Chapter 26: The Wager—Get Out of First High!

Wen Zixin was so furious she could barely contain herself. “Shi Xuetong, no one’s going to think you’re mute just because you keep your mouth shut!” She knew exactly how vicious the comments on the forum had gotten. Even she felt like her lungs and heart were about to explode from anger just reading them. She’d been fighting tooth and nail with the forum users all afternoon, keeping Gu Ci completely in the dark. She’d only just managed to keep Gu Ci from finding out, and now, with one careless remark, Shi Xuetong had exposed everything!

“What happened?” Gu Ci ignored Shi Xuetong and looked straight at Wen Zixin.

Seeing Wen Zixin stumbling over her words, Gu Ci lazily pulled out her phone and logged onto the school forum.

“Sis Ci, don’t look! I’ll just tell you, okay?” Wen Zixin pleaded.

But it was too late. Gu Ci had already opened the hottest post on the forum. Scrolling down at lightning speed, her eyes flew over the words ten lines at a glance, making Wen Zixin wonder if she was even processing what she read.

Reaching the bottom of the post, Gu Ci’s expression remained as calm as ever, as if the person being insulted wasn’t her at all.

“Relax,” she said, noticing Wen Zixin’s anxious face. She gave her shoulder a reassuring pat and added, “You’ll get used to it.”

Once her results came out, all the doubters would fall silent.

Wen Zixin was dumbfounded. Get used to being insulted? Was that really the attitude of a top student?

Shi Xuetong still seemed to have something to say, but a student nearby just snorted coldly, picked up her phone, and left the classroom. Once alone, she logged into her alternate account on the school forum and posted anonymously:

[Someone with a vixen’s face is busy flirting with the boys in class right now. Do you think she cares about anything being said on the forum?]

The comment shot to the top and was immediately flooded with replies.

[My god, if I took something that didn’t belong to me—even by accident—I’d be wracked with guilt. But she seems unfazed and still has the energy to flirt? Disgusting!]

[Just goes to show, looks can be deceiving. She seems so icy and aloof, but inside she’s just trash. Revolting!]

[Is the school not going to make a decision? Letting someone like her stay for even a second is an insult to our First High!]

[Word is, this transfer student only got into our school because of her cousin, the school beauty’s, connections. And the math olympiad spot too, right? You just can’t compare people. The school beauty earned her place in the math olympiad by merit, while this girl is just riding coattails and abusing connections! Sickening!]

[Honestly, what a misfortune for the school beauty to have a cousin like her.]

Seeing these comments, Shi Xuetong finally let out a sigh of relief. Her mood improved. She refreshed the thread again, spotting a brand-new reply:

[Breaking news! The dean has publicly announced the spot belongs to Duan Jingyi! And the homeroom teacher of a certain someone has already been suspended! Isn’t the truth clear by now? Someone used underhanded means to get that spot, and even the dean doesn’t recognize her claim! And yet, she hasn’t even apologized. Truly disgusting!]

This comment unleashed another torrent of abuse below.

[Is this teacher out of their mind, or just desperate for attention? Did they help the transfer student cheat her way in?]

[Can’t believe we have such teachers at our school. Suspended? Good job, Dean!]

[She hasn’t even apologized! Class 12 is just a den of snakes and rats—spoiled rich kids with bad grades and worse behavior. Money doesn’t make you special! People like this are just parasites in society.]

[Gu Ci, apologize to Duan Jingyi! You did something wrong and expect no consequences? How shameless!]

[Gu Ci, apologize to Duan Jingyi!]

Reading this, Shi Xuetong’s mood soured again. She remembered how, during a previous arts competition, she’d wanted the lead role but Jin Jieqiao hadn’t agreed, and her classmates had mocked her for it. Now, for Gu Ci, Jin Jieqiao was openly defying the dean for her sake. And no one in her class dared say a word against Gu Ci! Clearly, Class 12 was all about power and connections!

But seeing Gu Ci being forced to apologize did bring her some satisfaction.

Just then, a group started heading toward their classroom. Shi Xuetong looked up and recognized them immediately—they were students from Class One! At the front was Duan Jingyi, calling out loudly, “Gu Ci, come out here!”

Shi Xuetong’s eyes lit up with glee, and she moved aside to watch the drama unfold.

Ever since Duan Jingyi learned that Jin Jieqiao refused to give up the spot, she had been fuming. Her classmates in Class One, equally outraged, encouraged her to confront Gu Ci and demand justice.

So, all of Class One gathered at the door of Class Twelve, their numbers impressive and their presence imposing.

Gu Ci narrowed her eyes, her gaze briefly resting on Gu Ziran beside Duan Jingyi.

Wen Zixin rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush out, but Gu Ci pressed her back into her seat. “Stay put in the classroom.”

Wen Zixin: QAQ...

Gu Ci rose, strolled lazily out of the room, and arched an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

Even alone, standing before an entire class, her presence effortlessly eclipsed them all.

Perhaps trying to counter her aura, the students of Class One raised their voices.

“Gu Ci, are you really going to pretend nothing happened?”

“You stole our classmate’s spot and feel no remorse? A bad student is a bad student—poor grades and worse character!”

Gu Ziran chimed in gently, “Everyone, please stop scolding her. Cousin, can’t you just apologize to Jingyi? The dean has already given the spot back to her. Even if you wanted to sneak into the math olympiad, it’s not going to happen now.”

Then, she turned sincerely to Duan Jingyi. “Jingyi, for my sake, if my cousin apologizes, can we just let this go?”

Her words, seemingly conciliatory, only further branded Gu Ci as the guilty party—made all the more convincing by their family connection.

The surrounding students gradually crowded closer, pointing and whispering about Gu Ci.

Seeing Gu Ci subjected to everyone’s scorn, Duan Jingyi felt deeply satisfied. Outwardly, her eyes were red with tears as she said meaningfully, “Ziran, even if I wanted to forgive her, some people just refuse to admit their mistakes. Go ahead and apologize to me, won’t you?”

Her voice quivered with grievance, “I can let everything else go, I just want an apology. Is that too much to ask?”

The crowd was moved by Duan Jingyi’s aggrieved plea. Already sympathetic to her plight, their loathing for Gu Ci deepened.

The Class One math rep sneered, “Jingyi, she’s the one who did wrong, not you. You don’t have to tiptoe around her. If all it took to fix things was a simple ‘sorry,’ why would we need investigators at all?”

“The spot was mine to begin with,” Gu Ci said, tilting her head ever so slightly, her eyes filled with a languid, detached amusement. “You took it, and now you want an apology from me?”

She was certain the math olympiad spot was rightfully hers—just minutes ago, Principal Ji had sent her a scheduled email about the contest.

Gu Ci had always been indifferent about all these competitions, and missing out by accident suited her just fine. After all, she hadn’t done anything herself, and there was nothing Principal Ji could do once he returned.

But still...