You... are you always this accurate?" Yi Tianyu was slightly stunned.
Xuejiao gave him a rare smile. "What do you think?"
"..."
For some reason, Yi Tianyu couldn't shake the feeling that Xuejiao's results seemed... calculated. It made him suspicious.
As her deskmate, he knew better than most how diligent and serious she was. Compared to everyone else, Xuejiao seemed to take her studies much more seriously. She never skipped a single exercise in her books, completing everything meticulously.
Could it be…
This person suffers from exam syndrome?
"Hey..." Yi Tianyu poked Xuejiao's arm.
She frowned and turned to him impatiently. "What is it now?"
"Uh… nothing." Yi Tianyu looked at her with a sympathetic expression.
He thought to himself, What could be more tragic in this world than someone who works so hard but gets nervous during exams and underperforms?
Although he didn't say a word, his face was filled with pity, as if he were looking at someone incredibly unfortunate.
"Idiot," Xuejiao muttered under her breath, shaking her head before focusing on her papers again. She began scanning for areas where she could improve further.
"Cousin! How did you do?" Cheng Mingjiao approached with a bright smile, making no effort to conceal her pride.
She had done exceptionally well in the exam, climbing two spots to rank 18th in the grade.
Xuejiao glanced at her briefly, then returned to reviewing her paper, ignoring her entirely.
"My cousin got 90 points on her English exam!" Cheng Mingjiao exclaimed, her voice raised deliberately. "She's improved so much!"
Xuejiao was still focused on her English paper. Although the exam had been relatively simple, there were words she hadn't recognized or fully understood. She began writing them down to review later.
"90 points? Pfft!" A mocking laugh broke out. It was Yu Fangfang, a girl who had been in the same class as Xuejiao before. "The average score for English in our class is 120! That's barely passing!"
Xuejiao looked up at her, confused. "Did I offend you in some way?"
Her voice carried genuine curiosity. She could understand why Cheng Mingjiao disliked her, but what about Yu Fangfang?
"Huh?" Yu Fangfang froze, caught off guard.
Xuejiao blinked innocently. "If I didn't offend you, why do you always act like a mad dog chasing after me?"
"You—! Who are you calling a mad dog?!" Yu Fangfang snapped, her voice trembling with anger.
"Well, I'm not the one constantly barking at someone for no reason," Xuejiao replied, her tone calm and her expression serene, which only made her delicate features more striking.
She paused, then continued, "Also, Yu Fangfang, if I recall correctly, your English score was 131 when you entered our class. This time, you scored 121, a drop of 10 points. Meanwhile, I…" She smiled slightly. "I've improved by 57 points. So instead of worrying about me, perhaps you should focus on your own scores."
"You—!"
"And one more thing…" Xuejiao added, her voice sharp. "You should spend your energy on fixing your declining grades instead of wasting it here."
Yu Fangfang was left speechless, her face flushed red with anger.
"Well said," Yi Tianyu chimed in, walking in with a basketball in hand. His shirt was damp with sweat as he raised his chin slightly and added, "Good dogs don't block the way."
He was standing directly behind Yu Fangfang, clearly referring to her.
"Waaaahhh!" Yu Fangfang burst into tears, shoving Yi Tianyu as she ran out of the classroom.
Yi Tianyu wiped the sweat from his face, looking baffled. "What did I do? Why is she crying like that?"
"Pfft!" Xuejiao couldn't hold back her laughter.
Her laughter was bright and clear, her eyes curving into crescents. Combined with her already delicate features, the sight was breathtaking.
Yi Tianyu froze, his heart skipping a beat. Quickly, he sat down in his seat, looking visibly flustered.
He thought to himself, It must be because I played too much basketball. My heart's racing like crazy.
Meanwhile, Cheng Mingjiao's expression darkened. Although there were many academically gifted boys in Class One, Yi Tianyu stood out as the "grade grass" due to his athleticism and handsome appearance.
And yet, such a boy always defended Gu Xuejiao. The jealousy and resentment in Cheng Mingjiao's heart only grew.
