The incident between Chen Mo from the experimental class and the math teacher quickly spread throughout the entire grade. By noon, even the teachers in the second-year office were discussing it.

“How can a student make a bet with a teacher? If a teacher loses their authority, how are they supposed to manage their students afterward?”

This was the opinion of those who opposed the situation.

“Ms. Bai did make a mistake, but it’s not to the point where she can’t teach the experimental class anymore.”

This was the neutral, conservative group.

“I think this bet might be worth trying. After all, teachers and students are supposed to monitor each other. You can’t just look at things from one side. This could encourage the student to strive for improvement, and at the same time prevent teachers from unfairly prejudging students.”

This was said by Fu Ling, another math teacher for the second-year students.

She was in her twenties, young both in age and attitude, and spoke frankly. When she first started at the school, Bai Susu had mentored her, but their teaching styles and philosophies were vastly different, which resulted in a rather lukewarm relationship between them.

Fu Ling was more popular with the other teachers, a fact that no one could deny.

One of the other subject teachers asked her, “Ms. Fu, you’ve seen that Chen Mo’s math quiz, right? Ms. Bai still insists that he isn’t capable of solving those problems. What do you think?”

The math quiz was right on Fu Ling’s desk.

She had looked at it several times, and there was something she found strange.

Chen Mo had revised all the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank answers that he got wrong, but upon closer inspection, his first answers were almost all correct. It looked as if he had intentionally changed them after the fact, which might give the impression that he was nervous, possibly because he had copied and was trying not to get caught. This was one of the reasons Bai Susu was so adamant about her opinion.

But Fu Ling didn’t see it that way.

The steps for the larger questions were clear and concise, and some steps were even skipped, giving off an air of ease and confidence. Plus, when Chen Mo had said in class, “The questions were too simple, and I didn’t want to scare the teacher,” many people thought he was boasting, but Fu Ling believed he was at least eighty percent serious.

So when she answered the other teachers, she smiled and said, “There may not be many geniuses in the world, but they do exist, and smart students are nothing new. I think Ms. Bai was too hasty in her judgment.”

Her stance was clear.

The teachers continued to whisper among themselves. “So, how are they planning to handle this?”

“Don’t know, but I bet Director Lai is already pulling his hair out over it.”

Director Lai, currently on the verge of losing the little hair he had left, sat in his office and pointed at the student in front of him.

“Every few days, you stir up trouble!”

The student in question had his school uniform zipper pulled halfway down and looked a bit distracted. Only when he heard Director Lai’s exasperated voice did he refocus and say, “Don’t be angry. It’ll age you faster. Why not just agree to my plan?”

“Agree? Agree to what exactly?!” Director Lai, furious, walked out from behind his desk. “I thought you moved into the dorms to focus on your studies! But no, the first thing you do is get into a fight, and now this! You haven’t even read your apology letter yet! Did a dog eat your memory? And aiming for the top ten in the grade? Ha! You’ve really got guts!”

The middle-aged man in front of him ranted like a machine gun, practically spraying Chen Mo’s face with spit.

Chen Mo rubbed his face and leaned away to avoid the onslaught.

With a sigh, he said, “Director, I never promised you I’d make it to the top ten.”

Director Lai’s sharp eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms and sneered. “So you’ve had this planned all along, huh? What’s the problem? You can’t sit in the experimental class? There are nails on the chairs, is that it?”

The last part was practically shouted, the tone rising sharply.

Chen Mo, equally perplexed, asked, “Why are you so insistent that I stay in the experimental class? I can still study in the regular class, can’t I?”

“Chen Mo.” Director Lai’s voice suddenly became serious.

He fixed his gaze on Chen Mo and said, “I’ve been working in education for almost thirty years.”

“Uh-huh?” Chen Mo responded.

“Be serious!” Director Lai’s tone was filled with frustration, as if he was disappointed in Chen Mo’s lack of effort. “Every year, I send thousands of students off to graduate. Do you really think your parents just paid the school to get you in here?”

