Xu Qing watched Zhou Xiu’s hurriedly departing figure. The smile at the corner of his lips did not last long. He quickly chased after her and called out to stop her.
Zhou Xiu stopped and turned back to ask Xu Qing, “Class Monitor, is there something else?”
Xu Qing looked at Zhou Xiu’s face. There was not the slightest shy reaction a girl might have. The words circled around his mouth, but in the end, he only said,
“Zhou Xiu, I wish you success in tomorrow’s exam.”
Zhou Xiu gripped the strap of her schoolbag. “Mm, I will. You too, Class Monitor.”
…
Sunday, early in the morning.
The school organised for the students to go to No. 4 High School’s exam venue to take the biology competition exam.
The system woke Zhou Xiu up early.
[Young one, get up and go to battle.]
[Ding—Win first prize in the preliminary round of the Biology League Competition and receive a reward of 5,000 RMB. Rank in the city’s top 5 in the preliminary round and receive 10,000 to 15,000 RMB. Rank in the top 3 and receive 15,000 to 30,000 RMB.]
The system repeated it once.
Zhou Xiu pursed her lips and said, [No need to repeat it. I remember everything.]
How could Zhou Xiu possibly forget such an important chance to earn money? Zhou Xiu would never forget the taste of having no money to study and being forced to drop out. She would never forget how her fate had almost been decided for the rest of her life by fifty thousand yuan.
Any opportunity she could seize, Zhou Xiu would not miss.
Standing in front of the mirror, Zhou Xiu swiftly tied her hair into a ponytail.
Reflected in the mirror was a clean, fresh face. Having just washed her face, her skin looked tender enough to squeeze water from it. The girl wore her school uniform neatly, lowered her head, and briskly rolled up her sleeves.
After breakfast, she quickly went to school to gather with the others, then took the school bus with the biology class students to No. 4 High School for the exam.
No. 4 High School was a well-known key school in the city, a century-old prestigious school famous for producing many top students.
After Yude’s students arrived at No. 4 High School, one of them sighed, “There are so many students at No. 4 High.”
The others could not help sighing too. “But our school still looks a bit bigger.”
Altogether, the number of Yude students participating in the biology competition was less than one class. Meanwhile, No. 4 High School had so many competition participants that they amounted to almost half a year group at Yude.
After arriving at No. 4 High School, the students from Yude’s biology class felt somewhat intimidated.
When the students of No. 4 High heard the students from another school complain that their school was small, they all turned their heads and looked at the Yude students.
When No. 4 High’s biology teacher leading the team saw Teacher He from Yude, he arrogantly walked past them.
Among the students participating in the biology competition from the key school No. 4 High this year was a transfer student from Yude. She was Yue Shi, who had been punished after a certain monthly exam. After dropping out of Yude, Yue Shi had accepted Lu Lingshan’s arrangement and entered No. 4 High.
In the crowd, she saw Zhou Xiu and Xu Qing and was very shocked. Zhou Xiu’s change, especially, was so great it was almost unacceptable.
Yue Shi’s companion at No. 4 High asked her, “Why do you have that expression?”
She was glaring at someone resentfully, as if facing an enemy.
The girl suddenly understood. “Is the person who made you bear the blame and leave Yude in hatred here to take the competition too?”
She quickly found Zhou Xiu, whom Yue Shi had been looking at.
Sure enough, she was just as Yue Shi had described: pretty, good at studying, and liked by many people. How could the isolated and helpless Yue Shi possibly compare to this kind of girl?
After Yue Shi came to No. 4 High, she studied hard, behaved steadily, and had good relationships with others. Gradually, her momentum became even better than when she had studied at Yude.
One semester later, Yue Shi entered No. 4 High’s Rocket Class again.
Yue Shi knew that Jiang Yuanyuan had mistaken the person, but seeing that Jiang Yuanyuan was accusing Zhou Xiu, Yue Shi did not say anything. Zhou Xiu was indeed one of the people who had caused her to drop out. If Zhou Xiu had not insisted on pursuing the matter, how could Lu Lingshan have pushed her out as a scapegoat?
After Yue Shi accepted Lu Lingshan’s money, she bore all the grievances alone. But sooner or later, her past at Yude would become known to her classmates at No. 4 High.
When that time came, Yue Shi would definitely be unable to continue staying there. So she had vaguely revealed some of her grievances.
When Jiang Yuanyuan saw Zhou Xiu and the others, she could not help saying, “Someone who cheated in an exam really isn’t worthy of coming to take a competition.”
When the teacher leading No. 4 High’s key class heard this, he looked at the students from Yude Middle School who had come to participate in the competition.
He looked down on this kind of private high school very much—a school that relied every year on poaching quality students and throwing money around to shamelessly force its way into the ranks of key schools. And this time, they had even mixed in a student who had cheated in an exam?
The No. 4 High teacher’s impression of these students dropped to freezing point.
