As a teacher, shouting in public is an extremely undignified act.
But at this moment, Yin Fang couldn’t care less about that.
What was Li Ping doing?
He was trying to poach Gu Xue Jiao!!!
This was the student she valued most for the upcoming year!
Not every class had exceptionally talented students. The previous year had Cheng Mingze, and this year had Chu Sheng. Yin Fang had almost given up hope, but then Gu Xue Jiao suddenly emerged—she was the bargaining chip for Yin Fang and Li Ping’s competition in the upcoming college entrance exams!
The college entrance exams weren’t just a battlefield for students; they were also a competition among teachers.
The student Li Ping was trying to take wasn’t just any ordinary student. This student represented grades, bonuses, professional titles, and reputation.
How could Yin Fang not be frantic?
If Xue Jiao went to Li Ping’s class, the next year would be nothing but Li Ping trampling over her!
Yin Fang strode over, her high heels clicking loudly, as if the sound alone could vent her anger.
"Teacher Li, what exactly are you doing?"
Caught red-handed, Li Ping awkwardly rubbed his nose.
But seeing Xue Jiao standing nearby and Li Sitong’s visibly tempted expression, he threw caution to the wind. "I was just asking Xue Jiao if she’d like to switch classes. I think the atmosphere in our class suits her better."
"And ours doesn’t? Teacher Li, what if I wanted Chu Sheng from your class?" Yin Fang suppressed her fury. With students and parents coming and going around them, neither dared to make a scene.
Li Ping turned shameless, shrugging with a smile. "Teacher Yin, you’re welcome to ask Chu Sheng. If he’s willing, I certainly won’t object."
"You—" Yin Fang’s anger flared again. Chu Sheng had always been close to Li Ping—there was no way he’d switch classes!
But then, Yin Fang thought of Xue Jiao.
It suddenly struck her that she should focus on Xue Jiao herself—if Xue Jiao refused, that would settle it!
So, Yin Fang turned to Xue Jiao and Li Sitong. "Student Gu Xue Jiao, Mrs. Gu, our Class 1 has always been excellent, no worse than Class 2. Xue Jiao has progressed to this level in our class, which shows she’s adapted well here. For the sake of her final year of high school, I think it’s best she stays in Class 1."
Yin Fang spoke with a smile, but Li Sitong hesitated.
Noticing her hesitation, Li Ping added, "Our class has the same teaching resources as Class 1! The teachers are mostly the same too! Only a few subjects differ!"
Yin Fang shot him a glare.
At this moment, Yin Fang suddenly regretted her initial dismissiveness toward Xue Jiao at the start of the term. If she hadn’t underestimated her, her relationship with Xue Jiao and Li Sitong wouldn’t be so awkward now.
Every student could be a hidden gem—from now on, she wouldn’t underestimate any of them!
This realization had just dawned on Yin Fang. Years later, after completely changing her attitude, she would come to understand—just how profound an impact a teacher’s indifference and neglect could have on a student.
People thrive on affirmation. Offering care and encouragement motivates students far more than cold detachment ever could.
The student who left the deepest impression on Yin Fang in her entire career was Xue Jiao. Instead of crumbling under her neglect, Xue Jiao became the pride she desperately wanted to keep. And it was because of Xue Jiao that Yin Fang realized just how wrong she had been.Li Sitong thought for a moment and still felt that transferring to Class Two would be better. She slowly opened her mouth to speak, "Well, I think—"
Xue Jiao gently tugged at her sleeve and said softly, "Thank you for your kindness, Teacher Li, but I've already grown accustomed to life in Class One. I'd prefer to stay here."
While Li Ping's face fell in disappointment, Yin Fang's expression blossomed into a radiant smile. She reached out and patted Xue Jiao's head—a rare gesture from her. "Student Xue Jiao, don't worry. Staying in Class One is absolutely the right decision for you!"
"But—" Li Sitong still hesitated.
Why would Xue Jiao want to stay in Class One? Yin Fang hadn't treated her well before. Could it be because of... Yi Tianyu?
Xue Jiao lowered her voice. "Gu Shiyun is in Class Two."
As if struck by a sudden realization, Li Sitong's pupils contracted. She immediately forced a smile. "I also think Jiao Jiao should stay in Class One. Thank you, Teacher Yin and Teacher Li!"
After making their decision, the two bid farewell to the teachers and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
Yin Fang and Li Ping walked side by side back to the office. Yin Fang muttered under her breath, "Teacher Li, I won’t forget what you did today! Don’t even think about poaching my students again!"
