Suddenly, the class was completely silent. Everyone was rendered speechless by An Wen's reasoning.
The corners of Tang Rui's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Are you saying that you didn't cheat?" Zeng Xiuman asked.
"What's the point of cheating on exams of this level? The headteacher said that somebody reported me for cheating. After that, the school checked the surveillance cameras and assumed that I knew the questions beforehand because I finished the examination so quickly. The teachers are going to find a harder set of exam papers so that I can retake the examinations tomorrow."
An Wen thought, 'If the new tests were slightly harder, that would mean that they were Senior Three science tests.'
"Of course you'd insist that you never cheated. You're the only person who truly knows whether you've cheated or not. You were absent for half a month, but you managed to get the highest test scores when you came back. Do you think that you're a genius?" Zou Yingying scoffed coldly.
An Wen thought, 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but that's the truth!'
"It's your choice whether you want to believe her or not, but An Wen truly did not cheat. It looks like you're jealous of her!" Zeng Xiuman said loudly.
"I don't have to feel guilty about my results because I did the questions by myself. Why would I be jealous of someone who cheated?"
While the two girls argued, the other classmates began to have a discussion as well. The advanced class was usually quiet, but there was a loud commotion now.
"What's all this fuss about?" The class teacher was wearing a suit of black clothes when she tapped her fingers against the door. Her expression did not seem unusual, but it appeared that the teacher's anger had almost boiled over. There was also a stern look in her eyes. The students in her class instantly seemed like rats who had just seen a cat. They shut their mouths and lowered their heads while pretending to read their books.
The teacher walked into the classroom and placed the exam papers in her hands on the podium. She asked sternly, "Do you think that you did well during the examinations? Do you think that you can get into Qing University? Are all of you smart enough to be top scholars?"
The students lowered their heads and looked at their exam papers or books. They were too afraid to speak.
"Take out your exam papers! We'll discuss the essays first," the teacher said.
A rustling noise could be heard behind the podium as the exam papers were brought out.
The teacher spent two periods discussing the language subjects' exam papers. She even used an additional period so that she could finish the discussion. Due to that, the students in the advanced class were forced to take a late recess.
In the end, the class teacher called An Wen to her office to discuss the cheating incident during recess. After that, An Wen went to the cafeteria alone because there was no one else in the classroom when she returned.
As she went downstairs, she encountered Shi Jing and several other girls as she turned a corner. A few male students were chatting while they leaned against the wall below the staircase. Shi Jing was painting her nails when the female student beside her nudged Shi Jing with an elbow.
Shi Jing lifted her head and looked at An Wen. She smiled faintly before saying, "You're finally here. I've waited a long time for you."
"Shi Jing, you're such a kind person. You waited to go to the cafeteria with me despite knowing that I was going to be slightly late," An Wen said. Her voice sounded meek and gentle.
One of the boys below the staircase sneered. His body looked slender as he leaned against the wall. When the boy lifted his head and she could see his face clearly, An Wen noticed that he was extremely handsome.
The boy was Jiang Yiwen. He was known as "boss" among the more immature students who were into scene culture in Di City No. 1 High School.
In An Wen's opinion, these male students were nothing but little brats who knew nothing about the real world.
"Yes, I was waiting for you. You made me wait for such a long time. I know a place with really delicious food. Let's go there together!" Shi Jing smiled and said.
"Alright." An Wen nodded as she followed Shi Jing down the stairs.
An Wen thought, 'Little brat, our school is closed off. Where else can we go to get delicious food other than the cafeteria? You should learn how to tell better lies.'
"Boss, should we follow them?" Zhou Zhiyuan asked. The boys came over to take a look when they heard that Shi Jing wanted to teach the prettiest girl in the school a lesson. Zhou Zhiyuan's "boss" had previously pursued the prettiest girl in school and he assumed that Jiang Yiwen would want to save An Wen when he saw her getting tricked. He never imagined that his "boss" would simply stand back when she left with Shi Jing.
There was a mischievous smile on Jiang Yiwen's face when he stood up and said, "Let's go. We're going to rescue a damsel in distress!"
...