5. The Arrogant Freshman (Part Two)

It took Mr. Wu a long moment to come to terms with the truth. What surprised Chen Ruowen, however, was that after confirming she had not broken any school rules, Mr. Wu actually gave her a slight bow.

“I didn’t fully understand your situation and jumped to conclusions. I wronged you. I apologize. I’m sorry.”

For a second, Chen Ruowen was dumbfounded.

Mr. Wu apologized to her? And all for such a trivial matter?

“Uh, it’s nothing, no harm done,” Chen Ruowen replied, her tone softening almost in spite of herself.

Mr. Wu smiled, then pulled out a notebook.

“Let’s not speak of uniforms anymore. Last night, I finished grading your exams. To be honest, your scores are less than ideal.”

Mr. Wu was actually being quite tactful. In reality, Chen Ruowen’s scores were not just “less than ideal”—they were dreadful. In the top experimental class of their grade, her performance was a rare sight. Even across the entire South City No. 1 High School, she stood out—in the worst way...

At the very bottom...

As the temperamental chemistry teacher in their office put it, “This one student has single-handedly dragged down the entire school’s ranking in the city.”

“With scores like these, it’s a bit dangerous for you, especially in the three science subjects. If things go on like this, I’m afraid when the college entrance exams come next year, you’ll only get into an ordinary vocational college.”

The thought of a student from South City No. 1 High School ending up in a vocational school was enough to make the staff in the teachers’ office pound their chests in frustration. No one could fathom what possessed the principal to admit such a student.

Chen Ruowen didn’t seem to care; she just shrugged indifferently.

“I’m not planning to take the college entrance exam. Scores are just meaningless numbers for me. After university I’ll be taking over the family business, so school is just a pastime.”

Taking over the family business...

How infuriating...

Teachers most hated students who didn’t take their studies seriously, but Mr. Wu’s expression didn’t change. He patiently tried to guide this wayward lamb back onto the right path.

“Learning isn’t for others, and it’s not just for the entrance exams. It’s about building a foundation for yourself. I know, with your family’s resources, getting you into a top university wouldn’t be difficult. But entering a good school doesn’t mean you’ll acquire real knowledge. Whatever you do in the future, your experiences, temperament, and conduct are all shaped by what you learn in these formative years. All growth requires sincere effort. I hope you’ll understand that.”

Whether Chen Ruowen took these words to heart, she showed no sign. When young, people rarely heed advice from those who have gone before; their minds are filled with their own whimsical notions of living in the moment.

Unless blessed by time and personal experience, one never truly understands the wisdom of such words.

Putting the conversation out of her mind, Chen Ruowen felt nothing about Mr. Wu’s earnest counsel. When the bell rang for class, she returned to the classroom.

After a day of exams yesterday, today was spent reviewing those very papers. Mr. Wu had already warned her about her math results, but the bleak double-digit score on her science paper still made Chen Ruowen cover her eyes in dismay.

The chemistry teacher nearly devoured her with his glare as he handed back the tests. The physics teacher, on the other hand, was gentle, simply encouraging her to try harder next time, while the biology teacher seemed not to notice her pitiful score at all and launched straight into a passionate lecture.

As soon as the bell signaling the end of the morning classes rang, the students clustered together to compare grades.

“How did you do?”

“Sigh, I bombed. Only got two hundred sixty-something in science. Awful.”

“...260 is bombing? You’re the new king of humblebrag!”

“Shut up! Kai’s score is a full thirty points higher than mine—thirty! Every extra point puts you ahead of thousands. Just in science, Kai left over thirty thousand people behind, TVT.”

“Comparing yourself to Kai? Why not shoot for the stars? Why not just match the answer key?”

Weaving through these groups of classmates probing for grades, Chen Ruowen curled her lip and snatched the test paper out of Bai Jinyan’s hands as he was reviewing his mistakes.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

Bai Jinyan’s frown eased at the sound of her voice. He retrieved his paper, slipped it between his textbooks, and raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

“Cafeteria?”

Chen Ruowen wrinkled her nose, hesitated, and then pulled a lunchbox from her new handbag.

“I want to use my own utensils.”

Bai Jinyan chuckled softly and offered no objection. But as the two prepared to leave, a thin boy from the desk behind Bai Jinyan came over and slung an arm around his shoulders.

“Yan, take me to lunch too!”

Before Bai Jinyan could reply, Chen Ruowen, clearly displeased, grabbed his arm and answered for him.

“No.”

The boy wasn’t offended; in fact, he cheerfully continued, “Hey, you’re Chen Ruowen, right? I heard you transferred here. Where did you go to school before? How come I’ve never seen you? Oh, by the way, I’m Ma Yunan. Nice to meet you!”

Bai Jinyan knew trouble was brewing the moment he heard this, but Ma Yunan’s mouth was too quick—he rattled off his questions like firecrackers, leaving Bai Jinyan no time to intervene. Chen Ruowen simply pulled Bai Jinyan along, her expression icy.

“Not interested.”

“...”

Ma Yunan looked a bit awkward.

Bai Jinyan sighed and explained to him, “That’s just her personality. It’s not about you.”

Ma Yunan quickly recovered, laughing it off. “No worries, girls with personality are the best. I get it.”

Though Chen Ruowen didn’t like strangers, it was clear Ma Yunan and Bai Jinyan were on good terms, being seatmates. The two chatted a bit and, naturally, all three ended up heading to the cafeteria together.

This time, Chen Ruowen picked a relatively quiet (though not really) spot near the edge, then pulled two tablecloths from her handbag. Ignoring the surprised glances from those around her, she laid one tablecloth over the communal table and wrapped the other around her two seats before nodding contentedly and sitting down.

When Bai Jinyan returned with the food, he couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, while Ma Yunan gaped in amazement and eagerly tried to sit beside her—only to be kicked away by Chen Ruowen.

The cafeteria food held no appeal for her. For Bai Jinyan’s sake, she forced down a few bites, then lowered her gaze and immersed herself in her phone. Ma Yunan, meanwhile, chatted incessantly. Chen Ruowen suspected that he only managed to worm his way into Bai Jinyan’s circle because he was so talkative that Bai Jinyan couldn’t escape.

“Yan, did you two know each other before?”

Halfway through the meal, Ma Yunan finally turned the conversation to Chen Ruowen.

Bai Jinyan nodded. “You could call us childhood friends.”

Ma Yunan’s eyes lit up, darting eagerly between the two. “Childhood friends? How exciting!” His eyes roved, conjuring up who knows how many romance novels. “Don’t tell me you were engaged as kids, betrothed since birth?”

Bai Jinyan nearly choked on his food, but the usually silent Chen Ruowen, who seemed entirely absorbed in her phone, finally looked up and regarded Ma Yunan with rare approval.

“You’ve got a good imagination!”