Li Ping remained silent.
Yin Fang turned to him curiously. "Li Ping, what are you thinking about?"
After a pause, Li Ping suddenly looked up. "Gu Xue Jiao, Gu Shiyun... both share the surname Gu. And Xue Jiao's mother changed her mind so abruptly because of Shiyun. Could there be some connection between them?"
Yin Fang was momentarily stunned, but she quickly frowned. "They can’t possibly be sisters. And anyway, what does it matter to you? I’m telling you, today—"
As Yin Fang continued her grumbling, Li Ping had no time to dwell on his strange speculation and quickly dismissed the thought.
After Li Sitong and Xue Jiao left, Gu Shiyun slowly emerged from the front door of Class Two, her eyes dark with resentment.
——
After the parent-teacher meeting, Xue Jiao threw herself back into her studies. Chu Sheng had already caught up to her, and the slightest slack in effort would cost her the top rank.
Although Cheng Mingze was approaching the college entrance exams, he wasn’t under much pressure since he had already secured early admission. He continued practicing with the school basketball team alongside Yi Tianyu and others. Qizhong High’s team had advanced to the finals and would soon compete against the renowned sports-focused high school for the provincial championship. Victory would bring glory, while defeat would mean nothing.
For Yi Tianyu, this match was his ticket to a prestigious university—a shortcut to closing the gap between him and Xue Jiao. Needless to say, the stakes were high for him.
The match was scheduled right after the May Day holiday.
"Bookworm, are you coming to watch?" Yi Tianyu asked, fidgeting nervously.
"Of course."
Instantly, Yi Tianyu’s mood soared, and a grin spread across his face.
"My whole family will be there," Xue Jiao added casually without looking up.
Yi Tianyu: "..."
Right... Cheng Mingze was also playing, so of course Xue Jiao’s whole family would attend...
Yi Tianyu stared at Xue Jiao, feeling dejected.
——
"Mom, I'm home." Gu Shiyun returned to the Gu residence with her backpack. Wu Wanjun sat on the sofa, her face streaked with tears.
Gu Shiyun hastily tossed her heavy backpack to the auntie, who staggered under its weight, barely managing to catch it before steadying herself with a pained frown, rubbing her stomach.
"Mom? What’s wrong?!" Gu Shiyun hurried to Wu Wanjun’s side.
Wu Wanjun only cried harder.
"Mom!"Wu Wanjun pulled out a tissue and wiped her tears.
"Your father has been bewitched by some vixen!"
"What?!" Gu Shiyun's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible?!"
"Your father has barely been home this week—he must have someone on the side!" Wu Wanjun said bitterly.
Gu Shiyun sighed in relief. "Mom, don't overthink it. Hasn't Dad been good to you?"
Without concrete evidence, she naturally assumed her mother was just being paranoid.
"Shiyun! Don’t you think I can tell when a man’s heart has strayed or if he’s seeing someone else?!" Wu Wanjun raised her voice.
For a moment, Gu Shiyun felt awkward.
Yes, her mother had risen to her position this way—of course she’d recognize the signs.
"Mom… are you sure?" Gu Shiyun’s voice was hoarse.
"Absolutely!" Wu Wanjun wiped her eyes firmly. "Ever since the parent-teacher meeting on Monday, your father’s barely been home!"
Her voice suddenly dropped, suspicion creeping in. "Shiyun, do you think… your father has reconnected with Li Sitong?"
"Impossible!" Gu Shiyun’s voice rose sharply. With a man like Cheng Mingze’s father, Li Sitong would have to be insane to get involved with Gu Jingxu again.
"I didn’t think so either. Then it must be some other little vixen!" Wu Wanjun gnashed her teeth.
Gu Shiyun fell silent. The family she had once smugly cherished was nothing more than this…
She used to envy Xue Jiao so much, and after gaining what she had, she felt endlessly fortunate. But it turned out this happiness was fleeting.
Wu Wanjun continued crying, while Gu Shiyun’s expression flickered, lost in thought.
——
Thursday.
A trending post suddenly appeared on the school forum with a bold title: This Is What Your Goddess Is Really Like!!
First came a series of photos of Gu Xue Jiao—her earlier days with red hair and heavy makeup, looking ghostly, followed by shots of her sitting in a nightclub. Due to the angle, the last photo made it seem like she was pressed against a burly man with a tiger tattoo on his arm.
