Ever since the basketball incident, the second class of World Commerce treated Xiao Mi as invisible. No one spoke to her, no one bothered about her. Everyone treated her like air when she passed by. When she smiled and greeted everyone, they took her as an unwarranted pest. As proverbs say, hanging out with a lunatic makes you look crazy as well. To them, Xiao Mi’s actions were no different from insane.
It’s obviously Yi Tang Yao’s fault to have hit someone with a ball. He has reduced Wei Tao to such a pathetic state, not to mention having hit Cheng Yuan, the most respected girl in class! Yet, Xiao Mi took Yi Tang Yao’s side, apologizing and running 10,000m for him. Does she think that by attracting people’s attention, she could brand herself as an ‘altruistic angel’? Annoying, she’s outright pitting herself against the class!
Sheng Shu is no shoujo manhua.
Not all the girls are idiots who stare at pretty boys with heart-shaped eyes.
Yi Tang Yao may be handsome and has good background. But, his actions were too arrogant and tyrannical; it’s only right he gets punished for it. And all these were ruined by Xiao Mi! She must be that kind of girl, who hides shrewd intentions behind an innocent façade. Mesmerized by Yi Tang Yao’s social background, she is trying all means to get his attention.
A girl who pulls all methods necessary to nab a rich guy is detestable.
Hence, every student in the second class of World Commerce decided, with heartless expressions, to ostracize Xiao Mi.
In the class, Wei Guo Guo sneaked glances at Xiao Mi, who was reading forlornly at a corner, as she sipped her yoghurt drink. She seemed ill. Her face was flushed, and she couldn’t stop coughing, her lips pale and cracked. She looked rather pitiful.
That day in the dormitory, when Xiao Mi pushed open the door feebly, her pained respiring appearance after running 10,000m made Wei Guo Guo, who was eating chocolate at that time, momentarily forget her vow to ‘never bother about Xiao Mi again’.
Wei Guo Guo supported Xiao Mi to her bed, and couldn’t help chastising her. “It hurts, doesn’t it? Are you crazy, why did you run for him? Don’t you know what the others are saying about you?!”
“I’m sorry......”
Xiao Mi forced a smile, and the fragility of it softened Wei Guo Guo’s heart.
“Don’t care about that Yi Tang Yao anymore from now on, you hear me?” Wei Guo Guo sighed.
“I’m sorry, I can’t.”
Wei Guo Guo’s eyes widened. “Why--?!”
Xiao Mi didn’t speak. Her complexion is even paler than the white pillow her head laid on. Her eyes ebbed a certain melancholy.
“Tell me, why?” Wei Guo Guo raised her voice. “it can’t be because you’ve fallen for him! That’s ridiculous! Either you’re an idiot, or a lovesick fool! Do you want to be like Yang Ke Wei or Na Lu, becoming everyone’s laughing stock in their covetous fights for Yi Tang Yao?! That guy’s spoilt, he’s a player, he won’t sincerely love any girl!” And, what’s so good about Yi Tang Yao. It’s fortunate that Yang Ke Wei skipped out on PE, otherwise, the dormitory is sure to be permeated with the smell of gunpowder.
“Thank you, Guo Guo.” Xiao Mi laboured a smile. “I understand, you’re saying this for my sake.”
“Stop saying nonsense!” Wei Guo Guo’s temper rose. “I’ll ask you one question—if you encounter something similar, will you still lunge out, willing to do anything, for Yi Tang Yao?”
Xiao Mi smiled bitterly.
Wei Guo Guo felt only a bitter smile from her. There was no hesitation.
“Yes, I will.” Xiao Mi gazed at her, the sorrow in her eyes shifted into a deep affection. “I’m sorry, Guo Guo.”
Like hell you’re sorry!
Outraged, Wei Guo Guo turned on her heels, thrusting herself onto her own bed, as she slammed her head into her pillow. Arghhh--! She cursed silently. Damn! She’s never going to care about Xiao Mi anymore!
Light, suppressed coughs bounced over sporadically from the corner of the classroom.
Wei Guo Guo stared at Xiao Mi from a far distance once again, distressed. The yoghurt drink felt tasteless. She had no idea what Xiao Mi was thinking. She was already so weak from the 10,000m run, yet she stayed up till 1 to 2am for two days straight, researching materials under dim light.
She’ll destroy her body like this.
Wei Guo Guo placed her yoghurt drink on the table dismally. She turned her head towards Cheng Yuan, who was revising beside her, with a whisper.
“Xiao Mi seems to have fallen sick.”
Cheng Yuan didn’t even raise her head, her voice monotone. “She’s not a child, she can take care of herself.”
“Oh.”
Wei Guo Guo sighed, drinking her yoghurt mechanically. If...... if Xiao Mi no longer fawned over Yi Tang Yao, then she’ll just forgive her. After all, she’s the one who proposed to be friends with her...... Yep, let’s leave it at that!
Wei Guo Guo’s gaze swept outside the class.
