Translated by: Queen Dei Mos
Novel Update Schedule: Sporadic
[dropdown title = Characters:]
Ji Bai – MC
Ji Feifei – MC’s older sister
Ji Mingzhi – MC’s father
Tao Jiazhi – MC’s mother
Old lady Ji – paternal grandmother – Ji Mingzhi’s mother
Xie Sui – ML
Cong Yuzhou – ML friend
Jiang Zhongning – ML friend
Ai Xiaoxiao – MC’s close friend
Xu Huan – MC’s close friend
Yin Xiaxia – MC’s close friend
Madam Cheng / Cheng Xiao – ML’s birth mother
Chen Zheyang – Childhood friend of MC and Ji Feifei
Chen Zhenheng – Principal of Dexin High School, Father of Chen Zheyang
Director Qin – Director of Academic Affairs
Lu Weiwei – Ex-girlfriend of Jiang Zhongning
Assistant Qin – Assistant of Old Lady Ji
Ji Jing – Cousin from Eldest Uncle (Brother of Ji Mingzhi)
Li Chen – Young master of the Li Group
[/dropdown]
you[mfn](Original Text): 您 – nín. (English): you – formal, courteous you.[/mfn] = formal speech
*Some words that are in bold were English in the original text
Xie Sui returned to his classroom, his mind filled with worries about passing the exam.
He had a history of scoring zero on every exam. The only time he didn’t was when he randomly filled out the answer sheet and miraculously got 24 points, which was already quite impressive. Apart from that one instance, he always handed in blank papers for every exam.
The reward was, of course, an unexpected surprise, but Xie Sui wasn’t doing it solely for that reason. He didn’t want to let Ji Bai down, as if he were truly hopeless, like mud that couldn’t stick to the wall—who could never amount to anything, even with his best efforts.
But his foundation was so weak that it was almost impossible for him to catch up all at once.
A few boys in the back of the class were huddled together in hushed conversation, clearly up to something. Xie Sui sat down and continued to read his English book. Before long, Cong Yuzhou mysteriously beckoned Jiang Zhongning, Xie Sui, and a few others to join him.
“Here’s a freshly made answer sheet for the English multiple-choice questions. It’s completely accurate, so it’s a good idea to memorize it. The exam starts in an hour, so memorize as much as you can.”
Jiang Zhongning snatched the cheat sheet and looked at it. He incredulously said, “Where did you get this?”
“Qin Xiao and his gang were selling it. Laozi bought it at a high price. Apparently, they broke into the English teacher’s office last night and swiped the answer sheet.”
“Really? I don’t buy it.” Jiang Zhongning was skeptical, “It better not be a scam.”
“They even took photos of themselves breaking into the office to get the answers. I only paid after seeing the photos, so I can guarantee it’s totally legit.”
“Fine, I’ll take one. Who cares if it’s real or not, it’s better than nothing. Laozi can’t understand a single English word anyway.”
The boys began copying the cheat sheet.
“I’m telling you guys, don’t be stupid and copy everything. If you get caught, you’re done for. Just aim for a passing grade, alright!”
Cong Yuzhou was very worried about these idiots.
“Okay, we’ll do as you say.”
They were all old foxes[mfn](Original Text): 老油条 – lǎo yóu tiáo. (English): Old fox. Meaning/Purpose: A person who is very experienced, street-smart, or shrewd, often implying a person who knows how to handle situations with ease, sometimes in a cunning or slippery way. Proficient in cheating[/mfn] in taking exams, the boys knew exactly what to do.
Xie Sui swept a glance at them, and reminded them with a hint of caution in his voice, “Don’t get caught.”
This wasn’t as simple as bringing in cheat sheets or peeking at the answers of the student in front. Cheating by copying the answers for the exam was a much more serious offense.
“Brother Sui, aren’t you going to copy?” Cong Yuzhou put the answers in front of Xie Sui, “You’ve studied so hard for so long, even if you don’t look at it while doing the exam, you can check your answers afterwards. Get a high score and make Ji Bai happy.”
Xie Sui’s gaze fell on the thin piece of paper in front of him, where neatly arranged answers were written in the most perfect English.
Even if he didn’t look at it while answering the questions and only checked the answers afterward without making any corrections, it wouldn’t really seem like a problem.