"Gu Xuejiao, you're so cruel!" Cheng Mingjiao hissed through gritted teeth. "Hurting others like that is heartless!"
Xuejiao pointed to Yi Tianyu, her voice calm. "Cousin, I think there's something wrong with your eyes and ears. Wasn't it him who hurt her?"
"Pfft!" Quiet laughter spread through the classroom.
"Gu Xuejiao!" Cheng Mingjiao's voice trembled with fury. "Cousin, no matter what, you promised to surpass me by the end of the semester! Don't forget that!"
Xuejiao raised her brows, her expression unbothered.
"And, Classmate Yi," Cheng Mingjiao continued, her tone sharp as she turned to Yi Tianyu. "You owe Yu Fangfang an apology. You can't insult others just because Gu Xuejiao told you to!"
She stood with her chin lifted slightly, trying to show her best side.
However…
Yi Tianyu glanced at Xuejiao, puzzled. "Is your cousin crazy?"
Xuejiao nodded thoughtfully. "She seems like it."
"Could rabies be contagious?" Yi Tianyu added.
The students around them instinctively took a step back, creating distance from Cheng Mingjiao.
"You—you—you!" Cheng Mingjiao was so angry she couldn't form a sentence. "Yi Tianyu! Have you been bewitched by Gu Xuejiao? She's just like her mother—a fox spirit!"
"Bang!" Xuejiao stood up abruptly.
She grabbed Cheng Mingjiao by the collar, her eyes sharp and cold. "Apologize."
"What do you think you're doing?!" Cheng Mingjiao shouted, struggling to free herself.
Xuejiao glanced around the classroom before fixing her icy gaze on Cheng Mingjiao. "Let's be clear about something. My mother divorced, and Uncle Cheng lost his wife years ago. He pursued my mother after that. Before then, they didn't even know each other. So tell me—what makes her a fox spirit?"
"Let go of me!" Cheng Mingjiao demanded, her voice panicked.
Xuejiao didn't let go. "Cousin, are you saying that any woman who remarries is a fox spirit? Or are you implying that divorced women aren't allowed to pursue happiness? Your logic makes me think you have an IQ problem. Or perhaps you're still living in the Qing Dynasty?"
At her words, the female students in the class began nodding in agreement. Why couldn't divorced women remarry?
Cheng Mingjiao felt the weight of the judgmental gazes around her. Furious, she lashed out, aiming to scratch Xuejiao.
Xuejiao kicked her in the knee, her face calm and unyielding. Cheng Mingjiao fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap, leaving the class stunned.
"Here comes the teacher!" someone shouted.
In the office, Xuejiao and Cheng Mingjiao stood silently, heads bowed.
Moments later, the door burst open, and two women rushed in—Liu Yazhen and Li Sitong.
"My poor daughter!" Liu Yazhen cried, rushing to hug Cheng Mingjiao as if she had been gravely injured.
Li Sitong approached Xuejiao, her face dark with anger.
"Pa!" A loud slap landed on Xuejiao's face.
Xuejiao stood frozen in place, stunned.
"Ah! Don't hit her, ma'am! Parents, please don't hit anyone!" Yin Fang intervened hurriedly.
Li Sitong clenched her teeth, her voice trembling. "This girl is so disobedient—causing trouble, even hitting her own cousin!"
"Wuwuwu…" Cheng Mingjiao sobbed dramatically in her mother's arms.
"Quiet!" Yin Fang roared, glaring at the room.
The noise died down instantly.
Yin Fang continued, "Both girls were in the wrong. They'll each write a review. This behavior is unacceptable!"
"By what reasoning?" Liu Yazhen snapped. "My daughter was beaten! Why should she write a review? Gu Xuejiao should be expelled!"
"Enough!" Xuejiao's voice was clear and sharp. She turned to Yin Fang. "Teacher, shouldn't you at least investigate the cause before passing judgment? Why not call in witnesses from the classroom?"
The room fell silent.
"Witnesses?" Li Sitong echoed, stunned.
Xuejiao's cold gaze swept over the adults in the room. "Yes, witnesses. Let's find out the truth."