Chapter 53: 760

Li Wei instantly exploded. After all, Class 9 didn’t have anyone particularly outstanding. “Plagiarizing you? You got 760—that extra ten points were just dumb luck, like meat buns falling from the sky and knocking you stupid, weren’t they?”

After Li Wei spoke, the two began glaring at each other, their eyes full of hostility. Sparks were practically flying, and it looked like a fight was about to break out at any moment. Ms. Hua and the homeroom teacher of Class 9 noticed the commotion and immediately walked over. A girl nearby quickly warned them to stop arguing, as the teachers were approaching. They glanced back and, seeing it was true, didn’t want to cause any trouble that might get them called to the office and risk missing the annual sports meet. They reluctantly held back but couldn’t resist giving each other one last glare before turning away and pretending nothing had happened.

Although they shut their mouths in time, Chen Ciyi, who was standing in the very last row, heard every single word clearly. He was a bit speechless, but also somewhat moved. He suddenly realized that Li Wei wasn’t without any merits—at least his mouth was quite sharp and to the point!

Actually, Chen Ciyi heard the first sentence the moment that person spoke, but he didn’t pay much attention to it—just let out a disdainful scoff. He usually didn’t care much about what others said about him. After all, what others said about him didn’t define who he was. Besides, he preferred to shut people up with facts rather than engage in pointless arguments when he knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere. What a waste of energy!

Besides, fighting with people here is pointless. It’s like a lion encountering a tiny ant—not even worth eating, let alone caring about the ant’s provocation. One-sided bullying lacks challenge and just makes you seem like you’re picking on someone.

However, there was one point that really got through to him—the choice of university in the future. He had never really thought about it before, but now he suddenly realized that even Li Wei assumed he would choose Tsinghua or Peking University. If that was the case, then Hua Jie and the school’s expectations were even more obvious. After all, this was about the school’s reputation—why else would No. 8 High School go to such lengths to recruit him? Besides, he knew that as long as he didn’t take sleeping pills or something before the college entrance exam and oversleep, he would definitely get in. But the truth was, his goal wasn’t Tsinghua or Peking University. In fact, he would never go there—not in a million years.

Will they be disappointed if they find out?

The school must never have expected this!

Chen Ci chuckled.

But who cares about them? His life isn’t something others can dictate.

The principal didn’t linger too long, probably afraid of delaying the upcoming competitions. After all, the sports meet only lasted one day, and every scheduled event had to be completed without fail. For No. 8 High School, a school with generally average academic performance that strictly enforced college admission rates for reputation, nothing could be allowed to interfere with study time.

After the opening ceremony concluded, the preliminary rounds of various events immediately followed. All preliminaries were completed in the morning, with finals directly proceeding in the afternoon. Each class had already returned to their assigned seating areas, and the athletes, who had pinned their competition numbers to their clothes earlier in the morning, could now simply remove their school jackets and head straight to registration.

Class monitor Xu Jingjing organized the non-participating students to double-check the athletes’ numbers one by one before bringing out the cheerleading supplies—small clappers, megaphones, various bells, and pom-poms—all ready to go. The entire class was as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline. Only Xu Yannuo and Chen Ciyi quietly slipped away from the class lineup amid the lively start.

Xu Yannuo first wandered over to the library. The library was the farthest building from the stadium, and since nearly all the teachers and students were now at the stadium, the usually quiet library was even more silent than usual. The noisy opening ceremony that morning had been overwhelming—Xu Yannuo had stayed up late playing games at an internet café the night before and had been forced to stand on the field for over half an hour, listening to blaring music and speeches. Now, her head was buzzing as if about to explode, and all she wanted was to find a quiet place to be alone for a while.

She sat down on a bench beside the garden behind the library building, then leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes. The cool summer breeze gently blew, carrying a faint floral fragrance. It was quiet around her, with only the occasional chirping of birds. Compared to the noise from the sports field, this place felt peaceful and serene. Xu Yannuo fell asleep within minutes. When she woke up again, she took out her phone from her school uniform pocket, lit the screen, and checked the time—it was already half past ten, almost time for lunch. She stood up, her legs feeling a bit numb, but having had a comfortable nap, her mind felt much clearer than it had in the morning. The timing was just right. She planned to go back to the classroom to get her meal card and then head straight to the cafeteria for lunch, saving herself from having to queue up and rush during the crowded lunch break later.

Xu Yannuo walked toward the teaching building. When she returned to her classroom, she had assumed no one would be there. The entire hallway had been quiet as she came upstairs. Aside from the senior students on the top floor, the lower floors, where the freshmen and sophomores were, felt like an empty building.

The back door of the classroom was never locked. When Xu Yannuo pushed it open and entered, he found Chen Ciyi sitting at his own desk, head bowed as he wrote something. He was the only one in the entire class.

Xu Yannuo walked over. “You didn’t go to the sports meet either?”

Chen Ciyi didn’t respond, still focused on writing—probably working on a problem.

Xu Yannuo realized that although Chen rarely paid attention in class, there was a reason he still excelled academically. Once he entered a state of concentration, he became completely absorbed, almost oblivious to outside sounds. Unless you waved a pen in front of his face and blocked his writing, he wouldn’t even notice someone calling him.

Xu Yannuo sat back in her seat and rummaged through her schoolbag for her meal card. There was still plenty of time, so she propped her cheek on one hand, holding the meal card, and turned her head to look at Chen Ciyi. The classroom was empty now, and there were no girls crowding around the door to gawk at Chen Ciyi. She could openly stare at her deskmate as much as she pleased—however she wanted.

After becoming friends, Xu Yannuo realized that she actually quite enjoyed looking at Chen Ciyi. Perhaps there was some lingering emotion from that night, but more than anything, it was because Chen Ciyi was good-looking. He was strikingly handsome from the start, and the kind of good looks that grew more appealing the longer one looked—the type that was easy on the eyes.

As someone who appreciates good looks, and now that the two had turned their rivalry into friendship, she had let go of her annoyance and prejudice toward him, adding the appreciation of friendship into the mix. So, adhering to the facts—his face, height, and aura as her deskmate were truly a feast for the eyes. It was the kind of visual treat that never got old and always brought a sense of pleasure.

I have to admit, these little girls at school who like him really have good taste.

Xu Yannuo’s lips curled up with an auntie-like smile, unable to suppress a mental “tsk tsk” of admiration. Just as he was watching, Chen Ciyi seemed to have finished his test paper. Stretching lazily, Chen suddenly noticed a figure beside him—and this person appeared to be smiling at him.