As soon as Zhou Xiu finished speaking, the circle of slackers around her fell silent.
Us… together, reclaim our dignity?
The words were so passionate and exciting! It made them want to agree immediately!
But their slacker nature quickly brought them back to reality.
Zhou Xiu noticed the confusion in their eyes. “He said you’re worse than barbecued pork. Don’t you want to prove him wrong?”
Du Feiyang bristled at the mention of “barbecued pork.”
“Who the hell is barbecued pork?”
Exactly.
Who the hell wants to be a loser, a failure?
Individually, each of them was a well-known figure at school, yet they were constantly berated by Mr. Huang as if they were nothing. Annoyingly, he wasn’t wrong—they just didn’t do well in their studies.
These students were destined to go abroad for college after graduation, earning the degrees and certificates they needed.
In this day and age, if you can buy an Ivy League degree, what can’t you buy?
But Mr. Huang deliberately trampled on their dignity.
Once wasn’t enough; he’d do it repeatedly. Being called losers and failures every day got old and infuriating.
Zhou Xiu pulled out a test paper and slowly sharpened a pencil with a knife, saying lightly, “The way he insults is really unpleasant. I’m surprised you’ve tolerated him for so long.”
“Even if it’s just for pride’s sake, I’m going to get the highest math score in the grade. You guys… just watch and cheer me on?”
Zhou Xiu didn’t push them too hard.
How could they stand it? If a new girl had the courage to challenge Mr. Huang, how could they back down?
“Damn it, let’s show him what we’re made of!”
“Fight back!”
“Make him admit he’s wrong!”
They suddenly realized that Zhou Xiu was standing up for them. She could’ve just stayed a good student, ignored Mr. Huang’s insults, and pretended not to hear.
She was standing up for them today!
They couldn’t let a new girl shield them. The slackers’ chests filled with determination.
“I’m getting my dad to hire a new tutor.”
“I’m not skipping class anymore!”
Hua Xu, also feeling the heat of the moment, pulled on Zhou Xiu’s ponytail. “I want to slap his face too, and prove him wrong! Xiuxiu, help me out!”
Zhou Xiu nodded and flipped open the book beside her.
[Are you sure you can get the highest math score in the grade, kid?]
The system was a bit stunned.
The poor student it was supporting had gone crazy.
It was already the end of November, with less than two months until the final exams. Competing with a group of top students from well-resourced backgrounds in such a short time was no small feat for a student from an area with limited educational resources.
Zhou Xiu didn’t speak; she was deeply immersed in a series of formulas.
[I’m not crazy.]
The system suddenly became excited. [Ding—Move forward bravely, undeterred by difficulties, and strive to reach the peak. A reward of 1000 RMB for achieving the top math score in the final exam!]
Zhou Xiu wasn’t insane.
She had seen everything about “Zhou Xiu” in a dream. To pursue Xi Shaoyuan, she had forced herself to study hard and eventually ranked in the top ten of her grade.
If she could do all that for a man, Zhou Xiu felt she could definitely achieve the top math score.
Can a man compare to the allure of money?
In Zhou Xiu’s eyes, money was the most attractive thing!
……
That day, the slackers in Class 24 were unusually motivated, with half as many students sleeping in class.
During the math class, Zhou Xiu finished two test papers. When she looked up, the class atmosphere was rare and harmonious.
Zhou Xiu noticed the boy at the desk behind her struggling to keep his eyes open, his head nodding. He muttered to himself, “No, you can’t sleep, Du Feiyang, you need to be in the bottom ten, not worse.”
Hua Xu burst into laughter.
Zhou Xiu asked Hua Xu, “What’s your goal?”
Hua Xu thought about her situation. “To be in the top fifteen from the bottom of the grade.”
Zhou Xiu was momentarily speechless.
It’s like the pot calling the kettle black; why hurt each other?
She took out her neatly organized notebook and handed it to Hua Xu. “Look at this when you have time.”
Hua Xu resignedly accepted the notebook, flipping through it before starting to copy notes.
Remembering her communication task, Zhou Xiu began tutoring Hua Xu on basic concepts.
Ten minutes later, Hua Xu rubbed her nearly exploding head, on the verge of tears. “I can’t take it anymore, Xiuxiu, don’t be so serious. Take a break.”
“How about a drink of water?”
[Ding—5 RMB reward for reaching 5 daily interactions.]
Zhou Xiu smiled as she took the water her desk mate handed her and drank it in one gulp.
After class.
Yu Qingyan, who sat in front of Zhou Xiu, turned around excitedly and started gossiping with them:
“Xu-jie, guess what? I heard that Lu Lingshan from the Rocket Class is chasing Xi Shaoyuan! She even brought him breakfast.”
Hearing Xi Shaoyuan’s name, Zhou Xiu’s pen paused for a moment before she continued writing.
Yu Qingyan pouted and said:
“The boys in our class should give up now. They’ve idolized her for so long, and now she’s turned around and is fawning over Yuan Shao and becoming a bootlicker.”
**Nomad: Yuan Shao is a nickname for Xi Shaoyuan. Either meaning Master Yuan or “Yuan Shao” (袁绍) who was a powerful warlord from the late Eastern Han Dynasty, known for his aristocratic background and significant influence. In a modern or fictional context, using “Yuan Shao” could imply nobility and power.**
The word “bootlicker” almost made Hua Xu choke on her water.
