When Wang Qiqi finished speaking, she gently retrieved the notebook from Huang Li's hand and murmured, "I remember you often said, Huang Li, that one shouldn't touch another person's notebook without permission. You've made a big mistake today."

Tch. You used to be so smug, thinking you could control us with your math homework, right? Well, I'll give those words right back to you today: "You really need to think hard about 'Do not touch what is not yours,' Huang Li."

After saying that, Wang Qiqi handed the notebook over to Shi Man. "Next time before you give your homework to someone, tell them properly. Don't just give it to any Tom, Dick, or Harry. Who knows what people might say when they see your work."

Shi Man took the book, looking suitably educated. "Got it, got it. Won't happen next time. Next time I lend it out, I'll specify not to give it to a certain person." As for who that 'certain person' was, everyone knew without needing to be told.

Everyone had been wondering why Huang Li looked so aghast at Shi Man's homework, their faces suddenly turning pale. They were trying to figure out what happened to Huang Li—did Shi Man lie to her? But upon reflection, that didn't seem right either. Shi Man wasn't the type to speak carelessly. Suddenly, they all arrived at the same conclusion: Shi Man’s homework must have been completely wrong, which is what infuriated Huang Li, making her feel deceived by Shi Man. They never expected what happened next to spiral beyond their predictions.

They hadn't anticipated that Shi Man's math homework would actually be done exceptionally well. Otherwise, why would Huang Li have stormed over to Shi Man's desk with such an accusatory tone? They all felt a strong urge to look at Shi Man's homework, but given the current atmosphere, how could they step in? After exchanging glances, it was ultimately Zhu Lina who stepped forward.

It wasn't that Zhu Lina wanted to play the hero, but she knew she was the most suitable person to handle the situation right then. Didn't Shi Man just hand her the math homework earlier, implying she wanted Zhu Lina to witness it? Moreover, Zhu Lina believed she and Shi Man had a good enough relationship that asking for the notebook wouldn't cause any issues.

Zhu Lina approached Shi Man and softly asked, "Shi Man, may I see your homework? Don't worry, I won't let anyone snatch it away this time." Although Zhu Lina wasn't good at math and frequently copied homework, she wasn't afraid of offending Huang Li. Putting aside whether Shi Man had truly mastered these math problems—which seemed like arcane scripture to Zhu Lina—she figured that if she wasn't copying Huang Li, there were still others who might lend her their work for reference. Furthermore, Zhu Lina genuinely disliked the smug, punchable look on Huang Li's face every time she lent out her homework. Thus, she was happy to see Huang Li embarrassed.

If Zhu Lina asked to borrow the book, Shi Man would naturally lend it. Hmph, hadn't she handed the notebook over precisely so Zhu Lina could see how well she did her math? Shi Man seriously doubted Zhu Lina couldn't see whose solution process was simpler and easier to understand.

It was well-known that Huang Li always solved problems using the most complicated formulas, only to then use a simple process to solve them during the actual exam. Once or twice might be luck, but after so many times, everyone knew the truth: she was deliberately setting traps. Everyone found this infuriating—wasn't this her guarding against them?

Many students, after copying homework and getting their books back, would meticulously analyze why a problem was solved in a certain way. But anyone who copied Huang Li’s homework found that thoroughly understanding her steps was rarely an easy feat; it often left them dizzy and frustrated. Yet, despite this, they had no choice but to study and try to decipher her reasoning. As for simplifying the process? Sorry, students coming to copy someone's math homework usually didn't have the brainpower left to think about simplification.

Zhu Lina took the notebook and glanced at it. She immediately noticed how simple Shi Man's steps were—so much easier compared to Huang Li’s. For the first problem, she realized that with just a little thought, the reasoning became clear; it was derived from basic formulaic deductions. "Wow, Shi Man, I finally believe you found an expert." She envied Shi Man; to have found such a great math guru! Shi Man was good in other subjects, but math always dragged her down. Now, her only weakness seemed solved. Alas, if only she...

Hearing Zhu Lina’s exclamation, the others forgot about copying homework. If they couldn't finish it all, that was fine; copying it too perfectly might actually anger the teacher. Moreover, what Zhu Lina said had piqued their interest. Everyone started reaching for Shi Man’s notebook to take a look.

"So this problem was actually this simple? How did I not think of that?"

"Ah, it only took these few steps to solve it? Good heavens, that's too easy! I've lost out big time. If I had known, I should have waited for Shi Man to arrive before copying, at least that would have saved me a lot of effort." This particular student clearly hated using their brain and just wanted the easiest way to copy the required work.