At least he would know if he passed or not.
Xie Sui hesitated for only a few seconds before looking away. “Forget it, I don’t want it.”
Memorizing the answers would inevitably influence him while doing the exam, and he didn’t want that. Ji Bai spent her free time helping him with English every day, and he didn’t want her efforts to be wasted. He wanted to rely on his own strength to take the exam, even if he didn’t pass. At least, it would be his true score.
It wasn’t a good thing to begin with, so Cong Yuzhou didn’t try to persuade Xie Sui further.
The English exam lasted two and a half hours. After finishing, Xie Sui’s brain had completely turned into paste.
This was the first time he had ever so carefully broken down each question on the exam paper, translating and reading them in detail.
However, the consequence of doing so was that he didn’t finish the exam. He ran out of time for the essay.
So, Xie Sui wasn’t confident about his English exam. Unsure if he could pass, he felt restless as he walked out of the school gates. From a distance, he spotted the girl standing under the sycamore tree, her bike in hand, waiting for him.
“How did it go? Did you do well?”
The girl’s forehead was dotted with sweat, her cheeks flushed. She seemed more nervous than he was.
Xie Sui didn’t reply, but lifted her face and carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead with his sleeve, nonchalantly murmuring, “I should pass without question. Should I claim my reward in advance?”
Xie Sui leaned closer to her and pointed to his cheek.
Ji Bai smiled and pushed him away, “We’ll see after the results.”
Xie Sui smoothly took Ji Bai’s pink and white bicycle, got on, and slowly pedaled along beside her under the sycamore trees.
“Moved back?”
“Yeah.”
“Is your family not treating you well?”
Ji Bai hesitated and said, “No.”
She never told anyone about the situation at home. Even though others knew she had an odd older sister, they were unaware of the extent to which her parents favored one child over the other.
Ji Bai was determined to keep these things from Xie Sui.
“Laozi feels something’s not right.” Xie Sui looked at her suspiciously, “If your family isn’t treating you well, you have to tell me.”
“No, you’ve met my grandma. She’s very good to me.”
Xie Sui nodded, feeling a bit reassured by Ji Bai’s words. After a long pause, Ji Bai jokingly asked, “If I told you, what would you do? You can’t just go and beat up my family, okay?”
Xie Sui shook his head, “You said fists don’t solve anything. I remember.”
“Hmm?”
So obedient.
“But I would take you away.”
Ji Bai froze and looked up at him. Xie Sui, with a slightly furrowed eyebrow, gazed at the blood-red sunset in the distance and said calmly, “I will take you away.”
Ji Bai laughed, “Where would you take me?”
“Don’t know.”
He was very serious, not joking at all, “I can definitely support you. I won’t let you go through any hardships.”
The smile slowly slipped from Ji Bai’s lips, replaced by a more serious expression.
If Xie Sui had said “I will take you away” so earnestly in her previous life,
Maybe she would have followed him and none of the subsequent events would have happened. Xie Sui wouldn’t have been hurt, and Ji Bai wouldn’t have died.
But back then, Ji Bai didn’t even know Xie Sui.
So, the twists and turns of life were truly unpredictable. Since fate had given her a chance to be reborn, she would do her best to correct the mistakes she made in her previous life and make up for her regrets.
“Xie Sui, I’ll remember your words. If someday I’m tired, or don’t want to live this way anymore, you have to take me away and earn money to support me. You can’t go back on your word, okay?”
Xie Sui was taken aback for a moment, then firmly nodded, “I promise you.”
That was the first promise that the young man had ever made, and he carefully placed it in the deepest part of his heart, cherishing it dearly.
**
After a few days, the midterm exam results started coming out one by one.
To everyone’s surprise, Xie Sui didn’t submit blank papers as he had in the past. Instead, he actually answered the exams seriously. Especially in the Chinese literature and language exam, not only did he complete the reading comprehension, but he also wrote a solid eight hundred-character essay. Although the writing style was far from elegant, it was at least coherent and clear, with no spelling mistakes.
He got 95 out of 150 on the Chinese exam! He passed!
The boys passed Xie Sui’s exam paper around, their eyes wide with astonishment. They were almost ready to kneel down and worship him.
