Cheng Mingjiao's face turned completely red as she ran out in anger and embarrassment.
Yi Tianyu slightly lowered his head, leaning closer with a mischievous grin. His half-narrowed eyes and handsome face carried a teasing expression. "How was it? Wasn't I great?"
Xuejiao raised her head and stared at him carefully.
Their eyes met in midair for just a few seconds before Yi Tianyu awkwardly looked away. His ears turned slightly red, and he stammered, "W-What are you looking at?"
Xuejiao touched her chin and narrowed her eyes. "I'm just wondering... when did my mother give birth to my younger brother?"
Yi Tianyu: "..."
He froze for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Born today, huh? Hurry up and call me 'Brother!'"
"Dream on." Xuejiao rolled her eyes.
Yi Tianyu leaned closer again. "Hey, don't you think Cheng Mingjiao is targeting you?"
"I know," Xuejiao replied calmly.
"Doesn't she annoy you?"
"She's very annoying."
"Then why don't you laugh back at her? Are you that timid?" Yi Tianyu asked, puzzled.
Xuejiao sighed softly. Cheng Mingjiao used her academic achievements to provoke her, but retaliating now would only escalate things unnecessarily. "I'll go thank her after I surpass her in the exams."
She finished packing her things and headed to the cafeteria.
Yi Tianyu's eyes widened. "Wow, that's brutal!"
If Cheng Mingjiao gloated when her grades were better than Xuejiao's, her arrogance would become laughable if Xuejiao surpassed her. And if Xuejiao thanked her for motivating her afterward, Cheng Mingjiao might actually cough up blood in anger.
"Yep, women are definitely the scariest," Yi Tianyu muttered. Then, with a frown, he added, "Wait a minute... why do I even think Gu Xuejiao can win against Cheng Mingjiao? She's in the top 20 in the grade!"
He slapped his forehead. "Yi Tianyu, has your brain short-circuited?"
The monthly exam closely mimicked the college entrance exam format. On Thursday morning, they had Chinese, followed by math in the afternoon. On Friday, they took English and the science comprehensive exam.
The scoring was also consistent with the college entrance exam: Chinese, math, and English were each worth 150 points, while the science comprehensive was worth 300 points, for a total of 750 points.
In her past life, Xuejiao hadn't received her exact college entrance exam results, but her estimated score was around 640. It was enough to get into a good provincial university, but still far from the top 10 schools.
This time, she aimed to break 700.
She knew it wouldn't be easy, but with two years ahead of her, she had a head start. She'd gained two extra years compared to others.
Thinking of this, her resolve strengthened.
The Chinese test wasn't particularly difficult. Xuejiao quickly completed the multiple-choice section but paused before filling in the answers on her sheet.
She erased three correct answers and deliberately filled in three wrong ones.
Xuejiao knew her own abilities, but she had to maintain the façade of Gu Xuejiao's previous poor performance. While her recent hard work could justify some improvement, it wouldn't make sense for her to suddenly ace everything.
This time, she decided to aim for just-passing grades. For someone like Gu Xuejiao, who hadn't studied seriously in years, even passing would be a significant improvement.
Starting slow would make her progress seem more realistic. Next time, though, she wouldn't hold back.
She sighed as she stared at the paper. It was surprisingly challenging to ensure her answers only reached a passing score. She needed to deliberately choose incorrect answers for questions she could solve easily.
"How was the exam?" Xi Junyang asked cheerfully. He often hung around Xuejiao, Yi Tianyu, and Qi Lei, viewing them as his peers. Plus, he always found an excuse to chat with Xuejiao because of her good looks.
"It's none of your business!" Yi Tianyu shot him a glare.
Xi Junyang rolled his eyes. "I wasn't asking you. I was asking Zizania!"
"Why ask her? Go away!" Yi Tianyu's voice rose defensively.
Ignoring him, Xi Junyang smiled at Xuejiao. "You've been so serious lately; I bet you made great progress this time."
Xuejiao shrugged. "I'll probably just pass."
Yi Tianyu frowned as he watched the two of them chatting. He felt a wave of irritation. Why was Xi Junyang smiling at everyone like some kind of walking central heating system? And why was Gu Xuejiao smiling back at him?
"You're so confident about 'just passing?' What a joke," Yi Tianyu sneered.
"Xuejiao"
She blinked at him. Was passing supposed to be a sign of confidence? How bad did they think she was?
"See? I knew if Zizania worked hard, she'd improve!" Xi Junyang laughed. Though he was tall, his baby face made him look younger than his age.
