Chapter 158: I, Ranking First in the Exam, Proud, Confident, and Puffed Up!

Inside the classroom of Class 12.

Huo Shuyue was working on a test paper while casting sidelong glances at Gu Ci, who was sitting right beside her, playing with her phone!

Unable to hold back, she ground her teeth, extended a foot, and gently kicked Gu Ci's desk.

Gu Ci lazily turned her head and casually raised an eyebrow.

Something on your mind?

Huo Shuyue truly despised herself for instantly understanding the meaning behind such a lazy gesture from Gu Ci, who couldn't even be bothered to speak to her!

She leaned closer to Gu Ci and lowered her voice. "Gu Ci, how can you have the nerve to sit there playing on your phone while leaving me here to suffer through a test paper and study?"

"Mm."

Gu Ci's voice was equally languid, carrying an effortless, relaxed drawl.

Without needing to lower it deliberately, it was already soft enough to brush past Huo Shuyue's ear like a feather.

The tips of Huo Shuyue's ears turned slightly red. Hearing that infuriatingly nonchalant "Mm," her anger flared up all over again.

Fiercely lowering her voice, she hissed, "Don't you have the slightest self-awareness about how terrible your Chinese score is? When you completely crash and burn later on, let's see what you're going to do!"

Even upon hearing the word "Chinese," Gu Ci merely let her eyebrows twitch slightly. Then, casting a faint glance at Huo Shuyue, she replied completely unfazed, "Aside from me taking first place, there is no second possibility."

As for Chinese... Gu Xiao-ci wished to convey that, reading comprehension included, everything was barely a problem at all!

Seeing Gu Ci's ultimate composure, a line of text instantly materialized in Huo Shuyue's mind.

*I am going to ace the exam, proud, confident, and utterly bloated with ego!*

Huo Shuyue felt quite certain that if she uttered one more word to Gu Ci, she would literally explode from frustration.

Listening to their exchange, Xiao Yang couldn't help letting out a snort of laughter. He then reached out to tug at Huo Shuyue's hair, saying in disgust, "Huo Shuyue, what is wrong with you anyway? Why are you nagging my Sister Ci like some old mother?"

"Rest assured. Even if her Chinese isn't her strong suit, her other subjects are absolute locks. After all, back when we were still playing in the mud, she had already finished every single one of these types of questions. Doing them again is just like doing elementary school addition and subtraction—of course she finds it boring..."

Xiao Yang understood Gu Ci quite well in this regard, and he was exceptionally considerate.

Yet, simply pondering this matter made Xiao Yang curious once again about what kind of benefits Elder Ji had possibly promised Gu Ci to make her willing to waste several months as an examination tool in Class One...

Lost in thought, Xiao Yang instinctively fished a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and handed it to Gu Ci.

Hearing herself compared to an old mother by Xiao Yang, Huo Shuyue couldn't help rolling her eyes.

She thought Xiao Yang looked much more like an old mother! Day in and day out, he was either bringing candy for Gu Ci to eat or fussing over what she was having for lunch!

She now felt the need to ask herself every single day why she had ever thought Xiao Yang was somehow different from other boys.

The two exchanged glances, simultaneously let out a huff, turned their heads away in mutual disdain, and went back to their test papers.

***

Gu Ci bit down on a lollipop, holding her phone in one hand as she engaged in a chat.

[GC: Where are you now?]

After a short while, a reply came from the other side, and the moment it arrived, it was as if some switch had been flipped.

[Gifted-Cello: ！！ Director Gu! You actually reached out to me!]

[Gifted-Cello: We are currently at the St. Glarian Concert Hall.]

[Gifted-Cello: Did you suddenly realize that we are still salvageable and decide to keep leading us?]

[Gifted-Cello: Spinning in circles with joy.JPG]

[Gifted-Cello: Just wait, Director Gu, we'll be right back!]

Gu Ci's temples gave a couple of sharp throbs.

[GC: No!]

[GC: There's just something I need your help with.]

[Gifted-Cello: Thrashes and rolls on the floor.JPG]

[Gifted-Cello: Crying and wailing loudly.JPG]

[Gifted-Cello: Just say the word, Director Gu! We will brave fire and water for you without a moment's hesitation!]

[Gifted-Cello: We will arrive by your side at top speed to solve all your troubles!]

A mild headache bloomed behind Gu Ci's temples, and she rubbed them.

She had no idea when this previously taciturn, quiet boy had transformed into such a... passionate character.

Even so, Gu Ci still typed out a line.

[GC: Can you get me the conductor's position for a state-level orchestral concert?]

The moment this message was sent, a notification popped up at the very top of Gu Ci's WeChat—a message from Elder Qin.

[Qin Jing: Gu girl, an orchestra conductor here just happens to need to leave for a period of time. If your schedule permits, I was thinking you could come and give it a try.]

Scanning the elder's message three lines at a time, Gu Ci instantly recalled the WeChat message she had just sent to the other person.

Then she replied to Qin Jing.

[GC: My schedule permits.]

[Qin Jing: Did you have time to write the assignment I gave you last time?]

[Qin Jing: If you didn't have time—]

***

Before the other party finished typing, Gu Ci directly packed up the musical score, which she had already completed and analyzed, and sent it as a file to the elder.

Instantly, the elder sent back a question mark.

Immediately following that was the notification that the file had been received, and then a long, profound silence.

Knowing that the elder was currently examining the score, Gu Ci chose not to disturb him.

On the other end, "Gifted-Cello" was frantically punching in question marks.

[Gifted-Cello: What did you send, Director Gu?]

Gu Ci paused in deep thought for two seconds, then pressed her fingers to the keyboard.

[GC: The local specialties there are quite good. Buy some and mail them to me.]

[Gifted-Cello: ？？？]

[Gifted-Cello: Director Gu, I'm at the St. Glarian Concert Hall, this is Modu! Modu!]

Gu Ci suddenly remembered that the local specialty of Modu in Xizhou was...

[Gifted-Cello: Director Gu, do you want me to buy a coffin and ship it back to you ？？？]

Gu Ci's temple throbbed sharply, and she couldn't help rubbing her nose.

She would have liked to recall the message just like before, but the two-minute window had already passed...

After a moment of thought, Gu Ci directly deleted her own message...

Meanwhile, the other person was still typing.

[Gifted-Cello: Don't try to fool me, Director Gu, I saw it just now!]

[Gifted-Cello: What you sent was clearly you regaining your conscience and coming back to be our conductor!]

[GC: I didn't, you saw wrong.]

[Gifted-Cello: You definitely did, I couldn't have seen wrong! Don't try to lie to me / Proud.JPG]

[GC: No, you didn't.]

[Gifted-Cello: I definitely did!]

Gu Ci raised an eyebrow, her face expressionless as she recalled all the messages between them one by one, all the way back to where "Gifted-Cello" had written, "Just wait, Director Gu, we'll be right back!" and then...