Zhou Xiu and the others received a cold reception. They stood outside in the corridor, while students from other schools had classrooms to rest in.
Xu Qing asked the teacher whether there was a classroom available for resting and preparing before the exam.
The teacher from No. 4 High said indifferently, “If you came late, how could there still be a classroom for you to rest in?”
“One or two of you even wear makeup to an exam. Your minds aren’t on studying at all. Students’ behaviour really gets worse year after year.”
When he said this, he happened to be looking at Zhou Xiu.
A puzzled expression slowly appeared on Zhou Xiu’s face. “…”
Facing the unfamiliar teacher’s contemptuous gaze, she pursed her lips and did not speak.
The biology class students looked at Zhou Xiu with complicated expressions. Zhou Xiu actually had the leisure to wear makeup?
No, she didn’t, right?
When Xu Qing heard this, he glanced at Zhou Xiu and could not help laughing.
Zhou Xiu’s eyebrows were thin but well-shaped. Her slightly brown double eyelids looked as though they had been softly shaded. Her lips had no lipstick on, yet they were naturally pink and moist. Her skin was fair. She did indeed look a little as though she had makeup on.
The girls in the biology class did not dare argue with the teacher to his face, but privately, they said angrily, “Old fossil.”
This teacher could truly be called an iron-straight man. He could not even tell whether someone was wearing makeup or not.
“I only regret not bringing a bottle of makeup remover to expose his shallow understanding.”
Teacher He went to buy several bottles of water for the students. Unexpectedly, he heard what the No. 4 High teacher said, and he felt rather stifled.
Although it was only a small matter, other students who arrived late still had places to rest and prepare for the exam. Yet Yude alone had no place. What was the No. 4 High teacher implying with his words?
Yude was indeed not as old or prestigious as No. 4 High. He admitted that. But that did not mean even a high school teacher could casually step on them a few times, right?
Afraid that it would affect the students’ exam mindset, Teacher He said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. The exam will start soon. Everyone, do your best!”
Zhou Xiu, who had inexplicably been looked down on, said seriously to her team teacher,
“Okay.”
“I’ll work hard and try to get into the top three.”
Zhou Xiu hated teachers who looked at people through tinted glasses the most.
Originally, she had been working hard for the tempting reward and trying to get a good result. Now, for the sake of dignity, Zhou Xiu had to sharpen her focus and charge forward with all her strength.
Zhou Xiu’s words were not taken seriously by the top students of No. 4 High. Or rather, students from ordinary high schools posed no threat to them at all.
If a few lightly spoken words could take away the honour of No. 4 High students, wouldn’t that be far too unfair to those who had studied bitterly for over a decade and passed through countless trials to reach this point?
No. 4 High’s Jiang Yuanyuan asked Yue Shi, “She really talks big. You were classmates with her before. How were her grades?”
In the crowd, Yue Shi looked at Zhou Xiu’s serious expression and said cautiously, “I only remember that her maths and biology were pretty good. But when I left, I don’t think she had entered the top one hundred of the year.”
Oh.
Jiang Yuanyuan instantly threw Zhou Xiu to the back of her mind.
At an ordinary school like Yude, she had not even entered the top one hundred. She did not even have the qualifications to be Jiang Yuanyuan’s opponent.
…
After the candidates entered the exam room, the exam bell soon rang.
Snow-white exam papers were handed out one by one. The Biology League’s difficulty was higher than the college entrance exam but lower than the Biology Olympiad. After Zhou Xiu received the paper, she immediately had a clear idea of it.
The preliminary exam tested knowledge points that did not go beyond the syllabus. For Zhou Xiu, it was not particularly difficult. She completed the paper carefully and thoroughly, then checked it once.
There was still half an hour left. Zhou Xiu calmly checked it three times. Before handing it in, she changed one answer and left the classroom five minutes early.
Many students outside had already finished the exam and had long since been unable to sit still, running out early.
Teacher He asked with a smile, “Was it difficult? Seeing all of you hand in your papers early, this year’s exam shouldn’t have been difficult, right?”
Many students shook their heads. Teacher He smiled and led the students back to school.
Sunday came to a successful end.
Starting next Friday, Yude’s monthly exam officially began.
The Lu family.
Lu Lingshan returned home and put down her schoolbag. She discovered that a group of relatives and directors had gathered at home. They were clearly discussing business matters. Just as she was about to return to her room, one relative stopped her.
“Shanshan, aren’t you dating the young master of the Xi family? Can you ask him to help our family?”
The smile on Lu Lingshan’s face froze. “He… Don’t trouble him with these things.”
She concealed the fact that she was not actually dating Xi Shaoyuan.
The Lu family relative curled their lip. “He pushes back and hesitates even when asked to help a little. He’s not even as good as the young master of the Tan family. Could all of this have been made up by you? If you’re really dating, how could you not even invite him over?”
“Shanshan, this time your father has really run into difficulties. His hair has turned white from worry… Sigh, forget it, forget it.”