Chen Mo’s casual demeanor faded, and he frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Your parents did give a donation to the school, but the decision to place you in the experimental class wasn’t just about the money,” Director Lai said, his voice thick with sarcasm and pride. “Do you really think anyone can just buy their way into the experimental class? Xie’s family donated two buildings to the school, and do you think he’s an idiot?”

Chen Mo chuckled at the comparison, earning a light kick from Director Lai.

“You look at Xie Siyan, Sun Xiaoya, Guo Yiyang, Zhang Ju... These are all students the school expects to send to prestigious universities, future leaders and top talents. Your grades and potential were evaluated by the school. If your grades were terrible, even if your parents donated everything they owned, do you think I’d let you in here?”

Chen Mo laughed. “The Yang family wouldn’t dream of donating everything they own to the school.”

“That’s not the point!”

Director Lai’s shout made Chen Mo’s ears ring.

Chen Mo felt exhausted.

What was this about now?

In his past life, he had worked his hardest, but his math teacher accused him of cheating. The school never said anything about seeing potential in him, and the Yang family just wanted him to play the role of a good student.

Now, even though he wasn’t that interested in putting in so much effort, they were still forcing him to try?

Chen Mo rubbed his temples, looking at Director Lai. “Don’t guilt-trip me. You’re acting like I should be eternally grateful and just die trying to live up to your expectations.”

“Can you make it to the top ten or not?”

“No.”

“You!”

Just then, a knock on the door saved Director Lai from blowing a fuse on the spot.

Xie Siyan stepped into the office, scanning the room before his gaze landed on Chen Mo. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking What’s going on?

Without saying a word, Xie Siyan stepped aside, revealing Yang Zhi standing behind him.

Chen Mo’s expression soured.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

He shot a look at Xie Siyan, who ignored him and turned to Director Lai. “Chen Mo’s guardian is here.”

Yang Zhi walked into the room.

He was dressed in formal business attire, looking as if he had just come from a meeting.

The school had indeed decided to notify Chen Mo’s guardian, but for some reason, it wasn’t Zhou Yaoqing who showed up. Instead, it was the supposedly busy Yang Zhi.

Yang Zhi glanced at Chen Mo before extending his hand to Director Lai. “Hello, Director Lai. I’m Chen Mo’s older brother.”

“Hello, hello,” Director Lai said with a polite smile as they exchanged pleasantries.

Chen Mo, meanwhile, was staring at the man who had just entered.

“You called him here?” Chen Mo asked, frowning.

Xie Siyan gave him a side glance and said, “The school required it. And I figured that if they were going to notify someone, it might as well be someone who can understand the situation. The whole class heard that I have to write a formal report for you. I don’t want to get dragged down by irrelevant people—it would really annoy me.”

Chen Mo always felt like Xie Siyan had a way of insulting people without using any actual foul language.

But the more he interacted with him, the more Chen Mo wondered if the Xie Siyan he knew from his previous life was a fake.

The coldness was real, but this version of him was far from the dignified and upright image he had once thought.

Before long, Bai Susu and Yang Shule entered the office. Chen Mo felt as calm as still water inside. It was almost as if he had expected this outcome all along. He only wanted to ask Xie Siyan why he was so sure that Yang Zhi, who was clearly biased in favor of his beloved younger brother, would understand the full picture.

“Brother?” Yang Shule’s calm expression shifted slightly when he saw Yang Zhi.

He had been walking calmly beside Bai Susu, but upon seeing Yang Zhi, a flicker of uncertainty appeared. He quietly walked over to Yang Zhi’s side and whispered, “Why are you here? Where’s Mom?”

“She’s not here today,” Yang Zhi replied, glancing once more at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo returned the stare with cold indifference.

At that moment, Director Lai spoke up. “Now that we’re all here, let’s talk this out and figure out how to resolve the situation.”

“No need to ask.” This time, it was Yang Shule who spoke. He first glanced at Xie Siyan, then at Chen Mo, his tone stiff and cold. “I was the one who told Ms. Bai that Chen Mo was writing on the podium.”

