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WFILIYCATU - Chapter 34
🕑 Added 2025-03-05 11:53:18 +0000 UTCThe teachers in the office were stunned, their faces full of disbelief.
They all taught the experimental class and knew how hard Chu Sheng had been working recently. How could Gu Xuejiao, who had been dividing her attention between studying and preparing for a competition, possibly match him? Many of them had thought her first-place result last time was purely luck. But this time, she ranked first again.
Was this still "luck"?
No. This was strength.
"Mr. Yin! Send the results to the group!" the head teacher of Class Two demanded, frowning.
He knew Chu Sheng. Chu Sheng was the most gifted student he had seen in his years of teaching the experimental class. With both talent and effort, he was destined to create a legend. But now, Gu Xuejiao had emerged as a competitor.
Could it be that Chu Sheng had underperformed this time? What was going on?
Yin Fang quickly sent the document to the group. Li Ping, the head teacher of Class Two, opened it immediately and began reading aloud:
"Name: Chu Sheng. Score: 729. Rank: 1."
"Name: Gu Xuejiao. Score: 729. Rank: 1."
"Name: Gu Shiyun. Score: 710. Rank: 3."
"Name: Shang Zhiyuan. Score: 708. Rank: 4."
The office fell silent.
The content of this test was more comprehensive than the last month's exam, and many students’ scores had dropped as a result. Li Ping considered 710 an exceptional score, yet the gap between third place and first was nearly 20 points.
And Gu Xuejiao...
When the scores were calculated, the decimals had been rounded, leaving Chu Sheng and Gu Xuejiao with identical scores. By alphabetical order, Chu Sheng's name was listed first. But in reality, Gu Xuejiao's total was 0.5 points higher.
She was the true first place.
"Gu Xuejiao..." Li Ping murmured, momentarily speechless.
Yin Fang, too, remained silent, lost in thought.
Finally, Teacher Yuan spoke up. "I like Gu Xuejiao very much. Her score must reflect real talent. The scores she and Chu Sheng achieved are practically the limit for high school."
Yin Fang, though secretly pleased, felt a twinge of shame. She had firmly believed that Gu Xuejiao couldn’t achieve first place this time. But here she was, proven wrong.
After a moment, Yin Fang adjusted her attitude and smiled.
"Well, it looks like we have a top student in our class. Mr. Li, when the college entrance examination comes, we’ll see who takes the prize money!" she said, her voice filled with new energy.
For teachers, it wasn’t just about the bonuses. It was about reputation. A teacher’s legacy was the students they nurtured—the "trees" they planted that would one day make the world take notice.
Until now, Yin Fang had been nearly resigned. Even though Gu Xuejiao had ranked first in the last exam, they had all dismissed it as a fluke. Chu Sheng had seemed unbeatable. But now... there was hope.
A flame of determination burned in Yin Fang's eyes, filled with fighting spirit.
"Mr. Yin, don’t get ahead of yourself," Li Ping said with a tight smile. "Chu Sheng is very consistent, while Gu Xuejiao’s foundation is still too thin."
In the past, Li Ping’s praise of Chu Sheng had been modest, but now that Gu Xuejiao had emerged as a serious competitor, he refused to inflate her accomplishments.
Yin Fang raised her chin and said confidently, "I’ll help her fill in the gaps and push her to excel. As long as she has the determination and works hard, no one can predict the future!"
The Chinese teacher sighed, closing the results sheet. "Honestly, as long as they do well, I don’t care who gets first place. They’re all my students, after all. But Teacher Yin, since you’ve already tallied the scores, can we get some rest now?"
The teachers in the office chuckled.
Monday Morning
When Gu Xuejiao arrived at school, the red list had already been posted.
As she approached the classroom, she felt everyone's eyes on her. The stares made her uneasy, and she subconsciously checked her clothes. Was something wrong?
Nothing seemed out of place. Feeling baffled, she sat in her seat, pulled out her study materials, and started reading.
"Pfft... pfft...," Yi Tianyu hummed as he dribbled a basketball, casually moving from the back of the classroom to his desk. Noticing the attention from other students, he glanced down at himself before leaning over to Xuejiao.
"Hey, nerd. Am I looking particularly handsome today? Why is everyone staring at me?"
Xuejiao ignored him.
"Jiaojiao!" Xi Junyang rushed over, his expression animated.
Sitting down in front of her, he clasped his hands to his chest dramatically. "Gu Xuejiao! You scored 729! Are you even human? First place again!"
"Pfft!" Yi Tianyu spat out the water he had just sipped, turning to stare at Xi Junyang. "How much?!"
"Seven hundred and twenty-nine!" Xi Junyang declared loudly.
Yi Tianyu froze, feeling as though the petite figure of Gu Xuejiao beside him had suddenly transformed into a towering mountain. For the first time, it felt like he needed to look up at her.
"Jiaojiao! Are you human? No, you’re a god!" Xi Junyang exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her in excitement.
Yi Tianyu immediately slapped Xi Junyang’s hands away. "Talk with your mouth, not your hands!"
"Yes, yes, my bad!" Xi Junyang raised his hands in mock surrender. "By the way, Brother Yu, you’ve made progress, too! You’re in the top 300 now—ranked 278! Good job!"
Yi Tianyu rolled his eyes, slumped over his desk, and groaned.
