Chapter 17: That Delicate Flower (17)

“Teacher, can we check the security cameras?” Song Qi remembered that every classroom here was supposed to have them.

The homeroom teacher looked troubled. “The cameras in the Second Classroom aren’t on.”

Song Qi…

“Then can we bring out the person who reported him and hear what they have to say?” Song Qi noticed the teacher glance at Qin Xiao. “Don’t worry, Teacher. Qin Xiao won’t come after them later. I’ll vouch for him.”

Someone had left the office door ajar, and a crowd had already gathered outside to watch.

Gu Si was among them. She heard Song Qi’s voice from inside and frowned.

“Honestly, Xu Yangnuan is so full of herself, vouching for Qin Xiao. Who’s going to listen to her?” Her friend leaned close and whispered. There was a trace of disdain in her voice—and a sour note she couldn’t quite hide.

Gu Si glanced at her friend, not noticing the flicker of displeasure in her own eyes.

Song Qi was still arguing her case with the teacher. Qin Xiao, the person at the center of it all, had become a bystander.

After being on the receiving end of Song Qi’s sharp tongue every day, it was pretty satisfying to watch her turn it on someone else for once.

“Teacher, if this isn’t handled properly, it could hurt his motivation to study. He’s clever in his own way. If he keeps this up, I think he could get above the cutoff for a first-tier university by the end of the year.”

Qin Xiao looked at Song Qi in surprise.

She’s actually calling me smart!

A smug smile crept across his face. Then he realized something was off.

Holy shit. She praises me, then goes and saddles me with a goal?

They brought in the boy who’d reported Qin Xiao for cheating. By then, the argument between Song Qi and the homeroom teacher had reached a stalemate.

Besides, how could the male lead be allowed to suffer this kind of indignity?

Even more people had gathered in the hallway. Gu Si wanted to leave, but she also wanted to see how things turned out.

She thought Song Qi would win this battle of words.

Song Qi thought the boy looked familiar, as if she’d seen him somewhere before.

Qin Xiao recognized him right away and let out a cold laugh. Clearly, the two of them had history.

“Yang Hu, I called you in about your report that Qin Xiao cheated.” The homeroom teacher rubbed her temples. “This sort of thing almost never happens. By high school, even if students see someone cheating, most don’t report it. This is the first report we’ve had in years, and now it looks like he might have been framed.”

The homeroom teacher was exhausted. After going back and forth with Song Qi for so long, she was almost convinced Qin Xiao hadn’t cheated. But she couldn’t just take Song Qi’s word for it and decide he was innocent.

“Did you see him cheating?” Song Qi asked Yang Hu.

Yang Hu nodded. “I did.”

“What did he use to cheat?”

“Cheat sheets.”

“Where were you sitting?”

“Third column, fourth row.”

“And you?” Song Qi turned to Qin Xiao.

“Fifth column, sixth row.”

“Which exams did he cheat on?” Song Qi looked at Yang Hu without changing expression. Her gaze applied pressure whether she meant it to or not.

“All of them.”

“Oh? All of them?” Song Qi stared straight at Yang Hu, speaking quickly. “How did he cheat? What did he do? How big would a cheat sheet have to be for him to gain that many points in every subject? And how could he cheat his way into passing all his science classes?”

She didn’t look away. “If I remember right, your seats were on opposite sides of the room. It would’ve been hard to see him clearly. Why didn’t you report him during the exams? Why not after they were over? Why wait until the scores came out? Was it because you tried to pick a fight with Qin Xiao before and he got the better of you? Maybe you were upset when you realized you couldn’t beat him in a fight or on an exam, so you reported him to get even.”

Song Qi knew she might be reaching in places, but Yang Hu’s face had gone pale. Her words were getting through to him.

“I could see if I just turned my head!” Yang Hu stammered. “What do you mean, opposite sides?”

“Isn’t there some enormous guy between you?” Qin Xiao looked at Yang Hu. “When I look in his direction, I can’t even see you. How could you see what I was doing? Do your eyes bend around corners?”

After saying that, Qin Xiao felt better than he had in ages. So this was why Song Qi enjoyed tearing into people so much.

“Do you have any evidence?” Song Qi’s expression remained unchanged. “Do you think saying ‘I saw it’ is enough to convict someone?”

Yang Hu looked at Song Qi and cursed under his breath.

“Are you sure everything you’ve told us is true?”

“I…”

“As a student, you should value honesty.” Song Qi tapped on the desk. “Look me in the eye and promise me.”

Yang Hu looked at Song Qi and shuddered. He backed away a couple of steps. Her gaze was terrifying.

His mouth twitched.

Host, you’re just betting on whether he’ll panic and get scared…

We have to try. This was one of those situations where whoever backed down first lost.

Besides, looking at Yang Hu, he probably hadn’t thought through what might happen if someone challenged him.

“I just think he cheated.”

“Think?” Song Qi cut him off. “So you didn’t actually see him?”

