Of course, Qin Xiao wasn’t going to say that out loud.
He looked at Xia Shiya, because he knew—Xia Shiya was one of the female leads. And not just any female lead, but one who had known the protagonist for a long time.
According to the original plot, although Xia Shiya and the protagonist weren’t officially a couple, they had feelings for each other since high school.
But the protagonist was taken away before their relationship could develop, and they eventually parted ways.
Looking at Xia Shiya’s stunning face and her sexy figure that couldn’t even be hidden under a loose dress, Qin Xiao thought, her appearance and figure easily scored at least ninety points.
And that wasn’t like those overly filtered celebrities, nor anyone caked in makeup—this was natural.
However, in the novel, she often made trouble for the original host. That slap the original host got? It was because he didn’t listen to her.
Seeing Qin Xiao staring at her, Xia Shiya frowned even more. She was already annoyed.
Qin Xiao had always had top grades, and even during college he was an outstanding student. She had high hopes for him, even recommending him for the student council, where he later became president.
But lately, there were constant rumors of him bullying others and abusing his power.
No matter how many times she spoke to Qin Yue, nothing changed, making her feel she had misjudged Qin Xiao.
What angered her more was Qin Xiao growing more arrogant, acting with no regard for authority.
“Qin Xiao, I’m talking to you! Didn’t you hear me?” Xia Shiya said angrily.
Qin Xiao responded casually, “Oh, sorry, Teacher. I’ve just been in a bad mood lately, that’s why I acted like that.”
Xia Shiya nearly choked with rage. “So being in a bad mood gives you the right to act recklessly? To bully your classmates?!”
Qin Xiao listened to her scolding and rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
Sure, the original host’s behavior wasn’t great, but it wasn’t like he started the conflicts—others had tried to act tough and got put in their place.
Qin Xiao didn’t think the original host did anything wrong. Just because someone’s a rich young master, does that mean he has to play nice with everyone?
Not provoking anyone was already generous enough. If you try to act tough with a young master, of course you’d get taught a lesson. And afterward you want to say sorry and move on? Too easy.
From Qin Xiao’s perspective, the original host’s only fault was a bad temper. If it were him, he would’ve dealt with things even more ruthlessly—and cleanly.
After lecturing Qin Xiao for a while, Xia Shiya finally asked, “Qin Xiao, I’ve said all this—did you understand?”
Qin Xiao rolled his eyes and replied, “Yeah, I got it. Anything else?”
“You…”
Seeing how casual he was, Xia Shiya was speechless with anger.
Though she wanted to discipline him, she knew it wasn’t realistic. Qin Xiao wasn’t someone who feared her.
To put it bluntly, the fact that he was even listening to her was already giving her face.
That thought left her feeling discouraged. She regretted ever helping Qin Xiao rise to student council president—he was now using that power to suppress others. And she had no way to stop him.
Feeling frustrated, Xia Shiya said, “Enough. I don’t want to hear any more rumors about your misconduct. You may leave.”
“Mm, okay. Got it, Teacher Xia!”
Qin Xiao nodded and agreed, though it was obvious he wasn’t taking her seriously.
But truthfully, he didn’t plan to do the same things the original host did. His focus was on the protagonist.
Though he wasn’t the villain, the big villain in the novel just happened to be his beloved big brother.
To avoid ending up as a sidekick, he had to act now.
Thinking of that, Qin Xiao gave Xia Shiya a deep look. “Teacher Xia, I heard you’ve been going through something lately? Can you tell me about it?”
Xia Shiya frowned harder. She was just lecturing Qin Xiao—why was he suddenly asking about her situation?
But she had indeed been dealing with something—her mother was hospitalized with a serious illness, and it was causing her a lot of stress.
Still, that was her private matter. Qin Xiao was just a student; naturally, she wouldn’t say anything.
Xia Shiya shook her head, “What problems could a teacher have? Even if there is something, I’ll handle it myself.”
“Is that so?”
Qin Xiao smiled. He’d already read about this in the novel.
Xia Shiya’s mother had a kidney disease and urgently needed a transplant and a lot of money for surgery, which pushed Xia Shiya into hardship.
She was nearly coerced by the dean. But a few days later, after she reconnected with the protagonist—the Divine Doctor Dragon Emperor Son-in-Law—he showed off his power and helped solve her problem.
She became curious about him, and as the story progressed, she started falling for him.
Even when she learned the protagonist already had a wife, she was devastated but still pursued him.
Later, when the protagonist hinted that he didn’t mind her background, their relationship turned ambiguous.
Thinking about that gave Qin Xiao a headache.
Xia Shiya was single and stunning—how could she end up being the one “not disliked” by a married protagonist?
And yet, in the novel, that’s exactly what happened.
Qin Xiao was speechless. The protagonist’s plot armor really was something else.
But now that he was here, there was no way he’d let that happen.
Qin Xiao looked at Xia Shiya and said, “Really? I thought you were in some trouble. I was wondering if I could help. Looks like I misunderstood.”
Xia Shiya paused. Only then did she remember—Qin Xiao came from a very wealthy family.
But she quickly brushed that thought aside and said, “Qin Xiao, don’t even think about bribing me. You just need to fix your own behavior. There’s no need for these tricks!”
Qin Xiao chuckled, “Teacher, how could you think that? Why would I try to bribe you? That’s completely unnecessary, right?”
Xia Shiya was stunned for a moment and left speechless.
What he said did make sense. She was just a homeroom teacher. There was no need for him to bribe her.
Even if Qin Xiao did nothing, she couldn’t really do anything to him.
Realizing that, her expression softened, and her attitude toward Qin Xiao improved a little.
After all, she had genuinely liked him before—of course, as a good student.
Qin Xiao was handsome, wealthy, refined, and hardworking. What teacher wouldn’t like a student like that?
Her attitude began to shift.
Just as she was about to say something, Qin Xiao sighed and said, “Forget it. I used to admire you, Teacher Xia, and I wanted to help if I could. But now, it seems there’s no need.”