His words carried a sense of contempt, as if he hadn’t even bothered to hide his disdain.

Chen Mo’s lips curled up in a sneer. It wasn’t unexpected, but he was still annoyed. “When I asked in class, why didn’t you speak up then? Did you swallow your tongue, you coward?”

Yang Shule clenched his fists and glared at him.

Yang Zhi frowned. “Chen Mo, can you speak properly?”

“That depends on who I’m talking to,” Chen Mo said, giving him a pointed look. “If you don’t like it, the door’s right there. Turn left as you leave.”

“Director, look at his attitude!” Bai Susu interjected at the perfect moment, saying, “Yang Shule only answered my question because the answers were too similar. He didn’t outright accuse Chen Mo of cheating. But when I asked Chen Mo in class, he refused to cooperate and insisted on fighting back. And look at his attitude now—still so aggressive!”

Chen Mo chuckled.

“You call that asking a question?”

“Let me ask you something in return: Is your prejudice specifically against me, or do you just look down on so-called ‘bad students’ altogether?”

Bai Susu’s face darkened. “Chen Mo, stop twisting—”

“Ms. Bai,” Yang Zhi interrupted suddenly.

As an adult man, it seemed he had the equal standing to speak with Bai Susu. Frowning, he asked, “I’ve got a rough idea of what happened. Are you saying that you still believe Chen Mo copied?”

Bai Susu hesitated for a moment, smoothing her hair before responding.

“If Chen Mo insists he didn’t cheat, I’m not forcing him to admit it. How about this: I’ll prepare another quiz. If he scores at least 130, we’ll consider the matter resolved.”

All eyes turned to Chen Mo.

They were waiting for his answer.

Yang Zhi looked like he was about to say something along the lines of Just agree and be done with it.

Yang Shule’s eyes held a faint trace of contempt, as if he was certain that Chen Mo couldn’t score 130.

Bai Susu stood with her arms crossed, as though her offer was an act of mercy.

As for the rest of the group...

Director Lai was frowning, lost in thought.

Xie Siyan’s expression was unreadable. Chen Mo could admit that he rarely understood him. For example, why had he intervened in this situation and not sided with Yang Shule?

Chen Mo took in the scene, noting every detail, before finally speaking.

“Why should I?”

Before anyone could react, he continued, “Do I need to prove something to you? Prove that I’m a good student? Or prove that I’m a thief? You’ve already humiliated me once, and now you want to do it again? What, should I be grateful for it?”

His voice remained calm, even a bit lazy, yet the words cut deeply. Director Lai didn’t even know how to respond.

And then there was Xie Siyan.

“You could’ve chosen a different metaphor,” he said, glancing down. “Who’d dare strip you like that?”

Dead silence.

Chen Mo sighed in exasperation, looking over at him. “You’ve really gone all out today to avoid getting dragged into this mess, huh?”

Finally, Director Lai stepped in, dismissing Bai Susu’s suggestion.

Next month’s exam would decide it all—if Chen Mo didn’t make it into the top ten, he’d be demoted to a regular class.

Half an hour later, Chen Mo was standing by the stairwell when he saw Yang Zhi leading Yang Shule out of the building.

Yang Shule was explaining to his brother, his tone a mix of complaint and justification. “Ms. Bai asked me directly, and I just told her what I saw. I didn’t lie. I didn’t expect it to blow up like this, but... Brother, do you blame me for this?”

“What would I blame you for?” Yang Zhi’s tone didn’t seem particularly surprised.

Yang Shule grumbled, “If you’re going to scold me, just do it.”

Yang Zhi looked at him. “Lele, you never used to get involved in such petty disputes.”

As he spoke, they spotted Chen Mo.

Yang Zhi paused.

“I’ll head back to class,” Yang Shule said, turning and leaving.

Yang Zhi stared at Chen Mo, who was leaning against the wall.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s hot. I’m catching a breeze.”