See that? Your goddess loves clubbing, hooking up with random men, and one-night stands!
Accompanying text read: Gu Xue Jiao, this baggage followed her mother into the Cheng family, becoming stepsiblings with Cheng Mingze. Her stepfather is a somewhat well-known wealthy man.
Another attachment showed a chat log with just a few lines:
A: Why haven’t you been coming out lately?
Gu Xue Jiao: Mingze is home.
A: You like him that much?
Gu Xue Jiao: Of course. Like him so, so, so much.
The post concluded: This is your current goddess, Gu Xue Jiao—a baggage with a crush on her stepbrother, who used to party and sleep around. Hahaha, it’s definitely the same person, or I’ll get hit by a car at 200 mph.
The comments exploded:
"No way?"
"It’s true, she really used to look like that."
"How does OP know so much?"
"Impossible! That doesn’t look like the goddess at all. Who’s spreading this nonsense?"
"Everyone knows Gu Xue Jiao only cares about studying. Who are you trying to frame?"
"Wow, she was really like that before?"
"It’s true, she did look like that, but the hookup stuff… I don’t know about that."
...
By lunchtime, students sneaking glances at their phones had pushed the post to peak popularity. Word spread like wildfire—one told ten, ten told a hundred. Soon, nearly the entire grade, if not the whole school, had heard about it.The untouchable school beauty used to frequent nightclubs and engage in one-night stands, even falling for her stepbrother... What shocking topics!
"Brother Yu, heading back to class?" A sweaty player asked, hands on his knees.
Yi Tianyu sank a three-pointer from afar before replying, "Let's go. We'll practice more tonight. The finals are right after the holiday break—everyone needs to stay sharp!"
"Got it!" came the unified response.
After their cheer, the players walked toward the benches, grabbing water bottles to gulp down thirstily.
A girl sat nearby—the girlfriend of one team member—scrolling rapidly through her phone. When she saw them approach, she immediately stood up with a smile and went to her boyfriend.
"Hey, look who you used to worship as your goddess! Come see what Gu Xue Jiao is really like! Hahaha!"
Yi Tianyu paused mid-drink and walked over. "What's going on?"
"It's about Gu Xue Jiao. The school forum is blowing up right now. If some students hadn't handed in their phones, it'd probably crash! Hahaha, who knew Gu Xue Jiao was like this before? What a fake..." The girl sneered in disgust.
Yi Tianyu snatched the phone from her, quickly scanning the content. His face darkened instantly.
"See? I always thought Gu Xue Jiao wasn't the quiet type. She's just—"
Before she could finish, a forceful shove sent her sprawling to the ground.
"What the hell?!" the girl shrieked angrily, only to realize it was Yi Tianyu who had pushed her—and he looked even angrier than she was.
"You disgusting, gloating woman. Gu Xue Jiao is a hundred times better than you. I don't hit women, but you're really testing my patience!" With that, Yi Tianyu swung his fist at the girl's boyfriend, who was helping her up.
"Ah—how could you?!" the girl screamed.
Yi Tianyu threw another punch, shaking his hair out of his face coldly. "I'm exactly this unreasonable. Keep running your mouth, and I'll keep hitting."
He turned away icily, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. His menacing aura kept anyone from stopping him or uttering a word.
——
Rumors soon spread to other classes, starting with the regular ones—
"Is this for real?"
"No way!"
"It's true—there are pictures as proof!"
"Oh my god, I can't believe it!"
"Gu Xue Jiao is such a fraud. The untouchable school beauty?"
"I saw the photos too. Damn! Unbelievable!"
"I still think it's impossible."
……
Among them, one boy remained silent, frowning deeply at the rampant gossip. Soon after, he slipped into the restroom, pulled out a hidden phone, and typed a few lines along with a link.
——
The two advanced classes of sophomore year caught wind of it early. Class 2, where some had always disliked the former Gu Xue Jiao, naturally reveled in schadenfreude.
In Class 1, where Xue Jiao now studied, people kept approaching her classmates for confirmation.
Seated at her desk, Xue Jiao felt the weight of frequent sidelong glances, though no one spoke to her directly. She frowned slightly.
What... was going on?
"Hey, bookworm..."
"Hmm?" Xue Jiao looked up at Yi Tianyu in confusion.
Her eyes were clear, and half the exercises in the textbook before her were already completed—she had been studying ahead.Yi Tianyu knew just how hardworking she was. A stubborn girl whose mind was solely focused on studying—hitting nightclubs? One-night stands?
