The incident between Chen Mo from the experimental class and his math teacher had spread throughout the entire grade in a very short time. By noon, even the teachers’ office for the second-year students was discussing it.
“How can a student make this kind of bet with a teacher? If a teacher loses their authority, how are they supposed to manage their students properly from then on?”
This was the opposing faction that didn’t think much of the idea.
“Teacher Bai was indeed in the wrong, but it hasn’t reached the point where she should be barred from teaching the experimental class.”
This was the neutral, conservative faction.
“I actually think this bet is worth trying. Teachers and students should be able to keep each other in check. We shouldn’t look at things from just one side, should we? It encourages students to strive for improvement, while also preventing teachers from suppressing students because of their own prejudices.”
The person who said this was Fu Ling, another math teacher in the second-year grade.
She was only in her twenties, young in both age and mindset, and even more straightforward in the way she spoke. When she’d first joined the school, Bai Suxiu had mentored her. However, their teaching methods and philosophies differed greatly, so their relationship had always remained lukewarm.
It was true that Fu Ling was more popular among the teachers than Bai Suxiu.
A teacher from another subject asked curiously, “Teacher Fu, you’ve also seen the math paper of that student named Chen Mo. Teacher Bai still insists that he isn’t capable of solving those questions. What do you think?”
That math paper was right there on Fu Ling’s desk.
She had looked it over many times, and there was one thing she found rather strange.
Every multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank question that Chen Mo had gotten wrong had been changed. And the first answer he’d crossed out was, in most cases, the correct one. Looking at it this way, it did seem a little like a guilty conscience—as if he’d copied someone else’s answers and then deliberately changed them for fear of being exposed. This was also one of the reasons Bai Suxiu remained so convinced of her own opinion.
But Fu Ling didn’t see it that way.
The solution methods for all the major problems that followed were clear and concise. He even seemed to instinctively skip certain steps, giving the impression that he was solving them with effortless ease.
Then there was his remark in class: “The questions were too easy. I was afraid I’d scare the teacher.”
Many people had taken that as blatant arrogance, but Fu Ling felt that the statement was at least eighty percent true.
So when answering the other teachers’ question, she smiled and said, “There may not be many geniuses in this world, but they do exist. And intelligent students are hardly uncommon. Teacher Bai has been far too quick to judge in this matter.”
That was enough to make her stance clear.
The teachers began whispering among themselves as well.
“So how exactly are they planning to handle this?”
“Don’t even ask. Director Lai is probably getting a headache over it.”
At that very moment, Director Lai, whose head was indeed aching, felt that even the few sparse hairs left on his head were about to fall out.
Inside the director’s office, Director Lai pointed at the student standing before him.
“You’re causing trouble for me every other day!”
The student, whose school uniform zipper was only halfway up, looked somewhat distracted. Only when he heard the middle-aged man’s furious voice did he snap back to attention and say, “Don’t get angry. Getting angry makes you age faster. Why don’t you just agree to my proposal?”
“Agree? What do you mean, agree?!” Director Lai was so furious that he came out from behind his desk. “I thought you were boarding at school because you genuinely intended to study hard. But look at you! You got into a fight on your very first day! It hasn’t even been that many days, and you haven’t even read out your self-criticism yet, have you? Did a dog eat your memory?! The top ten in the grade? Ha! You’ve got some nerve saying that!”
The middle-aged man in front of him was firing words like a machine gun. His spittle was practically flying into Chen Mo’s face.
Chen Mo covered his face and turned his head to dodge.
Helplessly, he said, “Director, I never promised you I’d definitely make it into the top ten.”
Director Lai’s sharp little eyes visibly narrowed. With his hands behind his back, he sneered, “Looks like you made up your mind from the very beginning. What? Are there nails on the chairs in the experimental class? Can’t you sit there? Huh?!”
That final “huh” rose so sharply in pitch that his voice nearly cracked.
Chen Mo was just as confused. “Why are you so determined to keep me in the experimental class? Can’t I study just as well in an ordinary class?”
“Chen Mo.” Director Lai suddenly became serious.
He stared straight into Chen Mo’s eyes and said, “I’ve been in this profession for nearly thirty years.”
“Mm-hmm?”
“Be serious!” Director Lai looked as though he was exasperated by a student who refused to live up to his potential. He continued, “I’ve seen thousands upon thousands of students graduate every year. Do you really think you got in because your parents stuffed money into the school’s pockets?”