Lu Lingshan’s smile stiffened. “I’ll go ask him for help.”
On Monday, Lu Lingshan went to find Tan Ming.
Tan Ming was currently studying as if his life depended on it, throwing himself into revision with all his might. Lu Lingshan unexpectedly asked to meet him, and Tan Ming felt somewhat uncomfortable.
After hesitating and making excuses for a while, he looked at the tender little green sprout that was Zhou Xiu’s profile picture. Only after a long time did Tan Ming say, “I’m eating in the cafeteria at noon. Tell me whatever it is then.”
At noon, Tan Ming ate with Du Feiyang as usual.
Du Feiyang truly could not believe Tan Ming’s sudden strange passion for studying. These past few days, he had simply seen him in a new light.
“You’re even memorising formulas while eating. Don’t tell me you’re learning from Xiuxiu?”
“Yo, is our class about to raise a top student?”
Du Feiyang took the small note Tan Ming had placed on the dining table, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the bin. “Xiuxiu works hard, but she also has methods. Stop looking. Eat.”
“If you keep revising endlessly all day, your brain will get tired and become stupid. She studies for forty minutes and then rests for a while. Do you know about the Pomodoro method for focusing attention? You don’t even know how to learn the essence from her.”
Ew! Du Feiyang was extremely disdainful.
Tan Ming felt a little embarrassed and began eating seriously.
“Tell me more about how she studies.”
Tan Ming did not understand Zhou Xiu at all. He was not even as close to her as Du Feiyang was. Du Feiyang patted Tan Ming on the shoulder.
“Look, Xiuxiu is eating over there. Why don’t you go ask her?”
“When classmates ask her for advice, she’s always very willing to share study methods.”
After hearing this, Tan Ming felt as if he had been injected with motivation, as though he had found another path. He quickly finished his meal in a few bites and walked over to Zhou Xiu.
Tan Ming asked Zhou Xiu softly, “If I want to improve my grades quickly, what should I do?”
He asked carefully, feeling as if all the blood in his body was boiling to the extreme.
When Zhou Xiu heard this, she looked up and saw Tan Ming in surprise. A subtle feeling arose in her heart.
Had the sun… risen from the west? This classmate, who loved studying the least in the class, was actually asking her about study methods.
Zhou Xiu, who was eating, took out her phone and waved it in front of him.
The underachievers of Class 24 had asked this question too many times, so Zhou Xiu had edited this series of questions into a document.
Tan Ming took Zhou Xiu’s phone. It still carried her warm body temperature. Looking at the document on her phone, Tan Ming felt a corner of his heart collapse inward.
Tan Ming sat beside Zhou Xiu, watching her slowly eat the rice in her bowl. Her calm, delicate brows gave people an indescribably comfortable feeling.
Damn. The more he looked, the cuter she became.
Lu Lingshan sent Tan Ming many messages, making his phone buzz nonstop, but Tan Ming did not notice.
Because the sound of his heartbeat was already loud enough to drown out the entire world. Apart from the thumping sound and the dizzy ringing by his ears, he could no longer hear anything else.
…
On the second floor, Xi Shaoyuan watched Tan Ming sitting beside Zhou Xiu, asking questions nonstop.
His mouth did not close for even a moment.
Xi Shaoyuan’s heart felt terribly sour, and he no longer dared to look. If he looked even once more, he was afraid he would want to tear Tan Ming away from Zhou Xiu’s side.
Zhang Qi, on the other hand, was not surprised. “Zhou Xiu is quite popular.”
“The people in their class suddenly really like studying.”
It was practically like seeing a ghost. After being lazy and unmotivated for so many years, a group of underachievers had a diligent, studious top student mixed in among them. Could it really have such a strong effect?
“The eel effect?” Zhang Qi shook his head.
On the other side.
Lu Lingshan, who had arranged to meet Tan Ming, came to the cafeteria and searched for a long time before finally finding him.
She saw Tan Ming staring at Zhou Xiu with a serious expression. His gaze was dazed, like a little boy experiencing his first stirrings of love.
When Lu Lingshan saw this scene, her face darkened inch by inch, and the imbalance in her heart reached its peak. She directly called Tan Ming. After a while, Tan Ming picked up.
Lu Lingshan said, “Tan Ming, I want to ask you for a favour.”
“Oh…” Tan Ming said absent-mindedly. “What is it? Go ahead.”
“My family’s business has run into a little difficulty—”
Zhou Xiu finished lunch and left the cafeteria. Tan Ming turned his head to watch her leave and had no attention left for the phone call.
Lu Lingshan clenched her fingers tightly and said with a pale face, “Can you ask your uncle and auntie to inject five million yuan into the Lu family? Don’t worry, this money would be equivalent to buying shares in the Lu family.”
Tan Ming seemed to have hung up the call.
“Beep, beep, beep—”
After a while, the distracted Tan Ming realised that the call had already ended. He was dazed for a moment.
What had Lu Lingshan said just now?
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