Translator: Tuiwen Editor: Tuiwen
“So that’s Ming Jing.”
“She has a very good figure. Not only that, she’s tall and thin. She even looks good in her school uniform.”
“Is it just me, or does her hair seem weird…”
“Hey, you guys are missing out on the main point. We’re on the subject of grades, and not worrying about her appearance.”
Ming Jing listened to the discussions swirling around her and appeared to be thinking over some things before making her way to the results board.
The moment she showed up at the board, the people surrounding the results list right away began getting out of the way. All of them were either curious, amazed, or envious as they looked her up and down.
Ming Jing walked to the board like a regale queen. The awestruck crowd could only watch with bated breath.
The words “Ming Jing” appeared at the top of the board, and it was twice the size of the second name. Altogether Ming Jing’s name printed at the top of the board was very attention-grabbing.
Ming Jing scanned the entire list until she found a familiar name at 78th place.
Hu Tian.
Only two people from Class Eight appeared on the Red List. One of them was in first place and this was a huge embarrassment for the top students of Class One.
“What’s she like? Is she really such a good student?”
“Do you think she cheated? Cheating is pretty commonplace at this school. It’s better if we let the teacher check this out. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else.”
“Is it so hard for you to admit that someone is outstanding?” All of a sudden, a loud voice sounded out from the crowd. Tao Xingxing pushed her way through the mob of people and walked forward. She pointed in the direction of a boy wearing glasses just standing there and said, “You, repeat what you just said.”
The boy who was singled out was dumbfounded. When he saw that all eyes were on him, his face turned red, but eventually, he straightened himself out and said, “She is just some unknown Class Eight student. So how in the world did she get first place in the entire class? Does she think everyone is stupid? That person is obviously a cheater.”
Tao Xingxing walked in front of the boy with her arms crazily waving around. “He looks human, but his mouth is so smelly. Does he eat sh*t?”
Her words humiliated the boy. He was so enraged that his face became the color of dirt. He pointed his finger at Tao Xingxing’s nose and stuttered, “You… you…”
Tao Xingxing slapped his hand away from her face and spat out her next words, “What do you mean by you? Either you give me proof, or you shut that filthy mouth of yours.”
Tao Xingxing paced around the small space the crowd had left open between her and the board. At the center of all this was Ming Jing who continued to look unmoved by everything that was going on around her. Tao Xingxing looked at everyone one by one. Then with her voice raised, she said, “From this day forward, you will all know Ming Jing’s name. Of course, she just transferred here and it’s only been a little over a month and some of you might not have heard her name before this. But from now on, her name will be on all your lips. From this point on, her name will become your waking nightmare.”
“Don’t just accuse her of cheating. She is the top student in the truest sense. If you envy her position, you will, of course, spread rumors. All your dirty tricks are a disgrace in the end. If you want to compete with her, you can compete openly and fairly in the examination hall. All of you are welcome to challenge our Ming Jing’s throne in the next upcoming exam.”
In the crowd surrounding them, a boy lowered his voice and said, “What an arrogant little girl. Yinzhang, Next time, you must beat her and avenge everyone at the same time.”
The boy simply stood in the crowd. His frame was thin and frail. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his nose. His appearance was very refined. Hearing the boy’s words, he said in a light voice, “Of course, there are mountains beyond the mountains before you, and more people beyond the ones in your sight right now.”
Ming Jing could not stand the suffocating eyes of the crowd. She turned around and made her way away from the mass gathering in the hall. Tao Xingxing immediately ran after her. “Don’t think that I’ve overstepped my bounds. I know these people. They stare down their noses at Class Eight, and their private arrangements are no better. We have to attack first to let them know who’s in control. At least, they won’t be coming up to you and disturbing you now that we’ve made our stance clear.”
Ming Jing looked over at her and turned to give her a smile. “Thank you for taking care of me so thoroughly. But like you said, what if I don’t get top marks next time?”
“That’s impossible,” Tao Xingxing did not hesitate to say at all.
“I believe in you. If you fail to get first place next time, I’ll be sure to write my name backwards.”
“The only obstacle standing in our way is Song Yinzhang. Before you arrived here, he had always taken the number one spot. This has been the case since junior high. This time, he just missed your score by two points. That’s really close. All in all, he proves to be one scary opponent.”
…
The biggest news circulating around school today had to do with Ming Jing. She once again became the focus of all the students and teachers.
Pretty soon, the forums began to be filled with posts. “‘Mountains and Water’ @ ‘Drunken Dream Jinghua’: Do you still remember our bet last time? Do you need any more reminders? Don’t forget to fulfill your end of the bet. Be good and I’ll save you some face.”
The people who followed the post were just spectators.
– If I remember correctly, the person who lost the bet has to run ten laps on the sports field in his underwear, right?
– Is he playing dead? If you can talk, then you must have the ability to admit defeat. What a coward!
– Maybe he’s just picking out his underpants. Hahaha.
Once noon arrived, this “Drunken Dream Jinghua” was still playing dead. If he didn’t dare show his face at this time, it would not be likely that he will come out of hiding anytime soon. Everyone on the school’s forum was taking turns laughing at this person.
At noon, there was a racket in the cafeteria.
The students stopped eating to watch the show.
“Oh my God, the mysterious administrator actually used his powers as admin to give his opinion on the matter. He said that even if ‘Drunken Dream Jinghua’ decides to remain anonymous, it will only be a matter of time before his real identity gets revealed. The school’s forum is not a place for people to throw their weight around. Even if he is an anonymous user, he should still take responsibility for his words and actions. The administrator is such a righteous guy. This is how things should be. Don’t let reckless people continue to spew anonymous dirt on the Internet.”
“Haha, if this ‘Drunken Dream Jinghua’ doesn’t show up again, the administrator will have a fit when his account explodes. When that happens, it will be hard to save some face. It would be better to act now.”
Tao Xingxing scrolled through the posts on her phone and said in an excited voice, “This guy called ‘Drunk Dream Jinghua,’ I really have to find out what he looks like. His mysterious act is making me very curious. Good work, administrator. And this guy called ‘Mountains and Water,’ good job too!”
A person was sitting across from Ming Jing. The young man flashed a grin in Ming Jing’s direction and said, “Ming Jing, just sit back and wait for a good show.”
Ming Jing simply ignored him and just continued eating seriously.
Gao Chang touched his nose as he reflected on her calm look. She was just too charming.
“Coming, coming. There’s a person out on the field right now running around in their underwear. Come and watch. This is really too exciting,” The entire cafeteria could hear someone shouting. The students all rushed out to watch the spectacle.
Someone had already taken a picture and had posted the photo on the forum. Tao Xingxing laughed when she saw it. She lifted her phone so that Ming Jing could see.
“Look at what this person is wearing. It’s a Peppa Pig underwear. This is too funny.”
After Ming Jing glanced indifferently at Tao Xingxing’s phone, she got up with her plate in her hand.
Gao Chang saw the picture and there was a frightful frown on his face.
“Damn! How dare they play this kind of dirty trick!”