After the conclusion of the national competition, the third-year high school students faced their first monthly exam.
The homeroom teachers of each class took it very seriously—even Zhong Ziang, who had been hospitalized for more than half a month, had returned.
His leg was out of the splint, and he could walk normally.
When Jiang Fuyue saw him in the cafeteria, he was sitting with Yu Jiaze, eating while seemingly engaged in an argument. Both of their expressions looked unpleasant.
Just as Jiang Fuyue approached, Yu Jiaze stood up and left behind a cold remark: “…I won’t believe you.”
Then, he strode away, brushing past her.
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow and took a seat across from Zhong Ziang. “Your leg’s better?”
Zhong Ziang’s gloomy mood lifted instantly upon seeing her, his eyes lighting up. “It’s been fine for a while! If Old Meng hadn’t dragged me back for the exams, I could’ve stayed in the hospital a few more days, haha…”
Jiang Fuyue watched him with his “slacking-off-and-loving-it” expression and suddenly asked, “Which university do you want to go to?”
“Huh?” Wasn’t that a bit of a jump in topics?
It was the first time anyone had asked Zhong Ziang this question. His family took care of him, sure, but they had never worried about whether he’d get into college.
“I… never really thought about it.” He scratched his head.
“You should start thinking,” Jiang Fuyue said.
Zhong Ziang was momentarily stunned.
That afternoon was the math exam.
Right on the thirty-minute mark, Jiang Fuyue turned in her paper—down to the exact second, not a moment early or late. It was as if she had finished long ago and was just counting down the time to submit it.
How considerate of her.
Everyone else: “…” Speechless.
At this point, every invigilator at No. 1 High School, regardless of grade or subject, whether they had personally supervised her before or not, knew about the third-year genius girl. She had won double gold medals with full marks in academic competitions and had rejected guaranteed admissions from both Q University and B University. She also had a habit of handing in her exams early.
Over time, the teachers stopped being surprised and collected her papers without hesitation. Gone were the days when they worried she might have rushed or missed something and tried to persuade her to check her work again.
Xu Jing asked her how she felt about it.
Jiang Fuyue: “The first time is new, the second time you get used to it.”
Xu Jing: “…”
The next morning was the science exam, followed by the English exam in the afternoon. Once again, Jiang Fuyue submitted her papers ahead of time.
While walking in the corridor, Meng Zhijian spotted her and sighed softly, “You’re quite carefree, but do you know how much pressure you’re putting on the other students?”
Jiang Fuyue: “Not much, actually—there are only about thirty people in the exam room with me.”
“…” Hard to argue with that.
—
After the monthly exams, Saturday arrived, and everyone finally got to relax.
Previously, Zou Hao had lost a bet and had to treat the entire Olympiad math class to a KTV night, covering all drinks and snacks. This weekend, he finally made good on his promise.
In the large private room, more than twenty students, both boys and girls, gathered.
Zou Hao clutched the microphone tightly, singing along to the music with an ear-piercing wail.
“…Such a painful realization~ You were my everything~”
“Hahahaha! Zou Hao, are you a comedy act sent by the Monkey King? This is hilarious!”
“You should become a comedian—you’ll definitely be a hit!”
After the song, Zou Hao was finally ready for a break. But as soon as he set the mic down, someone grabbed it and shoved it into Ling Xuan’s hands.
“Come on, school grass, sing us a song!”
The moment the crowd started hyping it up, the atmosphere surged.
“We’ve never heard him sing before—this is a once-in-a-lifetime event!”
“One song! One song!”
“One song!”
The whole room was in an uproar.
Ling Xuan couldn’t decline and stood up gracefully, immediately earning a round of applause.
He selected a song, glanced over the crowd, and smiled. “I’m not a professional—just doing my best.”
“If you sing, we’ll cheer!”
“We’re already recording this!”
“We can sell the video to all the fangirls in our grade on Monday—think of the profit!”
“You’re obsessed with money, aren’t you?”
“…”
Soon, the intro started playing—a soft, soothing melody filled with nostalgic charm.
It was a classic old song.
Ling Xuan’s gaze landed on a particular spot in the audience, and then he slowly began to sing—
“The Moon Represents My Heart”
“You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much do I love you…
…
The moon represents my heart…”
—
“Why did the school grass pick this song?”
“Feels like something only our grandparents’ generation would like.”
“Classics never go out of style, you know?”
“Wait, why do I feel like Ling Xuan has been staring at Sister Yue this whole time?”
“For real? Now that you mention it… he really is looking in that direction.”
“There have been rumors in our grade that Ling Xuan secretly has a crush on Sister Yue.”
“Eh? But I heard a different version—that Sister Yue has a crush on the school grass.”
“That version is outdated! Trust me, if Sister Yue so much as beckons, Ling Xuan would turn into her devoted puppy in seconds.”
