Chapter 14: Pointing at the Mulberry Tree, Cursing the Locust Tree

Gu Ci replied, “First in the exam.”

What she meant was first in the exam, not first in the class or first in the grade.

Wen Zixin didn’t catch the nuance; she nearly choked on her own saliva. After all, Class Twelve was notorious for having the worst exam scores in the entire First High School. If Gu Ci’s grades were any good, she wouldn’t have been placed in their class.

So Wen Zixin quickly realized Gu Ci was joking with her.

She blinked and laughed, “Haha, then you’ll have to tutor me well, Sister Ci.”

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me,” Gu Ci replied seriously, then lowered her head.

Even Xiao Yang, who was famously dense, could tell that Wen Zixin didn’t believe Gu Ci and was joking with her. At the same time, he knew Gu Ci hadn’t picked up on Wen Zixin’s teasing—he knew better than anyone that Gu Ci was as straightforward as they come.

Still, he had no intention of pointing it out to either of them.

He couldn’t say why, but watching people get dumbfounded after underestimating Gu Ci had become one of the small pleasures in his life.

A girl in the class overheard their conversation and scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “First in exams? You mean last place, right?”

Xiao Yang’s face went cold; he lazily kicked the table with his long leg. “Shi Xuetong, no one thinks you’re mute just because you don’t talk.”

“Some people shouldn’t make such bold claims, or it’ll be embarrassing later!” Shi Xuetong was clearly a bit afraid of Xiao Yang; she humphed and left the classroom. “I’m going to find Shu Yue. She deserves better!”

Xiao Yang, knowing Gu Ci’s true abilities, only sneered, unwilling to stoop to bullying a girl.

Wen Zixin, on the other hand, was genuinely angry. But seeing how unbothered Gu Ci was, she suddenly wondered if maybe she was overreacting.

Gu Ci, meanwhile, was chatting with someone on her phone.

Ever since she’d muted a certain few people, her WeChat had become much quieter; those who weren’t muted were the ones who rarely disturbed her anyway.

[QXD: Gu Xiaoci, are you in Songdu? I saw you at Xinghui Mall.]

[QXD: I happen to be here too. Let’s meet up tonight? I have something to discuss with you / rubs hands together.]

QXD was Qi Xuduan, the man behind Xinghui Mall.

After thinking it over, she replied, [Okay.]

[QXD: I’ve booked a private room at the Imperial Banquet. Where are you? I’ll pick you up tonight.]

[GC: No need, I’ll come myself.]

She looked up to see Wen Zixin and Xiao Yang both staring at her.

She popped a lollipop into her mouth, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Clearly, she hadn’t heard a word of Shi Xuetong’s earlier remarks.

---

At noon, Gu Ci and Wen Zixin headed to the cafeteria. Xiao Yang tried to tag along, but Gu Ci mercilessly turned him down.

A few of Xiao Yang’s friends clapped him on the shoulder and dragged him off.

Today, the cafeteria’s special was salt-and-pepper ribs and squirrel-shaped Mandarin fish. Wen Zixin grabbed Gu Ci and hurried into the crowd, her anxious, bustling manner completely at odds with her usual shy, timid self.

“Sister Ci, we need to hurry! There aren’t many portions of salt-and-pepper ribs and squirrel fish, and Old Liang kept us late. If we’re any slower, we won’t get any!”

Old Liang was their Chinese teacher, a quirky little old man.

Despite their rush, a long line had already formed in the cafeteria.

Wen Zixin remained optimistic, patting her chest and promising, “Sister Ci, trust my years of experience; we’ll definitely get the salt-and-pepper ribs and squirrel fish today!”

She then started enthusiastically describing just how delicious those two dishes were in the First High School cafeteria.

But right then, a sarcastic voice drifted toward them from up ahead. “Just as I thought—fresh out of the countryside. Bet you’ve never even tasted those dishes in your life.”

Wen Zixin frowned. “Who are you? What’s with your attitude!”

The other girl rolled her eyes. “A country bumpkin is still a country bumpkin. No matter how much you pretend, you’ll never become a phoenix. Who are you, anyway? Why are you speaking up for Gu Ci?”

Wen Zixin was so furious she didn’t know what to say; she puffed out her cheeks and rolled up her sleeves, ready to go after the girl.

Gu Ci pressed a hand to her shoulder, retorting coolly, “Even if you know you’re a chicken, there’s no need to announce it and pollute everyone’s ears.”

Wen Zixin immediately bared her small white teeth mischievously. “Exactly! Is your mouth full of dung beetles? The moment you speak, the air in the entire cafeteria turns foul!”

“You—!” The girl’s eyes widened in anger.

Just then, the girl standing in front of her turned around, her voice gentle as she tried to intervene. “Jingyi, please don’t speak to my cousin like that.”

It was Gu Zhiren.

Duan Jingyi, however, shook off Gu Zhiren’s pleading hand in exasperation. “Zhiren! She bullies you at home and you still defend her? You’re too soft-hearted—I can’t stand seeing you wronged!”

This morning at school, she’d noticed Gu Zhiren’s red-rimmed eyes, but no matter how she asked, Zhiren wouldn’t say what had happened.

If Zhiren hadn’t suddenly mentioned in line just now that she didn’t want the salt-and-pepper ribs or squirrel fish, Duan Jingyi wouldn’t even have thought of Gu Ci.

Now, it was obvious—Zhiren must have been bullied by Gu Ci and wanted to avoid her.

Hearing this, their classmates who’d come to eat with Duan Jingyi and Gu Zhiren immediately chimed in with concern.

“What happened? Did Gu Ci bully Zhiren?”

“What’s going on? Why would Gu Ci be at Zhiren’s house?”

Duan Jingyi, full of implication, replied, “You all don’t know, do you? Some people bite the hand that feeds them—eating and living at Zhiren’s house, only to bully her!”

“Jingyi, please stop. Really, nothing happened.” Gu Zhiren’s eyes grew red as she shook her head, choking up. “Thank you all for your concern, but really, there’s nothing. My cousin didn’t mean anything by it. Please, don’t ask anymore, okay?”

But her words, meant to cover up, only made it clearer to everyone that Gu Ci really had bullied Gu Zhiren!

It was just that Zhiren, being so kind and tolerant, didn’t want them to do anything to Gu Ci.

Zhiren was gentle, but the others couldn’t stand to see her suffer.

At once, their gazes toward Gu Ci grew hostile.

“If you’re from the countryside, you should behave yourself. Who gave her the nerve to bully Zhiren?”

“Who knows? Maybe she thinks being poor makes her righteous!”

“You haven’t heard? People from the countryside have sticky fingers—if you’re not careful, your stuff might go missing!”

“And they only bathe once a month—who knows how many germs they’re carrying!”

At those words, the group immediately edged away from Gu Ci as if she were the plague, pulling Gu Zhiren further from her.