Chapter 68. Ha, hypocritical.
Soon, someone reposted a post about the opening ceremony of the sports meet from Xunning No. 2 Middle School's official WeChat account on a forum jointly established by several schools.
[Link] [Multiple Photos! Click to See the Amazing Moments of Xunning No. 2 Middle School Opening Ceremony!]
[Is this some kind of clickbait for the No. 2 Middle School's official WeChat account? What a cunning editor.]
[To be honest, the photos this time are really high-resolution, and they're all very well taken.]
[Absolutely, the school hired a professional photographer specifically for this shoot.]
[Come on, everyone knows the leaders of No. 2 Middle School are incredibly stingy. Would they really be willing to spend money to hire outsiders to film this?]
Things are different now. No. 2 Middle School is rich now. I heard a big boss sponsored a large sum of money for the school, and construction on a new laboratory building and library will begin during the winter break.
[That's right, I passed by the Second Middle School last time and noticed that the vacant lot next to it has been fenced off; it's probably going to be used for this.]
[Then the only advantage that No. 1 High School could boast about is gone, isn't it? It seems No. 1 High School is truly declining.]
[Haha, No. 1 High School is still a key high school, some people can't get in their whole lives!]
[Shenjin, some people really need to drop their superior attitude. Going to high school and already feeling superior? That's ridiculous.]
[You still think No. 1 High School is the best high school in Xunning? Last year's top student got completely dominated by Gu Ci, and this year they're getting utterly crushed by Ji Jingyu. It's shameful just thinking about it.]
[How can the top student in the grade at No. 1 High School compare to Ji Jingyu? I heard their total scores differ by several tens of points.]
[The principal of No. 1 High School probably won't be able to sleep tonight.]
[You're arguing about this? Stop fighting! We're all gathered here today for... wait, what was it again?]
[For the sake of the young couple's beautiful love.]
[That's right.]
[Wow, you guys need to look at the sixth picture, it's absolutely amazing!]
The sixth photo on the official WeChat account is a picture of Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu together.
The autumn sun was neither too warm nor too cold, casting dappled light and shadow that outlined the exquisite features of the two people talking, as if coated with a warm-toned filter.
Jiang Sui tilted her head back, her slender, white neck curving into a beautiful arc, her bright face bearing an obvious smile.
The boy standing behind her leaned down to look at Jiang Sui, his profile smooth and deep, sunlight dancing on his high nose bridge, casting a light shadow.
Like an impeccable movie poster.
Normally, Ji Jingyu gives people the feeling of being aloof, reserved, and unapproachable, but in this photo, he looks focused and gentle, with even a faint smile on his lips. The impact of this contrast is naturally not to be underestimated.
Now, everyone stopped arguing.
[Damn, Nuwa is so biased! Why were they carefully sculpted, while I'm just a speck of clay?]
[Jiang Sui is so beautiful, I want to watch her.]
Wake up! Are you prettier than Ji Jingyu, or can you score higher than him? Instead of wasting time daydreaming, do more practice tests.
Are these matching outfits for couples?
[On set, they were dressed like a couple, even though they weren't. I bet there's something going on between them; their little gestures were incredibly affectionate.]
[Okay, okay, what we're saying is, what's the difference between what they've done and what they've actually negotiated?]
[Oh my god, is this a real-life couple?]
[JJY's laughter is so unfair! I don't believe these two are unrelated.]
[These two definitely dated; I swear on my ten relationships.]
[Ten times? Are you talking about this in your dreams?]
[I never expected that good students could be so clingy when they're in love. Looking at it this way, Ji Jingyu isn't much different from me.]
[This is a real couple. You guys always said he and Chen were a couple, but I'm about to graduate and I've never seen them interact. Unlike this guy, who just transferred here and is already standing up for someone.]
[Aren't they neighbors? I remember JJY mentioned that when he clarified things last time.]
[They are neighbors, that's true, but there's no rule saying you can't date your neighbor.]
[You can only really talk to neighbors, otherwise, how could you say that being close to someone makes it easier to get a good view?]
[You don't understand, do you? Hiding from teachers during the day and from parents at night—it's exciting just thinking about it.]
...
—
By the time Jiang Sui and the others saw this post, it had already become a trending topic and firmly occupied the top spot on the forum's homepage.
Jiang Deyu glanced at the post title and said in surprise, "Our school's sports meet is the same every year, how come this is trending? Has everyone's life become this impoverished?"
"Let me see."
Yu Xiaocheng's curiosity was piqued by Jiang Deyu's words, so she took his phone and started looking through the posts.
At first, her expression was normal, but gradually it became intriguing, her gaze constantly shifting between Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu.
The other person's gaze was so unrestrained that Jiang Sui couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.
To prepare for the upcoming midterm exams, Ji Jingyu tailored several sets of practice papers for Jiang Sui, keeping Jiang Sui so busy that she barely had time to relax after class.
When Jiang Yunzhao found out, he felt both distressed and relieved.
For him, Jiang Sui was a gift and a kindness from fate.
Even if Jiang Sui gets zero in every exam, she is still the smartest and most perfect child in the world.
