Qian Anzhi felt that he understood everything. When he tried to solve the equations again, he felt that he was able to do it smoothly. The solving process would appear in his mind whenever he would look at an equation.
Shuishui guided him. "You have to study hard. Rest early today."
"Okay. I'll take a shower and go to bed." Qian Anzhi put away the test paper and left the study. He changed his clothes and went to the bathroom.
Shuishui was still busy.
Qian Anzhi slept well that night and went to school the next day. During their math class, Qian Anzhi was indeed called to the podium to answer the first five multiple-choice questions with the class monitor.
Qian Anzhi was full of confidence. He brought his test paper up the podium.
The class monitor was on the other side of the blackboard.
Qian Anzhi wrote down the solutions. His equations were different from what the class monitor wrote down, but they had two common questions.
The teacher looked at him. First, he looked at the class monitor, who made three mistakes. It appeared that Qian Anzhi solved all of the equations correctly. "Hmm? Qian Anzhi, not bad. You got all of them right. In that case, explain your solutions."
The teacher felt that Qian Anzhi had copied someone else's answers. Otherwise, how could he have gotten everything right? He could just be lucky.
Qian Anzhi knew that their teacher would let him explain his answers. He began to explain his solutions one by one. In fact, it was his sister who had explained them to him. He simply repeated what she said to the class. Although it wasn't as good as what his sister said, it was still very convincing.
The teacher nodded when he heard Anzhi's explanation. It was not bad. His solutions were clear and easy to understand.
Qian Anzhi proudly explained all his five solutions. He didn't give the class monitor a chance to speak at all. The class monitor's face turned dark. She stood by the corner and couldn't do anything.
The math teacher looked at Qian Anzhi. "You solved them well. Did anyone teach you?"
"My sister taught me how to answer them, but I answered them myself." Qian Anzhi didn't admit that Shuishui had taught him how to do everything, from the beginning to the end. In fact he didn't really solve any of it by himself. He was helpless and just didn't know how to answer them. After his sister explained them to him, that was when he suddenly understood everything.
"En, continue to work hard. I look forward to your improvement. Return to your seats. The next five multiple-choice questions will be . . ."
Qian Anzhi returned to his seat casually and winked at his friends. He felt confident, and he didn't feel nervous at all. It was an amazing feeling.
The class monitor was not in a very good mood when she returned to her seat, so she wasn't very active in the next two math classes. After their classes ended, a few people gathered around Qian Anzhi's seat. "How did you suddenly become a straight-A student?" one of the students asked.
"There are a lot of notes on your test paper," a boy said as he picked up Qian Anzhi's paper and looked at it.
Qian Anzhi started to act arrogant. He was over the moon because their teacher had praised him. Anzhi laughed and said, "It can't be helped. My sister is a straight-A student. As her younger brother, how could I be bad? Don't you think so?"
The math teacher was very serious. He rarely praised poor-performing students like Anzhi. He glanced at the class monitor. She was severely humiliated by Anzhi.
In fact, he didn't like to scold ugly girls, but the class monitor was not only ugly, but she also had a bad mouth. She liked to gossip about others and would often complain to the teacher about being ostracized. She was a junior high school student, but she behaved very poorly. It was no surprise why her classmates ostracized her.
"Look at our class monitor. She just sat in her seat and didn't say anything," someone said and pointed at the class monitor.
Qian Anzhi nodded and smiled. "Yes. She made three mistakes. I was the one who did well. She could only watch. She must be unhappy."
He deliberately raised his voice to make her unhappy.
He hated such people no matter what. She was the kind of person who acted obnoxiously and gloated about her good study habits.
The class monitor heard what Anzhi said, but she couldn't do anything. She couldn't stop Qian Anzhi from saying things. She found him too disgusting. 'What is he saying? Is he a man?'
Qian Anzhi wasn't a gentleman because he was influenced by his two sisters at home.
After class, the class monitor complained. Qian Anzhi could insult others as much as he wanted to. He really wanted to show off.
Shuishui still had to practice with Luo Ming and Ma Yue that afternoon. However, Ma Yue didn't show up. She said that she wasn't feeling well. Luo Ming was a little worried, but when Shuishui arrived, he said, "I was worried that you wouldn't come."
Shuishui was a little curious. "Why did you think that I won't come?"
Luo Ming guessed. "Because of Ma Yue."
"Not a chance. Although I can feel that she dislikes me, I don't have any particular feelings for how she has behaved. After all, we're going to participate in the competition together. We're on the same team. I just think that she should let go of her prejudice against me. If we work together, we can achieve the best results." Shuishui didn't understand either. Why did Ma Yue dislike her? If it was simply because Shuisui was better, that fact cannot be concealed.
"She might be a little concerned. After all, she has studied oral English for so many years, and you are only in your first year of high school. Perhaps she compares herself to you." Luo Ming thought so. After all, girls liked to compare.
Shuishui nodded. "I just feel that it is a little troublesome, but I hope that she can recover quickly. There are so many people in the world. It is very tiring to compare yourself to other people."
