Chapter 17

Thinking of this, Xuejiao took out her mobile phone and sent a message:

"Thank you. The problem has been solved. You are so smart!"

The reply came quickly, making her think the other person must be quite free:

"Children's solutions. The curve saves the country."

"Xuejiao:"

She quickly typed back:

"OK, OK, OK. Then, adult, if you encountered a situation like mine, how would you solve it?"

Her phone buzzed almost immediately with another response:

"I couldn't possibly encounter such a problem."

Gu Xuejiao:

The next message arrived shortly after:

"Little girl, now that the problem is solved, focus on your studies."

Xuejiao looked out the window and exhaled deeply.

Yes, it was time for her to study. She had already wasted too much time on this issue. Over the next couple of days, she needed to make up for it.

Taking advantage of the few minutes left on the ride to school, Xuejiao pulled out her notes from the monthly exam, focusing on unfamiliar words she had come across.

"Oh, you're here? Did you finish writing your review?" Yi Tianyu raised his eyebrows, his expression smug, as though gloating over her misfortune.

Yet only Yi Tianyu himself knew how relieved he felt.

After Xuejiao left yesterday, he had sat listlessly in his seat, distracted and out of sorts. All night, his thoughts had been consumed by her absence.

He had even gotten up half an hour early that morning, shocking his father, who suspected something was wrong with him.

He had waited impatiently at school, wondering, When will she arrive? Did she get scolded or beaten again? Will she even show up today? All sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind.

But now that she was here, his relief manifested as mockery.

Xuejiao gave him a sidelong glance, unconcerned. "I didn't write it."

"You didn't write it?" Yi Tianyu's eyes widened, and he leaned closer. "You really didn't write it?"

"I'm not wrong, so why should I write it?" Xuejiao narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned to the side, instinctively moving away from Yi Tianyu, who was too close for comfort.

He blinked, startled by her movement, and then his lips curled into a mischievous smile. Propping one hand on her desk and the other on her chair, he leaned in closer, trapping her in his arms.

Xuejiao instinctively tilted her body further to the side, nearly falling off her chair.

Yi Tianyu leaned even closer, his voice teasing in her ear: "What if I get even closer? What can you do to me?"

Xuejiao glared at him, her teeth clenched. She didn't dare move any further, fearing she'd lose her balance and topple over. She could only seethe, "Yi Tianyu!"

"What's going on here?" A voice suddenly came from behind them.

Yi Tianyu straightened up instantly, his expression stiff. Xuejiao also returned to her original position, her face calm.

"Nothing!" Yi Tianyu replied quickly.

Xi Junyang approached them, his expression skeptical. "Why are your ears so red, then?"

Yi Tianyu bristled defensively, his voice rising: "Who's got red ears? Whose ears are red?"

Xi Junyang gave him a puzzled look. "Why are you so worked up?"

"Get lost..."

Xi Junyang ignored him and turned to Xuejiao with a smile. "Xuejiao, how's it going? Is everything resolved?"

"Yes, it's mostly resolved. Thanks for your help in the office earlier."

Xi Junyang waved his hand dismissively. "No problem. I didn't do much—it's great you were able to handle it!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Yi Tianyu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Who are you thanking?"

Xuejiao smiled. "Xi, classmate. Class is about to start—go back to your seat quickly."

"Alright. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you," Xuejiao said politely.

"You're welcome." Xi Junyang grinned and reached out to lightly ruffle her hair before leaving.

Yi Tianyu stared at Xi Junyang's retreating figure, his gaze zeroing in on the hand that had just touched Xuejiao's hair.

Meanwhile, Xuejiao placed her schoolbag on the desk and began pulling out her books. Yi Tianyu sat there, feeling frustrated and ignored.

What the heck?

Yesterday, he had clearly been the one to help her the most! And now, she only thanked Xi Junyang—the guy who had done practically nothing?

Yi Tianyu wanted to point this out but stopped himself, feeling awkward about bringing it up. He slumped into his seat, sulking.

Just as he was about to give up, a delicate hand extended toward him, placing something on his desk.

It was a piece of white paper wrapped around a lollipop.

Yi Tianyu blinked in surprise, then unfolded the paper to reveal two handwritten words: "Thank you."

There was also a simple, smiley face drawn below the words—three curved lines that somehow felt incredibly sweet.

He looked down at the note, then at the girl beside him, who was now quietly reciting a text.

Yi Tianyu couldn't help but smile.

She gave me candy! Only me! Not Xi Junyang!

It was his alone!

Grinning like an idiot, Yi Tianyu carefully rewrapped the lollipop, tucked it back into the paper, and slid it into the pocket closest to his chest.