"Looking at this solution process, it doesn't seem hard at all. Shi Man, who did you consult?" someone asked curiously. Everyone knew Shi Man's academic standing; they were certain she must have a master behind the scenes guiding her, otherwise, how could she solve problems so effectively?

Shi Man’s smug smile suddenly drooped when this topic came up. How could she explain? Should she betray Han Tao? That was out of the question. Even though he was tutoring, could her classmates possibly trust someone from a lower grade to be their math tutor? Never mind them; even their parents wouldn't believe it.

Shi Man's face fell, and everyone noticed the sudden shift in her demeanor. Huang Li, who had been feeling rather dejected—her slight popularity in class mainly stemmed from her passable math scores—couldn't stomach this move by Shi Man. She couldn't just resort to snide remarks, but now she had inadvertently found a weak spot to attack. "Shi Man, you aren't being that petty, are you, refusing to tell us who is tutoring you? Could it be your..." Huang Li said suggestively. Some words, the more vague they are, the more they make people speculate wildly.

This was the reaction Huang Li wanted. Hmph. Let’s see how Shi Man answers this. If she doesn't answer, she's either stingy or intimately involved with someone. Huang Li absolutely did not believe the person guiding Shi Man was a girl. If it were a girl, why wouldn't she say so? Huang Li’s intuition told her that the person behind Shi Man had to be a boy.

Shi Man hadn't expected Huang Li to corner her like this. She wanted to reveal Han Tao's name, but the critical issue was how. If they all knew Han Tao was tutoring her, would they start targeting him? What if the expert felt bothered and decided to stop tutoring her and Qiqi?

Shi Man felt she shouldn't have let her spat with Huang Li escalate into such a messy situation. She looked anxiously at Wang Qiqi, her eyes full of apology.

By this point, Wang Qiqi was mentally prepared for this outcome. Even without the feud between Shi Man and Huang Li, handing this homework over to the math teacher would inevitably raise suspicions, leading to exposure anyway. "It was my neighbor who gave me pointers. Is there a problem with that?"

When they heard Huang Li’s insinuations, everyone had been trying to figure out the truth. Although they were all sophomores, they had read romance novels and some were indeed contemplating whether Shi Man was secretly dating someone. However, they hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to be the one to step up and answer.

Huang Li certainly didn't believe Wang Qiqi's explanation. "Wang Qiqi, we know you and Shi Man are close, but there’s no need to cover for her in matters like this. We are all sophomores. If the teacher finds out Shi Man is having a secret relationship...?" What Huang Li really wanted to know was why the teacher never noticed Wang Qiqi’s relationship with Gao Kai. If someone were to report Wang Qiqi for early dating, Huang Li wondered how she would manage that fallout.

Wang Qiqi noticed that while Huang Li was mentioning Shi Man's early dating, her fierce gaze was actually fixed on Wang Qiqi. This struck Wang Qiqi as odd. Although her relationship with Huang Li wasn't good, there was no deep-seated hatred warranting such a look.

Despite preferring not to meet Huang Li's eyes, Wang Qiqi stared directly at her and spoke deliberately, word by word: "Classmate Huang Li, what exactly do you mean by that? Isn't that slander? Just because Shi Man’s math grades improved means she must be secretly dating? If you genuinely believe Shi Man is in a relationship, then present evidence. Don't just imply who she's close to—if she's dating, prove it. If that’s the case, Huang Li, you are also quite close with a certain person in the science track; don't you often run over there during breaks? Should we then assume you are secretly dating?"

As if! You want to throw mud on Shi Man? You're truly desperate. "Although Shi Man and I are close, what I said just now is the truth. Han Tao is my neighbor. When I was home sick from school, he gave me a little guidance."

Everyone looked blank when Wang Qiqi mentioned Han Tao. They racked their brains, trying to recall if there was any math genius named Han Tao in the second or third year of their school. After several mental checks, they couldn't recall any math ace with the surname Han, let alone one named Han Tao.

At that moment, someone suddenly remembered and asked Wang Qiqi if this Han Tao was that outstanding student, Han Tao.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yes. Yesterday, Shi Man and I got stuck on some math problems and went over to ask him. He wrote out the solution process for us." Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't going to tell them that she had actually done the problems herself, nor would she mention she had secret cheat sheets. Some truths should only be half-revealed. Even though they were classmates, they were also competitors. They wouldn't share their good review materials or problem sets with her, so why should she play the fool?

When Huang Li heard that the person guiding them was Han Tao, she froze instantly. No way. Did they really have such good luck to know Han Tao? "You two really know Han Tao? He did the solution process for you? Then why didn't you ask for his help earlier, Qiqi?"