Chapter 54

His gaze was intense. After she finished eating, he reached out and gently wiped away the cream that accidentally got on the corner of her lips with the pad of his finger, intimate and natural.

Tao Yi Xi pursed her lips, the warm sensation of his touch had not yet dissipated, lingering subtly and almost imperceptibly.

She did not avoid it, nor did she find it abnormal. Her body seemed to have already grown accustomed to his touch.

Both remained silent, and the air was filled with an indescribable sensation causing one’s heart to flutter in disarray.

Tao Yi Xi blinked, “Aren’t you eating?”

“I am.” He unconsciously raised his hand and licked the cream from his fingertip.

Tao Yi Xi widened her eyes in surprise. Gu Jing Yuan suddenly seemed to have snapped out of his daze, and a hint of blush colored his fearless youthful face.

“Uh… I already washed my hands.”

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“…” Mbl rskdv kpd’v ycswv oblvbla usw’hl oypble uswa bydep.

Tl fwxrle wr, “Gblx, R’zz oypb xu bydep ytykd!”

Tkp bypvu elryavwal oyp ldswtb vs rashl bso qzwpvlale bl oyp. Mys Zk Dk calyvble y pktb sq alzklq, qllzkdt kdlmrzknyczu bsv.

Gqvla y obkzl, bl zlqv, rashkdt vbyv bl alyzzu fwpv oydvle vs cakdt bla y nlzlcayvsau nyjl, yde, sq nswapl, vs pll bla.

Mbl dlmv xsadkdt, yzz vbl nsdvlpvydvp tyvblale wdela vbl cyddla vs vyjl y taswr rbsvs clqsal vblu yzz zlqv qsa bsxl.

Ubld Hl yrrasynble Mys Zk Dk, “Fbyzz ol zlyhl?”

“Fbl’p zlyhkdt okvb xl.”

Qw Kkdt Zwyd yrrlyale swv sq dsoblal, pbssvkdt y nsze tzydnl yv Ubld Hl.

Chen Ze stated, “We’ve already booked our returning tickets together.”

Gu Jing Yuan turned to look at Tao Yi Xi for affirmation, and she nodded.

“…”

Tao Yi Xi noticed the grievance in his eyes and found that it was somewhat cute. She smiled, “Let’s go eat; I’m hungry.”

As expected, he no longer dwelled on the topic and followed her, asking what she felt like eating.

Chen Ze stood there but she did not call out to him.

It might have seemed like he had won, but in actuality, he had lost miserably.

**

A week later, the competition results arrived at the various schools, and there was a jubilant atmosphere in the office of the second-grade mathematics department.

“Oh my God, so this is what a gold medal looks like!” A physics teacher eyed it with envy. Although their school was top in the province, there were always better schools with better students in the country. It had been a long time since their school won the national gold medal.

“Who brought home the trophy?”

“Take a guess.”

“Was it Chen Ze?” After all, his reputation was well known.

“There’s another one.” The form teacher raised his chin proudly, “It’s our class’s Tao Yi Xi.”

The inquiring teacher widened his eyes in surprise. He had heard of this transfer student, but he did not expect her to be this talented and even managed to bring glory to their school. The form teacher’s smile was so wide that his mouth nearly went crooked.

During the flag-raising ceremony, Tao Yi Xi and Chen Ze went onto the stage together. The morning sun seemed to shine down on them like spotlights.

“Settle down, I have some good news to announce.” The principal tried to maintain order.

Chen Ze looked at Tao Yi Xi, and even from a distance, one could feel his joy.

Gu Jing Yuan stood lazily with his gaze fixed on her. When he saw Chen Ze’s expression, his countenance turned chilly. Qi Yue cautiously stole a glance at him, afraid that this good brother of his was about to rush up the stage just to break the two apart.

There were inevitably whispers around them, discussing how perfect the two on stage were for each other. Each word pierced deep into his heart.

To Qi Yue’s surprise, Gu Jing Yuan did not leave like he usually would. Instead, he stood there, listening attentively to her speech and clapping along with everyone else, genuinely happy for her.

That’s wonderful; her wish has finally been fulfilled.

If only the one standing next to her was him. How wonderful it would have been? As she stood higher and higher, when will he be able to catch up to her?

After Tao Yi Xi received her certificate and returned to the classroom, everyone greeted her warmly. Many wanted to take the opportunity to get closer to her but when they spotted Gu Jing Yuan, they all retreated cowardly. 

“Yi Xi, the teacher called you to the office.”

“Alright, thank you.” 

As she left, the classmate who just passed on the teacher’s words to Tao Yi Xi turned to her deskmate and shared the latest news she received. 