Children really do need to stay with their mothers.
Ji Jingyu is indeed quite capable.
Jiang Sui put down her pen, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at Yu Xiaocheng, her tone seemingly unsurprised, "So, what happened this time?"
Some people are born to attract everyone's attention. Even though Jiang Sui tries to keep a low profile, she can't avoid people rushing to her side.
For example, Xi Sishuo is still tirelessly sending her friend requests, trying to gain a place on her friend list.
Jiang Sui guessed that she might have unknowingly become the protagonist of some event or scandal.
Jiang Deyu's phone fell into Jiang Sui's hands like a game of musical chairs. Yu Xiaocheng teased, "Everyone's saying you and Brother Ji are a perfect match."
Jiang Sui was taken aback at first, then the corners of her mouth slowly curled up, she wasn't fooled, "I don't believe it."
She's seen Yu Xiaocheng's "normal" expression when she was shipping her and Ji Jingyu; it's not like that at all.
Jiang Sui spent all her patience looking at the test paper, but she didn't read it very carefully, almost skimming through it.
Just as she had imagined, her name, Ji Jingyu's name, and Chen Xilin's name appeared frequently in the posts.
Gossip is indeed a human instinct.
Studying is already so hard, yet you still have time to meddle in other people's business.
"It seems that our clarification a while ago was quite effective."
“That’s true.” Yu Xiaocheng nodded. “Brother Ji is finally free from being tied to Chen Xilin.”
Just as Jiang Sui was about to return the phone to Yu Xiaocheng, her expression suddenly froze, and the speed at which she swiped the screen also slowed down.
Yu Xiaocheng knew that Jiang Sui had grasped the key point, which was the fundamental reason why this post remained on the forum's homepage.
[Do you guys think all good students like bad girls? Otherwise, I really can't understand why Ji Jingyu would date her at such a crucial time in their senior year of high school.]
This comment has completely stirred up the already turbulent waters.
[Is it possible that only ordinary people like us think the final year of high school is crucial, while for academic geniuses, even if it's the college entrance exam tomorrow, it won't affect their chances of becoming the top scorer?]
[The college entrance exam is tomorrow? Don't make such scary assumptions, I have a heart condition.]
[Generally speaking, good students lead very repressed lives, but the truth is, the more repressed they are, the more they yearn for an exciting life. What could be more exciting than dating a "bad girl"?]
[Am I the only one who thinks that Ji Jingyu's aloofness has disappeared since he started dating? Jiang Sui seems like the kind of person who's good at playing with emotions. I really hope Ji Jingyu can see her true colors soon and get back on the right track.]
[Jiang Sui transferred from a big city, so the young lady definitely won't stay in Xunning for long. She's probably just using the good students as a way to relieve boredom and pass the time.]
[My buddy told me that when her friend came to visit her at No. 2 High School, he drove a sports car, supposedly expensive enough to buy the whole school.]
[It's not like your buddy only eats half of the melon, is it? He's shameless to share a half-finished melon with you.]
[What do you mean? They didn't drive such an expensive car?]
[No, the car's price is indeed not exaggerated at all, but they are not Jiang Sui's friends.]
[This was all over the local news back then, didn't you see it at all?]
[No, it was a period of bad luck with Mercury, and all three of my phones were confiscated.]
[The post shouldn't have been deleted yet; you can find it by searching "police station" on the forum.]
[How come the police station is involved here? Did they steal the luxury car?]
[It's too complicated to explain in a sentence or two; you should go see for yourself.]
[This young lady is rich, beautiful, and cunning—a total playboy. The academic genius could never outmaneuver her. I can already foresee the tragic end of this relationship.]
[That's why they say God is the fairest of all; a genius who hasn't experienced the hardship of studying will naturally have to taste the bitterness of love.]
[Does anyone know Jiang Sui? Please pass this message to her: A top student is a precious and rare resource; please, please be gentle with her. If she really doesn't want him anymore, please let me know, and I'll come and take him back to a warm haven.]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[Sister, tone it down a bit, you're practically throwing abacus beads at my face.]
[Why should you pick me up? My house is much bigger and warmer!]
Jiang Sui: "..."
She curled her lip in disdain.
Ji Jingyu seemed only to notice Jiang Sui's unusual behavior. "What's wrong?"
"See for yourself."
The phone was passed to Ji Jingyu.
Jiang Sui tapped Yu Xiaocheng's forehead, looking expressionless, but her tone didn't reveal any anger, "Class monitor, you've gone astray, you're actually saying the opposite of what you mean."
Those people practically had the words "mismatched" plastered on their foreheads.
Yu Xiaocheng shrugged innocently, "I wasn't being sarcastic."
They all assume that Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu are a couple, which means they are a perfect match.
"Hey, let me see what's going on?"
Jiang Deyu was the first person to see the post, and the phone was his, but he still doesn't know exactly what happened, which made him so anxious that he jumped around in a panic.
When the phone was in the girl's hand, he was too embarrassed to look at it. But after Ji Jingyu became the temporary owner of the phone, he had no more reservations and immediately looked over curiously.