Chen Mo put away his careless expression and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Your parents did indeed give the school a sum of money, but the school didn’t agree to let you into the experimental class entirely because of that.” Director Lai’s nostrils practically radiated scorn and arrogance. “Do you really think just anyone can get into the experimental class? The Xi family donated two buildings to the school, too. Does that make him a good-for-nothing?”
Chen Mo let out a mocking laugh at that comparison and got kicked by Director Lai.
Director Lai continued righteously, “Let’s not even talk about Xi Siyen. Just look at Sun Xiaoya, Gou Yiyang, Zhang Ju… These students are all promising talents the school has high hopes for. They’re expected to get into prestigious universities and become outstanding professionals in their respective fields in the future. Your grades and potential have been evaluated by the school. If your academic performance were truly terrible, even if your parents donated their entire fortune to the school, do you think I’d let you in here?!”
Chen Mo said, “Stop dreaming. The Yang family would never donate their entire fortune to the school.”
“Is that the point?!!!”
Director Lai’s shouting made Chen Mo’s ears ring.
He was so mentally exhausted that he didn’t even want to speak anymore.
What exactly was going on here?
In his previous life, he’d worked himself to the bone studying, yet the math teacher had accused him of cheating. The school had never said they’d admitted him because of his potential. The Yang family simply wanted him to put on the appearance of being a good student.
And now?
Now that he no longer wanted to work himself to the bone, they were insisting that he study hard?
Chen Mo pressed the corner of his eye and looked at Director Lai. “Don’t use moral pressure on me. You’re making it sound as if I’d be letting you down after all your good intentions, like I ought to smash my head against a wall and die.”
“Then can you make it into the top ten or not?”
“No.”
“You…!”
The sound of someone knocking on the door saved Director Lai from nearly exploding on the spot.
Xi Siyen swept his gaze around the office, then finally let it settle on Chen Mo’s face.
“Something wrong?” Chen Mo asked silently with a furrowed brow.
Xi Siyen said nothing. Instead, he stepped aside, revealing Yang Zhi standing behind him.
Chen Mo: “…”
Go to hell.
When that look reached Xi Siyen’s face, the person who had been caught in the crossfire simply ignored it and said to Director Lai, “Chen Mo’s family member is here.”
Yang Zhi stepped inside.
He was dressed in a formal suit, looking as though he’d just come from a meeting.
The school had still decided to notify Chen Mo’s family. It was just unclear why they hadn’t called Zhou Yaoqiong but instead summoned Yang Zhi, who always claimed to be swamped with work.
Yang Zhi glanced at Chen Mo, then extended his hand toward Director Lai. “Hello, Director Lai. I’m Chen Mo’s eldest brother.”
“Hello, hello.” Director Lai put on a smile again and exchanged a few pleasantries with him.
At that moment, Chen Mo looked at the person who had come to stand beside him.
“Did you call him?” Chen Mo frowned.
Xi Siyen glanced at him and said, “The school required that your family be notified. Since they were going to be notified anyway, I thought we might as well get someone who could understand the whole situation.” After a pause, he added, “The entire class heard me say I’d write a formal report for you. I have no interest in letting some irrelevant person turn around and throw it back in my face. I’d be very unhappy.”
Chen Mo always felt that Xi Siyen’s insults were downright nasty.
But he had no proof.
Besides, the more he interacted with him, the more Chen Mo suspected that the Xi Siyen he’d known in his previous life had been a fake.
His coldness was real, but he was hardly the noble, aloof gentleman he’d once imagined.
Less than a minute later, when he saw Bai Suxiu and Yang Shule enter through the doorway, Chen Mo’s mind was as still as stagnant water. He even had a feeling that this was exactly what he’d expected.
He just really wanted to ask Xi Siyen: Yang Zhi had probably come because this matter involved Yang Shule. What made Xi Siyen think Yang Zhi would actually listen to reason? That was his precious little brother.
“Brother?” Yang Shule, standing in the doorway, clearly hadn’t expected Yang Zhi to come.
His expression had been calm when he’d followed Bai Suxiu in. But upon seeing Yang Zhi, a trace of hesitation appeared on his face. Only then did he walk over to Yang Zhi and ask quietly, “Why are you here? What about Mom?”
“She wasn’t available today.”
As Yang Zhi said this, he glanced toward Chen Mo once more.
Chen Mo looked straight back at him coldly.
Just then, Director Lai spoke up. “Since everyone’s here, let’s get everything straightened out face-to-face and figure out exactly how to resolve this.”