Yu Qingyan paused, then continued with a smile:
“At first, the class monitor from the Winners Class announced that she was going to confess to Yuan Shao at his birthday party. Then today, Lu Lingshan brought breakfast for Yuan Shao. These little fairies can be really fierce when it comes to competing for a guy.”
“Lu Lingshan usually acts like a model student who doesn’t date. Who knew she’d fall for Yuan Shao’s athletic charm? Now our Yuan Shao has earned the nickname ‘Fairy Slayer.’”
Both Lu Lingshan from the Rocket Class and the class monitor from the Winners Class were considered top goddesses of the grade.
Especially Lu Lingshan, who had been crowned the school flower of Yude Middle School for three consecutive years since ninth grade.
As Yu Qingyan finished speaking, the surrounding girls burst into laughter.
“Yuan Shao would never date her! Yuan Shao belongs to all of us!” the girls from Class 24 joked.
“As long as Yuan Shao doesn’t date anyone, I’ll always love Yuan Shao!”
The discussion grew lively, but Zhou Xiu remained focused on her test paper. She finished a math paper and pulled out the reference answers to check her work.
By the time Zhou Xiu finished correcting her paper, the conversation had reached a fever pitch.
Zhou Xiu rested her head on the desk, listening to the excited chatter of Xi Shaoyuan’s fangirls around her.
She thought silently: Isn’t Lu Lingshan Xi Shaoyuan’s future girlfriend?
He had personally chosen a bracelet worth over 300,000 yuan for Lu Lingshan. That bracelet was the final straw that broke “Zhou Xiu’s” spirit.
……
After school, Zhou Xiu borrowed five books from the library.
With the books in hand, she went to the school track to run laps while reciting math theorems and formulas.
[Keep going, you look particularly good when you’re working hard!]
Zhou Xiu returned to the Xi family home after seven o’clock. Upon entering, she found the villa completely dark. She turned on a light, realizing the place was eerily quiet and empty.
Zhou Xiu put down her schoolbag and searched around, only to find that the butler and the maids were not home.
She went upstairs and knocked on a door. Xi Shaoyuan opened it with a cold expression.
“The butler is on leave for a week. We’ll have to handle our own meals during this time.”
Zhou Xiu then learned that the butler and his wife had gone back home for a funeral, which had come so suddenly they hadn’t had time to inform her.
“Is there anything else?” Xi Shaoyuan asked impatiently.
Zhou Xiu shook her head.
She wasn’t worried about meals. Zhou Xiu picked out the fresh ingredients from the fridge that had been delivered today and started cooking.
[Good cooking skills can improve the quality of life. Please learn to make “West Lake Vinegar Fish” for a reward of 5 RMB.]
[Learn to make “Honey Glazed Chicken Wings” for a reward of 5 RMB.]
[Learn to make “Garlic Spare Ribs” for a reward of 5 RMB.]
[Learn to make “Snow Mei Niang” dessert for a reward of 5 RMB.]
The constant dinging of the system made Zhou Xiu feel quite cheerful. She tied on an apron and began washing the vegetables and cutting the meat.
An hour later, the kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of freshly cooked dishes. Zhou Xiu carried the food from the counter to the dining table.
Casually, she pulled out the vocabulary she needed to memorize and began studying while eating.
Upstairs.
Xi Shaoyuan took a bite of the takeout and, with a grimace, swiftly tossed the delicate meal into the trash.
Zhou Xiu noticed the young master coming downstairs, aimlessly playing games on his phone in the living room. His headphones were barely hanging on his ears, and he was so distracted that he didn’t notice when one fell off.
In the light, his slightly lost profile was so handsome it could make one feel an urge to kiss him.
The light fell on his face, highlighting his thick eyelashes and the small, sexy tear mole at the corner of his eye.
Zhou Xiu, who used and ate everything from the Xi family, noticed that Xi Shaoyuan hadn’t gone back upstairs after a while and seemed to understand something.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Xiu asked, “Shaoyuan, have you eaten yet?”
Xi Shaoyuan finally exited his game, turned off his phone, and went to serve himself a bowl of rice.
Noticing that tonight’s dinner included his favourite ribs, Xi Shaoyuan suddenly found himself losing his appetite.
The girl at the table seemed unsurprised by his arrival, her cheeks slightly flushed as she pretended not to care. She even took out a vocabulary book to study.
All the girls at school speculated whether Xi Shaoyuan preferred girls with good grades.
Xi Shaoyuan felt inexplicably complicated.
After eating, he crossed his arms and, in a casual manner, reminded her, “You are not allowed to say a word about this at school.”
Zhou Xiu looked up in confusion. The brilliant chandelier in the dining room made her squint, and her eyes, tired from staring at her vocabulary book for too long, showed red veins.
Xi Shaoyuan looked at her slightly red, expectant eyes.
In a cold tone reminiscent of a harsh winter wind, he said, “Don’t tell anyone you’re staying at the Xi family. Don’t greet me at school, and it’s best to stay far away from me.”
Women were the most troublesome creatures in the world, not only capable of crying, causing drama, competing for attention, and scheming but also of causing real harm…
Zhou Xiu remained silent, closing her vocabulary book.
Was the young master of the Xi family suffering from severe paranoia?
Zhou Xiu felt insulted and gradually clenched her fists.
Xi Shaoyuan said, “I don’t like girls like you.”
Only after a few days of interaction, did this rich young master assume she would fall in love with him?
Wasn’t he a bit too confident?
Zhou Xiu stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. But when her gaze met his brilliant, star-like serious eyes, she felt as if she had caught a fleeting thought, and her tired eyes gradually narrowed.
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