Lu Lin was called on. He showed no trace of panic, sitting steadily in his seat and calmly replying, “Why should I apologize? Tell me, which of my words was wrong?”
Liu Zong was so furious she could barely contain her laughter. Which words were wrong? Was there a single thing he had said that was correct?
“What, not going to say anything? Or are you speechless?” Lu Lin pressed on, noticing that Liu Zong had momentarily lost her words.
From what he had learned through his cousin, Chi Nian was even more reprehensible than he had just described. He even felt that his words earlier had been somewhat polite. Now, it seemed, someone like Chi Nian shouldn’t be let off.
Liu Zong was provoked by Lu Lin’s expression—the “you’re in the wrong, you’re guilty, you’re being unreasonable” look. She could barely restrain her temper and even wanted to rush over and give Lu Lin a lesson.
Chi Nian, seeing Liu Zong about to make a move, reacted quickly, extending a hand to grab Liu Zong’s arm.
Her little fan was truly adorable. Even though they had never met in person, they would bravely step up to defend her when she was slandered.
If her little fan could go this far, then as an idol, she couldn’t let her down, could she?
Chi Nian stood from her seat and turned to face Lu Lin.
The boy’s features carried a hint of pride, clearly a favored child of fortune. But his gaze toward her was filled with undisguised disdain. His entire face, following the owner’s unpleasant emotions, drooped, diminishing the attractiveness of his otherwise fairly handsome face.
Chi Nian had seen plenty of contemptuous looks recently. Before leaving the entertainment industry, the number of anti-fans she had probably exceeded the combined number of anti-fans, die-hard fans, and career-focused fans of an average celebrity—if exaggerated, Chi Nian’s anti-fans could probably circle Beijing once.
However…
Chi Nian looked at Lu Lin carefully again. His features seemed familiar. Though the contempt in his eyes was hard to hide, he restrained it, producing a straightforward yet awkwardly reserved gaze she felt she had seen somewhere before.
Where was that?
Before Chi Nian could think it through, her attention was drawn away. The classroom, which had grown relatively quiet during the standoff between Liu Zong and Lu Lin, suddenly erupted in chatter.
Chi Nian’s movement to stand had been large, and with Liu Zong beside her—the center of the incident—she had become the focal point. While seated before, she hadn’t attracted much attention, but now, standing, all eyes in the classroom fixed on her.
“Whoa! It’s Chi Nian!” someone recognized her.
The words were like a small stone thrown into boiling water, sending ripples across the room.
Others followed their gaze to verify, “It really is!”
“How is Chi Nian here?”
To most in the room, Chi Nian was not unfamiliar—a female actress widely criticized online. But why would a female actress appear in their class? Curiosity stirred in their hearts.
Many shared this curiosity.
Of course, not everyone in the classroom knew Chi Nian. Some high achievers, so absorbed in the hyper-competitive College Entrance Exam, had been disconnected from entertainment life for a while. Not just for Chi Nian—if a popular actress like Xia Yinghou had appeared before them recently, they would have treated her as a stranger, passing by without a second glance.
“Who’s Chi Nian? Is she some provincial College Entrance Exam top scorer? Why is everyone so excited?”
“Bro, you don’t know Chi Nian? She’s super famous!” Though her reputation wasn’t spotless, that vague description wasn’t exactly wrong.
“Come, I’ll explain to you.”
The student was about to introduce Chi Nian to a classmate who clearly didn’t follow the entertainment industry. Lu Lin seemed to overhear and interjected, “Bro, Chi Nian isn’t some College Entrance Exam top scorer. She’s a big celebrity—the kind who’s always at the bottom in exams. She only tops the charts when the entertainment industry votes for the most annoying female actress.”
Lu Lin’s words carried mockery and sarcasm, harsh to hear.
Chi Nian frowned.
A College Entrance Exam top scorer?
Sorry, she actually had that title.
“Whoa! Then how did she get into our class?!” the student exclaimed, raising their voice rather than lowering it.
“Get in? How is that possible!” Lu Lin chuckled lightly.
If Chi Nian could truly get into this school through proper exams, would he even need to single her out?
Lu Lin didn’t show it, but inwardly, he felt a mix of envy and jealousy toward Chi Nian.
Although his high school grades were good, they weren’t outstanding. To aim for his ideal university, he had hired a top-level teacher with College Entrance Exam experience for months of one-on-one tutoring, barely scraping into the school at the last moment.
Chi Nian, on the other hand, didn’t need to work hard or grind through endless practice questions. She casually ended up as their classmate.
Thinking this way, Lu Lin felt even more disdain toward her.
A person who relied on shortcuts or connections didn’t deserve to be his classmate!
He had initially intended to spare Chi Nian some face, keeping some things private. But now, since Chi Nian’s friends had interfered and caused a scene, he would not hold back. He seized the opportunity.
Organizing his words carefully, Lu Lin recounted the things Chi Nian’s friends had said in private about her, repeating them in front of the whole class.
The moment Lu Lin finished speaking, whispers and murmurs began spreading across the classroom.
Everyone finally understood where today’s commotion had come from.
Some immediately felt a surge of resentment toward Chi Nian. Meeting her for the first time and already causing chaos in class—what would the future hold? They were here to study, not to watch a show.
Others remained neutral, unwilling to jump to conclusions.
Chi Nian patiently suppressed her temper, listening through Lu Lin’s words.
Back in the entertainment industry, people often wore masks and were somewhat restrained. Chi Nian rarely paid attention to the malicious attacks online. This was the first time she fully understood what the words “Chi Nian” represented.
She had to admit, it felt awful.
Chi Nian furrowed her brow, a faint smile on her lips, looking at Lu Lin. “How much did you score on the College Entrance Exam?”
“What?” Lu Lin blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
When he realized, he found it amusing. Chi Nian, as expected, was bold. He had thought she would run out crying once her true nature was exposed. Instead, she had the nerve to ask about his College Entrance Exam score—did she think that with just three digits, the difference would be insignificant?
“I did okay. Thirty points lower than Wang Xu in our class, just over seven hundred. But that’s enough compared to… you,” Lu Lin paused, glancing at Chi Nian, “probably more than enough.”