Chapter 7

Lin ChuSui watched as Xiao Yan walked over, puzzled. She asked, "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Yan walked into the classroom and took out a Chinese workbook from his drawer. He waved it and said, "Homework. I forgot to bring it."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this.

They had almost thought that Lin ChuSui's father... had manifested as a spirit!

Somewhat disappointed, Lin ChuSui pouted. She thought to herself, how is it that he always shows up so coincidentally?

"You didn't know you could come back tomorrow morning to get it? You specifically ran back to fetch it."

Xiao Yan put the workbook into his bag, glanced at her and said, "I could have, but I didn't want to."

"Why didn't you want to?"

"We gifted students never make up homework."

"..."

With her hands behind her back, Lin ChuSui sauntered over to his side. She looked him up and down, and even leaned in to sniff him.

He smelled freshly of lemon laundry detergent.

"My dad always smelled of cigarette smoke. You don't."

"I don't smoke," Xiao Yan leaned back to avoid Lin ChuSui, who was sniffing him like a puppy. "What are you trying to imply?"

"She wants to ask if you really let her dad's spirit possess you. You showed up right on time, 10 seconds flat," said Lu Chi, pointing to his electronic watch.

Xiao Yan's tranquil gaze swept over the messy A3 papers and pencils on the table. Recalling what they had been whispering about the spirit writing game earlier, he could guess what had happened.

He didn't say much. He shouldered his bag and left.

...

Lu Chi and the others lazily tidied up the things on the table and followed him out of the classroom building.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they stepped out, several security guards pointed their flashlights at them from afar —

"Which class are you from? What are you doing at school? Why aren't you going home?"

"We're done for!"

Lin ChuSui and Lu Chi's group reflexively broke into a run towards the small woods behind the hill. There was a short wall there that they could climb over and slip out of the school grounds.

Being model students, Xu Jia Ning and Xiao Yan of course had never encountered such situations before.

Lin ChuSui didn't have time to explain. She instinctively grabbed Xiao Yan's hand and dragged him along, tumbling and crawling as they ran.

Xiao Yan hadn't intended to run. At school, even the Dean of Academic Affairs would take the initiative to greet him.

He had never been in such a sorry state, chased by security guards in the middle of the night.

He said in a low voice, "Let go of me."

Lin ChuSui looked at Xiao Yan's fair and lovely face, flushed somewhat unnaturally, "You're clearly lacking in exercise, addicted to studying."

He caught his breath and calmed his heart rate, "You guys go ahead. I don't want to run."

"Don't worry, I won't abandon my teammates. We'll share the same fate!" Lin ChuSui insisted righteously, clutching his hand tightly.

"There really is no need." Xiao Yan forcibly shook off her hand, "As long as you stay away from me, I definitely won't be done for."

Lin ChuSui's mouth twitched, "Thinks he's so great for being the top of the level?"

Xu Jia Ning shared the same mentality as Xiao Yan. After running a few steps, he felt it was rather undignified, so he stopped, "What are we running for? We just have to explain things clearly."

Since they hadn't stolen anything or done anything bad, running would only make them seem guilty. The security guards caught up to them. Xu Jia Ning tidied his collar and held up his chin gracefully, "I'm Xu Jia Ning from Class B of the 12th Grade..."

Before he could finish speaking, the security guard grabbed him ruthlessly by the collar and slapped him on the head, "You're still running, little rascal! Run again and see what happens!"

As he said that, he escorted Xu Jia Ning to the security office as if he were a convicted criminal.

"Let go! Don't touch me! I can walk by myself."

"You little rascals are as slippery as octopuses. Behave!"

Xu Jia Ning had never received such "treatment" before. His face turned purple with anger, and he grumbled some English phrases.

Seeing her crush being taken away, Lu TianBai panicked and turned back, wanting to protect him, only to get "caught in the net" as well.

When Lin ChuSui saw that the "foolish sweetheart" was captured, she wanted to turn back to rescue her friend.

Lu Chi pulled her back, "Forget about her, she'll be fine. She's a crybaby. She'll cry a bit and the guards will soften up. We can't lose a third person."

Lin ChuSui: ...

Some brother he is!

Seeing Lu Chi's lack of loyalty, Lu TianBai indignantly yelled, "Brother, don't worry! I absolutely won't betray you. I won't say that you and Zhang Cheng Yu from Class B are Lu Chi and Zhang Cheng Yu! And I won't say your student numbers are 103520056 and 103520063! You guys run away!"

Lu Chi: ...

Zhang Cheng Yu: ...

The two of them looked back at Lin ChuSui, the only one who hadn't been caught. Lin ChuSui waved her hand, "What are you looking at? That foolish sweetheart is my best friend."

The group was taken to the security office and leaned dejectedly against the corridor wall.

The security guard called their homeroom teacher Mr. Qin, reporting the names and student numbers of these students.

Xu Jia Ning said angrily, "You... you're violating our human rights! We didn't steal anything or do anything bad. Is it necessary to call our teacher?"

The security guard waved his baton, "Behave yourself!"

Xu Jia Ning clammed up at the threat, mumbling sheepishly.

Lin ChuSui whispered to Xiao Yan, "You can tell he's a good student who hasn't been battered by the Chinese education system."

Xiao Yan said, "I think he has a point. I only came back for homework. Explaining things clearly should suffice."

Lin ChuSui looked at him deeply.

She almost forgot, this guy was the model student representative.

