Wen Ying spent a few minutes recalling her junior high days, prompted by Xie Qian.
Xie Qian thought it was only four months ago, questioning if it really took that much effort to remember.
For Wen Ying, those events were over a decade ago. By 2019, before her rebirth, she was in frequent contact with university classmates. Even if they were not in the same city, their shared profession allowed them to exchange case leads. Her university days were filled with dieting, part-time jobs, and studying for certifications, a fulfilling time.
High school was a dim memory, marked by insecurity and repression. She kept in touch with hardly any high school classmates after graduation.
Junior high had few fond memories. She had a few good friends she had won over by pleasing them. On weekends, they would invite her to hang out. She would convince her parents for permission, rushing excitedly to the meeting spot, only to find her friends had arrived earlier, calling her to cover the bill.
Though Chen Ru was strict about pocket money, Chen Li and Deng Shangwei often slipped Wen Ying cash. Most of her allowance, aside from secretly buying novels, went to these good friends.
Shu Lu was another who frequently mooched off Wen Ying’s money.
Wen Ying wished she had been reborn earlier to give the naive junior high Wen Ying a wake-up call.
At that age, Wen Ying was not completely oblivious to her good friends taking advantage of her. Constant parental criticism had shaped her into a people-pleaser, desperate to buy affection with endless giving, a tactic that failed. Shu Lu was an ungrateful example. Those good friends were never sincere.
Xie Qian’s reminder gradually brought her memories back.
Since her rebirth, Wen Ying had not thought about those so-called friends at all.
None of them had scored well enough to get into the provincial key high school, unlike her.
One good friend was at another high school in Rongcheng. In her past life, during high school, that friend had come to borrow money twice.
The first time, Wen Ying lent it.
The second time, with Chen Li and Deng Shangwei in the midst of their divorce, no one was slipping Wen Ying extra cash. She had nothing to lend.
The friend accused Wen Ying of changing after getting into the key high school, claiming she no longer valued their friendship. That guilt trip led Wen Ying to lend her a week’s worth of living expenses.
Too scared to tell her family, Wen Ying could not recall how she survived that week.
Those friends had not contacted her this time after the high school entrance exam, likely because she had been hospitalized with a fever post-exam. After discharge, she moved to Rongcheng, focused on saving Chen Li and Deng Shangwei’s marriage, catching up on studies, and betting with her parents to earn living expenses. Her days were exhausting but fulfilling, leaving no room for fake friendships.
After meeting Xie Qian early and befriending Qin Jiao, Wang Shuang, and others, Wen Ying had no desire to dig through the trash for friends.
Had those people tried contacting her?
They probably had her home phone number, or how else did they notify her to pay for things in the past?
From the exam until now, not one had reached out.
Maybe they did, and Chen Ru brushed them off when Wen Ying was not home.
Forgetting these past events was fine, but now that they surfaced, Wen Ying grew angrier. Though she knew Xie Qian was innocent, she could not help glaring at him, saying he had probably been popular his whole life and could not understand what it was like to be disliked in a group.
Xie Qian truly had not experienced that.
From kindergarten, kids fought to sit next to him.
Teachers adored him, girls in class liked him, wanting to sit with him during lessons and play with him after. A jealous boy once spilled milk on his backpack on purpose, only to get surrounded and scolded by a group of girls.
Being disliked? Xie Qian had not felt it from outsiders, though he had from family.
Despite some doubts about Wen Ying’s claims, he earnestly told her that it was because they were blind.
Wen Ying did not catch it at first, so Xie Qian repeated that they did not like her because they were blind.
Wen Ying burst out laughing.
She had used that line before to describe Xie Qian’s dad.
Indeed, those people were blind. They should visit the same eye doctor as Xie Qian’s dad, maybe they would get a group discount.
Self-soothed, Wen Ying’s anger vanished, replaced by amusement.
After school, Wang Shuang ran over from his class, inviting Xie Qian to play basketball.
Xie Qian had planned to rush home to keep Zou Weijun company, but recalling his decision yesterday to try some rebellion, he went with Wang Shuang.
Wang Shuang was the perfect person to learn rebellion from.
If basketball did not last too late, he could drag Wang Shuang to play video games.
Wang Rebel Shuang, oblivious to Xie Qian’s intentions, was still grumbling about Xie Qian’s unannounced Macau trip, despite receiving three gifts. He would have gone along if he had known.
Xie Qian glanced at him, asking if he did well on the monthly exam.
Wang, the academic slacker, fumed, asking if Xie Qian was trying to cut ties with him.
Asking about grades right off the bat was a low blow.