"En, Qian Shuishui, do you think there is something wrong with my oral English?" Luo Ming asked Qian Shuishui. He realized that Shuishui was better then him.
"Yours is okay. Occasionally, there are minor problems with your accent, but that's a small issue. Foreigners will still understand what you say," Shuishui said with a smile.
Luo Ming was the kind of debater who spoke calmly, but he had a strong tone. It was a good trait. Even if he would make a few grammatical mistakes, it would not affect the general impact of his arguments. "Your spoken English is pretty good," Shuishui said to him.
Luo Ming smiled and said,"I went to the American summer camp every year in middle school." At that time, he was also the most diligent in making up lessons in English.
"No wonder. Although there is regional spoken English, your manner of speaking sounds very comfortable." Shuishui liked how Luo Ming spoke in English. She knew that she herself was different from them, because she had lived longer than them and had more opportunity to learn.
Luo Ming smiled and nodded. "Thank you. You are the first person to praise how I speak English."
"I am speaking the truth. I't's not flattery." Shuishui took out her notes. "Judging the first debate, you are more suitable to be the deputy debater. You should do the opening speech. It would be better. Although Ma Yue is not bad, she speaks too hastily. She easily runs out of words. She sometimes talks about unrelated things. In effect, she ends up having nothing more to say. This is why she stutters in the end."
Shuishui further analyzed it. "She was probably nervous, but during the competition, no one cares about your personal condition. The stronger ones simply end up winning."
"Qian Shuishui, what do you mean now? Are you saying that I am not strong enough?" Ma Yue suddenly appeared and walked angrily towards them.
Shuishui shrugged. "I didn't say that you're not strong enough."
Luo Ming also explained. "We were talking about the debate competition. Qian Shuishui didn't say that you're weak, she just said that you get too nervous."
Ma Yue was stubborn. "I wasn't nervous. It's just that at that time, you were the ones talking, so I decided not to say anything."
Luo Ming stood up. "This depends on the team and not on the individual. If you have any opinions about Shuishui, let's talk about it openly today. There are only the three of us here. This is a rare opportunity."
He hoped that the two could reconcile and not be hostile towards each other. If they determined the problem and solved it, they would be able to work harmoniously. It would be beneficial to everyone.
One more friend was better than one more enemy.
Ma Yue didn't really want to say it. "Forget it," she said in an annoyed tone.
"Speak. We will rarely have this opportunity. If you don't say it now, who knows what could happen? No one is a worm in your stomach. It's impossible for them to know what you're thinking. Now, we have to focus on the team. If you're more honest about your feelings, we will indeed be able to improve as a team." Luo Ming was straightforward. He and Ma Yue were already in their third year of high school. If they could get good results in the debate competition and qualify for the next levels, they would get bonus points along with their college entrance exam. Ma Yue didn't care about it, but he wanted to get it. Who wouldn't want to get into a better university? Even one point could make a difference.
Ma Yue saw that Luo Ming somehow agreed with Shuishui, so she could only sit down. "Actually, I don't have much of an opinion about Qian Shuishui. It's just that . . . Qian Shuishui, do you look down on me?"
Shuishui was stunned. "Look down on you? Why would you think that?"
"Back then, when we were deciding on who would be the lead debater, you said a few things. Did you mean that we weren't capable enough? You simply wanted to be the lead debater, right?" Ma Yue's tone shifted as she reminisced. She sounded angry.
Shuishui recalled and said, "I think I said something, but you misinterpreted what I meant. Of course, I was conscious of what I had said. I simply meant that those who are capable to be the lead debater should be appointed the role. If it was determined that you are more capable than me for that role, then you could also be the lead debater. It's that simple."
Luo Ming also agreed. "Indeed, based on ability, Qian Shuishui is indeed suitable to be the lead debater."
"I've never said that you guys weren't capable enough. Since I was appointed to be the lead debater, my responsibility is greater. If you guys aren't capable enough, you guys won't be chosen. There are so many students in school, and that only means you guys are also outstanding in debating. As for me, I'm just more confident in myself." Shuishui felt that there was something wrong with the way Ma Yue thought about things. She thought too much. Shuishui was only stating the facts. How did Ma Yue interpret it as her looking down on them?
Luo Ming had a headache. Qian Shuishui was a little straightforward, but he knew that she was only stating facts. She didn't intent to belittle others.
"There are only the three of us now. I'm going to be frank. Qian Shuishui may be more straightforward. You may feel uncomfortable listening to her, but you don't have to think too much. Just try to understand. Don't misinterpret what other people say." Luo Ming was neutral. However, his words reflected that he was biased towards Qian Shuishui. He felt that there was no reason for Ma Yue to hate Qian Shuishui. Qian Shuishui was a strong competitor and was influential as a student, but what could you change by saying so much about her?
Ma Yue lowered her head and bit her lower lip. "I . . . I can just feel that it's what she meant."
"I don't have any opinion of you. After all, we're not familiar with each other, and I don't judge people on the surface." Shuishui actually just wanted to show that she didn't dislike Ma Yue at all.
Suddenly, Ma Yue slammed her hand on the table. "Are you saying that I'm very shallow?"