With his excellent eyesight, Jiang Deyu easily saw the contents of the document.
He tried to hold back, but couldn't. He slammed his hand on the desk and burst into laughter: "Hahaha, Jiang Sui and the others said you are..."
The classroom was actually quite noisy after class, but Jiang Deyu's loud voice made it impossible to stop him.
Upon hearing this sudden noise, many students in the class instinctively turned their heads and looked in unison at the source of the noise.
The corner where they were once again became the center of attention.
"Why are you so excited? Is there something good happening, Brother Jiang?"
Someone in the crowd asked Jiang Deyu a question, and at the same time, the sound of a stool being dragged could be heard.
It seems the other party wants to come over in person to verify this.
"Jiang Deyu." Jiang Sui's cold, threatening voice rang in his ears, "Believe me or not, I'll poison you and make you mute right now."
Jiang Deyu certainly believed it.
He also knew that as long as Jiang Sui gave the order, Brother Ji would immediately get up and restrain his body without distinguishing right from wrong, so that Jiang Sui could give him the mute drug.
This post is on the forum, and everyone has the right to look at it. Some people in the class may have even seen its contents before. But talking about it behind someone's back and confronting the two people in front of them are two completely different things.
Jiang Deyu's brain had never worked so fast before. "It's nothing, I just solved a problem that had been stuck for several days, I'm so excited."
Most people have had similar experiences, so they can understand Jiang Deyu's previous erratic behavior, and everyone has refocused their attention on their own affairs.
Jiang Deyu took a deep breath, celebrating his narrow escape.
Yu Xiaocheng looked at Jiang Deyu with a hint of sympathy, "Class is about to start, hurry back to your seat."
Jiang Deyu took his phone from Ji Jingyu's hand and obediently returned to his seat, giving the same answer when Tong Xia pressed him for details.
Watching Jiang Deyu flee with his head in his hands, Jiang Sui scoffed coldly and didn't bother to argue with him anymore.
Suddenly, a soft laugh reached Jiang Sui's ears.
Turning around, I saw Ji Jingyu's thin lips slightly parted, the smile in his eyes still lingering.
There was no hallucination; it really was Ji Jingyu laughing. A hint of disbelief flickered in Jiang Sui's eyes.
When Jiang Deyu laughed at her, Jiang Sui just wanted to punch him to vent her anger. But when Ji Jingyu laughed at her, Jiang Sui was genuinely unhappy. "What are you laughing at? You agree with what they say and think I'm a bad girl?"
"No." Seeing that Jiang Sui had misunderstood him, Ji Jingyu said seriously, "They are all talking nonsense. You don't need to pay attention to what they say."
Jiang Sui's expression softened somewhat.
"I know." Ji Jingyu paused for a moment, seemingly considering whether it was appropriate to say what he was about to say, but he quickly decided to follow his heart. "You're the best girl."
No one knew better than Ji Jingyu that Jiang Sui, who seemed flamboyant and unrestrained, was actually a very well-behaved child.
Jiang Sui is always easily coaxed by Ji Jingyu.
"Do you want to use my account?"
Just as Jiang Sui was starting to work on the questions again, a black cell phone gently pressed down on a corner of the test paper.
At the time, in order to clear up the unfounded rumors about Jiang Sui, Ji Jingyu registered a forum account.
After the matter was resolved, the account was shelved and never deleted, but now it can be used again.
Ji Jingyu spoke briefly, but Jiang Sui immediately understood his meaning.
He asked Jiang Sui to use his account to reply to those unfriendly comments.
They both knew perfectly well that if Jiang Sui really did that, it would definitely cause quite a stir on the forum, and even in real life.
It's satisfying, but unnecessary.
Jiang Sui didn't want to make herself and Ji Jingyu the subject of gossip anymore, so she put her phone in Ji Jingyu's desk.
"Don't you need it?"
“Hmm.” Jiang Sui nodded. “As Mr. Yang Jiang said, ‘In the world of crows, swans are also guilty. If our thoughts are not on the same level, just respect us. If our values are not on the same level, just smile. Don’t argue with important people about unimportant things. Don’t argue with unimportant people about important things.’ Those people are not worth my time to argue with.”
Seeing that Jiang Sui really didn't care, Ji Jingyu didn't say anything more.
So why were you laughing just now?
"..."
Jiang Sui hadn't forgotten; she was just waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for the other party to lower their guard, so she could catch them off guard.
More than those utterly boring people, Jiang Sui wanted to know Ji Jingyu's thoughts.
"They say we're a couple, and you're actually quite happy about it, aren't you?"
"...Jiang Sui, you can only go home after you finish this test paper today, so hurry up."
"Ha, you're just saying one thing and meaning another."
Author's Note: Sorry I'm late, my darlings, I've kept you waiting.
Some things happened at work before and after the New Year, plus a family member was seeing a doctor and undergoing surgery, so I really didn't have the energy to keep updating.
However, the battle lines in this book are indeed stretched too far.
I apologize again to all the readers who have been following the updates. I'm sorry.
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