“There’s no need to ask.” This time, it was Yang Shule who spoke. He first glanced at Xi Siyen standing beside Chen Mo, then turned toward Chen Mo. His tone carried a hint of stiffness and coldness as he said, “I’m the one who told Teacher Bai that you were changing answers on the podium.”
He said it as though he didn’t even care to hide it.
Chen Mo’s lips curled. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but he couldn’t stand that attitude of his. He sneered, “Why didn’t you say so when I asked in class? Did you take some medicine that made you mute? What a coward.”
Yang Shule clenched his hands and glared at him.
Yang Zhi frowned. “Chen Mo, can’t you speak properly?”
“That depends on who I’m talking to.” Chen Mo raised his eyes to look at him. “If you can’t stand it, the door’s right there. Turn left when you go out.”
“Director, just look at his attitude!” Bai Suxiu interjected at just the right moment. She continued directly, “I was the one who asked Yang Shule about it first. After all, the papers were very similar. He only said he’d seen it happen. He never directly accused Chen Mo of copying. And what about Chen Mo? When I questioned him in class, he refused to give an inch and insisted on arguing with me. And now he’s still being so aggressive!”
Chen Mo actually laughed.
“You call that questioning?”
“Why don’t I ask you something, then? Is your prejudice directed specifically at me, or do you simply look down on so-called poor students from the bottom of your heart?”
Bai Suxiu’s expression darkened. “Chen Mo, don’t be so unreasonable—”
“Teacher Bai.” Yang Zhi suddenly interrupted her.
As an adult man, he seemed to have the standing to speak to Bai Suxiu as an equal. Frowning, he asked, “I have a general understanding of what happened. Are you saying that, even now, you still believe and insist that Chen Mo copied someone else’s answers?”
Bai Suxiu was taken aback. She seemed to think of something and smoothed the hair at her temple.
When she spoke again, she said, “Since Chen Mo insists that he didn’t copy, I’m not going to force him to admit to something. How about this? I’ll prepare another set of questions. If he can score 130 points, we’ll put this matter to rest.”
Everyone looked at Chen Mo.
They waited for his answer.
Yang Zhi practically had the words That’s enough. Just agree to it written all over his face.
Yang Shule appeared to be watching coldly from the sidelines, but the trace of disdain in his eyes suggested that he was certain Chen Mo wouldn’t be able to score 130.
Bai Suxiu folded her arms, probably thinking that her proposal had been an act of tremendous generosity.
As for the other two—
Director Lai frowned, apparently deep in thought.
Xi Siyen’s eyes were calm and unreadable. Chen Mo admitted that, most of the time, he couldn’t understand him. Take this matter, for example. Xi Siyen had inserted himself into it, yet he hadn’t sided with Yang Shule.
During that suffocating moment of waiting, Chen Mo took in every expression around him.
Then he smiled and slowly opened his mouth.
“Why should I?”
Before anyone could change their expression, he continued, “Do I need to prove anything to you? Prove that I can get good grades? Or prove that I didn’t steal anything? So the person whose pants were pulled down has to prove their own innocence in the end? What, humiliating me once wasn’t enough, so you want to humiliate me again? And I’m supposed to be grateful for it?”
Seeing that he didn’t look the least bit agitated, and that there was even a trace of laziness in his tone, Director Lai didn’t know what to say.
And then there was Xi Siyen.
“You can use a different analogy.” His gaze dropped slightly. “Who would dare pull your pants down?”
Dead silence.
Chen Mo was really at a loss for words. He shot him a sideways glance. “You’re working pretty hard today to keep anyone from stepping on your face, huh?”
In the end, Director Lai made the final decision.
He rejected Bai Suxiu’s proposal.
At next month’s monthly exam, if Chen Mo failed to make it into the top ten in the grade, he would be transferred to an ordinary class.
Half an hour later, Chen Mo ran into Yang Zhi on the stairwell landing. Yang Zhi was walking out with Yang Shule.
Yang Shule was explaining himself to Yang Zhi, his tone somewhat aggrieved. “Teacher Bai asked me about it, so I just told her what happened. I didn’t lie. I didn’t expect things to blow up this much either. But, Brother, do you blame me for this?”
“Blame you for what?” Yang Zhi’s tone suggested he wasn’t surprised.
Yang Shule muttered, “If you want to scold me, just do it.”
Yang Zhi looked at him. “Shule, you never used to compete with people over such trivial things.”
At that point, they saw Chen Mo.
