Chapter Twenty-One: Obstacles

Another day dawned, with autumn winds rustling and leaves falling from the trees. Though the weather was growing colder, Zhou Xuan still rose promptly at six o’clock to run and exercise, unwavering in his commitment. He merely traded his shorts and T-shirt for long sleeves and pants, pressing forward for the sake of his abs.

Entering the classroom, Zhou Xuan automatically tuned out the sounds of his classmates reading aloud, his mind occupied instead by the knowledge he had studied in the virtual space the night before.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

“Zhou Xuan, step outside for a moment.”

Raising his head, he saw his homeroom teacher, Ms. Liu, standing before him with an expressionless face.

He followed Ms. Liu to the window, where she asked, a note of concern in her voice, “Zhou Xuan, you must tell me the truth. You didn’t cheat on the last monthly exam, did you?”

Hearing this, Zhou Xuan guessed, “Ms. Liu, is someone suspecting I cheated?”

Ms. Liu gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know who reported to the school leadership, but Vice Principal Li called and said they want to investigate your test results.”

Immediately, the name “Wei Xinyu” flashed in Zhou Xuan’s mind. He had only been reborn for less than a month, and aside from a conflict with Wei Xinyu, he hadn’t made enemies with anyone else. If someone had reported him, it could only have been Wei Xinyu.

Originally, based on his previous life, Zhou Xuan thought Wei Xinyu was timid and wouldn’t resort to underhanded tricks. Who would have thought that just losing a bet and a bit of face would prompt him to play this game?

This was indeed the child of an official—how smoothly he wielded power, as if born for it.

Impressive! Truly impressive!

“If I didn’t cheat, no one can smear my name,” Zhou Xuan thought with growing confidence. “Perhaps I can even turn this situation to my advantage and gain some privileges.”

Knowing Wei Xinyu was behind it, Zhou Xuan felt no anxiety whatsoever. Calmly, he asked, “Ms. Liu, do you believe I cheated?”

Ms. Liu shook her head. “I have complete faith in your abilities. You had the highest score in the class—who would you even copy from? Besides, how could anyone fake English speaking or Chinese essays? We subject teachers aren’t fools.”

“Thank you, Ms. Liu, for trusting me so much. I think someone just has a problem with me and reported me to the higher-ups,” Zhou Xuan said with a cold laugh. “Their intentions are obvious.”

“I thought so too. If someone calls you in for questioning later, you must answer carefully. I’ll be there as well to protect you and make sure you aren’t bullied,” Ms. Liu said, her concern evident.

Zhou Xuan felt a warmth in his heart from Ms. Liu’s care. In both his past and present lives, Ms. Liu had always genuinely cared for her students, and they all respected her deeply, calling to wish her well every Teacher’s Day.

Zhou Xuan gave her a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, Ms. Liu. Not just anyone can throw dirt on me, and I’m not one to be trifled with.”

At this moment, Zhou Xuan had already resolved to teach Wei Xinyu a lesson in the future, and as for Vice Principal Li, he would deal with him when the time came.

After the first class in the morning, the homeroom teacher called Zhou Xuan over, taking him to the office of the junior high teaching department on the first floor.

Entering the office, Zhou Xuan saw a large desk with two people seated across from him. He recognized one as Director Tian of the ninth grade; the other must be Vice Principal Li.

Sure enough, as Zhou Xuan and Ms. Liu entered, Ms. Liu introduced them, “Vice Principal Li, Director Tian, this is Zhou Xuan.”

Though Zhou Xuan found Vice Principal Li unpleasant, he still greeted them politely. “Good morning, Vice Principal Li, Director Tian.”

Director Tian squinted his small eyes and smiled. “Ms. Liu, Zhou Xuan, please sit. Vice Principal Li has some questions for Zhou Xuan regarding the recent exam.”

Director Tian glanced at Vice Principal Li, who remained expressionless. “Let’s begin, then,” he said.

Zhou Xuan faced Vice Principal Li with equanimity, quietly awaiting their questions.

“Zhou Xuan, were your Chinese, Math, and English scores in the last test truly reflective of your abilities?” So they started by putting a big label on him.

Zhou Xuan smiled. “Of course they were. Ms. Liu, my homeroom teacher, can vouch for me.”

Ms. Liu hurried to add, “I was the proctor at the time. I can confirm that Zhou Xuan did not cheat.”

“But as far as I know, your previous two tests were poor. You didn’t even make the top hundred in the grade. How do you explain that?” Director Tian’s questioning tone irked Zhou Xuan.

In his mind, Zhou Xuan labeled Director Tian as Vice Principal Li’s lackey, and resolved to deal with him when the opportunity arose.

“That’s actually easy to explain. I did it on purpose. I could have taken first place anytime; the only reason I didn’t was because I believe in keeping a low profile. As for showing my true strength this time, it was simply because I no longer wanted to keep a low profile,” Zhou Xuan replied calmly.

Hearing this, Director Tian could hardly believe such words came from a seventh grader.

Watching Zhou Xuan’s unhurried demeanor, Director Tian realized he wasn’t facing an ordinary fifteen-year-old. Most students would be flustered and incoherent under such questioning, but Zhou Xuan was composed, articulating that he purposely stayed out of first place to remain low-key.

Vice Principal Li’s expression also shifted, recognizing that Zhou Xuan was no ordinary student.

“Upon investigation, we found your grades in seventh grade were very good, but after entering eighth grade, your scores dropped sharply. Subject teachers spoke with you several times, but nothing changed. Yet within just a month before the last monthly exam, you rose from 250th place to seventh in the grade. How did you accomplish this?” Vice Principal Li asked.

He’s really done his homework, Zhou Xuan thought. Clearly, he believes it’s impossible to improve so quickly in a few months, and seeks to prove this exam wasn’t truly reflective of my abilities.

Zhou Xuan smirked internally and answered with calm dignity, “Because ninth grade is approaching—if I didn’t start working hard, I wouldn’t have a chance to get into First High. Thinking of the disappointed look in my parents’ eyes made me feel wretched. So I resolved to study diligently in ninth grade and strive for admission to First High. Do you know what a village looks like at four in the morning? You don’t, do you! For two whole months, while other children were still dreaming or playing during the day, I got up every morning at four to read English, practice essays, and study ninth grade subjects ahead of time—all so I could achieve my dream of getting into First High when the time comes!”