Chapter Two: Unjust Accusations

Xiang Yu hadn’t closed her eyes since, desperately trying to piece together her current situation.

Her grades were a complete mess. From what she remembered, her best score in Chinese was only in the fifties, while math and English barely reached twenty or thirty points.

With such results, dreaming of getting into any of the three key high schools in the county was pure folly.

Only by entering the prestigious county high school could she hope to continue her education; otherwise, she would have to start working.

This was the fate of most children in this remote town who failed to get into the top high school—only a small fraction could attend vocational schools.

Their middle school was the only one in the town, and each year, the admission rate was less than twenty percent.

So, at this moment, the most important thing was to figure out exactly which stage of middle school she had returned to.

This time, she was determined to work hard and get into the county’s prestigious high school.

The girl who had gone to the restroom with Xiang Yu last night woke early as well. When she went to wash up, she saw Xiang Yu standing by the window at the communal sink, gazing at the scenery.

The red sunrise was slowly rising over the mountains across the river, gradually painting the sky crimson, illuminating the earth with unparalleled new life force, bringing tears to Xiang Yu’s eyes.

Going to the restroom and eating meals were ways for girls to quickly grow closer.

Thanks to last night’s little incident, the girls were friendly, and Xiang Yu seized the chance to ask her to go to the classroom together.

The girl hesitated, “Aren’t you waiting for Ye Nuanxin? You usually go together.”

Xiang Yu shook her head, “From now on, I’m going to get up early every day.”

In the last two years of middle school, she and Ye Nuanxin had become seasoned slackers—often arriving late to early study sessions and, when there, covering up their sleep.

At night, they would secretly read little books.

Most teachers didn’t bother much with them, knowing they had no interest in studying; no matter how much they tried, such dismal grades couldn’t be pulled up.

Xiang Yu found her seat at the back of the classroom and felt her heart sink when she saw the date: the second semester of ninth grade in 2003. The large number “32” in the corner of the blackboard was the countdown to the entrance exam.

Only 32 days left before the exam, yet the English test paper she pulled out showed a mere 23 points.

The embarrassment was soul-crushing.

With a heavy heart, Xiang Yu tidied her desk and took out two love letters and a pale green glow-in-the-dark doll.

Without reading the letters, she quietly tore them up and threw them away. She slipped the little doll into her pocket, planning to toss it outside the schoolyard wall later.

In her previous life, she had been vain, quite enjoying the feeling of being secretly admired. But after enduring the pains of love, she had no desire for it this time.

Chen Ze, who sat in the middle, glanced back twice and relaxed upon seeing Xiang Yu throw a handful of torn colorful papers into the trash.

Yesterday, Ye Nuanxin had told him that someone had sent Xiang Yu a love letter again, which made him uncomfortable.

Although he looked down on Xiang Yu’s grades, she was truly beautiful. She had some feelings for him, which greatly satisfied his vanity. He didn’t want anyone else to steal her heart away.

Xiang Yu had long noticed Chen Ze, the scoundrel ex-husband she couldn’t stand.

Yet, she could temporarily set aside her grudge against Ye Nuanxin—what could Chen Ze possibly hold over her? Her deepest hatred was reserved for Ye Nuanxin.

Nothing worse had happened yet in this life. As long as Ye Nuanxin and Chen Ze didn’t come to bother her, she would pretend they didn’t exist and stop adding unnecessary burdens to her soul.

She also wanted to see how Ye Nuanxin would become a white-rich-beauty without using her as a stepping stone, how Chen Ze would start his company, and how they would come to possess billions in assets.

Seeing everyone take out their English books for morning reading, a faint cold smile curved on Xiang Yu’s lips.

English morning reading was the one early study session that both she and Ye Nuanxin dared not be late for, leave early from, or sneak in naps during. The English teacher was older and more experienced and, unlike other lenient teachers, was very strict with underperforming students, often wielding a ruler. Xiang Yu had tasted that sting once.

Red and swollen for two days was a small matter; the real damage was to her pride.

Since then, she never arrived late for the English morning sessions again, nor did she slack off or sleep during class, even if she couldn’t understand; she forced herself to stay alert.

Usually, she was the one to wake Ye Nuanxin up.

Today, no one called her, and Ye Nuanxin hadn’t come yet.

Sure enough, the English teacher stopped beside Xiang Yu, his voice sharp as ice shards, “Where’s your deskmate?”

Xiang Yu suppressed the natural fear in her body and whispered, “I don’t know. I came to the classroom very early today, but when I went out, I saw Ye Nuanxin was still asleep.”

The teacher’s expression shifted from icy cold to fiery anger.

The flames of his gaze blazed.

How dare she skip even her morning study sessions and sleep in? He clearly didn’t take her seriously.

He moved a chair and sat silently in the back corner of the classroom, waiting.

After about ten minutes, Ye Nuanxin slipped in quietly.

As soon as she sat down, she grabbed Xiang Yu’s arm and complained, “Why didn’t you wake me?”