Xue Jiao’s voice was cold yet calm: “Because I ranked first in the grade, your daughter couldn’t accept it and made a scene in class, embarrassing herself. She was scolded by the homeroom teacher, and her grades have dropped to eleventh in the class. The crying is probably because she feels humiliated.”

“…”

In an instant, not just the other end of the phone but also this end fell silent.

Xue Jiao’s voice wasn’t loud, but each word was exceptionally clear. Even when saying something that sounded like mockery, she spoke as if simply stating facts, without any emotion, which made it seem particularly… authentic.

After a moment, heavy breathing came from the other end.

Xue Jiao continued, still in that matter-of-fact tone: “So you shouldn’t be calling me, you should find your daughter. Cheng Ming Jiao has mental issues. Teacher Yin is right—staring at my grades won’t improve hers. So I suggest you have her focus all her attention on studying.”

With that, she hung up.

She placed Li Si Tong’s phone back on the table and turned around to find everyone staring at her in astonishment.

Xue Jiao blinked, then touched her cheek in confusion—

“What’s wrong?”

Cheng Ming Ze was closest to her. Unable to hold back, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile, and he reached out to pat her head.

“Nothing… you’re adorable!”

Xue Jiao looked even more confused.

Huh?

“Hahahahaha! Jiao Jiao, come on, let’s have some late-night snacks. Our Jiao Jiao is amazing, first in the entire grade again!” Cheng Shuo laughed heartily, seeming happier about Xue Jiao ranking first than about Cheng Ming Ze.

Li Si Tong, however, showed a gentle smile and said with satisfaction: “Ming Ze and Jiao Jiao are both impressive. Our two children are truly outstanding! Jiao Jiao, you must continue to follow your brother’s footsteps and keep learning from him.”

Xue Jiao: “…”

She had been learning from Cheng Ming Ze?!

Cheng Ming Ze flashed a smile: “Jiao Jiao is amazing.”

After speaking, he walked toward the auntie who was bringing out the late-night snacks.

Xue Jiao watched his back, a mischievous gleam flashing in her eyes as she followed his footsteps exactly.

When Cheng Ming Ze stopped at the dining table, Xue Jiao, focused only on his back, didn’t slow down and had to brake urgently, bumping into his back.

“Ouch—” She covered her head.

Cheng Ming Ze turned around, puzzled: “Why are you behind me? Sit beside me and eat.”

Xue Jiao rubbed her head as she turned, obediently saying: “Following your footsteps.”

“…………”

Cheng Ming Ze couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, saying with resignation—

“You little rascal.”

——

After a simple late-night snack, Xue Jiao washed up, did two problems with her hair still wet, then climbed into bed and picked up her phone from the bedside table to check it.

[Lin Zhi Hua: How did your exam go?]

For some reason, Xue Jiao suddenly felt a sense of pride, so her fingers tapped out a reply—

[Not bad, still first place.]

Lin Zhi Hua, still in his office in Beijing, laughed softly, bringing the vast and quiet office to life at once.

[Great job!]

A moment later, he asked her—

[Have you washed up and are ready for bed?]

[—Mmm!]

[Did you blow-dry your hair?]

When these five words appeared before her, Xue Jiao paused slightly, then awkwardly touched her still-damp hair.

This Lin Zhi Hua… does he have clairvoyance?

He’d caught her three times going to sleep without blow-drying her hair!

Xue Jiao could only reply awkwardly—

[Uh…]

Lin Zhi Hua frowned slightly. This girl… so young yet not knowing how to take care of herself…

Lin Zhi Hua knew she just wanted to save time, often hastily blow-drying for just two minutes or not blow-drying at all, instead doing homework, and then when finished, it would be too late, time for bed, resulting in her going to sleep with half-dry hair.

His fingers tapped, his tone becoming stern—

[Go blow-dry it now, must be completely dry before sleeping!]

Xue Jiao replied—

[Oh… going now…]

Then she got up and reluctantly went to blow-dry her hair.

——

While things were peaceful on Xue Jiao’s side, Cheng Ming Jiao’s home was in chaos.

After being hung up on, Liu Ya Zhen stared blankly at the phone, her mind empty, her face expressionless.

After a while, she suddenly stood up.

“That dead girl Xue Jiao must be tricking me! She doesn’t want to admit she bullied Ming Jiao, so she says Ming Jiao didn’t do well and is jealous of her. I don’t believe that either human or ghost-dead girl could score better than Ming Jiao!”

Liu Ya Zhen was furious. In her memory, Xue Jiao was still that girl with red hair and messy, heavy makeup. Every time she appeared in the same room with Ming Jiao and Li Si Tong, who was with Xue Jiao, she felt especially proud.

Her daughter was heaven’s darling, while that burden could only look at them with envy!

Liu Ya Zhen was probably the only one—besides Cheng Ming Jiao—who firmly believed that Xue Jiao’s previous scores were all due to cheating.

“No, I have to ask Ming Jiao! That dead girl Xue Jiao must be lying to me. So young, yet already knows how to lie!”

With that, she stomped in her slippers straight to Cheng Ming Jiao’s room.

“Ming Jiao!”

She called out, then pushed the door open and went in.

At this moment, Cheng Ming Jiao was hugging her once-favorite doll, stabbing it repeatedly while muttering: “Xue Jiao, why don’t you just die! Xue Jiao, why don’t you just die!”

Liu Ya Zhen was stunned for a moment, then walked over and grabbed her hand.

“Ming Jiao, did you not do well on your exam this month?”

Cheng Ming Jiao stiffened slightly, the expression on her face turning ugly.