Yang Zhi stopped in his tracks.
“I’ll head back to the classroom first,” Yang Shule said before turning and leaving.
Yang Zhi looked at the person leaning against the wall.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s hot. I’m getting some air.”
“The driver said you’re not going home this weekend either?”
“Mm.”
“Chen Mo.” Yang Zhi’s brows finally drew together. He took a deep breath and, for reasons even he probably couldn’t explain, offered him an explanation. “Shule just has a childish temper. Don’t take it personally.”
Chen Mo looked at Yang Zhi, practically laughing in disbelief.
What kind of new way of targeting him was this?
“Which of your eyes saw me taking it personally with him?” Chen Mo asked. “Aren’t I the one who got dragged into this? Of course, if you’ve already decided that I’m jealous of him and copied his paper, then don’t use this humble, apologetic tone with me. It scares me.”
The person saying it scares me clearly didn’t look scared at all.
Yang Zhi really wanted to turn around and walk away.
But Chen Mo had stopped replying to his messages. He hadn’t heard Chen Mo call him “big brother” in a normal tone even once. And yet, several times, when he opened his phone, he found himself thinking about it.
“Did you turn in your phone?”
“No.”
“Then why don’t you reply when I message you?”
Chen Mo looked at him in confusion. “Do you need something?”
The atmosphere froze.
“If there’s nothing else, you can head back, big brother.” Chen Mo pointed toward the stairwell. “Take care. You’ve had a hard day. I assume you don’t need me to see you off?”
Yang Zhi gritted his teeth, the muscles at his temples twitching. “No need.”
Watching Yang Zhi walk away with an angry, practically smoking back, Chen Mo muttered, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Who are you cursing at?”
A lazy voice sounded from above.
Chen Mo raised his head and looked through the stairwell railing. Xi Siyen was standing on the floor above.
Chen Mo: “I wasn’t cursing at you. Happy now?”
Xi Siyen beckoned him with a finger, signaling for him to come upstairs.
Chen Mo got up and climbed the stairs. When he reached the office, he saw that Director Lai’s office was already empty.
He stepped away from the doorway and looked back at the person behind him. “Where is he?”
“He went to a meeting.”
“Then why did he tell me to wait here?”
Xi Siyen seemed to think about it for a moment before replying, “Maybe he was afraid he’d lose his temper and hit you, so in the end he decided to get someone else to do it.” Then he added, “Director Lai told me to cram you up to speed. You have to make sure you get into the top ten next month.”
Chen Mo abruptly raised his eyes. “You agreed?”
The class monitor gave him a chilling smile. “Do you think I wanted to?”
“Then give up.” Chen Mo’s tone was calm. “I won’t make it.”
“If I say you can make it, then you can. Unless you’re deliberately trying to fail.” Xi Siyen’s left hand rested against the back of Chen Mo’s head and pressed him forward slightly, gesturing. “See that? Fourth floor. Director Lai said if you don’t make it, he’ll take you and jump from here.”
Chen Mo turned around, and once again caught the faint scent of the other person’s body.
He said seriously, “Xi Siyen.”
“Mm?”
“Didn’t Director Lai say he’d take you?”
In fact, Lai Xianfu’s exact words had been: Weren’t you the one who encouraged him to write that report? You love watching the show, don’t you? Do you think I don’t know that your whole bunch in the experimental class has wanted to replace Teacher Bai for ages?!
Xi Siyen had replied matter-of-factly: She’s the one insisting on sticking to her outdated lesson plans. Isn’t it only natural that she’d be replaced?
Lai Xianfu had slammed the desk repeatedly. How arrogant! Every single one of you has no idea how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is!
Yet he hadn’t seemed genuinely angry.
Then he’d said: I can transfer Teacher Bai to an ordinary class. On one condition: you get Chen Mo into the top ten.
Xi Siyen: I can’t do that.
Director Lai: You can’t? Then why do you predict exam questions for people every year? If you can’t do it, I’ll jump off this building!
At that moment, Xi Siyen felt a slightly prickly, fuzzy sensation against his palm. The eyes that glanced back at him had their outer corners opened wide, no longer carrying their usual lazy droop. His emotions were clearly visible in them.
“He didn’t say he’d take me,” Xi Siyen said calmly.
Chen Mo: “Then that’s perfect. Why don’t we just let each other off the hook?”
The next second, Xi Siyen said in the most ordinary tone imaginable, “Too late. If you don’t make it into the top ten, I’ll send you down myself.”