"Gu Xuejiao! Come out," Yin Fang called from the classroom door.

Yi Tianyu froze, then leaned toward her, whispering, "Hey, she's calling you to hand in the review! What are you going to do? You didn't write it!"

Xuejiao frowned slightly but shook her head at him before walking out.

"Where's the review paper?" Sure enough, those were Yin Fang's first words.

Yin Fang, with her stern reputation, could make even the most rebellious students hesitate.

Xuejiao bit her lower lip and looked up at her teacher, her voice steady. "I'm not wrong, so I don't need to write a review."

Yin Fang raised an eyebrow. "You're not wrong? Didn't you hit someone?"

"I didn't hit anyone," Xuejiao replied calmly. "The students in the class can vouch for me..."

"You did," Yin Fang interrupted stubbornly. "Even if it was to cover someone's mouth, that's still an action. And it disrupted the entire class. Don't you think that warrants a review?"

Xuejiao remained silent, her gaze unwavering.

For reasons she couldn't explain, Yin Fang suddenly recalled Li Sitong's slap from the previous day.

Her expression softened slightly.

"Fine," Yin Fang said after a moment. "If you can get into the top 30 of the midterm exam, you won't have to write the review. But if you fail, you'll have to submit two copies!"

"Alright," Xuejiao agreed without hesitation.

Yin Fang was taken aback, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. But Xuejiao's calm demeanor didn't waver.

"If you promise and fail, don't blame me for doubling the punishment," Yin Fang added sharply.

"I won't fail," Xuejiao replied, her voice firm.

Yin Fang sighed and waved her away. "Alright, go back to class."

Yin Fang frowned deeply as she watched Xuejiao walk back to class. She shook her head and turned back toward the office.

Back in Class One, Yi Tianyu quickly leaned over the moment Xuejiao returned to her seat.

"What happened? Did the Abbess punish you?" he whispered, his voice laced with curiosity.

Xuejiao pulled out a pen and continued the work she had been doing before leaving the room. Without looking up, she replied casually, "She didn't punish me."

"Impossible!" Yi Tianyu exclaimed, his voice rising slightly. "The Abbess wouldn't let you off that easily!"

Xuejiao finally looked up, her expression calm. "She said if I make it to the top 30 in the midterm exam, I don't have to write the review. So, please, don't disturb me—I need to study."

Yi Tianyu's eyes widened in disbelief. "The top 30 in class? Are you crazy?!"

His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of several students sitting nearby, who turned to look curiously.

Xuejiao pinched his arm and hissed, "Lower your voice! Do you want the whole class to know?"

Yi Tianyu winced and lowered his voice. "What's gotten into you? Why did you agree to something so outrageous?"

Xuejiao ignored him and went back to her notes.

Yi Tianyu stared at her serious expression for a moment before falling silent. Although he was doubtful, he couldn't bring himself to interrupt her focus again.

He sat quietly in his seat, stealing occasional glances at her.

Meanwhile, in the office, Yin Fang was still preoccupied with the conversation she'd just had with Xuejiao.

"Teacher Yin, are you distracted today?" a Chinese teacher next to her asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Yin Fang sighed. "It's Gu Xuejiao. Yesterday, I told her to submit a review because of the fight with Cheng Mingjiao. She refused, saying she wasn't wrong. So, I told her she could avoid the review if she made it to the top 30 in the midterm exam. And guess what? She agreed without hesitation!"

The Chinese teacher's eyes widened in surprise. "She agreed? Really?"

Even the head teacher of Class Two, who was seated nearby, looked up from his desk.

Although Gu Xuejiao wasn't one of his students, he was well aware of her reputation as a struggling student who had recently shown some improvement.

"She agreed," Yin Fang confirmed, still sounding incredulous. "The kids these days are really something..."

The Class Two head teacher chuckled. "Maybe she's confident. Who knows?"

Yin Fang narrowed her eyes at him. "Confident? Don't make me laugh. Gu Xuejiao barely passed the last exam. Do you really think she can break into the top 30 of an experimental class?"

The Class Two head teacher shrugged. "You never know. Hard work can lead to miracles."

Yin Fang scoffed but didn't argue further. Her thoughts drifted to another student in her class. "The other Gu, Gu Shiyun, is so different. She's hardworking and consistent. If only she were in my class instead of yours."

The Class Two head teacher smiled smugly. "Well, Gu Shiyun is indeed a gem. She works hard and never causes trouble. I got lucky with her in the lottery draw."

Yin Fang snorted but didn't respond.

The conversation shifted to other topics, but Yin Fang's mind remained preoccupied. Could Gu Xuejiao really pull off a top 30 ranking?