What more did Liu Ya Zhen need to understand?

Her daughter hadn’t done well this time!

Then…

“That dead girl Xue Jiao is first?!”

Liu Ya Zhen raised her voice, a look of disbelief on her face.

Cheng Ming Jiao still didn’t speak, but her expression grew even worse.

It was true…

Liu Ya Zhen felt deflated for a moment, then became furious: “Cheng Ming Jiao! What’s wrong with you?! Your grades were so good before, they were steadily improving, how did you end up like this?!”

Cheng Ming Jiao lowered her head, not speaking.

“Why are you lowering your head?! Speak up, why, in the same classroom, with the same teachers, with a much better foundation than her, how can you not score better than her?!”

Liu Ya Zhen’s anger seemed about to ignite, her eyes fixed on her.

“Who can I ask if you’re asking me?! Why does that bitch Xue Jiao deserve to be first?! She spends all day clinging to Yi Tian Yu, why can she still score so well?! I don’t accept it!” Cheng Ming Jiao also exploded, raising her voice in anger.

Before, it was always Xue Jiao being criticized by Li Si Tong in front of her, followed by — you should learn from Ming Jiao in the future.

It was always Xue Jiao envying her, Cheng Ming Jiao; why should Xue Jiao become more outstanding than her?

“Is this about whether you accept it or not? What’s been wrong with you these two months?! Your grades have plummeted! Meanwhile, Xue Jiao has hooked up with the Yi family boy and steadily risen to first place! Look at what you’ve done!” Liu Ya Zhen’s finger jabbed at her forehead, exasperated.

Her gaze moved to the doll that Cheng Ming Jiao was gripping tightly, already stabbed to tatters, and she became even angrier: “Cheng Ming Jiao! Has your brain gone bad? I told you to study well at school, not to spend all day fixating on Xue Jiao, even abandoning your studies!”

“I can’t stand her!” Cheng Ming Jiao suddenly burst into tears, hugging Liu Ya Zhen and sobbing loudly.

After all, this was her daughter whom she had cherished for so many years. Seeing her cry like this, half of the anger in her heart dissipated.

She stroked Cheng Ming Jiao’s head, softening her voice: “It’s one thing that Xue Jiao used to be ignorant, but look at her now, focusing single-mindedly on her studies. If her results are real, she must have put a lot of effort into her academics. If you don’t want to live an ordinary life forever, you must have outstanding grades. You don’t have a business mind, so studying is something you must focus on.”

Cheng Ming Jiao didn’t speak, clearly still angry.

“Mom won’t harm you. Study hard, and if you can’t stand Xue Jiao, Mom will help you!”

“Really?”

Liu Ya Zhen said firmly: “Really!”

——

If Xue Jiao’s first place in the midterm was just a coincidence, then this time it proved her ability.

Yin Fang was exceptionally good to Xue Jiao, all the subject teachers were quite attentive, and even Cheng Ming Jiao, for some unknown reason, had quieted down, becoming silent.

Xue Jiao’s life suddenly became peaceful.

She poured all her attention into studying and preparing for the upcoming final exam.

Not just Xue Jiao, but even the most mischievous students in the experimental class began to get serious. The final exam… meant that people would start getting kicked out.

“Xue Jiao…” The boy beside her called out worriedly.

Xue Jiao turned her head, her gaze puzzled: “Hmm?”

“We’ll soon no longer be desk mates…”

“Why?” Xue Jiao was slightly taken aback.

Yi Tian Yu laid his head on the desk, burying his face, not wanting her to see the sadness in his eyes.

“My grades aren’t good; I definitely can’t stay in Class 1.”

Xue Jiao gripped her pen, her fingers tightening slightly.

Although Yi Tian Yu wasn’t academically strong, and could even be called mischievous, during the half year of being desk mates, he had always taken care of her.

He had even helped her when she encountered certain troubles.

If she had a new deskmate…

Xue Jiao looked at him, very seriously: “I think there’s still time to improve.”

“Hmm?”

“When does your basketball competition start?”

“March…”

Xue Jiao considered her time schedule and said: “Starting today, try not to play basketball, pay attention in class, and I’ll explain problems and highlight key points for you in the morning, noon, evening, and between classes. You should also make use of your weekend time.”

Yi Tian Yu was stunned for a moment but still slumped dejectedly…

“It’s useless; that’s the top hundred in the grade. I only have one month; it’s too late.”

Xue Jiao pulled him up. The weather was cold, and her fingers were slightly icy, but they seemed to burn Yi Tian Yu.

Thump thump thump—

His heartbeat became irregular, the tips of his ears turning red.

But Xue Jiao continued to look at him resolutely, tilting her head slightly, staring directly into his eyes, and saying seriously—

“I never believe it’s too late. If you want to do something, you absolutely cannot give up because you think it’s too late. Heaven hasn’t sentenced you to death yet, how can you just give up first yourself?”

She paused: “Being in the top hundred of the grade isn’t an insurmountable task. One month isn’t short; as long as you use it, it definitely won’t be too late. I used to not believe I could rank first at Seventh Middle School, but human potential is much greater than imagined.”

Yi Tian Yu looked at her, his heartbeat now soundless.

He had never known before what the purpose of his efforts was, so he never wanted to try at all, but today he seemed to know…

His efforts were to shorten the distance between himself and this unique girl in front of him.

Yi Tian Yu nodded gently, hearing a voice with a smile coming from across—

“Then, Yi Tian Yu, start working hard, to stay in Class 1.”

“—Okay.” His breath caught slightly.