"Actually, you could have gotten away just now," Lin ChuSui said helplessly. "There really was no need to get caught up with us."

Xiao Yan glanced at her and used her own words against her, "Share the same fate."

Lin ChuSui was on the verge of tears. She felt like Xiao Yan was definitely getting back at her.

If he had left, she would have been fine. By staying... the punishment would be heavier!

Sure enough, the security guard righteously told Mr. Qin over the phone, "This is a serious matter. So many boys and girls together, they must have been fooling around! Teacher Qin, you must handle this strictly!"

Lu Chi smiled and turned back to gesture at Xiao Yan, "My sister and I are identical twins. Xu Jia Ning is her step-brother. Zhang Cheng Yu... is too ugly. So Mr. Top Student, care to guess who Teacher Qin will mistakenly assume are secretly dating?"

Xiao Yan glanced at the swooning Lin ChuSui and said, "I actually don't really mind."

Lin ChuSui pinched her philtrum, "But I do!"

...

Mr. Qin had thought that as a former prestigious high school teacher, the atmosphere in his class was excellent, and it was absolutely impossible for blatant dating to occur.

When he received the call from the security office, he was furious.

The next day in the office, he severely reprimanded Lin ChuSui.

Head lowered, Lin ChuSui drew circles on the floor with her toes, looking glum.

Then Mr. Qin patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder and earnestly said, "Xiao Yan, I have absolute faith and trust in you. This must be Lin ChuSui's fault!"

"Teacher Qin, your bias is too obvious," Lin ChuSui finally broke her silence and said indignantly, "What happened to equality and impartiality?" "You can talk to me about equality when you score even a fraction of Xiao Yan's marks! A good student led astray by you!"

"I didn't lead him astray."

"It's clear you don't recognize your own mistakes at all." Mr. Qin angrily pulled Lin ChuSui's ear, reprimanding her, "Gadding about with these boys all day instead of studying properly. Look at you, so undisciplined. Don't your parents teach you that girls should have shame?"

"That's right, no one teaches me!" Lin ChuSui shook off his hand and rubbed her ear. She was angry now too, "No shame at all, seducing the top student into depravity. If you dislike me that much, then expel me!"

"A useless person can't be taught! Don't think I won't expel you!"

Xiao Yan turned his head and saw that although Lin ChuSui's eyes were red, she was forcing back her tears and looking at him stubbornly with injustice.

He could empathize with being misunderstood.

Seeing that his progress bar was still at 0%, Xiao Yan spoke up, "Teacher Qin, I was not seduced."

Mr. Qin waved his hand, "Xiao Yan, you don't need to say anything. I know already."

Xiao Yan stepped in front of Lin ChuSui and reiterated more strongly, "Regardless of whether there was any dating, using grades as the basis for your judgement is rather arbitrary."

Lin ChuSui looked up at Xiao Yan, somewhat surprised that he was willing to stand up for her at such a critical moment.

Mr. Qin was a little angry, "Xiao Yan, are you asking to be punished together with her?"

"I just want to explain clearly that Lin ChuSui did not seduce me," he glanced at her, "She's not even pretty."

Lin ChuSui: ...

Just as she was about to be moved to tears, she withdrew it in an instant.

What's with this top student!

Mr. Qin was convinced by this reasoning though. He asked again, "Then why were all of you in the classroom so late?"

"I was tutoring her."

Mr. Qin looked at him doubtfully, "You were tutoring her in the classroom?"

Knowing the classroom cameras were just for show and had been broken for years, Lin ChuSui self-righteously said, "Of course studying is done in the classroom. What, in the bedroom?"

Xiao Yan silenced her with a frosty glance.

"Then what about them..." Mr. Qin pointed at Lu Chi, Zhang Cheng Yu and the others. "How do they explain it?"

"I'm not familiar with them," Xiao Yan said expressionlessly. "Maybe they wanted to wait until I finished tutoring Lin ChuSui and copy her homework."

Lu Chi: ...

Zhang Cheng Yu: ...

Nice, only helping to cover for Lin ChuSui alone huh.

Indeed, Mr. Qin didn't catch any solid evidence of early dating. Moreover, the first and second rankers of the level were involved. To avoid tarnishing the class's reputation, he decided not to report it to the school and suppressed it himself.

After scolding them severely and punishing them to do cleaning chores for a week, this matter was considered settled.

This was the first time in Lin ChuSui's life that she had caused trouble yet did not receive any punishment.

It was all thanks to the protective aura of Xiao Yan's reputation as a top student.

In class, Xiao Yan felt uneasy under the meaningful glances that Lin ChuSui kept throwing his way from time to time. He endured it and pressed his pen down, asking, "Excuse me, deskmate, what exactly are you looking at?"

Lin ChuSui lightly sighed, "I'm considering how to gently turn down your confession of love in a way that won't hurt your self-esteem."

Xiao Yan: "..."

Lin ChuSui took out a small mirror and examined her own face, saying, "I originally thought you were attracted to my beauty, but after what just happened, I now know that what draws you in...is not my exterior, but my soul."

Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly.

Lin ChuSui sighed again, gazing at herself in the mirror self-pityingly, "My damned charm of personality."

"Oh, don't you want to say something?"

Xiao Yan closed his eyes and said, "There's a voice inside me that's telling me things about you."

Lin ChuSui shyly asked, "Telling you...what about me?"

"Telling me to give you a beating, and you'll settle down."

"..."