“I just came from the teacher’s office and I overheard that Tsinghua University is looking at potential candidates for early admission.”

“Really? But that’s Tsinghua University!”

“Our school never won before, so we weren’t sure. However, the school that has consistently won first place in previous years mentioned that it’s an old tradition for Tsinghua University to recruit top students through an early admission program. But this year, we’re the ones that won the top positions,” the classmate proudly shared the news.

Someone noted, “Then will Chen Ze be going too?”

“That’s of course!”

Someone could not resist gossiping, “They’re always seen together. Once they enter university, they’ll most likely end up together, right?”

“No doubt about that. Besides Chen Ze, is there anyone else who would be a good match for Tao Yi Xi?”

“There isn’t.”

Everyone accepted this as a known fact.

Gu Jing Yuan, who had been silent all this time, locked his phone screen and indifferently opened the mathematics paper that needed correction. Without uttering a word, he meticulously redid his workings for the questions he got wrong, each stroke of his pen penetrating the paper with determination.

Tao Yi Xi returned to the class with light steps, and Zhou Zhi asked curiously, “Yi Xi, I heard that Tsinghua University is considering you for their early admission program?”

Gu Jing Yuan pinched the paper, waiting with bated breath as he pricked up his ears to listen to her answer.

“It’s not confirmed yet. But they did express such intention.” Tao Yi Xi’s tone was cheerful.

“That’s amazing!” Zhou Zhi excitedly shook her. If others were not privy to this matter, they would have assumed that it was Zhou Zhi who was going to be admitted to Tsinghua University.

Tao Yi Xi was not opposed to Zhou Zhi’s actions. Her eyes curved, and a genuine and dazzling smile lit up on her face. As a person who was already beautiful, she now seemed to be glowing, leaving Zhou Zhi staring in awe.

“You’re so beautiful,” she blushed as she rested her face in the palms of her hands. “You’re getting more beautiful every day. Chen Ze is so lucky.”

“Huh?” Tao Yi Xi was puzzled by her words.

Zhou Zhi smiled knowingly, “Hehe, Chen Ze will also be going to Tsinghua University, no?”

“If his admission is confirmed, then he will.”

“Lovebirds flying together~ That’s great, so amazing!” As their CP fan, Zhou Zhi was ecstatic.

Tao Yi Xi smiled and found her innocence amusing. “He’s not going to Tsinghua University because of me. This is Tsinghua University we’re talking about.” As one of the top universities in the country and the dream school for science students. Every one of them was working hard towards that goal.

This time, it just so happened that both of them caught the attention of the same university. If she had won a silver medal and was not noticed by Tsinghua University, Chen Ze would not have given up the opportunity to go just for her. Likewise, she would not do it for him either. 

But Zhou Zhi still believed otherwise, “That’s why this is destiny.”

Tao Yi Xi smiled but did not refute her. She was too lazy to explain the same thing over again, she could spend that time studying instead. 

Gu Jing Yuan stopped writing and looked down, lost in thought, his expression cold and emotionless.

“You’ve made a mistake here.” She tilted her head slightly and pointed out the error in Gu Jing Yuan’s workings with a delicate and pinkish finger.

Gu Jing Yuan looked into her eyes, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart. He pushed the paper towards her with an unhappy tone, “Don’t know.”

Tao Yi Xi did not get angry with his actions. Instead, she used a red pen to show him the steps. Her graceful handwriting appeared beside his workings, creating a beautiful contrast.

The little bit of anger remaining in his heart gradually got dispelled by her patient words and behavior. The person beside her now was him, not Chen Ze.

Although the two did not speak or have any intimate gestures, it was clear that no one could step in between them.

Zhou Zhi could still feel an invisible but powerful pressure pressing down on her. Upon careful consideration, she realized that this intense hostility was emanated from Gu Jing Yuan. Suppressing her fear, Zhou Zhi bate Tao Yi Xi goodbye softly before leaving.

Gu Jing Yuan was too scary!

CP fan, Zhou Zhi, secretly worried for Chen Ze. Gu Jing Yuan was a really protective and possessive brother.

“Do you understand now?”

“Yes.”

He just needed one glance to understand. He was quite talented.

Tao Yi Xi was in high spirits; she was one step closer to Tsinghua University.

She finally caught sight of the first hopefully glimmer of her future.

Now, only one person remained anxious.

That night, Gu Jing Yuan’s lamp was left on later than Tao Yi Xi’s.

**

Tao Yi Xi’s fame soared due to the competition and Tsinghua University’s potential early admission, and during this period, Cai Li Ling listened to Tang Wan fervently praising Tao Yi Xi in various ways, and she could not help but sneer in her heart. 