Hah, he wouldn’t believe it even if he were beaten to death.
"It's nothing. Let's just study," Yi Tianyu said with a light chuckle.
"Oh..." Xue Jiao turned her head away, feeling like everyone was acting strangely today.
Meanwhile, in Class Two.
"She’s definitely that kind of person!"
"No way, how could Gu Xue Jiao do something like that?"
"It’s almost finals. Stop spreading baseless rumors."
"How is it baseless? That girl has serious character flaws!"
"Yeah, you guys might even like that kind of woman! Hmph!"
"Give me a break. If this were true, I’d feel sick just looking at her!"
...
"Enough!" Chu Sheng suddenly stood up, slamming his book onto the desk.
The others froze, staring at him in disbelief.
Chu Sheng, the top student, was known for being quiet—never raising his voice, always buried in his books.
But now...
His hands trembled slightly as he raised his voice further. "Have you all finished your homework? Are you fully prepared for finals? Instead of wasting time gossiping, why not study? If you want to keep talking, fine—but I don’t want to hear it."
With that, he sat back down and resumed writing furiously.
The others blinked at each other, nudging one another awkwardly before scattering.
Once they were gone, Chu Sheng’s grip on his pen faltered. The messy scrawl on his page betrayed his unsettled thoughts.
That afternoon, Yi Tianyu confronted the school’s forum administrators.
"Delete that post! How can you just sit back and let slander like this stay up?!" His voice burned with anger.
The forum moderators were only part-time staff, usually handling educational matters for the school.
A young teacher frowned. "We didn’t know either. At lunch, everyone was away eating. By the time we got back, the post had already gone viral. We tried to delete it immediately, but for some reason, it disappeared, then reappeared—and now we can’t remove it at all."
The teacher looked equally troubled. The forum had been created to keep up with trends, mostly promoting study-related content, with popular posts sharing learning tips. A scandal like this erupting out of nowhere was the last thing they needed—especially with the principal breathing down their necks.
Yi Tianyu’s frown deepened. It couldn’t be deleted?
"Student, you should head back for now. We’re still trying to figure this out—don’t get in the way!"
Dazed, Yi Tianyu left the office. As he reached the entrance of Class One, he bumped into Cheng Mingze, who was carrying a laptop.
"What are you doing here?" Yi Tianyu frowned.
"Looking for Xue Jiao to help resolve this."
The moment Cheng Mingze finished speaking, Yi Tianyu instinctively snapped, "Don’t tell her!"
Cheng Mingze’s brow furrowed as he sighed. "I know you think she shouldn’t hear about this, but you have to understand—Xue Jiao has the right to know. She’s not as fragile as you think."
With that, he strode into the classroom.
It was dinner time, but many students had already returned. The moment Cheng Mingze walked in, eyes widened in shock.
Cheng Mingze’s reputation went without saying—and here he was, the other key figure in the scandal!Cheng Mingze paid no attention to their gazes as he walked up to Xue Jiao, opened his laptop, and showed her the post first.
Xue Jiao looked at the opened post on the computer in confusion.
Slowly, her brows furrowed. After browsing through the entire post, she went back and carefully read it again from the beginning.
After finishing, she remained silent for a moment before asking—
“Has it blown up?”
So that was why people had been looking at her strangely all day?
“Those who care already know, and those who don’t have heard about it from others,” Cheng Mingze said with a deep frown.
Yi Tianyu jumped into his seat and asked her, “Is this person you?”
Xue Jiao paused, then nodded. “It’s me.”
It was Gu Xue Jiao—in other words, her.
Yi Tianyu froze for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief. Really? The bookworm?
“Then the photos…”
Xue Jiao frowned tightly, recalling the details of the incident in her memory. After a moment, she said, “The photos are real, but the content is fabricated. This one—”
Her finger tapped on the photo of the nightclub as she frowned. “I went with Li Wei and the others. They said they were taking me to broaden my horizons and that we’d leave soon. But once inside, Li Wei and the others kept pushing drinks on me. I got a little drunk, and they abandoned me there. I managed to stumble back on my own while still somewhat conscious.”
“That time…” Cheng Mingze seemed to recall something.
“Right.”
“Damn! What kind of people are they?! Bookworm, who’s this Li Wei? I’ll go and—”
Cheng Mingze shot him a cold look. “You have no proof. Don’t act rashly.”