Yi Tang Yao was surrounded by a few girls from other classes. Their smiles blossomed, some gorgeous, others demure. Every one of them are resplendent beauties. Yi Tang Yao’s arms were slung over a girl’s shoulder. He guffawed, his laughter crazed and arrogant. Then, he lowered his head and planted a kiss on the girl’s face. The girl was undeniably shy, while the others flashed dark gazes of envy.
He would never like a gentle girl like Xiao Mi.
Wei Guo Guo nodded.
Xiao Mi would wake up from this very soon.
But—
Wei Guo Guo guessed wrong.
* * *
The bell rang
It’s Resource Management class again.
Professor Bo walked up to the platform. He didn’t speak, his eyes surveying round the class. Everyone thought it was odd, and looked up at him.
“Yi Tang Yao.”
Yi Tang Yao stared him, irritated.
Slowly, he folded back his legs, and stood up lazily.
“Yes, teacher.”
Professor Bo fished out a printed document from his briefcase.
“Your thesis is very well written.”
Yi Tang Yao started. “Thesis?” Heck, what thesis?
“The thesis you handed up last time was completely ripped off the net. I criticized you, and asked you to hand up another copy. I’ve read through it, it’s really written well. I can tell some of your opinions have been written through careful consideration and thorough research.” Professor Bo didn’t say this, but he initially suspected this thesis was again a rip-off. So, he spent the whole night checking with relevant words in the search engine, but the conclusion was, this was unexpectedly an original.
Yi Tang Yao raised his brows.
The class was in an uproar.
Having been classmates with Yi Tang Yao for three years, he has only been chided by the teachers for being nonchalant with no ambition. In terms of learning, this must be an unprecedented first.
Could it be, the sun has risen from the east?
“There’s only one problem—“ Professor Bo scrutinized him. “Did you write this?”
Yi Tang Yao chortled.
His laugh is apathetic, and cold.
“What do you think?”
He rendered Professor Bo dumbfounded with one question!
Awkward, he tipped his spectacles. “Of course, you could have written it. If you did write it yourself, then I’ll take back that suspicion earlier.” The electric wires propped on branches around the campus were pasted with all kinds of notes, scouting assassins of all types. On the school forum, there are many of those who hire people to write their theses for them. And with their knowledge of Yi Tang Yao, he couldn’t possible write a thesis seriously. This thesis is on the level of getting published on the magazine, Economics Core.
Yi Tang Yao turned his head towards the woods outside the window languidly. He spoke.
“That’s right, it’s not written by me......”
“The thesis is Yi Tang Yao’s!”
A girl rose from her seat abruptly. Her voice was hoarse, but hurried. As she said this, she began to cough violently, her face flushed as her body trembled.
Xiao----Mi----again----!!
The second class of World Commerce was on danger of fainting over. Wei Guo Guo collapsed onto her table, and finally understood. What the hell is this! So, she had been slogging overnight to help Yi Tang Yao write his thesis?! Cheng Yuan spun her pen, frowning slightly.
Yang Ke Wei snorted. “Shameless!”
Yi Tang Yao and Xiao Mi were distanced very close to each other.
Only an empty seat separated them.
Yi Tang Yao turned his head.
He surveyed her.
His gaze scanning from the fine strands of her short hair, to her cracked colourless lips, to her chest heaving from coughing fits, and to her tightly clasped hands.
She cannot back down!
Xiao Mi clutched her hands severely, to suppress her guilt, to withhold her body from shaking and to fight back the chill emitting from her toes. She stared straight at Professor Bo, her lips tight, as she took a deep breath.
“The ideas from the thesis were suggested by Yi Tang Yao. I merely helped with the organisation.”
A lie is nothing.
Compared to him having a pass in his grades, another ten over lies would be nothing!
Xiao Mi convinced herself this way.
But—
Everyone’s cold gaze fell on her. Xiao Mi could feel the chill penetrate her bones. It felt like a flare was blazing in her body from the shame. Hot and cold. She coughed strenuously; her lungs hurt so much it was as if they were stabbed by a knife.
“You’re saying, this thesis is written by you?”
Professor Bo walked towards Xiao Mi. This girl’s face was flushed red. The signs of lying were too blatant. No wonder, he himself could hardly believe this thesis would come from Yi Tang Yao.
“No!”
Xiao Mi stuck out her chest, using all her strength to repress her breathless coughing. “This thesis belongs to Yi Tang Yao! I only typed it out.”
Professor Bo released a surprised laugh. “Yi Tang Yao admitted it himself......”
“What he admitted is—the thesis was not ‘written’ by him. Yes, he did not hold a pen or touch a keyboard, so he didn’t ‘write’ it. But, a thesis’ focal point is the idea, isn’t it? Organising and typing is but a typist’s job.” After rattling on a long speech, Xiao Mi’s constricted chest felt like it would explode.
It hurts......
She started coughing violently once again.
Professor Bo started laughing; this is the most interesting thing he has ever come across in his teaching career. “Yi Tang Yao, tell me, is the content of this thesis your ‘idea’?”
Yi Tang Yao’s gaze still remained on Xiao Mi. Sunlight scattered from outside the window; he and she were bathed in light.
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