The distance from zero points to 95 points was just the difference between actually taking the time to carefully complete every question on the exam.
“Brother Sui, you’re amazing.” Cong Yuzhou leaned closer to Xie Sui, holding his paper, and whispered, “How did you cheat like this? Even for Chinese literature and language, you got such a high score! This technique is top-tier!”
Xie Sui gave him a cold glance, snatched the paper back, and carefully tucked it into his book. He was going to show it to Xiao Bai after school.
Jiang Zhongning came over and hooked his arm around Cong Yuzhou’s neck, “ “Cheat your sister. Brother Sui does every exam on his own, alright!”
“Are you serious?”
“He did well on the exam because he’s planning to go claim his reward from Xiao Bai.”
“So this is the magic of love spinning us in circles.”
Xie Sui stood up to get a drink and kicked Cong Yuzhou’s butt, “Spinning your mother, get out of laozi’s way!”
Just then, the homeroom teacher walked in with a serious expression, calling out sternly to the rowdy boys in the back, “Qin Xiao, step outside!”
Qin Xiao followed the homeroom teacher to the office, his face pale. Cong Yuzhou and the others exchanged glances, a growing sense of unease rising in their hearts.
The next class was English, and the English teacher asked the class monitor to distribute the exam papers.
Everyone in the class received their exam papers, including Jiang Zhongning. Only Xie Sui, Cong Yuzhou, and a few others hadn’t received theirs.
Most of those who didn’t get their papers were the boys who had bought the English answers from Qin Xiao. Cong Yuzhou’s heart sank as he glanced at Jiang Zhongning’s paper, which showed a tragic score of 38, completely in line with his usual performance.
“No way, you only got 38?”
Jiang Zhongning replied honestly, “The answers you gave me couldn’t be brought into the exam room. As soon as Laozi sat down, didn’t remember a single one, so I just wrote whatever came to mind.”
Cong Yuzhou forced a grin, “Are you really that dumb that you can’t even remember the answers I gave you.”
Jiang Zhongning scratched his head, “You better…worry about yourself. I have a feeling this is going to end badly.”
Cong Yuzhou was genuinely terrified now. Seeing that several boys who had bought the answers didn’t receive their papers and that Qin Xiao had been called to the office, it was clear that their scheme had been exposed.
“Hey, that doesn’t make sense. Brother Sui didn’t cheat, why didn’t he get his paper either?”
Jiang Zhongning shrugged, looking puzzled.
Xie Sui furrowed his eyebrows.
Soon, the English teacher walked into the classroom with a stern expression and said sarcastically, “The average score in English for your class this time is almost higher than that of the honors class. Quite a feat.”
The boys in the back row glanced at each other, knowing they were in deep trouble. Sure enough, they had been caught red-handed.
“Some of your scores are inconsistent with your usual performance. These students’ papers have been withheld by your homeroom teacher. Doing poorly on an exam isn’t shameful—but do you know what is?”
A heavy silence fell over the classroom, and no one dared to answer her question.
“What’s shameful is taking credit for achievements that aren’t your own!”
“Do you think you’re so great just because you got high scores? In my opinion, you’re not even as good as those who score zero. At least they’re honest!” The English teacher was clearly furious. “I can’t manage you all. If you have any questions, go and explain to your homeroom teacher.”
She took out a blank exam paper, “Now, I’m going to go over some typical mistakes you guys made on the exam.”
A loud bang came from the back of the classroom as Xie Sui pushed his desk forward slightly. Leaning back against his chair, he lifted his dark eyes and stared coldly at the English teacher——
“Where is my paper?”
The English teacher felt uneasy under his stare, her face was stiff as she said, “As I said, the papers of those who cheated are with your homeroom teacher.”
Cong Yuzhou immediately stood up and said, “Teacher, we admit we cheated, but Xie Sui didn’t! Why was his paper also taken away by the homeroom teacher?”
The English teacher sneered, “For someone who always submits blank papers and scores zero, do you think passing is that easy? No one will believe you didn’t cheat!”
“Brother Sui passed English?”
“Fuck! He actually passed!”
“Fucking awesome!”
