said, meeting Wu Ya’s gaze, her voice calm.
At school, any matter should be handled by the teacher.
That was the proper mindset of a good student.
Wu Ya looked as if she’d heard a joke. She sized Zhou Zhi up from head to toe, finding her simply ridiculous.
How could there still be someone so naive?
No surveillance cameras, no witnesses—as long as she used a little underhanded tactics, who would ever know what happened between them?
Wu Ya rolled her wrists and closed the distance between them.
“I’ve had it with you for a long time. Seducing Liang Muye while pretending to be some innocent little goody-two-shoes.”
“And splashing cold water on me…”
“You little slut!”
Today, she was going to teach this transfer student a lesson she wouldn’t forget!