“The driver mentioned you’re not going home this weekend?”

“Yep.”

“Chen Mo.” Yang Zhi furrowed his brow and took a deep breath. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he decided to offer a bit of advice. “Shule is just being immature. Don’t take it to heart.”

Chen Mo looked at Yang Zhi, utterly dumbfounded.

Was this a new type of targeted attack?

“Which eye of yours sees me taking him seriously?” Chen Mo asked. “I’m the one being falsely accused here. If you’re convinced that I’m jealous of him or that I copied his quiz, then don’t bother with this polite tone. I’m terrified.”

He said he was terrified, but his eyes clearly conveyed the opposite.

Yang Zhi looked like he wanted to walk away.

But ever since he stopped receiving replies to his messages from Chen Mo, and since the boy hadn’t called him “brother” in a normal way for a long time, Yang Zhi found himself thinking about it more often.

“Did you turn in your phone?”

“Nope.”

“Then why don’t you answer my messages?”

Chen Mo looked confused. “Do you need something?”

The tension hung in the air.

“Well, if you don’t, you can go back, big brother.” Chen Mo pointed toward the stairs. “Take care. You’ve worked hard today. I don’t need to see you out, right?”

Yang Zhi clenched his jaw, a muscle in his temple twitching. “No need.”

As Yang Zhi walked away, his back practically radiating frustration, Chen Mo muttered, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Who are you cursing at?” a lazy voice came from above.

Chen Mo looked up, seeing Xie Siyan leaning over the stairwell railing.

“I wasn’t cursing you. Happy?”

Xie Siyan motioned for him to come upstairs.

When Chen Mo reached the top of the stairs, he noticed Director Lai’s office was empty.

Xie Siyan left the door and turned back to him. “Where’s the Director?”

“He went to a meeting.”

“Then why did he tell me to wait here?”

Xie Siyan seemed to think for a moment before responding, “Maybe he was afraid he’d lose his temper and hit you, so he decided to send someone else instead.” He added, “Director Lai asked me to tutor you. You must score in the top ten next month.”

Chen Mo’s eyes widened. “You agreed to that?”

The class president gave a chilling smile. “Do you think I had a choice?”

“Then just give up,” Chen Mo said nonchalantly. “I won’t make it.”

“If I say you’ll make it, you will—unless you’re planning to sabotage yourself.” Xie Siyan placed his hand on the back of Chen Mo’s head, pushing him forward slightly. “See that? Four floors up. Director Lai said if you don’t make it, he’ll jump off with you.”

Chen Mo turned around, catching the faint scent of the other’s presence.

He spoke seriously, “Xie Siyan.”

“Hmm?”

“Director Lai meant he’ll jump with you, right?”

In reality, Director Lai’s exact words were: “You’re the one stirring things up, writing reports and fanning the flames. Do you think I don’t know your experimental class has been waiting for a chance to replace Ms. Bai for ages?”

Xie Siyan had responded calmly, “She insists on using outdated teaching methods. Being replaced is inevitable.”

Director Lai had slammed his desk in frustration. “You arrogant punks! You all think you know better than anyone else!”

But he hadn’t been truly angry.

Then he had said, “I can transfer Ms. Bai to a regular class, but only if you help Chen Mo make it into the top ten.”

Xie Siyan had replied, “I can’t.”

Director Lai had retorted, “Can’t? You predict the exam questions every year! If you can’t help him, I’ll jump off this building!”

At that moment, Xie Siyan felt the slight prickle of Chen Mo’s hair against his palm. He looked down at the sharp, intense gaze in those half-lidded eyes, no longer dulled by their usual lazy expression. Now, there was real emotion behind them.

“He didn’t say he’d jump with me.” Xie Siyan’s voice was calm.

Chen Mo replied, “Well, that’s perfect. Let’s just cut each other some slack, alright?”

In the next second, Xie Siyan’s tone was frighteningly normal. “Too late. If you don’t make it to the top ten, I’ll throw you off.”