"The rankings are out?" Xuejiao asked, setting her pen down.
"Yeah, they’re on the bulletin board outside."
"I’ll go check," Xuejiao said, standing up.
Yi Tianyu immediately jumped up. "I’ll come too!"
Together, they headed to the bulletin board.
When Xuejiao’s gaze landed on the top of the list, she paused, staring at the names.
"Chu Sheng... 729."
Despite her efforts and the advantage of two extra years of knowledge, she had tied with him. This boy was truly formidable.
Looking at his name, Xuejiao felt her fighting spirit reignite.
"Gu Xuejiao."
She turned and saw Chu Sheng standing beside her.
"Hmm?"
"You should be ranked first. You scored 0.5 more than me," Chu Sheng said, adjusting his glasses politely.
He was tall, pale, and exceptionally refined.
Xuejiao smiled. "In the college entrance exam, 0.5 points could come down to luck. It’s the same."
Chu Sheng smiled back. "True. But next time, I’ll work even harder to surpass you."
"And I’ll work hard to stay ahead," Xuejiao replied confidently.
Their gazes met, an unspoken challenge crackling in the air.
Yi Tianyu, standing beside her, suddenly felt like a different species from the girl next to him. Her world seemed so far from his. She belonged to the elite—dedicated, disciplined, and destined for greatness.
Yi Tianyu bowed his head slightly, feeling a twinge of discouragement.
Does Xuejiao think the same? he wondered.
"I’m heading back to the classroom," Xuejiao said politely, nodding to Chu Sheng.
"Goodbye," Chu Sheng responded hastily.
Xuejiao took a few steps but then stopped and turned around. "Aren’t you coming?"
Yi Tianyu looked up, startled, and found her gazing at him with a curious expression. Her face, slightly tilted, was strikingly beautiful, almost breathtaking in its simplicity and purity.
"Ah! I’m coming!" Yi Tianyu’s gloomy mood vanished instantly as he rushed to catch up with her.
As he passed Chu Sheng, he lifted his head high, his chin raised slightly like a triumphant rooster. His expression seemed to say:
Look! Doing well in exams isn’t everything—it’s the handsome guys who win in life!
"Chu Sheng!" Gu Shiyun approached him with a gentle smile after Xuejiao and Yi Tianyu left.
"What’s the matter?" Chu Sheng asked, looking at her briefly.
"I wanted to ask about the last question on the physics test. I couldn’t figure out the solution. This kind of question is probably very easy for you..." Gu Shiyun patted her head lightly, her expression tinged with feigned distress.
Chu Sheng and Gu Shiyun were in the same class and often discussed academic problems together. Other students in the class admired their interactions but dared not join in, watching from a distance with envy and awe.
Some even whispered that Chu Sheng only entertained questions from Gu Shiyun, suggesting that her "goddess-like charm" had won him over.
Though Gu Shiyun didn’t like Chu Sheng romantically—her heart was set on Cheng Mingze—she enjoyed the envy her association with Chu Sheng brought her. The jealous looks from other girls fed her sense of superiority.
Finally, she was the one envied by others.
However, what she didn’t expect was Chu Sheng’s response. He shook his head and said firmly:
"You can look at my paper. If you need further explanation, ask the teacher. Gu Shiyun, I won’t be able to tutor you anymore. I need to focus all my energy on my studies now."
Without waiting for a reply, Chu Sheng turned and walked away briskly, clearly eager to return to the classroom.
"Chu Sheng...?" Gu Shiyun called after him weakly, but he was already out of sight.
Near the bulletin board, a crowd of students had gathered to check the newly posted results. The names of Chu Sheng, Gu Xuejiao, Yi Tianyu, and Gu Shiyun were naturally the focus of attention, as they were among the most influential figures in the grade.
Gu Shiyun overheard snippets of conversation:
"Chu Sheng wants to surpass Gu Xuejiao next time. He said he’ll work even harder!"
"And Gu Xuejiao is so diligent, too. I see her studying every time I look at her. Someone in Class One said she even listens to English tapes while walking!"
"What? English tapes? I thought she was just aloof!"
"Not at all! People in her class say she’s approachable and easy to talk to. She’s hardworking, too. No wonder her grades are so good!"
"Oh my God, can she leave some room for the rest of us? She’s smart, hardworking, and beautiful!"
"Yeah, and Chu Sheng and Yi Tianyu are both close to her!"
"Don’t forget Xi Junyang! The Class One monitor has a great relationship with her, too!"
"There’s no competing with her—she’s the real goddess!"
Someone nudged their friend and muttered, "Unlike... well, you know who."
"Shh! She’s right there. Let’s go before she hears us."
Gu Shiyun’s smile faltered, the gentleness on her face almost cracking. She clenched her phone tightly, her nails digging into her palm as she walked back to the classroom, step by step.
Cheng Mingjiao had stayed up late the night before, too excited to sleep. She barely made it to school in time for class. Upon arriving, she eagerly asked the students in front of her:
"Who ranked first this time?"
"It’s Chu Sheng," someone replied casually.
"Hahaha!" Cheng Mingjiao burst into laughter. She turned her gaze toward Gu Xuejiao, her expression dripping with mockery.
"So, you’re not so amazing after all, huh? How does it feel to lose the top spot to Chu Sheng? I bet your last score was pure luck—or maybe even cheating! Hahaha!"
