The classroom fell silent, all eyes fixed on the doorway. Their expressions were as if anticipating a rare sight, with even the murmurs subsiding. Wen Tingxue clutched the straps of her schoolbag, hesitating at the entrance for a few minutes before quietly walking in. She didn't dare look around much, her head bowed as she approached Wen Di.
Contrary to expectations of a village girl, a soft and adorable young woman entered instead. The classroom quieted for two seconds, then erupted in chatter.
"Isn't that the little sister by Senior Yu's side?"
"Holy crap! Just as I was thinking about it! She looks so soft."
"She looks so familiar."
"She's the one the school forum has been buzzing about these past few days, right? They say Senior Yu personally picked her up."
"Rumor has it, Senior Yu even went shopping with her."
"My god! Who is she? How did she get involved with Senior Yu? And shopping together?!"
"I'm so jealous! I've never seen any girl so close to Yu Wenli."
"Exactly, why her? She's just average-looking, not as good as the campus belle."
Xie Jinyi silently rolled her eyes. Going shopping was nothing; the girl had already ridden on the back of his motorcycle. If this news got out, Jiang City would be drowning in envy.
"Weren't they saying she's from the countryside? The housekeeper's daughter, perhaps? I heard the Yu family's housekeeper has been with them for years and takes care of things, so it's normal, isn't it?" Yu Yahe interjected with an unhappy expression, her gaze towards Wen Tingxue chilling.
"That makes sense." The crowd quickly accepted this explanation. After all, Yu Wenli's family background had been thoroughly investigated, and there was no mention of any rural relatives. Xie Jinyi blinked, not saying much, but she found this possibility unlikely.
On the stage, Wen Di watched the commotion below, his face darkening. His impression of Wen Tingxue worsened; she had barely arrived and was already causing such a stir. What kind of good student could she be!
"Silence!" Wen Di unhappily rapped the desk with his pointer, and the classroom gradually quieted down. "This is a new transfer student in our class." Wen Di put down his teaching materials and said briefly before turning to wipe the blackboard.
Wen Tingxue, under everyone's gaze, felt sweat prickling her back. She had to raise her head and introduce herself in a small voice. "Hello everyone, my name is Wen Tingxue." Her voice was soft, like warm milk, carrying a sweetness that seeped into the heart.
Coincidentally, she was dressed cutely today, a small, delicate figure with a rosy, tender face that evoked a desire to protect. The boys started to cheer, joking about wanting to be her desk mate. Many girls joined in the scramble, creating a strangely amusing scene.
Wen Di dropped the chalk eraser, his brow furrowed in displeasure. Finally, he pointed to a seat. "You can sit there for now. The physics representative is a good student; learn from her. Don't cause trouble all day." Wen Tingxue pursed her lips, offering no further explanation.
The seat was in the third row from the front, a good position, but her desk mate's expression was anything but friendly. "...Hello." As she put her bag down, Wen Tingxue hesitated before finally speaking. Yu Yahe snapped her pencil case shut and said expressionlessly, "Don't talk to me, and don't cross this line from now on." She pointed coldly at the boundary line between their two desks. Wen Tingxue quietly agreed.
Wen Di, the class advisor, took advantage of the time before class to have the class monitor collect the winter break homework. "Let's see who dares not write their homework this time!" A chorus of cries rose from below, but Wen Di remained unmoved and ruthless. Yu Yahe, as the group leader for their section, naturally got up to collect the homework.
Wen Tingxue took out her homework for each subject and placed it on the desk. Then, someone poked her shoulder. "What's your relationship with Senior Yu?" The familiar voice quickened Wen Tingxue's turn. The face that flashed in her mind appeared before her eyes, and Wen Tingxue was still a little stunned. "You..." Wasn't this the girl she met last night? How could she be here?
Xie Jinyi, seeing her thoughts, chuckled. "Senior Yu and I are not in the same class; his grades are too good." It wasn't easy to get into Class One at Jiangcheng First High School; only the top twenty in the grade were guaranteed a spot. The remaining twenty-odd seats were chosen from the top hundred in the grade, a process that relied entirely on luck.
Wen Tingxue blinked, finding her just as attractive in her school uniform. Xie Jinyi extended her hand, smiling brightly. "My name is Xie Jinyi, please take care of me from now on." Meeting someone warm like this in such a situation, Wen Tingxue nervously shook her hand and said softly, "I don't dare to presume." Xie Jinyi smiled. "Yu Yahe likes Senior Yu, it's an open secret. You don't need to mind her attitude."
Wen Tingxue nodded, saying nothing, but a strange heaviness settled in her heart. The homework was collected in front of them. Xie Jinyi handed some books over, but paused during the exchange. "Why aren't you collecting Tingxue's homework?" she asked Yu Yahe, her expression displeased.
Yu Yahe's face remained impassive. "She's a transfer student, and her work is different from ours. How can I collect it?" With that, she took Xie Jinyi's homework and continued to the next person. Wen Tingxue bit her lip awkwardly. Xie Jinyi tugged at her arm. "You should go find the class monitor directly." She pointed to the long-haired girl standing on the podium. "The class monitor is Xu Kexin. Tell her about it so she can communicate with the subject teachers; otherwise, it'll be troublesome when it's checked."
The winter break homework at Jiangcheng First High School was inspected, which was why so many students had rushed to catch up on their assignments. Furthermore, some teachers were strict, and even transfer students were not exempt. Wen Tingxue was already socially anxious, and Xu Kexin looked cold, which intimidated her. Still, she summoned her courage and went up. After all, approaching Wen Di would be more troublesome, as he already seemed to have an opinion of her.
The homework for each subject was arranged neatly on the podium. Xu Kexin stood in front, methodically taking the homework from the group leaders and organizing it by subject, almost perfectly. "Is there something?" Xu Kexin glanced at her calmly, continuing her work, completely unfazed.
Wen Tingxue briefly explained her purpose. Only then did Xu Kexin look at her again, then at Yu Yahe. Yu Yahe frowned. "I can't collect it! What if the teachers don't understand the situation and throw her homework away like trash? Who will be responsible?" Many people gathered around the podium chuckled. Wen Tingxue's face flushed, but she couldn't refute them. Or rather, she wasn't good at handling such situations and was accustomed to such mockery. This was her everyday life for the past decade.
Xu Kexin's long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, giving her a sharp and capable appearance. When her brow furrowed slightly, everyone quieted down a bit. "Give it to me." She looked down, then reached out to Wen Tingxue. "I'll deliver your homework." Wen Tingxue hesitated for two seconds before handing her homework over. Xu Kexin took it, flipped through it briefly, then looked up, her expression calm. "If there's a problem, I'll find you." She then set the homework aside separately and continued her work.
Xu Kexin's profile was more beautiful than her frontal view. Sunlight traced across her full forehead and delicate nose, making her seem to glow. Wen Tingxue admired her composure and couldn't help but watch her for a moment longer before returning to her seat.
Just then, Wen Di walked in after finishing a call and immediately saw Wen Tingxue. He furrowed his brow and asked Xu Kexin, "What is she doing here?" Wen Tingxue was a little intimidated by him and quickened her pace to leave, but Yu Yahe seemed to deliberately block her path. As a result, she couldn't get far. Amidst their entanglement, Xu Kexin's answer came from behind.