Chapter 22: The Mock Exam

"Chu Bai, I'm giving you a chance to admit your mistake. Since you refuse to repent, I'll have the school administration handle it," Song Zhenyu said, clearly disappointed in Chu Bai.

"S-Song... Ms. Song, please d-don't. I don't want to make a big... big scene. I'll be too ashamed to f-face anyone," Wen Jing stammered, recalling Wang Haoran's warning to avoid escalating the situation. She quickly intervened to stop Song Zhenyu from taking further action.

Wang Haoran had his reasons for this.

If the situation escalated and reached the higher-ups in the school, the old principal would inevitably find out.

Chu Bai had once saved the old principal's life and had also helped report some unsavory elements. According to the typical web novel trope, the old principal would undoubtedly become a staunch supporter of Chu Bai, a tool in the protagonist's camp who would clean up his messes and handle any crises that arose.

The incident where Chu Bai had hit someone was already a testament to this.

If the old principal were to find out about this situation, he would likely go to great lengths to prove Chu Bai's innocence.

If a professional organization got involved and used modern scientific methods, they would surely clear Chu Bai of any suspicion.

After all, Chu Bai had only briefly lingered near the girls' dormitory entrance. Physical evidence doesn't lie.

"Wen Jing, are you sure?" Song Zhenyu asked.

"Yes, Ms. Song, I've thought it through. Chu Bai might have acted impulsively, and since we're classmates, I don't want to ruin him. Besides, if word gets out, I'm worried people will talk, even though I'm the victim. But Chu Bai must apologize to me!"

"Alright, I respect your decision," Song Zhenyu nodded and then turned to Chu Bai, her voice cold. "Do I have to force you to apologize?"

Chu Bai felt a mix of anger and relief.

He was furious, of course, because he was being framed. But he was also relieved that the matter could be resolved discreetly, which was something he could reluctantly accept.

It was just an apology, after all. It wouldn't kill him.

"I'm sorry, Wen Jing," Chu Bai said.

Meanwhile...

**Ding!** The system alerted Wang Haoran again: "The protagonist Chu Bai has submitted to the villain's forces. Congratulations, host! You have gained 300 villain points. Chu Bai's protagonist aura -30. Host's villain aura +30."

Wang Haoran received yet another system message.

---

Chu Bai and Wen Jing returned to the classroom.

By now, Wen Jing had stopped crying, though her eyes were still red.

Apart from Wang Haoran, the rest of the class had no idea what had happened.

But seeing Wen Jing's expression, it was clear she had suffered a great injustice.

"Jingjing, what happened?" Xu Muyan asked, concerned.

Wen Jing recounted the incident where Chu Bai had "molested" her.

Xu Muyan's expression immediately darkened.

**Ding!** The system notified Wang Haoran again: "The host successfully manipulated events to destroy the relationship between the protagonist Chu Bai and the heroine Xu Muyan, altering the original plot. You have gained 200 villain points."

"Xu Muyan's favorability towards Chu Bai -20. Current total favorability: -30 (Extremely Disliked)."

Wang Haoran received another system message, reaping rewards one after another.

However, according to his plan, there was still more to come.

At this moment, Song Zhenyu entered the classroom with a stern face, slamming her lesson plan onto the lectern.

The students jumped in surprise.

Something was clearly off with their homeroom teacher's mood. She looked like she had just swallowed a grenade.

"Everyone, quiet down."

Song Zhenyu's voice made the students immediately stop what they were doing, none daring to test her temper.

It must be said that Song Zhenyu's carefully crafted persona of a fiery-tempered teacher was quite effective, easily intimidating this bunch of students.

"I have two announcements for you. This Sunday afternoon, there will be no break," Song Zhenyu said.

A chorus of groans immediately filled the classroom.

Senior year was already intense, with only two days off each month and a half-day break on Sundays.

Losing that half-day meant they'd have to endure half a month of non-stop classes.

It was exhausting and just too much.

Even Xu Muyan, who loved studying, felt a bit down.

"Silence!"

Song Zhenyu's simple command quickly quashed the complaints.

"Ms. Song, what's the other announcement?" Xu Muyan bravely asked.

"The last two days of this week will be the joint mock exam for all high schools in Qingling City," Song Zhenyu replied.

As she spoke, a tense atmosphere filled the classroom.

The corner of the blackboard where "53 Days Until the College Entrance Exam" was written in bright red chalk suddenly seemed all the more alarming.

As per tradition, the mock exam for all high schools in Qingling City was set by the same people responsible for the college entrance exam.

This joint mock exam was practically a mini college entrance exam.

In some ways, the mock exam scores almost always predicted the final college entrance exam results.

Moreover, after the mock exam, teachers' attitudes toward students would drastically change.

Students would be ranked and treated accordingly.

The top performers would receive special attention, while the underachievers would be left to fend for themselves.

After delivering the two announcements, Song Zhenyu left the classroom.

Most students were still tense, but a select few remained oddly relaxed.

Among these few were those who didn't care about the college entrance exam, those who were unshakable academic prodigies, and... a certain "hack."

"A joint mock exam, huh? This is my chance to turn things around..." Chu Bai's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

The beautiful homeroom teacher had developed a strong dislike for him because of Wen Jing's incident.

But if he could shine in the joint mock exam, she would surely see him in a new light.

Beyond that, it might even catch Xu Muyan's attention.

Most importantly, it would set the stage for the college entrance exam.

Chu Bai had always been a poor student, but he had been improving with each test. The joint mock exam was an opportunity to show even more progress.

This way, when he eventually scored high enough to get into a prestigious university, it wouldn't draw too much attention.

People would just see him as someone who had steadily improved.

As Chu Bai mulled over these thoughts, the second evening self-study session ended.

One of the class's bottom students, Chen Zishi, was completely unconcerned about the mock exam.

Her focus was on Wen Jing.

When Wen Jing had returned to the classroom earlier, it was clear she had been crying.

Wen Jing's eyes were still somewhat irritated, so she was resting her head on her desk, pretending to sleep.

"Wen Jing?" Chen Zishi mustered the courage to approach her.

Hearing her name, Wen Jing slowly sat up.

So, this chubby girl actually came to ask about me...

Wang Haoran had warned her that Chen Zishi might come to inquire about her situation, so Wen Jing wasn't surprised.

"Is there something you need?" Wen Jing asked, feigning ignorance.

"You seemed to have been crying earlier. Did someone bully you?"

"No, you must be mistaken."

"Don't lie to me. Your eyes are still red; you definitely cried. Who bullied you? Tell me!"

"It was..."

Wen Jing pretended to hesitate before recounting the story she had told Xu Muyan to Chen Zishi.

Upon hearing it, Chen Zishi stormed out of the classroom in a fit of rage.