Yi Tianyu was so angry he stomped his feet, then poked Xue Jiao’s forehead in frustration—
“How could you be so stupid? Trusting just anyone?!”
Xue Jiao nodded seriously. Wasn’t Gu Xue Jiao exactly that—stupid?
Cheng Mingze looked at Xue Jiao. “I deleted the post this afternoon, but later, I don’t understand why it reappeared. I think there’s a hacker or someone extremely skilled with computers behind this. I just don’t know if it’s Li Wei and her group.”
Xue Jiao’s frown deepened.
Though Gu Xue Jiao had been reckless, it was always Li Wei and the others who had led her astray. And she had never actually done anything truly bad—she had only gone to nightclubs a handful of times. After that incident where Li Wei abandoned her, she had never dared to go again.
“The post was most likely made by Li Wei. Even if it wasn’t her, she’s definitely involved.” Xue Jiao pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling like disaster had fallen from the sky.
The original owner really… knew how to make trouble for her!
Cheng Mingze scrolled through the post again. “I checked the IP address—it’s from an internet café. They probably posted it from there.”
“Then let’s find a way to make Li Wei confess herself!” Yi Tianyu slammed his fist on the table in anger. If Li Wei were in front of him right now, he would’ve already thrown a punch!
“We should clarify things. Tomorrow afternoon is the May Day holiday. I’ll try to borrow the school broadcast station to make a statement.”
Cheng Mingze paused, his finger pointing at the “evidence” about “Xue Jiao liking Cheng Mingze.” His voice sounded slightly unnatural. “I can personally clarify this part tomorrow. The main issue is the nightclub and the one-night stand rumors…”
Xue Jiao’s brows knitted tightly. She didn’t understand why Li Wei and the others would go so far to harm Gu Xue Jiao. What kind of grudge could they possibly have?Yi Tianyu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "We can only get leads on these matters from Li Wei, but the key is where can we find them? Do you know where they live?"
Xue Jiao shook her head: "I only know they study at the vocational school on Changming Street."
Yi Tianyu suddenly stood up and jumped out of his seat. "I'll go make a call. I know someone there who can keep an eye on Li Wei for us. Then we can go find her?"
Cheng Mingze nodded. "We can only start with Li Wei for this matter."
——
Yi Tianyu didn't return until just before class started, his brows tightly furrowed and his eyes burning with anger.
"Li Wei is gone. She was there at noon, but someone suddenly picked her up in the afternoon. She didn't attend her afternoon classes either!"
Both Cheng Mingze and Xue Jiao frowned simultaneously.
Without finding Li Wei, the situation had reached a temporary deadlock.
It was also at this time that Xue Jiao realized how uncomfortable it felt to be looked at with such disdainful eyes.
She tried her best to ignore the pointing fingers and the way people immediately backed away as if she were something filthy whenever she walked past.
Yi Tianyu was like a firecracker today, exploding at the slightest provocation. The moment anyone gossiped about Xue Jiao, he would immediately flare up.
He even called Yi Dafa, begging him to help find someone named Li Wei.
In the evening, Xue Jiao walked toward the school gate as usual, with people whispering along the way, not even bothering to lower their voices around her.
"I never thought she was this kind of person!"
"She acted so innocent before, and those guys kept calling her a goddess every day."
"How can she even show her face?"
"Do you think she really has feelings for her own brother?"
"Would that really be so surprising?"
"Was it really her in that post?"
"Duh, of course it was her. If it wasn't, why wouldn't she defend herself?"
...
Xue Jiao stopped in her tracks and turned to face the speakers, calmly saying—
"You're just parroting others without the ability to discern right from wrong. You're not discussing the truth—you're just venting your own inner darkness."
Without waiting for their ugly expressions, she quickly walked away.
Neither Xue Jiao nor Cheng Mingze mentioned the school incident to Cheng Shuo and the others. It wasn't until they each returned to their rooms that Cheng Mingze finally spoke. "Jiao Jiao, I've already asked someone to look for Li Wei. As long as she's still alive, we'll clear your name."
Xue Jiao was silent for a moment before replying softly, "Thank you, Ge."
"Mhm." Cheng Mingze forced a smile, though for some reason, his heart felt a little bitter.
The door closed.
A moment later, Xue Jiao's phone buzzed slightly—
[Lin Zhihua: Can I call you?]
The moment she sent back "Yes," the call came through.
"Jiao Jiao, I kept the post up. Li Wei is also with me."
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