……
The boys started chattering among themselves. The English teacher slammed the podium hard, “Quiet! What are you all talking about! Passing by cheating isn’t something to be proud of! That’s pathetic. If you’re not convinced, go talk to your homeroom teacher. Don’t disrupt my class!”
Xie Sui actually felt a sense of relief in his heart.
Regardless of what others thought, at least…he could say he had lived up to his efforts over these past days and hadn’t let down Xiao Bai for the time and dedication she had given him.
Right now, all he wanted to do was rush to Xiao Bai and tell her that he wasn’t worthless, that he could become excellent, as long as she…was willing to believe in him.
**
In the office, a row of boys stood in front of the homeroom teacher’s desk, their heads hung low in shame.
The homeroom teacher of Class 19 was named Zhao Deyang, a diligent man in his forties who had been working tirelessly on the front lines of education. He had started balding early, and now his hair was thinning even more. It seemed like his bald spot was growing larger every day, so even in summer, he always wore a hat.
Many students secretly say that Zhao Deyang’s baldness was the result of his bad temper.
He slammed a stack of exam papers heavily on the desk, making several boys’ hearts jump.
“Cheating by copying the answers! Doing such a thing is bad enough! Do you guys even realize what you’ve done right now?! It’s stealing! If this weren’t a school, such behavior is a crime that would land you in the police station!”
The boys grumbled, “We bought the answers. It’s not like we stole them.”
“Didn’t you steal these scores?” Zhao Deyang unfolded each boy’s exam paper one by one. “Cong Yuzhou, 98 points; Li Xingzhe, 117; He Rui, 104…What did you score in the English exam last time? Cong Yuzhou, did you even reach 40 points?”
Cong Yuzhou thought about it and realized he hadn’t. Last time, he had only scored 27 points.
The boys rubbed their noses. They had dug their own graves and had nothing to say for themselves.
Standing at the end, Xie Sui suddenly spoke up, “What did I get?”
The homeroom teacher glared at him fiercely, digging out Xie Sui’s paper from under the crumpled stack, “You cheated, and you don’t even know your score?”
A glaring 90 in bright red stood out in the total score section at the top left of the answer sheet.
Just enough to pass.
Xie Sui felt a mix of joy and regret. While he was glad to have passed, he was one point short of the reward Xiao Bai had offered.
What a pity
Mockingly, the homeroom teacher said, “Xie Sui, you’re quite something. Not a point more, not a point less, you cheated just enough to pass, a precise calculation. Unlike the rest of you, who couldn’t even cheat properly and still got such high scores. Who would believe you?”
Xie Sui’s voice turned cold, “I didn’t cheat.”
“Hah, who would believe you?”
“I don’t care if you believe it or not, laozi didn’t cheat. Give me back my paper.”
Without a word, Xie Sui snatched the exam paper right out of the homeroom teacher’s hand.
“Are you trying to destroy the evidence?!” The homeroom teacher got up and pointed at him, “Let me tell you, this cheating incident will have grave consequences. The whole school will be notified!”
Xie Sui walked out of the office with his paper.
The homeroom teacher roared angrily after him, “Xie Sui, you had the guts to cheat but not the guts to admit it. Let me tell you, this cheating incident will go on your permanent record. This shame will follow you for the rest of your life!”
Pausing at the office door, Xie Sui suddenly spun around, his dark eyes glinting with a fierce intensity. In a low, menacing tone, he said——
“I’ll say it again. I didn’t cheat.”
**
Later that afternoon, the school made a public announcement listing the names of students involved in the cheating incident.
Ji Bai was concentrating on correcting mistakes on her math exam paper when she heard the broadcast announce the name “Xie Sui”. The lead of the pencil in her hand snapped!
The stern voice of the academic affairs director came through the speakers, “Cheating is a shameful act. We hope all students will learn from this! Once caught by the school, serious consequences will follow. We do not allow such dishonest behavior to spread in our school.”
Excited chatter broke out among the surrounding students——
“The average score for English in Class 19 almost caught up to ours. It turns out half the boys in that class cheated.”
“Apparently, someone from Class 19 broke into the office and stole the answer sheet.”
“Dang! Who the hell was that badass?!”
“It must be Xie Sui. Who else could it be? Didn’t he sneak into the surveillance room and steal the video last time?”
