Yi Tianyu?
Xuejiao froze for a few seconds. Yesterday, she had met this boy and his father at the bookstore. They had bought a lot of books, although hers had unfortunately been lost in the fire.
Yi Tianyu looked just as surprised. "What kind of fate is this? Are you in the experimental class?"
Xuejiao simply nodded and walked around him.
Yi Tianyu was momentarily stunned, then curled his lips in annoyance. This girl really has an attitude. No wonder she bought so many books yesterday—it turns out she's a top student.
He bounced the basketball in his hand a few times, feeling a little restless under the scorching sun. Eventually, he shot a few hoops before heading back to the classroom.
Earlier that day, the arts and sciences divisions had been finalized, and the experimental class was formed by selecting the top students from each class. It was essentially a brand-new group, with many students unfamiliar with one another.
When Xuejiao entered the classroom, her delicate and beautiful appearance caught people's attention. However, no one connected her with the infamous Gu Xuejiao.
"Gu Xuejiao!" Cheng Mingjiao called out loudly, startling several students.
Though Xuejiao often skipped classes or took leaves of absence, making her somewhat unknown to her classmates, her reputation still preceded her.
Is this delicate-looking girl really the same troublemaker everyone talks about? The class was shocked.
Xuejiao, however, didn't care. She simply nodded and sat down in a random seat.
She stayed quiet, and though the whispers around her continued, no one spoke to her directly.
Cheng Mingjiao, having made her point, ignored Xuejiao and instead gossiped with a few girls she had just befriended.
Meanwhile, Xuejiao put on her headphones and sat quietly, listening intently to an audio training file.
Time passed until a teacher entered the room, her high heels clicking loudly against the floor.
"Quiet!" she commanded.
This was Yin Fang, a veteran teacher in charge of the experimental class. Known for her cold demeanor, she had spent years teaching elite students and was particularly unsympathetic toward those who had gained entry through connections. She was infamous for removing underperforming students at the end of each semester.
Standing at the podium, she scanned the classroom with a sharp gaze. Her expression was icy.
"I'm Yin Fang. I'll be your class teacher and also your English teacher. This is the experimental class, and you are the elite students of this grade," she began. "However, let me be clear—if you don't work hard, you'll be removed by next semester."
Her words left the students nervous, and she seemed satisfied with their reaction. After writing her name on the blackboard, she clapped her hands.
"All right, let's assign seats."
She pulled out a list. "This is the ranking based on your grades. Your seats will be assigned accordingly."
"First place, Shang Zhiyuan."
Shang Zhiyuan, a tall boy, was instructed to choose a seat in the middle rows to avoid blocking others' views. He selected a spot in the middle of the fifth row.
"Second place, Liu Jiaxue."
Liu Jiaxue, a medium-height girl, was allowed to pick a seat in the first four rows.
When it was Cheng Mingjiao's turn as the tenth-ranked student, she glanced smugly at Xuejiao, who was still standing at the back of the room.
Nearby, Yi Tianyu casually bumped into Xuejiao as he walked by.
The unexpected shove nearly sent Xuejiao crashing into the person next to her. She barely managed to steady herself.
"Sorry!" she apologized to the other student before glaring at Yi Tianyu. "What are you doing?"
Yi Tianyu scratched his nose awkwardly. "I barely touched you…"
Xuejiao ignored him and turned away.
Unbothered, Yi Tianyu asked again, "Hey, what's your rank?"
Still, Xuejiao didn't respond.
"What's with the attitude?" Yi Tianyu muttered under his breath.
The seat assignments continued until only four students remained—all of whom had gained entry through connections.
In No. 7 Middle School, it was rare for students to rely on connections to enter the experimental class due to the risk of being removed mid-semester. However, some parents were determined to push their children into prestigious groups, hoping for success.
The only seats left were near the trash can or the door. This time, Yin Fang assigned the seats without allowing them to choose.
"Gu Xuejiao, Yi Tianyu, take those seats by the door. Qi Lei and Xi Junyang, sit by the trash can," she instructed.
Since Xuejiao was a girl, Yin Fang spared her the less desirable seat near the trash can.
Xuejiao's face paled slightly. She wasn't tall, and the student sitting in front of her nearly blocked her entire view of the board.
In her previous life, she had always been a teacher's favorite. Now, she felt like a student the teacher didn't want to see.
Feeling disheartened, she lowered her head, not noticing that her shoulder had brushed against her desk mate.
"Well, the seats are temporary and may be adjusted later. Next, we'll assign class cadres," Yin Fang announced.
Xuejiao barely paid attention to the process, her mood dampened by the seat assignment. Yin Fang worked efficiently, quickly selecting class representatives.