Was it really necessary?

The more time she spent with Tao Yi Xi, the less she liked her. Tao Yi Xi was like an impenetrable wall, and she could not find out anything about Gu Jing Yuan through her. Tao Yi Xi does not gossip or exchange secrets with them. In Cai Li Ling’s mind, if there was no exchange of secrets then what kind of friendship was that?

Zhou Zhi and Tang Wan were her friends, but now they were closer to Tao Yi Xi than to her. When the four of them were together, although she did not talk much, she still managed to be the focal point.

Tao Yi Xi’s radiance was too bright, and everyone could only see her. When they hung out together, they all became background characters. Who wanted to be a background character? She certainly did not!

On this day, Cai Li Ling returned to the classroom early and was boredly scrolling through Weibo. Coincidentally, she stumbled upon a small hot topic on the real-time trending ranks.

She was a follower of this blogger, who specialized in posting photos of campus beauties and handsome guys from various schools. In this edition, the star in the four-photo grid was just having a meal with her not too long ago.

Unlike the other campus beauties’ photos, which were artistic or posed selfies, all of Tao Yi Xi’s photos were taken by the blogger. The only photo showing her full frontal visage was an ID photo. Yet, the somewhat rigid picture perfectly showcased her well-proportioned features.

The latest photo was a group photo of this year’s national mathematical competition, where all the academic elites were looking into the same camera. Tao Yi Xi had a calm expression, and her luminous white skin and outstanding appearance made her stand out even more causing her to immediately catch people’s attention.

This Weibo post quickly garnered thousands of likes, creating a huge gap in engagement compared to the blogger’s previous posts.

Most who clicked on the post found themselves unable to leave.

[Mama, I saw a little fairy! Prprpr¹Lick.…]

[She must be the reincarnation of Goddess Nüwa! Is this beauty really real?!]

[I only leave a dark history in other people’s cameras. Is this what humans call disparity? Lighting a cigarette and looking at the mundane world.jpg²A phrase used to describe a detached or indifferent attitude towards worldly affairs, as if someone is calmly observing life’s complexities while smoking a cigarette.]

The four photos were thoroughly examined by the viewers, and someone asked in curiosity: [What competition is this group photo for? It seems really impressive.]

[Be more confident, remove the ‘seems’! It IS very impressive! Anyone who can enter the national competition is definitely a top student in their cohort! If one gets the gold medal, their spot at Tsinghua University is almost guaranteed!]

[Damn, respect! That’s amazing!]

Her beauty alone was enough to attract attention, now including her intelligence and talent, it only added to her allure and hype.

Amidst all the praises and admiration, a few comments caught Cai Li Ling’s eyes, causing her to suddenly become excited.

[I know her. She used to go to my school and often played innocent and tattled on others to the teachers to gain sympathy. She’s a master of passive-aggression tactics, a cold and unfriendly classmate. Can such a girl ganer so much support?]

Some people voiced their skepticism: [Really? She doesn’t look like such a malicious person.]

[Does a bad person have the words ‘bad person’ written on their face? She’s cunning, acting one way in front of others and another behind their backs.]

The voice of doubt still existed, though temporarily overshadowed by other more positive comments.

Until a new revelation came up: [Her mom is a mistress, specializing in targeting wealthy men and breaking up other people’s marriages. Those scandals have spread around here. She probably got into that prestigious school thanks to her stepfather.]

People started to share more and more things, posting photos of Tao Yi Xi’s mother with different men, accompanied by vivid and exaggerated descriptions. Xia Yan was labeled a gold-digger, promiscuous, and lewd, along with a multitude of vulgar words that would have usually been blocked if posted.

[I heard from my parents that this woman drove her current husband’s ex-wife to her death.]

With this ‘evidence’, the tides changed and the comments took a turn.

[Disgusting, she’s too vicious.]

[With a mother like this, how can the daughter be any better? She must also have the same manipulative skills. What the others said earlier is probably true. This kind of girl should stay away from us; campus violence biss!]

[The husband is a well-known local tycoon. His son was admitted into the prestigious school through monetary means. So this stepdaughter must have been able to enter the national competition and win through similar methods.]

Soon, the Weibo post found its way to the Fu Middle School’s forum.

Title: [The True Face of Our School Goddess – Tao Yi Xi]

Original Post: [I stumbled upon a Weibo post during lunch, and I’m shocked! Could what they say be true?]

The original poster shared several screenshots of ‘exposé’ content with some of those intense comments in between.

During lunch break, that post went viral.