“How does he manage to steal everything? With those skills, he could have been an infamous pirate in ancient times.”
Ji Bai clenched her pencil so hard that her fingertips turned pale.
Just then, she received a text from Xie Sui——
“Meet me on the rooftop.”
After a few seconds of hesitation, Ji Bai stood up and walked swiftly out of the classroom.
On the rooftop, Xie Sui’s tall and straight figure stood against the light. He was standing on the steps, looking up slightly.
The sunlight gradually sank into the thick clouds, casting a golden rim along the layers of clouds.
Jiang Zhongning stood beside him and said, “Brother Sui, don’t worry. Xiao Bai will be here soon, and we’ll help you explain.”
“It’s useless to explain. Even the teachers don’t believe us. Do you think others will?”
“If you didn’t cheat, you didn’t cheat. This is too unfair!”
Xie Sui checked the time. Half an hour had already passed, and she still hadn’t come.
A sudden gust of wind blew past. Xie Sui pressed the cigarette butt against the wall, leaving a dark smudge.
He thought that with enough effort, he could climb out of the mud. How naive. The filth he carried was so deeply ingrained that no amount of scrubbing could wash it away!
He had hoped to stand by her side, but he brought her nothing but stains instead of honor.
Xie Sui put out the cigarette and headed straight down from the rooftop.
“Xie Sui, where are you going?”
“Boxing arena.”
“I thought you were done with that.”
“Done, then are you going to fucking give laozi money to use?”
Jiang Zhongning saw the return of the fierce and sharp glint in Xie Sui’s narrow eyes.
As Xie Sui made his way down the stairs and into the hallway, he could feel the sidelong glances from students in the other classrooms. They were whispering about him.
Like watching a joke.
Did he really think that putting on a show of studying would make him a better person? Someone like him—who’s beyond help—actually wanted to be a good student?
He didn’t deserve it.
He would never deserve to stand by her side.
Xie Sui went to his classroom and took his black bag. With no intention of returning for the remaining classes, he walked out. The English exam paper with the score of 90 floated out from the bag.
He grabbed the paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
Fuck, don’t need it.
At the homeroom teacher’s office, Cong Yuzhou and several other boys involved in the incident were still inside. It seemed like their parents were going to be called in.
Xie Sui strode past the office, ignoring it, but a crisp voice, like a drop of water that fell on a leaf, caught his attention——
“There’s no way Xie Sui cheated.”
Xie Sui abruptly stopped and glanced toward the office. Through the slightly open door, he saw the girl standing by the table, the sunlight casting a glow against her profile, illuminating the strands of hair over her forehead with a translucent shimmer.
Ji Bai’s cheeks were slightly red as she anxiously pulled out a notebook from her backpack, filled with densely written English words.
“Teacher, I can prove it. These are all the scratch papers Xie Sui has used recently.” She handed the papers to the homeroom teacher, Zhao Deyang. “I’ve been tutoring Xie Sui, and he’s been studying really hard.”
Zhao Deyang took the notebook and flipped through a few pages. He recognized the scrawling handwriting, it was indeed Xie Sui’s.
“But this doesn’t prove that Xie Sui didn’t cheat.” Zhao Deyang frowned, rolling up the notebook and pointing to the row of boys standing against the wall, “These guys always hang out with Xie Sui. They’ve already admitted to cheating. Birds of a feather flock together. Even if you say Xie Sui didn’t cheat, who would believe it?”
Cong Yuzhou quickly defended, “Brother Sui really didn’t cheat. He’s been studying really hard lately. He used to disdain cheating even for homework, let alone exams.”
“That’s just him being lazy.” Zhao Deyang scoffed, turning to look at Ji Bai. “Someone like Xie Sui? Getting him to study properly would be like waiting for the sun to rise in the west.”
The hand hidden in Ji Bai’s sleeve was clenched tightly, and her body couldn’t help but tremble. “What right do you have…to say that?”
“I didn’t say anything wrong. Some people just can’t be helped.”*
Ji Bai’s eyes flashed with barely suppressed rage, her voice a low, strained whisper. “Xie Sui is not hopeless.”
“Late to class, leaves early, fights, skips school – and that’s not even the worst of it! Now he’s even cheating and stealing? What’s he supposed to be, then, if not a completely hopeless case?”