The monitor was Xi Junyang, the vice monitor was Liu Jiaxue, the arts committee member was Cheng Mingjiao, and the sports committee member was Yi Tianyu.
By the time everything was finalized, it was lunchtime.
"Make sure you rest during the break. At 2 p.m., the monitor and the sports committee will lead some boys to distribute books," Yin Fang instructed before leaving.
As soon as she was gone, the classroom erupted into chatter.
Yi Tianyu leaned over and laughed loudly at Xuejiao.
"Ha ha ha! You're just a regular student? I thought you were some self-taught genius who mastered senior two courses on your own! Ha ha ha! You're killing me!"
Xuejiao frowned at him, then stood up abruptly.
"Hey! Are you mad?" Yi Tianyu called after her.
"No!" Xuejiao snapped, quickening her pace toward the cafeteria.
Yi Tianyu, with his long strides, easily kept up. "If you're not mad, then why are you running?"
Stopping abruptly, Xuejiao turned and said, "Because I'm going to eat!"
With that, she stormed off.
Later, Yi Tianyu and a few boys helped move books into the classroom, while Yin Fang supervised the distribution.
Xuejiao's eyes lit up as she received her books. Senior two was a crucial year, with six core subjects. Each subject came with textbooks and two accompanying workbooks. The experimental class was unique in receiving extra materials.
Xuejiao neatly organized her books on her desk before pulling out a set of uniform book covers and carefully wrapping each one.
Yi Tianyu watched in disbelief. "Ha ha ha! Are you serious? Who still wraps their books? What are you, a primary school kid?"
Before Xuejiao could respond, Yin Fang's sharp voice rang out.
"Quiet!"
Her cold gaze fell on both of them. "Yi Tianyu, Gu Xuejiao! Stand up."
Embarrassed, Xuejiao stood up, holding a book in her hands.
"Why were you laughing? Care to share with the class?" Yin Fang demanded.
Xuejiao froze, unsure how to respond.
"If you're not here to study, then don't disrupt others. This is your first warning, but I hope it's your last. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," the class chorused.
Sitting back down, Xuejiao felt the sting of humiliation. Though she lowered her head to continue wrapping her books, a few silent tears escaped, landing on her desk.
Yi Tianyu noticed her tears and shrank into his seat, unsure of how to comfort her.
After finishing her task, Xuejiao's emotions settled. This small breakdown wasn't just about the humiliation—it was an outlet for all the uncertainty she felt in this new world.
By the end of the day, Xuejiao had made up her mind: no matter the challenges, she would strive to succeed.
Just as Xuejiao left the school, a sharp and somewhat familiar female voice called out behind her.
"Gu Xuejiao!"
Xuejiao took a deep breath. She instantly recognized the voice and knew that Gu Xuejiao's past had caught up with her once again.
Even though she had prepared herself, she couldn't help but freeze in place.
Four girls approached her. Their appearances matched the reflection Xuejiao had seen when she first arrived in this world. They wore heavy makeup, short shorts, and tops so small they revealed their midriffs.
Xuejiao couldn't help but cringe. The sight of them was like facing a mirror reflecting all the poor choices Gu Xuejiao had made in the past.
"Gu Xuejiao! Why didn't you come find us? Didn't you promise you'd hang out with us before school started?" Li Wan, the leader of the group, demanded, her sharp eyes fixed coldly on Xuejiao.
"No time," Xuejiao replied calmly, adjusting the strap of her schoolbag.
Having "read" this story, Xuejiao knew these girls weren't true friends. They were from a vocational high school in a nearby area, and they were the ones who had later lured Gu Xuejiao into a trap. They filmed her in a compromising position and used the video to blackmail her. Eventually, the video ended up in Cheng Mingjiao's hands, which ruined her reputation.
These girls were no friends—they were nothing but trouble.
"Hey! Gu Xuejiao! Are you planning to betray us?" another girl shouted, drawing the attention of others near the school gate.
Li Wan stepped closer, sneering. "We're your best friends. Even if you don't want to hang out with us, you could at least give us a reason. Are you seriously this ungrateful?"
Her tone was laced with jealousy as she glared at Xuejiao.
Xuejiao was shorter than Li Wan, but she didn't back down. Straightening her posture, she looked up at the other girl with confidence.
"No, I'm not betraying anyone. I'm just leaving the darkness behind," Xuejiao said firmly.
Li Wan froze for a moment, caught off guard. Then her expression twisted in anger. "Gu Xuejiao! Are you turning against us?"
Xuejiao didn't bother replying. She brushed past them and walked away.
"You…" Li Wan reached out to grab Xuejiao's hair, but her hand stopped mid-air.
Startled, Li Wan turned to see who had intervened. Her face instantly paled, and she stammered, "Ch-Cheng Mingze…"