Under the weight of her stare, Yang Hu nodded. “How could he have gotten such good scores all of a sudden?”

Song Qi scoffed. “Not everyone’s as stupid as you.”

Yang Hu frowned, seething, but there wasn’t much he could say.

“Teacher, I think it’s pretty clear what happened now.” Song Qi turned to the homeroom teacher.

The homeroom teacher nodded. The whole exchange had left her a little dazed. When had Xu Yangnuan become like this?

“I’ll be going.” Song Qi gathered her things and held them in her arms. “If possible, I hope Yang Hu will apologize to Qin Xiao. And I hope he won’t make false accusations that damage someone’s reputation again.”

With that, Song Qi bowed slightly to the homeroom teacher and left the office.

She’d done her part. Time to make her exit.

Song Qi stepped outside and found a crowd gathered by the door. She paused. “What are you all doing here?”

“Watching the drama,” someone said quietly.

Song Qi’s mouth twitched. She squeezed through the crowd and went on her way.

Two teachers stood nearby with their mugs, smiling as they watched the students.

Song Qi had a feeling the students who’d been watching were in for it.

“Xu Yangnuan.”

Song Qi stopped and looked at Gu Si, who had blocked her path. “What is it?”

“I need to talk to you. Can you come with me for a moment?” Gu Si looked serious.

Song Qi nodded and followed her to the stairwell.

“Xu Yangnuan, do you like Brother Qin Xiao?”

Song Qi raised an eyebrow. Gu Si’s eyes were red. “What makes you think that?”

“If you don’t like him, why would you do all that? You even stood up to the teacher for him.”

“First, I don’t like him. Second, I wasn’t arguing with the teacher. And third, by that logic, I fought someone for you, too. Does that mean I like you?”

Song Qi looked down at Gu Si.

Gu Si stared at her, stunned. For a long moment, she didn’t say a word.

They were already standing in a corner by the wall, and now Gu Si felt as if Song Qi’s presence had swallowed her whole.

Like what? What am I supposed to like?

She knew Song Qi was joking, but she couldn’t understand why she was blushing.

“I should go. Class is about to start.” Song Qi rubbed Gu Si’s head, then went back to the classroom.

Qin Xiao was already at his desk. Song Qi saw a big bag of snacks on her seat.

“Don’t mention it. Just a thank-you,” Qin Xiao said.

“Mm. You’re welcome.” Song Qi set the bag beside her seat.

Qin Xiao sighed. “I’m pretty smart, you know.”

“I said you’re smart in some ways. For example, compared to Yang Hu.” Song Qi watched the smile on Qin Xiao’s face crumble, enjoying herself. “Keep it up. First-tier university.”

Qin Xiao…

I want my snacks back.

Song Qi opened a chocolate bar and popped it into her mouth.

Eighty percent of the bag was candy. Since it had hit the mark with her, she decided to be kind to him for the rest of the day.

At dinner, Song Qi watched Gu Si leave with a group of girls. Gu Si walked past her with her head down, without so much as a glance in her direction.

Of course, the two of them didn’t sit together anymore.

But they were still close enough that Song Qi could see Gu Si whenever she looked up. Gu Si kept her head down and ate, never once looking up.

“What’s the matter with Sisi? She looks distracted.”

“Nothing.” Gu Si smiled and shook her head.

“Is it that Xu Yangnuan again? She’s doing it on purpose. You keep saying she’s innocent, but she seems like a real scheming bitch to me.”

“Stop.” Gu Si should have kept going, given the way she’d been set up. But hearing Song Qi’s name now made her feel strangely irritated.

It wasn’t the usual kind of irritation. It was something else.

“All right, I’ll stop. Don’t worry. We’ll get even with her.”

Gu Si frowned, ready to refuse. Then her expression changed, and she closed her mouth.

In mid-November, the school held its sports meet. As class monitor, Song Qi was forced to enter two individual events and two team events: the 800-meter and 100-meter races, long-rope skipping, and the relay.

The monthly exams still stung, but the teachers were kind enough to let everyone go out and have fun for the day.

“Want me to cheer you on?” Qin Xiao asked, hands on his hips as he rolled his shoulders and raised an eyebrow at Song Qi.

“No.”

“I bet you’ll cry if you lose.” Qin Xiao grinned.

Song Qi looked at him and rolled her wrists. “Who do you think will cry first? You, after I beat you up, or me?”

Qin Xiao took two steps back.

Song Qi went to check in for her event. Gu Si was there, too, accompanying another girl.

Their eyes met. Gu Si’s smile froze for a moment, then she quickly looked away.

A group of girls from Song Qi’s class came running over and crowded around her, chattering. After Song Qi signed in, they walked with her to the starting line.

Gu Si watched Song Qi’s back and ground her teeth.

“Don’t worry. When she’s running, we’ll make her regret it.”

“Huh?” Gu Si stared at the girl beside her. “What are you going to do?”

“Just watch. I’m running against her, too.” The girl smiled. “You can’t stand her, and neither can I.”