“He…” The girl bit her lower lip hard, turning it a pale shade of pink “He’s just…”
Seeing Ji Bai lower her head, unable to speak, Zhao Deyang said earnestly, “You’re in Class One, right? I advise you to stop associating with someone like Xie Sui, let alone tutor him. It’s a waste of time.”
Ji Bai looked up sharply, staring at Zhao Deyang. She repeated with unwavering determination, “Xie Sui didn’t cheat. If you don’t believe me, I’ll go to the academic affairs office. If they don’t believe me, I’ll go to the principal’s office. If none of you believe me, I’ll tell every student I meet until someone does!”
Even if the whole world thought he was no good, he was good to Ji Bai, and that’s all that mattered to her.
Outside the door, the young man stood with his back against the wall, his heart pounding violently with every breath.
Zhao Deyang eyed Ji Bai suspiciously, his brow furrowed. “I see, are you two…?
Before he could finish his sentence, the young man suddenly burst through the door.
“I have a way to prove myself. I didn’t cheat.”
He walked to the girl’s side, gently pulled her behind him, and said, his voice rising, “The English exam, I can retake it.”
“What kind of trick are you trying to pull now?”
“Teacher Zhao, give me a chance.”
Zhao Deyang looked at Xie Sui in astonishment. It was the first time he had ever heard him address someone as “teacher”.
“Are you serious? You want to retake the exam?”
“Yes.”
As Ji Bai looked up at Xie Sui, she saw a glint of unwavering resolve and quiet determination in the depths of his eyes.
Zhao Deyang called the English teacher over and found a brand new exam paper for Xie Sui, but it wasn’t the same one.
The English teacher still suspected Xie Sui had memorized the answers, so obviously, they couldn’t use the original exam.
Ji Bai and a few other boys were ushered out of the room. They pressed against the window, watching Xie Sui as he worked on the exam. The English teacher and the homeroom teacher watched him closely as he answered the questions, not taking their eyes off him for even a minute.
Xie Sui glanced at Ji Bai, quirked his lips in a small smile, and gestured for her to relax.
Ji Bai remained worried and didn’t return to class, staying outside the office the whole time.
The English teacher observed Xie Sui carefully, as he painstakingly broke down each sentence, translated the words, and finished two reading comprehension questions, and was astonished to see he was getting them right with impressive accuracy.
He and the homeroom teacher exchanged a glance, their faces clearly showing their disbelief.
Did the sun really rise from the west?
Naturally, he didn’t complete the exam, but after just an hour, Xie Sui was let out of the office.
Having been glued to the window, Ji Bai rushed over, pulled him to a quiet corner on the stairs, and asked, her voice filled with worry, “How did it go? Do the teachers believe you now?”
Xie Sui stretched his neck, the lines of his muscles distinct, and said, “Guess?”
Ji Bai gave his arm a light swat. “Stop stalling! Tell me already!”
Xie Sui placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled. “I got all three reading comprehension questions right. They have no reason to doubt me anymore.”
Relief washed over Ji Bai, making her feel like her bones were turning to jelly. She leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down, hugging her knees.
Noticing something was off with her, Xie Sui sat down beside her and reassured, “They believe me, it’s alright, Xiao Bai.”
Ji Bai pressed her lips into a tight line, buried her face in her knees, and her body gave a slight shudder.
She was crying.
Xie Sui felt his insides churn. He reached out with his large hand to gently pat her back.
“Xiao Bai…”
Ji Bai suddenly reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely.
Xie Sui’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked down and saw the girl holding him tightly around the shoulders, her face buried in the crook of his neck.
He could even feel her warm breath and the gentle touch of her tears…
“I don’t know…”
Her voice, choked with tears, trembled with emotion as she said, “I don’t know what to say to make them believe you. I know you’re not…that kind of person…”
Xie Sui’s hand, which had been gently patting her back, suddenly paused.
I know you’re not that kind of person.
Xie Sui had never felt any meaning in living, but in this moment, as the girl cried helplessly against his shoulder, he felt for the first time that life was worth something.
She would smile at him, and also cry for him. She would playfully hit him when she was angry, and she cared for him deeply…
She was his entire world.
T/N:
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