Xuejiao, who was nearly 19 in her previous life, found herself feeling like she was looking at a younger brother. She smiled gently. "Hard work pays off. You should keep working hard too."
"Keep working? On what?!" Yi Tianyu stood abruptly, grabbed Xi Junyang, and dragged him out. "Playtime now!"
"Hey, slow down!" Xi Junyang yelped as he was pulled away.
Xuejiao shook her head and left the classroom with her schoolbag in hand.
When she reached the school gate, a car pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, and a familiar voice called out, "Zizania?"
She turned and was surprised to see Lin Zhihua. "Oh, Mr. Lin!"
He nodded, his black eyes fixed on her. "Do you need a ride?"
Xuejiao quickly waved her hands. "No, no, my ride is already here. By the way, what brings you here, Mr. Lin?"
"My younger brother studies here. I just came to pick him up," Lin Zhihua said, nodding toward the front passenger seat.
Xuejiao glanced over and saw a boy in a school uniform sitting there. She smiled politely at the boy and then turned back to Lin Zhihua. "Well, I'll head off now. Goodbye, Mr. Lin!"
"Goodbye," he replied calmly.
Xuejiao waved and walked toward Uncle Xing's car.
Lin Zhihua rolled up the window, started the car, and said to the boy in the front seat, "I'll help Mrs. Chen pick you up on Fridays from now on."
The boy's face crumpled in despair, but he nodded reluctantly. "Okay…"
That night, Xuejiao lay in bed when her phone buzzed.
It was a message from Lin Zhihua: "How was your monthly exam?"
Xuejiao replied, "Just passed. Why?"
His response came quickly: "My brother said it was difficult."
She added, "There were a couple of questions in math that weren't in the syllabus yet."
Lin Zhihua replied, "Got it."
"Good night," Xuejiao typed and sent, adding a moon emoji.
His reply came almost instantly: "Good night," followed by an adorable animated sticker.
Xuejiao chuckled at the thought of Lin Zhihua's serious face sending such a childish sticker. Smiling, she put down her phone, turned off the lights, and fell asleep.
The following days after the monthly exam were relatively relaxed. Many students took a break after the test, and even the teachers assigned less homework than usual. The upcoming National Day holiday added to the lighter atmosphere.
Xuejiao remained consistent in her routine. She spent her time catching up on her studies, preparing for the upcoming semester, and reviewing topics she found challenging. Her focus never wavered.
One evening, Cheng Mingze returned home after spending a few days out with his friends. As he passed by Xuejiao's room, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, he saw Xuejiao sitting at her desk, dressed in adorable pajamas. She was diligently working on something, her face serious and focused.
Her posture was straight, her hair tied neatly back, and the desk lamp cast a warm glow on her face. Cheng Mingze stopped in his tracks, leaning slightly against the doorframe, and observed her quietly for a while. He seemed lost in thought.
After a while, Xuejiao sensed someone at the door and turned around, her expression curious.
"What's wrong?" she asked, surprised by his presence.
Cheng Mingze straightened up, looking at her thoughtfully. "It'll be hard for you to surpass Mingjiao," he said finally, his tone neutral.
"So?" Xuejiao asked, her voice calm but cold.
Cheng Mingze seemed slightly uncomfortable, shifting his weight. "If you keep working hard, you can ask me if you don't understand something. Even if you lose to Mingjiao at the end of the term, as long as you're in the top 100, you'll still stay in Class One."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Xuejiao replied with quiet determination.
Cheng Mingze frowned at her response. "Studying is about perseverance, not personal emotions," he said, his tone a mix of irritation and concern.
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked away, his footsteps heavy with frustration.
Xuejiao exhaled deeply, feeling a pang of annoyance.
In her previous life, she had no one to depend on—everything she achieved was through her own hard work. In this life, she was fortunate enough to have the support of a family during this crucial period. She was grateful for that, but Cheng Mingze's lingering disdain for her previous behavior still irked her.
After calming herself down, she decided to set aside the frustration. She glanced at the clock and decided it was time to go to bed.
Later that night, unable to sleep, Xuejiao picked up her phone and opened her social media app. She hesitated for a moment before posting:
"How long does it take to erase the bad impressions someone has of you? When will the bad things people say about me finally stop?"
The post felt like a release, as though she had let go of a weight that had been pressing on her chest.
Just as she was about to put her phone down, she received a notification—a comment from Lin Zhihua.