Chapter 23: The Fiery Porcelain Lady, Confronting People Online

Monday, Gu Ci came to class and didn’t see Xiao Yang, nor were any of the few people who usually hung out with him present. She didn’t dwell on it, instead accompanying Wen Zixin to hand in their Chinese homework.

Wen Zixin, that little girl, was the Chinese class representative.

When they returned to the classroom, Gu Ci found a large puddle of red ink spilled across her desk and chair. She paused, scanned the room, and asked, “Who did this?”

Shi Xuetong, painting her nails, casually curled her lips, “Sorry, new girl, I accidentally spilled some ink. You don’t mind, do you?”

Seeing Shi Xuetong’s attitude, Wen Zixin immediately grew angry, “Shi Xuetong, how can you be like this? If you spilled it, why not clean it up?”

Shi Xuetong rolled her eyes impatiently, placing her nail polish on the desk with a clatter, “Didn’t I already apologize? What more do you want? Must you be so aggressive?”

Gu Ci’s voice was cool, “I don’t need your apology. Just clean it up.”

Shi Xuetong suddenly stood up, her tone agitated, “Can’t you clean it up yourself? It’s not much work! I already apologized, and you talk like this—don’t you think you’re being hypocritical?”

She muttered under her breath, her voice laced with sarcasm, “Typical country girl, so petty. How could someone like you ever compete with Shu Yue for Xiao Yang?”

Wen Zixin’s eyes reddened with fury.

It wasn’t about cleaning it up themselves. If Shi Xuetong had wiped up the ink right after she spilled it, it wouldn’t have stuck to the chair and become impossible to clean. Now, after some time, the ink had dried, leaving stubborn stains on the desk and chair. No amount of wiping would fix it now!

And it was Shi Xuetong’s fault to begin with.

Gu Ci took out her things from the desk, glanced at Wen Zixin, “Can I leave these with you for a bit?”

Wen Zixin agreed, quickly helping Gu Ci move her belongings.

Seeing Gu Ci endure silently, not daring to make a fuss, Shi Xuetong sneered, feeling triumphant, “See, isn’t this easier? So much trouble.”

“You—!” Wen Zixin was about to explode from anger at Shi Xuetong!

But Gu Ci remained calm, seeming entirely unaffected by Shi Xuetong’s behavior, with no intention to make her apologize.

Shi Xuetong rolled her eyes, “Wen Zixin, Gu Ci herself isn’t saying anything—why are you getting worked up on her behalf?”

Gu Ci finished putting her things away, then strode straight to Shi Xuetong, grabbed her collar, and tossed her onto Gu Ci’s own stained chair.

Shi Xuetong knew about the ink on the chair; startled, she jumped up with a loud scream.

The next moment, Gu Ci picked up Shi Xuetong’s desk and dumped all its contents onto the floor.

Shi Xuetong, furious, was about to protest when—crack!—one leg of her desk was bent out of shape by Gu Ci’s grip!

Shi Xuetong’s face drained of color. She swallowed hard, trembling as she retreated several steps, then collapsed onto Gu Ci’s original chair.

The previously noisy classroom fell silent, every sound sharp and clear.

Unperturbed, Gu Ci bent one leg of Shi Xuetong’s chair as well.

Oblivious to how frightening her actions appeared, she pointed at the desk and chair she’d just bent, “Report them as broken, and bring me new ones.”

Then she kicked her own desk over to Shi Xuetong’s spot, her tone airy, “You can have mine.”

“You… you…” Shi Xuetong’s eyes reddened, wanting to accuse Gu Ci of violence, but at Gu Ci’s glance, she instinctively shut her mouth, not daring to say a word.

Seeing no one in the class come to her defense, she could only angrily drag her heavy desk downstairs to the storage room.

Wen Zixin’s eyes widened at Gu Ci’s blunt actions. Besides shock, she felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

With no chair for the moment, Gu Ci stood, and Wen Zixin generously patted her own chair, inviting Gu Ci to share it.

Wen Zixin whispered at Gu Ci’s ear, “Ci, why didn’t you just take her desk and chair?”

Gu Ci had considered it, but…

“There’s a dried spit stain on her desk.”

Wen Zixin snorted, quickly covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Shi Xuetong made four trips to the storage room before returning, drenched in sweat.

On her final trip, she delivered a brand new chair to Gu Ci, then glanced at the ink-stained desk and the mess of books scattered around. Unable to contain herself, she shouted at Gu Ci, “Are you satisfied seeing me like this?”

She looked at the rest of the class, her voice full of grievance, “How can you all be so heartless, watching me get bullied like this?”

The class had returned to their usual lively chatter. No one paid her any mind.

A flash of humiliation crossed Shi Xuetong’s eyes. Seeing everyone indifferent, she ran out crying.

After the morning class, Gu Ci was called outside by Jin Jieqiao.

Jin Jieqiao spoke carefully, barely able to contain her excitement, “Gu Ci, do you know you’re on the participant list for the Math Youth Olympiad?”

She hadn’t seen Gu Ci’s transcripts, but the homework Gu Ci had turned in recently was flawless. Jin Jieqiao had been suspicious, intending to observe her longer.

But now, all doubts were gone.

Anyone who qualified for the Math Youth Olympiad couldn’t possibly be weak in math.

She’d found herself a treasure!

Gu Ci fell silent.

She immediately thought of Principal Ji.

Seeing Jin Jieqiao’s expectant gaze, she nodded, “Yes, I know.”

Jin Jieqiao grinned broadly, radiating happiness.

Previously, their class had never been involved in the Math Youth Olympiad; this was the first time!

She patted Gu Ci’s shoulder in encouragement, “Don’t be too nervous, Gu Ci. It’s okay if you don’t place, just do your best!”

Gu Ci nodded.

Jin Jieqiao offered several more words of encouragement before humming a cheerful tune as she walked away.

Returning to class, Gu Ci was greeted by Wen Zixin’s curious little face, “Ci, what did Jingjing want?”

Gu Ci replied, “About the Youth Olympiad.”

“Oh, the Youth Olympiad, the Youth Olympiad is…” Wen Zixin nodded, then suddenly realized, “What?! Cough, cough… the Youth Olympiad… cough, cough, cough…”

——————————————————————————————

The Youth Olympiad—only ten students from the entire First High School were selected, eight of them from Class One. Yet Class One remained as composed as ever, quietly studying even during breaks.

Only Duan Jingyi seemed distracted.

She had taken the selection test for the Youth Olympiad, but missed the cutoff by a few points, falling just short of the top ten.

Today was the day the final list would be announced, so she wasn’t in the best spirits.

Just then, the math class representative entered the classroom with an air of mystery, “Big news, big news!”

“Guess what? I just went to the office and overheard the teacher from the next class say that our school’s number of Youth Olympiad participants is now eleven!”

At those words, all eyes in Class One turned to Duan Jingyi.