“Just listen to the lyrics, look at his eyes, feel his tone—if you tell me Ling Xuan isn’t interested, I wouldn’t believe it even if you beat me up!”
As the song ended, thunderous applause filled the room.
Ling Xuan set down the microphone and walked toward Jiang Fuyue.
But before he could reach her, she suddenly stood up. “I need to use the restroom.”
Without waiting for a response, she left the private room.
Chen Cheng blinked. “Isn’t there a restroom inside?”
Of course, the restroom was just an excuse.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t go. Instead, she stepped outside the KTV, standing on the steps to get some fresh air.
Before long, the sound of footsteps approached from behind.
Ling Xuan had followed her out.
Seeing her silhouette, he hesitated for a moment before stepping forward again.
He stopped beside Jiang Fuyue, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
Instead of looking at her, his gaze was fixed in the distance.
“I saw it,” he said. “You and my dad…”
Jiang Fuyue immediately understood. No wonder Ling Xuan had been avoiding her lately.
After the competition ended, the Olympiad class was suspended. Since they weren’t in the same homeroom, their chances of running into each other were already low.
Whenever they did cross paths in the cafeteria, Ling Xuan would turn and leave—like she was the plague or something.
So this was why…
Ling Xuan asked, “How do you know my dad?”
What he really wanted to ask was—what’s your relationship with him?
But at the last second, he hesitated.
Something told him that if he asked outright, there was a chance that he and Jiang Fuyue wouldn’t even be able to remain friends.
Jiang Fuyue knew exactly what was on his mind. “If you have doubts, you can ask Ling Qingzhou directly. He’ll give you a proper answer.”
Ling Xuan was stunned.
She had spoken his father’s full name without hesitation. If there was something improper between them, wouldn’t she be more cautious?
Besides, her expression had been perfectly natural—not a trace of nervousness, let alone guilt. In fact, there was even a hint of sharpness and confidence in her demeanor.
No matter how he looked at it, she did not seem like someone involved in an illicit relationship.
Ling Xuan exhaled, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.
Thinking back on all his baseless doubts and turmoil, he suddenly felt ridiculous.
“Alright, I’ll ask him when I get home.”
“Mm.”
Ling Xuan’s eyes flickered. “Actually, that song just now…”
“It’s getting late. I have something to take care of, so I’ll head out first. Let them know for me when you go back in.”
“…Okay.”
Ling Xuan stood where he was, watching her walk away, a sense of emptiness settling over him.
Jiang Fuyue planned to go home, taking a shortcut past the back gate of No. 1 High School. She figured she might as well stop by a shop on the way.
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out—
“How many times do I have to say it? It wasn’t me!”
The voice sounded familiar.
Jiang Fuyue turned and followed the sound.
Yu Jiaze sneered. “If it wasn’t you, then who? Would a murderer ever admit to being a murderer?”
“Believe it or don’t—I don’t care!”
“Stop right there—”
“Yu Jiaze, I’ve been tolerating you, but don’t push your luck!”
“Oh? You tolerate me because you’re guilty, aren’t you?”
Zhong Ziang exploded. “Guilty, your sister!”
The last words seemed to be the final straw, igniting all the anger Yu Jiaze had been suppressing.
The next second, they were throwing punches.
Suddenly—
“Looks like I walked in at a bad time?”
A teasing voice came from five meters away.
Standing under the streetlight, Jiang Fuyue smirked.
Both of them froze.
A flicker of panic flashed through Zhong Ziang’s eyes. That split-second distraction was all Yu Jiaze needed—
Using his momentum, Yu Jiaze flipped Zhong Ziang to the ground.
Thud!
A heavy impact. A muffled groan of pain.
Just as Yu Jiaze was about to punch Zhong Ziang in the face, a slender hand intercepted his fist.
Startled, he looked up and met Jiang Fuyue’s calm, indifferent gaze.
She spoke, her tone steady. “Yu Jiaze, that’s enough.”
A ruthless smirk played on Yu Jiaze’s lips. But after locking eyes with her for a moment, he slowly withdrew his hand.
Standing straight, he looked down at Zhong Ziang, emphasizing each word: “We’re not done. Next time.”
Zhong Ziang cursed under his breath, probably calling him a lunatic or something.
Yu Jiaze turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.
Jiang Fuyue nudged Zhong Ziang with her foot. “How long are you planning to lie there? Not worried about the dirt?”
“Hey! I just got beaten up, and now you’re kicking me too?!”
“Get up.”
“No.”
Jiang Fuyue: “…”
“Unless you pull me up.”
“Then keep lying there.” She turned and left.
Zhong Ziang shot up in an instant, not waiting for any help, and sprinted after her.
“Hey! You’re heartless, you know that?”