During the National Day holiday, students got a break, but teachers did not. They graded exams and posted grade rankings.
The group spanned different grades: Wen Ying, Xie Qian, and Li Mengjiao were in first year; Wang Shuang, Tang Yifeng, and Geng Xiao were in second; Qin Jiao was in third.
In second year, rankings split into arts and sciences; first year did not.
Wang Shuang, in the science track, was in the bottom 100 of his grade, specifically 78th from the bottom in second-year science. This was progress, as he used to be in the bottom 30.
Wang Shuang felt he had done decently this time, but he was up against Xie Qian.
With over a thousand first-year students, Xie Qian ranked first, cementing his status as the campus heartthrob with both looks and brains.
From then on, fangirls could openly admire Xie Qian.
They were not shallow, only chasing looks, they loved his intelligence.
When Wang Shuang threatened to cut ties, Xie Qian was unfazed. Wang sought backup, shooting Wen Ying a look. She grinned and shook her head, saying she was ranked 600-something and could not help him.
Ranked in the 600s, Wen Ying was not worried. With the key high school’s insane university admission rate, she would get into college.
Her tutored subjects, English (146/150) and math, fared well. Political science, history, and geography dragged her down. When her results came out, even Chen Ru did not feel misled, as she had never expected Wen Ying to pursue arts.
Her true potential would show after choosing a track in the second semester. Even before returning from Macau, Chen Ru had learned all of Wen Ying’s exam results from Lin Lin. The 600-something rank was acceptable.
Li Mengjiao, backpack slung over her shoulder, hurried to catch up.
Despite performing with stars at the National Day gala, she got no special treatment at school, she still had to sweep her assigned area.
Clearly bursting with gossip for Wen Ying, she chased after her but was intercepted by Wang Shuang.
Xie Qian called me a slacker, Wang Shuang whined, a hint of grievance in his voice.
Li Mengjiao, her mind ablaze with gossip, had no time to soothe him. She asked if he was not always a slacker and since when did he care.
Everyone was growing up, but was Wang Shuang regressing?
She openly scorned him.
Wang Shuang, unconvinced, shot back, asking what her rank was.
469. Got a problem with that, Li Mengjiao puffed out her chest.
Wang Shuang bolted.
This was too much.
Did slackers not deserve respect?
Li Mengjiao outranked Wen Ying? That was unscientific. All summer and the first month of school, Li Mengjiao’s focus was not on studying, yet she cracked the top 500.
Before running, Wang Shuang glared at Wen Ying, who felt judged.
Xie Qian followed Wang Shuang, their conversation carried by the wind.
Wang told Xie Qian not to follow him as he was mad.
Xie Qian replied that there was only one path to the court.
Wang insisted they were done and had to be.
Xie Qian said he did not call him a slacker, just asked about his exam, intending to highlight some key points, but it looked like Wang did not need it.
Xie Qian’s words made Wang Shuang half-believe, half-doubt.
Not about the slacker comment, but whether a first-year like Xie Qian could highlight key points for a second-year. Was that not a stretch?
Wang pressed if it was for real, but Xie Qian stayed silent as they headed to the court.
Li Mengjiao rolled her eyes, saying Wang Shuang was such a big baby, shameless, and Xie Qian should not bother with him, letting him stay at the bottom forever.
Wen Ying stifled a laugh.
A big baby?
If Wang Shuang stayed at the bottom, Li Mengjiao would probably be the angriest.
Wen Ying reminded Li Mengjiao that she had told her not to leave right after school and asked what was up.
Li Mengjiao glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby, then pulled Wen Ying aside.
Li Mengjiao was not sure if she should tell Qin Jiao something. They all went to Macau together for National Day. She was in Hunan for the gala, and Xu Mei, the annual champion, was there too. After the event ended past midnight, she saw Xu Mei get into a Mercedes driven by a young guy. Fu Jing was with her. Xu Mei did not return to the hotel that night.
The TV station had booked Li Mengjiao and Xu Mei into the same hotel, their rooms across from each other. That night, Li Mengjiao had an upset stomach and could not sleep.
Around 6 a.m., unable to bear it, she planned to visit the ER. As she cracked open her door, she heard movement across the hall.
Fu Jing was supporting Xu Mei, who was still in last night’s outfit, leaning on Fu Jing, seemingly pleading.
She asked Fu Jing not to tell Brother Qin Yi about last night. Wen Ying, Li Mengjiao was freaking out, wishing she had not overheard. Since then, Xu Mei and Fu Jing acted normal, but the incident kept gnawing at her.
